US4869057A. Mower deck height and angle control. Google Patents
Publication number US4869057A US4869057A US07/054,232 US5423287A US4869057A US 4869057 A US4869057 A US 4869057A US 5423287 A US5423287 A US 5423287A US 4869057 A US4869057 A US 4869057A Authority US United States Prior art keywords lift bracket adjustment mower deck deck Prior art date 1987-05-26 Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.) Expired. Fee Related Application number US07/054,232 Inventor Rudolf Siegrist Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.) MTD Products Inc Original Assignee MTD Products Inc Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.) 1987-05-26 Filing date 1987-05-26 Publication date 1989-09-26 1987-05-26 Application filed by MTD Products Inc filed Critical MTD Products Inc 1987-05-26 Priority to US07/054,232 priority Critical patent/US4869057A/en 1987-05-26 Assigned to MTD PRODUCTS INC. reassignment MTD PRODUCTS INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: SIEGRIST, RUDOLF 1989-09-26 Application granted granted Critical 1989-09-26 Publication of US4869057A publication Critical patent/US4869057A/en 2007-05-26 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical Status Expired. Fee Related legal-status Critical Current
Images
Classifications
- A — HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01 — AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01D — HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01D34/00 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
- A01D34/01 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus
- A01D34/412 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters
- A01D34/63 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters having cutters rotating about a vertical axis
- A01D34/74 — Cutting-height adjustment
- A — HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01 — AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01D — HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01D34/00 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters
- A01D34/01 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus
- A01D34/412 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters
- A01D34/63 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters having cutters rotating about a vertical axis
- A01D34/64 — Mowers; Mowing apparatus of harvesters characterised by features relating to the type of cutting apparatus having rotating cutters having cutters rotating about a vertical axis mounted on a vehicle, e.g. a tractor, or drawn by an animal or a vehicle
- A — HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01 — AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01D — HARVESTING; MOWING
- A01D2101/00 — Lawn-mowers
- Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10 — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10S — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10S56/00 — Harvesters
- Y10S56/22 — Underslung yieldable rotary mower
Abstract
A mower deck height and angle adjustment means is disclosed which utilizes adjustment to the length of a bolt extending between a mower deck suspension mechanism part and an in-line located flange to vary the relationship between the mower deck and the mower frame.
Description
This invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting the angular relationship between a rotary shaft and a mower deck lift member.
Riding lawn mowers and tractors are popular due to their reduction of the magnitude of lawn maintenance work. One continuing objection to such machines, however, is the unevenness of their cutting. This unevenness is due, in no small part, to the difficulty in orienting the mowing deck parallel to the ground. This difficulty arises both during the initial manufacture of the machines and then subsequently as the machine loses its initial orientation due to operating stresses, age, etc. Frequently, a machine that once has an even cut loses it later in its service life.
This present invention is directed towards providing a mechanism for adjusting the orientation of a mowing deck.
This present invention is directed towards providing a mechanism for adjusting the orientation of a mowing deck in respect to the ground.
Other objects and a more complete understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following specification and drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is an enlarged side view of typical mower height control incorporating a mower deck orientation adjustment mechanism.
FIG. 5 is a series of side views of the angular adjustment mechanism of FIG. 2 showing a few of the angular positions possible in such mechanism.
This invention relates to an improved adjustment mechanism for mower decks. The invention will be described in the environment of a lawn tractor having a separate, two blade mower deck 11 driven by a belt (FIGS. 2 and 6).
The lawn tractor has a frame supported by four wheels for passage a fixed distance over the lawn. An engine is mounted to the top of this frame with a driven shaft extending perpendicular to the ground. The mower deck 11 is mounted to the bottom of the frame between the pairs of wheels with a mower blade drive pulley extending upwards perpendicular to the ground. The mower deck 11 is mounted to the frame utilizing a height adjustment mechanism 20.
The height adjustment mechanism has a shaft 22 rotatively mounted to the frame via two hangers 23. The shaft 22 in turn has two L shaped deck lift float brackets 25 rotatively mounted thereon. Two subsidiary brackets 28 are welded to the shaft 22 with small tabs 29 underlying the L shaped deck lift float brackets 25 to rotatively connect the float brackets 25 to the shaft 22 in a lot-motion type connection. The weight of the mower deck 11 biases the float brackets 25 into normal contact with the subsidiary brackets 28. Two other L shaped deck lift float brackets 24 are directly pivotally connected to the frame about a single axis 21 via brackets 27. One end of each L shaped float bracket 24 on the front axis 21 is connected via lift links 26 to a mounting tab 16 on the mower deck 11. These lift links 26 are independent of each other so as to allow the mower deck 11 to move differentially in respect to the front axis 21. One end of the L shaped float brackets 25 on the rear shaft 22 are connected via the lift arms 33 of a stabilizer 30 to two additional mounting brackets 17 on the mower deck 11. The two lift arms 33 of the stabilizer 30 are connected together for substantial common rotation via a torque rod 34. The other arms of the L shaped float brackets 25 on the rear shaft 22 are connected to the other arms of the L shaped float brackets 24 on the front axis 21 via two equal length connecting rods 35. Due to the orientation of these shafts, brackets, rods and lift arms/links, any rotation about either the front axis 21 or rear shaft 22 will be transformed into an upwards or downwards motion of the mower deck 11 parallel to the ground. This controls the cutting height of the deck 11. In the embodiment shown, the rotation of the float brackets 24, 25 is controlled by a lift handle 40 connected to the rear shaft 22. This lift handle 40 can be selectively moved and fastened in any angular position so as to accurately control the height of the mower deck 11. A lift handle helper spring (not shown) eases the movement of the deck. Due to the indirect subsidiary bracket 28 connection between the shaft 22 and the L shaped lift brackets 25, the mower deck 11 is free to move upwards of the position otherwise set by the lift handle should some force move the mower deck 11 upwards against the weight of such deck 11. This allows the mower deck to better track the ground reducing scraping (for example, when the tractor wheels bridge a high ridge on the lawn) as well as retracting under stress without physical damage to any links, rods or brackets (for example, when the mower deck 11 hits a rock).
In a typical deck the lift brackets are all fixedly welded onto two parallel shafts during manufacture. This effectively locks the mower deck 11 into a single set orientation in respect to the ground. If this orientation is wrong, or later becomes wrong, the lawn mower will cut unevenly. The invention of this application is an adjustment mechanism 60 that allows one to vary the orientation of the deck at any time.
The adjustment mechanism 60 supplements a subsidiary bracket 28 with an adjustment feature including an adjustment bracket 61, a hex bolt 62 and two locking nuts 63, 64 (FIG. 1). The adjustment bracket 61 is welded onto the lift shaft 22 a spaced distance from the lift bracket 25 with a flange 65 of the adjustment bracket 61 extending underneath such bracket 25. The hex bolt 62 extends through a hole in the flange 65 of the adjustment bracket 61 to contact the underside of the lift bracket 25. The two locking nuts 63, 64 are threaded onto the bolt 62 on either side of the flange 65.
