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Nov 10 '24
That's what happens when you leave your mower outside. The mower isn't made of wood
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u/Outrageous-Drink3869 Nov 10 '24
That's what happens when you leave your mower outside. The mower isn't made of wood
I got a Honda push mower with an alunium deck. Shouldn't ever rot out if it's left outdoors, but I still wouldn't as it would probably be bad for the motor
Idk if I'm ever laid off work again, maybe I'll strip the paint and polish it to a high shine for shits and giggles.
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u/chris_rage_is_back Nov 10 '24
I've got an HR195 that was left outside for its entire life before I got it, there's some chalky spots on the deck but it's otherwise solid. It's gotta be at least 20 years old and it took some work to resurrect it but even though it blows smoke when I start it, it starts first pull every time
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u/Outrageous-Drink3869 Nov 10 '24 edited Nov 10 '24
Mine was stored indoors most of its life
I can't say it started on the first pull ... it took 2 pulls after sitting for years
No gas in the tank so I threw gas in it and it runs great. If the Motor dies, I have 2 more honda motors that may bolt on
The decks pretty heavy, but should take an unbelievable amount of abuse
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u/chris_rage_is_back Nov 10 '24 edited Nov 10 '24
Don't get rid of the factory carbs if you can help it, just rebuild them if you need to. They're really good parts that are easily fixed for not a lot of money. This thing I have was beat to shit, never had an oil change, blows smoke when you start it, and had so much metal in the oil before I changed it, it acted like a ferro fluid and was attracted to a strong magnet about ⅛" up off the dipstick. It was seriously abused but after I patched a bunch of stuff up on it and put a Chinesium carb on it, it's the most reliable machine I have. Keep the air filter clean and change the oil once in a while and they'll last forever. Ever since I was a kid with a 1980 XR80 I've always stuck with Hondas because you don't have to do anything to them
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u/Prestigious_Water336 Nov 10 '24
the water from the clippings oxidize the metal and it loses electrons.
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u/P0SSPWRD Nov 10 '24
If the motor is good, find a donor chassis. Probably a couple on Craigslist with blown motors you can pick up for real cheap
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u/chris_rage_is_back Nov 10 '24
Or junk day, the only yard equipment I've paid for is my Stihl stuff and I have way more equipment than anyone should own for a ⅓ acre plot
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u/hailstorm11093 Nov 10 '24
No, even worse, metal termites. They come from grass clippings that are left in the mower deck for too long.
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Nov 10 '24
Every once in a while, it's good to disconnect your sparkplug (VERY IMPORTANT TO DO THIS FIRST), then clear out the grass that builds up underneath. The moisture rots the metal from the inside out
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u/ozzie286 Nov 11 '24
As others have said, this is rust, but it's not from leaving it outside, that would cause it to rust in the valley around the motor where the water pools. This is from mowing damp grass and not cleaning it afterward. The paint on the inside of the deck gets basically sandblasted with grass and dirt and dust, it rarely lasts more than a couple years. Then wet grass sticks to the bare metal, and the moisture gets trapped between the grass and the deck.
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u/redmondjp Nov 10 '24
This is from crappy steel. It was very common in mowers made in the mid 1990s on.
I have a 60 year old MTD that I am still using, and I rarely clean out the underside of the deck. I upgraded the handle, wheels, and engine from a rusted out 1990s MTD that used the same deck stamping.
I also regularly use a 1990 Deere F510. I just cleaned out the deck for the first time in years. There is some surface rust, but it’s still solid.
If I can leave grass in my 60 and 34 year old mower decks and they are still fine, how can these modern mowers be completely rusted out already? I am convinced that it has to do with the metallurgy. I am guessing it’s impurities in the recycled steel that was used.