What Is the Back Deck of a Walk Behind Mower?

Lawnmower Decks

• A deck on a lawnmower is the part of the mower that houses the blades. Manufacturers usually use steel as the primary material for decks, to provide optimal protection from blades for mower users. Some riding mowers use hard plastics as a covering for the deck. The full extent of the deck depends upon the type of mower you use. On a riding mower, for instance, the deck usually hangs from the bottom of the body of the mower as a separate unit controlled by the main part of the mower.

Walk Behind Mower Deck

• On a walk behind mower, the deck constitutes the entire body of the unit. Unlike riding mowers, walk behind mowers incorporate the blades and blade housing into the main body of the mower. Therefore, this entire structure qualifies as the deck. Everything that protrudes from a walk behind mower, from the engine to the wheels, handles, blades and bags, attaches to the deck. The circular portion of the deck that houses blades sits directly below the engine. The bottom of the engine attaches to the top of the blades through the deck, providing power.

Back Deck

• The back deck of a walk behind mower entails exactly what it sounds like, the back part of a mower’s deck. Usually, this consists of everything behind the engine of the mower. The engine takes up the center of the deck, and everything in front of the engine constitutes the front deck. The size of the back deck of a mower depends upon the total size of the mower deck and the positioning of the engine on the deck. Some manufacturers leave more room at the front of the deck, some leave more room at the back -- and some place the engine right in the middle of the mower.

Back Deck Parts

• The term “back deck” most commonly appears in garden and lawn literature in relation to the various parts attached to the back deck of a mower. This usually includes the handles and any device that extends from the back of the mower to catch grass clippings, such as bags and chute and box contraptions. Some mower manufacturers and retailers advertise specific features of the back deck, such as high construction for easy access to clippings, or an extended back deck with extra weight support for handle bars and large clipping bags or boxes.