if you wanted spectaular, you should not have bought a low end machine. husq/craftsman/who knows what all else, are all teh same exact machines from the same factories. btw, i speak form experience on this, i bought a Deere low end model L130 and have had quality of cut issues all along.

are you sure that your deck is perfectly leveled and all tires are inflated properly? don't ASSume so, the stores rarely get them right. are the blades sharp? turning in the correct direction?

any number of things can cause a less than perfect cut, so you should start with the above basics first before trying to rig the machine into doing somethign it is not supposed to do.

there are 2 ways to increase blade tip speed.

1, increase engine RPMs. not recommended as this lead to early engine failure.

2, change pulley size either larger on the PTO or smaller on the spindles.

beware that by changing any of the above you lose any warranty you may have left. also the machine may not take the increased stress caused by teh faster blade speed, resulting in earlier wear out of components.

The best way to get a better cut is to slow down. Your mower is built well for its intended purpose, once you venture outside that territory with a Box Store tractor you are in trouble.

Use full engine speed when mowing, there is a detent in the hydro drive that is the max for cutting, I generally use less also. Get the mower on a FLAT surface, tires inflated properly, take a piece of 2x4 and stand it on it's edge...two pieces that have the same width.

The next step is done by looking under the deck, take the mulch plug out for easier reference but it's cramped down there.

Place the blades in a 12 and 6 O'clock position...forward and backward facing and take the 2x4 and place it under the tips of the blades in the forward position.

Level the deck in it's full up position so the distance from the blade to the 2x4 is the same on both sides, almost or just touching.

Take the 2x4's and place them under the rearward blade tips and try to get them 1/2" or less from the blades...meaning, the deck should tilt very slightly to the front.

This should give you a good cut, I always cut with the deck in the full up position, this should give you about 3 1/2" grass height.

Upping the engine rpm or changing the pulleys are a futile waste. I've tried both :(

I have a Craftsman YS4500 for my other house and I must say the cut quality is very good. Maybe even rivals my JD X465 with a 62C at the main house. My guess is as stated above your trying to mow too fast. Slow down a bit. I did buy the higher end deck for the YS4500, the one with 4 wheels. I doubt the tractor will last many years since it's very low quality, but with that said the cut quality is way above what I was expecting. I only bought the second machine because I was tired of transporting the JD back and forth. It does the job I bought it for and I'm pleased with it. Just not expecting a long life like the Deere.

Bill

I went from a Craftsman GT w/46" deck to a JD w/54" deck. There was a night and day difference. No amount of adjusting on the Craftsman deck would even come close to the JD. Believe me, I tried everything.

"I went from a Craftsman GT w/46" deck to a JD w/54" deck. There was a night and day difference. No amount of adjusting on the Craftsman deck would even come close to the JD. Believe me, I tried everything."

Same here with a Craftsman DGT4000 with 48" deck and a JD GX335 with 54" deck......night and day! Of course the JD did cost a lot more but I have absolutely no regrets!

If you have the time, try going over your lawn again in the opposite direction. I always increase my speed on the second run to make it a little quicker. I find the first cut looks good, but the second cut looks great.

Put a tach on your engine and make sure you are running at max RPM. Normally, the engine speed is +/- 50 rpm. Go to the high side of whatever Husq recommends.