Lawn mower number settings. Getting the Best Lawn Mower Cut Quality

US4835952A. Lawn mower height adjustment linkages. Google Patents

Publication number US4835952A US4835952A US07/121,943 US12194387A US4835952A US 4835952 A US4835952 A US 4835952A US 12194387 A US12194387 A US 12194387A US 4835952 A US4835952 A US 4835952A Authority US United States Prior art keywords mower pivot handle height connecting rod Prior art date 1985-07-23 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 US07/121,943 Inventor Frank E. McLane Original Assignee Mclane Frank E 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.) 1985-07-23 Filing date 1987-11-18 Publication date 1989-06-06 Priority claimed from US75809485A external-priority 1987-11-18 Application filed by Mclane Frank E filed Critical Mclane Frank E 1987-11-18 Priority to US07/121,943 priority Critical patent/US4835952A/en 1989-06-06 Application granted granted Critical 1989-06-06 Publication of US4835952A publication Critical patent/US4835952A/en 2006-06-06 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical Status Expired. Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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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
A01D2101/00 — Lawn-mowers

Abstract

A lawn mower height adjustment linkage which is actuated by the rotation of a hand crank mounted on the mower’s handle. The linkage raises or lowers the lawn mower deck relative to the ground by moving all four wheels of the mower simultaneously. The hand crank is threaded so that the mower height can be set at an infinite variety of positions. The location of the hand crank on the handle allows safe operation of the height adjustment linkage even when the mower is running. The wheels of the mower are mounted on bell cranks which are pivotably pinned to the mower so that rotation of the bell cranks will raise or lower the wheels relative to the mower. The bell crank corresponding to the left front wheel is linked to the hand crank through a connecting rod and a rotatable pivot arm, the pivot arm being mounted on the lawn mower handle. The motion of the connecting rod which rotates the left front bell crank is transmitted to the bell cranks of the remaining wheels through a plurality of bars which connect the bell cranks so that the height of all wheels are adjusted simultaneously. A height indicator is provided on the handle and is easily readable by the operator during operation.

Description

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 758,094, filed July 23, 1985 abandoned Dec. 1987.

The present invention relates generally to lawn mowers, and more particularly to an apparatus for raising or lowering the height of a lawn mower relative to the ground, to vary the height at which grass is cut by the mower.

Generally, lawn mower height adjustment mechanisms have operated by varying the position of the mower wheels relative to the housing of the mower blade, or the deck. Most prior art systems have been unsatisfactory since the height of each wheel must be independently adjusted, requiring the operator of the mower to bend down and directly manipulate each wheel. Due to the proximity of the blade to the wheels, each time the height of the mower is adjusted, the mower engine must be turned off for safety reasons. Thus, adjusting the height of the mower becomes a time-consuming task.

Another drawback of mowers which have independently adjustable wheels is that it is possible for different wheels to be accidentally set at different heights, resulting in an uneven cutting by the mower. Further, most prior art systems enable the mower to be set only at one of a limited number of predetermined heights, thus limiting the usefulness of the mower where precise variations in the grass cutting height are desired.

Further, on prior lawn mowers having adjustable height mechanisms, it is difficult to accurately determine exactly how high the mower is set without actually cutting the grass first.

Some prior art devices allow simultaneous adjustment of all four wheels of a lawn mower, as shown in the patents to Abel (U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,859) and Rogers, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 2,730,374). However, even the devices shown in Abel and Rogers only allow a height of the mower to be adjusted to a limited of incrementally varying settings.

Thus, a need exists for a lawn mower height adjustment mechanism which can be safely actuated while the mower is running and which simultaneously adjusts all four wheels to an infinite variety of height settings.

Briefly, the present invention is a height adjustment apparatus for a wheeled vehicle, such as a lawn mower. The wheels of the mower are mounted an cranks which are pivotably secured to the deck of the lawn mower so that rotating a crank moves the corresponding wheel relative to the deck, and results in a raising or lowering of the deck relative to the ground.

The cranks by which the wheels are secured to the mower preferably are L-shaped bell cranks, each having two legs which are joined at an apex. The apex of each bell crank is pivotably fixed to the lawn mower deck, and an axle passes through the end of a first leg.

The height adjustment apparatus further comprises a linkage for transmitting the motion of one crank to the cranks of the remaining wheels. This linkage includes a crossbar connecting the bell cranks of the front wheels, a crossbar connecting the bell cranks of the rear wheels, and bars on either side of the mower connecting each front wheel bell crank with the respective rear wheel bell crank on that side. Further, the front wheels are joined together through a straight axle which extends through both front wheel cranks. Also, a straight rear axle passes through both rear bell cranks to join the rear wheels. Thus, all wheels of the mower move simultaneously so that the mower remains level.

A substantially horizontal connecting rod is pivotably attached to one of the cranks so that forward or backward movement of the connecting rod will rotate that crank. Preferably, the connecting rod is secured to the end of a second leg of one of the cranks which is used mount one of the front wheels of the mower. The height adjustment linkage also includes a means for adjustably controlling the movement of the connecting rod so that the lawn mower can be raised or lowered to an infinite variety of desired levels.

Preferably, motion of the connecting rod is controlled by attaching one end of the connecting rod to a pivot arm which is rotably mounted on the mower’s handle and extends beneath the handle to a position where rotation of the pivot arm will cause motion of the connecting rod to vary the height of the mower. A rotatable bar which extends across the handle is fixed to the pivot arm so that rotation of the bar results in rotation of the pivot arm. The pivot arm and pivot bar are rotated by means of a hand crank which has a threaded stem. A threaded member extends from the pivot bar so that when the hand crank is threaded into the threaded member, the pivot arm is rotated. The hand crank is also secured to the handle of the mower, so that the crank can be rotated to actuate the linkage while the mower is running, without risking injury to the operator of the mower.

Another feature of the invention is a mower height indicator which is mounted on the handle of the mower for easy viewing during operation. Preferably, the height indicator comprises a removable cover mounted in a stationary position on the rotatable bar extending across the handle. An indicator is also secured to the rotatable bar so that it is stationary relative to the bar. The indicator points to indicial markings on the cover corresponding to the height of the mower blade. Advantageously, the orientation of the indicator relative to the rotatable bar can be adjusted so as to accurately calibrate the height indicator.

FIG. 3 is partially cut-away side elevation of the height adjustment linkage found in FIG. 1, with the positioning of the linkage at various heights shown in broken lines.

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the handle of a lawn mower incorporating the height indicator of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the underside of the cover portion of the height indicator shown in FIG. 5.

The present height adjustment apparatus is shown on a lawn mower 10 in FIG. 1. The mower 10 includes a deck 12 which houses the mower blade (not shown), a U-shaped handle 14 which is affixed at the rear end of the deck 12, and a plurality of wheels 16, 18, 20 and 22 which suspend the deck 12 above the ground. The wheels 16, 18, 20 and 22 are located at each of the four corners of the deck 12. Located at the left and right front corners of the deck 12 are the left front wheel 18 and the right front wheel 20. Likewise, a left rear wheel 20 and a right rear wheel 22 are at the left and right rear corners of the deck 12.

The wheels 16, 18, 20 and 22 of the mower 10 are mounted on the deck 12 by a left front crank 24, right front crank 26, left rear crank 28 and right rear crank 30, respectively. Preferably, the cranks 24, 26, 28 and 30 are L-shaped bell cranks, each having a lower leg 32 and an upper leg 34 which are joined at an apex 36. Each of the bell cranks 24, 26, 28 and 30 is pivotably hinged to the deck 12 at its apex 36. As shown in FIG. 3, rotation of the bell cranks about their apices 36 results in the raising or lowering of the wheels 16, 18, 20 and 22 relative to the deck 12, thus changing the vertical height of the deck 12.

The front wheels 16 and 18 are joined by a straight front axle 36 which extends through respective apertures in the lower legs 32 of the front bell cranks 24 and 26. Similarly, a straight rear axle 38 extends through apertures in the ends of the lower legs 32 of the rear bell cranks 28 and 30. Preferably, the axles 36 and 38 are rotatable within the bell crank lower legs 32. Also extending between the front bell cranks 24 and 26 is a front crossbar 40. A rear crossbar 42 connects the rear bell cranks 28 and 30. Since the front bell cranks 24 and 26 are joined by the front axle 36 and front crossbar 40, the front wheels 16 and 18 will move in unison. Due to the rear axle 38 and rear crossbar 42, the rear wheels 20 and 22 will also move in unison, to maintain the mower 10 level at all times.

