Blades Blade cuts too short!

[gitnby]

Just got a used 33" Hi-vac.

Both the hi-lift blade and ninja blade that came with it were pretty worn, so I bought a new one of each, and will have the old ones sharpened and ready to change out when needed.

Put blade setting at highest position (6) and was amazed at how short it cut my grass!

Darn near scalped it in some spots.

I had been cutting it by hand at the second highest setting on a self-propelled, and just cut it 3 days prior.

So, here's what I tried:

-aired up tires to max 12 psi front, 22 psi rear
-checked to make sure blade was not upside down:smile: (not really possible with the channel built in to blade)
-adjusted blade level bracket by loosening the 3 bolts and pulling up to top setting
-put the 3 deck wheels to bottom hole. (although the wheels don't touch the ground at high setting, except on extreme dips or irregular spots)

Is it because of the design of the hi-lift blade?

Should I use the standard blade, and if so, will it have enough lift to bag clippings?

It looks like the ninja blade will cut higher, but haven't tried it yet.

Grass is mostly tall fescue, with a little Bermuda that snuck in somehow.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Duffer72]

Ninja and reg blade will not bag, never seen a snapper in highest cut scalp a lawn, that is 4" if my memory serves me correctly.

 

[gitnby]

Ninja and reg blade will not bag, never seen a snapper in highest cut scalp a lawn, that is 4" if my memory serves me correctly.

maybe "scalp" was a bit too strong of a word?

4" is what the top setting is supposed to be.

I will put the mower on flat concrete and measure from floor to blade.

Something doesn't seem right?

Maybe my big butt is forcing the whole machine downward?

 

[Dannie]

maybe "scalp" was a bit too strong of a word?

4" is what the top setting is supposed to be.

I will put the mower on flat concrete and measure from floor to blade.

Something doesn't seem right?

Maybe my big butt is forcing the whole machine downward?

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.

 

[gitnby]

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU COME UP WITH.

Maybe I could put a lift lit on it like I did with my golf cart?

Has anyone ever heard of a lift kit for mowers?

 

[KennyV]

Are your blades Below the bottom edge of the deck... ?
That would indicate that you have the wrong blades on it... :smile:KennyV

 

[Duffer72]

Thats pretty hard to do on a snapper as they have a lip on the bottom of the deck so it would be very obvious it it was below the bottom of the deck.

 

[LandN]

how does the blade mount to the bottom .does it have a seperate boss piece that the blade mounts to that maybe shouldn't be there, causing the blade to be down further than it should.

 

[Duffer72]

Should be mounted directly to the blade bar and the retaining nut for the blade bar is in the hole in the middle of the blade.

 

[gitnby]

Should be mounted directly to the blade bar and the retaining nut for the blade bar is in the hole in the middle of the blade.

I'm pretty sure the blade is mounted correctly. It really can only mount one way, with the channel in the blade over the blade bar, and the cutting edge of the blade pointing up to deck.

I think what I'm experiencing is a combination of several factors:

-soft ground (not wet)
-air-filled tires that give, as opposed to the hard rubber tires on hand mower
-had been cutting it pretty high anyway
-It is extremely thick grass with a lot of thatch that was sucked up in to bag. That also made it seem like it was cutting too much. I filled the bag 5 times in a small area of about 3500 sf.

When I get back down there this weekend, I will double-check the psi in tires,the blade lever adjustment handle settings and will measure the distance from floor to cutting edge on a flat concrete floor.

Thanks for the help so far!