Fixing a rusty mower deck

I’ve always had a beater mower around. It finally got to the point where more grass (and sticks and rocks) came out of the holes in the deck than out of the grass shoot.

“What’s a beater mower?”, you say? You know, it’s the mower you get off the side of the road with a “FREE” sign on it. Or the one you take from your inlaw’s barn because it looks good but doesn’t run. Then you get it running and keep it for as long as possible. The one you use to mow things you don’t want to mow with your “good mower“. I use mine to try and tame my newly-purchased property that has been overgrown and out of control for decades, probably. I’m mowing down 2-inch saplings and large areas of rocky, stick-filled terrain that I should probably use a Billy Goat Brush Cutter or a Swisher Predator to mow down.

Here’s my beater.

Fixing a rusty mower deck.

 

The damage is done. I don’t dare look under the thing at the blade (even though it’s easy to pull off and sharpen. Time for a new beater? NO. Time for me to use the roll of aluminum foil duct tape I bought at the yard sale a couple years ago because it sticks to ANYTHING and is awesome. Wait, you don’t buy every roll roll of aluminum tape at yard sales when you see them do you… ok, quick dadand.com tip: ALWAYS buy the roll of aluminum foil tape you see at a yard sale.

Now the fun part.

Get out my hammer and tin snips and try and take off or hammer down as many rough edges as possible, clean up the dust and dirt as good as I can, and start applying strips of aluminum tape. Pressing down VERY WELL and making damn good contact with the surface.

Fixing a rusty mower deck.

 

After all was said and done I had applied probably 4 layers of the aluminum tape. At least enough until I felt like I couldn’t easily poke my finger through the tape where it was over a larger hole.

I know I bought some more time with this beater and I didn’t have to go buy a deck and swap out the parts onto the new deck. Also… free. PLUS, when a stick does jam through the tape somewhere I can just patch the hole with more tape.

I’m going to be the envy of the new neighborhood. I can already tell. I might even blind a few airline pilots as they fly overhead.

Check it.

Fixing a rusty mower deck.

Is that just ridiculous.. or AWESOME?

I know where I stand.

 

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