Lawn mower cleaning kit. Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips to Get Ready For Spring

Lawn Mower Maintenance Tips to Get Ready For Spring

Spring is almost here, and with it, the weekly opportunity to mow your grass. For those of us in the more tropical climates, the winter presents a mere “short pause” in our efforts to keep the lawn trimmed up. This is to say that our mowers stay active over the winter, to some extent or another.

However, for those of you living in areas where the snow and the cold weather bring growth to a grinding halt, the chances are good that your lawnmower has sat unused in storage for the last three or four months. You’ll probably want to look into getting that mower ready for springtime growth. Mower maintenance is a must before you need to start maintaining your lawn. But, where to begin? We came up with a checklist to help you get back up and running.

Lawn Mower Maintenance Check List

Change That Spark Plug

Ranging anywhere from about 2 to 6 for a small engine spark plug, this essential part of routine mower maintenance shouldn’t break you financially. Spark plugs should be clean and sharp so that they can produce combustion-generating sparks. If you let your spark plugs get too worn out or dirty, they struggle to do that job well.

Of course, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” Manufacturers would like you to change your spark plugs annually. Sometimes, however, they just need a good cleaning. You can pick up tune-up kits for this kind of thing, or, you could soak the spark plug in brake cleaner and wipe it down with a rag.

If you do wind up having to replace the spark plug altogether, you’ll need to know your specific engine’s specs. Most spark plugs come pre-gapped to specific engine models, so it will be helpful information to know before you run to the store. You can always use a spark plug gauge to ensure that the new spark plug matches the manufacturer’s specs. It’s also important to know the heat range of the spark plug. All of this should be part of the plug product number.

Examine the Belts for Wear and Tear

This probably won’t take more than a visual inspection, but you’ll definitely want to make sure that any belts on the mower look free from any splits and cracks. Also, look for signs of twisted belts. Many times belts may not look that old, but they have twisted and are riding inside-out on the pulley.

If you do need to replace some old belts, you have a few options. You can take it in to get serviced, which might be the best option if you’re not too comfortable with troubleshooting and pulling your mower apart.

For those of you who enjoy a challenge, this step of seasonal mower maintenance largely depends on what style of mower you use. Is it a self-propelled push-style mower? Or, do you use a riding mower? Either way, you’ll want to consult the owner’s manual. If step-by-step instructions aren’t included, YouTube has a wealth of instructional videos online—just make sure you’re comfortable with any instructions you receive.

Check the Air Filter

Does your mower use a paper or sponge-type air filter? If your mower uses a paper-type filter, you might be able to get by just blowing it out with high-pressure air. However, these filters are disposable, and a new one will probably run you anywhere from 5 to 15. If your filter looks oily or really dirty, start the mowing season off with a new filter.

Foam filters will benefit from a good spring cleaning as well. You can use water and mild dish soap to rinse and clean out the filter. Make sure to squeeze out excess water after you wash your filter. You want your filter dry. Then, you’ll want to oil your filter. Basically, you’ll take a few drops of motor oil to the filter, working it around with your fingers. Dab away any excess oil with paper towels. Also, be aware that some newer mowers use non-oiled filters, so you’ll want to double-check the manufacturer specs before you go dumping oil all over your filter.

Change the Oil

Speaking of oil, one of the more important parts of mower maintenance comes down to checking your mower’s oil levels and general cleanliness. If the oil in the engine appears black, or if it has debris floating around in it, it’s time to drain the oil and replace it. You’ll want to check the manual on how to go about that, but most likely, you’ll be able to remove a drain plug to allow the oil to drain out.

Sharpen Blades and Check Blade Balance

Obviously, a sharp blade will get the upcoming work done a whole lot better than the dull one that’s presently attached to your mower. A sharp blade will cut the grass cleanly, allowing for the cut grass to heal faster. This results in healthier, greener grass. A dull blade will rip and tear the grass apart, which leaves your grass ragged and prone to fungal growth. Face it, it’s probably time to break out the grinder and get that blade sharpened up.

