under deck rust coating recommendation

[ohiofarmer 3,333]

I took a chance on a $19.00 a quart product in the hope that it would offer a hard rustproof surface that binds to rust. I have never used POR-13, but i thought that this stuff might be similar.http://www.agriguardcoatings.com/home.html

 

Remember that I do not really know that much about the POR-13, but I can give my impressions of the Agri-Guard product. The application i used it on were two very rusty pulleys that lived under the battery on a MTD product. MTD uses thin cheap steel on their stuff, and I am afraid that unless these pulleys are protected, they could rust through and fail. I must say that after coating it with the Agri-guard that I am impressed. The color hide, penetration, and dry time to recoat of one hour makes it a winner of a product. The company advised that the product is good for salty or corrosive environments and to that I say that the way it seems to penetrate into pitted rust and leave a hard film seems to support their claims. There has to be some pretty good stuff in the can to get people to pay $19.00 a Quart for it.[black in color]. The aluminum/silver color costs $29.00 a quart.  The black is not rated for full sunlight, so possibly the aluminum color is??

 

 Anyway, after using the stuff on the pulley, i am certain that it is worth a try on the deck bottom. MTD decks are not made from quality cold roll steel like our Wheel Horse decks, so if you have a pitted modern MTD deck or a good vintage Wheel Horse deck that you want to save, it is probably worth the money to coat it. It seems that this coating is tough enough that a once a year coating before winter would benefit the decks lasting longer. I am also gonna try the stuff on the rust that lives on the top of my 42" SD and then see if red paint will stick to it.

 

  One other thing is that you need to be careful not to get the product in the sealing groove of the can as it pretty much can weld the lid tight. i used a light grease coat  on the lid to prevent problems. I also save extra quart can lids and cut out the center for a free paint can shield and that keeps the original lid and can free of paint in the sealing rim.

Edited September 4, 2016 by ohiofarmer

[Racinbob 11,726]

That does look like pretty good stuff. I did my deck with POR-15 two seasons ago. So far it's holding up great and makes cleaning the underside a breeze after mowing.  A one pint can is plenty.

[Jerry77 1,218]

Another product for this kind of use is available at farm supplies and called Slip-Plate....grey in color and is mainly used on gravity beds etc..makes a very slick surface - can't remember the dry time, but it was dry overnight..have never tried it on mower decks, but we used it in the plant where I worked years ago--kept product from sticking to shaker beds etc..was cheap as I remember, considering my mind is only about half at any given time.............

[pacer 3,176]

Well I have to say I am NOT impressed with POR --- after reading all the glowing reports on it I decided to give it a go. At that time I was rebuilding a 48" SD and had it all stripped down - sand blasted - ready for assembly. Put the red on top and waited a couple days for the POR to show up and applied it on the underside.

 

So the deck has seen approximately 10-12hrs use and I knocked a scalper roller off, it was gonna have to be welded so I took deck off to get better access to it  ----  Whoa! virtually ALL the POR was gone! I was really surprised...

[Racinbob 11,726]

Sorry to hear that. I'm surprised. Something didn't allow it to stick. My deck takes a beating underneath and out mowing season is year round. I'd say mine is still at least 95%. Only a very small amount at the bottom edge has wore through.

[ohiofarmer 3,333]

On 9/4/2016 at 2:15 PM, pacer said:

Well I have to say I am NOT impressed with POR --- after reading all the glowing reports on it I decided to give it a go. At that time I was rebuilding a 48" SD and had it all stripped down - sand blasted - ready for assembly. Put the red on top and waited a couple days for the POR to show up and applied it on the underside.

 

So the deck has seen approximately 10-12hrs use and I knocked a scalper roller off, it was gonna have to be welded so I took deck off to get better access to it  ----  Whoa! virtually ALL the POR was gone! I was really surprised...

