Today, we will answer the age-old question: How to keep grass from sticking to the mower deck? This causes a lawnmower to bog down and prevents a mower from operating efficiently.
Why does grass clipping build-up occur? When you run your lawnmower, tiny grass blades are constantly being “whipped” against the inside of the mower deck.
Over time, the blades stick to the inside of the mower deck, causing a build-up of crusty grass underneath the mower. This affects the lawnmower’s performance and forces you to wash or scrape off the grass.
Fortunately, there’s a simple way to keep your mower deck clean and in proper condition. Today, we’ll show you how to prevent grass clipping buildup and offer some mowing tips!
Why Is Grass Buildup on Mower Bad?
Once it gets thick enough, grass buildup can cause various problems. First, it will affect a mower’s efficiency.
A lawnmower’s ability to cut more grass and its overall performance can inhibit airflow throughout the deck.
Reasons Why Grass Build-Up is Bad for Your Mower.
Lawn Mowers Use “Airflow” to Operate Efficiently: By design, mowers need adequate airflow to operate correctly. The blades of grass won’t get sucked up into the mower deck efficiently, and the mower blade will not cut the grass adequately.
If grass build-up is severe enough, it causes friction and resistance to the mower’s ability to cut grass, and it can even strain the mower’s engine, causing it to bog down.
In a worst-case scenario, grass build-up can cause a mower deck to rust. The built-up grass traps moisture against the metal deck and holds it there.
Moisture Causes “Rust”
Given enough time, that moisture will cause rust on your mower deck, eventually making the mower unusable if left unchecked.
That is because rust is abrasive and traps grass clippings against the mower deck instead of letting them “slide” off.
Now that we know why keeping grass from building up inside your mower is essential, we can proceed.
Now, look at some simple tips to prevent grass buildup on your mower.
How To Keep Grass From Sticking To Mower Deck:
Step 1: “Clean the Mower Deck”
Before doing anything else, you must get under your lawnmower and thoroughly clean the underside of the deck. Some mowers have a hose attachment built into the top of the deck.
If yours does, you can use it to clean the underside of your mower deck as you normally would.
However, if you need to clean the deck by flipping it over, here’s our recommendation.
First, disconnect the spark plug before turning it over to prevent damage and ensure safety.
Next, tip the mower over and keep the gas and oil reservoirs on top to prevent spills. You should also consider emptying the gas tank before cleaning the mower.
Household Tools to Clean a Mower
To clean the deck thoroughly, spray the underside with a hose and let it soak for 5-10 minutes to soften up.
Then, remove the heaviest grass buildup using a stiff plastic putty knife. Followed by a soft bristle brush and soapy water, remove the remaining grass.
Note: Never use a wire brush or utility knife to clean the mower blade. A wire brush will scratch the manufacturer’s paint on the mower deck, eventually causing rust, creating the perfect “catch” surface for grass buildup.
Ensure that all old grass has been removed from the deck; then proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Repaint the Mower Deck
Lawn Mower manufacturers apply baked-on enamel paint to the entire mower deck. This paint is essential to avoiding grass buildup.
Remember, you want the grass blades to “slide” off the mower deck. Anything that hinders that will cause the grass to “stick.”
If the underside paint of your mower is in bad condition, we highly recommend re-painting it with red lawnmower paint.
Note: The suggestions we offer below may be less effective in preventing grass from sticking to the mower deck if the paint on your mower is severely scratched or rusted.
Step 3: “Apply Non-Stick Coating” to Mower Deck
Grass builds upon the underside of a lawnmower because the painted metal surface allows it to stick. Once one layer of grass has built up, more grass will accumulate on top of it until you have multiple layers of grass caked to your mower deck.
Lawn Mower Deck Spray: “To the Rescue”
The best and easiest way to prevent grass buildup on your mower is to apply a spray lubricant to keep the grass from sticking.
Dupont’s Teflon non-stick, dry-film lubricant is one of the most popular options for lubricating the underside of your mower deck.
While not explicitly designed for lawn mower decks and blades, this spray lubricant is one of the most economical and highest-rated sprays to prevent grease, grime, and dirt buildup, and works remarkably well on mower decks.
Other top-rated products branded as spray-on lubricants for mower decks include Tite-Seal, which can be purchased at Amazon by clicking the link.
By evenly coating the mower deck in a layer of this lubricant after it has been cleaned and allowed to dry, you can dramatically help repel grass buildup.
Home Remedies To Prevent Grass Buildup on Mower Deck
If you don’t have a specialized spray, other “home” lubricants will work well enough to do the job. Some available options include WD-40, vegetable oil, and non-stick kitchen spray.
Motor oil can also work, but it has a tendency to drip off after a while and wouldn’t be our first choice.
If you choose to use non-spray oil, rub it into the surface of the mower deck with a rag to ensure complete coverage and maximum adhesion. Clean off any excess non-spray oil before using the mower.
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 that prevents grass from sticking to your mower deck.
After you have cleaned your mowing deck, wait about 30 minutes. As with any other spray or lubricant, graphite sprays dry quickly, but graphite needs a clean, dry surface for maximum adhesion.
They are required for drying when using graphite.
