7 Reasons a John Deere Mower Has a Bad or Uneven Cut
When we mow our grass, we use a riding John Deere mower cuts uneven in order to make the result look as good as possible. It is necessary to cut your lawn evenly if you want it to look neat. An unevenly mowed lawn will simply appear untidy and untidy if it is clipped unevenly. You should not simply stand back and wait until your lawn mower makes uneven cuts.
This will leave some parts of the lawn very short, while others remain longer than they should be, if you notice that your lawn mower cuts unevenly. There is something truly terrible about the way this looks! In the first place, how do you know where to begin? Would it be possible for this problem to be caused by anything? Having said that, what about lawnmowers that do not cut the grass evenly? This can be caused by a wide variety of factors, and there can be several reasons behind it.
What is the likelihood that you will need to purchase a new mower? You do not have to worry about it. I will do my part to help you resolve this problem. As a general rule, if you have some experience in this area, you usually will be able to find the cause by performing a few quick checks. In most cases, it’s an easy fix that you can do yourself in a short amount of time.
Reasons a John Deere Mower Has a Bad or Uneven Cut
You can mulch lawn clippings with a riding lawn mower, collect them in a grass catcher, or discharge them through a side shoot on a push lawn mower. There is nothing like riding them, and when you turn around and move to the next row, the instant gratification we get from the seat is a real treat.
In addition to damaged wheels, bent knives or dull blades, a bent crankshaft, and a clogged or damaged cutting deck, some of the most common causes of lawn mowers cutting unevenly include damaged wheels, loose, bent knives, bent blades, and dull blades.
There is damage to one or more wheels
The wheels on your walk-behind mower or riding lawn mower need to function correctly for obvious reasons, regardless of whether or not you are using it as a walk-behind mower or riding lawn mower. In addition to making it more difficult to drive or push your mower, a broken/damaged wheel can also cause the deck to dip on the side of the wheel it is affected by, creating an uneven cutting pattern as a result.
Result
When you are using a lawn mower, you need to ensure that you keep an eye on all of the wheels closely as they move. Would you be able to tell if any of these were wobbling? It is a clear indication that there is a problem with the wheel when this occurs. In the majority of cases, the only way to deal with a damaged wheel is to replace it with a new one. I would recommend that you ensure that the replacement that you procure is the same size as the original.
Tire pressure incorrect on John Deere
Mower decks may not sit level with uneven tire pressure. On the side of your mower where you have a low tire, the deck of the mower will also sit lower than it should on that side as well.
Result
On your mower, it is critical to make sure the pressures are the same on each side. This should be done with the pressure levels represented on the sidewalls of your tires.
Blades on John Deere mowers wear out
The blades of a John Deere lawn mower can get very worn over time, so they can leave behind strips of uncut grass between each blade. If you have a mower with a deck that is sucked full of dirt, then the blade wears out because the dirt gets sucked deeper into the deck.
The wearing of your blade is unavoidable and cannot be prevented in any way. You can consider it just another part of the mower that wears down over time.
Result
When your mower blades begin to dull or break, you need to sharpen them and replace them so that you can maintain the quality of your mower. When a blade’s sail becomes thinner than its center, that is defined as when the sail becomes thinner than the blade’s center.
The John Deere deck belt and pulleys are bad
Your John Deere can give you a severe cut when its belt doesn’t move around the pulleys at high speeds. The first thing to look for is wear or cracks on the mower deck belt.
Wear is also indicated by a belt that sits deep in the pulley or stretches. Any of these conditions warrant a replacement belt.
Result
It is a smart idea to rotate each pulley slowly in order to check the pulleys. You may feel resistance when turning the pulley as well as hear a bearing noise, if you have a worn out pulley.
A damaged pulley won’t be parallel to the deck and may not sit flat. Whenever possible, replace any worn pulleys and bearing assemblies with new ones.
This issue may also be caused by a clogged deck.
As part of maintenance, you should also cut the grass and remove any debris that has built up under the deck, especially when it is wet. As a result, the grass is cut unevenly as a result of this.
Result
The mower deck should be cleaned promptly if it is clogged because clogging can prevent the blade from working properly. If the mower deck is clogged, it must be cleaned properly. The most effective thing you can do is remove the grass clippings from the deck, and then begin moving again when you have done that.
There is a bent crankshaft in the engine
As a result of bending your blade, there is also the possibility that you may have damaged your crankshaft. This cannot be fixed with a new blade, as you just have to replace it. That’s not the case, sir! It is a big problem to have an elongated crankshaft.
What is a bent crankshaft on a lawn mower? Would you like to know how to tell if it is? You can do it very easily. The blade should be spun by pushing it on its back edge (wear a leather glove) after disconnecting the power source (spark plug for gas, power cable or battery for electric). The center bolt that secures your blade will be your main focus once you’ve finished it.
Do you see it wobbling around as it spins like a top, or do you see it staying centered as it turns like a bottom? Having a bent crankshaft will result in the mower wobbling all over the place when you are using it.
Result
It might be painful to hear (financially painful) that your lawn mower is cutting unevenly, but you will likely have to buy a new mower if this is the reason for your mower’s uneven cutting. There are many times when an engine crankshaft can’t be effectively straightened after it has been bent.
Despite the fact that you may be able to straighten it after you straighten the lawn mower, it could still be very dangerous to continue to use it. It is a ticking time bomb if there is a fracture in the crankshaft. When the blade breaks completely, it has a high chance of ejecting the blade from the deck at any moment and injuring the operator. In my opinion, there is no point in taking such a risk.
You have an uneven lawn on your property
The ground may be uneven when you run a wide format deck, such as a 52″ deck or a 60″ deck, because you may end up scalping sections of your lawn. In order to cut a lawn correctly, the machine needs to be able to bend when the yard dips, so you end up with uneven results.
Result
When you are mowing wavy areas of the lawn or ditches, you will get a better cut by using a push mower with a smaller deck than one with a larger deck.
When your yard has high spots, you can also scalp your yard with the mower if you have high spots on your lawn. Using a weighted lawn roller to smooth out the lawn, you will be able to level out these high spots.
In Summary/Conclusion
There are several problems that you will likely encounter as a John Deere mower cuts uneven owner over the life of your mower. There can be problems if the mower does not start, dies while it is being mowed, vibrates, cuts unevenly, and doesn’t move.
If you get to the bottom of why your lawn mower is cutting unevenly, it won’t take you too long to figure out what the problem is. You can also figure out how to solve it. The problem in 95% of the cases I see comes from one of the following components, in my experience:
- Blades of steel
- Engine crankshaft
- Stack of decks.
- There are wheels
The best way to make sure you find an uneven solution to your cuts is to go through each of the possible issues I’ve mentioned above. Then work your way through them.