The lift bracket 25 is itself free to rotate about the lift shaft 22. Due to the fact that the bolt 62 is located under the lift brackets intermediate the lift shaft 22 and the stabilizer 30, the downward force of the weight of the mower deck 11 biases the lift bracket 25 into contact with the bolt 62. Therefor for a given position of the bolt 62 there will be a certain set angular relationship Z between the axis of the control handle 40 and the longitudinal axis of the lift bracket 25 (FIGS. 1 and 5C). If the length of the bolt 62 between the flange 65 of the adjustment bracket 61 and the underside of the lift bracket 25 is increased the angle Z will decrease (FIGS. 5A, 5B). If the same length of the bolt 62 is reduced, the angle Z will increase (FIG. 5D). After adjustment, the length of the bolt 62 is fixed by tightening of both of the locking nuts 63, 64.
The variation of the length of the bolt 62 modifies the orientation of the mower deck 11 (for purposes later explained). As shown in FIG. 2, the lift bracket 25 associated with the adjustment mechanism 60 is one of a pair of rearward lift brackets 25, each of which is connected to an independent front lift bracket 24. By adjusting the angular relationship between one of the rear lift brackets 25 and the control lever 40, one alters the distance between the mower deck 11 and the ground on that side of the deck 11 for a given set position of the control handle 40. This adjustment allows one to even up the distances between the mower deck 11 and the ground between the two sides of the mower deck 11. This produces an even cut for the lawn mower (the cutting blades rotate sufficiently fast that any fore/aft or angular unevenness is normally not objectionable; the deck 11 produces a cut height equal to the lowest section of the blades, sections that can be balanced by the adjustment mechanism of the invention).
Note that by the addition of a way of effectively adjusting the length of any of the connecting links 33, 35 or 26, one could compensate for any fore and aft or diagonal misalignment of the deck. An example would be a turnbuckle in the connecting rod 35 or an additional adjustment mechanism on a front lift link 24 (with the rod 35 connected to the upper extending portion of the bracket 61 instead of the link 24). Also with two adjustment mechanisms 60, one for each lift link 25, one could also adjust the height of the mower deck 11 to match a given position of the control lever 40, thus providing an accurate method of producing an exact known height cuti.e. adjusting the first notch of a control lever 40 stop mechanism to equal a 1 height. This would enable an operator to know precisely the length of the cut grass without guesswork or measuring. With the knowledge that the lowest cutting position was a fixed length (example 1) and each notch was an additional fixed length (example 1/2), even a novice could produce a finished lawn having a exact length without a single measurement.
Therefor, although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that numerous changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed.
Claims ( 3 )
In an mower deck height control having a deck suspended from two longitudinally spaced pairs of laterally spaced lift brackets, one pair of the laterally spaced lift brackets connected to a rotary control shaft for rotation therewith and the other pair of the laterally spaced lift brackets being connected to the first pair for rotation therewith, an improved height adjustment mechanism comprising bearing means between one of the first pair of lift brackets and the rotary shaft to rotatively connect said one lift bracket to the rotary shaft, an adjustment bracket, said adjustment bracket having a body and a flange, means to fixedly connect said body of said adjustment bracket to the rotary control shaft with said flange radially in line with part of said one lift bracket, said flange having a hole, an adjustment bolt, said adjustment bolt having a head, said adjustment bolt being in said hole in said flange with said head in separable lost motion contact with said part of said one lift bracket, means to connect said adjustment bolt to said flange such that the rotation of said adjustment bolt alters the distance that said head is from said flange such that the selective rotation of said adjustment bolt adjusts the angular relationship between said one lift bracket and the rotary control shaft with said angular adjustment modifying the relative lateral angle of the mower deck, bearing means between the other of the first pair of lift brackets and the rotary shaft to rotatively connect said other lift bracket to the rotary shaft, a subsidiary bracket said subsidiary bracket having a body and a tab, means to fixedly connect said body of said subsidiary bracket to the rotary control shaft with said tab radially in line with part of said other lift bracket, said tab being in separable lost motion contact with said part of said other lift bracket, and the separable lost motion contact of said head of said adjustment bolt to said one lift bracket and said tab to said other lift bracket allowing the mower deck to float upwards against the weight of the deck from height set by the mower deck height control.
The improved mower deck height control of claim 1 characterized by the addition of a lift handle, and said lift handle selectively rotating the rotary control shaft.
The improved height control of claim 1 wherein there are links between the two pairs of laterally spaced lift brackets and the mower deck and between the one and other pair of laterally spaced lift brackets, the links each having a length and characterized by the addition of an adjustment mechanism and said adjustment mechanism being in one of links to selectively modify the length thereof to compensate for any fore and aft or diagonal misalignment of the deck.
US07/054,232 1987-05-26 1987-05-26 Mower deck height and angle control Expired. Fee Related US4869057A ( en )
Priority Applications (1)
| US07/054,232 US4869057A ( en ) | 1987-05-26 | 1987-05-26 | Mower deck height and angle control |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| US07/054,232 US4869057A ( en ) | 1987-05-26 | 1987-05-26 | Mower deck height and angle control |
Family Applications (1)
| US07/054,232 Expired. Fee Related US4869057A ( en ) | 1987-05-26 | 1987-05-26 | Mower deck height and angle control |
Cited By (46)
| EP0469351A1 ( en ) | 1990-07-19 | 1992-02-05 | Deere Company | Device for attaching a front mounted mower to a motor vehicle |
| EP0475021A1 ( en ) | 1990-07-26 | 1992-03-18 | Deere Company | Mower, especially front-mounted mower |
| US5142850A ( en ) | 1991-06-14 | 1992-09-01 | Deere Company | Mower deck height adjustment mechanism |