To coordinate movement of the front bell cranks 24 and 26 and the rear bell cranks 28 and 30, a left side bar 44 is attached between the upper legs 34 of the left front bell crank 24 and the left rear bell rank 28. A right side bar 46 is similarly located on the right side of the mower 10.

Alternatively, each of the wheels 16, 18, 20 and 22 can be mounted on a short, independent axle (not shown), extending from the corresponding bell crank lower leg 32. Since such an axle would not be shared with a second wheel, crossbars 40 and 42 or the like would be necessary to insure simultaneous motion of each set of wheels.

One end of a horizontally oriented connecting rod 48 is pivotably secured to the end of one of the bell crank upper legs 34. Preferably, the connecting rod is secured to a front bell crank, and is shown attched to the left front bell crank 24. Forward or backward motion of the connecting rod 48 rotates the left front bell crank 24 to raise or lower the wheel 16. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the connecting rod 48 may alternatively be secured to any other bell crank upper leg 34 since the crossbars 38 and 40, axles 36 and 38, and side bars 44 and 46 serve to coordinate the motion of all four wheels 16, 18, 20 and 22.

The connecting rod 48 is pivotably secured at its other end to a pivot arm 50 which is rotatably fixed to the handle 14 so as to impart a forward or backward motion to the connecting rod 48 upon rotation. Preferably, the pivot arm 50 is mounted on the handle 14 by means of a rotatable pivot bar 52 which extends across the handle 14, and is pivotably secured at either end to the legs of the U-shaped handle 14 by trunions 53 extending upwardly from the handle 14. The pivot bar 52 is positioned at approximately the midpoint between the front and rear ends of the handle 14. The pivot arm 50 is secured to one end of the pivot bar 52 and protrudes radially outward, or laterally, from the bar 52, to extend beneath the handle 14.

Rotation of the pivot arm 50, and thus motion of the connecting rod 48, rotation of the bell cranks 24, 26, 28 and 30 and, ultimately, movement of deck 12 relative to the ground, is controlled by a hand crank 54 mounted on the mower handle 14. The hand crank 54 includes an L-shaped hand lever 55 and an elongated, threaded stem 56 extending from the lever 55. The threaded stem 56 feeds into a threaded bushing 58 which is rotatably pinned to a central arm 60 that extends radially outward from the pivot bar 52 to allow mutual pivoting of the arm 60 and bushing 58.

As is best shown in FIG. 4, the hand crank 54 is further secured to the handle 14 by means of a plate 62 extending upwardly from a crossbar 63 spanning the legs of the handle 14. The stem 56 passes through an aperture 64 in the plate 62. The aperture 64 has a larger diameter than the stem 56 to provide clearance between the stem 56 and the plate 62. A ball 66 having a diameter greater than the aperture 64 is integral with the stem 56 at the end of the stem 56 adjoining the lever 55. The ball 66 bears against a pair of washers 68 which rest against the plate 62 to support the hand crank 54 on the plate 62 so that the stem 56 does not slide through the aperture 64 to the point where the lever 55 contacts the plate 62. The ball 66 also promotes low friction rotation of the stem 56 within the aperture 64.

In operation, the hand crank 54 is manually rotated in order to adjust the mower 10 to a desired height for cutting grass. Since the hand crank 54 is positioned on the handle 14, far from the underside of the deck 12, where the mower blade is located, the hand crank 54 is safely accessible while the mower 10 is running. Further, the location of the hand crank 54 does not require the user to lean over or bend down to actuate the height adjustment linkage.

As is best shown in FIG. 3, when the hand crank 54 rotates, the stem 56 feeds into the bushing 58 and forces the bushing 58 axially along the stem 56. The direction of motion of the bushing 58 depends on the direction of the crank’s 54 rotation. The bushing 58 is pinned to the central arm 60 and travel of the bushing 58 causes the central arm 60 to follow the bushing 58. The central arm 60 is rigidly fixed to the pivot bar 52 so that motion of the central arm 60 causes the pivot arm 52 to rotate, and likewise, causes rotation of the pivot arm 50 about the pivot bar 52.

Rotation of the pivot arm 50 is translated into forward or backward motion of the connecting rod 48 in a substantially horizontal plane. The pivot arm 50 is longer than the central arm 60 and acts as a lever in multiplying the short travel of the bushing 58 into the longer motion of the connecting rod 48. The movement of the connecting rod 48 rotates the left front bell crank 24 about its apex 36, and thus raises or lowers the left front wheel 16. The driving motion of the connecting rod 48 is transmitted to the remaining wheels 18, 20 and 22 through the crossbars 40 and 42, and the side bars 44 and 46 so that all four wheels are adjusted simultaneously to raise or lower the mower 10 evenly.

As discussed above, the connecting rod 48 is preferably secured to a front bell crank 24, 26. The connecting rod 48 is thus longer than if it extended only to a rear bell crank 28, 30. As a result, rotation of the connecting rod 48 in a vertical plane is minimized as the connecting rod 48 moves forward and backward. The less the connecting rod 48 rotates, the smaller is the amount of non-productive force acting on the front bell crank upper leg 34 (i.e., the force component normal to the direction of motion of the upper leg 34). The connecting rod 48 can thus drive the bell crank 24 through a wide range of motion without binding due to the rotation of the connecting rod 48. Again referring to FIG. 3, rotation of the hand crank 54 in one direction results in forward motion of the connecting rod 48, as indicated in broken lines at position A. Forward motion of the bell cranks 24 and 28 to position A causes the mower 10 to be raised to a higher position. Conversely, rotation of the hand crank 54 in the opposite direction will draw the connecting rod 48 backwards to position B, moving bell cranks 24 and 28 to position B and lowering the height of the mower 10.

The threaded stem 56 allows the hand crank 54 to be rotated any desired number of times to result in an unlimited number of mower height settings. Thus, the mower 10 can be used to cut grass to any desired height. In addition to varying the mower height when manually actuated, the hand crank 54 and bushing 58 cooperate to maintain the mower 10 at any desired height setting. The gravitational tendency of the desk 12 to drop down to ground level is transmitted to be bushing 58 and stem 56 through the linkage described herein. However, the pitch of the threading on the stem 56 and inside the bushing 58 is such that this force will not cause the stem 56 to rotate and thread out of the bushing 58 unless a manual rotational force is first applied to the hand crank 54.

As the bushing 58 threads along the hand crank stem 56, the orientation of the stem 56 changes relative to the mower handle 14 and plate 62. Due to the oversized aperture 64, there is clearance between the plate 62 and stem 56 to allow for various angular orientations of the stem 56. Also, the stem 56 rotates freely despite variations in its orientation since the spherical ball 66 remains in contact with the washers 68.

It is to be understood that the linkage disclosed herein can be actuated by means other than the illustrated hand crank 54. Additionally, the exact location on the mower of the hand crank 54 or other actuating means may be varied while remaining within the scope of the invention.

Another feature of the invention is a height indicator 70, shown in FIG. 5. The height indicator 70 includes a cover 72 and an indicator member 74. The cover 72 is also illustrated in FIG. 6, and is formed from a pair of substantially parallel side walls 76, 78 which are spanned by a front wall 80 and a rear wall 82. The side walls 76, 78, front wall 80 and rear wall 82 depend from a substantially rectangular top wall 84. A slot 84 extends through the front wall 80 to allow the threaded stem 56 of the hand crank 54 to pass therethrough. The walls are generally planar with the exception of the side wall 76, from which an arcuate projection 88 extends. The projection 88 is formed by a wall 90 which is substantially parallel to the side wall 76, and which is joined to the side wall 76 by an arcuate upper surface 92. As seen in FIG. 6 reinforcing ribs 94 extend between the upper surface 92 and the wall 90.

The side walls 76, 78 each include a front aperture proximate the front wall 80. The apertures 96 are aligned to permit the cross bar 63 to extend through both apertures 96. Preferably, the cover 72 is formed from a polymer which has sufficient resilience to enable the cross bar 63 to be removably snap-fit into the apertures 96. The side wall 78 and wall 90 also include a pair of aligned front apertures 98 through which the pivot bar 52 rotatably extends and is removably snap-fit. When the cross bar 63 and the pivot bar 52 are fit into the apertures 96, 98, the cover 7 is stationary relative to the handle 14 of the lawn mower 10. When mounted on the handle 14, the cover 72 also partially encloses the hand crank 54 and the threaded bushing 58, thus protecting them from the elements.

