Garden

Cuts uneven, lawn looks terrible. Missing half the grass. blades are sharp. What’s is going on?
Experienced gardeners share their insights in answering this question :
Are your blades upside down? Mower deck level?Proper air pressure all 4 tires?Correct blades for the diameter of cut? Deck bent? Deck hangers bent?

How to Identify and Fix Common Gardening Problems ?

We provide a variety of viewpoints on how to identify and fix common gardening problems. Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced gardeners :

While there are several reasons this might happen, it is most commonly the result of an uneven deck or misaligned blades. Make sure the blades are facing the correct direction and are not warped. Check the mower spindle and repair it if necessary. Check if the deck is level and if not repair or replace it.
One of the main contributors to split grass blades is a dull mower blade. Lawn mowers typically have multiple blades that spin rapidly. If even one blade is not sharpened correctly, your grass blades are torn, rather than cut cleanly across the top.
A strip of uncut grass left in the middle of mowing rows could signal that your lawnmower`s blades are unbalanced or that one or both of them was installed the wrong way. Lawnmower blades are beveled and specifically designed to attach in a certain fashion.
What Are The Causes of Uneven Cuts from Your Lawn Mower. The causes of uneven cuts from your lawn mower are worn or dull blades, incorrect tire pressure, bent blades, or a clogged deck with grass. Also, due to the deck not being leveled, having an uneven spindle, or the belt may be in bad shape or at low speed.
An unbalanced blade spinning that fast will cause a significant amount of vibration, which will put stress on yout blade shaft, spindle, and even the engine. So if you want to get the most life out of your mower… keep the blades balanced!
Lawn stripes occur by bending the grass into different directions with your lawn mower. It`s not an optical illusion. Rather, it is basically just light reflecting off the blades of grass blades bent in opposite directions. Grass bent towards you looks dark while the grass away from you look lighter.
Your lawn mower spits out cut grass pieces that begin flying around during mowing because you are cutting grass that is too long or wet, using dull mower blades, or there is a blocked grass chute. Other reasons include a dirty mower deck or the grass bag being loose.
A sharp mower blade cuts easier and produces less engine drag, which means your grass is quicker to cut and your lawn mower will last longer. Dull mower blades tend to increase the likelihood of rigid cuts and uneven grass length, making mowing harder and harder.
Grass begins turning brown when its roots are no longer absorbing the necessary nutrients from the soil – but this isn`t necessarily a concern – in fact, it`s part of grass` natural life cycle.
For most effective results, a lawn mower deck should have a pitch, or height difference of 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch between the front of the deck to the back of the deck.
The first option that comes to mind when needing to mow a slope or hill is usually a push mower. While push mowers are the best options in some situations, that may not always be the case. The versatility of a John Deere lawn tractor or residential mower makes them the best mowers for hills.
Scalping will cut the weeds off short, but it won`t kill them. They will recover and grow right back.
Cutting wet grass can dull the blade more quickly. Clean blades thoroughly before and after mowing a lawn when wet to keep the cut as sharp as possible. Stop and turn off the mower to check your blades as you go along, to clear any clogs that may form on the underside or at the side discharge.
Standard Mower Blades

The standard blade, as we refer to it, doesn`t have any altered angles along the cutting edge. It`s straight and simple. If you are looking to grind a 30 degree edge on these blades, you only need the Model 5002.

To get stripes in your lawn, you`ll need to mow your lawn in different directions with a lawn mower that has a roller. As the lawn is mown, the roller angles the grass blades in opposite directions creating the 2 different lighting effects when you look at the lawn.
Cut away the damaged turf and fork compost into the bare area. Firm and level it, sprinkle with grass seed, water and cover with clear polythene until the seeds grow.
Grass Goes to Seed

In periods of stress such as unusually hot weather or being allowed to grow too long, grass can go to seed. This results in the grass looking more like a weed with its small white flowery stems.

No, plants cannot feel pain. There is no possible way for that to happen without a central nervous system.

Discover Relevant Questions and Answers for Your Specific Issue

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

Uneven grass cutting
ANSWER : I have seen dull blades, blades not installed right and an un-level deck cause that.Hope this helps.

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42 inch mower cuts uneven, what is the problem?
ANSWER : Several things here could be the problem. Check to see if mower deck is level, measure distance on both side on a level surface. Check tire’s for low air. If you’ve replace the mandrel’s lately, some have a left & right side & if not put back together properly this will cause uneven cutting

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The blades are cutting unevenly – Craftsman 17.5 hp 42 in. Deck Lawn Tractor – CA Model
ANSWER : I know this will sound a little crazy, but check the air pressure in you tires. My neighbor had the same problem. The tires looked okay until he sat on the mower. One of the rear tires was low which caused the mower to sit lower on one side. Next check the linkages on the deck to make sure they are hooked up and haven’t fell off.

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Deck is cutting uneven – Craftsman 42 in. Deck 19.5hp Lawn Tractor
ANSWER : First check tire pressure if even check to see if deck hangars are still conected to deck if somay need to be adjusted only one side is adjustable.if changed blades make sure one is not up side down, also make sure blade spindles bearings are good

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Mower deck is cutting uneven how do you level it out?
ANSWER : Raise the wheels on one side?

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I have a craftman 42 in dual blade riding mower. It it cutting my grass unevenly. I have change the blades and bearing on the blade housing. please help.
ANSWER : Either the deck is uneven or one of the blades are upside down

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My deck is cutting unevenly – Craftsman 42 in. Deck 19.5hp Lawn Tractor
ANSWER : Do a google search for “craftsman mower manual”. most likely you can download an owner’s manual at the sears, or craftsman, or AYP websites. there will be instructions for leveling the deck in the manual. generally this occurs after someone works on it to replace a blade or belt. the deck is dropped from the mower, the blades are put back on wrong or the deck is rehung under the mower incorrectly. you will need to park the thing on a hard level surface, such as a concrete pad. measure the gap between each corner of the deck and the ground. there will be adjustments for each corner and that is where the owner’s manual comes in handy. the most frequent cut problem i see is that someone has put the blades back on wrong. the little vanes go UP so as to create a vacuum which stands the grass up for cutting.

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Cutting unevenly Changed blades now the tractor cutting the grass unevenly.
ANSWER : Set the mower on a known flat piece of concrete. Now look at the deck and the support connections where the deck hangs from from the mower. Should be adjustments such as pins with clips or threaded bolt hangers which will allow you to raise or lower the corner of the deck which is low or high. Conversely you could have put a blade in upside down or left out a washer making one blade higher than the other. Usually an owner’s manual will detail this process. As you just changed your blades, as opposed to wear and tear, likely you did not put it back together exactly as you took it apart.

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