Thanks so much, I was having a miserable time trying to get my Hustler level but you explained it so even I could understand it, I'm not known for my wrenching abilities. Thanks again, you're the best brother.
After watching your video several times I was able to level my Z445 deck. Your absolutely right about how tedious this task is, I’m 74 and all the ups and downs start to add up. Something I discovered on right rear, I needed to lower it and I notice the nut was dropping down but no movement on deck. After down the concrete again, the right side deck was stuck higher on the bolt. I just picked up the deck with my hands and dropped it. That fixed that. I want to thank you again for this very detailed video you made…… Thanks and greetings from Oklahoma
Thanks so much. I’ve had a Z245 for 7 years and just now was fired (by wife) for a long horrific gouge. I will sally forth tomorrow and regain my respect when I level the deck!
I'm off by over and inch front to back (back is higher) and I've maxed out the adjustment threads to raise the front. At 8:44, It sounded like you had similar issue, but didn't mention how you overcame it. I have the gator mulching blades, not sure if that's the reason or not.
I do think the gators are a hair lower than the stock ones but it annoys me when the numbers aren't the actual height of cut. I just went as high as I could and adjusted the back down to get that 1/8-1/4 inch drop on the front.
Air pressure / an measuring each tire these tires are light ply tires meaning each tire dimension will differ from each other diameter with equal pressure
I have a 2021 Z530M the deck adjustment at the pedal is different from yours it has a magnetic pin. The mower came with a plastic adjustment gauge using the pin you set the deck at 2.5” , there is a raised bump on both sides of the rear of the deck using the same adjustment points you did adjust the rear than go to the front and adjust the front at the small support. After making the adjustments the deck adjustment at the pedal was binding so I had to lower both sides just enough to so the adjustment at the pedal was no longer binding. I drove my mower for 3 years just assuming the deck was right it was 1/2-3/4 “ too low.
Seems to me that you should be measuring the front edge of the center blade as it is further forward compared to the 2 side blades. This would give you more distance between front and back measurements resulting in better accuracy.
Baker's DIY Lifestyle it’s been on my bucket list to figure out this mower since i inherited it last year. Seems weird that i never noticed it before but when my gauge arrives I’ll level it.
Four blocks front two lower than back put under blades lower deck two blocks at three inch height then adjust adjustment nuts until just moving off blocks easier than back and forth adjusting
On my side adjustments the whole bolt turns with the nut on my z335e. I can’t figure out what the issue is. Edit: The manual calls for a second wrench to hold the upper bolt in place.
@@BakersDIYLifestyle yea my deck is level I have a new one 42" deck and the holes don't match from one side to the other if I put the left on 3-4 the right will be a little lower on 3-4
@@BakersDIYLifestyle yea I have the 42" deck I have had it for two weeks it cuts good but my deck wheel we're all the way up I moved them down but they are different
I have the z335e and I keep my wheels on the highest setting. Reason behind it is my uncle gave me an L110, and I never bothered to adjust the anti scalp wheels. Long story short I took a turn too tight and the weld broke with the wheel going under a live deck. I don’t believe my wheels are the same height either, but my plot isn’t level.
Hi. Thanks for the video. Im a little confused still, i just bought a z345 and of course the deck was not level from the store. If i set the height at 3", then the side blade height should be 3" but what should the front n back height be? (My specs allow for ⅛-¼ front-back difference). A tad under 3" and a tad over 3"? Thanks.
I always measured the front as my base height (3in front, 3.25 rear, and roughly 3.125 middle when on the 3in setting)because I wanted my deck as high as possible. Typically when the blades engage the front of the deck will rise just slightly to account for the 1/8-1/4 difference. The numbers will never be perfect just because of the ground difference so the main things to worry about are being level left to right and no more than 1/4 higher in the rear. If you did 2.875 front, 3 middle, 3.125 rear, it would probably be more accurate but again we're only talking 1/8s of an inch difference. Hope that helps!
I'd think that youd set the front at 3", if you want the true 3" cut. Then have the rear level from side to side within the specs of rake difference from front to rear. On my my old cub cadet I just use a block of wood. Its 3" one way and 3 1/4" the other way. I adjust the front to 3",then the sides to 3 1/4". That gives me as good a cut as a cub cadet can offer. I do think john Deere's have a nicer cut,mostly because of their better deck design.
The block is an awesome idea! I might try to do something like that myself now! The general idea is when you engage the blades and it pulls the belt, the front of the deck will rise slightly because of it. That's why I start a tad lower than the measurement I'm shooting for but who knows how accurate that really is. Side to side is definitely the most important!
