John Deere's Dirty Secret 

My understanding (and I may be wrong) is that when you use the wash out port, you are supposed to put the mower on a solid surface (not grass) and LOWER THE DESK TO IT LOWEST POINT so that it creates maximum suction. When you raise the deck as you did, you reduce suction and of course it will not clean as well. I had a Toro 42 inch ZTM with a wash out port and I cleaned it often with the deck at its lowest point, and it work VERY well.

Like said in previous comments you need to have mower deck all the way down to ground in order to utilize the airflow to blow the water around to clean the deck properly

Just pull the three pins holding the deck on pull the deck or flip it over and spray / scrape it clean. I do it to mine every few mowings

Hey Spencer, I have tried that with my Z445 and got similar results; for myself that's a non-starter. I got a Mo-jack lift, lift it up 45 degrees, get on a mat and use the water hose. After doing this, I spray the bottom with WD40 (buy in bulk, big can - cheaper. Spray cans of WD40 is too expensive for myself). Careful not to spray the belts with WD40. The WD40 helps with the moisture issue. Also, I coat the spindles with grease/vaseline (other oily substance) to address the issue of rust. I hate rust with a passion. Having done this for 8 years now, my mower and deck are spotless. I polish once a year with car polish. My machine cuts and mulch saving me lots of time from not raking so I take care of it. Here in Ontario, Canada we have lots of maples. I have never bagged grass or leaves.

Concur with Eddie. You have to drop the deck to ground to get things really clean! I have a D100 and it cleans it well.

Before I got my JD 0 turn which has a little less than 4 hours on it I had a Poulan rider. It had one cleaning port on one side and I couldn't see how that was going to do anything for the other side which it didn't so I added another port. Now I have a cleaning port on both sides. The one thing I did different and according to what I was told you need to lower the mower deck as low as it will go then turn on the blades and let it wash. It cleaned out a lot of old grass and when switching side with the water hose another big batch of grass came of which wouldn't have with just one port. If you don't clean every time then I agree with you, scrap off what you can then run the water hose. Nice video, thanks for sharing.

I am pretty sure you are supposed to drop the deck all the way down while you do this process!

U have to drop the mower all the way down, on pavement, then it Cleans All

I have a JD zero turn with a mulching kit. Works great when grass and leaves are dry. I don't think the hose hooked to the wash port on the deck is very effective at all. Looks like you have a similar result. Great video. Thanks.

Actually It's the grass build up that rusts it.. Think about it.. When you wash it, the water drips away from the metal and dries.. but then there is a lump of grass against it, it'll absorb moisture and hold water against the metal for long periods of time.

I've got 9 hours now on my new John Deere. I too, was a bit sceptical about the water near the bearings, my JD dealer confirmed my thoughts. I use my trailer loading ramps on the first rail of our post and rail fence, this gives the mower a good lift to be able to clean the deck with a wooden spatula.

Like others have commented, the deck needs to be at its lowest level, on a flat surface, to create a "power wash" effect to help clean the deck. Afterwards, I run the mower with the blades on and water off, to help dry the deck. The deck needs to be clean and not full of dried grass clumps when you begin. This method helps keep a deck clean but it's not perfect, so check the deck for buildup, occasionally.

Hey bud I had a landscape company for around twenty years went through a half a dozen Honda's and and old man at a repair shop said when the deck is clean try using a food grade silicone it worked repeated it about once a week because I mowed a 105 yards a week anyway it made the mowers last so much longer and that was in Seattle Washington with the rain. Good video buddy.

