welding mower deck

[rustyjeeper]

I've heard it is illegal to weld a mower deck. Has anyone else ever heard this???

[mud_man93]

dont see why it would be. i have done it many times

[rustyjeeper]

so have I, but at a school I recently attended the instructor told us there was a law against it. He did'nt have a copy-so I'm trying to verify if it's true for liability reasons.

[75]

Having no experience when it comes to mower repair, I can't offer any input specific to your question.

The idea of liability issues makes sense though - one thing I do know is that any repair welding on hoisting equipment has to be done by a "certified" (ticketed) welder from a "certified" (under the appropriate agency, in our case the Canadian Welding Bureau) which has resulted in a number of small mobile welding jobs at the Hydro One truck repair yard near our shop: their people do good work but since they aren't CWB certified anytime a crack on one of the booms or outrigger boxes must be repaired they aren't allowed to weld on it.

The mower deck situation may be similar.

[chip hayden]

as 75 said it is possible that some maufacturers association has decided that it would be a product liability issue for unqualified people to weld on their decks. being a member of the American Welding Society, which is similar to the CWB, and a CWI, i know of no regulation by the AWS that would prevent any welding of a deck. now if for some reason a deck is made of a proprietary alloy that's a different issue. i'm also surprised you live in the next town over from me!

[111easy]

I have heard it is illegal. By what controlling authority? No clue.

However I am a degreed welding engineer with 20 yrs experience.

Concerning a ruling authority on weld repair of decks I suggest there are none. A possible exception might be localized where bureaucrats run-a-muck.

As with anything you choose to repair (cars etc), the liability is yours. Just do a quality job.

About the repair:
Depends on the deck material --- mild steel, high strength steel, high carbon steel, aluminum and so on.
Cracks --- be sure to clean the crack of all dirt and paint
If deck matl is thick grind away some of the thickness
This will ensure a full penetration weld.
Be sure to grind away the crack at the ends of the
crack or even drill a hole at the ends to prevent the
crack from growing. There are many other things to
consider depending on the situation.