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Posted by Jack Sprat on June 19, 2008, 1:35 pm
If you were Registered and logged in, you could reply and use other advanced thread options > Jack Sprat wrote:
> >> Jack Sprat wrote:
> >>> Hello All,
> >>> I would greatly appreciate some help on this issue.
> >>> I was recently given a Mclean 20' 5 blade 3.5HP reel mower. I am
> >>> totally new to reel mowers but love the idea of them. =A0I am sick of
> >>> the "crop circles" in my lawn from my rotary mower.
> >>> As expected a free mower comes with problems. =A0When I adjust the
> >>> blades properly the mower makes a horrible noise when I engage the
> >>> reel. =A0I tried back lapping with some valve grinding paste. =A0I do=
not
> >>> have a back lapping kit so the way I have to do it is apply the paste
> >>> liberally to reel blades, engage the drive, and pull the mower
> >>> backwards. =A0This spins the reeel backwards. =A0Now the racket is ev=
en
> >>> worse ...and when I readjust the blades close enough to cut paper all
> >>> the way across it is so binding that I can't do additional
> >>> backlapping. =A0I even tried filing the bed knife (also called the
> >>> anvil?) at the edges where a ridge had developed from years of the
> >>> reel striking the bed knife.
> >>> There is no adjustement for the bed knife, only up and down at each
> >>> side for the reel. =A0I don't think the mower is worth $50 (new bed
> >>> knife) + $125 (sharpen reel professionally).
> >>> Any ideas on how I can fix this inexpensively? =A0Am I doing somethin=
g
> >>> wrong?
> >>> Thanks much,
> >>> -jack
> >> It is well worth that. Any thing less than having it done professional=
ly
> >> will not be satisfactory. I've been around reel mowers for years and I
> >> don't try to adjust or sharpen them anymore. There is an art to it tha=
t
> >> is quite difficult to quite master.
>
> >> --
> >> Art- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> - Show quoted text -
>
> > You can buy it at Sears brand new for $560. =A0The mower is seven years
> > old. =A0I also have to buy a $20 chain. =A0My cost is up to about $200
> > now. =A0When does it become not worth it?
>
> > Perhaps I should save myself some pain and trust your experience but I
> > really want to take a crack at doing this myself.
>
> > Any suggestions on what I should look at or try?
>
> There is nothing that will cut as nicely as a professionally sharpened
> reel mower. The "well worth it" that I was referring to has more to do
> with the quality of cut on your lawn than the replacement cost of the
> mower. BTW - a professional sharpening will be much better than the
> factory sharpening on a brand new one.
>
> The bed knife must be perfectly flat, the reel must be perfectly true
> with no slop in the bearings and each blade on the reel must be in
> excellent shape, ie - clean square edges with no nicks. If all that is
> good then it's a matter of adjusting the reel and knife so they work
> like scissors. Too tight and it makes a hell of a noise and puts a lot
> of extra load on the engine. Too loose and it's like trying to cut paper
> with child scissors.
>
> =A0From your description (without seeing it) I'd guess the blades of the
> reel are not in very good shape.
>
> Beyond that I can give you no magic bullet advice other than to say
> again it should be sharpened by a pro.
>
> --
> Art- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -
Thanks Art. I have done a great deal of reading on this subject and
went to see my local shop. Every source, icluding you, indicates that
I cannot get it in working order myself.
I used it in it's poor sate to mow my lawn. I probably shouldn't have
but wanted to see what kind of cut I could get before further
investment. I thought I had a flat lawn. I now know better. It's
amazing what a rotary at a 2.5" cut height can hide.
I am now faced with the need to top dress my lawn but can't do it
until the fall. I hear having my blade sharpened is a waste if I mow
on freshly top dressed lawn. Hopefully, next season, I wll be able to
realize the value of my gift.
Since I am going back to my rotary for now, I may go ahead and do some
light top dressing with final touches in the fall.
Thanks for the input,
-jack
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