@@BakersDIYLifestyle Agreed,when I brought my cub home and cut with it was a way off,but a little tinkering and she cuts pretty good now. I've just got generic blades on it right now and even when freshly sharpened it leaves stragglers unless I go like 2mph. The Cubs deck isnt as deep as the Deere's are and I think airflow is an issue. I'm gonna try some high lift blades in the spring and hope to see some improvement. Yours is a fine machine,leaves a beautiful cut.
The proper tire pressures for the Z540R are 10psi rear and 10psi front. You were obviously reading the max pressures off of the sidewalls, which are not the proper operating pressures.
You said the front of the deck should be .25 to .5O lower than the back, correct??? When you first start off, your mower deck wheels should not be touching the pavement, correct?
Yeah thats right on the angle. When you engage the blades the tension on the belt gives just a tiny rise to the front to level it out. The scalp wheels shouldn't touch the ground either but the deck should tell you where to put them for the height you mow at.
Bakers DIY Lifestyle I mow about 2.25” and seems my deck wheels are always touching and rut up the yard when I make my turn. I think I definitely need the deck leveled.
It's probably not from the deck but more from the unevenness of the yard. When you start mowing low the ground has to be much flatter. My wheels get the yard mowing at 4 inches in some rough places
You are right. I definitely just read the tire sidewall which is very incorrect but the major point is just making sure you are equal left to right so the mower is flat.
When you were measuring the front of the deck vs. the back, where did your measuring tool touch the deck? Was it the front most lip or did you measure the inside of the deck itself? Dumb question I know.
No you always put it on the tip of the blade. When you do front to back turn the blades facing that way so you get the longest distance between the front and back of the deck to level. Same with side to side. Go left most to right most to level. Does that help?
I actually just looked at the tire instead of finding the sticker like I should have. You're absolutely right about it being lower. The main thing is having them even left to right regardless of the pressure you run.
Do you have the mulching kit on yours? I've noticed with the kit that my middle blade almost looks like it was mowed in the opposite direction that the mower is going. I just ordered some gator blades that im going to try to see if there is a difference in cut quality.
@@BakersDIYLifestyle How did the gators do vs regular mulching blades? I too have the 535m with the mulch kit...I cut low today and see that the left side is cutting lower than the right. Looks like I have some adjusting to do.
Middle blade is always going to be the lowest because its in front of the 2 outer blades so wen u set pitch u go off the front middle blade and for the back u use the back of the outer blades. The difference between middle and outer blades is so small you shouldnt notice the differenct when cutting
Thanks so much, I was having a miserable time trying to get my Hustler level but you explained it so even I could understand it, I'm not known for my wrenching abilities. Thanks again, you're the best brother.
Glad I could help! It can be super tedious if you're really trying to dial it in but its so worth it!
After watching your video several times I was able to level my Z445 deck. Your absolutely right about how tedious this task is, I’m 74 and all the ups and downs start to add up. Something I discovered on right rear, I needed to lower it and I notice the nut was dropping down but no movement on deck. After down the concrete again, the right side deck was stuck higher on the bolt. I just picked up the deck with my hands and dropped it. That fixed that. I want to thank you again for this very detailed video you made…… Thanks and greetings from Oklahoma
Hey you're very welcome! It's about time for my annual blade change and level too! I just hope it's close!
Best Deere Z series deck leveling adjustment video I’ve seen. Now I have to find my wrenches and my level guide.
Thanks for the feedback! Good luck on yours!
Thanks so much. I’ve had a Z245 for 7 years and just now was fired (by wife) for a long horrific gouge. I will sally forth tomorrow and regain my respect when I level the deck!
Haha that's awesome!
Bravo……Great video and demonstration…….. very informative
Glad it helped out!
Thank you. Your video was helpful. Good job! I’m looking forward to getting out there and helping my husband level our mower, …almost.
Glad it helped!
Great video.,.I really appreciate the time that you've taken to educate
Glad it helped!
Thanks a lot for the video 👍
No problem! Glad it helped!
Thank you so much. I'd leveled my z335 once, I didn't know the front has to be .25- .5 inch lower. I probably have to do it again.
Glad it helped! The front should be a tad lower for the deck raising with the blades turning on!
Great video and we'll explained. Thank you..
Glad it helped!
I'm off by over and inch front to back (back is higher) and I've maxed out the adjustment threads to raise the front. At 8:44, It sounded like you had similar issue, but didn't mention how you overcame it. I have the gator mulching blades, not sure if that's the reason or not.
