# Deck Rollers



## wekjo (8 mo ago)

Any thoughts on a good lube to put on the deck rollers/shaft? Nothing sticky which will attract grime. Graphite?


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

maybe a chain lubricant?


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## wekjo (8 mo ago)

I think that is too sticky, I recall motorcycle chains and chainsaw chains always covered in grime. With the rollers right on the ground I think it would be even worse. When the grime gets inside the roller it starts to wear away the shaft.


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## FredM (Nov 18, 2015)

If they are nylon rollers, then they should be self lubricating, if you have to lube them, then graphite would be ok.


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## Groo (Jan 17, 2020)

wekjo said:


> I think that is too sticky, I recall motorcycle chains and chainsaw chains always covered in grime. With the rollers right on the ground I think it would be even worse. When the grime gets inside the roller it starts to wear away the shaft.


I was thinking bicycle chain lube. Many versions are made to not attract grit.


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## Bob Driver (Nov 1, 2017)

Worked on more mower decks than I care to count, never seen any with any kind of lube fitting on those rollers. If the OEMs thought they needed lubrication, seems like they would have installed them with grease zerks and told you about it in the owners manual. You are calling them "Deck Roller's, which is kind of a misconception, they are actually called "Anti-Scalp Rollers". Their purpose is to lift the deck as it momentarily passes over an imperfection in the mowing path (hump, hole, starting up an incline) to keep the blade(s) from contacting the ground and "scalping" the lawn (Bad news with high end Bermuda grass). If the deck and scalp rollers are adjusted correctly, they should never actually touch the ground. If you take a close look at the underneath side of your deck, you'll notice the blade(s) don't actually run even with the bottom "lip" of the deck. The blade(s) usually run "5/8-1" above the "Lip" of the deck. Mower decks are designed to create a vacuum as they pass over the grass. This vacuum makes the grass stand up straight/even for the blade tips to do the actually cutting. That's why the OEMs tell you to adjust the mowing deck height (usually 2.5"-3") from the blade tips, not the deck lip. With the scalp rollers also adjusted correctly, they should not actually touch the ground when the deck is lowered to mowing height. They should be set somewhere around that 5/8"-1" gap above the ground to lift the deck up so the blade(s) do not make contact with the ground if they momentarily pass over an imperfection in the mowing path and "scalp" a spot in the lawn. They should not be constantly running on the ground and that's why the don't need to be lubricated. Any time I see a set of "wobbly" scalp rollers, where the bores/shafts are worn out, I know the deck has not been adjusted correctly for a long time.

If you doubt what I'm telling you about the concept of "deck vacuum", take a look at the front edge of a SCAG deck shown below. SCAGS are known for a great looking cut and that's why so many commercial lawn operations use them. Notice in the photo below how the front of the SCAG deck tapers down to the deck lip.... That's to create a higher rate of deck vacuum. Take a look at the picture of the John Deere deck with it's almost vertical front deck edge. Which design do you thinks creates a higher rate of deck vacuum and gives the grass more time to stand up straight/even and be cut by the blade(s) tips? That's why a SCAG gives a much better cut than your average home owner model mower with a stamped deck. You can actually hear the difference between the amount of deck vacuum being created between a SCAG and a JD deck (or any stamped deck) when the blades are engaged. With either style front deck lip design, the scalp rollers should not be in constant contact with the ground in order to make the blade(s) actually "float" over any terrain imperfections and cut the grass evenly as designed. Most OEMs also tell you to set the front deck lip a 1/4" lower than the back for the best cut, so you also have to take that into consideration when setting up the actual mowing blade and "Scalp Rollers" height above the grass .....


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