Reel Mower gas powered (1 Viewer)

[SHIZNITTTT]

Anyone own a gas powered reel mower?   I saw a really nice yard with the professional looking stripes and the guy uses a gas powered reel mower.    I was wondering how hard they are to use and what the learning curve is on one of these bad boys.  The one this guy was using was call a TruCut.  It has more switches and levers on it than you could shake a stick at.  Kinda looked like a steampunk machine.    Results are terrific.   Says he mows about every 4 days.     Seriously!  Every 4 days.   His yard looked like a putting green, and had those cool stripes like you see at a major league ball game.   Pricey suckers at 2K or so. 

 

[MrJimmy]

Grandfather had a Locke reel mower in the 1970s for his attempt at a back yard putting green. I remember he had to bring the blades down the street to his buddy who had a grinder for sharpening...seemed like every other week. It also seemed like there was about ten hours of tinkering in the garage for every ten minutes of actual cutting. And the cutting process itself...Oy! Constant adjustments had to made to keep the height correct. And the inevitable oil spill on to the grass always lead to my grandfather yelling "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Go get me a 'Gansett so I can curse properly while your gone."

Not sure if that was just his experience, but he was pretty handy with airplane engines and he also ran those big printing presses at newspapers, so he sort of knew what he was doing, I think.

 

[Franknbeans]

I use a human powered reel mower. Works great as long as the grass isn't too long. I have a small yard and it's good exercise. This summer I have been cutting it every two weeks or so.

 

[belljr]

We used to have this for our fields

https://www.ebay.com/i/122600823465?chn=ps&dispItem=1&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F711-117182-37290-0%2F2%3Fmpre%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.ebay.com%252Fi%252F122600823465%253Fchn%253Dps%2526dispItem%253D1%26itemid%3D122600823465%26targetid%3D330167039901%26device%3Dm%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D9003821%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D887244405%26adgroupid%3D44555984076%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-330167039901%26abcId%3D1129086%26merchantid%3D8204014%26gclid%3DCjwKCAjwzrrMBRByEiwArXcw26WL6irOzdHZskWOyrpFmDDeJLMFA0vcmOn45JbWPCtsjA7KZA_X6RoCzVcQAvD_BwE%26srcrot%3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D1282398656319

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

 Thinking about it, but if it a PITA? 

 

[belljr]

No. It had a catcher that attaches to front and you just mowed.  But we had really nice grass shrug

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

Wondering how often an average size yard mowing twice a week would have to have the blades sharpened?   I have seen prices that seem pretty high.  And, if you have to sharpen a couple times a season you could just buy a new rotary mower every year.   ????   

 

[belljr]

Just buy a striping kit that attaches to your mower.

It's a mini roller

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Striping-Kit-for-Walk-Behind-Mowers-20601/202800417

 

[SHIZNITTTT]

Just buy a striping kit that attaches to your mower.

It's a mini roller

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Toro-Striping-Kit-for-Walk-Behind-Mowers-20601/202800417

tried that a few seasons ago, it is nowhere close to a reel mower.