What's the best way to clean the underside of a push mower?

1. 60

   Eric Newlandposted 13 years ago

   What's the best way to clean the underside of a push mower?
   
   I've had problems with things gunking up after cutting wet and even not-so-wet grass. Then I get a crust of old grass growing mold down there and I can tell it's cutting down the efficiency of the mower. If I flip the mower over to clean it the gas starts leaking out, so I have to prop the stupid thing up on a table or something. Is there a better way? And what tools are best for dislodging that grass without damaging the mower?

   replyreport
2. 80

   Millionaire Tipsposted 13 years ago

   Eric, I have an electric lawn mower which lets me turn it over for cleaning without any problems.  There are two things that I would recommend though.
   
   1.  Don't mow the lawn when the grass is wet. Even a little tiny bit. Wait until the dew dries.
   
   2.  I've read tips from people who recommend spraying cooking oil on the undercarriage to keep the grass from sticking. I don't know how much this works or if WD-40 would do the same thing..
   
   3.  Sometimes I can rock my lawn mower to dislodge the grass.  Basically, as I am taking it to storage, I do wheelies with it, and let it fall the few inches back to the ground.  I don't know how much you can do that with a gas mower without losing gas, or breaking the mower, so I am not recommending that to you.
   
   Hope these help a little bit.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Eric Newlandposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks, MT. I rock my lawn mower like a lowrider but can't seem to dislodge the overall crust that seems to collect over time. Eventually I'm lifting the dumb thing up on a table and rooting around underneath with a flathead screwdriver. The cooking

      replyreport
3. 66

   eugbugposted 12 years ago

   Clean your mower when the fuel tank is empty. Place the mower on its side and keep the carburettor side up. Otherwise oil from the sump can run through the tube which links to the carburettor, entering the breather and possibly fouling up the carburettor and air filter.
   If you are careful, you can wash the underside of the mower with a hose after you cut the grass. At this stage the grass will dislodge easily. However don't use excessive pressure and keep the jet away from the clutch n case water gets into it.
   Allow the mower to dry before putting storing.
   If the grass is caked onto the deck, use a screwdriver, old flat file, scraper or similar to remove the crust of grass. This is important with steel and even alloy decks because if this material is left over winter and ferments, the acid produced will eventually corrode and eat through the deck.

   replyreport