Also, for those folks who don’t particularly enjoy keeping up with routine sharpening, Fisher-Barton has come up with some self-sharpening mower blades that might be worth looking into.

Either way, you’ll be removing the blades, either to sharpen or replace them. If you’re sharpening, you’ll also want to check the balance of the blade. An unbalanced blade makes adds a lot of vibrations to your mowing experience. It could also potentially damage the mower engine. Basically, you’ll want to get a hold of an inexpensive plastic blade balancer. If one side dips, you’ll know that side needs to have some metal removed to even up the weight displacement. Without removing metal from the blade edge, you’ll want to grind off some of the steel from the heavy side until the weight evens out.

Consider Cleaning the Carburetor

Hopefully, when winter came and the mowing season ended, you remembered to drain the gasoline from the mower. If you didn’t, you’re probably now facing the distinct possibility that the old fuel in the mower has gelled up, effectively gunking up your carburetor. If this has happened, you might need to actually take the mower to get serviced, or you can disassemble and clean the carburetor yourself.

However, your mower might just need a shot of carb cleaner to get things running again.

Check Tire Pressure

Just like your car, you’re going to want to keep up with your lawn mower’s tire pressure. Of course, if you’re using a push-style mower, you’ll probably be able to skip this step. But, if you’re on any sort of riding mower, you definitely want to make sure to fill your tires to the recommended pressure levels. We’ve been using the Ryobi 18V Cordless Inflator for all our tire-inflating needs.

Final Thoughts

With all those things ticked off your list, your chances of being able to get at the work you need to do when you actually need to do it should increase dramatically. If you’ve noticed any mower maintenance tips that we’ve left off the list, feel free to leave a comment below!

Lawn Mower Parts Accessories (130 items found)

The key to a lovely looking lawn includes many steps from mowing to raking to collecting and disposing of debris. Although it can involve a lot of work, Ace carries a robust selection of lawn mower parts and accessories to make your lawn maintenance routine a snap.

Essential Lawn Mower Parts and Accessories

A freshly cut lawn makes for a tidy-looking landscape and having the right parts and accessories on hand can lighten your load year-after-year. Ace carries lawn mower and riding mower attachments and accessories from top brands like Briggs Straton, Craftsman, TORO, MaxPower, and more. Make your yard work more efficient with the right equipment, accessories and replacement lawn mower parts.

Necessary Lawn Mower Maintenance

Ensure the health of your investment with regular lawn mower maintenance essentials, including:

• tune up kits for all around maintenance.
• blade sharpeners and replacement blades to keep trimming smoothly and effectively.
• oil and fuel filters and fuel lines for the health of your machine’s engine.
• bolts, bulbs springs and gaskets for necessary maintenance.
• replacement mufflers, drive belts and other important accessories.

We’ve got everything you need to keep your lawn mower up and running. Unsure where to start? Head to a Ace Hardware store near your and ask for one of our expert staffers. They can help you find the right replacement parts or accessories, as well as help you do things like sharpen your blades or replace a part on your lawn mower.

When Should I Replace My Lawn Mower Blades?

Consider replacing your lawn mower blades every year to get the cleanest cuts out of your machine each season. When you purchase a lawn mower, you’re investing in a machine for the long haul. Annual lawn mower blade replacement, and regular blade sharpening, will help ensure the long-term health of your machine.

Grass Catcher Accessories for Easier Work

A well running lawn mower is a reliable tool for any yard work. And with the right riding mower attachments, every job becomes that much easier.

Grass catchers are riding lawn mower attachments used to store grass clippings immediately after they are kicked up by a lawn mower, saving you an enormous amount of time and energy. They come in a range of sizes to fit your needs, allowing you to easily mow without needing to stop and empty as frequently.

Clean up is as easy as emptying the grass catcher when you’re finished mowing. Whether you use a riding mower, hand reel mower, or push mower, there’s a grass catching lawn mower attachment for nearly every model.

