Mower Deck Repair: Fab and Welding

[@fordguy8792]

Love the sound of a dialed in MIG welder! Repairs like this are becoming more and more rare these days, glad to see an 'old timer' still willing to share these techniques!

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@brycejaxon5815]

I know Im randomly asking but does any of you know a tool to log back into an Instagram account? I was stupid forgot the login password. I appreciate any tips you can give me.

[@reidcain7867]

@Bryce Jaxon Instablaster :)

[@brycejaxon5815]

@Reid Cain i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and Im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Seems to take quite some time so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@brycejaxon5815]

@Reid Cain it did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy:D Thanks so much, you saved my account!

[@cliffordfender1159]

Keith, I preformed a very similar repair about 20 years ago on mine and it's still holding up ! I bought all the components back in 1971, Well actually my Dad did, but I did the repair for him. I now own the tractor and It's still running strong. Your friend, here in southwest Michigan, Cliff

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks Cliff!

[@zyzzy1944]

I always get a certain satisfaction from making a part and fixing something that was broken. Good video, thanks. Jack

[@VintageMachinery]

It makes me feel good as well!

[@tolydukhovny682]

dear keith, this was a true renaissance man approach. loved the idea to get the part better than it was from the factory with one's own hands. thanks for the video, -toly

[@VintageMachinery]

If it is worth doing, it is worth overdoing! That is my motto!

[@stxrynn]

There are times I take great pleasure in fixing what's broken. Memories of my youth on the farm, I guess. I worked for folks that were tighter than me!

[@VintageMachinery]

That is the way I was brought up!

[@Impuritan1]

My grandmother had a jar of bent nails when I was a kid and when I helped her she would make me straighten the best I could. I didn't realize it until I was older that she was raised during the Great Depression and they saved everything they could. And people gripe when they don't have good wifi now.

[@stxrynn]

My dad was raised in the dust bowl. They stuck it out. Knowing that, as a kid, we used to tear down houses to get the wood. I can't tell you how many pounds of bent nails I had to straighten out for projects. Or how many pounds I pulled out of that wood. After the Lubbock tornado, dad bought 2 destroyed gas stations. I came home expecting a decent summer in '71.... I got to clean concrete block until Thanksgiving that year for the new cellar. Every day there was an expected but never quantified quota. If I fell short, there was a meeting with the belt. Nothing like being a cop's kid (especially an honest cop. I'm positive he wasn't on the take!!! We were poor!)

[@RobertPerrigoOkiechopper]

In this video you dabbled a little into my repair world, and you did a fantastic repair. I'm the type also to repair if possible instead of tossing new parts at it. I was trained by my Grandfather that lived thru the great depression and had to repair all mishaps.

[@VintageMachinery]

Very funny, I just commented a few comments below this one how my grandfather who grew up during the great depression taught me how to fix things up and keep on going!

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Me to! I can't stand to let something go if it can be fixed at all. All my stuff is old and has been given to me because other folks didn't want to bother with fixing it. Now it still runs better than the new stuff even if it's 30 years old.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

Reminds me of my brother: He found an almost new snow blower in his local junkyard. Problem: the crankcase had a crack in it. He welded the crack, and he's been using that snow blower ever since. So he got an almost new snow blower for the cost of one weld.

[@lewiemcneely9143]

Kevin Byrne Sure. Just because something is broken doesn't mean it can't be fixed. Just don't try a gasoline related repair with J B Weld. The ethanol will turn it to rubber/plastic. Other than that it's great stuff IF you keep it away from ethanol. Seal-all works with gasoline repair. Stops up holes in Briggs gas tanks.

[@llsdigitek]

Back in the early 1960's my dad had a craftsman mower where the aluminum deck cracked. our neighbor across the stree heli-arced it and it never broke again. We mowed 3/4 acre every week up in NW Indiana. I think he charged my dad 10 bucks tooll Another fine video! Lloyd - DigiTek

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@IntegraDIY]

Great fix Keith, I always enjoy watching your projects, no matter what you are working on!

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you!

[@Landrew0]

I like the speed of Keith's videos. They aren't long and tedious like some, but not ridiculously fast either.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you!

[@BM-xc9sq]

Just did the same thing on my Ingersol. After the repair, I blasted clean the underside of he deck and had it sprayed with bed liner. Cleans easy and doesn't chip as bad. Like you, this is not my favorite work but in my shop, I do about anything to keep the lights on. My business card says....AFAB....meaning "Anything for a buck!" Great videos, always enjoy watching.

