rogerfisher wrote:
I just bought a new Scag Turf Tiger mower. One of the things that the
dealer told me was not to wash it. He said to just blow it off with a
blower or air hose. He said that water will rust the bearings and it is
best never to wash it. I have never heard of this. I got the impression
that it wasn't just for Scag but is meant for all mowers. We live in a very
dusty environment and I have always washed the mower after mowing. Has
anyone heard of this? Comments?

It's kinda' excessively anal advice for water in the bearings as the
reason against it for any quality mower -- cheap stuff w/ sleeves or
open rollers, sure, but w/ modern sealed bearings on spindles and even
on front axles of a mower of this size/quality, it just ain't a problem.

Where there is more of an issue in my mind is long term on the nooks and
crannies of the deck where water will collect and could _eventually_
cause some rust/corrosion from the inevitable paint chips and dust/dirt
that collects where it can't ever get completely removed in those crevices.

It isn't all that great to get belts wet repeatedly, either.

So, overall, I tend to agree washing is best left to infrequently and
restrained to the cosmetics and to use air to clean the debris/dirt of
the deck, etc., regularly.

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