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To wash or not to wash, that is the question.

#1

A

artho45

I believe that I have mowed my yard for the last time this season. Each time after mowing I have blown the mower off with an air hose, but I was wondering about washing it before putting it away for the winter, It's supposed to be sunny today, so I would leave it out to dry well. Any thoughts? 42" Raptor, residential use only.


#2

Boobala

Boobala

artho45 said:
I believe that I have mowed my yard for the last time this season. Each time after mowing I have blown the mower off with an air hose, but I was wondering about washing it before putting it away for the winter, It's supposed to be sunny today, so I would leave it out to dry well. Any thoughts? 42" Raptor, residential use only.
Click to expand...

Shouldnt hurt IF it's dried completely, use a blower & / or an air hose, be sure to get the deck & pulleys really good, (they trap water), then a lube job and an over-spay of WD-40 or something similar Don't forget to check the "vitals" (oil, filters, belts, linkages, tires, blades etc. , either now, or before use next season, RUST NEVER SLEEPS !! .. :thumbsup: OH YEAH ..
NO Pressure Washing !!


#3

A

artho45

Boobala said:
Shouldnt hurt IF it's dried completely, use a blower & / or an air hose, be sure to get the deck & pulleys really good, (they trap water), then a lube job and an over-spay of WD-40 or something similar Don't forget to check the "vitals" (oil, filters, belts, linkages, tires, blades etc. , either now, or before use next season, RUST NEVER SLEEPS !! .. :thumbsup: OH YEAH ..
NO Pressure Washing !!
Click to expand...

I plan on taking the covers off the deck to clean. I plan on a complete lube job and treat the gas with Stabil. Where would you use the WD-40? blades are fairly new, but will check to see if they need sharpened.


#4

R

Rivets

Second opinion, we pressure wash and dry all equipment, no matter the season. Never have a problem, do over 50 units a week from push mowers to large tractors and commercial UTVs, even in Wisconsin weather. Just make sure the unit is dry afterwards. A properly maintained piece of equipment will not be harmed by pressure washing, ask anyone who works for a highway department, especially in the northern part of the country. Dirt and salt ruin more equipment than water under pressure. Those who don’t like my opinion can now go to the back of a long line of nay sayers, as I’ve said this before and know I will get some hate mail.


#5

Boobala

Boobala

artho45 said:
I plan on taking the covers off the deck to clean. I plan on a complete lube job and treat the gas with Stabil. Where would you use the WD-40? blades are fairly new, but will check to see if they need sharpened.
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At the very last I would spray a soft rag with the WD and wipe the entire machine down ... as if you were applying wax, a thin film removes any moisture and leaves a light coating on it, works for me..... your plan sounds good to me ! Be sure to empty the gas tank and run the engine till it stops, removing as much gas out of the carb and fuel lines as possible, DON'T store it with fuel in the tank or carb ...


#6

Boobala

Boobala

Those who don’t like my opinion can now go to the back of a long line of nay sayers, as I’ve said this before and know I will get some hate mail.

NOT REPEAT..NOT hate reply....

I'll agree about Press. Washing HEAVY Equipment, I used to work with it myself, the equipment takes a ton of abuse and gets covered with the nastiest of elements that are next to impossible to remove / clean with a wash job, press. washing IS a must but, that equipment is / should be greased EVERYDAY before it even gets re-fueled, ( part of my responsibilty as apprentice operator ) but mowers USUALLY don't operate in those conditions, and I've seen spindles, pulley bearings and axle bearings destroyed by water-intrusion, in many instances from using a press. washer, so Riv, I'm going to the end of your line .. :thumbsup:..:laughing:

Hopefully, agreeing to disagree ... :eek:


#7

S

SidecarFlip

used to be pretty fanatical about pressure washing all my equipment until I siezed a bearing on my round bailer. Now I blow everything off with a blow gun and call it good. That locked bearing cost me 400 bucks to replace.


#8

M

MowLife

I been pressure washing all my mowers for 30+ years with no issues. Just use common sense and not blast hard on seals and electrical parts and grease all your fittings when done and spray a little lube on those pivot points that don’t have grease fittings.