| EP0518169A1 ( en ) | 1991-06-14 | 1992-12-16 | Deere Company | Height adjustment assembly for a mower housing |
| US5366336A ( en ) | 1993-06-14 | 1994-11-22 | Deere Company | Leveling rod assembly coupled between towed implement hitch and ground wheel axle |
| US5381648A ( en ) | 1993-05-28 | 1995-01-17 | Deere Company | Mower deck height adjustment mechanism |
| US5410865A ( en ) | 1993-09-30 | 1995-05-02 | Kubota Corporation | Mid-mount type riding lawn tractor |
| US5425224A ( en ) | 1994-08-08 | 1995-06-20 | Downey; Sam | Mower deck carriage |
| EP0807377A2 ( en ) | 1996-05-13 | 1997-11-19 | Deere Company | Device for connecting a height adjustable implement to a vehicle from a working in a transport position |
| US5813203A ( en ) | 1996-07-12 | 1998-09-29 | Mtd Products Inc. | Lost motion lift control for a mower deck |
| US5927055A ( en ) | 1997-07-16 | 1999-07-27 | Deere Company | Pivoting mower deck mechanism |
| US5956932A ( en ) | 1998-01-22 | 1999-09-28 | Mtd Products Inc | Deck attachment mechanism and method |
| US6038841A ( en ) | 1998-11-24 | 2000-03-21 | Murray, Inc. | Device for leveling a mower deck |
| US6079193A ( en ) | 1999-01-29 | 2000-06-27 | Deere Company | Implement suspension with lost motion coupling |
| US6085508A ( en ) | 1997-05-12 | 2000-07-11 | Rovers Mowers Limited | Rotating lawn mover with a cutter head movable between cutting and mulching positions |
| US6131380A ( en ) | 1998-11-27 | 2000-10-17 | Browning; Albert | Floating deck mower with gravity actuated brake |
| AU729036B2 ( en ) | 1997-05-12 | 2001-01-25 | Mtd Products Inc | Improvements relating to mowers |
| US6223510B1 ( en ) | 1999-06-08 | 2001-05-01 | Gary L. Gillins | Mower deck with object tracing capability |
| US6394216B1 ( en ) | 1996-07-27 | 2002-05-28 | Ferris Industries, Inc. | Lawn maintenance vehicle |
| US6427430B1 ( en ) | 2000-08-15 | 2002-08-06 | Deere Company | Pedal lift system for lawn tractor mower deck |
| US6460318B1 ( en ) | 1997-07-22 | 2002-10-08 | Ferris Industries, Inc. | Lawn mower independent suspension |
| US6494028B2 ( en ) | 2000-07-20 | 2002-12-17 | White Consolidated Industries, Inc. | Deck lift apparatus for riding mower |
| US20030024226A1 ( en ) | 2001-08-03 | 2003-02-06 | Antonio Carraro S.P.A. | Apparatus for adjusting the height of a tool such as a lawnmower, particularly for gardening vehicles |
| US20030106297A1 ( en ) | 1996-07-27 | 2003-06-12 | Melone Mark J. | Mower suspension system and method |
| US6588188B2 ( en ) | 2001-01-05 | 2003-07-08 | Bush Hog, L.L.C. | Foot lift cutter deck mower units |
| US20030188905A1 ( en ) | 2001-06-20 | 2003-10-09 | Buss Steven Henry | Pivoting hooks for parallelogram lift linkages |
| US6698172B2 ( en ) | 1996-07-27 | 2004-03-02 | Ferris Industries, Inc. | Lawn mower suspension assembly |
| US20040093840A1 ( en ) | 2000-11-17 | 2004-05-20 | Wright Manufacturing, Inc. | Power lawn mower with deck lift system |
| US6837032B1 ( en ) | 2000-08-15 | 2005-01-04 | Deere Company | Pedal actuated height adjustment mechanism for a mower cutting deck |
| US20050016143A1 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2005-01-27 | Shivvers Group Incorporated, An Iowa Corporation | Mower with flip up mowing deck |
| US7197863B1 ( en ) | 2005-07-13 | 2007-04-03 | Scag Power Equipment, Inc. | Lawnmower cutter deck with side-to-side deck leveler |
| US20080229725A1 ( en ) | 2007-03-20 | 2008-09-25 | Mtd Products Inc | Foot actuated height adjustment mechanism for a lawnmower cutting deck |
| US20080245044A1 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2008-10-09 | Shivvers Group, Incorporated, An Iowa Corporation | Mower apparatus |
| US20080295477A1 ( en ) | 2007-05-30 | 2008-12-04 | Porter Todd A | Easily removable mower cutting deck |
| US20090183481A1 ( en ) | 2008-01-20 | 2009-07-23 | Lancaster James W | Height of cut adjustment system for mower cutting desk |
| US20090183485A1 ( en ) | 2008-01-20 | 2009-07-23 | Finkner Steven C | Propulsion and stabilization struts for mower cutting deck |
| US8397367B2 ( en ) | 1997-10-28 | 2013-03-19 | Briggs And Stratton Corporation | Mower suspension system and method |
| US20150121832A1 ( en ) | 2013-11-01 | 2015-05-07 | Amerequip Corporation | Adjustment mechanism for lawn mower deck attached to a tractor |
| US20150296711A1 ( en ) | 2014-04-17 | 2015-10-22 | Deere Company | Mower deck leveling system |
| US9693501B2 ( en ) | 2014-08-06 | 2017-07-04 | Shivvers Group Incorporated | Mower with scissor lift mowing height adjustment mechanism |
| US10098279B2 ( en ) | 2016-01-13 | 2018-10-16 | Yangzhou Weibang Garden Machine company limited | Raising and lowering mechanism for a mower deck of a lawn mower |
| US20190289783A1 ( en ) | 2018-03-26 | 2019-09-26 | Deere Company | Mower deck level adjuster |
| US11071248B1 ( en ) | 2018-08-24 | 2021-07-27 | Excel Industries, Inc. | Mower with cutting deck suspended from floor pan |
| CN115119605A ( en ) | 2022-08-10 | 2022-09-30 | 常州信息职业技术学院 | Automatic change grass trimming device of multi-angle transform |
| US11533842B2 ( en ) | 2019-10-15 | 2022-12-27 | Exmark Manufacturing Company Incorporated | Grounds maintenance vehicle with adjustable implement angle |
| US11678605B2 ( en ) | 2020-05-12 | 2023-06-20 | Deere Company | Mower deck leveling linkage |
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Cited By (62)
| EP0469351A1 ( en ) | 1990-07-19 | 1992-02-05 | Deere Company | Device for attaching a front mounted mower to a motor vehicle |
| EP0475021A1 ( en ) | 1990-07-26 | 1992-03-18 | Deere Company | Mower, especially front-mounted mower |
| US5142850A ( en ) | 1991-06-14 | 1992-09-01 | Deere Company | Mower deck height adjustment mechanism |
| EP0518169A1 ( en ) | 1991-06-14 | 1992-12-16 | Deere Company | Height adjustment assembly for a mower housing |
| US5187925A ( en ) | 1991-06-14 | 1993-02-23 | Deere Company | Mower deck lift handle mechanism |
| US5381648A ( en ) | 1993-05-28 | 1995-01-17 | Deere Company | Mower deck height adjustment mechanism |
| US5366336A ( en ) | 1993-06-14 | 1994-11-22 | Deere Company | Leveling rod assembly coupled between towed implement hitch and ground wheel axle |
| US5410865A ( en ) | 1993-09-30 | 1995-05-02 | Kubota Corporation | Mid-mount type riding lawn tractor |
| US5425224A ( en ) | 1994-08-08 | 1995-06-20 | Downey; Sam | Mower deck carriage |
| EP0807377A2 ( en ) | 1996-05-13 | 1997-11-19 | Deere Company | Device for connecting a height adjustable implement to a vehicle from a working in a transport position |
| US5715667A ( en ) | 1996-05-13 | 1998-02-10 | Deere Company | Wing deck mounting and lift mechanism |
| EP0807377A3 ( en ) | 1996-05-13 | 1999-06-16 | Deere Company | Device for connecting a height adjustable implement to a vehicle from a working in a transport position |