Shop Lawn Mower Attachments and Supplies at Ace

Not sure what lawn mower supplies you need? Stop by an Ace Hardware where our knowledgeable staff can help you find the right lawn mower parts near you. Make sure to shop for other items to improve your lawn mower experience, from gas cans for powerful gas mowers to lawn ground rollers for versatile yard maintenance.

The Best Reel Mower for Your (Small) Lawn

We’ve reviewed this guide, added competitors, eliminated older models, and reconfirmed our decisions on our picks.

Reel mowers aren’t for everyone. They’re designed for small, flat lawns, and they take some effort to push around. But they provide exceptional cut quality and a completely unplugged mowing experience, so they offer things no other mower can. We think the best one is the Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower.

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

During initial tests with a golf course grounds crew and in years of follow up use, the Scotts-branded mower has the best cut quality of any of the mowers we’ve tested, and its unusually tall maximum cutting height of 3 inches makes it a versatile choice for different types of lawns and grasses. It has a 20-inch cutting swath—the widest available—and at 34 pounds, it’s light and easy to maneuver. It was also the only mower in the group that didn’t jam during testing.

Good cut, less elegant

This mower cuts almost as well as our main pick and has a taller cutting height, but it’s bulkier (making it harder to turn around) and more expensive.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 250.

If our main pick is sold out or otherwise unavailable, we also really like the Fiskars 18-Inch StaySharp Max Reel Mower. Its a solid mower with a 4-inch cutting height is higher than any other reel mower’s. In testing the Fiskars cut well, but it wasn’t on par with the Scotts and didn’t handle tall grass quite as well. It’s also heavier and bulkier, making it more of a chore to turn around, it also costs more than the Scotts.

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

Good cut, less elegant

This mower cuts almost as well as our main pick and has a taller cutting height, but it’s bulkier (making it harder to turn around) and more expensive.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 250.

Why you should trust us

We spoke with Jason Kruse, assistant professor of environmental horticulture and turfgrass specialist at the University of Florida. As his bio states, Kruse’s responsibilities include “managing the University of Florida turfgrass Envirotron teaching and research facility, planning and implementing turfgrass educational field days and leading the statewide turfgrass teaching design team.” The guy knows a lot about grass.

For testing, we enlisted the aid of the grounds crew of the Diamond Hawk Golf Course in Cheektowaga, New York, a bunch of people who are serious about mowing. While using the mowers, they picked up cut blades to carefully examine how cleanly the mowers cut; they also bent down to compare the color of the turf after each one made a pass, and pushed all the mowers around on various lengths of grass.

Here at Wirecutter, we’ve been covering lawn equipment since 2014. As for the specific topic of grass-cutting implements, we’ve written extensive guides to both lawn mowers and string trimmers in addition to reel mowers.

Since the first version of this guide, we’ve recommended the Scotts as well as the runner-up Fiskars, and we’ve continued to use both models in assorted locations, paying attention to their long-term performance and any ongoing maintenance needed.

Who should get a reel mower

Before getting a reel mower, you should be aware of their pros and cons. Simply put, a reel mower is not a direct replacement for a regular mower.

As one of our long-term testers said, “I love [my reel mower]. It makes mowing feel more like a pleasant way to spend time outside and less like something I need to grit my teeth and power through.” On the other hand, a second long-term tester stated that he regrets purchasing a reel mower and has “frequently considered selling it to get a cheap electric mower.”

Reel mowers are better for the lawn’s health. They snip the grass blades like scissors, while rotary mowers tend to shred grass blades. According to University of Florida assistant professor of environmental horticulture Jason Kruse, “The scissor-cutting action of the reel mowers results in less damage to the leaf tissue, which in turn puts the plants under less stress.” He continued, “They lose less water, are less susceptible to disease, and generally look better when cut with a reel mower.”

