Your Mower Wheels May Need to be Replaced

On a lawn mower or lawn tractor, the front and rear wheel sets usually get the most attention. The condition of tires and rims should be checked regularly for damage and repaired or replaced as necessary. Meanwhile, the small, seemingly insignificant wheels on the deck of the milling machine can be overlooked, even though they are very important to the operation of the cutter and are prone to damage over time. In fact, there are quite a few signs that need to be changed – and it’s very interesting to heed those warnings before it’s too late.

The signs of aging are very obvious: choking, difficulty moving freely, and excessive giving. Squealing can be corrected with lawnmower wheel grease, although lack of movement may mean cleaning or replacement. With any stuck grass and dirt removed, if it still doesn’t move freely, it should be replaced. Otherwise, a stuck tire can drag on the ground and leave a ditch behind as it mows. Meanwhile, the spinning wheel can also move the deck, both producing an uneven, unsightly lawn and exposing the deck. Worse, stuck or twisted wheels can put stress on the shaft or bolt they’re mounted on, damaging them and needing to be replaced, too.

Neglecting your deck tires is one of the many bad habits to break when you have a lawn mower. Although small and harmless, these wheels serve an important purpose while mowing.

While most don’t give lawn mower wheels a second thought, they are actually essential to the safe operation of a lawn mower or lawn tractor. These wheels are not designed to support the weight of the entire mower, but rather act as additional supports for the deck alone. The idea is that when the cutting machine moves on a rough, uneven surface, these wheels allow the tabletop to adjust accordingly. This way, the deck doesn’t drive itself down, it scrapes and removes the grass down to ground level. Although replacing a mower deck is often cheaper than buying a new mower, you still don’t want to wreck your deck with this type of abuse.

In addition, some models of lawn tractors require these wheels to remain tight and adjustable to ensure that the parking lot is prepared for current lawn conditions. Typically, each of these wheels is connected to an L-shaped adjustable arm shaft that can raise or lower them to different areas of the lawn. With the deck adjusted as needed, the wheels should be set so that they are half an inch, around 1/2 or 1/4 of an inch, off the ground. This way, if you drive over uneven ground, they reach it in front of the deck and support it while the blade rotates at the correct height.

With that in mind, the importance of machine deck wheels is obvious. Fortunately, if yours seems to be coming off, the process of changing a tire is simple and doesn’t require many tools.

Whether your deck wheels are made of plastic or rubber, they will wear out over time. Given its importance in keeping a lawn mower safe and your lawn looking good, knowing how to replace it when the time comes is important. All mowers are slightly different, so the exact steps for replacement may vary by model, but these are broad outlines of what a deck wheel replacement should look like.

1. Lower the mower and apply the parking brake.
2. Using a socket or wrench, remove the nut in the middle of the wheel that holds the mower.
3. Discard the old wheel and slide the new one into place, replacing and tightening the nut.
4. Give the new wheels a few test spins by hand and double check that they are at the desired height for your needs.
5. Wash the lawn as usual and check all wheels when you are done with excessive slack.

During the process of building the wheel assembly, it is worth checking the bolts or shafts that hold the wheels, too. If these are worn or severely damaged, they should be replaced. For easy access, this will require jacking up the mower, removing the old ones, and installing the new ones. Peeled or damaged nuts should be replaced as well. Otherwise, you risk a weak connection and premature wear on the new tire.