A series of indicial markings 100 are provided on the upper surface 92, and preferably include numerical indicia which represent, in inches, the height of the lawn mower 10. The indicator member 74 has an elongate pointer member 102 which extends radially outward from the pivot arm 52. One end of the pointer 102 terminates adjacent the indicial markings 100. The particular indicial marking 100 at which the pointer 102 points corresponds to the actual height of the grass after it is cut by the mower 10. This is achieved by joining the pointer 102 to the pivot bar 52 with a U-shaped clamp 104 which is joined to the other end of the pointer 102 and surrounds the pivot bar 52. A bolt 106 extends through the clamp 104 to removably secure the indicator member 74 to the pivot bar 52 so that the pointer 102 is stationary relative to the pivot bar 52. As the height of the mower 10 is varied by rotating the hand crank 54, the pivot bar 52 and pointer 102 are caused to rotate as well. Thus, the height setting indicated by the pointer 102 automatically varies throughout an infinite variety of height settings as the height of the mower is changed. Due to the position of the cover 72 on the handle 14, the height of the mower showen by the pointer 102 and indicial markings 100 are easily read, without the operator having to bend over to visually inspect the mower height

The height indicator 70 can be easily calibrated to compensate for variations between different lawn mowers. In particular, by loosening the bolt 106, the indicator member 74 can be rotated relative to the pivot bar 52, thus causing angular displacement of the pointer 102. When the pointer 102 correctly indicates the actual height of the mower 10, the bolt 106 can be tightened, clamping the indicator member 102 into a stationary position relative to the pivot bar 52.

Claims ( 21 )

A height adjustment apparatus for raising and lowering the deck of a lawn mower relative to the ground, said lawn mower including a deck, a pair of front wheels, a pair of rear wheels and a handle, said apparatus comprising:

a rotatable hand crank mounted on the handle, said hand crank having a threaded stem for adjusting the height of the deck through a continuous range to an unlimited number of desired settings;

a pivot arm having first and second ends, said first end rotatably attached to said handle of said lawn mower at a pivot location such that said arm extends downwardly from said handle, with said second end disposed substantially below said pivot location;

means for mechanically coupling said threaded member to said pivot arm to transmit rotation of said hand crank into rotation of said pivot arm;

a connecting rod pivotably secured to said second end of said pivot arm, said connecting rod oriented substantially horizontally, wherein a rotational force is applied to said first end of said pivot arm so that rotation of said pivot arm about arm about said pivot location drives said connecting rod to move in a generally horizontal direction;

a pair of L-shaped bell cranks for mounting said pair of front wheels, respectively, and a pair of rear L-shaped bell cranks for mounting said pair of rear wheels, respectively, each of said cranks including first and second legs joined at an apex, each of said cranks pivotably pinned to the deck at said apex and having a respective one of said wheels rotatably mounted on said first leg, said horizontally oriented connecting rod being pivotably secured to the second leg of one of said bell cranks, said second leg extending substantially vertically upward from said apex so that said horizontal driving movement of said connecting rod drives said one of said bell cranks to pivot relative to the deck; and

means for mechanically interconnecting said bell cranks to transmit the motion of said connecting rod from said one of said bell cranks to the other bell cranks so that, upon rotation of the hand crank, all wheels move simultaneously through a continuous range of positions to raise and lower the entire deck evenly, said transmitting means comprising plural rods which connect each of said bell cranks with another of said bell cranks, wherein one of said rods is substantially rigid and is pivotably secured at one end of one of said front bell cranks and is pivotably secured at another end to one of said rear bell cranks so that said front and rear wheels are raised and lowered together.

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of said rods comprises an axle which mounts both of said front wheels, and another of said rods comprises an axle which mounts both of said rear wheels.

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one of said rods comprises a front crossbar connected between the front pair of said bell cranks so that the front pair of bell cranks move in unison, and another of said rods comprises a rear crossbar connected between the rear pair of bell cranks so that said rear pair of bell cranks move in unison.

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said mechanical coupling means comprises a pivot bar for mounting said threaded member, said pivot bar being rotatably secured to said handle, and said pivot arm being attached to one end of said pivot bar, said hand crank stem threaded into said threaded member so that rotation of said hand crank causes said pivot bar and pivot arm to be rotated.

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a height indicator, said height indicator comprising:

an indicator member mounted on said mechanically coupling means, adjacent said cover, so as to rotate relative to said cover corresponding to rotation of said pivot arm; and

indicial markings on said cover, said indicator member pointing to said indicial markings to represent the actual height of said mower.

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said cover at least partially encloses said mechanical coupling means.

A continuously variable height adjustment apparatus for adjusting the height of the deck of a lawn mower relative to the ground, said lawn mower resting on wheels, and including a handle for controlling the direction of travel of said mower by user, said apparatus comprising:

a first L-shaped bell crank means pivotally attached to said lawn mower deck to mount a first wheel of said mower, said first wheel having an axle which extends through said crank means so that rotating said crank means moves said first wheel relative to said deck and results in a raising or lowering of said deck;

second, third and fourth L-shaped bell crank means for mounting second, third and fourth wheels of said mower, respectively, said first, second, third and fourth crank means interconnected to rotate in unison in response to rotation of said first crank means;

a substantially horizontally oriented connectintg rod having one end pivotally attached to said first crank means such that longitudinal movement of said connecting rod causes rotation of said first crank means;

a pivot arm having a first end secured to said pivot bar and extending radially downwardly therefrom, the other end of said connecting rod being pivotably attached to a second end of said pivot arm such that said connecting rod is disposed generally horizontally, wherein a rotational force is applied to said pivot arm by said pivot bar at said first end of said pivot arm, said first end being opposite said second end attached to said connecting rod to cause said pivot arm to drive said connecting rod in a substantially horizontal direction upon rotation of said pivot bar;

a hand crank rotatably attached to said lawn mower handle in a position to be manually rotated without requiring bending by an operator, said hand crank having a threaded stem which feeds into said threaded member so that rotation of said hand crank displaces said threaded member and causes rotation of said pivot bar and said pivot arm so as to continuously variably drive said connecting rod in a substantially horizontal direction to position the height of said deck to any desired level within a continuously variable range of desired levels.

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apex of said first bell crank is pinned to the front of said deck, said first bell crank having first and second legs which form said L-shaped, said axle and said connecting rod being pinned to said first and second legs of said bell crank, respectively.

The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising a height indicator, said height indicator comprising:

an indicator extending radially outward from said pivot bar, said indicator member being secured to said pivot bar such that rotation of said pivot bar causes rotation of said indicator member corresponding to the height change of said mower; and

indicial markings on said cover, said indicator member pointing to said indicial markings to represent the actual height of the mower.

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said cover at least partially encloses said threaded stem and said threaded member.

The apparartus of calaim 9, wherein said cover includes a slot through which said stem protrudes.

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said pivot bar extends through said cover and is rotatably relative thereto.

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said indicator member is secured to said pivot bar by means of a clamp, such that is angular orientation of said indicator member realtive to said pivot bar can be varied to calibrate said height indicator.

In a lawn mower having a handle for controlling the direction of travel of said mower, said mower including front and rear wheels mounted on respective cranks, each of said cranks pivotally mounted on a housing of said mower to permit adjustment of the position of the wheels relative to the housing by pivoting said cranks, said cranks being interconnected to allow simultaneous adjustment of the front wheels and the rear wheels, a drive mechanism for continuously variably, simultaneously adjusting said wheels, comprising:

a connecting rod connecting one of said cranks with said first pivot arm at a pivot point disposed on said first pivot arm by a first distance from said pivot bar; and

means for driving said second pivot arm to rotate said pivot bar and thereby drive said connecting rod, said driving means connected to drive said second pivot arm at a point disposed on said second pivot arm by a second distance from said pivot bar, said first distance substantially longer than said second distance to cause the displacement of said first pivot point to be substantially greater than the displacement of said second pivot point for a given amount of rotation of said pivot bar to cause movement of said connecting rod to be amplified, said movement of said connecting rod providing a continuously variable simultaneous adjustment of said front and rear wheels.

A drive mechanism as defined by claim 15, wherein said driving means comprises a hand crank having a threaded stem and a threaded member, said threaded member being pivotally attached to said second arm at said pivot point so as to theadedly receive said stem.