[@Travis141123]

35 years doing that, fixing every abused piece of lawn equipment you can think of. Good job.

[@larrysperling8801]

nice job keith. i always point out the cost savings of jobs like this to my wife. it helps to justify new tool purchases and time spent in the shop.and if your wife is like mine ,you need all the help you can get in those areas.

[@VintageMachinery]

Oh, I pointed it out to her. She was on the phone with one of her friends kind of griping (not really, but being somewhat sarcastic) about all of my tools. I told her that I just spent less than $10 fixing something that would cost $750 to replace. Her friend was impressed but my wife just kind of rolled her eyes....

[@tedsykora1858]

I was thinking the same thing. I also point out home expenses like a lawn mower are after tax spending. So for instance if you pay one third of your work income e in taxes (remember the money spent for lawn mower fix is your last dollar earned or your most taxed income)

[@tedsykora1858]

+ted sykora then you would have had to make $1000 to have $660 to pay for a new mower deck.

[@tedsykora1858]

+ted sykora I wish i could edit my comments on KZbin so when I inadvertently hit enter I would not need to start over

[@nitramretep]

From locos to lawnmowers, this man has no limits! Fun video, thanks!

[@VintageMachinery]

Not sure about that. I don't work on the space shuttle....

[@nitramretep]

Perhaps with your knowledge and common sense it would still be flying!

[@bryanspocketchange]

You know it's all about the tools. You mentioned that the mower deck drags on withe out that little foot you put on. I just bought a zero turn and there are wheels that ride on the ground to prevent the wear from happening. Great video. Thanks Bryan

[@VintageMachinery]

There are wheels on the front that should keep the deck riding above ground. But, when you go over uneven ground, the back could still drag - hence the little foot. Truth is, it should not be touching the vast majority of the time but is there when you need it.

[@austinwagoncompany]

I have a mtd Lowe's riding mower from 1991 that I use and it has 4 wheels on the deck. When it got hard to start, I put it aside and used a new yard machine without wheels on the deck. It was so unstable, I also have rocks that grow, gophers in between them, and sand. The new mower crapped out after a couple of years and so I learned how to work on mowers and fixed the old one, in which I like better.

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

You are lucky that you have a fab shop that sells metal and bends it for you. Great repair and a real savings in cash too. Keep on keeping on.

[@VintageMachinery]

I know a couple of places that have a roller that I could have used but they offered to do it for me and I don't think they even charged extra for it!

[@montehyler]

Good video. That's one of the best things about those of us who are interested in the trades. We can fix our own stuff! I am so thankful that I grew up in that culture. No need to 'call somebody" every time something breaks! Naturally, every once in a while I have to get some help ..... but most of the time not! Keep the great videos coming!

[@joelandersson8504]

So true. The throw away mentality is just crazy. I've never bought a lawn mower, even if I've gone through a few. "Nah, i'ts dead, I bought a new one , you can have the old PoS if you want it." And with half an hour of TLC is runs just fine. But I must say that I've never seen the under side of a lawn mower deck without a layer of wet grass and rust...

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks - I hate to throw things away....

[@joetiller1031]

Good fix on deck, that reminds me a few year ago when I was working at the plant a co worker had a rotten mower deck on his mower we worked a lot of Saturdays told him to bring it in, we made him a complete deck after our work was caught up.

[@VintageMachinery]

Cool!

[@Blazer02LS]

Hope the storm didn't get to bad there. I have a similar issue with the dirt/sand here. I blasted the deck clean, had it powder coated then sprayed on a couple coats of bed liner spray. So far it has held up for 2 years with no real degradation. Prior to that I tried regular paint and graphite paint. Both made it through one season but not very well. The other nice thing with the bed liner is that the grass doesn't stick to it as bad if it's damp.

[@VintageMachinery]

Yeah, the bed liner spray won't hold up to the sand blasting we get. This area used to be the bottom of the ocean so it is really sandy.....

[@vclubamp]

My father in law is a metallurgist engineer who worked for Armco (now Armco Kawasaki or A-K steel) and he invented nitronic 60. He would get a kick out of your deck's wear pattern and probably recommend using stainless steel to fix that from now on given your sandy conditions!

[@jankjensen222]

Thanks Keith. I loved this"little project" video. I have now been inspired to take a look at my own lawn mover that is also wearing away... grass love to grow to in cold and wet Denmark :-)

[@VintageMachinery]

Hopefully yours is not as bad. In most areas, this sandblasting is not a problem.