| US5813203A ( en ) | 1996-07-12 | 1998-09-29 | Mtd Products Inc. | Lost motion lift control for a mower deck |
| US6394216B1 ( en ) | 1996-07-27 | 2002-05-28 | Ferris Industries, Inc. | Lawn maintenance vehicle |
| US6698172B2 ( en ) | 1996-07-27 | 2004-03-02 | Ferris Industries, Inc. | Lawn mower suspension assembly |
| US6857254B2 ( en ) | 1996-07-27 | 2005-02-22 | Ferris Industries, Inc. | Mower suspension system and method |
| US20030106297A1 ( en ) | 1996-07-27 | 2003-06-12 | Melone Mark J. | Mower suspension system and method |
| US6085508A ( en ) | 1997-05-12 | 2000-07-11 | Rovers Mowers Limited | Rotating lawn mover with a cutter head movable between cutting and mulching positions |
| AU729036B2 ( en ) | 1997-05-12 | 2001-01-25 | Mtd Products Inc | Improvements relating to mowers |
| US5927055A ( en ) | 1997-07-16 | 1999-07-27 | Deere Company | Pivoting mower deck mechanism |
| US6460318B1 ( en ) | 1997-07-22 | 2002-10-08 | Ferris Industries, Inc. | Lawn mower independent suspension |
| US8397367B2 ( en ) | 1997-10-28 | 2013-03-19 | Briggs And Stratton Corporation | Mower suspension system and method |
| US5956932A ( en ) | 1998-01-22 | 1999-09-28 | Mtd Products Inc | Deck attachment mechanism and method |
| US6038841A ( en ) | 1998-11-24 | 2000-03-21 | Murray, Inc. | Device for leveling a mower deck |
| US6131380A ( en ) | 1998-11-27 | 2000-10-17 | Browning; Albert | Floating deck mower with gravity actuated brake |
| US6079193A ( en ) | 1999-01-29 | 2000-06-27 | Deere Company | Implement suspension with lost motion coupling |
| US6223510B1 ( en ) | 1999-06-08 | 2001-05-01 | Gary L. Gillins | Mower deck with object tracing capability |
| US6494028B2 ( en ) | 2000-07-20 | 2002-12-17 | White Consolidated Industries, Inc. | Deck lift apparatus for riding mower |
| US6427430B1 ( en ) | 2000-08-15 | 2002-08-06 | Deere Company | Pedal lift system for lawn tractor mower deck |
| US6837032B1 ( en ) | 2000-08-15 | 2005-01-04 | Deere Company | Pedal actuated height adjustment mechanism for a mower cutting deck |
| US20040093840A1 ( en ) | 2000-11-17 | 2004-05-20 | Wright Manufacturing, Inc. | Power lawn mower with deck lift system |
| US6868658B2 ( en ) | 2000-11-17 | 2005-03-22 | Wright Manufacturing, Inc. | Power lawn mower with deck lift system |
| US6588188B2 ( en ) | 2001-01-05 | 2003-07-08 | Bush Hog, L.L.C. | Foot lift cutter deck mower units |
| US20030188905A1 ( en ) | 2001-06-20 | 2003-10-09 | Buss Steven Henry | Pivoting hooks for parallelogram lift linkages |
| US6912833B2 ( en ) | 2001-06-20 | 2005-07-05 | Deere Company | Pivoting hooks for parallelogram lift linkages |
| US6782681B2 ( en ) | 2001-08-03 | 2004-08-31 | Antonio Carraro S.P.A. | Apparatus for adjusting the height of a tool such as a lawnmower, particularly for gardening vehicles |
| US20030024226A1 ( en ) | 2001-08-03 | 2003-02-06 | Antonio Carraro S.P.A. | Apparatus for adjusting the height of a tool such as a lawnmower, particularly for gardening vehicles |
| US7028456B2 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2006-04-18 | Shivvers Group, Inc. | Mower with flip up mowing deck |
| US20050016143A1 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2005-01-27 | Shivvers Group Incorporated, An Iowa Corporation | Mower with flip up mowing deck |
| US20080245044A1 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2008-10-09 | Shivvers Group, Incorporated, An Iowa Corporation | Mower apparatus |
| US8091329B2 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2012-01-10 | Shivvers Group, Incorporated | Device for height adjusting and swinging a mower deck |
| US20090183480A1 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2009-07-23 | Shivvers Group, Incorporated, An Iowa Corporation | Mower apparatus |
| US7596936B2 ( en ) | 2003-07-14 | 2009-10-06 | Shivvers Group, Inc. | Mower deck placed in maintenance and varying height positions |
| US7197863B1 ( en ) | 2005-07-13 | 2007-04-03 | Scag Power Equipment, Inc. | Lawnmower cutter deck with side-to-side deck leveler |
| US7578117B2 ( en ) | 2007-03-20 | 2009-08-25 | Mtd Products Inc | Foot actuated height adjustment mechanism for a lawnmower cutting deck |
| US20080229725A1 ( en ) | 2007-03-20 | 2008-09-25 | Mtd Products Inc | Foot actuated height adjustment mechanism for a lawnmower cutting deck |
| US7600363B2 ( en ) | 2007-05-30 | 2009-10-13 | The Toro Company | Easily removable mower cutting deck |
| US20080295477A1 ( en ) | 2007-05-30 | 2008-12-04 | Porter Todd A | Easily removable mower cutting deck |
| US20090183485A1 ( en ) | 2008-01-20 | 2009-07-23 | Finkner Steven C | Propulsion and stabilization struts for mower cutting deck |
| US20090183481A1 ( en ) | 2008-01-20 | 2009-07-23 | Lancaster James W | Height of cut adjustment system for mower cutting desk |
| US7669394B2 ( en ) | 2008-01-20 | 2010-03-02 | Exmark Mfg. Co., Inc. | Propulsion and stabilization struts for mower cutting deck |
| US8438822B2 ( en ) | 2008-01-20 | 2013-05-14 | Exmark Mfg. Co., Inc. | Height of cut adjustment system for mower cutting deck |
| US20150121832A1 ( en ) | 2013-11-01 | 2015-05-07 | Amerequip Corporation | Adjustment mechanism for lawn mower deck attached to a tractor |
| US20150296711A1 ( en ) | 2014-04-17 | 2015-10-22 | Deere Company | Mower deck leveling system |
| US9693501B2 ( en ) | 2014-08-06 | 2017-07-04 | Shivvers Group Incorporated | Mower with scissor lift mowing height adjustment mechanism |
| US10098279B2 ( en ) | 2016-01-13 | 2018-10-16 | Yangzhou Weibang Garden Machine company limited | Raising and lowering mechanism for a mower deck of a lawn mower |
| US20190289783A1 ( en ) | 2018-03-26 | 2019-09-26 | Deere Company | Mower deck level adjuster |
| US11191209B2 ( en ) | 2018-03-26 | 2021-12-07 | Deere Company | Mower deck level adjuster |
| US11071248B1 ( en ) | 2018-08-24 | 2021-07-27 | Excel Industries, Inc. | Mower with cutting deck suspended from floor pan |
| US11533842B2 ( en ) | 2019-10-15 | 2022-12-27 | Exmark Manufacturing Company Incorporated | Grounds maintenance vehicle with adjustable implement angle |
| US11678605B2 ( en ) | 2020-05-12 | 2023-06-20 | Deere Company | Mower deck leveling linkage |
| CN115119605A ( en ) | 2022-08-10 | 2022-09-30 | 常州信息职业技术学院 | Automatic change grass trimming device of multi-angle transform |
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Getting the Best Lawn Mower Cut Quality
Cutting the lawn has more purpose than making tall grass short. It’s about crafting landscapes that bring pride, landscapes that host parties and landscapes that literally work for you. By delivering superior cut quality for your clients, your reputation as a sharp landscaper will help retain current clients and be a selling point for new ones.
