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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower

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Dan in Houston

05-24-2008 20:18:32




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My daughter bought a used Scotts push reel mower for her house. It was in good shape and works fairly good. The blades need sharpened and adjusted. that's the problem.
The reel blades cut against a fixed shear bar at the bottom. There is adjustment on both sides to move the fixed bar up so that you get a good shearing action against the reel blades - just like scissors. I can get each end adjusted, but the center still has a gap - the shear bar may be warped slightly.
Also, to sharpen the blades, I have found out from web searchs that Scotts makes a sharpening compound that you paint onto the reel blades, then rotate the reel backwards. Must be something like valve grinding compound?
Can anyone offer some advice before I end up making things worse? I'm trying to get a manual for the mower, but I doubt it will have much detail beyond what I've already learned from the web.
thanks

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Sean Feeney 2

05-25-2008 04:47:50




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to Dan in Houston, 05-24-2008 20:18:32  
A small golf course in your area will most likely have a reel grinder, maybe give the guy a 12 pack, there greens mowers are all ways being sharpened, any sand trap near a green raises h*ll with knifes.



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36 coupe

05-26-2008 02:46:43




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to Sean Feeney 2, 05-25-2008 04:47:50  
It costs a hundred bucks to get a greens reel mower sharp.10.00 in beer wont work.



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36 coupe

05-25-2008 04:31:46




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to Dan in Houston, 05-24-2008 20:18:32  
It takes a lot more a can of lapping compound to properly sharpen a reel mower.I have my Father in laws Reel grinder.It takes a lot of skill to sharpen and adjust a reel mower.I sharpen one on rare occasions.Bed knives have to be ground flat since they are usually riveted to a cast iron base that does warp.You need a relief on the reel blades so they cut well.Grass cut with a reel mower looks better since it is cut clean not beaten off with a rotary.Dont cut your lawn so short,it will kill the grass.Lawns are burnt up by close cutting.

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135 Fan

05-25-2008 10:19:07




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to 36 coupe, 05-25-2008 04:31:46  
I agree with that. Push type reel mowers don't spin anywhere near as much as riding ones so sharpening isn't required nearly as often. Spin grinders make it so anybody with a little skill can properly sharpen reels. Older sharpeners like a Foley can do an excellent job but do require a lot of skill and patience in order to get an optimum job. Sometimes people will buy a used riding reel mower at an auction because it seemed pretty cheap to buy. Then they find out about maintenance and sharpening. Taller grass is easier to maintain and grows and looks way better. I had a big disagreement with a guy once about grass. He tried to tell me that anyone could cut their grass at home as short as a golf course green. You just had to train the grass by gradually lowering the height of cut. Biggest load of bs I've ever heard. Greens use a special seed and it's very expensive. Lots of people complain their grass is brown and not really green like it should be. Reason; It's cut too short. Much easier to grow grass if it's a little taller. The cuttings are good for the grass too. Golf courses don't pick up the grass when they cut fairways. Dave

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Bendee

05-25-2008 02:12:27




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to Dan in Houston, 05-24-2008 20:18:32  
sharpening kit $30
www.cleanairgardening.com/scotclasreel.html
or "Google" reel mowers. Surprise, was made in US now China.



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Mike Sanwald

05-24-2008 20:47:01




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to Dan in Houston, 05-24-2008 20:18:32  
Dan' Take a strip of newspaper a inch or so wide and set each side so the reel cuts the newspaper like a scissors does. After you have each side set then check the middle of the bed knife (shear bar) with another piece of newspaper. If it cuts you are set. You can lap the reel in with lapping compound to get the the mower blades sharp but the reel has to be turned back wards and you will need a electric motor of some sort to do this along with some lapping compound. If you have a Country Club around your area I am sure they have someone that does their reel mowers and the probably can advise you further if needed. Mike

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135 Fan

05-24-2008 23:15:24




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to Mike Sanwald, 05-24-2008 20:47:01  
The bed knife (Straight edge blade) may be warped. Lapping compound comes in different grits and can keep a reel mower cutting properly but not indefinately. Sometimes sharpening on a special grinder is required to true the reel but on a push mower lapping should work for a long time. A reversible electric drill is sometimes used to spin the reel backwards. A variable speed drill is ideal. You don't want to spin it too fast and you need to use a paint brush to apply the lapping compound. The lapping compound needs to be applied evenly for the best results. With the reel spinning put the brush with lapping compound on at one side of the reel and apply across the reel at a slow even speed all the way across the reel. Let it spin a bit and then you can apply some more starting at the other side. You may need to loosen the bedknife a bit if it is too tight for the reel to spin with the lapping compound. The bed knife still needs to be loosened evenly so it will lap true to the reel. After lapping you may need to take a fine file and just very lightly remove any burr that may be on the edge of the reel. When sharpened properly the mower should slice newspaper like a really good pair of scissors without pinching the paper or having to be really tight. Each individual reel blade should slice the paper cleanly across the complete blade length with very little effort. A commercial mower dealer like Toro, Jacobsen, or John Deere would be able to assist you and have the lapping compound. Clover is a popular brand. If you need a new bed knife it shouldn't be too hard to order one. If yours is warped too bad it will be impossible to set up your mower to work the best. The bed knife might be reversible as well. My dad sold commercial turf equipment for over 40 years and sharpened thousands of reels. He even taught students how at the turf grass management course at college. There is an art to it. The new automatic spin sharpeners make it a lot easier than the old manual machines like a Foley but cost about $50,000 for the reel sharpener and and about $15,000 just for the bed knife grinder. Hope this helps. Dave

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garytomaszewski

05-24-2008 20:34:01




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 Re: Slighty OT - adjusting and sharpening a reel mower in reply to Dan in Houston, 05-24-2008 20:18:32  
You may have to take the bottom bar off and bend it toward the reel slightly the ends are supported so they stay but center flexes. Then roll it backward to sharpen before you adjust the ends.



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