How To Keep Your Lawn Mower Deck From Clogging With A Simple Fix

Mowing your lawn is one of those tasks that can leave you feeling great because your yard looks fantastic when you're done, or completely frustrated because you've struggled to get through and now there are clumps of clippings all over it. It's not uncommon for your mower to clog up, especially when the grass is a bit long and not completely dry. But before you blame the machine, try one surprisingly simple adjustment: raise the mower deck. Giving the blades more clearance can make it easier to move through tall grass, improve airflow beneath the deck, and reduce the amount of material that packs underneath.

It might sound simple and obvious once you think about it, but you'll actually be quite surprised at the difference this can make. Of course, the best time to mow your lawn is late morning or early evening so that the grass is perfectly dry. This helps you avoid wet clippings getting stuck to the underside of the deck. You also want to ensure you regularly clear the area around the blades so that no air-restricting debris gets trapped. Scheduling a deep clean after about 25 hours of use can keep your lawn mower in tip-top shape. 

For a healthy yard, it's recommended to follow the 1/3 rule to keep your lawn stress-free: never remove more than one-third of the top growth. But getting your turf to an acceptable height will be quite difficult if you haven't mowed for a few weeks. That's when raising the deck becomes especially useful. In this situation, set it as high as you can before going over the grass and mow at a fairly slow pace. You see, if you set the height too low and walk too fast, the blades will struggle to cut effectively because moving through all that tall grass slows them down.

For this reason, it's far better to make your first pass over the lawn at the highest setting on your mower. Then once you've reduced the overall height of the grass, you can lower the deck and go over it again to get it how you want. If your yard is particularly overgrown, make the second cut a day or two later. While this might take you a bit longer, it's absolutely the best way to cut tall grass and prevent clogging due to clippings. Once you get your lawn under control, it's a good idea to mow more frequently if you can.