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Thread: Rover-Uneven Cut

  1. #1
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Rover-Uneven Cut

    This has got me stumped. Rover ProCut 21"
    I mowed this couch lawn during the week with freshly sharpened blades, and this was the result.


    It wasn't overly long, and it mowed quite easily.

    Then this morning, I got the mower on the bench and measured everything and everything seemed ok. A couple of the blades were slightly bent up, so I put on a complete set of new blades, and mowed my front kikuyu lawn, with similar results as before.


    I re-mowed it at 90 degrees and got another full catcher of clippings off it (prob 80sq metres), and it looks a lot better,


    I've rechecked the measurements again. The deck is level to the bench side to side, and the disc is turning true in relation to the deck.
    The Rover has the adjustment to alter the front/back height for mulching/catching, and the front was 5mm lower than the back.

    The machine is almost new and no slop in the height adjusting linkages or bushes.

    I've always thought that it wasn't revving high enough, but it seems to be mowing easily. Can't see any adjustments on the carby, and cant see the governor for any adjustments unless I take all the cowlings etc off.

    Any ideas??

    sorry about the lack of thumbnails, but I can't see the 'manage attachments' tab anywhere.

  2. #2
    Member Mick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    Was the ground wet or soft?

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    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    How much thatch is in the lawns. It could be that causing it.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  4. #4
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    No Mick, it's good and dry. Grass was dry too. Catching really good.

  5. #5
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    Hi Bluey, thatch doesn't seem to be too bad on my lawn.


    Both lawns got a bit out of hand during all the rain so still getting them back down to a normal height. That's the reason for the non-green patches.

  6. #6
    Member Mick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    Just a few thoughts...
    If they got out of control, the grass probably got a little "stalky" for want of a better word.
    Could try cutting it a little lower on next cut then raise deck on cuts after that. I call it "resetting."

    Have you had any lawn grub. Had heaps here lately.

    On occasion when Im cutting thick grass (this is on a rider), it kind of causes the blade to catch and dig in, bending down. That can cause that scalped look until the blade gets up to speed straightening out.

  7. #7
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    Yeah Mick, I suppose I am 'resetting' it.
    It's not the scalped look that is worrying me. I can see that one side of the cut is longer than the other side. When I re-mowed mine at 90deg, it evened out Ok.
    The greener lines on my lawn after the re-mow are results of last mow with my ZTR. It didn't leave tracks, but must have compressed the soil, and I think kikuyu likes compacting. But that's not the case with the first lawn. This was the second mow catching with the pushie since it was overgrown, and the cut just isn't right.

    I don't do much push mowing so when I do have to sweat, I like to end up with a schmick job, not having to mow it again.

    It's an 825 series B&S, and does it easily, not working hard at all, but seems to me the blades just aren't spinning fast enough, but then the whole width of cut would be messy??

  8. #8
    Member Mick's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    Is the blade carrier plate on correctly and tight?
    May be a silly question but are the blades on the correct way up? Are they the correct blades?
    Did you measure level to the blades or the mower deck? Measure blade carrier plate at several ei 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions without turning the plate, and then turn plate and do it again. Just to check the plate or shaft isnt bent. Measure on a perfectly true level surface. Measure at different height settings.
    Ride on decks require a slight angle on the deck, usually about 1/8th lower on front. I wonder if your pushy has any angle, or too much?

    Which side of the cut isnt working for you? Is it the discharge side? Clippings may be building up before passing into catcher and pushing the grass down. Mowing slowly should remedy that.

    Thats about all Ive got!

  9. #9
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    Thanks for your thoughts Mick. yes I have pretty much ruled out the bent shaft or plate. Had it sitting on a 1" form ply benchtop and more or less got the measurements you suggested. All within 1mm side to side.
    It does have an adjustment for nose down/up. In the catch position the nose is down 5mm from the back. In mulch position, nose is up 10mm from the back. It was 5mm down, but I've altered that to flat now and will see what that does.
    I've got another patch of solid kikuyu that I can mow with it tomorrow, and I'll keep better notice of exactly where it's not cutting properly.

    Thanks again for your ideas Mick & Bluey.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    in the photos i can't really see what the problem is, but could it be that 1 side of the push mower is simply going in the compacted area from the ride-on this would slightly lower 1 side causing an uneven cut i ask this because i have taken over lawns where the contractors(2 different lawns and contractors) have been mowing the lawn on a no.6 with a honda for years always mowing the same way when you looked at the lawns you could see the compression ruts i have run my mower over the lawn avoiding the ruts and on a no. 2 setting i got no grass off 1 of these lawns and the other was about 2.5-3 so if i had run my 197 with 1 wheel in the rut and the other not it would have left an uneven cut
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  11. #11
    Senior Member edbeek's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    That might be the most likely explanation Ian. I have another photo of the other side of the first lawn where I mowed it 90 deg to normal, and it looks ok.
    That first property has probably been mowed the same way with a push mower every time.
    Only doubt I have is when I saw what was happening, I increased my overlap by a couple of inches to minimise it, so I should have got out of the 'ruts'.
    Anyway I'll see what happens next time as it should lose the patchiness, and I'll do it all at 90degrees.

  12. #12
    Member Redlandsguy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Rover-Uneven Cut

    Mate, could just be the amount of rain and the resultant growth we have had. On a lot of lawns it appears that some of the growth is uneven due to small dips and gullies and as such you are getting denser coverage in places. I am using an older model rover and particularly on couch am getting a similar look. It looks like it is scalping patches, but it is just removing all or most of the green leaves and cutting to the thatch. Every mow is taking heaps of cuttings as well.

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