Read the following tips to learn how to get the sharpest looking landscapes. On a zero turn lawn mower, there are both adjustments and techniques landscapers can make and perform to ensure a smooth, even and appealing result with each mowing.
Adjust lawn mower deck pitch
Fine tuning a mower deck enables the aerodynamic design of the cutting chamber to lift grass, cut it evenly and discharge it effectively.
What is mower deck pitch?
Lawn mower deck pitch, or sometimes referred to as, rake, is the tilt of the mower deck from front to back. Forward deck pitch creates an air seal at the front of the deck when the blades are rotating. This seal limits air entry into the cutting chamber to the rear of the deck, allowing the aerodynamic design of a Gravely lawn mower deck to maximize grass lift and cut evenly. This design results in a superior cut quality and an even discharge that’s less likely to clump.
For most effective results, a lawn mower deck should have a pitch, or height difference of 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch between the front of the deck to the back of the deck. Naturally, this makes the sweet spot about 1/4-inch of pitch, depending on the mower model. In any case, the front of the deck should be pitched lower than the deck rear. Be careful not to pitch too much that you start scalping lawns.
How to adjust lawn mower pitch
All Gravely decks are built so their owners can adjust deck pitch quickly and easily. There’s no special tools or mechanical training required to complete this procedure, either. Just a couple wrenches and a few pieces of hardware. Before you begin, park the mower on a flat, level surface, stop the engine, remove the key, check that the tire pressures are equal and grab a tape measure.
Check pitch
As directed in the operator’s manual:
- Raise the mower deck to a cutting height of 3.5 inches.
- Manually and carefully turn the blades so they’re positioned front to back. When manually turning blades, always grab the dull edge of the blade.
- Measure:
- The distances between the front tips of the outer blades and the ground.
- The distances between the rear tips of the outer blades and the ground.
- If front measurements are lower than the rear measurements by less than 1/8 inch or more than 1/2 inch, adjust pitch.
Adjust pitch
Deck pitch can be adjusted by lowering the front of the deck, raising the rear of the deck or a combination of both. Be sure to make adjustments so that the distances of your final measurements at the front of the deck accurately reflect the cutting height of 3.5 inches that was set earlier.
To lower the high side of deck:
- Loosen jam nuts against deck lift links.
- Turn adjustment bolts counterclockwise.
- Retake measurements and continue adjustment, if necessary.
- Tighten jam nuts against deck lift links.
To raise the low side of deck:
- Loosen jam nuts against deck lift links.
- Turn adjustment bolts clockwise.
- Retake measurements and continue adjustment, if necessary.
- Tighten jam nuts against deck lift links.
After pitch adjustment is complete, check deck level.
Leveling your mower deck
Level the mower deck to ensure grass cutting height is even across the width of the deck. This will help ensure a smooth and seamless side-by-side blend between each row of freshly cut grass.
What is lawn mower deck leveling?
This is easier to understand than deck pitch. Deck leveling is simply making the cutting height on the left side of the deck even with the cutting height on the right side of the deck. In all cases, decks should be level with as little variance between each side of the cutting deck as possible. No variance between the left and right side of the deck is best.
How to level the mower deck
Leveling a Gravely lawn mower deck is done the same way as pitching a Gravely mower deck, except it’s adjusting the deck height from side to side, not back to front. Same components and tools with pitching a mower deck, and as before, start with the unit parked on a flat, level surface, inflate the tires to specification and grab a tape measure.
Check mower deck level
As directed in the operator’s manual:
- Raise the mower deck to a cutting height of 3.5 inches.
- While wearing thick, sturdy gloves, manually and carefully turn the blades so they’re positioned side to side. When manually turning blades, always grab the dull edge of the blade.
- Measure:
- The distance between the left blade’s left cutting edge and the ground.
- The distance between the right blade’s right cutting edge and the ground.
- If the distance between the left blade tip and the ground is 3/16 inches greater than or less than the distance between the right blade tip and the ground, level the deck.
How to level your lawn mower deck
As directed in the operator’s manual
- Loosen jam nuts against deck lift links.
- Turn adjustment bolts counterclockwise.
- Retake measurements and continue adjustment, if necessary.
- Tighten jam nuts against deck lift links.
- Loosen jam nuts against deck lift links.
- Turn adjustment bolts clockwise.
- Retake measurements and continue adjustment, if necessary.
- Tighten jam nuts against deck lift links.
How to sharpen lawn mower blades
Same as with dull knives or scissors – they don’t cut efficiently and results in duplicate effort. On a mower, dull blades leave behind stragglers and require the terribly inefficient practice of mowing the same rows twice.
Dull blades may require a total replacement, which isn’t bad since new blades are relatively cheap and easy to replace. However, if the blades aren’t worn too far, they can be sharpened without spending money on new blades. Be aware that blades should not be sharpened if more than a half-inch of the blade material is worn away (by previous sharpening or wear) or if the air lift is eroded. If the air lift is eroded, blades can no longer lift grass effectively and cut evenly. Blades that are bent or broken should be discarded.
- Read the safety instructions and the procedure instructions in the unit’s operator’s manual.
- Remove the mower deck according to the instructions in the operator’s manual.
- Remove the blades according to the instructions in the operator’s manual.
- File or grind an equal amount of blade material from each cutting edge until sharp. Do not change angle of cutting edge or round the corner of the blade.
- Slide the blade onto an unthreaded bolt and hold the bolt horizontally. Position the blade horizontally and check for blade balance. This is critical. If the blade moves, sharpen the heavy end until the blade remains balanced in a horizontal position on the unthreaded bolt.
- When the blade is sharpened and balanced adequately, reinstall it under the mower deck and torque it to the specification listed in the operator’s manual.
- Reinstall the mower deck.
Cleaning your mower deck
Mower decks packed with grass clippings, dirt and debris can damage your mower, affect cut quality and hurt lawns. Grass, dirt and debris holds moisture that corrodes bare metal on the spindles and mower blades, weakening them. Additionally, grass-packed cutting decks can harbor fungi and bacteria that can spread to other lawns and damage them.
Grass buildup around the discharge area can prevent clippings from discharging evenly and could lead to clumping. Grass buildup under the deck can also affect the aerodynamics of the cutting chamber, disrupt the air lift under the deck (detailed in What is mower deck pitch?) and affect the cut quality.
Good lawn mowing techniques
Sometimes, getting a better cut quality can be achieved by breaking a few bad habits like mowing too fast, mowing in the same pattern and cutting grass too short.
Why you shouldn’t mow too fast
For busy landscapers, efficiency is important. And while landscapers will find many creative ways to shave time off each job, patience on the jobsite yields better results. Driving faster than the mower blades and deck can process overwhelms the deck and leaves behind stragglers and clumping. Slowing down the drive speed of a mower allows the blades enough time to lift, cut and discharge grass clippings evenly.
Why you should mow in different patterns
After mowing the same properties, landscapers will learn the best way to navigate through their clients’ properties and will sometimes stick to one efficient mowing pattern. However, mowing in the same pattern is bad for lawns.
Grass is like hair. If it’s accustomed to being pushed in the same direction, it learns which way to fall. After mowing in the same paths cut after cut, grass falls to one direction and doesn’t stand straight up, making it more difficult for the mower to lift the grass and cut it evenly.