A drive mechanism as defined by claim 16, wherein said stem is mounted on a support member attached to said handle, said support member having an aperture therein, said aperture being substantially larger than the diameter of said stem, said stem extending through said aperture and including a ball portion disposed such that said support member is between said ball and said threaded member, said ball portion being larger than said aperture to prevent said stem from passing therethrough while accommodating lateral movement of said stem relative to said support member.

means for pivotably mounting said wheels on said mower to permit said wheels to move relative to said housing to adjust the height of said housing relative to the ground;

means for indicating the height of said housing, said indicator means mounted on said handle and comprised of an indicator member secured to said driving means, said driving means causing said indicator member to rotate as said housing is raised and lowered by said driving means, said height indicating means further comprising indicial markings fixed on said handle, said indicator member pointing to said indicial markings to represent the actual height of said housing throughout a continuous and infinite variety of height setting, said indicator member further comprising means for securing said indicator member to said driving means, wherein the angular orientation of said indicator member relative to said driving means may be varied to calibrate said height indicating means.

The lawn mower of claim 18, wherein said height indicating means further comprises a cover which at least partially encloses said driving means, said indicial markings being formed on said cover.

a pivot arm fixed to one end of said pivot bar, said pivot arm joined to said connecting rod, and wherein said cover includes at least one aperture, said pivot bar extending through said aperture and rotating relative to said cover.

The lawn mower of claim 20, wherein said cover is removably secured to said handle, said aperture sized to removably snap-fit onto said pivot bar, said cover further comprising a second aperture sized to snap-fit onto a stationary crossbar extending across said handle.

US07/121,943 1985-07-23 1987-11-18 Lawn mower height adjustment linkages Expired. Fee Related US4835952A ( en )

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title

US07/121,943 US4835952A ( en )

1985-07-23

1987-11-18

Lawn mower height adjustment linkages

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title

US75809485A	1985-07-23	1985-07-23
US07/121,943 US4835952A ( en )	1985-07-23	1987-11-18	Lawn mower height adjustment linkages

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US75809485A Continuation-In-Part

1985-07-23

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date

US07/121,943 Expired. Fee Related US4835952A ( en )

1985-07-23

1987-11-18

Lawn mower height adjustment linkages

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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
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
US20030140610A1 ( en )	2002-01-25	2003-07-31	Boyko Stanley Joseph	Variable offset rotary mower apparatus
US6854250B2 ( en )	2002-01-25	2005-02-15	Stanley Joseph Boyko	Variable offset rotary mower apparatus
WO2007019726A1 ( en )	2005-08-15	2007-02-22	Jinshan Chen	Lawn mower height adjustment system
EP1782673A1 ( en )	2005-11-02	2007-05-09	MA.RI.NA Systems S.r.l.	Cutting height adjusting system for lawnmower
US20090007536A1 ( en )	2006-01-24	2009-01-08	David Michel	Height Adjuster Mechanism for a Grass/Ground Treatment Machine
US8001754B2 ( en )	2006-01-24	2011-08-23	David Michel	Height adjuster mechanism for a grass/ground treatment machine
US20110180281A1 ( en )	2008-09-03	2011-07-28	Patrick Marcil	Tiller with removable battery
US8607889B2 ( en )	2008-09-03	2013-12-17	Black Decker Inc.	Tiller with removable battery
US9277687B2 ( en )	2008-09-03	2016-03-08	Black Decker Inc.	Tiller housing
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US20100102525A1 ( en )	2008-10-29	2010-04-29	Husqvarna Outdoor Products Inc.	Wheel height adjuster for walk-behind mower
US8069639B2 ( en )	2008-10-29	2011-12-06	Husqvarna Outdoor Products Inc.	Wheel height adjuster for walk-behind mower
US20110030328A1 ( en )	2009-08-06	2011-02-10	Chervon Limited	Trimmer with cutting height adjustment
US7963092B2 ( en )	2009-08-06	2011-06-21	Chervon Limited	Trimmer with cutting height adjustment
CN102210217A ( en )	2010-03-30	2011-10-12	本田技研工业株式会社	Lawnmower
CN102210217B ( en )	2010-03-30	2016-04-27	本田技研工业株式会社	Mower
US8166737B2 ( en )	2010-03-30	2012-05-01	Honda Motor Co., Ltd.	Walk-behind lawnmower height adjusting mechanism
US8359821B2 ( en )	2010-06-09	2013-01-29	Chervon (Hk) Limited	Adjusting device for adjusting the height of a lawn care apparatus
US20110302895A1 ( en )	2010-06-09	2011-12-15	Chervon (Hk) Limited	Lawn care apparatus
CN102273353A ( en )	2010-06-09	2011-12-14	泉峰(中国)贸易有限公司	Lawn maintenance equipment
GB2481109B ( en )	2010-06-09	2016-10-12	Chervon (Hk) Ltd	Lawn care apparatus
US8371095B2 ( en )	2011-03-04	2013-02-12	Briggs Stratton Corporation	Height of cut adjustment system for a walk behind mower
US20140083072A1 ( en )	2011-05-31	2014-03-27	Husqvarna Ab	Height adjustment arrangement for a lawn mower
US10470363B2 ( en )	2011-05-31	2019-11-12	Husqvarna Ab	Height adjustment arrangement for a lawn mower
JP2015514419A ( en )	2012-04-19	2015-05-21	ハスクバーナ・アーベー	Flail mower and link mechanism for flail mower
CN102771249B ( en )	2012-07-31	2015-04-08	浙江长江机械有限公司	Mowing machine
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US9462738B2 ( en )	2013-10-17	2016-10-11	Exmark Mfg. Co., Inc.	Walk aerator
US9301444B2 ( en )	2014-05-02	2016-04-05	Deere Company	Rotary cutting deck height of cut adjustment mechanism
US10433478B2 ( en )	2015-02-05	2019-10-08	Chervon (Hk) Limited	Lawn mower and hand pushed power tool
US20160324065A1 ( en )	2015-05-05	2016-11-10	Chervon (Hk) Limited	Lawn mower and hand pushed power tool
US11006574B1 ( en )	2017-02-14	2021-05-18	Alamo Group Inc.	Mower with rotary cut height adjustment
US20190124836A1 ( en )	2017-10-26	2019-05-02	Firefly Automatix, Inc.	Adjustable mower deck
US10939615B2 ( en )	2017-10-26	2021-03-09	Firefly Automatix, Inc.	Adjustable mower deck
US11206759B2 ( en )	2017-11-21	2021-12-28	The Toro Company	Mower quick height of cut adjustment
WO2019149229A1 ( en )	2018-01-30	2019-08-08	苏州宝时得电动工具有限公司	Grass trimmer
US11089726B2 ( en )	2018-03-26	2021-08-17	Honda Motor Co., Ltd.	Lawnmower mulch plug fixing method
US11129326B2 ( en )	2018-04-06	2021-09-28	LG Electronics Inc.	Moving robot
US11129330B2 ( en )	2018-04-06	2021-09-28	LG Electronics Inc.	Lawn mower robot
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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.

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.

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.

Review: EGO Power battery-powered lawn mower takes much of the pain out of mowing the lawn

I like the idea of doing lawn work. Through all of the sweat and heat, there’s a deep sense of satisfaction once the job is completed. I think I enjoy it primarily because it’s the antithesis of my daily routine as a tech blogger.

Sadly, there are some things that make it hard to enjoy the traditional lawn care routine. The putrid smell of gasoline, the allergies, dealing with mowers that won’t start, the deafening noise, the numbing vibrations of the handle, running out of gas, etc.

The very idea of an alternative-powered lawn mower always appealed to me, but their shortcomings were too much for me to seriously consider one…until now.

Things I hate about gas-powered mowers

Gasoline fumes smell awful
Refilling the gas tank
Starting can be difficult
The noise is deafening
They can be very heavy
The exhaust pollution makes me sick
They can take up a lot of space

Things that made me dismiss electric mowers up until now

Not enough power
Not large enough to make efficient passes
Cords, if corded, can be dangerous and annoying
Batteries ran out too quickly
Charging took too long
Terrible designs

Video review

The EGO Power mower not only eliminates the issues presented by gas-powered mowers, but solves many of the conundrums raised by electric mowers as well.

Not only does this 56V mower pack the power, but it features the battery longevity, the quick charging, and a deck size large enough to compete with gas powered dinosaurs of old. The EGO Power even features a design that isn’t downright offensive, which is a trend that seems to be catching on. Dare I say that this mower makes caring for my lawn fun?

