Striping -- and not in a good way.

[jeffinsgf]

Okay, mowing experts, I need some help.

I refinished my 60" deck this Spring. 'Blasted it, painted it, and put new gator blades on it. When I set it back up, I was very careful in aligning the deck -- level side to side and about 1/8 lower in front. I am mowing a zoysia yard, and as some of you know, this is the time of year that zoysia starts getting really thick and beautiful. Everything I have read on the subject suggests keeping zoysia cut relatively low.

The density of my turf encouraged me to set the deck just a little lower than I have been using -- probably 1-7/8"

While I hadn't noticed it before, now it looks like I have an alignment problem on my deck. I have perceptible lines where the deck is cutting deeper in one spot. It wasn't very noticeable until a couple hours after I finished mowing. It almost looks like one spindle is lower than the other two.

Is that possible? Or is it definitely side to side? The reason I am suspicious of one spindle is that the "short stripe" is almost perfectly level from side to side, as is the "tall stripe"

I can't get to checking it out today, but I will tomorrow or Tuesday.

Absolutely any thoughts on the problem are welcome.

 

[diyDave]

Did you accidentally put one blade on upside down? Don't laugh, it's happened to me before, when I got distracted by a phone call!

 

[Bird]

A blade upside down does sound like a likely cause; probably a little more likely than having one blade that didn't go all the way onto the spindle before the nut was tightened, although that's another possibility.

 

[pintodeluxe]

Probably still slightly out of level. Make sure to check on level pavement (even garage slabs are pitched). The othe thing that will cause that is a bent blade (bent in shipping?). Raising cut height a little will help grass heal once problem is fixed. Best of Luck.

Okay, mowing experts, I need some help.

I refinished my 60" deck this Spring. 'Blasted it, painted it, and put new gator blades on it. When I set it back up, I was very careful in aligning the deck -- level side to side and about 1/8 lower in front. I am mowing a zoysia yard, and as some of you know, this is the time of year that zoysia starts getting really thick and beautiful. Everything I have read on the subject suggests keeping zoysia cut relatively low.

The density of my turf encouraged me to set the deck just a little lower than I have been using -- probably 1-7/8"

While I hadn't noticed it before, now it looks like I have an alignment problem on my deck. I have perceptible lines where the deck is cutting deeper in one spot. It wasn't very noticeable until a couple hours after I finished mowing. It almost looks like one spindle is lower than the other two.

Is that possible? Or is it definitely side to side? The reason I am suspicious of one spindle is that the "short stripe" is almost perfectly level from side to side, as is the "tall stripe"

I can't get to checking it out today, but I will tomorrow or Tuesday.

Absolutely any thoughts on the problem are welcome.

 

[AlanB]

You just have to start looking, as there are so many variations as to what can cause this that we could all get to Mr. Browns post count trying to cover them

My best tip would be, to set the deck up, hopefully all the way, depending on the mower, some mowers do funny things to the deck to disengage belt tension at the top of the travel.

But the highest cut you could make, blades could engage and drive, but room for you to see / work under your non-running mower.

Then get under there hopefully on a smooth, flat concrete floor, or on a piece of plywood etc. and spin one blade out too where it is easy to see.

Measure blade height off the ground and cut a witness stick or block. (a 2X4 say cut to the cut height, lets say 3"

Spin all your blades around to where they are all in a straight line side to side and start sliding your witness block under each blade tip. Each side (6 places on a 3 blade mower)

Now spin your blades 180 degrees and go through them again.

At this point you should have a good feel for "what" is out.

I would suspect a bent blade, but looking is the only way to tell. I have also put several blades on upside down when not paying attention. Then once I forgot to test run and BOY was SWMBO mad when she got to the first customers yard

Anyway, if you want really nice cuts, I have a gauge (I think mine is from Dixon) that you could make or buy that is a piece of angle iron, with a pointer off it and a pivot. You slide it under, push down on the back side of the pointer pivot till it touches the blade and then read the scale in inches. Kind of a quick adjust witness stick.

Resist the urge to decide you will just measure the blade tips with a tape. Measureing the far side blades gets iffy at best, a witness stick will make it obvious.

 

[aczlan]

um, this thread was started in 2007, the last post was in may 2007.

Aaron Z

 

[mudcat]

um, this thread was started in 2007, the last post was in may 2007.

Aaron Z

AND

 

[aczlan]

AND

the OP has probably fixed their problem, if not they would have continued the thread.

Aaron Z

 

[mudcat]

the OP has probably fixed their problem, if not they would have continued the thread.

Aaron Z

I'm sure he has but, that shouldn't keep somone from contributing. Alan's post could benifit any one with a similar problem!