[@steveearwig]

And next week Keith will be fixing a.. jet plane? Never a dull moment, I love your channel! I have a similar problem here, the blades flick up gravel which chips the paint and the hoods rot out. I recently sorted the underside of my modern (I have 4 more but they're old timers I'd rather not use) to find no rust proofing whatsoever, nice. Anyway, a suggestion from my dad is to line the underside with rubber (best I can do is an inner tube but I'm sure you could find something better). Maybe that could work as a "sacrificial layer", easier than re-welding it every couple of years.

[@PeterWMeek]

You might try spray on truck-bed liner.

[@VintageMachinery]

Yeah, our sand just eats though rubber, plastic, metal, whatever you throw at it.

[@PeterWMeek]

Well, there's nothing wrong with 1/8 steel sacrificial deck skirts. It's not like you have to replace them every day.

[@steveearwig]

Ah, sorry Keith, I guess that'll just be another nuisance job that'll need re-doing every few years. I bet you get through blades too. And air filters.

[@steveearwig]

@Peter W. Meek Thanks, I've not seen that before but it looks good for me, I'll have to see if I can import some (after trying the local paint shop for reasons of comedy - "the mad English guy wants *what* now?!)

[@jeffreypfeifer862]

Nice work Keith! I too love having the machinery available to use in this manner. I had to rebuild the front axle welded assy a few years back on my Craftsman / YTD lawn tractor. Still working every week as we use it... Ur not alone!

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@dananelson3534]

Enjoyed the repair Keith. Pretty neat how they cut and rolled the plate for you all for 8 bucks. Used to mow lawns for a living. There were these 4 five acre lots on the same street. Used to go by the Graveley dealer and price those big deck mowers.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank goodness I have a big mower deck. It still takes me two hours like it is. I got the lawn cut yesterday - after all that rain we got on Friday, my lawn is growing like crazy....

[@jmhannnon]

Nice video. I think this helps inspire people to do their own repairs. I repaired my mower deck a couple of weeks ago. Vibration had torn a mounting bracket off along with part of the deck.

[@VintageMachinery]

Nice to be able to fix things rather than throw them away...

[@imanoleonardo6902]

We have the same problem with sandy soil in North Florida, I have an old Kubota Diesel Lawn tractor (circa 1980's)where I have made so many repairs to the deck it looks like a patchwork quilt. I have found that as the metal thins it becomes increasingly difficult to weld without blowing holes in the metal. I have used fiberglass mat for some repairs but I have found if I spray a coat of rubberized undercoating on the inside of the deck it acts like deflecting mat used in sandblasting. The one down side is if you do have to weld a repair in the future you have to remove the undercoating before welding.

[@philliphall5198]

I have a local guy who has built me several decks over the years and he is very good

[@Smalltechguy]

Nice video. I had just replaced a Deere deck being this one was torn so badly it would have taken more time to repair than to just replace. I've still got a project deck on a Cud Cadet zero turn. The discharge chute area had been blown out. It had been welded once or who knows maybe twice. That will be fun to try for my first repair job. But yes the Deere replacement in which only comes is green now cost me over $1000.00 complete to include the belt

[@gofastwclass]

Nice work Keith. Exactly why I try to fix things first. Often I can typically repair quality built items several times over compared to the price of replacing them, even counting your labour costs.

[@VintageMachinery]

Yep, and I think that my repair is better than original. I was not worried about saving a dollar or two by using thinner metal.

[@jacquespoirier9071]

it's nice to have access to this kind of equipment as in the worst case, you could simply build a new mower deck and transfer all the mechanical components nothing impossible with the talent and the equipment.

[@VintageMachinery]

So true - but making a new mower deck from scratch, now that would be a project!

[@andrewwillard2313]

Fixing what you have is a lost art. Our Kubota zero turn has a fabricated deck and we choose it so we could easily replace any part on it as needed.

[@VintageMachinery]

Nice to have the option to do just that!

[@rickl.orchids]

........the never ending list of things wearing out.........nicely rebuilt!........not everyone can pull off the look of a doo rag ...........you made it work!

[@VintageMachinery]

I hate the look of a do-rag, but it sure does beat sweat rolling down your face and glasses when you are trying to weld...

[@vajake1]

Very nice repair! Looks like it is still pretty warm down south Georgia way!