Reel mowers are also good for the operator’s health. Because you hand-push the mower and it isn’t motorized, it takes effort to use, especially if you have a large lawn. Keep in mind that the turning wheels are what rotate the blades, which adds to the resistance. So the task is not as simple as, say, pushing an empty furniture dolly, where you’re pushing the wheels and nothing else. According to a Livestrong.com article, (which in turn credits Harvard Medical School, among others) a person weighing 175 pounds would burn approximately 251 calories by pushing a reel mower—which the article refers to as a hand mower—for 30 minutes. This is 51 calories more than someone weighing 185 pounds pushing a mower with a powered blade for the same amount of time.

Reel mowers also require minimal maintenance and are much, much quieter than regular mowers. Aside from lubricating and sharpening the blades every few years, you don’t have a lot of upkeep to do on a reel mower. As for the noise, many users of reel mowers cite the gentle snipping sound the tool makes as a key benefit. Gas mowers, on the other hand, require gas, regular tune-ups, oil changes, and winterizing. They’re also noisy and smelly. As one of our long-term testers said, “I love [my reel mower]. It makes mowing feel more like a pleasant way to spend time outside and less like something I need to grit my teeth and power through.”

But for a reel mower to be practical, you need a fairly small lawn. Anyone with more than a quarter acre (roughly 10,000 square feet) will find weekly mowing with a reel mower exhausting. One long-term tester stated that he regrets purchasing a reel mower for the size of his lawn and has “frequently considered selling it to get a cheap electric mower.”. In contrast, another of our long-term testers has approximately 1,000 square feet of lawn, and mowing takes her about 20 minutes.

A reel mower works best with a strict adherence to a regular cutting schedule. If grass gets overgrown, a reel mower will merely push it down and roll right over it, so if you tend to go a while between mowings, you should stick with a regular push mower. One long term tester had to wait so long for the reel mower to arrive that once it got there, the grass had grown so high they needed to hire someone to cut their grass. And the necessary diligence goes beyond the schedule: Reel mowers can’t mow over twigs and leaves as gas mowers can, so additional attentiveness to pre-mow lawn cleanup is required, as well.

Reel mowers are troublesome on sloped or bumpy lawns. The torque that turns the blades comes from the wheels as you roll them along the ground. On an uneven surface, the wheels lose contact with the ground as they bounce or as the weight shifts on a slope. As one of our long-term testers put it, “Small dips can lead to grass getting missed, so I often end up mowing from two or three different angles to try and get it all.”

In fact, the results in general may not be what you expect. One of our long-term testers said that their mower “often totally misses taller strands of grass” and that they “have to go back and snip those with a pair of shears.” Also, on most reel mowers, the blades are inboard of the wheels, so you’ll have a wider gap of unmowed grass against a fence or a stone wall.

How we picked and tested

To figure out how to pick the best reel mower, we spoke to Scott Dunbar, superintendent of Diamond Hawk Golf Course in Cheektowaga, New York. He explained that reel mowers can cut much closer to the ground than rotary mowers. At the golf course, the crew uses reel mowers to cut greens and approaches but uses gas-powered rotary mowers for the rough. But the average homeowner isn’t cutting the lawn for use as a putting green—in fact, cutting your lawn too low is terrible for its health. Turf experts suggest never cutting off more than a third of your grass’s length; cutting too close to the ground can cause the grass to dry out and get scorched in the summer. This means that a mower’s minimum cutting height isn’t a useful measurement, since you’re unlikely to use that setting.

The maximum cutting height was a crucial detail. We used this spec as our primary factor in eliminating mowers from contention. Few reel mowers are able to get above 2½ inches, which may not be good for your lawn. “[Cutting height] is one of the primary complaints I have against the majority of reel mowers that are marketed for home use. Most residential grasses (both cool- and warm-season) have recommended heights of cut that are at the upper limit or even exceed the height of cut that is possible with some of the mowers,” said University of Florida turfgrass specialist Kruse. “While it would be possible to use the mower, the long-term health of the turf could suffer significantly,” he continued.

