Mower deck is cutting uneven how do you level it out?

SOURCE: I sharpened the blades at the end of last mowing

The problem you discribe is the classic broken blade spindle or quill. The tube that supports the bearings between the deck pulleys and the blades is almost certainly broken. Look under the deck [mower OFF] at the piece right above the blade that is malfunctioning and you will probably find a bad bearing or a chunk of the tube that holds the bearing/blade to be missing. That happens when the blade gets 'wacked'. The outer edge is cutting too high because the belt is pulling the shaft toward the center of the deck. The quills are fairly easy to replace. Get the model number off your tractor before you go to buy the part.

Steve Oakes

• 234 Answers
• Posted on Jul 06, 2009

SOURCE: uneven cut

I suggest you park the tractor on a level hard surface. Measure from the bottom of the deck to the ground on both sides of the deck to see if it is mounted level. The next thing to check for is a bent blade. Good luck.

SOURCE: How do I get my mower deck set properly? Any tricks?

check your front tire air pressures

SOURCE: deck is leveled, blades are fine,spindle not bent it still cuts

there was a problem with the lighter gauge decks [thinner steel], and the deck would actually bend inward on the left side. this would tilt the mandrel inward making the blade cut at a slight angle to the right blade - there is tool to straighten the deck [the left mandrel housing usually breaks, though] - some shops have this tool, others have never heard of such a thing - most sears l&g field techs have this tool in their trucks - i have the tool in my shop, but i have had luck with turning the deck over and whapping it a couple of times on the inside edge of the left mandrel until the blades line up

SOURCE: 2003 DLT3000 Craftsman riding mower. Air in tires

when you put the new blades on did you notice if they were even with each other? the 42" decks have a tendency to "warp" inward on the left side. this causes the left blade to ride at an angle to the right blade - there is a tool to correct this, but not all shops have it - sometimes you can remove the deck, flip it over and wallop the inside edge of the left mandrel until the blades are even - a 2 lb. sledge works well for this