John deere lawnmower deck. 11 Simple Steps to Level a Mower Deck

How to Level a Mower Deck

Spring is on its way! It’s just about time to hop on the mower and start cutting. You can almost smell that fresh cut grass!

We know you take pride in your lawn and your lawn care equipment, so you want that first cut to look great. You don’t want ruts or an uneven cut to ruin all of your hard work. If you do notice these common issues while mowing, you are likely working with an unlevel mower deck.

Thankfully, leveling your mower deck is simple and can be done quickly. Be sure to reference your owner’s manual for specifics and follow the steps below to adjust and level the deck height of your mower so you can get back to cutting grass the way it was meant to be cut.

Tools and Equipment

• The appropriate size wrench or socket set
• Tape measure
• Gloves
• Tire pressure gauge
• Safety glasses

Steps

• First, place your riding mower on level ground. This is important because you will be using the ground for your measuring foundation.
• Stabilize your mower. Engage the parking brake so that the mower cannot roll back and injure those working beneath it. Also, place the mower engagement lever in the disengaged position. Turn the ignition off and remove the key.
• Ensure all the blades and moving parts have stopped and disconnect the spark plug wire so it can’t come in contact with the spark plug in the engine.
• Now check the tire pressure with your pressure gauge and make sure all tires are at maximum pressure. This also helps to ensure that the mower is level so you can align the deck properly.
• Make sure that the blades are rotated to the side and use the tape measure to measure from the edge of the blade to the level ground. Repeat this step on both sides. Note the measurements and subtract the two to get a difference. If the difference is close to ⅛.inch, a side-to-side adjustment is not needed. If there is more than ⅛.inch difference, you will need to make an adjustment.
• If an adjustment is needed, begin turning the lift link lock nut located in front of the rear wheel on the left side. Each full turn of this lock nut will change the height of this side of the mower about 3/16-inch. Turn the adjusting lock nut clockwise to raise the mower and counterclockwise to lower it.
• Measure from the blade to the ground again on both sides and adjust until the difference between the blade tip heights are within ⅛.inch.
• Rotate the blades so that their direction is now front to back. Using the bottom edge of the blade closest to the deck as a reference, measure the distance from the ground to the blade at the front and rear blade tips. If the front blade tips are ⅛.inch to ½.inch lower than the rear blade tips, the position of the blade is acceptable. If the front-to-rear angle of the deck is outside the ⅛.inch to ½.inch range, adjust the blade.
• To make the adjustment, use the wrench to loosen the jam nut several turns. You can then turn the adjustment nut counterclockwise to loosen and drop the front of the mower or clockwise to tighten and raise the front of the mower.
• Measure the front and rear blade tips to make sure the difference is within the acceptable range. When the measurements are within range, tighten the jam nut while being careful not to change the position of the adjustment nut.
• Now you can prepare the mower for use again. Check that all pulley guards and deflectors are in good condition and properly secured in place on the mower deck. Replace the spark plug wire, turn the ignition key in the switch, and test your mower.

You are now ready to mow your lawn with clean lines and an even cut. To lower your chances of having to fix an unlevel deck in the future, be sure to avoid bumps and debris that can cause damage.

We hope that this guide helps you to successfully level your mower deck, but if you have any questions or need assistance with your mower, call the team at Koenig Equipment. We will be happy to assist you. Our mobile maintenance team can service your equipment at home, on the farm, or on the job site. We can even pick it up and bring it to our shop for more comprehensive repairs!

Is your lawn mower in need of service that a mower deck level adjustment won’t fix? The team at Koenig Equipment can help. Schedule a service appointment with our expert technicians and get your mower trimming lawns again.

Need a part too? Check out MyDealer!

Are Lawn Mower Decks Interchangeable? (Insider Tips)

Deck corrosion kills a lot of otherwise perfect lawnmowers. I see it all the time; It seems such a shame to chuck a mower when she’s got so much more to give.

So, are lawn mower decks interchangeable? Lawnmower decks are largely interchangeable. Engines will swap without issue. However, blades and drive systems may differ.

I’ve been a mower mechanic for over twenty years, and I’ve changed lots of decks. In this post, I’ll give you the heads-up on changing your deck. You’ll learn common mistakes to avoid and tips for a successful engine swap.

If you need video help, check out the “Mower repair video library”, it walks you through a ton of common mower maintenance and repair jobs like blade sharpening, pull cord repair, no-start troubleshooting, carburetor cleaning, self-drive faults, etc.

Old grass clippings are a deck killer.

Evaluate Your Mower

OK… so what does that even mean? It means we’ll need to make sure the other components of your mower are OK. Anyway, since it’s your mower, you probably already know pretty well how she starts and runs.