If there is one potential downside to be had with the EGO Power, it would have to be its price. Although the mower is available in a bare tool configuration that omits the battery and charger, once you acquire all of the necessary parts it, adds up to a substantial price.

Thankfully, there are several pricing options and deck configurations to lend as much variety to customers as possible. I purchased my EGO Power from a brick and mortar Home Depot store, as I wanted to view it in person before pulling the trigger on such a product. After testing it out, I’d be confident buying any of EGO’s products from Home Depot’s online store, or even from Amazon.

I purchased the 21″ model from HomeDepot, but if you’re okay with downsizing an inch and losing a few amenities, you can get the 20″ model in several configurations directly fulfilled by Amazon with free shipping. All mowers come with a 5-year limited factory warranty for the mower, and a 3-year factory warranty for the battery charger.

Amazon availability

If you have a small to medium-sized yard, then the 20″ mower will most likely work for you. That said, I wanted to get the largest mower that I could get, so I opted for the extra inch. Along with the extra blade width, you get a wider range of cutting heights that can be adjusted. The 21″ EGO Power mower features six cutting heights ranging from 1.5″ to 4.0″, while the smaller version features five heights ranging from 1.2″ to 3.5″. Depending on your needs, this is something to consider.

Cutting height comparison

Cutting Height 20″ LM2001 21″ LM2100

1	1.2″ (30mm)	1.5″ (41mm)
2	1.8″ (45mm)	2.0″ (51mm)
3	2.4″ (60mm)	2.5″ (65mm)
4	3.0″ (75mm)	3.0″ (77mm)
5	3.5″ (90mm)	3.5″ (93mm)
6	–	4.0″ (107mm)

Along with the width of the blade and the cutting height positions, there are a few other amenities that you’ll only find on the larger mower. The larger mower features three adjustable handlebar positions versus two on the smaller mower. Along with the size difference, there are also self-propelled options to consider, which can add an extra 100 to the price.

Unboxing and Initial setup

The unboxing was surprisingly pleasant for an outdoor appliance, and it was evident that at least some amount of care went into the product’s presentation. The mower arrives completely assembled, which is awesome for someone who wants to get down to business as quickly as possible.

The box that the EGO Power ships in is fairly sizable, but it’s not so large or heavy that it’s unwieldy. If you’re buying the mower from a brick and mortar store, or moving it from the front porch after it’s shipped to your house, it would definitely help to use a small dolly to cart it around.

Included in the package is a 56V 5Ah battery and corresponding quick charger. The first thing that you’ll need to do upon unboxing is begin charging the battery, and EGO’s design makes this as painless and as idiot-proof as possible.

Charging the battery involves removing it from its box, plugging in the quick charger, and placing the battery on the charger so that it lines up with the contacts. After a series of calibration noises, you’ll hear a fan turn on as the unit starts to charge. The fan is moderately loud, but that’s the price you have to pay for being able to charge a 5Ah battery in less than an hour.

Once I took care of the battery charging, it was just a matter of preparing the mower for first use. Initial setup was super easy, because there’s basically nothing to set up. The mower arrives in its storage position, which means that the handle is compressed and folded flat to take up a smaller footprint.

The quick-adjust lever located on the side of the mower’s handle allows you to reposition the handle from its folded position into the upright position. Once the handle is upright, you can then use the handle-locking clamps to extend the position of the handles into operating position.

The mower ships with an optional grass catcher bag that can be affixed to the rear in order to catch leaves and grass clippings. As someone with a grass allergy, sneezing and itchy eyes are inevitable, but I find that the grass catcher bag helps keep my allergies somewhat in check.

Starting the mower

Once the handle is in its upright position and fully extended, simply lift the battery lid and push the charged battery into the battery slot until it clicks into place. From there, it’s just a matter of holding the safety button near the top of the handle while pulling the bail switch upward. The mower will immediately start, but the process will be much faster and quieter than you may be used to if coming from a gas-powered rig.

The wonderful thing about battery-powered motors is that there’s no string pulling in order to start the mower. You literally just press the safety button followed by a pull of the bail switch, and the mower starts — instantly. It’s such a satisfying feeling to know that you can start and stop the mower on a whim.

Mowing the lawn

I didn’t opt for the self-propelled version of the EGO Power, and although it would be nice, I wasn’t sure if the 100 premium was worth it given my small, flat lawn. The majority of this mower is made out of high-grade plastic, and while plastic isn’t usually a material that’s deemed to be desirable, I find that it makes the Power. at a nimble-feeling 62lbs (with battery pack), light and easy to maneuver.

Obviously, the most important thing about a mower is how well it performs cutting grass, and after testing it several times, I can say that it performs admirably. Grass was cut on the first pass, and there’s enough power available to easily cut through taller, thicker grass as well.

Although it’s not exactly recommended, I was even able to cut through lightly damp grass with no issues. Cutting my lawn with this mower felt like I activated some sort of lawn care cheat code, lending me an unfair advantage against my itchy allergy-causing nemesis.

Many of the cordless mowers that you’ll see out there feature smaller decks, which require more passes to cut an entire yard. The 21″ deck on the EGO Power feels like a traditional gasoline-powered mower, in that its deck is large enough to cut a yard with fewer passes. I imagine that the 20″ model wouldn’t be all that different from the 21″ model in this regard, so it may be worth the money and weight saved to go smaller.

Battery life

One of the most impressive things about this mower is its battery life. With the 5Ah battery that it’s bundled with, it features a run-time (45 minutes) that’s longer than it’s total charge time (40 minutes). That’s mighty impressive. For those of you who opt for the slightly smaller 20″ model with the 4Ah battery, you’ll enjoy the same run-time but even less charge time (30 minutes).

Having such charging and battery performance really takes one of the major pain points out of green lawn care. It’s battery-powered, so you don’t have to finagle with cords, and it features a battery that can fully charge and be ready in well short of an hour. importantly, a single charge adds enough run time to be able to completely mow most small to medium yards.

Intangibles

There are a lot of little details that make me admire this mower the more that I use it. One such detail, the LED headlights, makes it easier to cut the lawn in the later hours of the evening. Another detail, the battery gauge on the lithium-ion battery, makes it possible to tell how much juice is left on the mower’s battery. Although I enjoy both of these features, as you’ll see below, each could stand to improve on EGO Power’s later model revisions.

All of the products in EGO Power’s lineup — mower, blowers, trimmers, etc. — work with the same battery packs. That means that I can use the same battery pack from my mower to power my blower. I can even upgrade to a 7.5Ah battery to extend the mower’s 45-minute run time, although that’s probably overkill for my yard size.

I especially love how the mower is capable of folding up for storage. If you’re short on space, this is a huge space-saving feature. Once folded, the mower can stand upright or even be hung on a wall.

Improvements that can be made

The EGO Power isn’t perfect, but I much prefer it to gasoline powered mowers that I’ve used in the past. That said, there are a few areas where improvements could be made.

The battery features a power indicator button that gives users an idea as to how much battery power is left. Unfortunately it only starts to tell you when the battery is low when it’s at 15% battery remaining or below. That seems a little drastic. I wish the battery included a more incremental way to monitor its remaining life.

I also don’t like that I have to stoop down and press a button on the mower’s deck to engage the LED light. I love having a light available, but I often forgot that the light was even there.

Conclusion

I’m far from a lawn care connoisseur, but having a green mower makes me excited about lawn care much in the same way that those who weren’t previously car enthusiasts are excited about driving since Tesla has emerged.

Many gasoline powered mowers make mowing a chore, and many battery-powered mowers make it needlessly tedious. The EGO Power mower throws out many of the negatives about both technologies, and can make mowing enjoyable. It’s not perfect, but it’s as close as I’ve gotten to a gasoline powered mower without any of the negative side effects.

Yes, it’s quite pricey starting at 449 for the 20″ model with 4Ah battery, but the more adoption this technology receives, the faster the will drop. I certainly don’t regret paying a premium if it means not having to deal with gasoline fumes, pulling strings, and all of the other negatives associated with mowing with a traditional mower.

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Setting the Cutting Height on the Mowing Robot Correctly

Before you adjust the cutting height on the mowing robot, the robot must be switched off. On some models, you cannot reach the settings without switching it off. This is important for safety reasons.