[@VintageMachinery]

We have cooled down a little - highs only in the low 90's. With the storm passing through today, our forecast for the next week or two is highs in the upper 80's - very nice weather, just like fall! I will enjoy it while I can because I know we will still have some more hot weather before fall actually gets here....

[@pyrexian26]

nice job! you may not enjoy it as much, but i did enjoy watching it. i quite like these little home repairs, save a bit on money, test your skills a bit and make it how you want it.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you!

[@kerrygleeson4409]

Happy mowing Keith good job

[@billdoodson4232]

I had to make a repair to the deck of my old 18" rotary mower. It had gained a lot of holes in it over 15 years. I actually repaired it with fibreglass, it did another 6 years and I retired it at the age of 21, not bad for a cheapish Honda engined Mountfield that cost me around £250 originally. The new Hyundai has electric start 😊.

[@josephwhite9992]

The perfect repair job to justify my everlast welder purchase. Priceless.

[@edmullins4519]

Rotary makes low lift, almost flat blades for almost every mower made. They are the best thing to use for mowing in the sand. I'm in North Central Florida so I know what you're going through! The low lift blades last 3-4 times as long too.

[@VintageMachinery]

I will have to check into those.

[@rtkville]

Thanks Keith, always a pleasure to watch you work...... he he

[@turbocobra]

Awesome Keith, I enjoy the variety of the content of your videos. Nice work on the repair.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you!

[@CharlieTx]

I cut 2-1/2 acres too. My Craftsman is 16 years old. Only issues I've had has been blades and tires wearing out. Used my MIL's new Craftsman yesterday and it cuts and runs terrible. You can't beat the old stuff.

[@VintageMachinery]

The quality of most anything with the Craftsman brand has declined significantly over the past ten years. When I was a kid, Craftsman stuff was maybe not top of the line, but not far from it. Now day, it is mostly just junk.

[@oneeye19799]

Another grate video thank you. I hope your mower is working well now.

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks - I cut the grass with it yesterday and it is working great!

Nice Video. As Twentypdr Parrott suggested, get some elastic coating onto the area where the sandblasting takes place. this holds up much better than hard materials do. this is because the impact energy is dissipated in a different way. This method is widely common when it comes to pumping abrasive materials like concrete or mining tailings.

[@mrbluenun]

Hi Keith, Agree with everything you said, but it is also who you know as much as what you know, that can make a project achievable, not forgetting your skill of course! It’s a delight to hear you and watch your skilful hands. mrbluenun

[@htral]

Man - On the foot; that is a great shot of the weld heat going full depth.

[@VintageMachinery]

It was not planed, but it sure worked out nice!

[@Comm0ut]

With the equipment at hand and a plasma cutter one could also make decks. Note that farm equipment decks like those on brush hogs are NOT pressed with compound curves because they make them strong enough not to need them in the first place, while lightweight decks sell expensively because they must be pressed with curves to get away using thin stock. The vast majority of mowers are built cheap as possible because the industry is so desperately competitive.

[@tdublove9558]

Wow my Cub Cadet is from 1989 and still looks great but i had to weld the front hanger back on recently

[@DieselDahl]

Nice work. Since the "Bigger hammer incident" with the LeBlond lathe I´m a bit nervous when you pound on things with a big hammer though, but this time it turned out real nice!

[@VintageMachinery]

Sometimes a "bigger hammer" is indeed in order!

[@TonyHammitt]

Hey Keith, hope you were OK in the storms! Stay safe

[@VintageMachinery]

The storm has come and gone and everything is fine. Lots of rain - about 5.5 inches and a lot of limbs, sticks and pine cones to pick up in the yard and woods, but no damage (at least on my little piece of land...)

[@ChrisB257]

Great fix Keith - next you can swing by and work on my old mower! :-) Happy sand blasting!!

[@VintageMachinery]

I will leave that work for you. I would hate to deprive you of the great joy!

[@terryhites1]

Nice repair! I wish my deck was in that good of shape! I'm repairing a 42" deck on a Toro from 1991.... it's in real bad shape but nothing a welder grinder and some scrap metal can't fix

[@jusb1066]

These are the jobs you have to do if you have a welder, its not all glamour and shiny turning! i wonder if theres any abrasion resistant plastic you could have pop riveted inside to make it last longer?