 

[ohiofarmer 3,333]

 I wonder if the stuff wants to have rust to bond to?  The stuff i bought says it will bond to rust and seal it. Anyway, for a mower deck all i am doing is to make sure the rust is tight and degrease the stuff very well. In other news, I finally got fire in the hole after replacing the Briggs mag coils. Since the tractor will be a runner, I will continue to prep the deck for eventual use. Bearings are sketchy, but that can be done once the machine proves itself.

[squonk 42,579]

I use spray on bedliner. Holds up pretty good and cheap! 

[DennisThornton 4,771]

I've never seen, though that doesn't mean all that much, a mower deck with anything other than paint to protect it.  I wonder why?  Seems like there are several other products that should do a better job than just paint!  I have some POR and some graphite paint here but I've yet to try it on decks.  I did use motor oil and some grease once.  I should go flip it over and see how it held up!  Bed coating seems like a good idea...

 

Heck, I mostly coat mine in wet grass!  Holds on pretty darned good!

[smoreau 658]

I e-tanked my 48" deck and put por15 on the underside as the directions say. Its been 3 years and it still has 95% left. I sware by it! Proper preparation is key to making this product work. Short cutting the directions will cost you in the end. 

[ohiofarmer 3,333]

  Well, i finally got a good coat on the deck bottom. We went ahead and removed 4 shrouds from the deck and that was quite a job. Another solid hour of wire brushing spread out over time as it is tough holding on to the drill after a while. We also had to hammer and peck away at rust that had built up as thick flakes. Like others have said, prep is key. That was followed up by degreasing with a gasoline wash applied by a paintbrush and wiping with old rags.

 

 All it takes is a chip brush and the coverage is amazing. even over heavily pitted surfaces, one coat seals very well and is glass hard-- very like epoxy. I tried some out on another surface and after two days the wire brush [drill powered] did not take it off. I bought mine at Rural King for 20.00 and a 12% rebate as a discount. The stuff is easy to apply with a 70 cent chip brush from Wal-Mart and you should just put it on one coat  and not put additional material on to thicken any spots you may have missed because then the air bubbles will show up in the re-brushed areas.

  I wish that i knew more about how to apply a second coat and probably will call the factory for advice. I am afraid that the first coat dries so hard and shiny that an additional coat might not stick to the first one.

 

 I am going to paint some old brake rotors with tight rust and then beat them with a hammer and see if the guy on the video linked in post #1 is telling the truth about this product. After finally painting the deck , I must say that I am very impressed!

[ohiofarmer 3,333]

 I spoke with the factory about recoating the deck and they stated that the paint would need to be scuffed once it cures out. I mentioned that when I tried recoating a test panel in the recommended recoat time frame that it bubbled and he said that the bubbling is much less in lower humidity as moisture assists in curing the product.. I painted the test stuff in very high heat and humidity, so that makes sense. We both agreed that leaving the deck as is, is probably the best option

 

 We also spoke about which products they sell that would work as a top coat for a finish coat and he is sending me some $40 a quart product free of charge as Agri-Guard is finding it difficult to put their product line into retail stores that go with one product line. Rural King is Majic Paints, and I am not a fan of that stuff.

 

  Of course i will be a beta tester for you guys using the IH Red color. I have never posted a picture on this forum because I am so computer challenged, but I need to learn how to do that.. If anyone could do a walk through on pictures from my computer file or supply an appropriate link, I am all ears.

[ohiofarmer 3,333]

 

So here is my attempt at posting a picture of a color sanded motorcycle fender with Rustoleum paint...

Well, i can see it, so I hope you can. Now maybe i can take some Red photos...

[r356c 375]

Looks like you worked out the photo's ohiofarmer.

 

1) You will now be able to communicate with the 13 to 34 year old demographic. Smart phone photos are how they communicate these days.

2) That is a heck of a finish for Rustoleum. Please say it was not out of a rattle can.

3) Get ready to become a forum supporter if you plan on posting lots of photos.