#9

B

bertsmobile1

I also pressure wash, after a blow down but only the engine plus the area immediatly under the engine.
However only on the rare occasions that there is heavy grease / oil contamination.
Perhaps it is a weather thing but down here the bodies & decks tend to rust badly between the powder coat ( a finish I loathe ) and the steel so when you hit it with the pressure wash you knock off large sheets of paint.
Now this is good because loose pant needs to be repaired but next to no one wants to pay for it & everyone likes to blame me . "It wasn't like that before you took it "
Thus I let it go , while alerting the customer that the decks / mower body needs to be repainted but the only people who appreciate it are the pensioners who can not afford to get it done.

As for common sense, it is the defination of an oxymoron
So I never ever advise customers to pressure wash.
If you do it needs to be done to a stone cold machine so the water hitting hot metal joints does not cool the metal and cause the water to get sucked into joints.
There is a big difference between being done by a workshop who do it 20 times a day and in most cases actually know where & how to wash then do actually blow dry cause they do not want the shop floor wet & slippery and Joe Average who just points the nozzle into every nook & cranny then blasts away.

It is no surprise that the cleanest decks require the most deck bearings & idler pulley replacements.


#10

D

Darryl G

I never wash my mowers, just rinse off mud and dog crap as necessary. I agree that there's a difference between a pro shop pressure washing equipment and the average Joe who may inadvertently cause harm. I routinely do things both to and on my machines that I wouldn't recommend. That's pretty much the story of my life, doing things I wouldn't recommend. :laughing:


#11

7394

7394

I never use water on any of my mowers, just blow them off with leaf blower or air hose & wipe down with a Cal Duster, end of year a good coat of my fav wax.

Which makes next years debris blow off that much easier. And my over 4 year old Z still looks almost new. But that's me.

And I never drain the 100% gas, I just add Seafoam to gas when season is about over. Never an issue.


#12

Boobala

Boobala

7394 said:
I never use water on any of my mowers, just blow them off with leaf blower or air hose & wipe down with a Cal Duster, end of year a good coat of my fav wax.

Which makes next years debris blow off that much easier. And my over 4 year old Z still looks almost new. But that's me.

And I never drain the 100% gas, I just add Seafoam to gas when season is about over. Never an issue.
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That's cause you fill the collection plate at church on Sunday .. :laughing:..:laughing:


#13

7394

7394

That's true Boo. How bout you ?


#14

Boobala

Boobala

7394 said:
That's true Boo. How bout you ?
Click to expand...

Honestly...... we haven't been to church in years now, we used to go every Sunday, lookin for the "right" church, found one finally, but a long distance away, after awhile we decided it wasn't right after all, that was the end of church, my wifey is a devout loving Christian woman, always has been, a TRUE Christian, I can't figure how she put's up with me, I am a Believer, and Baptized, although .... SOMETIMES ... I'm waiting to get hit with a bolt of lightening ... I don't practice Christianity as I should, I'm a very forward outspoken sumbeech, but I believe that some folks have to go forward and make a stand, when others won't and remain silent, with thoughts of what they WISH, .. the way things should be, I piss-off a few people, but they know where I stand, lost a few so called "friends" ( friends.. yeah .. friends my arse !! ) I'm NOT proud of my short-comings in the eyes of the Lord, but we have a relationship, that MOST of the time I'm comfortable with, I thank him for the PERFECT wife he gave me, ( something I still can't figure out ) and I know, .. one day I will be judged ... I only hope for a good outcome, (wish my wifey could act as my lawyer) .. but then she don't lie, moderator would be a better word ! Of course we put money in the plate .. and in this instance ... Silence is Golden !.. :smile:..:smile:


#15

7394

7394

Well said.... :thumbsup:


#16

mhavanti

mhavanti

Darryl,

You sayin' you're weird? That's alright, most of us are.

Wash the things if blowing them off doesn't get it done. Dirt and grass left behind is what causes rust, not the water that is only temporary until it can evaporate.

Seals are for keeping water and dirt out and grease in. Not rocket science, simple, wash the thing.

Keep them clean, run them like you stole them. If you break it, fix it.

Max


#17

D

DK35vince

My zero turn and tractor get pressure washed end of season every year.


#18

D

Darryl G

Times like this are the only time my mower gets the hose.