I have a John Deere zero-turn just like that mine has 12 hours, what I have learned if you see any rust underneath your what I've always done is cleaned it coded it with bedliner or paint enamel that will stop the rust. Also you can after cleaning take WD-40 and spray underneath your deck, that will help the grass clean and fall off while mowing. I've done this with all my mowers in the past and none of my deck have ever rusted out. Also if you drop your deck on pavement or concrete surface put it on lowest setting it will clean a lot better.if you're doing it on gravel sand any other it will doll your blades and also it is like sandblasting underneath your deck which will start rusting if not maintain

You said your grass is wet sometimes, so makes no difference if you put water under your deck. Leaving wet grass stuck stuck to the bottom of your deck is way more of a corrosion issue. :)

Put the deck in the lowest possible position as per the manual.

on mine, the day I bought it I sprayed the deck top and under with truck bed liner and I pressure wash after every use. over 2000 hours zero issues.

Best thing to do is remove the deck stand it up and presser wash it clean then let it dry in the sun just don't put the pressure washer wond right at the bearing seals

Ya'll need to follow instructions. The water works like grass...the 'suction' needs to pull the water up to the deck to knock out the grass. No suction when your deck is up on blocks. Also, the water port is a quickie clean and not recommended for a tell-all clean. Everyone needs to pull the stuff out that gets caught up in the areas the blades naturally push the grass into. The additional work of having a riding mower. You can mow quicker, but need to clean it often.

The big complaint I have is the decks no longer have full underside thick paint jobs anymore from JD like they had in the 90's. I thought mine was a defect, then a saw a photo of a deck on the JD website and see it's the same way.

When I purchased my Z535M the John Deere dealer told me not to use that water port unless it was the end of the season and then to hand dry it afterwards. Said it rusts the Spindles out pretty quick. And like others have said in the comments I would need to drop the deck to the concrete

Yea I have used that also on my z530r . It’s no perfect but I try not to mow when grass is wet from dew or rain. In Texas sometimes you got to mow early or late because of the heat . So your getting dew on the grass either way

Lower your deck all the way and if you have the stop expelling guard for you deck you will see a big deferents and grease your spindle before you wash. Have you taken apart your spindles and removed the iner seals so when you grease your spindle it actually gets to the bearings? I spray Pam cooking spray on the bottom of the deck after cleaning. Thanks for sharing

I use the hose to clean underneathe after most cuttings. My C5 is almost all plastic so I don't have much worries of rust. I've been doing it for so many years that I don't believe its caused any damage. It's also small and easy to tip over. I wouldn't worry much about rust on the mower blades themselves. I'd worry more about getting it into the bearings. One fall I sprayed a mountain bike with the hose right into the bearings and next year they were rusted. Both the balls and races had to be replaced. Live n learn. I suppose because its a new mower it doesn't have the old grease zerks. Best way to force the bad stuff out of a spinning joint is by putting new grease in. Even if it doesn't have them you can buy some online, drill and put them in. We had a raspberry farm we used to have a couple of really nice hydraulic hydrostatic c ub cadet riding tractors (my uncle worked for them) and pumping those grease zerks was a regular part of maintenance. Most of the times these days when companies say something works it only half works anyway. It's likely a sales gimmick to appeal to the OCD anal cleaning types most likely more than anything. Companies like to look like they're being innovative whether they are or not. Stockholders like to see stuff like that. It looks good and drives up prices.

Chain hoist to lift up the front of mower. Power wash it. When clean and dry use the pam spray, etc. Stick does it too. Dad made us remove the deck on our JD garden tractor and scrape it. FUN!

Thanks, was very helpful and i think im going to do both as you suggested.

i just bought one of these mowers. i think i'll pick up a pressure washer attachment that will roll underneath and do it that way. they make them to do the underneath of cars.

Thanks for the video. I'm trying to decide whether or not to use the wash out port given the potential of rust and damaging the bearing lubrication. I just dropped my deck and scraped off a massive amount of "hard compost" after 4 years. The blade was making loud noises in tall grass, but that seems to have gone away. Cleaner is better. I'm trying to work out a tool that will allow me to hold the wrench (as the manual recommends) on the tension gear so that I can put the belts on and off without tension on it by myself. Unfortunately I don't have 3 arms that are 6 feet long. I jury rigged something but it was pretty sketchy. Other than the tension thing dropping the deck is mostly a matter of removing 3 pins with cotter pins (Z335E 42")..