[@vajake1]

I wias wondering the same. My dad used to live in Florida, and the sandy soil there cut his mower deck to pieces. He bought steel. Cut it into smaller pieces. Cold formed them with a hammer then used sheet metal screws to assemble them to the deck. ( He did not have a welder.) Eventually they gave way and he had to buy a used mower deck off of a scrapped mower. I suggested at the time that he should do the same repair with the little fabricated pieces in the areas most affected by the "sand blast". He said that the deck would out live him and he was right.

[@jusb1066]

vajake1 when you say it outlived him, i do hope you mean he lived a full long life, and not died the next week

[@RichardHeadGaming]

An easier thing to do would be apply a coat of chasi saver. Its a coating that prevents/converts rust and hardens like epoxy coatings. It and products like it can be purchased at Napa and other automotive supply stores fairly cheaply.

[@tonymengela]

no and they shatter when you hit things like rocks

[@VintageMachinery]

Not much of anything will hold up to the sand blasting. I see plastic covers put over metal all the time but it usually does not last very long.

[@RoelTyros]

Hello Keith, Nice work and that for about 8 dollars for the metal equal to about 700 to 800 dollars for a complete new deck. But I recognized that the other two shrouds where not damaged and I guess that the most right one catches the most sand because of the borders. Besides, that's a real big mower you have and mowing the little gras we have is maybe one or two rides haha. But I live in the middle of my city and there is not much space for a big garden like you have. It's not a real big city with at about 100.000 people but here in the Netherlands there is not much place and lot's of people on a little piece. But for a city garden it is not a little garden at about 9 meters width and 35 meters depth. Anyway, looking forward to the next video and many greetings from Roel !

[@VintageMachinery]

Fortunately for me, I kind of like cutting grass. Gives me time to get out and do something where I can not be interrupted by the world around me and have time to think. Even with the big mower, it still takes over two hours to cut everything. As for a city of 100,000, that is a big town for me! The closest town to where I live is only about 30,000 people, and the county has about that many more. I personally like living in a small town and sometimes wish I lived in one even smaller....

[@RoelTyros]

Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org The city where I live was before a separate city called Geleen and had about 36000 inhabitants. But a few years ago they decided to make one big city and put a few other city's together. Now my city is officially called Sittard-Geleen but the centre's of both city's are stil separate. So it is the total count of more city's together that makes those 100.000 inbabitants. But I'm also not a big city lover an prefer the more little ones and I would also like more the place where you live. Such a big garden like you have would be perfect for me but the Netherlands is only a little country with less place. I think when I ever move than I never would go further up in the Netherlands and maybe go to Germany.

[@BrianB14471]

You should think about using some rubberized coating on the inside of the deck. Sounds like the sand is your biggest problem. Up here in New York, the damp grass sticks and rots the metal. I tried fixing my Toro deck about 3 years ago, rusted away where the spindles attach. I finally ended up buying a replacement deck.

[@VintageMachinery]

The sand will tear though the rubber coatings.

[@fastst1]

Good looking repair! Another note, though you probably have it back together. On some heavy duty spindles, there is a grease fitting right down near the mower deck, I've had a mower with light duty spindles, single sealed bearings but a small flat spot for the grease fitting, I added it and once a month I'll add 2 shots of grease and the spindles are lasting years longer than before.

[@VintageMachinery]

Yep, I serviced them while I had it all apart!

[@shopdave7489]

Good video. I have a Toro zero turn also, no worn through spots yet but interesting to see your repair.

[@VintageMachinery]

Our sandblasting problem is somewhat unique to areas with very sandy soils. In most parts of the country, it will probably never be a problem.

[@jammin60psd]

I am surprised you don't use a sand blade, flatter profile on the tips. Keeps them from splitting like the old ones. Good job on the repair.!

[@RyanWeishalla]

Nice repair, Keith. Lookin' nice in that new Lincoln Electric gear.

[@VintageMachinery]

That is some quality stuff! I just love the welding helmet.

[@stephen7334]

Nice repair, Keith. Would it be important to weld the seam between the new shroud and existing shroud? Seems like that gap will gather wet grass and make rust happen easier.

[@VintageMachinery]

The original one was not welded, nor was the one on the other side. I just went back like it was originally.

[@briand01]

Good repair Keith

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@ronthacker211]

Great project. i can surely relate to the problem AND your solution. Good job!

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks Ron!

[@atbglenn]

Excellent repair Keith! BTW, my Honda lawn mower is 16 years old and still going strong. That said, we don't have the sand problem you have here on Long Island, NY

[@VintageMachinery]

Our sandblasting problem is somewhat unique to living on a sand pile. Not a problem in most parts of the country...

