No it does not pay. The deck is meant to wear out and applying any material to the underside will increase the weight of the machine and make mowing and moving the equipment more difficult and dangerous.
Just keep the deck clean by scraping or blowing the deck clean at the end of the day. I use a garden hose and wash the renderings in the lawn.
easy-lift guy

 

what about using a rag & coating the deck with some sort of vegetable oil like we do for stainless steel cooking pans? Or even WD-40 sprayed on any paint chipped areas and under the belly of the deck?

Sounds silly, but I believe it could work.

No it does not pay. The deck is meant to wear out and applying any material to the underside will increase the weight of the machine and make mowing and moving the equipment more difficult and dangerous.
Just keep the deck clean by scraping or blowing the deck clean at the end of the day. I use a garden hose and wash the renderings in the lawn.
easy-lift guy

 

it would quickly wear off, as in during the first mow. the grass would act like a sandblaster being blasted around the inside of the deck

 

what about using a rag & coating the deck with some sort of vegetable oil like we do for stainless steel cooking pans? Or even WD-40 sprayed on any paint chipped areas and under the belly of the deck?

Sounds silly, but I believe it could work.

Actually it is really silly and I guess that is why stainless steel pots and pans make lousy mower decks!
easy-lift guy
Posted via Mobile Device

 

it would quickly wear off, as in during the first mow. the grass would act like a sandblaster being blasted around the inside of the deck

Oh. I wasn't clear. I meant using it during the off season while we're not mowing.

For example, if a person did not have a shed, and only had a tarp to cover the mower. Would WD-40 or vegetable oil work to keep the exposed areas protected while not in use?

 

I use fluid film on all exposed surfaces wether stored indoors or out.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

Oh. I wasn't clear. I meant using it during the off season while we're not mowing.

For example, if a person did not have a shed, and only had a tarp to cover the mower. Would WD-40 or vegetable oil work to keep the exposed areas protected while not in use?

oh, well ya, a film of oil would act as a protectant, fluidfilm comes to mind, i guess any oil based product would work
wd40 would evaporate

 

Sand is what eats the mower decks up! Since switching to low lift blades, I've seen a huge difference in deck longevity when mowing in sandy conditions.

 

oh, well ya, a film of oil would act as a protectant, fluidfilm comes to mind, i guess any oil based product would work
wd40 would evaporate

I hate Fluid Film on equipment. It's a dust and dirt magnet. I use Boeshield T-9
Posted via Mobile Device

 

How is it silly? These guys seem to be using anything from vegetable oil to WD-40 to used motor oil mixed with mineral spirits, and it seems to be protecting the deck from rust:

http://www.lawnsite.com/archive/index.php/t-42989.html

This is a post in that thread from David Haggerty using used motor oil cut with 50% mineral spirits:

I'd told someone last year if I discovered what to treat decks with I'd post it. Well here it is. It's effective and really inexpensive.

It makes the scraping much easier. Plus I don't have to get them perfectly clean. If there's some mud or grass left stuck to the deck, the mixture penetrates it and protects the deck against rust. Then the next time I scrape it comes right off.

They just get cleaner and shinier with every scraping. Sometimes if I'm tired or in a hurry, I just spray the mix on without scraping.

I learned not to spray it on like I was trying to drowned them or something. It just makes more runoff. I let them drip overnight before loading them on the trailer. If you had to let them drip on concrete you could put cardboard under them or something.

I don't see the oil being a problem on the lawns. Hedge trimmers get oil right onto the newly cut part of the shrub. The only oil that would get on the grass would be the clippings hitting the deck.

This mower had to sit outside all winter. I havn't touched it since last fall. There's rust on the skid plates, blades and anti scalp cups, but look at the deck! No rust!

And this is a 1994 mower! When I bought it there was rusty scale under the deck I had to remove with an air chisel. This would have been much better and easier.

I just thought everyone would like to see it. It meets my requirements. It works plus it's cheap and easy.

Actually it is really silly and I guess that is why stainless steel pots and pans make lousy mower decks!
easy-lift guy
Posted via Mobile Device

 

Obviously your time and research in to this subject matter means a lot to you. I wish you the best when it comes to removing surface rust from your mower deck or anything else for that matter. You will have a lot of job security going forward with your rust removal quest. I suppose I won't be bothered with something naturally occurring all of the time.
easy-lift guy

 

No need to be a smart ass. So you don't care if your deck gets rust on it. Fine. Some of us may like to know our options, rather than be called silly for even mentioning a procedure others have been using successfully.

Some of you guys get awfully testy over simple questions.

Obviously your time and research in to this subject matter means a lot to you. I wish you the best when it comes to removing surface rust from your mower deck or anything else for that matter. You will have a lot of job security going forward with your rust removal quest. I suppose I won't be bothered with something naturally occurring all of the time.
easy-lift guy

Posted via Mobile Device

 

it's not a big deal really. i've had my mower 5 years now. it's been rained on numerous times and i've mowed in the wet and rain with it. there is no rust on it anywhere. i've never sprayed the deck with anything. all i do is keep it scraped out when it builds up mowing in wet conditions.

 

it's not a big deal really. i've had my mower 5 years now. it's been rained on numerous times and i've mowed in the wet and rain with it. there is no rust on it anywhere. i've never sprayed the deck with anything. all i do is keep it scraped out when it builds up mowing in wet conditions.

That's the thing, my deck is getting a bit of rust on the outside from all the rain we've been getting. I have it covered with a tarp, though rain does splatter onto the edges of the deck. Right now, it isn't bad and can be wiped off with a rag, however over the winter it would be nice to not worry about it.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

The rust on the underside of the deck is going to get blasted off. If your so worried about the top, then repaint the bad areas....done
Posted via Mobile Device

 

No need to be a smart ass. So you don't care if your deck gets rust on it. Fine. Some of us may like to know our options, rather than be called silly for even mentioning a procedure others have been using successfully.

Some of you guys get awfully testy over simple questions.

Actually I was quoting the OP, he said it was silly and I still agree.
easy-lift guy

Posted via Mobile Device

Posted via Mobile Device

 

I hate Fluid Film on equipment. It's a dust and dirt magnet. I use Boeshield T-9
Posted via Mobile Device

I agree about the Fluid Film on a deck.
I got my free sample and coated half the deck (on both my 36" and my 21") with that and the other half with MoDeck spray.

The MoDeck lasts about a day - but it works well for ease of scraping. It's just not practical.

The Fluid Film held tight to the deck, BUT it actually created buildup because dust, dirt, and clippings stuck to it like glue. I was able to "scrape" the deck, but it remained "gummy" on the deck and I found it was easier to just scrape off an untreated deck.
I couldn't wait until it was gone.

 

the whole trim side of my deck the paint is rubbed off. there is no rust on it just silver metal. it's a john deere deck.

don't worry about it. the mower will be junk before it ever rusts in half. it will take 30 years or more to rust completely through.