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I have mowed 4 times so far this season. After each mowing I run the front of the turf tiger 61 inch cut up onto my trailer ramps. I get underneath the deck and with a putty knife I scrape. There has got to be a better way of cleaning the underside of the mower deck. Any ideas?

Thanks for your time and comments.

-bobby

What about using "Fluid Film" under the deck?

-bobby

Been cleaning them for forty years that way. If you find a better way please let us know. Forget about the spray film, waste of $$$$$. We also pressure wash them when ever possible.

Thanks Rivets for your reply. I thought about pressure washing but have also read that isn't necessarily a good thing. What's your thought on this?

-bobby

Been a Scag owner for six years and just joined the forum. I just traded my 48" Tiger Cub in on a 61" Turf Tiger and that was one of my concerns. The dealer acted as tho the problem doesn't exist on my new one as it did on my old one. I figured that wasn't correct and it appears I was right.

We scrap the decks and pressure wash every unit that comes in for a full check over. Haven't had any problems. The only problems that could arise are not being careful and taking the paint off and punching a hole in decks that get to thin.

Although I like my Scag Tiger Cub, I have never had a machine that collects so much under the deck. I mowed commercially for years with Ingersoll GTs with collection systems and never had the buildup that the Scag deck deck collects. The decks on my Ingersolls comes off in about 30 seconds and I flip them over to clean them which wasn't very often, but removing the decks on most ZTRs is far from practicle. I have a pit in my garage and I position the machine over it and pull the pit covers out and scrape the deck with thick SnapOn putty knives that I keep sharp on my bench grinder.
It is difficult to not scrap into the paint when cleaning the Scag deck and the areas where the paint is missing, the grass sticks more.
So the time gained from quick turning and faster ground speed while mowing is more than lost when it comes to deck cleaning time unfortunately. I have a collection system on my Tiger Cub and the grass builds up in the blower housing to the point where I need to remove the impeller in order to clean behind it. With a collection system there is a different set of baffles installed under the deck to reduce blowout and these baffles add to the time that it takes to clean the deck.
However I still prefer this machine over the GTs that I have used for years, but it took a season and a half of operation to get accustomed to this ZTR.
With the lack of rain here in CT, the grass is slow growing and very dry so there is no buildup at all under the Scag deck which is great for the deck but bad for my pocketbook!!!
Mad Mackie in CT:smile::biggrin::laughing:

I don't like the idea of spraying water under the deck to clean it. My dealer however said that was the way to do it. My neighbor said he has seen zero turns at the car wash.

I purchased a really nice scraper off the internet that is curved and seems to do a better job than a squared off putty knife. But the squared off putty knife worked fine for the most part.

Fluid Film was another idea but someone said to forget it and save my $$$. Having searched the web on the subject I must agree.

Does anyone know how much a new deck would cost for a 61 inch turf tiger, including installation? I'm just curious to know. My turf tiger is brand new so it will be many years before I will need to replace the deck.

I'm trying to learn as much about my new turf tiger as possible and want to take care of my new machine.

Thanks again for all the input and insight to my post.

-bobby

Washing the deck regularly is the best way to keep it operating properly and lasting as long as possible. The build up of grass and debris under the deck will not only not allow discharge the grass properly and will start the corrosion faster than water. Don't know the cost of a new deck, but if it is like other manufactures, my guess is big bucks.

I just use a garden hose with a nozzle attachment on the end to wash my decks underneath. The pressure is not great enough to damage the paint, and it does a great job of washing out the grass and dirt build up after each use. My Snapper RER is 22 years old and my Murray riding mower is about 12 years old and the decks on both are in great condition. All you need to do is drive the mower up on some ramps so you can get under the deck enough to wash it out good. After washing it, I park it out in the sun for an hour or so it's nice and dry when I park it in the shed.

In the 70s when I was a power equipment and outboard mech, they had a steam cleaner and for a while used it on mower decks. Although it did a good job cleaning mower decks a lot of water got into the spindle housings and caused problems so the yard crew only used it on boat bottoms. I prefer to not use water on mower decks but this is just my opinion.
I just changed the blades on my Tiger Cub and there was a lot of sand abrasion due to the dry conditions here in CT. One of my Ingersoll GTs had abrasion holes in several parts of the deck and the blower housing, lot of hours mowing rocky, rooty, stumpy, and sandy yards!!!!
Mad Mackie in CT:biggrin::smile::laughing:

In the 70's the bearings and jackshafts were not sealed like they are today. We tell customers to pressure wash all their decks, even 72" kubota's and have not had any problems. The mixture of today's fertilizer, chopped up grass and just scraping is worse that cleaning with water. No matter how you clean it the deck MUST be maintained properly (greased and lubed) or it will not last as long as it should.

