If you have ever wondered about giving your lawn a beautiful picture-perfect look, or if you feel that your lawnmower might be cutting your grass much lower than it should, then you might consider adjusting the lawnmower height. For your grass to have that beautiful green look, your lawnmower needs to be set at the proper cutting height.
If set too low, it can result in the grass that is cut too short so that the soil is visible. This wouldn’t look nice and is not the best for a healthy lawn. That is why you should learn to adjust your lawnmower to an appropriate height for a beautiful and healthy lawn.
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Read this to get the inside scoop on how to adjust a lawnmower height.
To adjust your lawnmower height, move the lever beside each wheel one notch behind or one notch to the front. Moving the lever to the front lowers the lawnmower’s cutting height. If you move it behind, it increases the mower height.
The correct height on your lawnmower will give your lawn that beautiful and healthy look that you desire. No matter the make of your mower, you can adjust its height. Though the way to do this may vary a little, the dynamics are pretty much the same.
With any of the systems/components outlined below, you can adjust the height of your lawnmower, depending on the make and model:
- The handle on the center – Some lawnmowers come with a handle or a knob on the center that you turn when using it. This handle could be used when adjusting the mower height.
- The axle – Adjusting the axle is one easy and basic way to adjust the lawnmower height. You might need to take out the wheel and raise it higher or lower for this.
- The levers – All the wheels on your lawnmower have levers. You can adjust the height of your mower by taking out wheels and placing each on the same level.
- Single lever adjustment – This feature allows you to adjust your mower height by raising a single lever. This lever is usually located around the axle on any of the sides of the mower.
All of these components can be used when adjusting your lawnmower heights. Now, we will take you through the process.
Follow our detailed step-by-step guide below to adjust your lawnmower to a proper cutting height.
How to adjust the height of a push lawnmower
Gas-powered mower:
- Place the push mower on a flat surface and locate the lever – Gas-powered mowers usually come with four levers on each of their four wheels. The levers should have a plastic coating on the tips.
- Release the lever to make it adjustable – Hold the top of each adjustment lever and drag it toward to lawnmower’s wheel. This should release the levers so that you can move them left or right without effort.
- Adjust your lawnmower height – Move the lever one or several notches to the back to raise its height. Move the adjustment lever to the front by one or several notches to reduce its height.
Do the same for the rest of the levers on all the wheels. Make sure the adjustments are all the same, so you don’t have uneven heights on your lawnmower.
For instance, if you move the first lever one notch to the back, you must do the same for the rest of the levers on each wheel.
Electric lawnmower:
- Remove the lawnmower plug from the socket – First, turn off the engine and disconnect the lawnmower from electricity before making any adjustments. Do not proceed with adjusting the lawnmower height without turning off the equipment.
- Locate the adjustment handle – Unlike the PUSH mowers, electric-powered mowers usually come with a knob or a handle with which you can adjust the lawnmower heights. The handle or knob should be near the back of the mower, on the left side. Many of the mower brands come with a gauge that shows how many inches of cutting height is set on the lawnmower.
- Adjust the lawnmower height – Turn the knob to the right to lower the lawnmower height, or turn it to the left to increase its height.
How to adjust lawnmower height for riding mowers.
The process for adjusting the riding lawnmower’s height is different and less complex than the push ones. Many of these mowers come with in-built self-adjustment features that make it stress-free to achieve the desired height for your lawnmower.
All you need to do is make sure your tires are properly inflated. Then park the mower on a flat surface.
- Turn off the engine and check your tire pressure – As we’ve said, you have to park the lawnmower on a flat hard surface. Then turn off the engine and check the pressure of all four tires using a tire gauge. Make sure all four tires’ pressure reads 14 lbs.
- Locate the mower’s adjustment slot, the levers, or the knobs – Uncover the lawnmower deck to locate the adjustment slots. The mower deck cover is by the hole near the height adjustment lever. Move the lever to the right to bring it closer to the lawnmower seat. If the mower comes with knobs instead, both knobs would be on the right side of the machinery.
- Adjust the height – Loosen the front and the back knobs at the right side of the lawnmower. As long as the mower is parked on a flat hard surface and the tire pressures are accurate, the mower will self-level as you loosen the knobs.
- Cover the mower deck and do a test – After the mower levels itself, tighten both the front and back knobs. Then lift the deck height adjustment lever to its original position and put its cover back in place. After this, turn on your lawnmower and mow a few rows of grass to check. If the grass is not your desired height, repeat the process.
How to measure lawnmower cutting height
Follow these steps to measure a lawnmower cutting height:
- Make sure your lawnmower is on level ground. It should be on a hard flat surface
- Use a ruler or a measuring tape and hold it to the area where the blades are housed. Measure this area from the bottom to the floor. The blades would not cut anything below its covering.
For instance, assuming the blades’ are housed 3 inches from the floor, you would be cutting 3-quarter or 3.5 inches of grass. - Mow some grass and measure the cut grass with the ruler to see its length from the soil. Compare it with the grass not yet cut. With this, you can determine your desired measurement.
What height should a lawnmower be set at?
That depends on the weather in your region and the time of the mowing season. For some places where the mowing season is cooler, experts recommend 2.5 inches for the first and last cut of the season. Apart from these times, 3 inches is the most ideal height for a healthy lawn. For excellent grass health and to keep the lawn looking smooth and green, experts advise cutting above 2 inches at all times.
Your grass length will determine its health and how green and smooth it looks through the season. If you cut the grass too short, you destroy its health, and your lawn might start growing weeds. The maximum height on most lawnmowers is 3 inches, showing that this is a correct height for a healthy and green lawn.
To get the right cutting height for your lawn, you need to properly measure the heights, and adjust your lawnmower to the proper height. Following the steps above will guide you to cut your lawn at the correct height.
If you have been mowing your lawn too short, increase the height of the lawnmower to revive the grass and keep your lawn looking green and gorgeous.