Additionally, mowing in the same pattern creates ruts. The weight of a mower driving over the same rows with each mowing causes the soil under a mower’s wheels to become compacted. As soil compacts, it restricts water, air and nutrients from reaching grass roots, leading to grass discoloration in those mower tracks.
To avoid these issues, landscapers should mow in a different pattern that crisscrosses the pattern of the previous mowing.
Why you shouldn’t cut grass too short
Grass that’s kept longer grows healthier.
Grass that’s cut too short becomes stressed because it uses its energy re-growing what was just cut instead of growing its root system. Longer grass makes healthier lawns because longer grass has deeper root systems which access moisture and nutrients more effectively. Additionally, longer grass helps prevent the ability for weeds to take hold in the soil and germinate because tall grass blocks sunlight from those weeds.
Landscapers should cut no more than one-third of the length of grass with each mowing.
Best mowers for good cut quality
Performing service and adjustments on any lawn mower makes a big difference in cut quality, but you’ll never get the best cutting quality without having the right equipment. Consumers have numerous choices in a commercial lawn mower, but they’re not built alike.
How to Level a Riding Lawn Mower Deck
Gravely commercial lawn mowers are designed for landscapers. Not only is a Gravely durable, reliable and comfortable, but each Gravely is designed to deliver superior cutting results.
Strong deck stability
As opposed to decks that shake excessively when cutting, Gravely decks are sturdy and move with the contours of each landscape, ensuring an even cut.
Cutting deck dimensions
The deep depth of a fully fabricated Gravely commercial mower deck processes greater volumes of grass faster with reduced need to compromise speed for quality on the jobsite.
Superior deck aerodynamics
Grass is lifted and discharged evenly and effectively, meaning there’s less chance for stragglers and clumping.
Constant belt tension
Gravely’s trademarked constant belt tension, or CBT, applies the same tension to a brand new mower belt than it does to an older, stretched mower belt. This ensures consistent blade tip speed and cutting results throughout the life of the belt, even as it wears.
How to Use Your Murray® MT100 or MT200 Lawn Tractor
Lawn mower dealers near me
Ready to learn more about the machines that have been shaping the American landscape for over a century? Stop by your local Gravely dealer to explore Gravely’s full product lineup and to get replacement parts like belts, blades and more. Add a Gravely lawn striper kit this season to enhance each lawn by giving it that professional, finished look.
Mulching and Mower Decks
What is mulching? Why should I consider doing it? How will it make my lawn look better? Learn all about mulching now.
A John Deere exclusive. The MulchControl™ Kit with One-Touch Technology.
Grass mulch can help keep your lawn healthy and looking its best. It’s easy to do with our many lawn mower and mower deck offerings. Check out the tractor mower compatibility.
This is grass mulch.
The easy way to feed your lawn. To make grass mulch, grass is cut into easily absorbed grass clippings to help keep your lawn healthy and lush.
Mulch with the push of a button.
The John Deere MulchControl™ Kit with One-Touch Technology is the easy way to mulch. With the push of a button you can mulch when you want to.
Mulch mode.
Push the button and mulch. The chute closes and you have a dedicated mulching system. Perfect for regular, weekly, or bi-weekly mowing.
Side-discharge mow or bag mode.
Push the button again, or pull the lever, with your MulchControl™ System, the chute opens and you can side-discharge mow or bag. The choice is yours.
Eight things you need to know about mulch mowing.
Fertilizing your lawn just got easier. Just let your grass clippings do the job for you. Grass clipping mulch is the natural way to feed your lawn essential nutrients. Here are eight things you need to know:
Mulch mowing allows clippings to be cut finely enough so that they can’t be seen when redistributed into the lawn.
Make sure your blades are sharp. Sharp blades help ensure a precise, quality cut.
Mulching returns nitrogen-rich nutrients to your lawn. This feeds your lawn and can reduce the amount of fertilizer you need.
Follow the “one-third” rule when mulch mowing, taking no more off than the top third of the grass blade. Fast-growing conditions will warrant more frequent mowing.
Mulching works better when the grass is dry.
The MulchControl™ System from John Deere is the easy way to mulch while you mow.
If tall or wet grass conditions result in unsightly clumps, your MulchControl™ System should be used in side-discharge mode.
If conditions warrant using your MulchControl™ System in side-discharge mode, clippings are likely to be visible for a few days as they decay.
This exclusive technology is available with One-Touch Technology on the John Deere X350 Select Series Riding Lawn Tractor with a 42-in or 48-in Accel Deep™ Mower Deck and other Select Series mowers.
MulchControl™ Kits, with the pull-of-a-lever technology, are available on S240 Riding Mowers with Accel Deep™ Mower Decks, Select Series Mowers, Signature Series Mowers, and all Residential ZTrak™ Mowers.
All MulchControl™ Kits from John Deere include mulching blades for best grass mulching results.
The science behind mulching.
Who loves lugging a heavy bag of lawn clippings to the compost pile or yard waste bin, or endlessly raking leaves in the fall? Pretty much nobody, that’s who. Fortunately, for the sake of aching backs and nutrient-hungry lawns, it’s best to forgo the bag and opt to mulch lawn clippings and leaves instead.
Each little bit of plant material is full of nutrients, and being organic matter, when left in place, can improve the overall health of the soil which in turn, better supports the turf and potentially decreases inputs.
“In the lawncare industry, we’re realizing that rather than feed the lawn synthetically with fertilizers, we can choose to do it more organically by mulching grass clippings and leaving them on the lawn to sift in,” says Richard Hentschel, University of Illinois horticultural extension educator. “Leaving clippings on the lawn provides the equivalent of 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn. That’s nitrogen you didn’t have to buy and apply.” Removing the clippings means also removing those nutrients from the system.
Besides nutrients, clippings return carbon to the soil, which helps build soil organic matter by feeding the microflora that decomposes that organic matter. Soil organic matter (SOM) is measured as a percentage of organic matter in the soil and is the primary indicator of soil health, and therefore the health of the lawn growing in the soil. The higher the percentage of SOM, the more nutrients and water the soil can retain.
“Every 1 percent of SOM holds 1/3 gallon of water per cubic foot of soil,” Hentschel explains. “So, a soil with a fairly good measurement of 3 percent SOM can hold as much as 1 gallon of water per cubic foot.” The ability to hold more water means more of the water applied to the soil through irrigation or falling on the lawn as rain will stay put and turf will be more resistant to swings in temperature and drought conditions.
“SOM also is Mother Nature’s slow release fertilizer. It’s not just the usual nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium either, it’s all 16 of the nutrients essential for plant growth,” Hentschel says. Constantly removing lawn clippings and other organic matter results in decreasing levels of SOM, and lawns will become increasingly dependent on the application of synthetic fertilizers.
While lawns benefit from clippings, they don’t want to be smothered by them. Using best mowing practices can leave grass room to breathe and looking as clean as it would with bagging. The key is to mow with sharp blades and frequently enough that no more than 1/3 of the plant tissue is removed per cutting. This will result in less plant material for the lawn to reincorporate per pass.
“If you mow often with a sharp mower blade, even a conventional mower — as opposed to a mower designed specifically for mulching — will cut the grass up fine enough for it to sift back into the standing grass and break up quickly releasing nutrients to the soil and growing grass as it decomposes,” Hentschel says.
