I was reading this thread and I thought I can tell you about my Victa's.
Yes my original and trusted full crank Victa Commando which i've had since new has always been stored in the shed when not in use. I have not always cleaned the grass clippings from mowing and sometimes there is still mud and grass under the deck after mowing. But I do try and give it a wash underneath when I can and scrub everything away with a hose. I am amazed that the deck hasn't got any deep pitted rust at all. It's only just a bit of surface rust like powder which is nothing, it has been like this for 30 years and it has never got any worse! Great strong deck and mower.
Now for my other 2 hard rubbish finds. The VC160 full crank even after sitting for 10 years the engine didn't seize up at all. When I tried the zip starter it turned like I had started it yesterday. This mower was not in the shed but I did have it slightly covered by some plastic sheeting where it sat for 10 years. Also the base doesn't look like it has rusted at all. The base on these is aluminium or something? The rear flap has rusted a bit but the base is in top condition.
Now for the Victa powertorque, this thing is the worst for rust on the deck and for the engine seizing. But I must admit I didn't have this mower covered up much at all compared to the others. I only really just had the catcher sitting on top of it for 10 years behind the shed. The steel deck has rusted quite a bit and also the rear flap has rusted. The engine was also seized up pretty bad on this one.
I have read somewhere that the early full crank steel decks the steel was higher quality, I am thinking this may be the case. Maybe the later powertorque models the steel decks were of less quality and more prone to rusting out badly.
I think it's a good idea to store your mowers in a closed shed if you can. Well that's how i've stored my full crank Victa Commando which i've had since 1982 and it's still in really good shape 37 years later. I also usually turn the fuel tap off and idle the engine until it stops then put it away in the shed when it cools down. But I do use this mower all the time and I don't let it sit for years in the shed.