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#19

Boobala

Boobala

Darryl G said:
Times like this are the only time my mower gets the hose.
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Darryl, how many times have we told you it's a Lawn-Mower, NOT a MUD-Tractor ..??? you're how old?? N still playin in mud-puddles, .. :laughing:..:laughing:


#20

mhavanti

mhavanti

Darryl,

Only thing I can possibly give credit to such an egregious mess as that is you must be a damned Yankee! Down here in the south, your oldest son would drag you out behind the barn, tar and feather you. No wait, I mean, dad would drag his oldest son out behind the barn and the outcome would be the same.

Ok, update on the earlier statement about 15 seconds ago. You must be a Damned Yankee and hope you noticed I capitalized the Damned in honor of Boo earlier in this thread. The air is much less humid in the north and the southwest as well, thus the caked on clippings, mud, etc. doesn't kick into gear quite as quickly as us good ole boys down south's mowers.

Keep'em clean or lose'em to humidity and laziness. Water isn't going to hurt any part of your mower unless you have a seal out on a bearing, a grease zerk is broken off, or another reason you have water running directly into the grease areas or into the oil and gasoline. If so, seems you have let the problem happen by lack of maintenance.

Anyhow you damned Yankee, wash that mower! lol.

Ok, all that was meant in a poke in the ribs joke.

Hope you're having a great beginning of the week.

God bless President HW Bush and his family.

Max


#21

D

DK35vince

Mine looks like this most of the mowing season.
Gets pressure washed and serviced end of season

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#22

Flintmotorsports

Flintmotorsports

artho45 said:
I believe that I have mowed my yard for the last time this season. Each time after mowing I have blown the mower off with an air hose, but I was wondering about washing it before putting it away for the winter, It's supposed to be sunny today, so I would leave it out to dry well. Any thoughts? 42" Raptor, residential use only.
Click to expand...

the best way is to remove the belt covers from on top of the pulley and blow it out. then you can wash it and start the machine and start the deck to dry the belts and engine off before storage.


#23

D

Darryl G

Boobala said:
Darryl, how many times have we told you it's a Lawn-Mower, NOT a MUD-Tractor ..??? you're how old?? N still playin in mud-puddles, .. :laughing:..:laughing:
Click to expand...
I promise I wasn't playing in the mud, I was just destroying a customer's lawn. :tongue:


#24

mhavanti

mhavanti

Darryl,

As long as you were doing something constructive like destroying a customer's yard, I have to give you a pass.

On that Super Z, get some extruded metal, cut some square holes in the cover, weld or bolt in the extruded metal and that deck will pretty much stay clean, or at least a lot cleaner than that.

Have to admit, all the crap makes it appear y'all been runnin' those Hustlers. Guess hence the name, Hustlers.

Max


#25

K

kraky

I rarely wash my Mower and prefer to blowing it off most all the season. Seems like every fall we get a lot of rain here in Central Wisconsin and things get pretty muddy. This year I ventured further into a wet spot than I should've and you couldn't even tell what color my deck was except it was brown. Before storage it got a real good bath. Started by rinsing all the big stuff off with a pressure washer kept a quite a ways away from things. Some Wheel and Tire cleaner that applied to the front edge of the deck to soften up the scum. Covers off the deck top. Then the whole mower was soaked down with my foam gun which puts about a quarter inch to 1/2 inch of suds all over everything you couldn't even tell it was yellow under the foam... let that soak in and then worked it in a little bit with a soft brush everywhere... a good gentle rinse off keeping the nozzle aways away from the paint again. I blew all the water off with an air blower... a little Spritz of wax as you dry and rub that in with a towel.
Then ran the mower for about 3 minutes with the covers off the deck to spin everything out of the pulleys. Big smile on my face when I put it away and look like brand new. Same procedure that I had done on my John Deere lawn tractor for 15 years and never had a pulley go out and still had the original belts on it. Btw... when I put something up for sale I put it on the end of my driveway and rarely does anything last more than a day the neighbors see how I take care of things and come running! Just how I've come to believe How expensive stuff should be cared for!


#26

J

John Fitzgerald

I use a blower after each mowing. If washing is necessary, I only use rags or brushes and a low pressure hose, avoiding the deck pulleys. I make sure it's dry before putting it away. Avoid those hose fittings that are on the deck on some models.


#27

Boobala

Boobala

Darryl G said:
I promise I wasn't playing in the mud, I was just destroying a customer's lawn. :tongue:
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At's uh my boy !! ..:laughing:..:laughing:


#28

mhavanti

mhavanti

DG,

You got Boo's approval. That's worth something bud! lol

I'm still going to detail mine after I do this next video on steering - veering - tracking. While the rear wheels are off, I'll remove the rear fenders and clean the places I can't get to.

