# How dirty is yours?



## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

Your Deck i mean...

Attached is a photo of my deck.. this is the 3rd time ive cleaned it this season.. it takes about 2 hours... 
I scrape off the big stuff then use some purple cleaner by castrol like simple green but its purple. 

After i clean it then scrub and rescraping and spray repeat, repeat.. ect... I wish i had a pressure washer that would probably help... after i finish, i sprayed a ton of WD-40 on it... ive tried that a few times and it seems good to do prior to the winter... 

Clean enough? 

Any better methods? 
anybody use sail kote?


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## Rodster (Sep 26, 2003)

HI
That looks good to me, but then My Sabre is on its 3rd or 4th
season and I never had the deck off and sharpened the blades.
As long as the grass looks good and the clippings go in the bag I leave it alone. It gets an oil change and grease job ounce a year.
The rest of the time is lives under a tree outside. I do cover the slots in the hood with an old floormat to keep the water out of the
engine.
Rodster ( who is cruel to his tractor)


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

Simple John,

Put it in your trunk or the back of your truck and run it up to the quarter car wash. I guess it's not a *quarter car wash* anymore. Kinda gives away my age don't it.:smiles:


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## Toolman (Sep 16, 2003)

Simple John
I've never seen a deck that clean (except a new one). Looks great! I just scrape out my deck halfway thru the mowing season, a shot of grease in the spindles and then give it a good cleaning & lube when the deck comes off for the winter. I've never used a hose on it.


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## leolav (Sep 16, 2003)

I have been promising a ton of pics to everyone on here, guess I'll be busy this weekend. I took the plunge after this spring by sanding my entire deck, inside and out, I primed the deck and sprayed a PPG base coat of black paint on it. I then proceeded to spray 7-8 layers of thick PPG clear coat on it. I let it fully cure and then I reassembled the parts (interesting thing was that I actually had trouble putting the spindles back on as the clear had a substantial build on it and was throwing things off. I removed the clear from the mounting areas and resprayed on layer of lighter clear on that area.

I must say that the deck has been removed 7-8 times this season and it still shines like it is new. The business side of the deck actually has minor scrapes and scrathes and a little "sandblasting" effect, but nothing to the extent that would go through that much clear. 

I intend on keeping this as clean as it is now. I will post pics when I get it off the mower next time. 

I also am planning on painting the tractor itself this winter (flames and all)

Can't wait to see the stares.

LL


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## slipshod (Sep 19, 2003)

*maybe it's just me*

I have been mowing my lawn with a simplicity 727 since about 1970 or so. Have never even given any thought to how clean the under side of the deck is. In the fall I take it off and patch any holes that have rusted thru.Old dryer or washing machine sheet metal works well. Some of my patches now have patches.


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## wheely_boy (Sep 16, 2003)

*Ouch!*

I am with you Slipshod. I have never even attempted to get my deck that clean. He must use a pressure washer to do that. Hey Simple_John, at what psi does the water stream start to hurt your deck?


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

that deck was cleaned with good old fashioned elbow grease... and some castrol purple cleaner...


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## Toolman (Sep 16, 2003)

You guys make me feel bad  
I haven't taken the light bulbs out & washed them yet!


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## Adamr88 (Sep 16, 2003)

I take mine off and clean it after I can start to feel it vibrate.

Adam


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## jodyand (Sep 16, 2003)

*Mine was*

that clean i took it off to sharpen the blades and cleaned it. I have a hot water facet outside just for things like that, worked great.:smiles: Just melts it away.:smiles: 
Jody:usa:


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## DeereBob (Sep 16, 2003)

Simple_John,
You should change your forum handle to "Mister_Clean!" Two hours to clean the deck is a bit much in my book which is why I have a power washer. 15 minutes with a small bit of scraping and then I put the sharpened blades back on. I am not as fussy as you, but that is a matter of choice not a slam, so a little bit of caked on grass in a few spots is Ok. The good news is my 48C deck does not have nearly the build up that my old 54" deck did. I thing the new design helps this at bit. Had mulch kits on both decks. At two hours a pop, I think you can get a pretty quick payback for the $170 I spent on the Husky electric power washer from HD. I also used it to clean off the green scale on my front porch concrete top stones so it can do more than just clean mowing decks.


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## Argee (Sep 17, 2003)

*Hey SJ*

I pulled the deck off my tractor over the weekend. It is two months out of the carton and there was a lot of paint gone..

Do you have any sandy areas that you mow? Cause your deck looks exceptionally clean...

Come on SJ, fess up, what's your secret??
:hide:


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## guest (Sep 16, 2003)

argee my secret is 2 hours of cleaning... im gonna get the pressure washer next year probably gas powered as i have no electricity in the shed.... 


Deerebob: My tractor may be clean... But I'm a mess so not Mister_clean maybe Mister_clean_tractor.... 



I could use one more mowing this season, if for no other reason to chop up some extra leaves.. but i sort of hate to dirty up my deck again...

signed
Simple_Mister_clean_tractor


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## DeereBob (Sep 16, 2003)

> _Originally posted by simple_john _
> *...I could use one more mowing this season, if for no other reason to chop up some extra leaves.. but i sort of hate to dirty up my deck again...
> 
> signed
> Simple_Mister_clean_tractor *


If you clean the leaves first, the tractor won't get dirty!!:shower:


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