How to Adjust the Deck on a Troy Built Lawn Mower

If your lawn has an uneven appearance after it's mowed with your Troy-Bilt self-propelled mower, and your blade is not excessively chipped or dull, the problem is probably just a matter of incorrect deck height adjustment. For the mower's blade to provide a continuous even cut across the entire lawn, it is imperative that the left and right sides of the blade be exactly equidistant from the ground. Fortunately, Troy-Bilt has made deck height adjustment a very simple procedure that almost any homeowner can master in a matter of minutes.

Things You'll Need

• Adjustable wrench
• Work gloves
• Tape measure
• Spray lubricant (if needed)

Instructions

1. Park the Troy-Bilt on a flat level surface. Remove the spark plug wire from the spark plug located at the front of the engine to prevent the engine from accidentally starting. Put on work gloves.

2. Locate the cutting height adjustment mechanism located on top of the left rear wheel assembly. It looks like a lever, embedded into a notched, semi-circular metal plate.

3. Push the height adjustment lever out towards the left rear wheel. It will disengage from the metal plate. As it disengages from the metal plate, slide the lever to the top position to position the mower deck at its highest cutting level with regard to the left rear portion of the mowing deck.

4. Repeat this procedure for the remaining 3 wheel assemblies. Your mower is now set to the highest deck position available. Rotate the cutting blade beneath the mower so that the blade resides at the 3:00 and 9:00 positions. The blade faces left to right.

5. Use a tape measure to measure the distance from the extreme left and right sides of the cutting blade to the ground. Both distances should be approximately equal. If you are happy with this blade height and the resultant look it will produce, you may stop performing deck height adjustments.

6. Lower the deck height by one notch only using the above procedures on all 4 wheels. Again measure the blade height from the ground after each complete 4-wheel adjustment series. Keep lowering all 4 wheels, one notch at a time, and measuring the blade after each adjustment, until you have attained the correct blade height for your particular lawn.

7. Apply a light coating of spray lubricant to the 4 cutting height adjustment mechanisms to prevent rust. Reattach the spark plug wire to the spark plug.

Tips & Warnings

• If the cutting height adjustment mechanism is frozen or stuck, spray it thoroughly with spray lubricant. Slightly loosen the attachment nut on the lever assembly. Rotate the adjustment lever several times to the full up and then full down positions. Apply more spray lubricant. and re-tighten the attachment nut.

References

• Troy-Bilt: Operator's Manual 22" Rotary Mower