How to Keep Leaves from Blowing Out of the Mower Deck

Mowing the lawn can be a fun experience for many people, particularly those who enjoy outdoor experiences. However, leaves blowing out of the mower deck can be a frustrating situation that typically requires a few fixes to manage. Understanding why this problem is occurring with your mower deck can help you learn how to keep leaves from blowing out of the mower deck. Here’s what you need to know about this topic.

Why Leaves Blow Out of the Mower Deck

Leaves typically blow out of your mower deck due to a few problems. These are typically related to how your mower operates and a variety of other common concerns. Let’s take a look at a few of these problems to help you understand what exactly is happening here.

Jammed Grass Bag

When your grass collection bag gets jammed, debris and other items may fall out of it. Furthermore, leaves could fail to collect and get blown out of the mower deck. This problem is thankfully quite easy to fix and usually just requires removing the bag and emptying any of the grass or leaves.

That said, there may be issues that cause the bag to get jammed repeatedly, such as problems with air flow, that can be quite frustrating to manage. As a result, it is important for you to read through the rest of this article and learn more about how to keep leaves from blowing out of the mower deck.

Excessive Blade Wind Production

In some cases, your blades may cause excessive wind production that can blow grass and leaves out of your mower. This often happens when you have many blades that may be balanced in correctly. Furthermore, you may experience this problem if you use inappropriate gator blades.

Make sure that you only install the blades suggested by your mower’s guidebook. Otherwise, the blades may cause the leaves to recirculate in the mower take and blow out. Managing this problem is something that should take little effort, as long as you follow your mower’s guidelines.

Poor Throttle Operation

If your mower’s throttle is operating improperly, it could cause awkward or inappropriate blade operation that may cause it to spin too quickly or poorly. This may cause the blade to start and stop, as well, which can cause leaves to spill out of the mower deck and make a mess.

This issue may also cause your mower to ride awkwardly, as the engine may suddenly increase and decrease in speed. It typically requires the help of an expert who can help either install a new throttle or balance your current model to ensure that it runs smoothly and efficiently.

Is This a Serious Problem?

Leaves blowing out of your mower deck isn’t necessarily a serious lawnmower problem but can be quite annoying because it can make your lawn a mess. It may require you to go out after you mow and rake up the leaves and grass shavings to ensure that they are properly managed. However, this issue is often a symptom of a more serious concern with your mower, as mentioned above.

As a result, it is a good idea to sit down and figure out why your leaves are coming out of your mower deck. Then, you can read the steps below to learn how to keep leaves from blowing out of the mower deck. Doing so will ensure that your yard is clean and will help you address any common problems that may be affecting your mower and triggering this frustrating situation.

5 Ways to Master How to Keep Leaves from Blowing Out of the Mower Deck

The following 5 steps are all things that you can do to stop leaves from blowing out of the mower deck. They are mostly steps that you can take on your own but may require some professional help. When handling blades or other delicate parts of your lawnmower, make sure that you always wear gloves and disconnect your mower’s spark plugs to avoid the risk of getting injured.

Step One: Clean Out Your Grass Bag

Make sure that you regularly clean out your grass bag between each mowing to minimize this risk. While all mowers are a little different in how they approach this step, it typically includes the following steps that help keep your bag clean:

1. Removing the bag from the mower
2. Dumping the leaves and grass in the trash
3. Wiping down the inside of the bag
4. Using a blower to clean up dirt and debris in the bag
5. Wiping down the chutes where the leaves and grass travel

You may not have to perform this step every time you mow but probably should after a particularly large mow. For example, if you cut just a little grass along a short strip, you’re probably fine. But you should clean your bag after mowing your whole lawn to keep it under control.

Step Two: Reduce Your Mower’s Speed

If your mower is running too fast, it might easily throw grass out of your mower deck and leaves all over your yard. Reduce your speed to help manage this problem. You can do this in a few ways. Riding mowers simply require adjusting a simple switch on the mower as you ride. Consider these questions when adjusting your speed:

• Do I need the maximum speed to get a great cut for my mower?
• Can I run my mower slower without causing it to stall?
• How quickly have I cut in the past when leaves left the mower deck?
• What other steps can I take to reduce my mowing speed?

When using a self-propelled hand mower, you can simply reduce how hard you’re holding down on the handlebars. This should reduce the speed of your mower and stop grass from flying everywhere. Note that some push mowers may also have other switches you can adjust to manage mower speed.

Step Three: Remove Excessive Blades

Your mower probably has 3-7 blades that help create a very powerful and even cut. However, you don’t need all those blades most of the time. In many cases, these extra blades can cause your mower to blow leaves out of the deck and cause a mess. Follow these steps to remove blades from your machine carefully:

1. Turn off your mower and flip it to its back
2. Use a wrench to loosen the bolt holding down the blades
3. Carefully remove 1-2 blades from the mower
4. Put the nut back on the mower tightly
5. Test the mower to see how well it runs

If you find that you can’t cut your grass properly after taking this step, go ahead and put one blade back on to see how it operates. And if removing the extra blades don’t seem to help with this process, you may need to move on to other steps to ensure that you get the best results.

Step Four: Take Out the Spacers

Most mowing machines have spacers above the horizontal blades that help to give more room for your blades. This helps give your blades more room to cut but can also cause excessive air flow that may blow leaves out of the deck. Try to remove no more than one or two from your mower. Follow these steps to remove them:

1. Turn over your mower and turn it off before beginning
2. Find the spacers just above the blades
3. Carefully remove them using a screwdriver and other tools
4. Make sure to remove an equal number of spacers on all mower sides
5. Place the spacers in a sealed bag to keep them safe
6. Try your mower to see how well it operates without them

Test out how well your mower runs on your lawn to gauge if this step was the right one for your needs. Typically, your mower should run smoothly and never cause leaves to flow out of the deck. If the mower blades seem too low to the ground, install one spacer back to give it more lift.

Step Five: Get Your Mower Examined By a Professional

If all these steps fail and you still want to stop grass and leaves from getting thrown out of your mower deck, talk to a professional repair expert. They can figure out what is happening and ensure that your mower runs smoothly. Most mower repair steps start by assessing what is happening and then providing repair steps. Your repair professional may:

1. Check for problems with the grass bag and removal chutes
2. Replace the throttle if it runs too quickly
3. Balance the blades to ensure that they don’t run smoothly
4. Replace any broken parts that may contribute to your mower’s poor operation
5. Remove blades that you may feel uncomfortable touching
6. Lift your lawnmower deck to ensure that it doesn’t hold excessive grass and leaves

While you can always buy a lifted deck mower, adjusting its deck after purchase is a suitable option if you don’t want to buy a new one. While some people may be able to handle the steps necessary for adjusting their deck in this way, it is usually better to get a professional to do it. Having them handle it can minimize your risk of mistakes and ensure that your mower runs smoothly.

You can also read:

• Bad Boy vs. John Deere: Which is the Better Mower?
• How Bunton Mowers Became an Elite Name in Lawn Care
• What is a Recycler Lawn Mower and Do You Need One?