How to Keep Grass From Sticking to Mower Deck- 5 Experienced Tactics

grass build up under a lawnmower deck is a painful matter. It leaves clumps of grass on the lawn garden, rusts out the deck & leads to messy, slow cutting due to reduced airflow. A protective coating will slow down the grass build-up but nothing will eliminate the need for regular cleaning.

You know How to keep grass from sticking to mower deck. So as you run your lawnmower blades of mow grass are constantly being whipped against the inside of the mower blade.

Over time this causes a build-up of grass underneath the mower that you will eventually have to wash and scrape off.

How to Keep Grass from Sticking to Mower Deck-Step by Step are Below

Luckily there is a simple way to keep your mower deck clean & in proper condition. Today we’ll show you how to do that & also provide a few cutting tips along the way!

Why Is Grass Buildup Bad?

Grass buildup can cause a variety of problems once it gets thick enough. To begin with, Grass buildup will affect the efficiency of a mower blade. A mower’s ability to cut more grass & the overall performance of the mower inhibits airflow throughout the deck.

Lawn Mowers Use Airflow to Operate Efficiently

By design mowers need suitable airflow to operate correctly. The blades of grass won’t get sucked up into the mower deck efficiently & the mower blade will not mow the grass adequately.

If grass build-up is bad enough, it causes friction & resistance on the mower’s ability to mow grass & it can even strain the mower’s engine & cause it to curb down.

Moisture Causes Rust

Given enough time that moisture will cause rust eventually making the mower blade unusable, if left unchecked.it is important to keep grass from building up inside your mower deck. Let’s take a look now at some simple steps you can follow to prevent grass buildup on your mower deck.

Lawn Mower Deck Spray

Method1: Access & Clean the Mower Deck

Before you can do anything else you need to get under your lawnmower & give the underside of the mower deck a thorough cleaning. Some mowers have a hose attachment builtin to the top of the mower deck. If you can use it to clean out the underside of your deck as you normally would.

However, If you need to clean the mower deck by flipping it over.

Here is our recommendation

Firstly, disconnect the spark plug before turning it over to prevent damage & ensure your own safety. Secondly, tip the mower over & keep the gas & oil reservoirs kept on the top side to avoid spilling. You should also consider emptying the gas tank before cleaning the mower deck.

Household Tools to Clean Mower

Firstly, spray the underside of the deck with a hose & let it soak for (5-10) minutes to soften up. Then, using a stiff plastic putty knife remove the heaviest grass buildup followed by a soft bristle brush & soapy water to remove the remaining grass.

Make sure all of the old grass has been removed from the mower deck then proceed to the next step also.

Method2: Learn How To Repaint Mower Deck

Lawn Mower Deck manufacturers apply baked-on enamel paint to the entire lawn mower deck. This paint is essential to avoiding grass build-up. Remember you want the grass blades to slide off the mower deck. Anything that hinders that will cause the grass to stick.

If your mower deck underside paint of your mow is in bad condition. We highly recommend repainting it with lawn mower paint. The suggestions we offer below will have less value for how to keep grass from sticking to the mower deck if the paint on your mower is severely scratched and rusted.

Method3: How To Apply Coating to Avoid Grass Build Up

The reason that grass builds upon the underside of a lawnmower is that the surface allows it to stick. Once one layer of grass has built up others can gradually accumulate on top of it until you have bold layers of grass caked on your mower deck.

Lawn Mower Deck Spray

The best & easiest way to prevent. This is to apply a spray lubricant that will keep the grass from sticking in the first place of the garden. One of the most popular options for lubricating the underside of your mower deck is Dupont Teflon non-stick and dry-film lubricant.

This spray lubricant while not designed specifically for use on mower decks & blades is one of the most economical & highest rated sprays to avoid grease, grime, dirt build-up & it works amazingly on mower decks as well.

Other top-rated products branded as a spray-on lubricant for lawnmower decks include Tite Seal for lawnmower decks sold at Amazon.

Home Remedies To Coat Mower Deck

If you do not have a specialized spray. There is any number of other home lubricants that’ll work well enough to get the job done. A few of the available options include (WD-40) vegetable oil & non-stick kitchen spray. Motor oil can also work but it has a habit of dripping off after a while & would not be our first choice.

If you choose to use a non-spray oil. Be sure to rub it into the surface of the lawnmower deck with a rag to ensure complete coverage & maximum adhesion. Clean off any excess non-spray oil before using the mower deck.

