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It seems like I read somewhere, possibly on this forum, that the best cut resulted from a heeled deck. So several years back I lowered the rear 1/4 from the front. BTW, Gravely HD ZT 60 with I believe a 25.5hp Kohler. I mow often because I'm retired & I like mowing so the grass doesn't get too high between mowings. Have I got a screw loose? I think the cut looks great. Too anal?

With the trailing edge lower your deck is having to cut the grass twice in a single pass. For short grass it is probably not a problem but thicker grass it become a loading problem.

I’ve monkeyed around with the deck setting on my Gravely Pro Turn 260. I’ve tried everything from 1/8” higher in the rear to 1/2” higher in the rear. So far, my best results are 1/8” higher in the rear. I’m cutting southern grasses. The results may be different on different varieties of grass.

I'm cutting 'cold' grasses, in Ohio. So far I like the look I'm getting, but am wondering if I'd get the same results cutting where it's suppose to be. ie. 1/4" higher.

bullet bob said:

I'm cutting 'cold' grasses, in Ohio. So far I like the look I'm getting, but am wondering if I'd get the same results cutting where it's suppose to be. ie. 1/4" higher.

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You can try it. I tried mine at 1/4” higher in the rear. That was better than 3/8” and 1/2” higher. For me, 1/8” higher gave me a better overall cut. The deck processes the grass better, discharges farther, and the deck stays cleaner.

I set mine @ 1/8" higher in rear with me (my weight) seated on my Z.. Most accurate.

& very pleased with results.

7394 said:

I set mine @ 1/8" higher in rear with me (my weight) seated on my Z.. Most accurate.

& very pleased with results.

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Many riding mower decks that come in my shop need to be adjusted. My rule of thumb is to get deck within a 1/4”. I go 1/4” lower in front of deck than rear. Also, don’t forget about anti scalp wheel adjustment. About 1” lower than deck or less.

So is no-one heeling their machine?

bullet bob said:

So is no-one heeling their machine?

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You might get the answer from the Facebook Gravely Owners page.

Tiger Small Engine said:

Many riding mower decks that come in my shop need to be adjusted. My rule of thumb is to get deck within a 1/4”. I go 1/4” lower in front of deck than rear. Also, don’t forget about anti scalp wheel adjustment. About 1” lower than deck or less.

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Could you explain the 1" scalp wheel setting? I have mine set to 1/2in off the ground in my normal setting height on flat surface. How and were are you measuring that 1in from? Thanks

Setting the deck higher or lower at the front or back reduces the cutting arc at the lowest point.

MParr said:

You might get the answer from the Facebook Gravely Owners page.

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

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Thanks, but my life is somewhat peaceful. I'm afraid with everything I hear from my wife and her comments about her facebook account, well, don't think FB is a good fit for me. But thanks!

bullet bob said:

It seems like I read somewhere, possibly on this forum, that the best cut resulted from a heeled deck. So several years back I lowered the rear 1/4 from the front. BTW, Gravely HD ZT 60 with I believe a 25.5hp Kohler. I mow often because I'm retired & I like mowing so the grass doesn't get too high between mowings. Have I got a screw loose? I think the cut looks great. Too anal?

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You get a finner cut when heeling
However it only works when you have short grass & are removing 1" or less .
The other problem is scalping and getting the deck stuck on things that protrude out of the grass

MParr said:

You might get the answer from the Facebook Gravely Owners page.

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Facebook.... now there's a trusted source for factual information.

Born2Mow said:

Facebook.... now there's a trusted source for factual information.

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To discount something just because it’s on Facebook doesn’t mean it’s not factual. There are lots of landscapers on that page who have plenty of experience setting up their decks. There are also several Gravely dealers on there too.
Sure, there is some hogwash on there but, there is some on here too.

bertsmobile1 said:

You get a finner cut when heeling
However it only works when you have short grass & are removing 1" or less .
The other problem is scalping and getting the deck stuck on things that protrude out of the grass

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We're probably talkin' 4 1/4" in the front & 4' in the rear. Scale wheels pretty much hardly turn.....

bullet bob said:

We're probably talkin' 4 1/4" in the front & 4' in the rear. Scale wheels pretty much hardly turn.....