This clean up got some soap that dried up in the wash can, just added some cold water and gave it a very light brush with a super soft car wash broom. It isn't quite clean yet as I didn't get up under the fenders and there are a couple of places I usually hit by hand and a windshield bug scratcher. Time for the fenders to come back off for that and while they're off, the newly designed ergonomic dash goes into place.

Here is a video of the clean up. Y'all can find something to say about the lead in I'm pretty sure. Regardless, go by the Clock Contest Video and enter to win a MaxsGarajMahal wall clock.

Max

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_w-5p0QM38&t=162s


#29

7394

7394

mhavanti- Very Cool. After viewing your vid, I see my next mod, adding some metal to the deck under the chute. Thanks for the vids. :thumbsup:

Mine is up on 4 car wheel dollys, & I'm putting finishing touches on the Donaldson Conversion I performed on my Kawasaki 651V ..

It's already serviced/ cleaned & waxed up for hibernation. Lots of pics at a later date. I promise....


#30

mhavanti

mhavanti

7394,

You're welcome and I'm looking forward to your modifications and upgrades.

Max


#31

7394

7394

Max- I had no clue you were such a vid producer. I'm gonna need a notepad to write down some of your mods. Nice Machine you have.

Thanks, Buddy


#32

Boudreaux In Eunice La.

Boudreaux In Eunice La.

Darryl G said:
I promise I wasn't playing in the mud, I was just destroying a customer's lawn. :tongue:
Click to expand...

Is that the irate customer from a while back that was very Chitty ??? I don't remember the thread name and all the details ................


#33

Boobala

Boobala

mhavanti said:
7394,

You're welcome and I'm looking forward to your modifications and upgrades.

Max
Click to expand...

OK Mad-Max ... after checkin out your video, I have come to the conclusion, you be speaking with forked tongue... the machine in the video is a BRAND-NEW machine !! ... you bring this one out from storage ,and make like you busted arse cleaning, waxing, etc, the REAL workin machine that looks like it's been in 3 World-War's you never show !! the machine in the video looks pristine, so either you tryin to pull the wool over our eyes or you pay 33 immigrants to do a super clean-up job of removing the mud, blood, dirt, dust, & grime, washing and hand-drying and applying wax (under your VERY scrutinizing eyes), the deceiving ol schitt you are !! .. :laughing:..:laughing:..:laughing:..:laughing:


#34

D

Darryl G

Boudreaux In Eunice La. said:
Is that the irate customer from a while back that was very Chitty ??? I don't remember the thread name and all the details ................
Click to expand...

No. Been mowing the lawn for at least 10 years and it never had a soft spot where it was. I was full stick when I got into it so just hung with it to get through and not get stuck. Damage is actually pretty minor.


#35

mhavanti

mhavanti

Boo,

Somehow I knew you were gonna blow my cover. If you watch any more of the vids, you'll find one of them tells of a 6 yo playing on the mower and man can he do some real acrobatics on a zero turn. He is almost as good on the ole '96 Yardman All Wheel Steer. At least in his active mind anyway. He left the key on that I didn't remember leaving the key in. Either he paid attention to where I place it or I left it in. Either way, it was exactly 20 hours before I noticed it was on and that was more than likely because the battery was totally dead. Wasn't a happy camper at the ole Max, not the child. I'm not sure he is heavy enough for the seat switch to allow him to engage the blades regardless if he'd gotten the engine started because of stick placement.

Now, the real problem I'm having is keeping all those undocumented terrorists, I mean aliens, under the big house until time to clean and hand dry 'Ole Yeller'. lol I know you and I are probably the only two that will get the reference to Ole Yeller. lol

Do me a favor Boo, get our forum to view the vids, subscribe and like to get the channel off the ground. There are so many things on the table for that machine. I've redesigned the dash to make it much more easy for the operator to close the choke while starting the Kawasaki. Problem with placement of the choke cable relative to ignition switch causes the hand to have to leave the ignition switch to push down the cable. The redesign allows the fingers to remain on the switch if desired, tilting the hand to the right side then pushes down the choke cable to keep the engine from flooding. Couple of fellows on my block has a tendency to flood their Kawi due to not moving quickly enough. Mine is just as lean which we all like to get max ponies to the pulleys and run clean to make the engine last longer.

