Home lawn mower, mulching and grass build up

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So to keep it short... I usually have to clean the underside of my Lawnboy 21" mower approximately yearly. Well, this year its already become build up to the point where the mower basically wasn't operating effectively. I'm not really sure why, sometimes we let the grass get quite high before mowing but we never mow in the wet. Any ideas to help reduce this problem?

I've resharpened the blade at least two times in the past, and the edge still feels pretty keen at the moment. I'm wondering if the OEM lawnboy blade is too much of a do-all 3 in 1 design and a true mulching blade would help? Any recommendations? I'm not a lawn aficionado so I value performance AND economy.
 
Maybe you should flush the underside after every mowing, as I do.

Also, I sharpen the blade at least once every season.
 
Buy a spare blade. Swap blades every 3 months. Sharpen the one you took off and save it for the next swap.

Build up is becuase the grass is too wet and from mowing tall grass. Set your mower to mow at a higher setting will help.
 
My 20" non-mulcher requires cleaning after every 1-2 weeks of use. I just figured some of the junkier grasses like crab grass, onion grass, clover, etc. carry more moisture than high quality lawn grasses. One thing I should or could have done was put a quality coating/paint over the undercarriage when brand new, especially the wheel mounting fasteners. Even a can of undercoat would have protected those areas better than paint.

The sticking grass issue can leave moisture on metal surfaces leading to rusting. Unless you want to drive on less than 4 wheels at some point, cleaning/treating the underside is a good idea. When I had a lot more onion grass on my lawn I'd have it nearly clog the exit chute within 30 min of operation. That stuff is very moist and spits out clumps after a while, especially in spring.
 
You only wash the bottom of the deck once a year ? Ewuuuuuuuuuuuu........
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I hose off my mowers top and bottom after every time I mow. My 24 year old Craftsman II push mower looks like it's maybe a couple years old.

L8R,
Matt
 
I hose mine every time also, I find if I miss just once the next time I can't get it all with the hose and need to grab a putty knife. The Toro Super has little pyramids that direct the grass back into the blade and they get pounded and grass always builds up there. I don't use the wash out port, it just doesn't get it clean enough.

Right now with all the rain I'm mowing every two to three days in order to not take more than a 1/3 of the length off so I sharpen the blade one a month or so. In the fall maybe more with mulching dry leaves.
 
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The tall grass you are mowing has water higher up inside the shaft of the grass and is causing the build up under your deck. I own a Lawn-Boy 2-stroke mower with a steel deck. I added a Oregon Gator blade years ago. The Gator does a better job than the original blade if you mulch but not so if you throw the grass. The Gator blade saps a little more power vs the original blade, so it's no good if you try cutting grass that is too tall.
I think the best solution is to not let your grass get out of hand before you mow it.
 
Originally Posted By: skyactiv

I think the best solution is to not let your grass get out of hand before you mow it.


This.

The rule for mulching is you should only be cutting 1/3 of the total grass height. If the grass is too tall, you will have issues.
 
Good discussion. Yeah I had no idea that the deck was supposed to be cleaned out so frequently! Growing up I don't think we EVER cleaned ours and its still running strong at my folks cottage. Would be nice to follow the 1/3 run, but honestly we are so busy that it just doesn't always happen. This is especially true since I like to keep my grass at a full 3.5" during warm months as our soil just doesn't hold water.
 
I've been having similar issues with my Cub, I think its just that the grass has been growing so fast, and that its holding moisture even if its been dry for a day or two.

I like the second set of blades idea, I'm going to look into that. for now I've been cutting high areas at a 5 height first, then a 4.
 
My lawn grass has a tough environment to grow in. If I keep it cut short, it does off sooner. So I let grow as tall as I can now to help strengthen the roots. My neighbor had a manicured lawn but after years of cutting it down to putting green height he has ruined it.
 
Originally Posted By: Nukeman7
Clean off the bottom of the mower deck, let it dry and coat it with FluidFilm spray.

Fluid Film


Or just use the old oil when you change it. Slather it to the under side of the deck with a paint brush. Free. Keeps the deck from rusting and helps future deck cleaning.

slomo
 
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
The rule for mulching is you should only be cutting 1/3 of the total grass height. If the grass is too tall, you will have issues.

That rule is for all cutting types be it bagging or what not. Never removed more than 1/3 of the grass blade.

slomo
 
Originally Posted By: slomo
Originally Posted By: jeepman3071
The rule for mulching is you should only be cutting 1/3 of the total grass height. If the grass is too tall, you will have issues.

That rule is for all cutting types be it bagging or what not. Never removed more than 1/3 of the grass blade.

slomo

I also try to adhere to that rule but around here in spring time it's near impossible, even with mowing every 3 days. Grass is growing crazy fast. And yes the under deck needs a cleaning out after each mowing this time of year. seems the grass never dries out even later in the day.
 
Mow tall (helps with weeds too)
Sharp blade (smaller clippings, less juicy, sticks less)
Rinse every time (I didn't need to do this with Bermuda, but with bluegrass/fescue it's a necessity to rinse the mower deck each time)
 
Here's my 24 year old Craftsman II. I know you can't quite tell from the pic, but this thing looks better than a lot of mowers that are maybe 5 years old. I spray it down after every mowing, and I always run synthetic oil in it. She still fires up on the first pull or two, but usually on the first one.
C41EDFA4-3740-421C-A125-56BC32DCEC97_zpsmoo8w4ss.jpg


L8R,
Matt
 
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