Getting the tractor ready

I pulled the deck off first. That is the easiest part. Then I took the blades off, set them aside, and scraped all the buildup off the underside.

 I took a wire brush to it after that, cleaning it up good. I have one that fits my grinder, so it wasn't that hard to do, just dusty and dirty.

 Then the paint. This is the first coat, and it's actually red. I put grey over that, and then yellow. I used up all the old spray paint from the shed. I hope that will help protect it. It was starting to rust a little. I sharpened the blades up and greased the spindles while the paint was drying, as well as repairing the steering. The bushings had worn out and the steering was getting pretty sloppy.

Then comes the hard part - putting the deck back on and hooking it up. I've done it quite a few times, so it's not so bad. I used to have to do all this when I put the snowblower on every winter. 

 

All hooked up and ready to mow. All there is left to do before I start mowing is the oil change.