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Try setting yours up like mine. Put your selector pin in the 4” hole. Outside blades facing front to back. Set your front facing blade tips at 4” and rear facing blade tips at 4 1/8”.

MParr said:

Try setting yours up like mine. Put your selector pin in the 4” hole. Outside blades facing front to back. Set your front facing blade tips at 4” and rear facing blade tips at 4 1/8”.

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I may try that next spring when I'm crawling around on the floor taking off the mulching kit. Funny, each year that keeps getting just a little harder...

bullet bob said:

I may try that next spring when I'm crawling around on the floor taking off the mulching kit. Funny, each year that keeps getting just a little harder...

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I only go on Facebook Marketplace to look at mowers and ATVs for sale and to sell.

The anti-scalp deck wheels are often set too low relative to the deck. So while adjusting the deck on mowers, I also adjust the wheels. If you are mowing and your deck wheels are constantly turning and worn out, that is a big clue they are set too low. Many decks are out of adjustment also and have been out of whack for years.

bullet bob said:

So is no-one heeling their machine?

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As it was once explained to me, if the rear of the blade is lower than the front, it clips the grass again and leaves brown tips. I keep mine 1/8" or so above level at the rear. Scalp wheels should ONLY turn when you are going over a rise in the terrain. Keep 'em up!

Are people confusing the rear being higher for lower? I am just trying to follow this conversation. I recall reading somewhere the rear should be a tad lower. Several folks above are saying higher???? I am not questioning your experiences. I Just want to make sure there is no confusion.

nbpt100 said:

Are people confusing the rear being higher for lower? I am just trying to follow this conversation. I recall reading somewhere the rear should be a tad lower. Several folks above are saying higher???? I am not questioning your experiences. I Just want to make sure there is no confusion.

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Most riding mower manufacturers say to have a slightly downward pitch in the front. That is usually 1/8” to 1/2” lower than the rear. See the owners manual. Most small walk behind residential units are usually set at level all around.

MParr said:

Most riding mower manufacturers say to have a slightly downward pitch in the front. That is usually 1/8” to 1/2” lower than the r

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Yep, but when operator gets on that pitch changes. I set mine to include my body weight.

Heeling has the rear of the deck lower
So the front of the deck lops the top off the grass and the back of the deck trims it nice
The side basically only cut once
You get a nicer cleaner cut but you have to cut slower because the blades are cutting twice

7394 said:

Yep, but when operator gets on that pitch changes. I set mine to include my body weight.

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And, that is what works best for you and your mower.
It took quite a bit of adjusting to get mine to cut like I wanted.
The deck adjustment is not a one fits all sort of deal.

True, but if you want 1/8*' pitch forward, that would be variably less when operator is onboard, is what I meant.

7394 said:

True, but if you want 1/8*' pitch forward, that would be variably less when operator is onboard, is what I meant.

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I get you. My point is everyone is different in size and weight. The same goes with mowers. Also, mowers of different brands are going to have decks with slightly different designs.
There’s also a reason mower manufacturers say that deck should be set anywhere from 1/8” to 1/2” pitch downward in the front. There is a sweet spot. The operator just has to find it.

True indeed Sir..

7394 said:

True indeed Sir..

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One more thing. Maintain the tires’ air pressure to the original deck setup pressure.

Yup........

The majority of owner's males that I have seen that mentioned a thorough description of the deck adjustment almost always say to have the front of the deck a little bit lower than the back of the deck..
This is supposed to give the best quality of cut.
I have seen some manual say as much as 3/8 to a half an inch lower in the front than the back but basically as long as it's a little bit lower even a quarter of an inch it should give a better quality of cut than if it is flat or higher in the front than the back.
Surprisingly, you'll probably get a better quality of cut from many mowers even if it is higher in the front than the back because it just needs to be different front to back and not the same..

No heeling fer me.

Well thanks everyone for the replies. I guess as long as I'm happy with the resulting cut, that's all that matters. Think I'll keep er heeled at 1/4" difference.