[EricB1023]

Hello all, new to the forum so please let me know if doing something wrong or posting in wrong place. I purchased a used 2018 1023E with 60D mower deck year ago. First time I mowed it seemed to be cutting very uneven. So I re leveled the deck last year and took care of the problem. Fired it up to mow for the first time this year and was fine, but the second time mowing it seemed to be leaving what looks like a uncut strip of grass about two inches wide. Now it doesnt do this every pass, more or less on hills and bumpy areas. Some areas look perfect and others it leave this strip. I have re checked deck level 10 times and mower deck is level side to side and front to rear has the appropriate pitch as well. Tire pressure is good and I even got so frustrated with it I had new bearings put in all three spindles as they seemed to have some play in them. It doesnt seem to matter if the blades are sharp or dull. Any ideas or other things to check is greatly appreciated. Thank you all,

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Are you gage wheels set correctly and locked in place?

You might also want to check to make sure there's no build-up under the deck.

 

[rwmeyer]

I'd say, slow down! Run wide open throttle...always... but keep ground speed slow. Because of hills & bumps. your deck is allowed by design to raise up a few inches and then come down again to your depth stop setting. Going too fast makes the deck bounce more producing an uneven cut. This will also explain why you sometimes get an uneven cut and sometimes you don't! Try it and see what happens. I can't think of anything mechanical that would cause an issue and then clear up all on its own! Bob

 

[EricB1023]

Are you gage wheels set correctly and locked in place?

You might also want to check to make sure there's no build-up under the deck.

Thanks for the response, and yes I have tried the gage wheels in the correct position at 3/8" off the ground and also played around with a little lower and higher and the same result. Same goes for the build up, when I had the spindle bearings replaced i cleaned the whole deck up and checked levels and heights and did it again immediately.

 

[EricB1023]

I'd say, slow down! Run wide open throttle...always... but keep ground speed slow. Because of hills & bumps. your deck is allowed by design to raise up a few inches and then come down again to your depth stop setting. Going to fast makes the deck bounce more producing an uneven cut. This will also explain why you sometimes get an uneven cut and sometimes you don't! Try it and see what happens. I can't think of anything mechanical that would cause an issue and then clear up all on its own! Bob

I thought the same thing in the beginning and tried extremly slow speed to fast and everything in between with the same results whether on hills or perfectly flat smooth ground. If I mow in the same direction (more or less in a circle) it doesnt do it as bad but when I run a pass then turn around and go right back in the opposite direction is when it does it the worst.

 

[rwmeyer]

THAT sounds like deck is not level. Are you using the JD tool measuring from the blades to the ground or from the bottom of the deck to the ground? This is also common it you're mowing on a hillside or even a slight slope. The deck hangs down on the low side of the slope and is slightly higher on the upside of the slope. When reversing, deck again "dips" into taller grass and leaves a strip. Bob

 

[EricB1023]

THAT sounds like deck is not level. Are you using the JD tool measuring from the blades to the ground or from the bottom of the deck to the ground? This is also common it you're mowing on a hillside or even a slight slope. The deck hangs down on the low side of the slope and is slightly higher on the upside of the slope. When reversing, deck again "dips" into taller grass and leaves a strip. Bob

I keep going back to that as well. And yes I picked up the tool awhile back from my local dealer, I measure from the cutting edge of the blade to the ground. I did this for side to side level and also front to back pitch as the manual says the front of blade should be slightly lower than the rear. I have even re checked level on several different flat concrete areas to make sure the concrete was not un level and skewing the measurements.

 

[KeyboardJungle]

an off the wall thought…. is there any chance that a front tire is pressing the grass down before the mower gets to it?

 

[ClydeLogan]

Where is the unmowed strip - one of the outer edges, or between sets of blades, or directly under the path of a blade spindle? Is the unmowed strip parallel to the direction of travel, or are you talking about a strip that runs from side-to side?

Got pictures?

 

[EricB1023]

an off the wall thought…. is there any chance that a front tire is pressing the grass down before the mower gets to it?

