Lawnmower decks are not often thought about, but they are important. Having a level deck on your lawnmower may or may not be important to fix. Does it matter if it’s level?
A lawnmower deck should be level so that it can cut grass evenly. The deck of a lawnmower is the covering that protects the engine and person. It hides the blades and the debris that comes out of the lawnmower including the grass cuttings. Keeping the mower level keeps your grass uniform as you cut.
Having a level lawn mower is important, but how can to do it? Read on below for more information about how to level your lawnmower deck.
Why Should You Level Your Lawn Mower Deck?
Leveling your lawnmower deck allows you to cut the grass evenly. If you notice that your grass looks uneven and choppy, then that is because you need to adjust or fix your lawnmower deck. The issue may be with the blade itself, but the deck can also be a cause for uneven grass. Plus, it is fairly easy to fix.
Keeping your lawnmower deck level also keeps your lawnmower in good shape. You can maintain it and make sure that your lawnmower is running well and cutting grass efficiently. Also, if your lawnmower deck is uneven, then it is potentially hazardous. To keep yourself and others safe when using a lawnmower, make sure the deck is level so that the grass blades do not come out and the blades stay covered.
If the blade is not covered properly, then you should not be using the lawnmower. The blades are sharp and dangerous, and you can harm yourself or others easily. Always make sure that your lawnmower deck is attached securely and level so that you can avoid ruining your equipment and you can avoid getting hurt. (Source)
If you see that the grass is cut uneven, you can also sharpen the blade if you find it dull and not cutting grass very well. Just be sure to always exercise caution when dealing with the blade of a lawnmower because it is sharp and can potentially harm you. If your lawnmower has grass clippings cleaned off of it and the deck is level, then there should be no issue with its performance and it should cut the grass well.
How to Level Your Lawn Mower Deck
Leveling a lawnmower deck is not a complicated procedure. To start off, check the owner’s manual or look up the owner’s manual online for specific information for your lawnmower. Then, just follow along with those instructions. If you are looking for a general idea or a list of steps, then read below for how to level your lawnmower deck.
Firstly, wear the correct clothing. Be sure to protect yourself so that you do not injure your hands or any part of you with the mower blade. The main item to wear is thick gloves. Wearing them will help protect your hands from getting injured when handling a lawnmower. You should also consider wearing long sleeves, jeans, and closed-toe shoes so that you are covered and at least partially protected when working with the lawnmower.
Basically, you are adjusting the tightness of the screws to adjust the height of the deck and evening that out. The nuts against the deck are what you will loosen and adjust. These are connected to the deck and can control how high or low the deck sits.
You will want to loosen the side of the deck that is lower, and tighten the side that is higher. Adjust these sides and measure the deck from the ground up on each side to see if the deck is even. Adjust until they are even and your deck will be successfully leveled.
How to Clean/Mantain Your Lawn Mower
Cleaning and maintaining your lawnmower is important. You do not want the blade to become dull and you want your engine and your wheels to run smoothly. Getting your blade, deck, and wheels clean is important to keep your lawnmower in great shape. Keeping up on this will make your lawnmower last for years, and you can avoid causing any damage to it.
To make sure you keep up on the maintenance and cleaning of your lawnmower, you should check it out before using it. If you use your lawnmower daily for mowing the lawns of others, then clean out the lawnmower daily or weekly and check under the deck to see if it requires cleaning.
If you mow every week to every 2 weeks then you should clean it out about every month. If you want to clean it after every use then you may do that as well, but cleaning after every handful of uses will still be enough to keep your lawnmower in great shape.
To properly clean a lawnmower deck you should take the deck off so that you can fully access the underside. This is the part that will be the most dirty from lawn clippings. Remove the grass and wipe it out with a cloth or paper towels. Then, you can clean out the deck with water and scrubbing if necessary. Before putting the lawnmower deck back on, make sure it is fully dry.
You can gently clean off any other part of the lawnmower. Exercise caution when cleaning off the blade. You can remove this part or clean it separately from the mower. You can also sharpen the blade if you desire but look into your owner’s manual for specific details on how to sharpen the blade.
Using a cloth or paper towels, you can wide down the wheels and any part that has grass clipping built up on it. Carefully wipe the engine and remove any dirt and grass. Then, you can fill up your lawnmower with gas if it needs a refill and put together all of the parts that you may have removed for cleaning. Finish putting the deck, blade, and other parts together and put your mower away. Now it’s ready for its next use!