Other factors were also important:

• How easy is the mower to adjust?
• How hard is it to push?
• How wide is it?
• How much does it weigh?
• What have other reviewers said about it?

We took our final four mowers to a golf course. There the grounds crew helped us adjust the blades to the exact same standard they used on their mowers so that the blades could cleanly slice a piece of paper. Over the next three hours, we pushed all four mowers back and forth on different-height grasses. On hand were course superintendent Scott Dunbar, a member of the grounds crew, a mechanic who maintains the course equipment, and an equipment salesman who happened to be at the course that day. These guys are all turfgrass experts who deal with grass and mowing equipment every day. They really took to the task of comparing these mowers, examining every aspect closely and answering all our questions about turf and cut quality.

Our pick: Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

The Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower is the reel mower to get. Of the tested mowers, it offered the cleanest cut and the easiest adjustments, and it was the only one that didn’t jam. It also has a wide, 20-inch cutting swath—the widest we found—as well as height adjustments between 1 and 3 inches, which is a more versatile range than we saw on almost all of the other available reel mowers. At 34 pounds, it’s light and easy to turn around at the end of each mowing row, but it’s heavy enough that it doesn’t bounce around on slightly uneven turf.

The quality of the cut excelled against the competition. When our lawn experts were going back and forth with the mowers on a variety of grasses and lengths, they noticed that the Scotts model would leave a swath of totally trimmed grass with each blade snipped evenly across, no ragged edges to be seen. In contrast, the other mowers would leave a bunch of blades sticking up like chimneys after a house fire, requiring the testers to back up and go over the area again. The Scotts mower also never jammed up during testing, whereas all of the other mowers did.

The Scotts 2000-20 also snipped a wider path than most of the others. The Scotts is a 20-inch-wide mower, the widest size available (the measurement refers to the blade width, not the overall width). We tested another 20-inch model, the Lee Valley 20″ Mower, but that one was harder to push, and its cut quality was worse.

Our testers also gave the Scotts 2000-20 high marks for overall usability. At 34 pounds, it lands in the middle of our test group in weight but manages to hit the sweet spot between maneuverability and stability. The Fiskars StaySharp Max is heavier and harder to turn around at the end of a mowing row; by contrast, the lighter Lee Valley model bounced around on uneven ground and left a ragged cut as a result.

All of the adjustments on the Scotts mower are easy to make. For cutting height, it has two levers, one for each wheel. One other model we tested, the 16-inch Great States 415-16, required us to unbolt it each time we wanted to change the cutting height. Also, the height settings on the Scotts model are accurate; the 1-inch setting on the Fiskars, in contrast, actually cut much lower, practically scalping the lawn, before we readjusted it to a higher setting.

The Scotts 2000-20 has a cutting range of 1 to 3 inches. The vast majority of reel mowers top out around 2 inches, so we appreciated the ability to go taller, either for the health of the grass or for a less manicured look. A DIY Network article lists the ideal cutting heights for a variety of warm- and cool-weather grasses, and the capabilities of the Scotts land nicely in the strike zone for every grass mentioned. Our runner-up, the Fiskars StaySharp Max, has an even higher maximum cutting height at 4 inches, but it’s a much heavier mower with more difficult maneuvering, and it doesn’t cut as nicely.

The Scotts is easy to assemble, and doesn’t require any tools. The bolts that attach the handle have large plastic wing nuts, so tightening by hand is simple. If you ever need to take your mower apart—to fit it into a compact space like a car trunk or a small storage area—we found that the Scotts was easy enough to disassemble, too. You might need pliers to remove the small C-clips that attach the handle to the body of the mower, but otherwise it shouldn’t be a hassle.

Scotts stands behind their products. Erin Price, then Wirecutter’s Audience Development Manager, had a wheel fall off her Scotts push mower and the company replaced the entire mower for her. She told us, “I love my reel mower and perhaps love it even more now that the company was so helpful.”

