# Riding mower problem
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 30, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148 "2007-04-30T13:33:12Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148/1 "2007-04-30T13:33:12Z")
I have a problem with my riding mower. It leaves a mohawk in the yard down the centerline, where the blades should be overlapping.
Any ideas? The think is less than a year old. Can the blade shafts be shifted? Is there a broken blade?
I halfheartedly tried to drop the deck out from under the tractor to see what’s going on, but a cotterpin was being stubborn. I think I’ll have to cut it and replace instead of pulling.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148/2 "2007-04-30T13:41:55Z")
Sure sounds like a broken blade. These are easy to fix, however, even if you have to bring it in to a small engine guy to do it.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2007, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148/3 "2007-04-30T13:47:22Z")
The blades don’t overlap. Otherwise they’d crash into one another occasionally. Sounds like you need at least one new blade. They should be about $20 each and can be replaced without removing the deck.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2007, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148/4 "2007-04-30T13:51:26Z")
The mowhawk is usually a syptom of the cutting deck being distored somehow. As you mow, instead of a clean air stream sucking the grass up, a narow band of turbulence pushes it down.
As you pass over an area, even if 20% of your blade was blunted or bent so that it couldn’t cut, the rest of the blade still passes over the mowhawked grass. Damaged blades will cut all grass, but might do more tearing and less mulching, but they do cut the grass. Problems would be random.
The mowhawk cut means that some turbulence is pushing that grass down instead of sucking it straight up. It is the only way that swath of grass can avoid the blade(s).
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### Author:  [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2007, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148/5 "2007-04-30T14:38:58Z")
My riding mower has been leaving slightly taller grass centrally since the first day I got it. I figured it had something to do with the mulching feature. I would not describe it as a mohawk, simplay as slightly less cut grass. Is this normal for a mulcher. Would I be better off removing the plug and using it as a throw mower?
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### Author:  [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148/6 "2007-04-30T16:45:49Z")
This is most commonly caused by the deck being out of level, making the blades operate on different planes. If you have the manual it may show how to adjust, otherwise take it to a good shop. It could be a blade problem, but if there’s a serious blade problem you can often feel a vibration and/or hear that something’s wrong.
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### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [April 30, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riding-mower-problem/402148/7 "2007-04-30T18:49:30Z")
Sometimes using a mower as a throw mower can improve the performacne, because it can ‘suck’ better, keeping the blades upright and ready for the blade. In mulching mode, there can be enough turbulence from a poorly performing or poorly designed mower that some blades just don’t stand up, and are missed.