Measuring the cutting height of your lawn mower is essential if you want to achieve the perfect cut every time. A poorly set mower can result in patches of long grass, holes or bald spots which can be unsightly and unappealing.
If your lawn appears bumpy or uneven after you finish mowing it, then chances are you didn’t set your mower cutting height correctly. Maintaining the correct cutting height is essential to producing a healthy and beautiful lawn all season long.
However, with a little bit of effort and knowledge about how to measure lawn mower cutting height, you can make sure that your lawn looks its best all summer long. Here we will explain how to measure cutting height on a lawn mower and why it’s important.
Click here to read the complete Grass Cutting Height Chart
Table of Contents
What Does Lawn Mower Cutting Height Mean?
Lawn mower cutting height is the difference between the lowest point that your mower can reach and the highest point that it can reach. This setting determines how tall your grass will be after it is cut. It is especially important to maintain a consistent cutting height when you are mowing regularly.
A too-high cutting height can cause unevenness in your lawn and damage the roots of your grass. A lower cutting height can make it difficult to mow around obstacles such as tree roots or rocks. In addition, a too-low cutting height can lead to the overgrowth of weeds and could result in mower clogging.
There are two main reasons why you may need to adjust your lawn mower’s cutting height:
- The first is if you have uneven terrains in your yards, such as a slope or hill. If this is the case, you will need to adjust your mower’s cutting height accordingly.
- The second reason is if there are large objects like trees, rocks, or shrubs in your yard that prevent the mower from reaching a sufficient height to cut grass effectively.
How to Measure Lawn Mower Cutting Height? – Step By Step Process
To help you get the most out of your next mowing session, we’ve put together these handy steps on how to measure lawn mower cutting height.
Step: 1
To measure the cutting height of your mower, you will need a tape measure and a ruler. You can also use an online tool that allows you to enter the dimensions of your lawn to find out what the optimal cutting height is for your lawn. Depending on how tall your lawn is, different heights are best suited for different mowers.
- If it’s short, such as under 6 inches, you’ll have to raise the cutting height to ensure that grass clippings stay as short as possible.
- If it’s taller than 6 inches, you’ll have to lower the cutting height so that you don’t end up with long grass that has to be cut again.
Step: 2
You can measure your mower’s cutting height by using a laser level. Place the laser level in front of your mower and adjust the front wheels so that they align with the laser beam. Then, adjust the height of the mower so that it’s at the same height as the laser beam.
Use the screwdriver and adjust the front wheels so that the blade is aligned with the raised line on the level. You should see the blade cut at the same height as the level.
Step: 3
The mower’s cutting height can also be measured by looking at the blade itself. The height of the blade is a good indicator of the cut height. The closer to the ground the blade is, the higher it will cut.
Step: 4
You can measure the height of a wheel or wheel tread to determine if your mower has adjustable cutting heights.
Step: 5
You can measure the seat on your mower to see how high it needs to go to reach your target height.
These are all different methods of measuring cutting height, but they each have their own pros and cons. One thing that all of these methods have in common is that they are not always accurate due to human error and inconsistencies between machines.
To make sure you get an accurate measurement, do multiple tests with different settings and make sure that your measurements match up with what other people have found for their particular machine model.
Size Requirements for Different Types of Grass
The size of the grass you need for your yard depends on a variety of factors, including the type and shape of your lawn, how much sunlight it gets, and how much shade is around it. So, if you’re not sure what type of grass to put in your yard, start small and work your way up until you find the perfect fit.
To give you an idea of what kind of grass to plant for different areas, here are a few things to keep in mind:
Outdoor grasses:
This includes fine-leaved grasses like Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. These grasses grow best in full sun or light shade. They also do well in moist soil conditions.
Indoor grasses:
This includes medium-leaved grasses like fescue and zoysiagrass. These grasses can be used indoors when they are grown under lights or in containers. You can also use these types of grass as a ground cover in shady areas or low-traffic areas.
Grass Cutting Height Chart:
| Grass Type | Height at which to Mow (Inches) | Length to Cut your Grass (Inches) |
|---|---|---|
| Fescue | 4 | 3-4 |
| Bermuda | 2-12 | 2 |
| Zoysia | 2-12 | 2 |
| St Augustine | 3 | 2-12 |
| Ryegrass | 3-12 | 3 |
| Centipede | 3 | 2-12 |
| Kentucky Bluegrass | 3-12 | 3 |
What are the Height Settings on Lawn Mower?
Height settings are the adjustments you make to a lawn mower’s cutting height. Generally, they range from 0 to 3 inches (2.5 to 8.5 centimetres). The lower the cutting height, the more narrow the cut of your lawn. The higher you raise your mower, the wider the cut.
Higher mowing heights can reduce clumping and unevenness in your grasses, as well as allow for easier navigation as you mow around objects like trees and shrubs.
Lower or mid-height settings are typically best for small gardens with less dense growth; however, expert lawn care professionals generally recommend staying closer to the minimum height of about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) for bigger yards and larger areas.
What Do the Inches Mean on a Lawn Mower?
Inches are a measurement of distance. An inch represents approximately 2.54 centimeters. The size of mower wheels and handles is usually expressed in inches.
This is because the majority of mowers are measured in feet, not meters. One inch equals two feet of mower blade width.
A lawn mower’s handle may be 1-inch wide or 1-1/2-inches wide.
More often than not, lawn mower wheels are also measured in inches. The term “inches” has become so ingrained into the industry that many people use it to describe both mower wheels and handles. This can be confusing to some people, but it’s a common practice that’s been around for a long time.
How to Set Lawn Mower Height to 3 Inches?
To adjust the height of your lawn mower to 3 inches, follow these steps:
Turn off the engine, disconnect the sparkplug wire, and move the seat all the way back. Place your hand under the frame if possible and open the gas tank.
Move up or down until it sets on 3 inches make sure you have no problems controlling the machine while walking on it with your heels touching the ground.
The most common reason for having your mower set too high is that a lot of people just don’t know how to adjust the height of their mower. The most basic adjustment is to make sure that the operating levers are properly set so that the mower can be operated easily at any level.
When setting the height, you should take into account how tall you are and what is comfortable for you to walk on. If a mower setting higher than 3 inches makes it difficult for you to control it and use it safely, then you should adjust the lever accordingly.
Conclusion:
Cutting height on a gas or electric mower can be measured in two ways. One is by viewing how high the blades reach when they turn upside down (usually when you push the mower backwards). The other is by monitoring how low the cutting blade goes on its downward stroke. Both methods are good, but the first one might not be accurate enough for professional use.
So, it’s best to master both ways for measuring the amount of grass being cut at different heights. The distance from the top of the grass to the point where the blades reach their highest point when they’re turning upside down is called tread depth.
The height of the ground between the mower and the blade is another way to measure your mower’s cutting height.
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