No doubt there have been improvements over the years. Fabricated decks with flat plate are nasty enough to clean by hand, the stamped decks with the curves are nastier by hand so I can surely understand pressure washing them. I replaced the bearings in my Ingersoll decks at 500 hour intervals when using them commercially. Very easy deck to remove and service. I installed grease fittings in the spindle housings and Ingersoll eventually put them in their cast iron replacement spindle housings. A friend commercially mowed with two 80s Simplicity GTs and I replaced two decks for him on two of his machines. He did fertilizer which I don't do normally and the fertilizer contributed to the corrosion of the decks. He got very sick from spreading fertilizer for his customers and got out of the business. He never wore a dust mask while spreading fertilizer, not a good thing to do. I wear a dust mask all the time especially with a new customer!!!!
Mad Mackie in dusty CT!!!!

Unfortunately, I've found that the only way to clean any mower deck decently is the good ol' fassioned way of scraping.

I've done the fluid film coatings and such similar stuff and not had much luck.

I have the ability to raise the front of my Scag with a hoist in the barn, so it's easy for me to lift and clean.

Washing the deck top and bottom is a standard daily norm in my shop.I use water and let it dry in the sun before i put them away

Today was a play day for Mad Mackie and I ran into an old frend who winters in Florida and just got back to CT. He had owned a lawn care business with 15-20 employees and sold it about 10 years back and we got chatting about stuff. The topic of mowers and maintenance came up but we didn't discuss deck underside cleaning. Next week we have a lunch date and I will get his opinion on deck cleaning. He's not happy with the cold weather here and may go back to FL for another month or so!!!
Mad Mackie in CT

I have a 61 inch turf tiger and I use a paint/scraper to clean underneath the deck. I am mainly concerned with getting the big clumps off the deck and I do not worry about being clean. Really only gets clumped up on bottom if I have been cutting wet grass which I do not do often.

I just started using Mo-Deck and it is supposed to turn the underside into a smooth as glass non- stick surface as well as blower impellers, etc. Supposedly it gets better with multiple coatings. I don't have any prior experience with it but I'm throwing it into the ring for people to try, after thoroughly cleaning the deck by hand, with a large scraper or a nail pull flatbar with the curved end.
I too don't like to use a pressure washer if I don't have to because of paint removal and possible other damage to bearings, etc. But, allowing grass, especially wet grass to clog up the deck/ baffles and blower chutes/ impellers is hardly satisfactory either.:confused2:
I don't like to cut wet grass, but here in New England is there anything but either tall wet grass or dry as a bone conditions? I like to say we go from Monsoon season, now, to desert without the oasis!:thumbdown:
I will post back my results once I retrieve my machine from the embankment it decided to make a sharp right turn on this afternoon and gradually, as I tried to recover the controls, slipped down and went nose first against a tree and boulder! YIKES! I did have time to stop the blades on the descent, and was NOT able to wear my seat-belt because earlier when I tried to put it on before mowing this section it would not release more than a few inches from the holder. I tried to engage it numerous times and gave up; putting it on my brain's side burner while I continued to mow. I knew the embankment because its tried to get me before so I was being careful, but the mower just suddenly decided to take a sharp right, and it was so steep I could not even attempt to stop.
I could barely walk up the slope it was so steep. I left it with the key in the ignition. I will go back tomorrow, remove the bags, release the hydraulic motors and attempt to pull it backwards up the hill with my Kioti tractor's logging winch. I'm really hoping not to do any damage to the lawn near the bank, but the situation will dictate the outcome. With a 8,000lb pull strength with the clamshell snatch-block attached to a nearby cherry tree trunk I should be able to get her out without too much trouble. having said that we'll see what happens.

Wish me luck!:thumbsup::wink:

I've come close to getting stuck several times. Having mowed with high end GTs commercially for years I had a tough time getting accustomed to my ZTR and lost control several times. With no steering control of the front wheels I find that I cannot trim as close as I did with GTs and slipped off the edge several times.
I have learned to stay away from the areas where I can get my ZTR stuck. I bring a push mower in my trailer and use it in the nasty areas where I don't go with the ZTR.
I may install the deck and collection system on my Ingersoll 4018 and use it this summer, but not until I have hauled all the cut/split wood out of several customers back woods areas, gotta come up a nasty hill. Customers are next to each other.
As for cleaning the deck, I do it dry with thick SnapOn scrapers with wood handles. The friend that I mentioned in an earlier post went back to FL and won't be back until it gets warmer and stays warmer here in CT!!!!
I tried the Mo-Deck spray and was not impressed and the fumes WOW!!!!!!

I feel the same. Washing it regularly will be good. However, i do not have much idea to explore. Therefore, cleaning the deck with this typical idea.

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lawn mower ramps

QUOTE: mcasey - I feel the same. Washing it regularly will be good. However, i do not have much idea to explore. Therefore, cleaning the deck with this typical idea.
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OH MY GAWD. just wait til it's discovered you posted a link to your ramp selling business.