cutting height seems off

zmister11 said:

I have a 2014 gravely zt xl 48. The highest setting is 4.5 inches. And I use that setting for thick St augestine grass. on my old dixie chopper that I used to have I would cut it on 4 inches and it would be fine. But now with the gravely even 4.5 inches doesn't seem high enough. Is their another way to bring the deck higher? I feel like the cutting height is not very accurate

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djdicetn said:

Have you set the deck at the highest setting on a concrete surface, then actually measured the distance from the concrete to the outer blade tip? Have you considered that maybe the DC was the one that had an inaccurate height adjustment? If the Gravely measurement is off, I'm certain that the dealer would correct this under warranty. Also, check the height in the "Storasge" position which may be a little higher than the highest deck setting at 4.5" but I would check with my dealer or Gravely to make sure it's OK to mow with the deck in the Storage position. IMHO, I wasn't very impressed with the XL's and would have gone with the ZT HD(which has a 1"-5" height setting, and the base Pro-Turn as well). My Pro-Turn 100 XDZ has a 1.5"-5.5" range of heights.

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zmister11 said:

Okay yeah ill check those and see. And yeah I like the pro turns. But it wasn't really in my budget. Thanks!

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djdicetn said:

We all have a budget, just ask my Financial Adviser(aka, the wife). Fortunately, I was able to convince her that a Commercial grade ZTR was a good retirement investment:0)
Like I said, I was shopping for a ZTR that had a lot of Commercial grade components and the XL didn't meet that requirement very well. But Gravely don't make no junk and that XL should be able to meet your expectations for cut quality!! How much area are you cutting weekly and how long have you had your Gravely. If I were you, I would try some of the suggestions and if it still not giving a satisfactory cut have the deadler take a look. BTW, one of the Pros on the forums(user Ric) posted a chart for recommended cutting height for different types of grass. I can't seem to find the chart in a search right now, but below is a quote form one of his posts. Maybe you just need to try 2 or 3 different heights and see which looks best(I cut my Fescue at 2.5 inches and I tried 2 3/4" once and it looked TERRIBLE). It's sometimes just finding the right height for your specific law. Ric's quote:

"Warm-season grasses like Bermuda, Zoysia and Centipede grass are usually better cut short, 1 to 2 inch range depending on the variety and with a reel mower not a rotary.
St. Augustine grass should be cut higher, between 3 1/2 and 4 inches, preferably 3 3/4 inches.
A cool-season grass such as Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass, are usually best cut higher generally in the 2 to 3 inch range."

Hope you get it right where you want it!!!!

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