It may be a relatively simple task to stay ahead of grass to get a nice fine mulch that disappears quickly into the lawn, but what about leaves in the fall? Hentschel says to go ahead and mulch them, too. Leaves should be mowed frequently as they fall. To ensure finely parsed leaves that will move into the thatch layer more quickly, it may be necessary to make two or more passes with the lawnmower per mowing. When more leaves fall, simply keep making passes to chop up the material and help speed the composting process.
Hentschel says the leaf residue will work its way into the soil taking valuable nutrients with them and creating a barrier that can help control weeds. With multiple years of mulching leaves, which returns more nutrients to the soil through the extra organic matter, lawns may not need as much fertilizer in the spring. And because the leaf residue covers up bare spots where weeds can gain a foothold, it’s possible over time to see fewer dandelions and crabgrass issues after multiple years of mulching.
No raking, no lugging, less fertilizer, more efficient water use, and fewer weeds—for once, the easy choice is also the best choice. Go ahead and leave the mower bag in the shed if you’re so inclined, and leave the organic matter right where it belongs, on the lawn.
The Best Self-Propelled Lawn Mowers in 2023 for Making Your Yard Work Easier
These lawn mowers drive themselves, taking the load off you in the process.
By Roy Berendsohn Published: Mar 21, 2023
One of the perks of the warm-weather season is getting to spend time outside. If you own your own home and have a yard, it’s very likely that in order to enjoy your outdoor space, you need to mow the lawn. The larger the yard, the more work it will be to maintain. If you have a lot of grass to cut, you’d be wise to consider a self-propelled lawn mower especially now that there are a ton of sales just in time for Memorial Day.
The primary difference between a standard push mower and a self-propelled mower is that the former moves when you push it, and the latter essentially moves itself with only your guidance. Once the engine is running, all you have to do is squeeze a handle or push a lever and the mower will start moving forward with you as you walk.
Turning the mower around is your job, but once you have your heading, just keep the drive handle squeezed and escort the mower down the path, no pushing necessary.
Self-propelled law mowers take power off the engine and route it via a belt to a pulley on the transmission and axle. When you move the drive control lever on the mower handle, you tension the belt, causing the pulley to turn, and this drives the transmission, moving the mower forward.
Move the drive control lever back and the tension is released, the pulley stops turning, and the mower stops moving forward. The belt-driven transmission is a time-tested design to power the mower and take the load off you in the process.
What to Consider
A mower is like many consumer products in that the more features a manufacturer adds, the more expensive it becomes. But a longer or more eye-catching list of features isn’t necessarily better. Sometimes less is more. Here are the most important to keep in mind.
Front-wheel drive mowers tend to be less expensive than rear-wheel drive units. They can be easier to turn because you don’t have to disengage the drive wheels to do so. Simply push down on the handlebar to raise the front wheels off the ground. However, their traction isn’t as strong on hills or when the bag is full, as there isn’t as much weight over the drive wheels.
Rear-wheel drive mowers do cost more and aren’t as easy to turn, as you do need to disengage the drive—but this isn’t too much of a hassle. Rear-wheel drive mowers shine on hills and inclines, and when the grass bag is full. In either scenario, weight is shifted rearward and over the drive wheels, which enables superior traction, thus making the self-propel more effective.
An engine as small as 125 cc can power a mower, but most are somewhere in the 140 cc to 190 cc range. A large engine helps when powering through tall, lush grass or in extreme conditions, such as with a side discharge chute in place and mowing tall weeds in a border area. Also, the extra torque provided by a larger engine can improve bagging when the going gets tough (tall, leaf-covered grass in the fall). But if you mow sensibly and pay attention to deck height—and especially if you don’t let your lawn get out of control—an engine between 140 and 160 cc has more than enough power to get the job done.
A mower can have all four wheels the same diameter (7 to 8 inches), or it may have rear wheels that range from 9.5 inches to 12 inches in diameter. Larger rear wheels help the mower roll more easily over bumpy ground.
With some mowers you can start the engine with the twist of a key or the press of a button. It’s a great option, but a luxury. Keep the mower engine tuned and use fresh fuel with stabilizer added to it, and you’ll never have trouble starting.
Any number of mechanisms can control a mower’s ground speed—a squeeze handle, a drive bar that you press forward, even a dial. There’s no single right answer here. Look at the design and think about how you like to work. For example, if more than one person will be using the mower (and not all of them are right-handed), a drive control like that on a Toro Personal Pace mower might be the answer. Just push down on the bar to make it go faster. Let up on the bar to slow down.
A mower that can bag, mulch, and side discharge is known as a three-function mower, the most versatile kind. Two-function mowers bag and mulch or mulch and side discharge.
Mowers will typically have one, two, or four levers to control the deck height. Single-lever adjustment is the easiest to use, but it requires more linkage, which adds weight and complexity. If, for some reason, you find yourself varying deck height frequently, it’s a good option. Otherwise, two or four levers work just fine.
Only Honda makes a gas-engine mower with a high-impact plastic deck (there are battery mowers that have plastic decks). Otherwise, mowers generally have a steel deck, and a few manufacturers—Toro, for one—offer a corrosion-resistant aluminum deck. An aluminum deck won’t rot the way a steel deck will, but you still need to keep it clean.
This is a hose fitting mounted on top of the mower’s deck. When you’re done mowing, hook up a hose and run the mower to power wash the underside of the deck. We’ve had mixed results with these, but they’re better than just letting a mass of dried grass clippings accumulate.
expensive mowers come with a more durable bag with more dust-blocking capability. If you bag a lot, especially leaves or other lawn debris in the fall, then you need a mower with a higher quality dust-blocking bag. Having said that, if you rarely bag, the standard one that comes with a mower will last you the life of the mower.
Also called wide-area mowers, machines in this subgroup help homeowners better reconcile their need for more power and speed with the fact that they may not have enough storage for a tractor or zero-turn mower. A typical residential walk mower has a single-blade deck that cuts a swath from 20 to 22 inches wide. Wide-cut mowers (built for homeowner use) have either a single blade or, more typically, a pair of blades, cutting from 26 to 30 inches with each pass. Some of these are rated for light commercial use and have larger decks, in the 32-inch range, and engines that start at 223 cc and go up to about 337 cc.
Wide-cut mowers typically employ gear or hydrostatic drive transmissions, and they have top speeds of about 4 to 6 miles per hour. At their fastest, they move so quickly you have to trot to keep up with them. Needless to say, they’re overkill for small yards; only opt for one of these if you’ve got a significant plot of land that you need to keep tidy, but not one so large that you’d be better off going with a full-on riding mower.
How We Tested and Selected
We compiled this list based on Popular Mechanics mower testing and our knowledge of the lawn mower market at large. For our testing, we put mowers through the paces using our standard Popular Mechanics methodology: We cut turf grasses such as fescues and blue grass and rougher non-turf grasses like Timothy, clover, orchard grass, and wild oats, all in both normal and shin-deep heights. We mow uphill, downhill, and across the faces of hills. The maximum slope we cut is about 30 degrees.
