Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Hi all, I have a Craftsman lawn tractor. I was mowing this weekend and noticed a fine orange/rust color powder on one side of the mower. The "dust" appears under the hood, along the outside and in the wheel well. The tractor was purchased new this season. Any ideas of what it could be? I took a good look at the engine during operation to see if I could find where its coming from but didnt see anything.

Thanks!