i've been refurbing the decks first with a needle scaler as it gets thru the rust and flaky paint quick and in tight spaces to avoid removing the spindles and pulleys because those screws always break and ruin the spindle. Then hand scrape or wire brush any leftover flakes, clean with alcohol, then spray with rust reformer and finish with paint. I have used Bondo on occasion to smooth out deep pits or welded areas but not a whole lot. Still unsure how long Bondo would hold on to a deck with all that vibration, but over 5 years haven't heard anything from 35+ tractors i've sold. Also i've stripped the underside and painted with truck bed liner but again haven't followed up or heard how long that would last.
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Export threadthe deck washing system only works if you use it all the time AND lower the deck to the ground while washing. if you have dried up,caked up grass in there it won't necessarily knock it off. Also remember to raise the deck up when done washing and run the blades for a couple of minutes to dry the undersideSwapping decks other than the exact correct deck on any mower will involve lots of modification and time, unless you get lucky. The wash port is a total gimmick and doesn’t work.
I run the machine into a large shallow puddle that forms on my property during the rainy season and this works much better than the deck wash system. I like the idea of removing the spindle covers and using them for wall decoration in the shed. At the end of the busy mowing season, I remove the deck, pressure wash the underside and recoat with bed liner spray from Rustoleum and it's ready to go for the winter mowing season. Last year I changed the oil in the hydros and fitted larger tires to get more deck clearance as the mower was cutting too short at the crest of a hill (yeah I know, there are no hills in SW FL) with the deck set at max height. Years ago I sandblasted the underside but haven't had to do that since using the bed liner which lasts much longer than paint. As I recall, I found the CC yellow at Tractor Supply and it has stood up well on this ~ 14 year old ZTR.
Truck bed liner is great stuff for the underside and topside between the spindles to stop moisture from rusting the top. I do that when I'm doing a full rebuild. It's so easy to simply blow off the grass after mowing that I'll never understand why I see so many rotted decks in the center and under the deck coversI run the machine into a large shallow puddle that forms on my property during the rainy season and this works much better than the deck wash system. I like the idea of removing the spindle covers and using them for wall decoration in the shed. At the end of the busy mowing season, I remove the deck, pressure wash the underside and recoat with bed liner spray from Rustoleum and it's ready to go for the winter mowing season. Last year I changed the oil in the hydros and fitted larger tires to get more deck clearance as the mower was cutting too short at the crest of a hill (yeah I know, there are no hills in SW FL) with the deck set at max height. Years ago I sandblasted the underside but haven't had to do that since using the bed liner which lasts much longer than paint. As I recall, I found the CC yellow at Tractor Supply and it has stood up well on this ~ 14 year old ZTR.