[@shawnmrfixitlee6478]

great repair Keith .. Hey throw a good heavy coat of truck bed liner coating on that deck and it will run forever ! We use it here on the west coast and it works awesome !!

[@VintageMachinery]

It won't hold up to our sandblasting. Grass clippings, yes, but not what we throw at it!

[@imduncanmajunkin]

Just bought the exact helmet. I absolutely love it.

[@VintageMachinery]

It is a huge improvement over the one I had!

[@bcbloc02]

Hey Keith you may want to check and see if Toro offers a low lift blade. In Deere they make a low lift blade especially for areas with abrasive soil so this exact problem does not happen.

[@VintageMachinery]

I will have to ask about that, but I think that these may already be low lift.....

[@bcbloc02]

Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org They look like standard lift blades from how tall the fins are, if they don't offer low lifts just mill the fins down to half height, should make a huge difference.

[@TheTraakon]

Interesting new look for you Keith with that Chip Foose do-rag. Your there with the piece in front of you, is there a reason you did not close that gap on the front edge where the two pieces come together?

[@VintageMachinery]

I am not a big fan of the do-rag, but it sure beats sweat rolling down your face (and glasses) when you are trying to weld...

[@Retroweld]

Nice job. I'm new here and I have been enjoying your work. I have the bug for a lathe.

[@KnolltopFarms]

If you live in California, I've got a nice 10" Atlas for sale :)

[@beerwench28]

+Knolltop Farms, nice, underappreciated lathe, I have a 10A, it needs lots of TLC, and I am not sure why I keep putting money into it.

[@VintageMachinery]

Glad to have you here! And if you want an enabler to push you towards buying a lathe, I am that guy.....

[@Retroweld]

Thank you! I'm in Memphis and I have been keeping an eye out for a nice old one. I'm learning.....

[@notsofresh8563]

Fact is, instead of a $750 new deck, a guy could probably buy a used welder, grinder and take a class/hire a welder buddy to learn the basics of how to use it. This is a perfect opportunity to slide a tool purchase by the accountant......."Honey, the tools to fix it are less than the repair. It is not about me getting tools, it is about saving us money..... "

[@VintageMachinery]

I just used that approach with my wife the other day! As usual, she just rolled her eyes....

[@johnkarakash1202]

These very thoughts drive too many of my own tool purchases and scrap stockpiling bins. If only I can remember where I put that thing...

[@charliewood4158]

Nice to have the right tools to do the job

[@VintageMachinery]

For sure!

[@williamgalloway7262]

Good job. Much better to keep that deck going than shelling out all the money to replace it.

[@danj6289]

I do similar repairs myself, every now and then. I have three mowers, and something breaks sooner or later. I have torches and a Lincoln 225 Buzz Box. I simply could not maintain my place without them.

[@adnacraigo6590]

Enjoyed watching.

[@mrfrog3350]

Cool vid Keith.I was hoping the storm didn't hit ya too badly.I can imagine that sand will pretty much eat up any material or coating on that mower deck,not to mention destroying your blades.

[@VintageMachinery]

And it does!

[@travisshrewsbury7169]

nice job,sounds like you need some grease in the part the blade is bolted to

[@VintageMachinery]

They will all get lubed up before it goes back on the mower.

[@755Fight]

Wonder if lining the shrouds with UHMW would make them last longer. It is super abrasion resistant. That's crazy how fast those were eaten away!

[@VintageMachinery]

You see that being used on some tillage implements on farm equipment that runs through the sandy soil. It may help some, but the truth is it eats that away pretty quickly as well. Most farmers I know just don't even replace the strips when they wear out because they end up spending more on replacing those parts than it cost to just replace the steel....

[@782sirbrian]

Good repair Keith, be careful with the sparks and your camera lens wouldn't want you to burn into it.

[@VintageMachinery]

I made sure the sparks were shooting below the camera.

[@deere3321]

Nice job. I envy your skills.

[@yqwgjsg]

Keith, give us an update on how you made out during the storm. Hope you and your family are safe and sound.

[@VintageMachinery]

I am doing a hurricane update in my next video (Monday morning). But I can tell you that all is well!

[@yqwgjsg]

+Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org Good to hear. Abom mentioned the storm was headed your way and I was concerned.

[@jamesconner8275]

Good job! Glad you were able to save yourself a lot of money.

[@VintageMachinery]

Money I can put into the shop!

