How to keep grass from sticking to mower deck is an important aspect of lawn mower maintenance. When grass is allowed to stick to the deck, it starts creating problems in the running of the mower eventually.
This article has developed ten reliable methods against grass sticking to the deck. Please go through all of them and then choose the method that seems most convenient to you.
How To Keep the Grass From Sticking To Mower Deck?
To keep the grass from sticking to mower you should not mow it when it’s wet, and change the directions while mowing. Ensure you raise the blades higher or lift, coat vegetable oil or non stick lubricant, and cut the grass more frequently, use a deflector, or film fluid.
Although no method works 100 percent in preventing grass from sticking to the deck, the best ones are always preventative, like not mowing wet grass and keeping the mower in good working conditions. In this case, you can apply various lubricants as the next best option.
– Do Not Mow Wet Grass
Mowing wet grass is the first reason grass sticks to the mower deck. Wet grass clippings tend to clump together and stick readily to the underside of the mower. Since soil is a part of cut grass, it forms a cake-like layer that is hard to get rid of once it dries. These wet clumps enter the collection chute and other engine components and end up clogging them.
As a general rule, never mow the grass on the watering day or the day after, as you must let it sit and dry so that the conditions would be met perfectly. The same goes for rain, as you must wait until the grass is dry before taking the mower out.
Many gardeners would actually prefer to get lawn mowing over early in the morning, well before noon time, and this has to do with the heat as well. Although, the grass is moist from dew drops at this time and will end up sticking to the deck, and this wouldn’t be a proper task to do. Which means that ideally you must wait for the noon sun to dry the grass before cutting it later in the day.
– Change Directions While Mowing
Many of you need to familiarize yourself with this technical aspect of mowing. We understand that, being creatures of habit, it is convenient to cut grass in one direction each time, and the more you move in a single direction, the more grass would be stuck on the deck of the mower. As a result, this will lead to the pile-up of cut grass on one side of the platform.
This is also not healthy for the grass in the long term because it then begins to grow in the direction it is cut all the time. Remember to change the direction of the grass every second or third mowing to avoid this problem successfully, and when you do so, it will reverse the issue.
– Raise The Cutting Blades Higher
Mulching-type blades are great at cutting the grass into fine pieces intended for use as mulch. These pieces then tend to end up causing grass build-up in the deck over time. Lifting these blades to the highest possible setting is one key to solving this problem, and the issue will be resolved.
The grass will be cut so finely that it will not stick anywhere within the mower. On another note, the downside to this solution is that a very small amount of grass will be cut, which means this would work if you are aiming to cut the grass on a longer scale. Moreover, you will have to carry out multiple mowing sessions to get the short height ideal for most lawn grasses.
– Coat the Blades with Vegetable Oils
Non-stick cooking oils from your kitchen will not allow grass to stick to the deck. This is a short-term solution, but it prevents grass and other debris from coating the surface of the lawnmower. What you can do is to apply it a bit on a cloth and wipe the surface.
Moreover, remember that there is a drawback to this approach, and that is how you will have to reapply vegetable oil on the deck before each use. Another disadvantage is that dust and soil get stuck to the layer of oil and create a big mess that is a big hassle to clean right after you are done.
Some people like to use engine oils and WD40s instead of vegetable oils that produce more or less the same effect. However, there is a downside to using engine oils, due to which we recommend using vegetable oils, but on the same topic, these oils might drip down on the grass and kill it, which is again a risk to take if you haven’t applied it properly.
– Use A Non-Stick Lubricant
The best non stick coating for mower decks is either a Teflon spray or a graphite one, because these are a way that grass won’t stay attached. What you must do is to take some time out and give the instructions on their bottles a thorough read before use. In this case, the deck needs to be clean and dry before lubricants can spray on them. Otherwise, these sprays will mix with the dust and dirt, leading to debris build-up.
Another good option is to purchase and use silicone spray on the mower deck. These sprays also need frequent reapplications but less than when using vegetable cooking oils.
In order to avoid any risk, make sure to read product reviews before ordering them online, because you want to refrain from investing in substandard deck lubricating products.
– By Cutting Grass More Frequently
Grass cut more frequently and kept short will stick to the deck less than long grass. This is because when a lot of grass is cut at one time, it tends to stick with each other and the deck. What will happen is that frequent mowing will show you how it has a dual benefit of being advantageous for the overall health of the grass as well, and how it will avoid this issue from happening.