It has performed well in long term testing. Two other Wirecutter staff members, who both happen to be women, also have Scotts Classics in their personal tool sheds, and they appreciate the mower’s simplicity and ease of use. Senior Photo Editor Rozette Rago had never used a reel mower before picking up the Scotts for her small, flat yard in LA, and found it quick to get used to. It was easy to figure out for two people who have never used it before. Wirecutter Producer Beth Niegelsky, who has used both the Fiskars and the Scotts, prefers the latter, “ I actually like the Scotts significantly more because it is SO much lighter.” She explained, “With the Fiskars, I basically couldn’t mow the hill of my front yard without feeling like I was doing something dangerous. It’s basically no problem with the Scotts.”

Senior Software Development Engineer Joshua Brewer had the Scotts for three years and recently replaced it for our lawn mower pick. Throughout his three years of usage, he highlighted that the Scott was “kinda fun to use.” He appreciated that it was easy to storetash, didn’t require fuel, and was quieter than a traditional lawn mower. However, the Scotts did squeak despite thorough maintenance, required multiple passes on his lawn, and his foam handle disintegrated after the first year. Overall, Brewer says The Scotts 2000-20 worked, but was much more laborious to use with a lush and dense lawn and worked a lot better when the lawn was more sparse. He’s much happier with the Ego LM2135SP now.

Supervising Editor Josh Lyon also has a Scotts and said there are bumpy parts of his lawn that he needs to go over one or two additional times, but that “the mower is so light and has such a smooth roll that even with the extra passes it takes half the time to do our entire lawn than with the gas-powered mower we used to have.” Overall, Lyon is very happy with the Scotts and says he’ll never go back to a gas mower.

Finally, even though it wasn’t a major factor in our decision, testers liked how the Scotts looked better than the other mowers (some found the Fiskars model’s oddball form to be off-putting). The Scotts 2000-20 is covered by a two-year warranty, and user reviews suggest that the manufacturer, American Lawn Mower, issues free replacement parts whenever a problem crops up.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We analyzed the negative Комментарии и мнения владельцев at Amazon and found that most of the complaints center on the aluminum handle breaking, a plastic gear in the mechanism stripping out, or simply the realization that a reel mower is not the right choice for the owner’s particular lawn.

We investigated the plastic-gear complaint by removing the wheel of the Scotts mower and taking a look at the gear. As you can see in the photo above, it’s a pretty robust gear with deep teeth, and it interfaces with the teeth on the inside of the plastic wheel. The wheels turn as you push, and those teeth turn the plastic gear, which rotates the blades. Stripping it out is an issue to be aware of, but under proper use, the gear shouldn’t be a problem. And if it becomes one, replacing the gear is a 10-minute repair job. While it would be nice if both the wheel and the gear were made of metal, such a design would likely add money to the price tag and a significant amount of weight to the mower.

One of our long-term testers also noted that when the Scotts arrived, many of the screws holding the handle together were loose and fell out within a month. Once they were replaced, no further problems surfaced.

A close reading of the user complaints suggests that owners who were using the Scotts mower on tall or tough Southern grass had the most problems, but such difficulties are likely to be common among all push mowers and not just the Scotts.

What is the best way to clean a lawn mower deck?

Especially when it comes to removing the caked-up grass from the underside of the deck.

So, what is the best way to remove caked-on grass from your mower deck?

Is there a product or method that works best to get rid of the grass?

That’s exactly what we are going to get into today.

After all, removing caked-on grass from your lawn mowers deck is part of regular lawn mower maintenance.

Below you will find the INSIDER methods lawn care pros use to clean their mower decks.

How do you clean a lawn mower deck?

Well, a good place to start is using the leaf blower to remove the grass off of the top of the deck at the end of each day.

But that will only get you so far.

And if you want to prevent your lawn mower’s deck from rusting out or failing prematurely. You really need to remove the caked-on stuff on the bottom of the deck.

So how do you do that?

Getting to Your Mower Deck’s Underside

The first step to cleaning your lawn mower’s deck is to get access to it.