But it’s worth checking over the mower; not much point in changing out the deck to find a drive system is failing, or worse, an engine. Getting this wrong will be a waste of your dollars and your time. Make sense? Since the engine and drive system are the most expensive components to repair and replace, we’ll look for possible problems there first.

The following should be considered before swapping out a deck:

Engine Health

• Is engine swap is straight forward
• How’s engine health
• How’s the oil quality – very black or grey oil isn’t a positive sign
• How is the oil level? – low level may indicate engine wear, and a high level could indicate a carburetor issue
• Any oil leaks around or under the engine? – crankshaft seals are a common source of mower oil leaks
• Start the engine – does it start easily? – hard to start mower could indicate a tune-up needed or a replacement carburetor
• How does the engine run? – misfiring or spluttering means it may need a tune-up, but it could equally mean a more expensive repair is needed
• Does the engine rev cleanly without surging? – surging could mean a new carb needed
• Does the engine run without smoke? – smoke is a sign of engine wear; however, simply overfilling the oil will cause the engine to smoke too

The most common non-critical lawn mower engine faults I see include:

Drive System Health

Drive systems can be expensive to repair. If your mower is self-driven (most are), you’ll need to ensure the drive system operates well.

Some higher-end self-drive mowers are hydro-static transmissions and are hugely expensive to buy, they don’t offer spare parts, and they’re a real pain to fit. I wrote a post about trans-axles here.

So that said, let’s look at some drive system probing questions.

• Does the application of drive happen smoothly?
• When driving, does the mower pull well, is the action constant and smooth?
• Does the mower pull well on hills, or do you need to help by pushing it?
• Any grinding, squealing or otherwise strange noises when drive is applied?
• Is the trans-axle free from oil leaks?
• Is the drive belt in good condition?

The drive system includes a transaxle, wheels, pulleys, and belt.

Common Drive System Faults Include:

• Worn belts
• Frayed braided drive cables
• Damaged pulleys
• Worn drive pins
• Worn wheel drive gears
• Worn wheels
• Worn out transmissions

Check out the drive system repair video here “Video repair library page”.

Everything Else On The Mower

Under this heading, we’ll include:

• Handlebars
• Controls
• Blade
• Blade boss
• Grass flap
• Grass bag/box

Replacing drive controls can be expensive too.

Most of these components generally don’t cause many issues and are low risk. However, it’s often items such as these that make a mower uneconomical to repair. The blade and blade boss are the components from this list most likely to need attention but are easy to fit and not expensive.

Deck Replacing Tips

Is it worth it?

When it comes to replacing your lawn mower deck, there are a few mission-critical factors. Here’s what you need to know. All lawnmower engines are interchangeable. The engine mounting points are standard. So you can easily remove any engine and fit it to another deck.

However, while all engines are interchangeable, it doesn’t follow that all mower decks are interchangeable. While mower engine manufacturers agree on standard engine mounting specs, no such agreement is in place for any other mower component.

The easiest swap is either find an identical deck match for your old deck or – find a perfect pre-loved mower (same type deck or different) with a blown engine (check the length and width of crankshafts match) and swap over your good motor.

Either of these strategies will almost guarantee success. I’ll explain in further detail below.

Important Engine Specs

Crankshaft size is mission-critical – Get this wrong, and your blade won’t fit.

OK, so you know you can swap out any engine, and it will bolt to any deck, so what’s the problem? While all engines mounting points are the same, not all engine crankshafts are the same length or diameter.

So what does that mean? It simply means your engine crankshaft size (length and diameter) is paired with both your self-drive pulley and your blade boss (blade mount). These components must be swapped out as a set.

Important Deck Specs

You already know that lawn mower deck manufacturers don’t operate standards apart from the engine mounting points. So what does this mean to your deck swap? It means unless your new deck is a match for your old one, it’s unlikely your drive system will transfer across.

Other issues, like handlebar mounting points, will most likely also differ. And yes, of course, you can go all MacGyver on it and make them fit, but getting the drive system to fit and operate correctly probably won’t be worth all the effort.

Deck widths also vary, so your blade width must match your new deck width.

Although manufacturers don’t hold standard deck specs, they will very often share designs. So it is very common to find your identical deck fitted to a different brand. Generally, you won’t have a problem finding a new or used donor deck for your mower.

Avoid

I’d avoid attempting to re-engineer a drive system.

Related Questions

Can I put a bigger deck on my mower? Yes, you can fit a bigger deck to your mower, but engine power and deck size are often proportional.

How to Fix John Deere Mower Deck Stuck In Up Position

Occasionally, your John Deere mower deck might get stuck in the up position in the middle of the job.

But do you know why the mower deck gets stuck and how to fix it?

The most common reasons are:

• Internally jammed mower deck.
• Damaged, broken, or worn-out Lift Cable.
• Corrosion or wear on Deck.
• Faulty deck Lift or released Pedal.

