Maintaining Your Mower Deck

Whether you're in the lawn care business or in charge of maintaining your home's lawn, achieving the perfect cut for a well-manicured look is the goal. Although there are many techniques and implements that can help achieve that look, keeping your mower deck clean is one of the easiest and most important forms of maintenance to perform on your mower. If not managed, the buildup can cause your mower to under-perform or even cause major long-term structural and performance issues.

Why You Should Regularly Maintain Your Mower Deck

1. To Avoid Reduced Performance
2. To Avoid Rusting & Corrosion of Deck and Blades
3. To Keep Pulleys and Belts Moving Freely without Overheating

Our M&R Power Specialists have created this list of Power Tips to keep your mower deck well-maintained and providing a top-notch cut all season long! Remember to take every precaution when working on your equipment. Wear protective gloves before you begin, and make sure to first remove the spark plug and empty the gas tank if you are turning over your machine; always turn carburetor side up.

Scrape Away Dried Grass

This is probably the oldest trick in the book to rid your mower deck of buildup. After each use, dampen the underside of your mowers deck to loosen the residue left behind from mowing. Once that's complete, take a plastic ice pick or chisel to get the hard-to-remove reside out of the deck. Using plastic tools will prevent scraping that later will turn to rust. If residue is already loose, use a wire brush to wipe away the unwanted grass clippings stuck to the deck. This step should be taken after each use and not too long after you are finished mowing. Some equipment, such as riders and zero turns, have a port on the deck to attach a hose to. Check your owner’s manual for proper use.

Change Your Mowing Habits

Maintaining regular mowing habits will help prevent your mowing deck from getting bogged down. Avoid cutting lawns while they are wet or damp, such as in the morning or after a rainstorm. Wet conditions weigh down grass clippings and give them more of the ability to cling to your mower or bagging systems. Try to maintain a regular cutting schedule as well to keep grass from getting too long. Long clippings will bog down your mower deck, ultimately reducing performance and the level of cut you are looking for. Long clipping may also leave clumps throughout the yard, so cut no more than 1/3 the height of the grass to prevent clumping and to keep the turf healthy. Landscapers or commercial businesses may not be able to avoid these conditions, if so, please make sure the mowing deck is properly cleaned after each use for the best performance.

Check Your Blades

Having dull, worn out blades can cause clipping to not eject properly from the deck. Depending on the type of mower being use and the frequency of usage, our specialists recommend sharpening blades in 20 to 25-hour increments. Our Service Department does offer in-house blade sharpening services. More information on those services can be found HERE. You may also need a different blade if buildup continues to be a problem. A high-lift blade can be a solution, as it increases airflow and ejects grass clippings with more force.

Choose the Right Equipment

At M&R Power Equipment, we carry a variety of mower decks that are produced to provide the highest quality performance. Our John Deere ZTrak mower decks are equipped with three 1-in. (2.5-cm) spindles that are cold-forged and heat-treated for strength without bulk. The spindles are supported by precision ball bearings, providing great performance and reliability. The spindle housing is made of aircraft-grade, ribbed cast aluminum.  These spindles can be greased from the top and require no disassembly to reach. Grease channels provide lubrication to both bearings. This unique casting design embosses reinforcing gussets in the housing, which adds both strength and cooling surface area that stands up to commercial applications. Base Equipment On: Z915E, Z920M, Z925M EFI, Z930M, Z945M EFI, Z950M, Z955M EFI, Z960M, Z930R, Z950R, Z970R  Stop by one of our two locations to speak with any of our highly-trained sales professionals about which equipment is right for you. They will be happy to assist you in choosing the most effective equipment for any of your outdoor jobs.

M&R Power Equipment Group is conveniently located in Hermitage and Butler Pennsylvania. Both dealerships are fully equipped to service and repair any outdoor power equipment you use, residential or commercial. Our parts department is second to none when it comes to size and variety of inventory. We carry parts big, small, and everything in between from all the leaders in power equipment. Contact Us today to schedule your service or request parts HERE.