I do think the gators are a hair lower than the stock ones but it annoys me when the numbers aren't the actual height of cut. I just went as high as I could and adjusted the back down to get that 1/8-1/4 inch drop on the front.
Air pressure / an measuring each tire these tires are light ply tires meaning each tire dimension will differ from each other diameter with equal pressure
I mean it's not a race mower haha
@@BakersDIYLifestyle there bias tires no two same diameter when aired up making blade height difference
Yeah but the size of the tires don't change while rolling so that doesn't matter at all if the deck is leveled to them
Cool vid! Thank you!!!
Hope it helped!
That simplifies that procedure.
Glad it helped!
I have a 2021 Z530M the deck adjustment at the pedal is different from yours it has a magnetic pin. The mower came with a plastic adjustment gauge using the pin you set the deck at 2.5” , there is a raised bump on both sides of the rear of the deck using the same adjustment points you did adjust the rear than go to the front and adjust the front at the small support. After making the adjustments the deck adjustment at the pedal was binding so I had to lower both sides just enough to so the adjustment at the pedal was no longer binding. I drove my mower for 3 years just assuming the deck was right it was 1/2-3/4 “ too low.
That seems to be the case with most of them. I don't understand it at all
@@BakersDIYLifestyle I think it started my model year
Did you ever install a stripe kit. I have the same mower & did install the mulch kit but I miss the stripping I had before. Thx!
I never got a striping kit just because of how good it looks without one now. I might get one in the fall with our new house and new lawn!
@@BakersDIYLifestyle BTW thx for the vid, checked my deck it was off well over an inch after installing the mulch kit.
Glad I could help out!
Thanks bro, that help me put a lot.
No problem! Glad it helped!
What tire pressure are you running front and back?
13 front and 10 rear
Seems to me that you should be measuring the front edge of the center blade as it is further forward compared to the 2 side blades. This would give you more distance between front and back measurements resulting in better accuracy.
That's exactly what I do for the forward to back. From side to side I use the back 2 blades
great video.
Thanks! Hope it helped you out!
Baker's DIY Lifestyle it’s been on my bucket list to figure out this mower since i inherited it last year. Seems weird that i never noticed it before but when my gauge arrives I’ll level it.
Its cutting super
Awesome!
Four blocks front two lower than back put under blades lower deck two blocks at three inch height then adjust adjustment nuts until just moving off blocks easier than back and forth adjusting
That's pretty smart!!! Maybe I need to redo this video 🤔
On my side adjustments the whole bolt turns with the nut on my z335e. I can’t figure out what the issue is.
Edit: The manual calls for a second wrench to hold the upper bolt in place.
Is there anything I can use for the measuring other than that tool because I don’t have one?
A tape measure or just a 2x4 would be the easiest. Set it to 3.5in and slide the 2x4 under the blade until it barely touches
Great video!!!
Thanks, hope it helped you out!
I myself have such a wonderful model Z 540R
Are your deck wheels adjusted the same
Yeah both on the 3-4in hole
@@BakersDIYLifestyle yea my deck is level I have a new one 42" deck and the holes don't match from one side to the other if I put the left on 3-4 the right will be a little lower on 3-4
That's interesting. I've never thought to check the wheels too
@@BakersDIYLifestyle yea I have the 42" deck I have had it for two weeks it cuts good but my deck wheel we're all the way up I moved them down but they are different
I have the z335e and I keep my wheels on the highest setting. Reason behind it is my uncle gave me an L110, and I never bothered to adjust the anti scalp wheels. Long story short I took a turn too tight and the weld broke with the wheel going under a live deck.
I don’t believe my wheels are the same height either, but my plot isn’t level.
Just about to purchase this mower. Do you have a link for the measuring device you used?
It's in the description! You'll love the mower. Overall it's an extremely solid option for a top end residential mower.
@@BakersDIYLifestyle thanks mate. I'll be using it on a sports ground in the UK. Looking forward to it
Hi. Thanks for the video. Im a little confused still, i just bought a z345 and of course the deck was not level from the store. If i set the height at 3", then the side blade height should be 3" but what should the front n back height be? (My specs allow for ⅛-¼ front-back difference). A tad under 3" and a tad over 3"? Thanks.