Besides that, there are various other potential causes behind John Deere’s mower deck getting stuck up position. Continue reading to find out more about the many reasons for this problem and how to solve them_

Why Is My John Deere Mower Deck Stuck In Up Position?

Check out the 6 other common causes that will likely stick your John Deere mower deck in the up position_

• Seized-up Lifting Pistons.
• The latch is not engaged.
• Damaged or dull mower Blades.
• Worn-out Hydraulic system.
• Faulty deck Height Adjustment Lever.
• External objects tend to block the deck’s internal movement.

Fix Your John Deere Mower Deck Stuck In Up Position with 9 Steps:

The best approach is to inspect each potential area first and perform the required service_

Internally Jammed Mower Deck

This problem commonly occurs when the deck gets internally jammed up.

But to confirm it, inspect the underneath of your mower and the above area of the mower deck first.

If you find no internal component is damaged, loose, or bent, your John Deere mower deck is jammed.

What to Do:

The only way out is to clear the deck, which can be done in two ways:

• You can apply additional weight by putting one foot on your mower deck and see if it drops. Repeat the process several times when moving from one half of the deck to another.Make sure to put pressure downward repeatedly to force the deck to drop down.
• Locate the exact area where the deck internally got jammed. Use a pry tool to untangle the pinch until the jam is clear.

Damaged, broken, or worn-out Lift Cable

The lift cable on a John Deere mower deck connects the deck to the mower engine.

But a broken or damaged cable drives the deck stuck in an up position and prevents it from going down.

What to Do:

Remove your mower’s seat and under seat bolts first.

Take off the shackle to check the current state of the lift cable to verify whether the cable is damaged or in good shape.

If the lift cable looks bad, replace the lift cable with a new one.

Then, put everything back together securely.

Corrosion or wear on the Deck

Corrosion or wear issues on any mower deck can prevent proper alignment and movement.

The deck may someday get stuck while operating because it’s rusted or worn out.

What to Do

The easiest solution is to check the state of your mower deck and if it has really worn out, replace the deck.

If you do not wish to replace the deck, this detailed step-by-step repairing tutorial might be resourceful for you:

Maintaining a beautiful lawn can be a daunting task, especially if you lack the appropriate know-how and tools to handle the challenges that may crop up. Fortunately, LawnAsk is here to offer you an all-encompassing resource that covers everything you need to know about lawn care.

Recent Posts

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. And it’s never been easier to do. Check it out.

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.

Painting a Lawnmower Deck, John Deere Tractor

Protect your lawnmower deck against rust with a fresh coat of paint! In today’s article we will go through a few steps on how to clean, prep and paint the cutting deck on an old John Deere riding mower.

In this example, we will be working on a John Deere L100 with a 42″ metal deck. This tractor has been in service for over 10 years and (with a little bit of general maintenance) is still running like a champ.

Don’t own a John Deere? Don’t worry.

This process of protecting your lawnmower deck against rust can be applied to all the popular brands like Craftsman, Cub Cadet, Husqvarna, Toro, etc.

Getting Started… Removing the Deck and Cleaning

Removal of the mower deck may vary across different brands so I’m not going to get into the specifics of how to do this. Be Smart and check with your owners manual regarding the proper technique and safety precautions.

Tip: If you no longer have the manual, most information can now be found online by searching the make/model of your tractor

With the deck now removed it is time to clean off all loose debris, flaking paint, wet grass, etc. Many people advise NOT to spray the belt or spindles with a garden hose or pressure washer as this can causing squealing. A better alternative is to use compressed air or a leaf blower to simply “blow off” the loose stuff.

Here are a couple of before photos of what I was dealing with.

To clean the underside of the lawn mower deck, try using an old putty knife. The flexible straight edge is ideal for getting underneath the stuck-on grass. Continue around the entire deck until all of the large grass chunks are removed.

Now is also a good time to check the blade spindles. Tall grass, trimmer line and twine can get wrapped-up around these posts causing the machine to work harder then it has to.

The final step of the cleanup was to use a wire brush attachment on the end of a drill.

I picked up this cheap attachment from Harbor Freight and it did an excellent job removing the last bit of grass and surface rust. Now we can move onto applying the Corroseal Rust Inhibitor.

Apply Corroseal Rust Inhibitor Primer before paint

The goal of this project is not only to make the deck look nice and new. But also to extend the useful life of the mower by protecting the metal deck from rust.

If left untreated, rust can eventually eat holes through the metal causing major damage.

To neutralize all existing rust and further prep the surface I will be applying Corroseal. This stuff is really easy to apply and so far I have been impressed with the results.

If you want to learn more about this product, check out the link above where we applied it to a truck frame. Once applied it will turn any existing rust BLACK and acts as a metal primer.

Here is a photo taken 24 hours after applying the Corroseal.