When the robotic mower is off, you can open the cover. Depending on the model, you will find either a large adjusting wheel, which allows you to adjust the cutting height mechanically, or you will have to adjust the cutting height electronically via the display.

If you don’t find a dial – it is very large and hard to miss – you probably have a model where you can adjust the settings in the display menu. Most of the time there is a menu button that will take you there. There you can access the cutting height settings.

There are a few models where you need to adjust the cutting height by means of a set screw on the bottom of the machine, such as the Stiga models. On most lawn robots, however, you will find the settings on the top under the control panel cover.

On mowing robots with mechanical adjustment, for example, you will find an orange bar showing the current position of the adjustment. This can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

On devices with electronic adjustment, the current setting of the cutting height is usually very easy to see in the menu.

In this video both ways of adjusting the cutting height are presented.

What Cutting Heights Can Be Set for Mowing Robots?

The cutting height of the mowing robots can usually be adjusted in centimetres or in steps. If you are not sure how many centimetres correspond to a step, it is best to consult the manual. Here is an example of how the steps are usually assigned. However, this may differ for your model.

Level 1. 0.8 inches
Level 2. 1 inches
Level 3. 1.2 inches
Level 4. 1.4 inches
Level 5. 1.6 inches
Level 6. 1.8 inches
Level 7. 2 inches
Level 8. 2.2 inches
Level 9. 2.4 inches

Most robotic mowers offer adjustment possibilities between 0.8 inches and 2.4 inches. Some models even allow a minimum cutting height of 0.6 inches, while others also allow a maximum cutting height of 3.15 inches.

Below, we’ve listed the results of our extensive research of the cutting heights of many popular models.

AMBROGIO L200 Carbon Blackline: 0.8 inch. 2.2 inch
AMBROGIO L250i Elite GPS: 1 inch. 2.8 inch
AMBROGIO L350i Elite GPS: 0.9 inch. 2.5 inch
AMBROGIO L400: 1 inch. 3.4 inch
AMBROGIO L60 Deluxe: 1.7 inch. 1.9 inch
AMBROGIO L60 Elite: 1.7 inch. 1.9 inch
AMBROGIO L85 Elite: 1 inch. 2.6 inch
Honda Miimo HRM310: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Honda Miimo HRM520: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 115H: 2 inch. 3.6 inch
Husqvarna Automower 305: 0.8 inch. 2 inch
Husqvarna Automower 310: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 315: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 315X: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 430X: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 430XH: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD: 1.2 inch. 2.8 inch
Husqvarna Automower 450X: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 450XH: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 535 AWD: 1.2 inch. 2.8 inch
Husqvarna Automower 550: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
Husqvarna Automower 550H: 2 inch. 3.5 inch
MCCULLOCH ROB R1000: 0.8 inch. 2 inch
MCCULLOCH ROB S400: 0.8 inch. 2 inch
MCCULLOCH ROB S600: 0.8 inch. 2 inch
REDBACK POWER RM18: 0.8 inch. 2.4 inch
REDBACK POWER RM24: 1 inch. 2.5 inch
ROBOMOW RC306: 0.6 inch. 2.4 inch
ROBOMOW RS612: 0.8 inch. 3.5 inch
ROBOMOW RS622: 0.8 inch. 3.5 inch
ROBOMOW RS630: 0.8 inch. 3.5 inch
ROBOMOW RX20: 0.5 inch. 1.8 inch
WORX Landroid L 20V WR150: 1.6 inch. 3.9 inch
WORX Landroid L 20V WR153: 1.6 inch. 3.9 inch
WORX Landroid M 20V WR140: 1.2 inch. 2.4 inch
WORX Landroid M 20V WR143: 1.2 inch. 2.4 inch

What is the Correct Cutting Height for the Robotic Mower?

Now you know how to correctly adjust the cutting height on the robotic mower and which adjustment options are available. But before you send your mower off to do its job, you must decide which setting is best for your lawn. Many people do not know that the correct height setting is crucial for the health of the lawn, or that there is more than one “correct” setting. The correct cutting height depends on the type of lawn or its use, the season, weather conditions, and other factors. In the following section, I will show you the different types of lawn and what other factors influence the optimal cutting height.

Practical Lawn

The most common type of lawn is the practical lawn. Here, more robust grass varieties are used, as the lawn is subject to heavy use. It may be used for playing sports, barbecuing or even sunbathing.

The ideal cutting height here is about 1.5 inches, give or take. You can generally choose any height between 1.25 and 2 inches, but be careful to not go any shorter, as then the lawn will no longer be able to withstand the stress.

Display Lawn

The name of this type of lawn, in which mostly the varieties red fescue and ostrich grass are used, already reveals that this is a yard which is mainly used for ornamental purposes. It is therefore under less stress, and can be mowed slightly shorter than a practical lawn. A minimum length of 0.75 inches should only be undercut in exceptional cases.

Shaded Lawn

This can be either a normal, practical lawn that is in the shade, or a special “shade lawn” which is designed to thrive in shady places and stand up to the moss and algae that like to grow there.

Regardless of which one it is, in both cases it is recommended that the lawn should not be mowed shorter than 2 inches. This is because less sunlight reaches the lawn, grass needs a larger blade surface area to be able to absorb sufficient energy. You can even let the lawn grow up to 2.75 inches long.

Deviations from the Recommended Cutting Height

The above-mentioned guide values for cutting heights are a good place to start. However, they may vary depending on the situation. Some examples of these are:

The One-third Rule After Vacation

When you return from a vacation where your robotic mower was not in action during your absence, but was stored inside the house, your lawn will have had enough time to become very long.

If the grass has reached a length that is 0.75 inches or more above the maximum cutting height of the robotic mower, you should first mow it with a conventional lawnmower, as it has become too long for the mowing robot. Not only does this have a negative effect on the mowing process, but it also means that too many cuttings are produced at once, which can cause the grass to begin to grow moldy.

Even if the lawn is still short enough for the robotic mower, you should observe the so-called one-third rule. This rule states that you must never cut more than 1/3 of the length of the grass, otherwise it will be too damaged and have difficulty recovering.

This means that you should not cut to the regular height after returning from a vacation during which you allowed your grass to overgrow, but gradually approach the desired length. For example, if your lawn has grown to 3.5 inches and you want a 1.5 inch high lawn, you should first mow at 2.25 inches, after which you can adjust the cutting height to 1.5 inches with a clear conscience.

Temperature and Season Influence the Ideal Cutting Height

Depending on the temperature and season, there are some important things to consider. For example, if you are approaching several particularly dry and hot days, the cutting height should be set to about 0.5 inches higher than usual. This protects the lawn from drying out and burning. You should also water the lawn during this period. If your lawn is generally very short, you should stop mowing for a while before the heat wave hits, so that the grass has time to grow to a safe length.

Even in Autumn, it makes sense not to cut the lawn below 2 inches. This is for a similar reason as with a shaded lawn. Due to the shorter days and the flatter sunrays, the blades of grass no longer get enough light. A larger blade surface ensures that the grass is supplied with enough solar energy.

Cutting Height for Freshly Seeded Lawn

Freshly seeded lawns generally require special treatment. You should allow them to grow to 3.15 to 4 inches before the first mowing. After this, you can mow the grass down to 1.97 inches. However, a normal lawnmower may be necessary for this, as grass that is 3.94 inches tall is not manageable for most robotic mowers. You should also read up on special care considerations for a freshly-planted lawn.

Cutting height for wintering

If the cold season is approaching, you should trim the lawn to 0.75 – 1.25 inches during the last mowing before the cold hits. This will allow the lawn to winter better.

Further Tips on Cutting Height

To recap: Too short a cut can damage your lawn and encourage weeds to migrate. But mowing too rarely also promotes weed growth. Frequent mowing is generally good, but you should not cut your lawn too short.

This formula also applies: The shorter the lawn, the more often it must be mowed to keep the lawn healthy. However, some are of the opinion that too-frequent mowing damages the lawn, as the grass will begin to grow to the side as a defense mechanism. With robotic mowers, however, it does not seem to do any real damage to the lawn if you mow daily. However, the mower should not necessarily run all day.

If your lawn has a problem with growing strongly to the side, you can straighten it out to counteract the problem. Turf grows between one and two inches per week, with temperature and rainfall being a major factor to the rate of growth. It is best to experiment with the frequency of mowing. With robotic mowers, it has proven to be best for most owners to have them mow every other day. Since they usually do not mow the entire area in one go, this is still relatively gentle on the lawn.