There are deck lift upgrade modifications coming, electric deck lift upgrades coming, oil cooler, hydro coolers, fuel injection upgrade and remember, I always make sure the upgrades can be removed and moved to another unit in the event a person wants to return the unit to factory specifications.

Any help getting Maxs Garaj Mahal youtube channel moving thru subscriptions, likes and shares will help down the road in purchasing materials to do the modifications. Most of the mods I do now for folks I try to make sure they can do with the tools they have on hand or can borrow from the neighbors. lol.

Ok, I have to go get the Undocumented Terrorsts, I mean Aliens back to work. Thanks for calling me out Boo! lmbo

Y'all come to see me, ya heah?

Max


#36

Boobala

Boobala

mhavanti said:
Boo,

Somehow I knew you were gonna blow my cover. If you watch any more of the vids, you'll find one of them tells of a 6 yo playing on the mower and man can he do some real acrobatics on a zero turn. He is almost as good on the ole '96 Yardman All Wheel Steer. At least in his active mind anyway. He left the key on that I didn't remember leaving the key in. Either he paid attention to where I place it or I left it in. Either way, it was exactly 20 hours before I noticed it was on and that was more than likely because the battery was totally dead. Wasn't a happy camper at the ole Max, not the child. I'm not sure he is heavy enough for the seat switch to allow him to engage the blades regardless if he'd gotten the engine started because of stick placement.

Now, the real problem I'm having is keeping all those undocumented terrorists, I mean aliens, under the big house until time to clean and hand dry 'Ole Yeller'. lol I know you and I are probably the only two that will get the reference to Ole Yeller. lol

Do me a favor Boo, get our forum to view the vids, subscribe and like to get the channel off the ground. There are so many things on the table for that machine. I've redesigned the dash to make it much more easy for the operator to close the choke while starting the Kawasaki. Problem with placement of the choke cable relative to ignition switch causes the hand to have to leave the ignition switch to push down the cable. The redesign allows the fingers to remain on the switch if desired, tilting the hand to the right side then pushes down the choke cable to keep the engine from flooding. Couple of fellows on my block has a tendency to flood their Kawi due to not moving quickly enough. Mine is just as lean which we all like to get max ponies to the pulleys and run clean to make the engine last longer.

There are deck lift upgrade modifications coming, electric deck lift upgrades coming, oil cooler, hydro coolers, fuel injection upgrade and remember, I always make sure the upgrades can be removed and moved to another unit in the event a person wants to return the unit to factory specifications.

Any help getting Maxs Garaj Mahal youtube channel moving thru subscriptions, likes and shares will help down the road in purchasing materials to do the modifications. Most of the mods I do now for folks I try to make sure they can do with the tools they have on hand or can borrow from the neighbors. lol.

Ok, I have to go get the Undocumented Terrorsts, I mean Aliens back to work. Thanks for calling me out Boo! lmbo

Y'all come to see me, ya heah?

Max
Click to expand...

Mister Mad Max, I was totally unaware of the fact, that your are a Hustler Modifications / Up-Grade Engineer, I am duly impressed at the ingenuity you have spewed forth, my, O my, YOU.. are a busy man !! I will re-visit your video and see if there might be a way of using some of my shameless antics, to enhance the progress of your thread & channel, however I will NOT be held responsible, if anything I may put forth in, or of, said channel, or thread, winds US up in a world of schitt !!

I do EVERYTHING possible, .. the IMPOSSIBLE, takes a bit longer, .. and MIRACLES are by appointment only !! ..:laughing:..:laughing:


#37

mhavanti

mhavanti

Boo,

I resemble all those words. Appointments only on Thursdays at 12:02 PM. Bride says I have to be out of the house by then if you know what I mean.

Speaking of, I need to get to work on getting some more things done or she may close the Garaj Mahal. Hmmm

Thanks,

Max


#38

Boobala

Boobala

mhavanti said:
Boo,

I resemble all those words. Appointments only on Thursdays at 12:02 PM. Bride says I have to be out of the house by then if you know what I mean.

Speaking of, I need to get to work on getting some more things done or she may close the Garaj Mahal. Hmmm

Thanks,

Max
Click to expand...

OLD saying Max, ... Happy Wife...Happy Life !! .. :thumbsup:


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