The thought crossed my mind. The only reason I doubt this is when it leaves the line in the grass its such sharp straight perfect line. In my mind I would think if the tire is pressing the grass down before it gets to the mower it would be more of a skewed line here and there. But thats just my thinking, im no expert by any means.

 

[EricB1023]

Where is the unmowed strip - one of the outer edges, or between sets of blades, or directly under the path of a blade spindle? Is the unmowed strip parallel to the direction of travel, or are you talking about a strip that runs from side-to side?

Got pictures?

I just mowed yesterday again so I can try and get some pictures. The strip to me seems like its coming from the left outer side of the deck as your sitting on the tractor. Or the none discharge side in other words. And yes its runs with the direction of the tractor travel, not side to side.

 

[rwmeyer]

Hmm, I'm running out of thoughts! Just one...err, 2... more. Verify rear tire pressures are the same. Then, you say mowing in a straight line appears to be the worst, try mowing in a straight line for 3 or 4 passes, then in a straight 90º from the others. Bob

 

[MarkEagleUSA]

Is the deck fully engaged on the lift mechanism?

sounds like the deck is out of level if it's always the same side. Might be something loosened up on the lift mechanism.

 

[rwmeyer]

Reading post #11, is the left side taller grass after being cut or shorter than the right/discharge side? Bob

 

[EricB1023]

Is the deck fully engaged on the lift mechanism?

sounds like the deck is out of level if it's always the same side. Might be something loosened up on the lift mechanism.

Yes everything seems to be tight and in place. When I had the deck off for new bearings in the spindles I crawled underneath to check both lift arms and all hardware to make sure everything was still tight.

 

[EricB1023]

Reading post #11, is the left side taller grass after being cut or shorter than the right/discharge side? Bob

To me, if I mow a straight line then turn around at the end and come striaght back in a straight line it always seems to be the non discharge side of the deck that is cutting lower. It is just strange because the grass is all level across the whole deck but then it peridocially leaves the inch or two wide strip by however long of what looks like un cut grass.

 

[rwmeyer]

OK...maybe! How much grass are you cutting off?
I ran into this just last week. My grass got ahead of me and I was cutting about 1-1/2" off the grass. Add to that. the grass was a tad damp. I was getting an uneven cut which I've never had before!

My thoughts: The left blades cut and pass the clippings to the center blade. The center blade cut the clippings from the left blade plus the fresh/uncut grass and passes these clippings (from both blades) on to the far right blade. These may (??) tend to prevent the right blade from actually cutting the grass... maybe cut some, but not all! Then as you move along, the right blade finally clears out and cut again. Hence, an uneven cut.

Again, my thoughts/guestimate as to what's going on! Bob

 

[rwmeyer]

An idea that may prove or disprove it's the right blade that's not cutting all of the time: Make a pass in the lawn, and hopefully, get a "strip". Raise deck, go back to where you made the first pass, and go over it again...same direction, same height, same engine & ground speed.
If "strip" disappears, right blade was not cutting on first pass, but is now. If "strip" is still there, no clue! Bob

 

[ClydeLogan]

Best not to assume anything, so I'm asking whether you have a mechanical lift or a hydraulic lift installed for the mower?
and
Could it be as simple as steering just a bit to the right occasionally and not always overlapping the cutting swaths?
and
May have missed it but are you set up to discharge clippings, are you bagging, or do you have a mulching kit installed?

 

[EricB1023]

Best not to assume anything, so I'm asking whether you have a mechanical lift or a hydraulic lift installed for the mower?
and
Could it be as simple as steering just a bit to the right occasionally and not always overlapping the cutting swaths?
and
May have missed it but are you set up to discharge clippings, are you bagging, or do you have a mulching kit installed?

It is a mechanical lift system techincally, and yes I have tried over\under steering both ways and still seems to do it. And it is set up for normal discharge out of the side of the deck. No mulch kit or bagger or anything. In my honest opinion with the 60D deck on it, it just almost seems like they have to much deck hanging out of the left side of the tractor or not a ridgid enough frame system for how the deck attaches to tractor. I know obviously there alot of these out there and not everyone has this problem but just my opinion. I thought about trying to find a good used 54 deck to put on it but dont really like the thought of buying a used one not knowing what all the other owner has hit with it.