Is the Robotic Mower Allowed to Mow in Wet Conditions?

It is often not advisable to mow lawns when they are wet, as the grass will clump together, causing the mower to not mow properly. However, this does not necessarily apply to mowing robots. Whether you should mow in wet conditions or not depends on your model.

The problem of clumping does not usually arise with mowing robots, as they only ever cut off a very small fraction of the grass. In fact, mowing robots from the manufacturer Husqvarna are said to be able to cut wet lawns even slightly better than dry ones.

On the other hand, your mowing robot can get stuck in the soft moistened ground and its wheels can spin, which can damage the turf. The same applies to steep slopes in wet conditions. Some robotic mowers also get louder when they are mowing wet lawns, and become dirty faster than they do when mowing in dry conditions. This means that especially heavy robotic mowers have their problems when mowing wet lawns.

On the other hand, it is particularly important to mow the lawn regularly during rainy periods. If your lawn robot stops mowing for a longer period of time, because it doesn’t want to mow in the rain (rain sensor) the grass continues to grow uninhibited and, especially with a lot of rain, very quickly.

If your robotic mower is then used again after a long period of rain with no mowing, it must be able to cope with a fairly tall lawn. The grass clippings are then much longer because the lawn has had more time to grow since the last mowing. Unfortunately, the mulching technique does not work well with long grass clippings and can cause the clippings to mat or rot.

In any case, the prerequisite for mowing wet lawns is that the mowing blades are really sharp and that the lawn is not too long, or that the last mowing operation was not too long ago. There is also a special feature for slopes – here there is a risk that the mowing robot loses traction and its wheels spin when it is wet and on a steep gradient. This damages the turf.

What else Should You Consider Before Mowing?

In general it is important that you do not change the blades too seldom. The normal turntable blades must be changed approximately every 150 mowing hours. Some harder models made of titanium will last 220 mowing hours. With mowing robots that use a mowing cross instead of a turntable, as is the case with Robomows, you only need to change the blades once per season.

How often should you end up mowing the lawn? This depends, of course, on the equipment, the size of the lawn and the weather. However, a proven average is every one or two days, or at least three times a week. If the area output of your mowing robot is approximately the same as the size of the lawn, or even larger, this is a good guide. In the article How long does your robot mower take to mow your garden, you will find more information about how often you should mow.

Otherwise, you should observe the usual things – do not leave any objects on the lawn that could damage the robot itself, such as stones, toys, clothing or gardening tools. Thick, protruding tree roots can also be a problem, as can large piles of leaves. So make sure to remove these things from the garden before setting your robot loose.

Conclusion

Adjusting the cutting height on the mowing robot is very easy once you know how to do it. Choosing the correct cutting height can be more difficult, however, because many factors have to be taken into account. Mistakes that are made here can have a massive impact on the quality of the lawn. With the right setting, however, you will have a very healthy and happy lawn.

The Lawn Mower Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Buy the Right Type of Lawn Mower

Not all yards are the same, and not all mowers are either.

By Roy Berendsohn Published: May 5, 2022

Nothing kills the joy of a sunny day like the wrong type of lawn mower. Fortunately, the opposite is also true. The right type of lawn mower can make cutting your lawn a pleasure.

If you know you need a new lawn mower, but aren’t sure how much mower you need or what features you might want, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Use this guide to select the right machine, and happy mowing.

Step 1: Walk or Ride?

The first step is the choice between two basic types of lawn mowers: riding mower and a walk-behind. Any more ground to cover than a 1/4 acre, you’ll want to ride if for no other reason than to get the lawn done faster.

First, make an approximation of your mowing surface. Simply walk off large rectangles. counting your steps as you go. Add up the areas of the rectangles. No need to get too precise here. An average man’s stride is about 30 inches and a woman’s stride is about 26 inches, or measure your own stride for the most accurate measurement.

An acre is 43,560 square feet, so one-fourth acre is 10,890 square feet. Anything above that threshold, and you’ll likely want to get a riding mower. In fact, the vast majority of people wouldn’t dream of cutting a ¼ acre of grass with a 22-inch walk mower, but we have to start somewhere. So think realistically about how much time you have to mow your lawn on a busy weekend and select your equipment accordingly.

For lawns from ¼ of an acre to 2 acres. you’ll most likely be most comfortable with a rear-engine riding mowers, light-duty lawn tractors, and residential-duty zero-turn mowers. Anything more than two acres and you’ll want a commercial-duty zero turn mower.

Step 2: Selecting Your Features

Once you’ve selected whether you ride or walk, there are two factors that will drive your purchase—your budget and your comfort. The more you spend on a mower, the more durable, versatile, intuitive, and probably, the quicker you’ll get the job done. The opposite is also true.

It doesn’t make as much difference with a small, simple yard. But the larger and more complex the yard, the more thought you need to give to selecting mower features.

Walk Mowers

We’ll begin with walk mowers. one of the most versatile cutting machines out there.

Walk mowers are somewhat like cars in that they are available with a wide range of options, all of which increase cost and complexity. Look carefully at the product’s hang tag and talk to the sales staff to get a better sense of whether the features are useful to you.

Let’s break down all the major components and what lawnmowers use them:

Drive

Look it at this way: You can push a mower, or the mower can push itself, in which case it’s either a front-drive or a rear-drive mower (we’ll get to all-wheel drive in a moment). A self-propelled mower makes your life a lot easier when mowing hills, or when you mow and bag. There’s nothing like pushing a fully loaded mower uphill to make you appreciate a self-propelled machine.

The Lawn and the Short of it

Front-wheel drive is best for level ground with a lot of obstacles. This allows you to push down on the handle, reducing traction on the front wheels and pivot into and out of corners.

Rear-wheel drive works best for for uphill mowing and sidehill mowing. Rear wheel drive works better here because when you push down on the handle going up a hill, the front tires will not lose traction.

Yes, a handful of mowers are all-wheel drive. built for homeowners who cut across washboard surfaces, sidehill mowing, steep uphill and downhill mowing that makes good of AWD. We were dubious when these mowers were introduced several years ago, but when we cut some very rough ground, we were surprised at how much easier AWD made things.

Functions

In this section, we’re talking about what the machines actually does with the grass. Mowers can mulch clippings (repeatedly cut and recut them), discharge them to the side or rear, or bag them.

Two-function is a mower that mulches and bags. Mulching is healthier for the lawn in that it returns nitrogen-rich grass clippings into the ground, but it doesn’t work particularly well for tall-grass conditions in the spring and early summer or early fall when the lawn bounces back from summer stress.

A three-function machine bags, mulches, and side discharges. Side discharging is useful for utility mowing (mowing areas with tall weeds and non-turf grasses). It also helps if the lawn gets away from you and you need to set the mower deck to its full height and take the grass down in stages.

Common Features

We’ve barely scratched the surface of mower features. These are the more common things you’ll find on your average mower’s spec list:

Deck levers come in groupings of one, two, or four. One lever is the most convenient, but it comes with a lot of linkage that adds weight and that you have to keep lubricated if you want it to work well. Two levers are a good compromise between one and four levers. Yes, these mowers have a bit more linkage than a four-lever mower, but it’s easier to get the height right. Four levers is the standard, time-tested design.

The only way to get a sense of whether you’ll like the ground speed control is to actually get your hands on a mower at a dealership, hardware store, or home center.

The control may be integral with the handle. The harder you press forward on the drive control in the handle, the faster the mower goes. Or it may be a separate lever or even a bail (a metal rod). Squeeze the lever to increase ground speed or to activate the mower’s drive system for fixed-speed mowers.

Self-propelled mowers are equipped with three types of transmissions. Hydrostatic is the most expensive and the smoothest operating. It drives hydraulic fluid past an impeller that spins an output shaft, which controls ground speed. This is your smoothest running and most reliable transmission, but it’s also the most expensive.

The typical front or rear drive walk mower uses some form of belt-and-pulley arrangement to direct power from the engine’s output shaft to a gear box on a front or rear axle (or a gear at the wheel). There are several variations of this design, but all work well and are reasonably easy to maintain and repair.

Make Your Lawn Last

Gas engines sizes run from 140 cc to 190 cc. Larger engines produce more torque and are less likely to stall in tall grass at the beginning and end of the cutting season. A larger engine also helps drive self-propelled mowers more effectively uphill.

From least-expensive to most-expensive, mower engines may be traditional side valve design, overhead valve, or overhead cam. expensive engines provide increased durability, reduced noise, and less oil consumption.

