Mower Maintenance

[Geoff]

Thought I'd better start a new thread - didn't really belong amongst plastic greenhouse discussion.
I said

I have chain hoisted my ride-on onto two workmates ready to wire brush and red lead (or what passes for red lead) the deck as I do every year. Mower kept in garage, car outside, not sure that's the most economical arrangement!

And Ricard responded

Can't you drop the deck ? Mine comes off easily if you don't have a creaky back and knees. Two bolts undone at the front, a small car jack to lift the ride-on body then the deck slides out and forward.

I started using wax-oil, seems to work better than any rust curing rubbish and the grass doesn't stick.

I think the deck can be removed but it looks a bit fiddly and doing it with the hoist I don't have to sort the level out again. I'm not familiar with wax-oil. An eBay search comes up with "Hammerite Waxoyl - The original" or "CarPlan Tetroseal" - are those the sort of products you are suggesting?
In the meantime I have fallen at the first fence! Can't get the nut off that secures the blade. Done all the usual, soaked in WD for 24 hours, tapped it, put a bar on the wrench. I'm convinced from memory (there's a dangerous thing) that it is a standard thread not left hand. Looking from underneath the blade cuts anti-clockwise and unscrewing a normal nut would also be anti-clockwise, does that sound mechanically correct? It's a Hayter if any body has any ideas please.

[peter]

Usually does up opposite way to blade rotation so normal use (if it had any effect) cannot undo the blade.

[Ricard with an H]

Hi geoff, yes, a good idea.

It's mower-maintenance time.

Firstly, it's entirely possible that my ride-on is built differently to yours and it's why you can buy a tubular frame that hooks under the front wheels so you can tip the entire mower onto it's rear wheels then work underneath.

In the case of my machine if you didn't remove the deck completely you wouldn't get at all the grease-nipples and all the places that need scraping and painting with whatever you decide to use.

I used to use a rust convertor paint for eight years and whilst if kept the deck in reasonable condition I do think the wax-oil is better.

The original Waxoil was by Finnigans, I think Hammerite bought the licence though our garage uses another product called, "Black Waxoil" which they spray under cars for £50 a shot. It's black and sticks to everything, almost like they mixed a bitumen into it. Halfords sell waxoil.

As regards the nuts or bolts that hold the blades mine are a row of three bolts for each blade, one-either-side of the centre bolt which is a conventional RH thread. My deck is a twin-deck, one set of blades cuts clockwise whilst the other cuts anticlockwise throwing the grass into the middle but all the bolts are conventional RH threads.

Here are some photos of my deck, at the front you can see the two steel bars that are held by bolts and at the back there is a twin-bar hook arrangement for raising and lower. Probably all quite different to yours. It took me a year of searching to find this mower, probably the easiest i've ever seen for home maintenance.

[Gerry]

Hi Geoff,

I used to have a Hayter and like you I used to lift it onto blocks rather than fiddle with realignment.
I can't remember about undoing the blade but if it rotates as you say then I think it should have a left hand thread, so should undo in a clockwise direction.
I also use waxoil . Comma do a product called " Wax Seal" which should be available from most motor factors. I have found it invaluable for so many different things and a 5Ltr tin has lasted years.

Regards, Gerry.

[richard p]

i tip mine partially on its side... whichever side has the engine oil filler goes upwards...just prop it at about 45 degrees with some chunks of wood. usually manage to sharpen the blades with a small angle grinder with them still on the machine.

[Geoff]

That looks a more impressive beast than mine Ric(h)ard. Been busy on other things the rest of the day so haven't been back to the blade nut. Having removed it 2 or 3 times a year since I bought the mower in 2006 and this is the first time I have had an issue I've decided it is standard thread or I would have (hopefully) remembered. Looks like I'd better source some waxoil, I assume it's better than used oil that I have plenty of. Thanks for all your comments.

[sally wright]

Dear Geoff,
when you do get the bolt out I would get some copper grease and put a thin coat on the threads. This will hopefully prevent seizing in future. This is a useful thing to have in your tool box especially for nuts and bolts subject to damp and acidic (grass juice) conditions. It really saves a lot of effort and skinned knuckles down the line.
regards Sally Wright.

[Ricard with an H]

That looks a more impressive beast than mine Ric(h)ard.

It's a good heavy machine mostly built with heavy parts and heavy material compared to what was on offer at the time for our budget. It's also basic and crude in many ways so it's easy for repair and maintenance.

I have seen similar machines ready for the scrap-heap just because of neglect and being kept outside. That ride-on cost us £1500 ten years ago, second hand. For the same money I could have bought a new machine but they all seemed to have frivolous design whilst looking good.

