In the past I have wanted to take a stick and beat my lawn mower. My Dad actually did that very thing to his mower when I was a child. But that is a story for another time. I kept having trouble with my lawn not being cut evenly. I figured the mower itself was just no good. But it was actually not the mower but a couple of the lawn mower parts causing the issue.
Most mowers will do a good job for you and leave a clean cut, unless they have been just absolutely abused. My mower was in good shape overall, but I did have to take care of some issues that led to uneven grass after mowing.
Different Lawn Mower Parts and the Quality of the Cut
The Tires
The main culprit for me was low air pressure in the tires. Unless the tires are completely flat you may think everything is fine, until you start mowing and see scalped places in the lawn. Just a few pounds low on air pressure makes a big difference while mowing. The cut may appear even on flat areas of your property, but could cut too low on a turn, especially on a slight bump in the yard. Use an air gauge to make sure all your tires match the specs in your owners manual. If you are a knucklehead like me and lose every manual you receive, you can still find most manuals online for free.
Wheel Bearings
Another part that could cause uneven mowing is worn out wheel bearings in the front wheels. These bearings can get loose and basically fall apart. This causes the wheel to drop lower than it is intended. You will start to notice the grass being scalped on sharp turns when this is the case. Keep these bearings greased often to make sure they last as long as possible.
Bent or Unsharp Blades
Blades are also a possible culprit when it comes to uneven mowing. Most blades are sturdy, but if you accidentally hit the wrong thing with them, they can bend. A bent blade, even slightly, should be easy to notice on your mowing paths. Never continue cutting with a bent mower blade. It obviously messes up the look of your yard, but it can also damage the blade spindle as well. Don´t forget to sharpen the blades regularly. Unsharp lawn mower blades will give your lawn a miserable look as well.
If you see your lawn mower isn´t cutting evenly, just check out these lawn mower parts and try to adapt them to my instructions. I hope that helps!
Like always, Happy Mowing!