Grass dies when over one-third of its blades are cut off in one go. With frequent mowing, very few pieces of grass are cut and are easily sucked into the collection chute instead of sticking to the deck. The ideal height for most lawn grasses in the US is around one to two inches long, and doing so, they won’t be long enough to get stuck to your machine. Keeping this length in mind, you will have to mow your lawn at least once every two weeks at the maximum.
– Using A Deflector
Many of our friends claim that installing a deflector is the most convenient method of keeping grass from attaching to the deck. A deflector is just a piece of metal or plastic attached to the deck so that it deflects grass directly into the collection bag. You can find a lot of tutorials online if you want to install a deflector yourself. Otherwise, any local mechanic or mower repair person can do this for you, and it will work for a good period of time.
The positive thing about using a deflector is that it does not need to be applied again and again like other lubricants, which means it isn’t an exhausting chore to do so. It also diverts the grass away from the blades, reducing their workload. On the other hand, the downside is that some grass will inevitably stick to the deck, even with a deflector.
– Use Fluid Film
Fluid film is a lanolin-based lubricant and anti-corrosion agent that comes in handy with protecting the deck from grass cuttings. It is easily available across all US states at reasonable prices, which means this is a good choice that you can rely on. Don’t worry if your local grocery store does not stock fluid films, as you can always order a couple of bottles online for the grass-cutting season.
This product is packaged in a spray bottle, making it easier to use than cooking oils and other DIY lubricants, and you will not go through a hazard when using it. What happens is that it would build up after using it is much less than oils would, as a result, you will see that you won’t have to do a lot of cleaning after using this to lubricate the deck.
An additional major advantage of this spray product is that it prevents corrosion products from building up on the deck. This may not be the cheapest of all the methods we have discussed, but it is worth investing in.
– Keep Mower In Top Shape
Remember, grass stuck to the mower deck attracts more grass to accumulate on the deck’s surface. Take some time after each mowing session to clean up the deck of any grass stuck there. You only need a water hose and a long-handled scrub brush to clean the deck without removing the blade, and the top shape will be beneficial to your aim.
Once a year, we recommend that you carry out an extensive mower cleaning before winterizing it for the season, this is an essential step to keep the machine in proper shape. In this scenario, remove the blade and clean all the corners of the deck that were otherwise inaccessible. Take this opportunity to remove grass from the chutes as well.
Unscrew the shrouds around the air filters and clean them thoroughly for regular maintenance. Pour motor oil into the engine machinery to keep it running smoothly. Lastly, when the blades are sharp, the grass will be cut well enough not to stick to the lawnmower deck.
– Switch To A High-lift Blade
If you face frequent clogging of your lawn mower decks and chutes despite not cutting wet grass and taking other useful precautions, it’s time to change your blades. If you do not want to put yourself in an anxious position, you can simply get your local mechanic to replace your ordinary mower blades with high-lift ones. These specially designed cutting blades with deeply curved ends produce a high-pressure suction during rotation.
This suction is useful firstly because it lifts the grass and makes it very easy to cut it neatly. Secondly, this suction forces the cut clippings of grass into the collection chute forcefully. The result is a clean deck with very few clippings stuck to it. Moreover, you will also be able to cut wet grass with these blades and prevent grass from sticking to the deck.
This shows that buying new blades for the mower costs much more than the other cheaper options we have discussed, but it will be a worthwhile investment in the long run. You can also order these high lifted blades online and install them yourself at very reasonable prices.
Conclusion
A brief conclusion is a must now that we have reached the end of our article on keeping grass away from the deck.
Here is what we covered:
- Wet grass will always stick to the deck, so wait till it dries properly before taking the lawn mower out.
- Using a high-lift blade will create enough suction to pull the grass cut forcefully into the collection chute.
- Purchase and install a metallic or plastic deflector to prevent the grass from building up on the deck’s surface.
- You can use many things as a lubricant to keep the grass off, like oils, fluid films, and deck coatings, and they will help in the matter.
This article discussed many ways of stopping grass from sticking to the mower’s deck. These are time-tested methods, so you can pick the one you like the most and try it out.
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