That water isn't hurting anything. If you drop the blade all the way down cleaning it a few minutes. It does mine all the good.

Interesting I actually pulled Mom and Dad's mower deck out from the mower and scraped a lot of build-up my biggest worry is the water method is somehow someway getting water in the bearings and having them go out

Drop your deck down to it’s lowest and you will see how well it works. Nice video. Thanks

Water isn’t the issue. The grass contains moisture. It’s the acidic properties of the decaying grass left in place on the metal. I use a tapered nozzle pointed under the deck with the mower running and get better results.

Used the wash port after very first mow of 2 acres of dry Johnson grass, so there was no buildup from previous mowings. Made a big mess and cleaned the blades. But, I still had to scrape out a ton of now wet grass clumps around the spindles and sides.

Your suppose to do it with the deck on the ground.

The spray portal is simply one of those 'gadget' ideas. DOES NOT WORK. I have the front jack that the front wheels fit into, then I jack it all the way up and simply clean everything by hand. Then I spray wash it to get the little stuff off the spindles, then blow it dry with my Husqvarna blower. I do this every 10 hours and my deck looks like new after over 400 hours of cutting. I took off the portal and welded it shut. NO RUST!! This is just what I do. I have a friend that used the portal after every time he cut and had to replace his deck (severe rust) after just 200 hours of cutting. Hope this helps!!

No dirty secret here, I believe John Deere recommends that you lower the deck to the pavement surface before you begin this process. I imagine a dishwasher couldn't work very well if the door was left partially open either.

Very good video! Actually informative without excessive extrapolations! The JD I operate doesn't have a water port. What do you think about keeping the underside of the deck sprayed with something like lithium grease - my idea is grass clumps might harden and just drop off? I've actually had success with this on my push mowers. This is my first summer operating a zero turn. I am a caretaker of a house and property, and cut about 3 acres weekly. I use a JD with tweels. Very rough riding. Needs an air-ride seat! My biggest beef - how in the world to keep all the exposed pulleys (5) & belt on TOP of the deck clean! (JD 2700 series) Unfortunately, pressure hosing is the fastest method. 4 of the pulley wheels have recessed areas underneath them with drain holes - but even spraying them out with water takes 20 - 30 minutes - bc the grass from each pulley blows over into the other recesses . . . One pulley is flat on the deck and grass can get really packed under it. Before I cut, I dry cleaned it - got all I could out by hand and with a stick, then greased around it with a grease gun & kinda packed the grease under it with my fingers. This helped! When I cleaned it after cutting, all the grass came out from under that pulley. I even noticed in your video, the grass clumped up on top! I don't understand why all these pulleys are not covered with a solid housing to prevent all this excess grass from pilng on top of the deck!! I'm askin' my boss for a mulching kit next - hoping it will help prevent so much blow out - and some raking I end up doing. Sorry so long here - I'm learning by study & doin'. Thanx!!!

Grass has water in it. I dont think your getting it any wetter than when we cut the grass. It was built up inside your deck from the wetness of the grass being cut. That's why animals eat grass and other green plants. Because they hold water.

Newer mowers have the water port on both sides, which makes it so much cleaner.

Harbour Freight - Hydraulic mower lift. From Garage - Flat pry bar or better still lift it with the lift and use your water blaster. Spotless every time.

I've had two mowers with the wash port and I've never used it even once. Not because I think it won't work, but because I've never had a problem with buildup. I don't mow overly wet grass, so that alone seems to work for me. Sure there's always going to be some grass stuck under there, but it does not interfere with the cutting. For me, it's just an unnecessary chore.