To ensure you apply the spray correctly, read and follow the directions on the bottle.
Step 4: Change Your “Mowing Habits”
Given enough time and the right conditions, grass will eventually build up even with a lubricant on the mower deck.
To maximize the amount of time between mower deck cleanings, here are a few simple new suggestions to improve your Lawn Mowing Habits:
Wait For the Grass To Dry
First and foremost, always wait until your grass is dry before mowing it.
Mowing after a rainstorm or in the morning after a heavy dew will introduce more moisture into the clippings, making them more likely to stick together.
Set Your Mower Height On a Higher Setting
Setting the height adjustment on your lawnmower is also a good idea. We recommend using a 3″ height if your mower can go that high.
Also, if you use your lawnmower on a short-setting height to “scalp” your lawn, you create much longer grass blades and, of course, more chances for build-up under the deck.
Mow Grass More Frequently
If you raise your mower deck and opt for slightly longer grass, you may find that you need to mow more often – for instance, a 5-day interval instead of a 7-day one.
Incidentally, keeping your grass longer allows it to shade the roots, creates a healthier, thicker, greener lawn, and prevents weeds from gaining a foothold.
Step 5: Maintain Lawn Mower “Deck Coating”
Once you’ve coated your mower deck with a lubricant, it’s essential to maintain that coating over time.
Regularly attempt to keep the mower deck dry and avoid running over sticks and twigs whenever possible. Water or impacts from solid objects will quickly wear down the coating.
Occasionally, reapply the deck coating to keep the mower deck in optimal condition. We recommend re-applying the coating at least every 5-6 mowings. This should keep your deck underside free from grass buildup.
How To Clean a “Riding Mower” Deck – With “Wash Port”
Because it’s 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 the riding mower deck, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Start the Riding Mower
Start your Riding mower and move it to a flat, open lawn area away from buildings. Then, turn the mower off.
Step 1: Attach the Wash Port Adapter
Attach the wash port adapter that came with your riding mower to your garden hose (if you don’t already have one). Your local dealer should have one.
Step 3: Attach a Garden Hose
Attach a garden hose to the port adapter on the riding mower’s wash port located on the mower deck. Do not turn the water on yet.
Step 4: Start the Mower
Turn on the riding mower and disengage the blade(s), leaving the mower running.
Step 5: Turn On The Water
Turn the water on, connect it to the garden hose, and allow the “washport” to clean the underside of the mowing deck.
Step 6: Engage the Mower Blades
Sitting on the riding mower with the water running, engage the mower blade(s) and let it run for 4-5 minutes to remove built-up grass clippings and debris from the underside of the mower deck.
Step 7: For Riding Mower With Multiple Wash Ports
If your riding mower has more than one Wash Port, remove the garden hose and repeat Steps 3 – 6 with the additional wash port.
However, you’re done if your mower only has one wash port!
Tips For Cleaning Mowers That Have a Wash Port:
TIP #1: While some riding mower owners use the wash port “every time” they mow, we recommend doing this routine maintenance at least 2-3 times per season.
TIP #2: Occasionally, visually check the underside of the riding mower deck by carefully raising the front wheels. Some folks use a nearby curb or choose another safe method.
Using a flashlight, inspect the underside of the mower deck and scrape any grass buildup that has not been removed using the wash port cleaning method.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does a Sharp Mower Blade Reduce Grass Build-Up?
Many manufacturers include a standard mower blade with their equipment, especially with budget models. These blades are oftenn’t sharp enough to mulch grass blades properly.
Mulching mower blades are designed to cut grass blades multiple times before they hit the lawn.
Dull mower blades will not cut grass cleanly or multiple times, increasing the likelihood that larger grass blades will stick to the mower deck surface.
If you typically use a grass collection bag and find your mower still does not cut correctly after cleaning, go online or to your local hardware store and buy a “High-Lift” mowing blade.
High-lift mower blades create more airflow and lift, allowing the blades to cut the grass more effectively over a longer period.
What is the Best Way to Avoid Grass Sticking to Mower?
Not to Mow Wet Grass is the best way to avoid grass sticking to a Mower deck. Wet grass blades stick to each other and the mower deck.
Dry grass blades fall to the ground or are collected into a grass collection bag.
The second-best way is to spray a Teflon coating on the underside of a “Clean” mower deck.
Should I run a mower at full throttle or at a slower speed?
Most modern mowers are designed to run at full throttle, which is essential for this article.
Full-throttle motor speed creates the maximum lift and cutting ability for your mower. These factors both contribute to less buildup as grass clippings are ejected more quickly.
Conclusion:
These tips will help your lawn mower run more efficiently and significantly reduce maintenance time.
You should also be able to increase your walking speed without bogging down your mower and leaving those tell-tale “trails” behind.
Now that you know how to keep grass from sticking to the mower deck undersides, you might actually “like” mowing again.
After all, it’s a win-win-win – when you spend less time mowing and cleaning and get a healthier lawn along the way!
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References & Additional Reading:
- Here’s a quick video from WikiHow on cleaning a lawn mower deck
- Looking for a New Mower? The Best Self-Propelled Mowers You Can Buy
- How to safely use a lawnmower around children!