Another point, when we bought it we had to consider I might need a quad because of my walking problems. This machine will quite happily tow a trailer full of top soil whilst I have tread remaining on the back tyres. If I need to drive it over rough ground I can quickly drop the deck to increase the clearance and reduce weight.

Whilst we're talking mower-maintenance perhaps we could share some experiences. What about the engines ? All I do is change the oil annually but the oil filter biannually or even longer. My machine is now 15 years old, maybe older, will the engine need any pre-emptive maintenance work ? The gearbox appears to be a sealed unit so it's just keeping an eye on belts and things. Yes ?

[sally wright]

Dear Richard,
keep an eye on the hours the engine is running and err on the side of caution. Follow the instructions in the booklet if you have one, if you don't ask around or look on the net. If it is being stop/started a lot as is usual with towing applications, change the oil at 50 hours and the filter at about every 100 hours or so. The more short trips an engine makes the more wear it has so it is important to change filters regularly. To put a list on the wall near your spares shelf is a good idea.
A tip I got from a professional mechanic was once the oil has been removed is to tilt the mower slightly over towards the filter so that any goo in the filter remains in it as you take it off. Also to take the mower for a circuit or two before removing the oil so that it flows easier and so the crud is off the bottom of the case and is removed on draining.
Regards Sally Wright.

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks Sally, that sounds about right if I change the oil every year. The paddock gets cut weekly at most plus a few jobbing jobs moving top soil and cow poo.

I don't have any instructions though this machine hardly needs any. The engine is a B&S twin, I don't remember it's name though presumably it's a side-valve. The combustion air filter is easy to clean and the coolant air filter is crude but works fine catching debris.

This machine will be kicking a lot longer than I will.

[Geoff]

As it is such a glorious day went back to the mower project. Finally removed the stuck nut without damage, it was standard thread. It will go back on with copper slip, got loads left after buying a tin for the polytunnel. Will carry on with red lead as I have half a tin left but will probably use wax oil as well. How often in the season do you re-coat it?
From diary 23rd March 2012 "Cut top grass" - some chance, wonder if I can use it as a snow blower.

[Ricard with an H]

I'm also doing mower maintenance, took the deck off the ride-on and got my 21 inch cut Harry out. Because I hadn't kept an eye on things one of the engine mounting bolts had come loose and fallen off. No one uses locktite anymore these days.

On the ride-on the deck steel has still been affected where the grass lands so whilst it's better than nothing wax-oil isn't doing the job. I'm trying bitumous next.

[Ricard with an H]

I eventually cut grass today after a trip to the local country cornucopia for all things from an elephant harness to tractor spares with all-things mowers in-between. He takes in second-hand mowers but never sells them on so the place is a mower museum. You can find obsolete parts for mowers you never heard of at this old farm that has diversified.

He knew of some stuff that was guaranteed to cure rust for £27 a litre. I've been suckered into buying stuff thats guaranteed to cure rust for years but it can't cope with the grassy-acids.

The heavy steel deck of my ride-on will last many years yet whilst I continue to give it a good service every winter. The 21 cut self-drive pedestrian mower has and alluminium-ally deck, the grass acids don't seem to touch it.

The ride-on deck always has a few loose bolts or screws that need tightening, today I found two critically loose parts so i'm beginning to wonder if a twice annual service is called for with the amount of grass I cut.

I met some people today who were interested in some local history, at some point they asked me what I do for a living, I told them I was retired.

In hindsight I don't know why I said that.

[sally wright]

Dear Richard,
the thing is with mower decks and chutes is that it is not just grass that gets sucked up them; bits of stone, twiggy bits and general rubbish as well will gouge off any coating that you apply. Nothing will cope with this kind of damage and the maintenance regime comes down to damage limitation so that the deck and chute last approximately as long as the rest of the machine. Failing that keep an eye on the spares market for model changes for your machine and plan on replacing the parts around 1/2 way through the expected life of the machine. You may have to go to a dealer for them in advance of your anticipated fail date if the spares become discontinued.
Presure washing under the deck and in the chute after each mowing session will lessen the acid wear. keeping the mower dry when not in use will also help a lot.
Regards Sally Wright.

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks Sally, yet-again you have a good point and experience showing-through.

All my machinery is kept dry and warm but never washed down or washed-under. What I do is always use a blower to displace loose grass though the important undersides only get the annual treatment.

With a ride-on it can collect and store a lot of cuttings that dry and are easily combustible, I have an experience of driving my ride-on with the dry grasses smouldering and eventually on fire. How and where it started I don't know but these days I always blow the machine clean. Gear-box ? I doubt it. Initial combustion from the exhaust then blown through the undersides of the machine is more likely.

I remember jumping off the ride-on and it stopped, thank-goodness for safety switches along the the lines of what we call a dead-man cut-off.