3" would work fine - if it kept me outta damage control mode...
Seriously, no fixed answer - depends on what kinda grass you got, how much rain you get, how it looks to you/other, ad nauseum.
Have you looked into replacing your blades with something without the high lift feature? They may well be available for that rig...

what type grass?

3" is WAY too high for my bermuda, but could be low for some grasses. 3" for cool.

I actually keep mine about 3 3/4. Keeps it from drying out as fast when we get to the dry part of the summer. Plus it looks nicer. Mine is Kentucky bluegrass though. I do cut it short towards winter.

As has been said, there are a lot of variables.

The rule of thumb I have seen in multiple places is never cut MORE than 1/3 of the height of the grass.

That gets us back to the variables such as sun, rain, etc.

I am a northerner and I do know that the trend has been to cut longer because it helps the grass out compete the weeds.

I just moved to VA and will have a summer lawn this year - Zoysia. From what I have read is that if I cut it at 3 inches I'll not have to cut it for many weeks at a time!

cheers

Just do a google search for mowing heights for different kinds of grass. KY Blue cool northern climates looks and behaves great at 3"+ it is lush and thick and crowds out weeds and in very short order, you would have a beautiful lawn. I have cut mine like that for 16 years, and always get comments on what I am doing that is different, because even when it is hot and dry, my lawn never looks partched. It looks green and nice. Great loamy soil helps too. In easter iowa, we tend to have deep thick rich black humus filled soil.

If you have clay, that is a different story. I have re claimed clay soil lawns with rye & fescue & blue, it takes time and considerable addition of sand and fertilizer and several years of working on it.

I live in central Indiana and I have no clue of the type of grass. I'll try to research online. Any good suggestions to figure that out?

I've always tried to cut as short as possible to make each cut last longer. However, I'd like to start making my yard look nice and put the effort into it that I should. So lots of learning.

Darth

definitely keep the

Where are we mowing? Region, type of grass determine cutting height.

Central Indiana would be the cool grass types. KY Blue, Tall Fescue and Rye and the other small grasses that come in the mixtures. Go to a farm store and they will have grass mixtures and pure varieties for your area. Since I happend to like the thick lush of KY Blue, I normally just start over seeding with it and over time the yard will be predominently KY Blue.

Now would be a good time to over seed. Buy one of their pull behind broadcast seeders. They are a good thing to have around. Get one that will hold about 100 lbs. Now would also be a good time to put down crabgrass killer mixed into your fertilizer. You can most likely get it at you local agricultural farm chemical supplier. The other useful tool to have is a small 14-25 gallon pull behind weed sprayer. Spring is not the best time to spray for weeds, but it is second best. I use Amine D with the ingrediant that will get rid of clover. Ask the guys at the Fertilizer Dealer (Agri Chem Supplies). May also be a feed and fertilizer store.

Find someone that lives nearby that has a nice lawn and the same type of grass you do and ask them how they do it. Most lawn freaks like us love to help others with advice. You may even make a new friend in the process. Another place to check is your local universities. Below is a link to information from Purdue University.

Here is a link that might be useful: Purdue Lawn Tips

more great advice. thanks

I've managed to get myself into a meeting with the company doing the landscaping for our new offices tomorrow. I'm going to try and get some info from them as well.