# Cutting Height



## rickj (Jul 13, 2012)

I have a YTH21K46 and have used it twice on my St. Augustine yard. Although I have set the cutting height at #6 and lowered the castors, my yard is still scalped. What can I do to fix this problem? Is there a recessed blade available? I don't want to have to buy a higher profile set of tires. Any help will really be appreciated.


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## Mickey (Aug 14, 2010)

Don't know anything about your mower but here goes. Have you measured the height of the blade from the ground, measured on a hard surface? How even/flat is the yard? Any chance you are straddling high spots and the ground between the wheels is higher than the blade ground clearance? One other thought. Any chance the mower is compacting the grass beneath the wheels to the point the grass under the deck is several inches higher leading to the scalping?

Hope I've given you several things to check with at least one thing a contributing factor.


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## pogobill (Jan 31, 2012)

Have you checked the lift links under the tractor the hooks your height control lever to the mower deck? With mine on #6, I can just about clear stumps. You may want to set your tractor on a flat surface, and lower the deck to the the lowest setting and adjust the deck with the rod, then raise the deck to #6 and make sure you have 4 inches of clearance. I found this on a website called AnswerArmy:

"The mower deck height is adjustable on all lawn tractors; your model should adjust from approximately one inch at the lowest setting to 4 inches at highest. This measurement is taken at the front center of the deck shell.

Look at your Owner's Manual for removing/installing and leveling the mower deck; you will find instructions referring to the two Rear Lift Links and the Front Lift link, and their functions and adjustments.

With the deck height lever set in the lowest notch, the front of the deck should be set to one inch above the ground. The front to rear attitude of the deck should be adjusted so that the rear of the deck is about 3/8 inch higher than the front. Assure this deck attitude specification is properly set/adjusted.

The deck front to rear setting will remain the same throughout the full adjustment range."

To make it easier to adjust, you may want to lift the deck as high as you can with the lever, then place a two by four under the deck, then place the lever in the lowest position, this may help take the pressure off of the linkage and make it easier to adjust. Just make sure you are on a level surface. If all else fails, talk to your dealer and have them adjust it.
Good luck with this, hope it helps.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Some have one adjustment link, and one fixed link but all are as mentioned above measure from blade tip to the ground for cut height. Turn the blades facing to the side for side to side adjustment, and front to adjust front to back adjustment the front will need to be 1/8th to 1/2 inch lower than the rear. Mine is the same way but the manual says 1.5 to 4 inches but I have noticed the lift handle slots are in 5/8ths increments. Just find your desired cutting height by raising, and lowering the deck in the height adjustment slot of your choice I use #4 set at 2.5", and #5 at 3 1/8th".


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

Has this been recently that the cutting hieght changed? Im guessing you havent run into anything to change it - its possible something came loose underneath or has been damaged .


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## howarddavidp (Jul 5, 2013)

I recently bought a 2006 YS4500 and I had the same problem with low cut height, even with the deck all the way up on setting number 6. I have fixed my problems, and now I can cut at 4 inches off the ground if I choose, but I usually cut on setting 5 or 4 after I made adjustment. Here is what I did:
1)	Tires: pump them up all the way, maybe even go over by 1 pound. Personally, I went 0.5 lbs over the max setting, and this helped. I also check before I mow each week.
2)	Bent blades: I had one blade bent over an inch on the tip. This made uneven cuts, and also scalped on 1 side of my cut width. The replacement blades from my local lawn shop were $28 for both. These were much easier that I thought to replace, the bolts were not very tight, and I was able to use my car ramps to get the mower off the ground and get my 11/16 socket in there to loosen the bolts. So, I never removed the deck, I did it in place.
3)	The side adjustments on the deck are anodized GOLD in color. If you only have only one that is adjustable (like me), you need to buy the other side adjustable rod (about $30 shipped). Very easy to install, a 10 minute job. Once this rod is in place, you can jack the back of the deck up to 4 inches, but you still have to do the front to get it all the way up. When making the adjustments, maker sure you drop the deck all the way to the ground on setting #1, this takes all the pressure off the deck and the rods, so it is easy to turn the nuts.
4)	Change the front GOLD rod that holds the forward portion of the mow deck to the second hole. I looked at the place where this rod connects to the deck, and I had 2 holes, 1 high and 1 low(if you don’t have a 2nd hole, it is not hard to drill one, use an 27/64 speed bit for steel). The rod removes with a cotter pin (use pliers) and a big washer. Make it easy on yourself, and drop the deck all the way down to setting number 1 for cut height, this takes the pressure off the deck and the holder rod. Then, once it is down on the ground, take out the pin and the washer, and then put the gold rod back into the deck on the lower of the 2 holes to the ground. My hole I actually had to ream/drill out a little with an 27/64 drill bit (or larger if you don’t have that size). Once reamed, it went right in and I began to tighten the rod and watched the deck rise up to 4 inches off the ground.
Now, my 2006 Sears/Craftsman YS4500, 20HP 42” deck mower can mow at very high heights, and I can go over roots and objects that protrude from the yard with easy. Before doing these mods, I would never dream of cutting at any setting other that the high at #6. But now, I cut on 4 or 5 because my deck is so much higher off the ground. On setting #6, my push mower cannot rise up that high to match the cut height for touching up what I could not get to with the YS4500.


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