If you have a common residential riding mower, you can pull the deck off in about 10 minutes once you get the hang of it.

And if you have a flip-up deck, you don’t have much to figure out.

On the other hand, if you are trying to clean a commercial mower. Getting to the underside of your deck SAFELY can be a challenge, and may require a bit of innovation.

You could build a ramp like the one pictured above, or you could purchase a jack to help you get to the underside of your deck.

Using a Scraper to Clean Your Mower Deck

Here’s the deal, when it comes to the underside, most lawn care professionals simply scrape their mower decks.

That’s it, that’s the BIG SECRET.

And they typically don’t use any product when it comes to removing caked-on grass from the underside of the deck.

So when it comes to cleaning the underside of your lawn mower deck, you may just have to get your hands dirty.

You can use several tools to scrape your mower deck including a:

However, it may be a good idea to treat the deck after you clean it to prevent grass from caking on the next time. To learn more on that keep reading.

What is the best product to clean a mower deck with?

When it comes to cleaning the rest of the mower. Including the top of the deck, what product should you use?

According to our research, the resounding answer for the best product to clean your mower deck with is Purple Power. Which is a commonly available degreaser.

41% of lawn care pros reported purple power as being their favorite deck cleaning product.

Further, we found that Simple Green was a close second taking in 31% of the vote.

Finally, the 3rd product recommended by lawn care professionals when it comes to cleaning a lawn mower deck was Ballard’s Mower Magic which snatched up 7% of the vote.

Ballard’s products are not as commonly available as its competitors are, so they can be harder to get a hold of. And many lawn care pros simply have not gotten to try the product, but they work great.

Good news! If you want to give it a try we have partnered with Ballard to get you exclusive deals. Not only do they sell great mower cleaning products, but they also offer a great lawn mower deck scraper.

One of the many benefits of being a GreenPal Vendor is access to exclusive deals!

“Just use a pressure washer”

20% of the lawn care pros that responded to our poll suggested that they don’t use ANY cleaning product. But simply use a pressure washer to clean their lawn mower.

While others reported using one of the products mentioned above along with a pressure washer.

Either way, a pressure washer is a much better way to clean your mower and mower deck than a garden hose.

Whether or not you use a product.

How often should I clean my lawn mower deck?

This is crazy but some lawn care pros find they NEVER have an issue with caked-on grass.

While others need to clean their lawn mower decks 2-3 times a week.

So really, how often you clean your lawn mower deck will depend on how often the need arises.

For example, lawn care pros that cut lawns in sandy areas find that the deck tends to clean itself.

The most common answer lawn care pros give is that they scrape the deck each time they sharpen their lawn mower blades.

And as we have covered in other articles, 75% of lawn care pros sharpen their blades at least once a week.

Ideally, you want to scrape your lawn mower deck before any caked-on grass has time to dry.

Due to the varying conditions you may experience, the answer to how often you need to clean your lawn mower deck can vary from after every lawn, to never.

Treating your Mower Deck After Scraping

Once you have scraped your lawn mower’s underside, some suggest that it’s a good idea to treat the deck with a product to prevent caking next time.

Simply using a product like WD-40, or even Pam can prevent grass from caking on your lawn mower deck in between cleaning.

That’s really all there is to it, scrape your deck, and wash with a product if you choose to.

And once the deck is dry, treat the underside with a quick spray to prevent buildup down the road.

Cleaning Your Lawn Mower’s Deck at the End of the Day

When it comes to cleaning the top of your lawn mower’s deck and underside. You will need more than a little bit of toilet paper.

Here’s the secret, most lawn care pros find that simply scraping the deck is more than enough to maintain their lawn care equipment.

But when you do wash the rest of your mower you may want to consider a product like Simple Green, Ballards, or Purple Power to really make your equipment shine.

Finally, don’t forget to post-treat the deck with a product like WD-40 to prevent build-up on the underside down the road.

Looking for more to read? Check out our guide to starting a lawn care company.