OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions On Ride On Mowers Questions On Ride On Mowers Frames Husgvarna LT1597 missing strip in middle of mower

Hi all

I recently bought a used Husgvarna LT1597 ride on with a Kohler 15hp motor, 6 speed in excellent condition.

The owner said he had it serviced with new belts and blades but when he got it back it was leaving a strip of grass in the middle un-cut. He said he searched and found some new (gator) type of blades and that fixed the problem.

When I got home into longer grass I found it to still be missing a strip down the middle at times.

The grass is very dry. I tried different speeds to see if I was going to fast or slow and also different engine speed and still the same.

Just read the manual and all it says is to make sure mowing deck is level side to side and also lower at front then back. It appears to be both level and lower at front. I checked the blades and they are appear long enough with only an inch or so from cutting deck.

Any ideas how to fix this issue?

Thank you

How wide is the un-mowed strip?

Because your mower has its two blades driven by a conventional V belt, not a toothed belt, the blades are not timed relative to each other. Hence they cannot overlap, or they would strike each other. They also are not staggered (one cutter slightly in front of the other) so they could both be brought closer to the centerline of the machine. It follows that the only way to minimise the strip that is not mowed, is to always have new blades on the machine: any tip wear whatever, leaves the blades clearing each other by a larger amount, and leaving a wider unmowed strip.

I suggest you look at the blades from underneath - WITH SPARK PLUG DISCONNECTED OF COURSE - and see how much clearance there is between them when you align them so that their tips are as close to each other as possible in the center. I think you will find the clearance is exactly the width of your unmowed strip. Then measure the length of each blade, and compare that with shiny new, genuine ones.

Thanks for the reply

I thought the left blade was slightly in front of right one.

Anyway there is adjustment on the blades to move them inwards?

Here is a picture of the mowing deck from the manual, Rex:



I can't be sure, but it looks to me as if the cutters are pretty much side by side. It is common for two-blade mowers to have one blade some way in front of the other, so the cuts can be staggered, but it doesn't look that way in that picture of yours. I also haven't found any reference in the manual to moving the cutters closer together. That doesn't mean it can't be done, I may have missed it or it may not be covered. If you post pictures of your machine, all this may become clearer.

Hi Grumpy

Tried the mower again and it was cutting a lot better. the grass had been cut with a different mower and was a lot greener than before. Not sure what is going on.

Ended up breaking the black plastic shoot. Any idea roughly what it will cost to replace?

Another thing I found is that the steering rod that goes from one wheel to the other popped off on one end. the spring steel cap that holds it on the ball joint is gone. Then the other end went as well. Hmm. 2 new rod caps needed.

Regards
Nigel

When it comes to spare parts, the first question is whether that mower is sold under multiple brands, or only by Husqvarna. It pays to check the parts prices from several sources if possible. Then when you know Husqvarna's price, contact the Outdoorking online store and see if they can provide it: their prices are usually better.

The ball joints on the ends of that tie rod are usually called tie rod ends.

It sounds as if one of the things you have to get used to is that some ride-on mowers are intended only to be serviced by experts. Heavy-handed amateurs are likely to use up quite a lot of spare parts while they get the hang of it. Other ride-ons are relatively bullet-proof. I think you've got one of the delicate type, and perhaps your way of handling it has not yet been altered to suit that machine.

I got the genuine price.

the shoot was already broken when I bought the mower (used) it was held on by a door hinge. One end of the steering rod also came off at times. I got the mower cheap so paying the $200 is still worth it.

Something not right here, the IPLs from Husqvarna doesn't show a tie going between the wheels but two separate ones going to the steering sector gear. Now Husqvarna does list 13 different product numbers for the LT1597. Can you post the model and/or product numbers from serial number decal?

As the after-market blades here comes in three different lengths ranging from 19-9/32" to 19-3/8". This is provided that yours has the 38" cut deck.

The mower decks usually have the left side leading the right side.

Any excessive play in the spindle bearings will cause the blades to tilt away from each other opening the gap between the blade even more when the deck belt is engaged. This is most pronounce during heavy grass loads.

Hi AVB, welcome to Outdoorking. You make some interesting points there, both with regard to the actual length of Nigel's blades, and whether there is any slack in his spindle bearings, or whether the bearing housings are loose on the deck. We need more information, including:
- full model variant information
- a report on the condition of the spindle bearings and their housings
- pictures, especially pictures of the steering mechanism.

In the mean time, try mowing in left hand circles as much as possible.
The first indicator of excessivly work blades is leaving a "mow hawk" when turning right.
As AVB has already noted, Husqvarna do not use tie rod ends on the LT range of mowers.
You should have two drag links from the steering gear, one to each wheel and then a tie rod between the two wheels.
Each one of these rods is simply bent over at the end and slots through a hole secured by a split pin
The YTH & GT"s had tie rod ends so we really need the numbers of the compliance plate which should be under the seat