Now since the Corroseal is a metal primer you could probably go right to paint. However, I had some Rust-Oleum Primer around so I decided to apply a few coats for even more layers of protection.

After a couple of coats of the Rust-Oleum Primer it was onto paint. Finally!

If you didn’t already know, Rust-Oleum makes a line of “Specialty Farm Equipment” colors. These colors include John Deere Yellow Green, Kubota Orange, Ford Blue, Caterpillar Yellow, Troy Built Red more. Here is a link to the full list of colors

Expect to pay a premium for this line of paint vs the traditional colors.

Considering this is a 10-year old lawnmower deck after all, I decided on picking up only one can of John Deere Yellow for the top of the deck and a regular yellow enamel for the bottom.

Not perfect but looks pretty good!

Next, time to flip over the deck and prep the topside for paint.

Painting a Lawnmower Deck, John Deere Yellow

The process of painting the topside of the mower deck will involve the following steps: Remove loose material flaking paint Mask off areas including the belt, pullies and decals Apply a rust inhibitor like Corroseal Scuff up the existing paint with sandpaper Prime and Paint

Plastic bags work great to protect areas where you do not want paint. Using a large garbage bag, cover the belt and all the wheels involved with running the blades.

Tip: Although you do not have to remove the belt, take a quick photo of how the belt is installed. This photo can be a helpful reference should the belt pop-off durring this process.

The next part is optional but I decided to cover the original decals with electrical tape for a more original finish.

Here is the last photo before primer and paint.

With the area all masked off we are now ready to apply the primer and paint.

Similar to what we did on the bottom. I applied two light coats of primer and then 3 coats of the John Deere Yellow paint to finish it off.

Use light coats with broad overlapping patterns. Try not to FOCUS on any one area too much as this can cause runs in the paint or problems with drying.

If you miss a spot, don’t worry. Hit it on the next coat.

Conclusion, Finished Project with Photos

After a few hours of prep work and a few minutes of paint here is the End Result!

Not only did this drastically improve the look of this machine, I expect it to keep the metal protected for years to come.

If you are planning on breathing new life into a beat up lawn mower, check out the links below to many of the products used for this project.

As always, if you have any questions or helpful suggestions we would love to hear for you. Leave a comment below.

BONUS, Keep your Tractor Looking Good with an Outdoor Lawnmower Cover

While it is never ideal to store your lawnmower (or any equipment for that matter) outdoors, sometimes it is unavoidable.

One way to keep your investment protected is with a cheap lawnmower cover.

Here is a cover I purchased off Amazon to protect my machine against pollen, fly/bird droppings and dust.

For the price this cover is actually pretty good and fits great on this 42″ deck. The bottom is elastic and there is enough room left over to easily take this on and off. Click to See this Cover on Amazon

Not only for outdoor storage

While this cover is marketed as “Ultra Waterproof” to protect against water. This would also work well to keep dust of the machine while in storage during winter months. Win/Win.

Reader Interactions

Комментарии и мнения владельцев

I bought a 2016 D140 off of a previous owner only to find out the mower deck and green metal has areas of peel and rust. I will try to use the same technique for other areas of the body. Thanks for Making this blog

I bought a John Deere la135 a couple weeks ago. the mower deck needed work on both the top and bottom. I use the same technique to get rid of the grass clumps and loose rust… The top I pulled all the pieces off pulleys iler down to the bare shell. I used a wire wheel which helped in certain spots. so I got all the paint off the top. first thing I put on was Rust-Oleum rust reformer.then I use Rust-Oleum automotive primer. then I finished off with rustoleum’s farm equipment John Deere yellow… It came out great… I’m trying to decide if I need to put anything after the farm equipment yellow.

Thanks for stopping by, sounds like a good project. As a final coat you could always try using an automotive wax or ceramic coating. Best of luck.

I’ve been restoring our 11 yo John Deere since the quarantine and your post has been extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing it.

That’s great to hear about your restoration and I’m glad you found this post helpful! With a little bit of time and care, these machines will provide years of service. Take care.

Not really too hard to remove all the hardware for a more complete job. Doing this also lend itself to checking all parts for wear and that all are properly tightened. Results here are very impressive and I can vouch for the specialty farm equipment paint. It is worth the extra cost for sure and keeps true colors.

Thanks for the comment. Removing the hardware would allow for more access to the topside of the deck but considering this is an old workhorse mower for around the farm I wasn’t too concerned with perfection. However, it has already been two years since this paintjob was done and it is still holding up very well. I do agree the Rustoleum Farm Equipment Paint was worth the small extra cost to match the true John Deere Yellow color and it has proven to be very durable. Best of luck on your projects!

Awesome description! The details you provide are very helpful for anyone looking to tackle this weekend project!

Nick, Thanks for stopping by and checking out the page! A little bit of prep and paint sure goes a long way!

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