[tballard]

Been push mowing my 2 acre lawn for the last 2 years and finally saved up and purchased a John Deere LA105 ( 42" deck ) last month. Hit a stump, bent a blade, purchased new ones and put em on. Now there's a strip of grass maybe 4-5 inches wide that isn't being cut down the middle.

I registered to ask this question but it said I needed to post here first. Was hoping to post it tonight and then read replies in the morning before trying to figure it out. Oh well. Will ask again tomorrow in the Lawn & Garden Tractor section of the forum.

I did remove the deck completely when changing the blades but I havent changed anything really. I got 3-in-1 OEM blades so they are the correct ones. Do not think they are on upside down but I will pull the deck again in the morning and double check. Originally removed only the bent blade and used the remaining one to determine how the new one should be put on. Then removed the remaining one and put the new one on the same way as the other one.

The grass is a little tall currently but it was way taller before when I first purchased the mower and it handled it just fine. I'm stumped and could use some help so here I am!

Thanks,
Travis Ballard

 

[k91]

:MTF_wel: Sounds like the spindle may be bent or you tweaked the deck shell itself.

 

[JDFANATIC]

Welcome to the forum! :Welcome1: Sounds like a bent spindle to me. Hitting a stump can put a lot of stress on a deck. When you get it fixed, you should probably walk the yard and mark all potential trouble spots (or remove the stumps).

 

[bigdaddyjak]

as stated above, i would check the spindle, and see if the deck maybe bent, if u cant see it by eye, check the spindles with a torpedo level.

 

[oaker55]

One of the first times I mowed with my 445 13 years ago I was mowing along and all of a sudden i heard a really weird sound coming out of the deck. Not a mechanical sound, but just a weird sound almost like you would expect from a helicopter. I stopped the deck and shut off the tractor to investigate and as I climbed off of the tractor I noticed a really weird pattern in the grass behind the tractor. I raised the deck and looked under it and the one of the blades was bent down at 90 degrees about 4 to 5 inches from the tip. :fing20: I replaced the blades but to this day I do not know what I hit that would bend the blade like that nor do I know when I hit it as I didn't hear anything obvious that would be associated with the event. Luckily, it didn't do any other damage. Just one of those weird occurrences in life that luckily didn't turn out worse.

 

[tballard]

Hey guy's thanks for your replies. The spindles weren't loose or anything and I can't wiggle the blades. Not really noticing any unusual vibration either. I really hope that isn't the issue as I have no idea how to replace them ;/

 

[Windlake]

I agree, sounds like one of the spindles cocked or warped the deck itself when you hit the stump. The spindles may seem fine but the metal deck might be bent. Check blade level as per the manual and the cause should be obvious.

 

[Austen]

Welcome to the site! As mentioned, it sounds like it could be a bent spindle.

 

[tballard]

Thanks guys, I really hope that's all it is. I can't afford a new deck right now. Sad part is it didn't even happen in my own yard! I was mowing the easement on the outside of my fence and the neighbour asked to hire me to mow their lawn. So I made $40 and it cost me $100-400, awesome.

 

[Herd of Deeres]

Thanks guys, I really hope that's all it is. I can't afford a new deck right now. Sad part is it didn't even happen in my own yard! I was mowing the easement on the outside of my fence and the neighbour asked to hire me to mow their lawn. So I made $40 and it cost me $100-400, awesome.

No good deed goes unpunished... :MTF_wel: and :wwp:

 

[PA318Guy]

You should always make that part of any "mowing" question and answer period with the phrase "if there are any obstructions on your property that I hit then you will be responsible for repairs to the equipment, now are there any obstructions I need to know about?" You will be amazed at the information you receive right about then!

 

[tballard]

You should always make that part of any "mowing" question and answer period with the phrase "if there are any obstructions on your property that I hit then you will be responsible for repairs to the equipment, now are there any obstructions I need to know about?" You will be amazed at the information you receive right about then!

You know, you're absolutely right. Of course you know this, you said it. I only wish I thought about it before agreeing to mow their lawn. Oh well what are you going to do. I'll get it fixed soon enough it just sucks that it happened.

I'm a freelance web developer and some jobs like the one I'm currently working on take a couple months to complete so paychecks only happen when I start a project and when I finish a project. And the down payment for this one is what I used to purchase the mower. Next time I'll definitely make them aware that they're responsible for any damages to the equipment caused by obstructions on their property.

Thanks,
Travis Ballard

 

[tballard]

No good deed goes unpunished... :MTF_wel: and :wwp:

Just saw the "We want pictures" so I'll pull her out and do a little photo shoot this weekend, weather permitting of course. I could snap a pic but with photography being a hobby it'd be more fun to use lights and all that good stuff :thanku::greendr:

 

[tballard]

Also just a heads up, you guy's are right it's either a spindle or a bent deck. I lined the blades up and one of them is has the cutting edge about an inch, maybe an inch and a half higher than the other. It looks like one of the spindles has a bit of a gap ( maybe as thick as a credit card or 2 stacked ) where it should be flush with the underside of the deck I would think. I'll take it in and pay the $40 for a second opinion at my local JD dealer when I get some monies together.

You guys are awesome and I think I'll like it around here. This is my first mower ever so I'm sure I'll have tons of questions as time goes by. Not saying my parents never had one or anything but now that I'm all grown up and out of their house, it's my first one.