[@chakathewolf]

I know what you mean about that not being fun. I hate working on the lawnmowers! It was fun when I was a kid and learning, but I know all I want to about lawn mowers at this point. I just need them to work.

[@VintageMachinery]

Agreed, but if it saves me $700 I am all for it!

[@robertjthomas6221]

I don't know how it is with the other mfgs, but when I worked for Cub Cadet the price for a new deck only included the stamped steel deck and not anything attached to it. Which means that you would have to take off the blades, spindles, wheels, pulleys, covers, etc and transfer them to the new deck. So you not only saved yourself 800 bucks, but also a ton of time and aggravation. On a related note, the decks on higher end mowers are still actually made from welded plate, but that obviously comes at a premium.

[@VintageMachinery]

When I bought my mower, I chose to go with a welded frame deck rather than stamped deck. They had both options but I am really glad right now that I went with the welded deck. At least you can repair it!

[@machinesmotorcycles5511]

Nice fix keith

[@VintageMachinery]

Thanks!

[@billmoran3812]

Welding is one of the most useful skills you can have if you have equipment to maintain.

[@VintageMachinery]

For sure!

[@Hotrodelectric]

I know you'll see this well after the deck is reinstalled, but do you think that some material akin to Rhino Liner would slow down the sandblasting of the deck?

[@shopdave7489]

I thought of that also but Rhino liner by design leaves a somewhat rough non-slip surface. You need something slick so the grass clippings don't hang up. Hope someone chimes in with a better idea.

[@surlyogre1476]

Powder coating, anyone?

[@VintageMachinery]

Believe me, bed liners, powder coating, plastic, rubber, nothing works - not even cold hard steel. This sand just eats though stuff....

[@vclubamp]

Nitronic 40 stainless steel. Should stand up the life of the mower.

[@jeffackley1210]

Maybe a couple cans of spray on truck bed liner would slow down the sand blasting action? Couldn't hurt to try.

[@vajake1]

That is really good idea! I think that I will take your suggestion when I put my mower up for the winter!

[@dans_Learning_Curve]

I was thinking about using undercoating on my decks, however, I really like your idea of bed liner!

[@drunknpossum]

South GA sand will eat just about anything on a mower deck... All you can do it fix and replace what was eaten away...

[@VintageMachinery]

I doubt it would do much good. Heck, I peel the bed liner off of my truck all the time with just regular use! It would not have any chance of standing up to the sand....

[@rolliekelly6783]

Good video. I don't know which is worse, your sand or my boulders. I bet you have to sharpen your blades every time you mow. I use Mackay 48 rod on the leading edge and in a cross hatch pattern on the topside of my blades. Seems to help. Rollie

[@VintageMachinery]

Sharpening is not a problem - the edge will naturally wear to a razor edge, the blades just wear out very quickly and either get too short or just disappear all together. I usually go through four or five sets of blades each year and I probably should change them more often that I do.....

[@russeljacobson2307]

Can you treat the underside of the deck with a bedliner coating to slow up the sand blasting action

[@tupelowoodcarver1785]

I’m doing the exact project on a coroni Italian 59” mower deck. Where was your metal source? I’m near Valdosta. Also, this deck has an outer deck with that shroud welded in extra. I thought of just removing the inner shroud, but I’m sure it’s in there to direct clippings up and through the blade.. Better to repair it the right way. Great video

[@Growveguk]

Great little video Keith, what job is it you do when you refer to 'Travelling with work' in your videos from time to time? Also is that a Gas-less MIG you are using. I can not decide weather to get myself a TIG welder or a MIG. I have owned MIG's before but from what I have seen I would be better off with a TIG for detailed tidy work......Comments??

[@VintageMachinery]

I am a scientist that works for Bayer doing product development and technical support for our products. I work in the Crop Science division so I work in agriculture. As for MIG vs TIG - they both have advantages and disadvantages. For me, MIG is the go to welder for most jobs but sometimes you just need TIG. The setup we have does use gas (argon).

[@Growveguk]

Keith Rucker - VintageMachinery.org Thanks for the reply Keith, as they say you learn something everyday. Still think I might go TIG..........

[@deehaynes4269]

Hi Keith, how's the weather? Did you get any high winds? Hope your house and shop did not get any damage. Thanks for all your great videos.

[@VintageMachinery]

The storm came and went. Got about 5.5 inches of rain and some wind but no damage to my place. We did not even loose power (although most people I am talking to did...)