I always measured the front as my base height (3in front, 3.25 rear, and roughly 3.125 middle when on the 3in setting)because I wanted my deck as high as possible. Typically when the blades engage the front of the deck will rise just slightly to account for the 1/8-1/4 difference. The numbers will never be perfect just because of the ground difference so the main things to worry about are being level left to right and no more than 1/4 higher in the rear. If you did 2.875 front, 3 middle, 3.125 rear, it would probably be more accurate but again we're only talking 1/8s of an inch difference. Hope that helps!
Do you have your deck wheel were they ride on top of the grass?
Yeah they shouldn't actually ride on the ground. Just about an inch above it
I'd think that youd set the front at 3", if you want the true 3" cut. Then have the rear level from side to side within the specs of rake difference from front to rear. On my my old cub cadet I just use a block of wood. Its 3" one way and 3 1/4" the other way. I adjust the front to 3",then the sides to 3 1/4". That gives me as good a cut as a cub cadet can offer. I do think john Deere's have a nicer cut,mostly because of their better deck design.
The block is an awesome idea! I might try to do something like that myself now! The general idea is when you engage the blades and it pulls the belt, the front of the deck will rise slightly because of it. That's why I start a tad lower than the measurement I'm shooting for but who knows how accurate that really is. Side to side is definitely the most important!
@@BakersDIYLifestyle Agreed,when I brought my cub home and cut with it was a way off,but a little tinkering and she cuts pretty good now. I've just got generic blades on it right now and even when freshly sharpened it leaves stragglers unless I go like 2mph. The Cubs deck isnt as deep as the Deere's are and I think airflow is an issue. I'm gonna try some high lift blades in the spring and hope to see some improvement. Yours is a fine machine,leaves a beautiful cut.
The proper tire pressures for the Z540R are 10psi rear and 10psi front. You were obviously reading the max pressures off of the sidewalls, which are not the proper operating pressures.
Yeah I definitely screwed up on that. The main thing is that they are equal left to right!
You said the front of the deck should be .25 to .5O lower than the back, correct???
When you first start off, your mower deck wheels should not be touching the pavement, correct?
Yeah thats right on the angle. When you engage the blades the tension on the belt gives just a tiny rise to the front to level it out. The scalp wheels shouldn't touch the ground either but the deck should tell you where to put them for the height you mow at.
Bakers DIY Lifestyle I mow about 2.25” and seems my deck wheels are always touching and rut up the yard when I make my turn. I think I definitely need the deck leveled.
It's probably not from the deck but more from the unevenness of the yard. When you start mowing low the ground has to be much flatter. My wheels get the yard mowing at 4 inches in some rough places
Hello, not sure of where you saw your tire pressure specs, but they should only be 10psi - Inflation - Front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 kPa (10 psi)
Inflation - Rear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 kPa (10 psi)
You are right. I definitely just read the tire sidewall which is very incorrect but the major point is just making sure you are equal left to right so the mower is flat.
When you were measuring the front of the deck vs. the back, where did your measuring tool touch the deck? Was it the front most lip or did you measure the inside of the deck itself? Dumb question I know.
No you always put it on the tip of the blade. When you do front to back turn the blades facing that way so you get the longest distance between the front and back of the deck to level. Same with side to side. Go left most to right most to level. Does that help?
@@BakersDIYLifestyle Awesome, thank you!
No problem! Glad I could help!
Air pressure is a big factor, trust me
I trust you
@@BakersDIYLifestyle why thank you, now if I can get my kids to
Haha I heard that!
How did you determine the recommended air pressure? I believe the actual recommended pressure is 10 psi, front and rear.
I actually just looked at the tire instead of finding the sticker like I should have. You're absolutely right about it being lower. The main thing is having them even left to right regardless of the pressure you run.
@@BakersDIYLifestyle it was a very informative video. Thanks for doing it
Glad I could help out!
on a 3 blade deck z535 what would make the middle blade cut to low
Do you have the mulching kit on yours? I've noticed with the kit that my middle blade almost looks like it was mowed in the opposite direction that the mower is going. I just ordered some gator blades that im going to try to see if there is a difference in cut quality.
@@BakersDIYLifestyle How did the gators do vs regular mulching blades? I too have the 535m with the mulch kit...I cut low today and see that the left side is cutting lower than the right. Looks like I have some adjusting to do.
I guess my comment was directed to John Bryant but it defaulted to you
Middle blade is always going to be the lowest because its in front of the 2 outer blades so wen u set pitch u go off the front middle blade and for the back u use the back of the outer blades. The difference between middle and outer blades is so small you shouldnt notice the differenct when cutting
DEREK!!!!!!!!!! AHH!!!!
Yooo!!!