Why is my Mower Blade Leaving Strips? Is There Any Actual Solution?

A perfectly functioning lawn mower is the pride of any homeowner. When your blade mower leaves strips of uncut grass, it can quickly become a frustrating problem. 

Usually, if you mow wet grass, the there are some strips on lawn as the blades cannot reach the end. Sometimes insufficient overlapping and blocked cutting deck can lead your mower blade leaving strips of uncut grass. 

This article will explore the reasons behind this issue and provide you with practical solutions to ensure a flawless cut every time. 

Reasons for Mower Blade Leaving Strips and Their Fixes

There can be several reasons why your mower blade is leaving strip grass. Here are the reasons and the fixes that you can do all by yourself:

1. Mowing Wet Grass:  

Mowing wet grass can leave strips and uneven cutting. Wet grass tends to be heavier and can stick to the blades, causing them to lose their cutting efficiency. 

Additionally, the wet clippings can accumulate in the cutting deck, obstructing the blades and leaving strips of uncut grass.

Fix:

Avoid mowing wet grass. If your lawn is wet, consider waiting for it to dry or mowing at a higher cutting height to prevent clumping and improve cutting efficiency. If you mow dry grass, it will result in a cleaner and more even cut.

2. Overlapping Mistakes: 

One of the primary reasons your mower leaving strips of grass are insufficiently overlapping. When mowing your lawn, it is crucial to overlap each pass to ensure complete coverage. 

If you fail to overlap correctly, you will create gaps in your mowing pattern, resulting in uncut strips of grass.

Fix:

To fix the issue of insufficient overlapping, make sure to overlap each pass as you mow your lawn. 

Align the wheels of the mower with the wheel marks left by the previous pass to ensure complete coverage and avoid leaving strips of uncut grass.

3. Blocked Cutting Deck: 

A blocked cutting deck can also contribute to the issue of uncut strips of grass. 

When grass clippings, debris, or moisture build up in the cutting deck, it obstructs the blades and prevents them from effectively cutting the grass. This is why you need to clean the blockage regularly to avoid this problem.

Fix:

To prevent the blocked cutting deck with grass clippings and debris, clean it regularly. Tilt the mower and use a scraper or brush to remove any accumulated clippings. 

This will ensure that the blades can rotate freely and cut the grass evenly.

4. Damaged Blades:  

Dull or damaged blades are another common culprit behind uncut strips of grass. Over time, blades can become dull or sustain damage from hitting rocks or other objects in the lawn. 

Dull blades struggle to cut through grass cleanly, resulting in uneven cutting and uncut strips.

To fix this simply change the blades. Make sure the blade size matches perfectly and it is suggested to match the manufacturer as well. Sometimes if you sharpen the blades, it will work too.

5. Bad Wheel Height Settings: 

Improper wheel settings can cause your blade mower to leave strips of grass. If the wheels are unevenly set, it can lead to an unstable mower that doesn’t cut the grass evenly. 

Checking and adjusting the height settings of each wheel is crucial to ensure a level and consistent cut.

Check the wheel height settings on your mower and ensure they are evenly set. This will provide stability and a level cut. Adjust each wheel to the desired height and make sure they are properly aligned before mowing.

6. Wrong Blade Size: 

Your mow quality is significantly affected by the blade size. If you use the wrong-sized blade for your mower, the mower will leave strips in your grass. Incorrect blades in your mower can be a reason why your mower blade leaving strips.

Fix:

The first thing to fix this issue is to know what the blade size of your mower is. Checking the user manual for your lawn mower is the simplest approach to figuring out the blade size. 

If you don’t have the user manual, look for your lawnmower’s manufacturer and model online.

Always buy a set of blades that match the original blades. To get the best performance, match the manufacturer. And carefully install the blades otherwise bad installation can also leave strips.

7. Speed Issues: 

If you mow your lawn too quickly, whether with a walk-behind mower or a riding mower, it can leave the grass strips for you. 

And if you have a riding mower, and you are not using it with full throttle, it cannot perform well and leave an uneven cut.

All riding mowers are made to cut grass at full power. if you don’t, you risk damaging the engine and other components of the mower. 

So make sure you are moving slowly and it will help you prevent that type of streaking. And when you are using a riding mower, use it at full power and slowly cut run over the grass. It will leave you fully cut grass with no stips.

How Can I Prevent My Mower Blade Leaving Strips of Grass?

As you already know the reasons and some fixes for the mower are leaving grass strips. Additionally, there are a few things you can do before you start mowing. 

Here are 5 steps to fix mowers’ uneven cut and leaving strips: 

Inflate Tires

The first thing you have to check is to make sure your tires are inflated at the proper psi. Usually at the proper psi, your tires will have the max psi printed on the tires. 

Manually check all the tires and keep the pressure constant.

Level the Deck

It is important to level your mower deck before mowing. Simply inflating your tires and doing some adjustments can level the deck easily. When you are leveling your deck you are leveling the blades. 

So make sure the outside tips are the same distance from the ground. And here it’s worth mentioning that you need to be on level ground.

Leave the back pitch about a quarter inch higher than the front pitch. This assists in airflow. And this makes the mower do a better cut.

Clean the Underneath Deck

Clean the underneath of your deck.  The inside of the deck must be kept free of impacted clippings.  It’s best to check its condition before each mow but especially after mowing very high or wet grass.

The restricted airflow can lead to a bad or uneven cut. Take a window scraper or putty knife and scoop the debris free. But be careful not to damage the bottom of the deck as that can lead to premature rusting

Check the Blades for Damage

Always check the blades before mowing. If you start mowing with bad blades, it will leave strips. If you have damaged blades go to the nearest store or order from Amazon.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Why is my mower leaving a strip?

The main reason behind your mower leaving strips is your mower blades are too blunt. And if you try to mow the wet grass you will end up having the grass strips.

Why are my mower blades not cutting evenly?

If your mower has dull blades, the mower will not cut grass evenly.

How do you fix striped grass?

To fix striped grass, you have to water those areas thoroughly and regularly.

What is the gap between mower blades?

The mower blades should be in 1/8 inches gap tip to tip.