The rear wheel size of a walk mower may be larger than the diameter of the front wheels. The wheels’ increased diameter helps it more easily navigate ruts and rough ground.

Ball bearing wheels are easier to push than those with bushing-type wheels. The larger your yard, the more difficult its terrain, or if you’re hauling around a bag of clippings or clippings mixed with mulched leaves, the more you want this option.

A blade-brake clutch is a feature found on high-end walk mowers. It allows you to completely release the operator control handle without stopping the engine. That way, you can pause your mowing, move whatever obstacle out of your way and continue mowing without having to restart the engine.

Unusual Features

A range of unusual features have been introduced in the last several years to make mowing easier or the whole mowing experience better.

Some engines require no oil change. like the small gas engines made by Briggs Stratton. The feature is known as “Just Check and Add.” You just add oil periodically to replace the small amount of oil that’s slowly vaporized in the combustion process.

Need a Recommendation?

Toro’s innovations have created mowers that have power-assisted reverse and a vertical-storage design that lets you fold the handle down, tip the mower back, and store it vertically against the wall.

Front caster wheels are great for elaborately-landscaped yards that require a lot of pivoting. Front caster wheels don’t track particularly well on bumpy ground or mowing sidehills. Mowox mowers have replaced dual front casters with a single front caster wheel, perhaps the most maneuverable form of mower you can get. But Cub Cadet has been among the mower manufacturers that pioneered the use of front caster wheels.

Wash-out fittings enable you to hook up a garden hose to wash accumulated grass clippings from under the deck. A clean deck lasts longer because accumulated grass holds moisture and lawn chemical residue, which causes deck corrosion. Our tests show that these fittings do help considerably, but that you still need some under-deck scraping with a putty knife.

Wide-cut mowers with decks that range from 28 to 33 inches are a fast cutting alternative to a 22-inch mower. These are still comparatively rare products made by Cub Cadet, Toro, Troy-Bilt, and Craftsman.

Finally, electric walk mowers are a perfect fit if you have a small yard (under 5,000 square feet of mowing surface) and one that’s quite manicured. However, there are three important things to keep in mind:

Cordless electric mowers tend to have smaller decks (19 and 20-inch sizes are the most common, though a few have 21-inch decks). That means it takes you longer to mow.
They tend to be less powerful than their gas engine counterparts. They can struggle with tall grass, wet grass, and thick grass with leaves. For intermediate mowing conditions, cordless mowers do just fine.
The larger the lawn, the more batteries you need. Manufacturers make recommendations about run time, but that’s very difficult to do accurately. It varies widely depending on your mowing habits and the height or thickness of the grass. We recommend you buy extra batteries so that you’re not compelled to rush the cut.

Ride Mowers

If you can afford it, a riding mower is the way to go. Don’t get us wrong, we love walk mowers (goodness knows, we’ve used enough of them over the years here). But for speed and efficiency, there’s simply no comparison with a riding mower when you’re talking a large lawn.

When looking at riding mowers, you’ll likely come across three versions—lawn tractor, rear-engine riding mower, and a zero-turn mower. Let’s break them done one by one:

Lawn Tractor

Many people start out with a lawn tractor. With a steering wheel and a front-mounted engine, these look and feel familiar. Engine size range from 18-25 HP and most come with a single cylinder with step-up models having a V twin. Some fancier models also feature engines with electronic fuel injection.

How the Pro’s Level a mower deck, Fix steering problems & set Rake for the best cut quality 4k video

When it comes to transmissions, less expensive models tend to be lever-operated gear transmissions. But a step-up from there comes pedal hydrostatic or continuously variable transmission (CVT) operated by a shift-on-the-go hand lever. The CVT is an automatic transmission powered by pulley drive to a sealed and lubricated gear case. You know you’re spending serious money if you’re considering a more expensive tractor with a heavy-duty foot pedal hydrostatic transmission.

Finally, how much can it cut? Well, much more than a push mower. Deck widths range from 42 inches to 54 inches. To know what size you need, divide the mower deck size by 12 to get an approximation of the acreage the mower can handle. So residential-duty a mower with a 54-inch deck can mow up to 4.5 acres. That’s a lot of grass and would result in significant wear and tear on a residential-grade mower in the course of the season. Still, it could do it.

These kind of mowers range anywhere from 1,300 to 3,000.

Rear-Engine Riding Mower

Many people with larger lawns too big for a walk mower but too small for a tractor or a zero turn should go with a rear-engine riding mower. The specifications below apply to deck under the operator’s position and not rear-engine residential/commercial mowers with the deck in front of the operator.

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Most rear-engine mowers a single-cylinder engine ranging in size from 344 to 38 cc, estimated at 10 to 11 HP. The transmission is usually a CVT operated by a shift-on-the-go hand lever. Snapper’s famous rear-engine riding mower uses the company’s time-tested disc drive transmission, but a few rear-engine riders are offered with a hydrostatic transmission.

Deck sizes stretch anywhere from 30 to 33 inches, and operators use a manual hand lever for deck adjustment and deck engagement. That small cutting size also means a smaller price tag, ranging from 1,200 to 2,400.

Zero-Turn Mowers

In the last twenty years or so, zero-turn mowers have proved their worth to homeowners and landscape contractors alike. Their design enables forward speed and steering by means of dual hydrostatic transmissions at the rear wheels, each of which is controlled by a lap bar in front of the seat.

A pulley off the engine spins the impellers on the dual hydrostatic transmissions that power the rear wheels. When you move one of the lap bars farther forward than its neighbor, it acts as a throttle, allowing more hydraulic fluid to flow to the transmission at that wheel. This causes wheel to turn more rapidly than the opposite wheel, allowing you turn corners or pivot.

Power Up

Engine size can range from 452 cc up to 700 or more, with power estimated from 12 HP to 25 HP. This is powered by either a single cylinder or commercial-duty V twin, and transmissions are either hydrostatic or commercial-duty hydrostatic.

With deck sizes ranging from 32 inches to 60 inches, these mowers cut the most grass in the least amount of time. The decks are either stamped or heavy-duty fabricated, deck adjustment uses a manual hand lever or foot pedal, and deck engagement uses a manual hand lever or an electric PTO

Reel vs Rotary Lawn Mowers // Pros and Cons, Cut Quality, How To Mow Low

All that grass-cutting power comes with a price, usually ranging between 1,200 to 6,000. But now, you can knock some dollars off thanks to 2023 Memorial Day sales.

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.

Sources:

https://patents.google.com/patent/US4835952A/en
https://www.gravely.com/en-us/about/blog/111/getting-the-best-lawn-mower-cut-quality
https://electrek.co/2016/05/11/review-ego-power-plus-battery-powered-green-lawnmower/
https://robolever.com/setting-the-cutting-height-on-the-mowing-robot-correctly/
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/lawn-garden/a26431726/types-of-lawn-mower/

Lawn Mowers lawn, mower, number, settings

US4835952A ( en )	1989-06-06	Lawn mower height adjustment linkages
US4577455A ( en )	1986-03-25	Grass cutting height indicator for lawn mower and tractor combination
CA2044889C ( en )	1993-05-11	Mower deck height adjustment mechanism
US4441306A ( en )	1984-04-10	Implement working height-adjustment mechanism
US5351467A ( en )	1994-10-04	Height adjustment mechanism for riding mower cutting deck
US4643358A ( en )	1987-02-17	Boom mounting assembly
US3677574A ( en )	1972-07-18	Means for adjusting heights of cut in power mower
US4715168A ( en )	1987-12-29	Height adjustment for a front mount mower
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US4878802A ( en )	1989-11-07	Machine for collecting ground particles and the like
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EP2298058B1 ( en )	2012-11-14	Top adjusting linkage for leveling a mower deck and vehicle
US4291896A ( en )	1981-09-29	Adjustable steering wheel and control lever console
US3721076A ( en )	1973-03-20	Adjustable mower suspension system
DE102016207400A1 ( en )	2016-11-03	CUTTING HEIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM
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US5040613A ( en )	1991-08-20	Counterbalanced sensing wand assembly
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JP3624211B2 ( en )	2005-03-02	Paddy weeder
US5103917A ( en )	1992-04-14	Adjustable calibration assembly for a guidance system

Lawn mower number settings. Getting the Best Lawn Mower Cut Quality

US4835952A. Lawn mower height adjustment linkages. Google Patents

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