[@johnkinnane547]

G'day Keith nice job, it really does get humid where you are bit like Queensland over here. Must learn to mig weld! Thanks for showing the video regards John. PS do you rate those horizontal band saws at all, it's just that I will be in the market for a bandsaw soon and I value your opinion.

[@VintageMachinery]

John, Yes, I like the horizontal band saws for cutting stock. The one at the museum is a cheap import model - not sure that I would want one like that for my own shop, but it works (most of the time anyway, we spend a lot of time working on it....)

[@johnkinnane547]

Thank you for your reply Keith, I was thinking of one but have decided on a power hack saw due to space thanks mate John

[@RjBin-xz2um]

Great video Keith! Perhaps you could try some lower lift blades? They wouldn't create as much suction and might not suck the sand up? Just a thought. Ready for your next lathe rebuild video :)

[@VintageMachinery]

I probably do. I like the high lift blades because it mulches the grass clippings though and I don't want to get into bagging.

[@RjBin-xz2um]

Agreed the high lifts will definitely provide a better cut and are standard here in the north. Always enjoy the videos and can't wait to see the rest of the machinery rebuilds in YOUR shop. :)

[@rw3dog]

Do they make "sand blades" for that thing ? They have no lift and look flat and don't kick up the sand

[@VintageMachinery]

I am going to check into that

[@therealfranklin]

What with all the welding and mower repair, this channel is turning into the next aussie50.

[@VintageMachinery]

You guys get to see whatever I am working on...!

[@monkeyboy4746]

Those blades look fine, as long as they are the full length, are able to be sharpened and balanced and cut good, I still use them. Since sand scourers the deck are you sure you are not mowing too close? Some persons like the grass shorter since they wear sandals and flip-flop shoes, instead of more sensible shoes so the grass does not tickle their toes. You might have persons that insist that the grass be cut short.

[@VintageMachinery]

I went ahead and replaced the blades while I had it apart. They were due for a new set. As for grass height, I am not as low as the mower will go, but it does not come up to my ankles either. We have Centepide grass and it needs to be cut fairly short unlike some of the cool season grasses like fescue (which won't grow here - except in the winter....)

[@mikesmith-cw3lv]

good job keith

[@VintageMachinery]

Thank you!

[@jasonmushersee]

i never thought of that. a mower deck sandblaster.

[@VintageMachinery]

Hummmm.....

[@juliolausell4399]

I'm guessing that I'm like the only person that welds new metal onto worn lawn mower blades. I do balance them also. Lawn mower blades run about $17.00 each here in Puerto Rico.

[@VintageMachinery]

I am sure you are not the only person, but for me, buying new metal and welding it on really does not save that much money when you consider the cost of the new metal and the amount of time required to do the work.

[@juliolausell4399]

I agree with you, but when you have a low income, I find myself having to put the time and labor to fix a problem, when there is little money for getting the job done. If my income was higher, I would buy new blades. The blades I'm using now have about 150hrs of use and would like to get about a total of 300hrs now that they have been welded-up. I do wish I could buy new blades.

[@Guillotines_For_Globalists]

What thickness or gauge of steel would you recommend for fabricating a custom side discharge blocker plate for a Zero Turn mower? The side discharge is FLAT so there would not be any curves or bend in this particular piece of metal.

[@yesschembri]

Did you consider installing some kind of wear plates on the rest of it so as to lengthen its lifespan?

[@VintageMachinery]

I just went with thicker metal. It should last longer this time...

[@exilfromsanity]

Now that's what I call a High speed grinder!

[@TheTomBevis]

I mow about the same area you do, Kieth. I've been through multiple spindles on my 50" ZTR mower, do you have that problem? The Toro spindles look like they may be more durable than the ones on my Cub Cadet.

[@briand01]

the spindles on my International Harvester Corporation. 50" cub are huge and the blades are 1/4 inch thick don't even have to clear limbs up to 1"thickoff my lawn but my lawn isn't big enough for a 50inch cut..

[@TheTomBevis]

That sounds heavy-duty. I think my blades are as thick, about 1/4". My spindle problems have slowly gotten better as the rocks in my rocky lawns have slowly turned into smaller rocks and sand. lol

[@VintageMachinery]

The spindles wear out on these too. I had to take the mower in about a year ago to have something repaired and while it was in, they examined the spindles and decided they needed replacing. Fortunately, at that time they were still under warranty so it did not cost me anything. I almost decided to go ahead and replace them again while I had everything apart but in the end I did not.