Hello everyone. I bought a used JD x300 and it has never cut perfectly. I have leveled the deck properly. I will confirm tire pressure today. I will tighten the belt tension today. I will sharpen and balance blades today. I have made a mark where the blade height is on the deck, rotated blade, and the other side of the blade matches that mark (if that makes sense), I have checked spindles for excessive play ...(one side has a very very slight amount of play) I just dont think its enough play to cause the problem Im having. I just wanted to share these pics with everyone. Hopefully someone can tell me if everything appears ok. I included a pic of how bad my lawn looks after a cut. Are the blades close enough to each other?
JD X300 always leaves strip of grass
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Hard to tell what is the problem. I thought, based on title, that I would see a small uncut strip of grass in the middle of each row. That isn't what I see in the picture.
I have the 42X deck on an X300. I used to not like it. Then I actually took the time to properly level it, using the height tool that Deere sells for this, and making sure to set the tire pressure correctly first. The results were much better, most of the stragglers in the middle were gone.
The two bladed decks get there overlap by having the two cutting circles offset from each other. There is only 3/4" overlap, which really means 3/8" of each balde overlaps. Any wear on the tips of the blade will reduce that overlap, which can lead to stragglers. But, that is not what I see in your picture.
It kinda looks like those might be tire tracks.
I have the 42X deck on an X300. I used to not like it. Then I actually took the time to properly level it, using the height tool that Deere sells for this, and making sure to set the tire pressure correctly first. The results were much better, most of the stragglers in the middle were gone.
The two bladed decks get there overlap by having the two cutting circles offset from each other. There is only 3/4" overlap, which really means 3/8" of each balde overlaps. Any wear on the tips of the blade will reduce that overlap, which can lead to stragglers. But, that is not what I see in your picture.
It kinda looks like those might be tire tracks.
Thank you, I just found the problem. One blade is almost an inch lower than the other one. Im not sure if previous owner put on the wrong spindle or what. Unbelievable
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Hard to tell from the lawn photo, but it looks like the cut tapers toward one edge. I have a two-blade Cub Cadet mower that did something like that. One blade's spindle mounting had been tilted by me hitting a rebar stake. To check this. lay a straight edge across the deck bottom edges and compare the distance to each blade end. I corrected mine by shimming the spindle mounting bolts with flat washers.
You can also use the straightedge to check if the spindle lengths are the same. (You didn't say how you determined they aren't.)
You can also use the straightedge to check if the spindle lengths are the same. (You didn't say how you determined they aren't.)
sorry about the picture, i forgot that I mowed over it 3 times (removing said grass strip)
thats what i planned on doing, putting washers in there , but of course all the bolts broke off, and im getting new spindle
i could see the 1 inch difference when i set the blades in a straight line and looked at it closer
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Here is what I experienced - the deck tub was bent ("dented?") by the force when I hit the rebar. If the blades are aligned and ends compared, it could appear the spindles are different lengths. I shimmed at the point shown, only about 1/8" to get the blade ends level. Something to check.
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I would see if the deck housing could be bent back near to its original form rather than shimming the spindles.
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I agree, but in my case, The bend was so subtle I could not detect what to straighten. It didn't even crack the paint. For a 1-inch offset at the end of the blade, we're talking a one-tenth inch tilt across the 5-inch mounting circle on the tub. I'm not even sure what tools to use to do the work with any precision. Shimming seemed like a better option. The spindle housings on this deck are not a solid, flat mount, but are on little "feet".
Any ideas?
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I have an X300 with the 48 inch deck and absolutely love it. Best mower I have ever owned. I was going to say something seems to be wrong with your spindles. Replace them, as you will have to anyway before soon. Looks like one blade is sitting lower in the deck................
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I don't believe the deck is bent. The deck is pretty solid compared to the spindly deck mounts...I suspect that is where the problem is. I see this a lot on all the newer cheap box store Cubs, Troy's, Deere's etc...
I bent the mounting brackets on a box store Cub just taking off the blades at a friends house. I went back home and loaded up my air tank and gun to remove the blades, then took the deck off, straighted the spindly junk under and put the deck back on and luckily found it was level. I added some rake to it and it cut much better.
Not sure I understand what you mean by deck mounts. Do you mean the hangers in front and back that lift the deck (and are used the level the deck)? Do you mean the parts of the deck that the hangers hold on to? Or, do you mean the parts of the deck shell that the deck spindles bolt on to?
The issue that this thread is about is when you turn the deck up side down and measure the distance to the blade tips from a reference plane. If the measurement is not consistent, it typically means the deck shell that the deck spindle bolts too is not flat, most likely due to an impact with a solid object. Many people have experienced that. I am sure people, probably many, have also experienced the many other ways that a deck can cut poorly due to something being bent or out of adjustment.
I had an X534 with 54 deck that the previous owner had tried to use as a shredder. The tree stump didn't budge. My blade tips looked like the one in your pic #3. It was a cumbersome process but I was able to straighten them out for a smooth carpet looking cut. The John Deere deck levelling gauge is designed to measure deck height at certain points on the deck. Basically 4 corners on the 54. I placed short 2x6, (consistent 5.5 inch support or stand) standing on end at each of those points and set the deck on them, then carefully measured blade tips for all three. Then rotated each blade and measured again. And again. From those measurements I could tell where the deck was bent and using a small sledge worked at it until all 3 blades had same height at their tips. Yes, a sledge and fairly hefty blows.
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Glad you found the problem. Now comes the best and right fix. Shimming will get the blade flat, but the blade may still be at a different height from the ground when mowing than the other blade. If that’s true, you will have to live with the difference or reshape the housing. A large circular plate over the spindle opening may shed some light on the point that is bent and whether it is up or down. Measurements can find it as well if you can get a good flat surface to measure to. If one point is bent up shimming, can bring it back to the original position. However, if a point is bent down, shimming the opposite side will get the blade level, but will be lower than the other blade. The blade will be low by about half the bend. So close may be good enough, but reshaping the housing is the only way to get it flat and at the right height.
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