I had a D series JDeere and used the water port on it (deck to the ground) and pretty much rusted the hell out of that deck in a few years. I have a Z355E now and haven’t touched it with water (paint scraper every third mow unless wet grass but just leaf blower in between) and no rust at all after 3 seasons. I think they’re just selling more decks when you use water. REALLY $$$ to replace. (Labor & Parts in my JDeeres have been pricey period.) btw, my Poulan Pro and Husqvarna has the identical Briggs & Stratton 22 HP Twin as the JDeere but a thousand dollars more. I wouldn’t have bought the Z355E but won it in a raffle for $10 tickets

Running the blades for a few minutes after washing it out will get rid of most of the moisture also.

You got to have the mower deck all the way down on a concrete pad .

What do u think gets in there when you mow wet grass????🙄 water maybe??? I added a second port to the other side of the deck and hook the hoses up to a y-adapter and run both at the same time. When done go over to the concrete engage the blades for 30 seconds and let the blades dry the bottom of the deck like a fan!

I just lift my frot end up with a block and tackle and hit it with a pressure washer. takes 30 seconds and cleans way better

People on mower forums say that they encounter rust and stuck blade bolts after using the wash port. Several of my mowers have them but I have never used them.

probably once your done with the water cleaning maybe run it for a few minutes to dry it. IDK if that would dry it up a little better.

You have to spray under deck with a can of deck oil,,, also put deck all the way down.

Maybe after you clean it leave the the blades turning for a couple minutes and let it air blow the deck bottom out!

My friend, the same principle applies to lawnmowers as to 4x4 off road trucks and such, they will cake up in clumps of mude, grass and sand, if you don't clean them after each use.. Cleaning should be part of maintenance, but most importantly follow manufacturers instructions and keep those key joints greased up. Consider the washout port to be nothing more than an ornament !

Mower deck all the way down then turn on your blades

Just take the deck off once a year and power wash it 🤷🏼‍♂️ I just did my Deere and craftsman this weekend.

Works better with the deck lowered to the ground

Nice Brother, love the new place. How do you like the John Deere over your Husky tractor? Love a shop tour when you can. I still clean my 25 year old Craftsman after each use by hand, scraping all the crud out.

hi,im thinking of gettin a zero turn,i have a tractor one now s130,and it tilts the deck when i make turn and makes a mohawk cut when turn,and i think ill try the zero turn ive drove before,ha,and i like the rear engine mowers anyhow,good video.later

I never do it to mine every couple years i remove the deck ,clean it sand rust and spray paint.The best way.

Pam no-stick cooking spray works well when sprayed on a clean deck. Deck has to be clean before applying.

You getting a big chunks because the deck is supposed to be all the way down. I do mines and it cleans it. I do it after every time I use my mower. I had an Husqvarna and I just bought a new 330. R. John Deere and I even do it on my push mower and they're clean but you have to have the deck all the way down and then you're supposed to use air also

the blades need a bench grind session lol

I run the water for 5 minutes with the deck as low as it will go. It works like a charm

Yea! another video! woo hoo!! - and having watched the video : lovely lawn and a very cool mower. did you keep your tractor still or did this mower replace the tractor?

Yeah the deck is suppose to be as low as possible to create suction, this is not a proper test of this function.

If you water the trans drive belt the bearings will lock up unless lubed

Soon as he said gravel I knew it wouldn’t work. I know from experience. If you don’t have a solid smooth surface something you can do is park it on a sheet of treated plywood. It made a difference for me.

Hey Spencer. How do/did you like the Z355E? I'm looking at a new one right now, but I'm not sure if it's worth it.

I believe if you put deck all the way down more suction would help

That’s a MTD , residential John Deere’s are made by mtd. That’s what they have thin decks , stamped sheet metal, no fenders, no or useless shock pumps.

That clumps of now saturated grass remaining behind is now BAD news to your deck as it will Rust until it rusts a hole through. Bottom line to do it right: buy a power washer, car ramps (if you don't have a deck that flips vertical for cleaning) and get it 100% clean that way. And also run the mower for 30-45 seconds at full engine RPM after washing to help air dry the deck by throwing the excess water off the blades and deck. I don't use the port on mine.

