Every #MowDay fanatic knows there are a few must-dos when it comes to mower maintenance. One of the most important is leveling your deck. Proper deck level side-to-side and pitch front-to-back will not only help your mower stand up to daily wear and tear, but it will allow you to achieve that smooth, crisp Grasshopper finish with each and every pass. However, if you’re not familiar with the process, leveling your deck can be confusing. Follow our quick guide below to learn the proper way to level a Grasshopper FrontMount™ and MidMount™.

 

 

 

Step 1 – Remove the key and set parking brake. 

 

Step 2 – On a flat, level surface, check your tire pressure and air up if necessary. 

 

Step 3 – Remove the side discharge shield.

 

Step 4 – Ensure your front casters are facing forward. Leaving casters crooked will affect your adjustment down the line. 

 

Step 5 – Before adjusting, measure your deck rear to front on both sides to check for the degree of slant. It’s important for FrontMount decks to be slanted down, from rear to front, by 1/8”. Proper slant is based on where the lift arms attach to the power unit. Adjust by ensuring the mount bushing bolt is 8¼” from the ground.

 

Step 6 – Begin the leveling process by loosening the front jam nut. If you need to lower the front of the deck, lengthen the linkage rod. If you need to raise the front, shorten the linkage rod.

 

Step 7 – Measure for level and make further adjustments as necessary.

 

Step 8 – Once you’ve set your level, tighten the front jam nuts back up. 

 

Step 9 – Now that your level is set, you can confirm your new cutting height and adjust your indicator gauge if necessary. 

 

For even more detail and a visual step-by-step guide make sure to watch the FrontMount video above. 

 

 

 

Step 1 – Remove the key and set parking brake. 

 

Step 2 – On a flat, level surface, check your tire pressure and air up if necessary. 

 

Step 3 – Remove the side discharge shield.

 

Step 4 – Use a combo square or leveling gauge to measure and compare the left and right sides of your deck.

 

Step 5 – Before you begin the leveling process, verify the lift chain links are seated all the way down on the bolts. If not, loosen the bolts and rearrange the link so they are seated.

 

Step 6 – Tighten your lift chain bolts and verify they are carrying weight.

 

Step 7 – On the left side of the deck, loosen the top chain bolt and locate the level adjust screw. 

 

Step 8 – Loosen the jam nut and turn the level adjust screw to raise/lower your deck. Clockwise turns will raise your deck and counterclockwise will lower it. 

 

Step 9 – Measure for level and make further adjustments as necessary.

 

Step 10 – After adjusting, tighten the jam nut and lift the chain bolt. 

 

Step 11 – Measure your deck rear to front on both sides to check for the degree of slant. It’s important for MidMounts to be slanted down, from rear to front, by 1/8”.

 

Step 12 – If necessary, adjust the slant of your mower by locating the lift rod assembly, loosening the jam nuts and then rotating the lift rod bolt. Turn clockwise to raise and counterclockwise to lower. Adjust both left and right sides by following the same process.

 

Step 13 – Measure for level and make further adjustments as necessary. 

 

Step 14 – Tighten the jam nut once you’ve finished adjusting slant.

 

For even more detail and a visual step-by-step guide make sure to watch the MidMount video above.