You’re riding or pushing your Husqvarna mower when you feel an increased shaking in your mower. Of course, all mowers will vibrate with the engine running.
When you feel a significant vibration, you need to find the cause of the problem as it can be something as simple as removing debris or something more serious.
A Husqvarna mower will vibrate when engine mounting bolts are not secure, the clutch is going bad, debris is caught in the mower, and blades are not correctly installed. Worn and damaged mower deck components can also contribute to the Husqvarna mower’s vibration problem.
Follow the steps below to identify and check all of the items that can cause your Husqvarna to vibrate.
Troubleshoot Why Your Husqvarna Mower is Vibrating
Take Safety Precaution to Prevent Mower from Starting
Before you begin working on your Husqvarna mower deck, it’s important to take safety precautions to prevent your lawn mower from starting.
Remove your ignition key if your Husqvarna has one. Unplug the spark plug wire(s). Skipping these important steps can put you in a very dangerous position.
Check Engine Mounting Bolts
Your engine sits on mounting bolts, also known as motor mounts. These bolts exist to absorb the vibration felt through the mower when the engine is running.
Inspect these bolts to make sure they are not loose. Tighten any loose bolts and replace any that may be worn or broken.
If you own a Husqvarna push mower, you need to check out your engine bolts if you feel excessive vibration in your mower once you engage the mower blade.
Check the Clutch
Your Husqvarna mower will either use an electric or manual clutch. In an electric clutch, the ball bearing may fail causing your mower to shake. In a manual engagement clutch, the bushing and linkages can fail. A manual clutch is one used with belts and pulleys.
A push mower does not use a clutch. It uses a lever to engage the blade. This lever needs to be checked for loose or worn components.
Inspect Your Mower Blades
Your Husqvarna mower blades can be the cause of your lawn mower’s vibration. When wrong blades, incorrectly installed blades, or unbalanced blades are installed, you may have excessive movement in the blade causing vibration.
Wrong size Husqvarna blades:
The correct blades must be installed on your Husqvarna lawn mower. Your blade must have the correct center hole size along with the right length. Even with these measurements being correct, aftermarket blades may not fit.
If you choose not to purchase Husqvarna OEM blades, not only do you need to confirm measurements, you should physically match up the blade to an OEM blade to verify it is a match.
In the past, I have purchased aftermarket blades using the correct measurements from two different suppliers. Blades from one of the suppliers did not fit my mower.
Unbalanced Husqvarna blades:
Blades that are not balanced will not spin evenly. It can cause bearing damage in your spindle housings that allow movement in the Husqvarna blades.
At high speeds, a significant vibration will be felt throughout your mower. An unbalanced blade is a blade where one end of your mower blade is heavier than the other.
This can happen with uneven wearing from dirt or during the sharpening process when more metal is removed from one side of the blade when sharpening.
Make sure your Husqvarna blades are balanced by using a blade balancer before you install blades on your mower. Find out more about sharpening and balancing your blades here.
Incorrectly installed Husqvarna blades:
Confirm you are using the right hardware to attach your Husqvarna blade and the hardware is placed in the right order. If you are unsure, refer to your owner’s manual or a parts diagram to verify this.
Missing blade parts or installing these parts in the incorrect order can cause your blades to not be securely attached causing vibration.
Check for Foreign Material Around Blade Shaft
When mowing, your deck can pick up items that can wrap around your blade shaft and cause your Husqvarna to shake. Items such as wire or string wrapped can become wrapped around the shaft.
Even long weeds can wrap around your blade shafts. Inspect your blade shafts, also known as spindles, and remove any foreign objects. Check for any additional damage to the spindles or spindle housings.
Check for Bad Bearings in your Spindle Housing
Bad bearings in your spindle housings can cause your blades to wobble when you engage blades causing vibration in your Husqvarna mower deck.
To check if your bearings are bad, grab a hold of each end of your blade and rock it up and down to feel for any play or movement. Make sure you protect your hands by wearing a good pair of work gloves.
You may be able to replace the bearing in your spindle housing or you may have to replace the complete spindle housing. This varies by Husqvarna model.
Check Your Deck Belt and Pulleys
Next, check your Husqvarna belt and pulleys. When your belt is worn and has slack in it, or when your pulleys are damaged, your mower can vibrate. If you find your mower belt has a glazed appearance or it is shredded or stretched, you must replace it.
When your belt isn’t sitting securely on the pulleys because the pulleys are not sitting parallel to the deck because your bearing is bad, you can feel shaking in the deck. It may vibrate off the pulleys.
Check the bearing by slowly turning each pulley by hand. They should turn smoothly. When you feel a restriction or hear a bearing noise, you must replace your pulley.
Check Your Idler Bracket & Spring
A loose idler bracket and spring can make your Husqvarna shake as well. The spring and the bracket can wear over time. These items will need to be replaced. You should also check the bearing and bushing in your engagement linkage and replace them if necessary.
Check for Debris Lodged in Your Mower
When mowing your lawn, your Husqvarna kicks up a lot of debris that can collect on your mower deck. If you don’t remove your belt covers (if your mower uses them) and clean off the top of your mower deck frequently, debris can collect under your pulleys.
This can cause the pulleys to not sit flat and parallel to the deck and send a vibration through the deck as the belt runs around the pulley.
Even the smallest little items can cause your Husqvarna mower to start shaking. Look every part of your mower over carefully and remove any items that are lodged in your mower.
It is best to clean your Husqvarna after each mowing to keep it in good condition. Need help with cleaning procedures? Check out “How to Clean Your Mower for Best Performance“.
Still Having Problems with Your Husqvarna Lawn Mower?
If you are still having problems with your mower, check out my guide on common problems owners encounter with their lawn mowers.
I put together a chart to identify causes and solutions to problems including starting, smoking, cutting, vibrating, dying, and more.
You can find this guide at Common Husqvarna Lawn Mower Problems & Solutions.
If you don’t feel comfortable troubleshooting and performing repairs on your lawn mower, it’s best to contact your local Husqvarna dealership or lawn mower repair shop for assistance.
You must remain safe and only perform repairs you are mechanically able to perform to avoid injury or further damage to the mower.