Are deck wash kits worth it?

skeets

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BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
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SW Pa
I had one on my old Cub, did it work ,,,, yeah kind of, but it sure made a mess. The fitting was on the blind end of the deck so it washed,,, in theory anyways the blade and slung it to the next and so on, and thus washing the deck,, I wasnt real impressed but there ya go.
 
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GeoHorn

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M4700DT, LA1002FEL, Ferguson5-8B Compactor-Roller, 10KDumpTrailer, RTV-X900
May 18, 2018
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The one on my Crafstman is worthless except for creating a mess.
 
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The Evil Twin

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L2501, LA526,
Jul 19, 2022
2,426
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Virginia
Well....that's disappointing. We can put a helo on Mars, but can't get a decent deck wash.
The other factor for me is I don't have any pavement except sidewalk. So I can't really drop the deck down to the ground like they tell you to. Unless I cut a piece of plywood to do it on. Then, more to clean up.
 

lynnmor

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B2601-1
May 3, 2021
1,349
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Red Lion
I put one on a cheap disposable tractor, it cleaned a little but overall a waste of time and money.

Here is one three hour mowing accumulation of nearly 5 gallons:
IMG_0824.JPG
 
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GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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Greensville,Ontario,Canada
Probably have seen 200-250 decks over the decades ,NONE that had the 'cleaning port' were actually clean...hmmmmmm
if you cut DRY grass, you don't get any buildup ......
I use a cable hoist to lift front end of riders up, sit in chair to use stiff custom putty knife to clean the neighbour's decks.
 
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GSD-Keegan

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B2601 with Fel and Bh70 backhoe
Mar 6, 2021
565
731
93
Ontario, Canada
Just for what it’s worth…my ol cub cadet rider had terrible grass build up in the mower deck. Always cut late in the day when grass was dry. Ol cub getting tired…although I still have it. Bought a new Ferris Zero turn. Zero build up in the mower deck. Paint worn off in spots after a couple years. Same grass..similar cutting conditions. I guess the point I’m suggesting is the design of the deck seems to have considerable factors in preventing build up. Only thing that really stands out in deck design is the top side of deck on the Ferris is flat, compared to the ol cub that has a lot of curves and bends and chicanes…
 
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NCL4701

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L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
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Had a Cub with a deck wash. It was worthless. Seemed like a marketing gimmick, not a useful feature.
 
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skeets

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BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,277
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SW Pa
Something just came to mind, what if you had a spray underneath like inthe car wash for the underside of the car. Maybe 1/2 inch PVC made up in a square or an H shape, with maybe 1/32 holds so it would spray up, lay it under the deck turn on the water and engage the deck... Might work,,,,, orrrrrrr you might have a bunch of PVC shrapnel going everywhere
 
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lugbolt

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ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
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get an undercarriage attachment for your pressure washer. Roll it under the deck and let the water do the work.
 
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The Evil Twin

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L2501, LA526,
Jul 19, 2022
2,426
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Virginia
Interesting, about deck design making a difference. Makes complete sense though.
I do always mow dry. Thing is, I often end up cutting a lot off because I don't mow often. That probably doesn't help.
 

GreensvilleJay

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BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
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Greensville,Ontario,Canada
Not supposed to cut more than 1/3rd the height at one time and it needs to be dry. I understand some can't cut like that..I do have a huge problem with the retired neighbour cutting his grass on Sundays though....
 

The Evil Twin

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L2501, LA526,
Jul 19, 2022
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I swear my old neighbor (cookie cutter HOA neighborhood) waited till I washed a car. Like clockwork, as soon as I finished, out came the mower.
 

PaulL

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B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,220
1,187
113
NZ
I feel like if your deck is too clean, the paint will wear off. A little build up protects the paint.
 

The Evil Twin

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L2501, LA526,
Jul 19, 2022
2,426
2,343
113
Virginia
I feel like if your deck is too clean, the paint will wear off. A little build up protects the paint.
I pressure wash and paint the underside at the end of the season. We don't have a golf course, so the occasional stick or dog toy take paint off anyway.
 

lugbolt

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ZG127S-54
Oct 15, 2015
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I feel like if your deck is too clean, the paint will wear off. A little build up protects the paint.
and built-up clippiings can and do hold moisture, and more importantly chemicals that cause corrosion of metal and paint. So the paint comes off either way. I ain't never seen a mower that would hold paint on the bottom side for more than a season. Not even powder coat holds up very long. Rusted decks often are resulted from clippings being allowed to sit on the deck. I know, I owned one-and didn't take very good care of it because it was a pain to remove the deck & clean it every so often. That was the only way to get the clippings off, to remove the deck. Took it out every season's end for maintenance, but in between just used the leaf blower to blow off the excess. I think I got 5 or 6 seasons out of it, finally started showing rust under the paint. Ended up selling it as it was, new owner was happy to get it too.
 

PaulL

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B2601
Jul 17, 2017
2,220
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NZ
and built-up clippiings can and do hold moisture, and more importantly chemicals that cause corrosion of metal and paint. So the paint comes off either way. I ain't never seen a mower that would hold paint on the bottom side for more than a season. Not even powder coat holds up very long. Rusted decks often are resulted from clippings being allowed to sit on the deck. I know, I owned one-and didn't take very good care of it because it was a pain to remove the deck & clean it every so often. That was the only way to get the clippings off, to remove the deck. Took it out every season's end for maintenance, but in between just used the leaf blower to blow off the excess. I think I got 5 or 6 seasons out of it, finally started showing rust under the paint. Ended up selling it as it was, new owner was happy to get it too.
My deck is two seasons old now. Still has paint. I clean it each time I sharpen the blades. I treat it pretty mean, so I sharpen the blades about once every month or two. Most of the time it has build up. No rust, only a few scratches. Most of the time it has a thin layer of buildup under it.

We're not that dry here, but I mostly mow reasonably dry grass. I keep it in a shed, so it dries out OK between times.
 
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lmichael

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Kubota G2160
Apr 23, 2021
548
211
43
Rockford IL area
I wonder..................What would happen if you turned the deck upside down? Would the oil come out of the gear box?
I have heard of folks doing a total clean under the deck. Getting all the way down to totally clean. Then painting the underside with that bed mat "paint", like what I used on the footwell deck when I refurbed my machine. That stuff is like iron.
I would love to do that