That may not sound like much, but it’s about all you can do to stand on it, let alone push a mower up it or across it. We mow damp and wet grass to test general cutting performance and whether clippings accumulate on the tires. And we cut dry and dusty surfaces to see how well the bag filters under less-than-optimal conditions.
Honda HRN 216VKA
Key Specs
Honda mowers enjoy a sterling reputation. Having tested their walk and self-propelled mowers for the last 30 years, we feel confident that Honda’s entry level mower is a great choice for homeowners looking for power and durability. The HRN features a GCV 170 gas engine that’s built to withstand long hours of operation.
If you do your own maintenance (and most owners who buy this class of product do), you’ll appreciate the easily accessible spark plug and the fuel shutoff valve that enables better winter storage. Close the fuel shutoff and run the mower until it sputters to a halt. This will clear the carburetor of any gasoline, which will prevent the ethanol in it from disintegrating and causing running issues later on. Open the shutoff valve in the spring, add some fresh gasoline, and the mower should start easily.
All this maintenance stuff is great, but we can also tell you that our past test findings on other Hondas prove that their cut quality is outstanding for cleanliness. Sharp blades deliver a velvet-like finish. And their bagging ability is also quite good, in the same league with other well-bagging mowers from Toro.
In all, if you take mowing seriously, you should enjoy this Honda. If you have a little wiggle room in your budget, consider the Honda HRX, which features a mower powerful engine and a composite deck that won’t rust and is renowned for its durability.
One note is that Honda has announced that it will cease selling lawn mowers in the United States after this year—so if you’re considering buying one, best do it sooner rather than later.
Toro Recycler 60-Volt Max Lithium-Ion
Key Specs
Toro mowers have garnered more recommendations from us than any other brand for two reasons: build quality and cut quality. These were amply demonstrated in our testing as the Recycler turned in the best ratio of cut area per amp-hour of battery in the self-propelled category, while at the same time not skimping on cutting, mulching, or bagging quality.
We attribute this outstanding mower performance to three features, all upgrades to the previous version of this machine. First, the air vent at the front of the mower deck seems to improve mulching and bagging performance. Toro calls it Vortex technology, a design that increases air flow under the deck. This helps to stand the grass for a cleaner cut, which improves mulching performance, and also allows better airflow into the bag when collecting the clippings.
Next, the company’s redesigned “Atomic” blade configuration appears to assist the air flow and clipping movement. Finally, the three-phase, 60-volt motor is exceptionally efficient, resulting in a large cut area for a single battery.
Toro has maintained features that make this mower work: rear wheel drive, a one-piece deck that’s all steel (no plastic nose), 11-inch wheels to help it roll over roots and crevices, and the same fold-forward handle that was an industry breakthrough when it was introduced some years ago.
Ryobi 40-Volt Brushless Self-Propelled Mower
Key Specs
This is one of Ryobi’s top-of-the-line mowers, and it’s American-made construction is something we wish we saw more of. It delivers a tremendous cut area with its two 6-Ah batteries providing a total of 12-Ah of capacity, and its X-shaped blade leaves a pristine surface in its wake.
Ryobi estimates the design should provide 70 minutes of run time; we didn’t time our cut, but it strikes as plausible. Its rear-wheel drive and reasonably aggressive tire tread pattern provide good hill climbing and sidehill cutting performance, and its bagging on all surfaces (level, sidehill, and uphill) is also commendable.
Other ease-of-use features include an easily installed or removed bag that mounts and dismounts straight up and down through the handle; deck adjustment is quick and easy thanks to a single-level deck height adjustment. The straight edge deck is polypropylene; it will never rust and needs very little care other than basic cleaning.
Toro TimeMaster 30 in. Briggs Stratton Personal Pace
The Toro Timemaster 30-in. mower has been around for several years and has earned a reputation as a sturdy workhorse for homeowners who want to cut down on their mowing time. It’s also used by some professionals as well. A few years ago the Timemaster got a slightly more powerful Briggs and Stratton gas engine, so it should have no issues powering through most demanding mowing jobs.
The Timemaster is rear-wheel drive and features Toro’s Personal Pace drive system that’s used on many of its self-propelled mowers. This allows the mower to move at your speed by simply pushing down or releasing the handle, which is spring-tensioned.
With a 30-in. deck, Toro claims the Timemaster will help you reduce your mowing time by about 40% compared to using a standard-sized mower. You can mulch, back, or side discharge with the Timemaster, and the handlebar can be locked in a fully vertical position to reduce space consumption in storage.
If you have half an acre to a full acre of lawn to mow and prefer the experience of a walk-behind mower versus a tractor or zero-turn, the Timemaster is worth a look.
Craftsman M220
Key Specs
Craftsman mowers have been doing very well in our tests, so we can recommend this one because it’s so much like the many other of the brand’s models that we’ve tested. If you’re looking for a good blend of maneuverability and power, you’ll get it with this mower. Its front drive helps move it along and makes it easy to turn.
It’s important to note that front-drive mowers do lose some traction when running uphill, particularly with a full grass bag. But if your slope is less than 20 degrees, and you’re not bagging uphill, you’ll be fine. The side discharge will also help you handle tall grass. Adjust the two deck levers to bring the mower up to full height and have at the rough stuff.
The fact that this mower bags, mulches, and side discharges is a plus, enabling you to handle a wide range of mowing conditions, from early spring and late into the fall. Three-function mowers like this are our preference for that versatility.
Toro Super Recycler Self-Propelled Lawn Mower
Key Specs
This is a beauty of a mower, with a cast-aluminum deck and a smooth-running Briggs Stratton 163-cc engine. We tested the Honda engine-equipped version, and it was effective at both bagging and mulching, even in moist grass.
Equipped with rear-wheel drive and the Personal Pace system (the farther you push the drive bar, the faster the mower goes), it’s an effective hill climber and moderately effective on sidehill cutting. It has relatively small 7.5-inch tires on all four corners, which causes this Toro to bump up and down a bit on washboard surfaces. But the good news is that it’s equipped with a far higher quality tire than we’re used to seeing these days. We didn’t notice them pick up any grass on moist surfaces.
Other features we like include its forward-fold handle that has a built-in shock absorber that Toro calls a Flex Handle Suspension, and a high-quality grass bag that loads through the handle, from the top.
QA
Are there special maintenance considerations with self-propelled mowers?
Yes. Both front- and rear-wheel drive mowers typically feature a drive belt, which can crack or wear out over time. Fortunately these belts are not difficult or particularly expensive to replace.
Secondly, you may have to replace the drive wheels occasionally. These wheels are driven with gears. there are typically teeth on the inside diameter of the drive wheel that line up with a gear on the axle. These teeth can wear out, especially if they are made of plastic. Higher-end mowers may feature drive wheels with a metal gear that meets the metal axle gear, which improves longevity of these components.
My lawnmower says I don’t ever have to change the oil, but just add oil when needed. Is this OK?
It’s not a good idea to never change the oil in your lawn mower. In a lawn mower, same as a car, oil degrades over time and is less effective at reducing heat and friction in metal components. Changing the oil in your lawn mower is easy to do and will significantly increase its service life. For most homeowners, changing the oil at the beginning or end of each mowing season should be sufficient, though there is certainly no harm in doing it more often.
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.