The dec is supposed to be on a flat surface and on the ground as close as possible

The dryer you keep your mower the better off you are. Never wash it. Blow the dust off it.

A pressure washer is the best way to clean under the deck. Don't cut wet grass. Wait until lawn is dry.

Much faster with a floor jack and power washer

I have the same mower I've and will never do this to mine

Ich habe schon viele Maschinen mit solchen Reinigungsanschlüssen gesehen. Alles Spielkram. Taugt nichts. Meinen ZTrak hebe ich vorn mit meinem Gabelstapler an. Dann verwende ich eine sehr kurze Lanze und reinige mit meinem Kärcher den Unterboden vom Mäher. Hartnäckiges und festgeklebtes Gras entferne ich mit einem Spachtel. Alles geht schnell und gründlich. 😊

I think it would be easier takin the deck off an power washing it

Seems odd to be concerned with water intrusion from the cleaning method yet apparently having no problem with mowing wet/damp grass.

How I bury the pulley plastic wheel idler bearing washing with water the grass seized the pulley through the belt damage pulley better to air blow clean. 54m

Stopped at 4:15 because the instructions plainly say to let the deck down on a flat surface as low as it will go. Why do a "test" when you aren't going to follow the recommendations? I don't use it by the way, I take my blades off about every 15 hours to sharpen (monthly for me) and scrape the deck clean at that time. I have a Z530M

Mower deck has to be on the ground to work correctly

Hi its me Gilbert again I like your video I was wondering if you can do a tour of your house and your garage and now was wondering are you still going to be painting the bus on the outside and the inside let me know

------ step 1 get machine tilted up secure it --- approx 30°- 35° angle ------- step 2. use air compressor w/ long angled blow gun to remove excess clippings ‐--------- ------- step 3 --------- use pressure washer to remove remaining debris ------- essential to clean deck when using lawn fertilizers ------ nitrogen accelerates the corrosion process

I know a few people that has actually use the water to clean there's out and eventually rust will show its face. You are actually suppose to the deck all the way down

You have to drop the deck to it’s lowest setting and it will clean it out every time

Not a true test unless the deck was truly clean prior to to mow test. you cant expect it to clean out old buildup in the specified 1 minute interval.

Just use a air copressor and a stiff brush on the underside ive never hsd any signs of a rustind deck ever!!!!

I think you are supposed to have the deck completely down on a flat surface so it creates a vacuum. That is what I have been told.

Use a putty knife to scrap underneath work great!!!

How are your pivot bushings holding up on your mover

An 1.5 inch or a 2 inch putty knife would work better than a stick any day.

You should have cleaned the deck completely before doing the test to make sure what you pulled out after the wash was new and not buikding up on old grass clumps

no wonder it didn't work well, because you did it WAY wrong. First of all, before you test the effectiveness of the wash port, you need to start of with a clean deck. If you already have solid rock hard clumps of grass on your deck before you even mow, the wash port won't do shit. Scrape those off first before you start mowing. Second, before you engage the blades during a wash, the deck needs to be all the way down on a hard surface so that vacuum spinning action can take place. By raising the deck several inches off the ground, you totally defeated the wash cycle and killed your own experiment. I take it you didn't read the manual before using the wash port, did you? Here's a video that shows you how to use the wash port. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_8ef5QOcLjA.html This next video demonstrates what happens when you run the wash port with the deck up, and then with the deck down. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RpURLWPNI1o.html Be sure to maximaze the video screen and watch closely how much junk comes out from the bottom of the mower deck.

Love those fruit trees! They look mature. What kind are they?

Wet Grass is no different then washing it under.

I tried it on my 530M and it was a total waste of time.

What was the dirty little secret?

Follow directions man, drop deck all the way down, after stopping water, let it run a little while longer then shut it off.

Drop the deck to lowest setting then wash

Flip flops and mowing hmmmmm lol

Stop, mow when it's dry 😉