Graphite Coating for Lawn Mower Deck. A final option for preventing grass buildup is to use graphite spray coating. Graphite is a commonly used industrial lubricant & it also does a great job preventing grass from sticking to your lawnmower deck.

As with any other spray & lubricant, be sure you are starting with a completely dry clean deck. Most graphite sprays dry fairly quickly. But there will be a brief period of about 30 min. Required for drying when using graphite. To be sure you are applying the spray correctly thoroughly read & follow all directions provided on the bottle.

Method-4: Change Mowing Habits to Prevent Future Build-up

Even with a lubricant on the lawnmower deck. The grass will eventually build-up has given enough time & the right conditions.

Wait For Grass To Dry

You should always wait until your grass is completely dry to cut it. Cutting after a rainstorm and in the morning after a heavy dew will introduce more moisture into the clippings & make them more likely to stick together. It is also a good idea to set the height adjustment on your lawnmower higher.

We recommend using a 3-inch height if your lawnmower can go that high. Also, If you use your lawnmower on a short setting height to scalp your lawnmower. You create much longer blades of grass. Of course more chance for buildup under the mower deck.

Cut Grass More Often

If you raise your lawnmower deck & opt for slightly longer grass. You will find that you may have to cut more. Incidentally, when you keep your grass longer it keeps shade at the roots & creates a much healthier, thicker greener lawn deck & keeps the weeds from getting a foothold.

Method5: Maintain Lawn Mower Deck Coating

Once you have coated your lawn mower deck with a lubricant, it is essential to maintain that coating over time.

Routinely, attempt to keep the lawnmower deck dry & avoid running over sticks & twigs as much as possible as either water and impacts from solid objects will wear down the coating over time.

Steps:

From time to time re-apply deck coating to keep the lawnmower deck in optimal condition. We recommend re-apply coating at least every 24 mowings. This should keep your mower deck underside free from grass buildup.

How To Clean Riding Mower Deck- With Wash Port

Because it is difficult to access the bottom of a Riding Lawn Mower deck. Most newer riding lawn mower brands feature one or more wash port locations for cleanout. To use the wash port feature to clean riding lawn mower deck, follow these simple steps;

Step1: Start Mower

Start your Riding mower & move it to a flat & open area of your lawn & away from buildings.

Step2: Attach Port Adapter

Attach the wash port adapter that came with your riding lawn mower to your garden hose.

Step3: Attach Garden Hose

Attach a garden hose to the adapter on your lawnmower wash port located on the lawnmower deck.

Step4: Start Mower

Turn on the riding lawn mower & dis-engage the mower blades leaving the lawnmower running.

Step5: Turn On The Water

Turn the water on connected to the garden hose & wash port.

Step6: Engage Mower Blades

Engage the mower blades & let run for (4-5) minutes to remove built-up grass clippings & debris from the underside of the lawnmower deck.

For Riding Mower With Multiple Wash Ports

If you have more than one Wash Port on your riding mower remove the garden hose & Repeat Steps (3-6) with additional wash ports. If your mower only has one wash port, you are done!

Tips For Cleaning Mowers That Have Wash Port

While some riding lawn mower owners use the wash port every time they cut, we recommend doing this routine maintenance at least (2-3) times per season.

Visually check the underside of the ride lawn mower deck occasionally by raising the front wheels up. Some folks use a nearby curb, choose a safe method. Using a flashlight inspect the underside of the lawnmower deck and scrape any grass build-up not removed by using the wash port cleaning method.

Does it help to replace the mower blade?

Many manufacturers include a standard lawnmower blade with the sale of their equipment. Especially for lawn budget models.
If you find your mower after cleaning is still not mowing properly, go online. Your local hardware store & get a High-Lift mowing blade. These types of mowing blades will create more airflow & lift. Allowing more time to adequately mow the grass.

Should I run a mower on a full-throttle or slower speed?

Most modern-day lawn mowers are designed to run at full throttle. For the purposes of this article is inherently important to do so. Full throttle motor speed creates the maximum lift & mowing ability for your mower. These factors both contribute to less build up as grass clippings get ejected quicker.

Conclusion

As a result of these tips, your lawnmower will run much more efficiently & your maintenance time will be cut down dramatically. You should also be able to increase your walking speed to How To Keep Grass from Sticking to Mower deck.

Without bogging down your lawnmower & leaving those telltale trails behind.you should also knowing how to keep grass sticking to your mower deck.