6 Common Craftsman Mower Deck Problems You Must be Aware Of!

Any mechanical piece develops certain problems with time. It’s also equally true in the case of Craftsman Mower no matter how good their products are! 

The mower deck protects the user as well as the engine of the mower from the blades and the debris shot off from the blades. But you can face some craftsman mower deck problems like uneven cuts, stringers, step cuts, streaking, and etc. 

In this article I’ve discussed those problems in detailed and how you should solve them. So, read and get the best troubleshooting ideas.

Uneven Cuts

A common problem with Craftsman deck is uneven cuts of grass. It often happens when the deck is misadjusted or damaged. 

To solve this, you have to adjust the deck height properly if it is not leveled correctly. 

The deck suspension mechanism can also be broken, which can cause this problem. So, repair it if it’s broken. 

Also, don’t forget to check if your deck is clean. If it’s plugged with dirt, clean it. 

However, the deck is not the only place from where this problem is created.  

Damaged blade, uneven tire pressure, running your mower too fast or too slow, and other reasons can also create uneven cuts.

Stringers

Stingers are sparse patches of uncut grass left behind the mower. Stingers are usually caused by operator error or poor blade maintenance.

Stringers indicate having unusual lawn grasses after the indecent gap.

Scattered patches of uncut grasses can leave in the mower. Mostly it happens for poor blood maintenance and operator error. But an unclean deck can also contribute to this problem.

So, if the origin of this problem is a deck plugged with grass, clean your mower properly.

Step Cuts

Stepped cutting leaves inconsistent sharp ridges in the lawn. 

Maybe level height changes after a distance because of the mower’s glitches. It will actually make your lawn look more inconsistent and trashier. So having a leveled cut is always wanted.

Fixing stepped cuts need some precaution. 

You have to check the height of the deck. If the deck is placed properly, you may have a plain cut. 

Also, if the deck bumps in an irregular gap, it will also cause step cuts. 

So, for having a leveled clean cut, always check the mower’s deck before starting and adjust the wheel strongly. 

Sometimes, even after having good suspension and enough height, the mower can show inappropriate results. In this case, you have to check the deck shell. 

If the deck and blade remain normal, only then you can avoid this stepped cutting. You may have to replace the deck if the damage is irreparable.

Streaking

Another common problem with Craftsman mower is streaking. Streaking is when the mower leaves thin strips of uncut grass behind. It is also called stuttering. 

You may see a bit unusual height on your lawn. It is easy to solve this matter by troubleshooting your mower a bit.

So, if the problem occurs, you should check the deck height again. 

The suspension and adjustment of deck and blade select the way how the mower will work. 

If the deck shield or suspension is broken or the deck height is not selected, the mower may move unwantedly, and some overlapping may be missed while turning. 

Thus, you can actually leave some grass to spoil your work. 

Also, mow your lawn with full throttle and don’t just fasten blade speed or slow the ground speed. 

Keep the consistency of the mower and mow in the parallel shape between lawn and deck. 

If you can keep the consistency, the streaking problem will be washed out well.

Scalping

Scalping means mower touching the ground crossing the lawn. It will actually spoil the beauty of your lawn by removing grass from here and there inconsistently. 

Sometimes, the ground comes in the top, and the mower touches the lawn ground, and uneven cutting happens.

Deck height is the main reason behind scalping. Maybe it was not adjusted properly, or it was moving afterward. So, tightly fix the height adjustment of the mower deck. 

It also happens when the deck is not properly leveled. Check this thing out too. 

Adjust the throttle while mowing, don’t move it that fast that you cannot control it. 

Then check the pressure from the deck to the blade. Uneven pressure sometimes causes this uneven cutting and scalping problems.

So, if you can adjust the speed and pressure and try this thing again, you can avoid the scalping problem. 

Basic cross-checking facts before lawn mowing are adjusting the wheels and deck-blade combination and maintaining the speed while mowing.

Leaving Marks on the Lawn

The deck design can end up resulting in leaving marks on your lawn if the operator makes very tight turns without overlapping the cutting row enough.  

You usually won’t face this problem if you have a floatable deck in your mower.

Final Thoughts

So the deck of Craftsman mower can create several problems, and most of the deck problems mainly happen due to three different reasons. Either your deck is damaged, or it’ misadjusted, or it is not cleaned. 

Hence, it’s important to maintain the mower properly. If you can keep these craftsman mower deck problems in check on a regular basis, you won’t face any big issues.

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