# Toro greensmaster 1000 help



## Dooman185 (Jul 6, 2018)

I have a greensmaster 1000 with a 11 blade reel. My question is that I am cutting at 3/4" the cut looks great but I have lot's and lot's of stragglers. Is that normal with the 11 blade reel? I did put on the higher hoc bed knife from r and r. Thinking about getting a 1600 with 8 blade reel is it a lot better for stragglers?


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## ctrav (Aug 18, 2018)

I can't say for sure as I don't have the 8 blade yet! From what I have learned here and researching other sites the 11 blade is great at .50" and lower. 8 blade is supposedly much better above .50".

I will be testing the theory next spring when I have an 8 blade installed...


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## cwrx82 (Sep 16, 2018)

Dooman185 said:


> I have a greensmaster 1000 with a 11 blade reel. My question is that I am cutting at 3/4" the cut looks great but I have lot's and lot's of stragglers. Is that normal with the 11 blade reel? I did put on the higher hoc bed knife from r and r. Thinking about getting a 1600 with 8 blade reel is it a lot better for stragglers?


The 8 blade reel will leave less stragglers. When cutting at higher HOC, the fewer the blades, the more time the grass has to stand up and be cut. With the 11 blade reel, there is less time for the grass to stand up between one of the 11 blades, which is why you have stragglers. An 8 blade reel shouldn't leave many, if any stragglers at your current HOC.

If it's time to replace your reel, then swap to an 8 blade reel. If you're in the market for a 1600, then go for that with the 8 blade reel.


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## Dooman185 (Jul 6, 2018)

Thanks for the help!!


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## MNLawnGuy1980 (May 10, 2019)

Can confirm as I had my 1000 at .75 when I first got it and was a little surprised at the stragglers. Now I have it at .25 and the cut is very even across the blade with little to no stragglers.


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## Harts (May 14, 2018)

^ +1 With what everyone else said. The 11 blade reel offers superior cut quality at golf greens height. I have an 11 blade reel and have always had stragglers. They are only noticeable to us because we are likely perfectionists.

I might be investing in a new reel this off season. The lowest I go is 5/8".


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

I added a clip kit to my 11 blade Flex 21 and see no stragglers at a half inch. Not sure if one is available for the 1000 but it slows the reel a bit to give the grass blades more time to recover from the front roller and be ready for cutting.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

A clip kit is available for the GM 1000 1600. For mowing over 0.3 HOC, the good set up is an 8 blade reel and the clip kit.


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## LoCutt (Jul 29, 2019)

There are two ways to get a "finer" cut: (1) more blades on the reel, and (2) smaller diameter reel. Both work by reducing the distance between blades, but the trade-off is height versatility. This means a "finer" cut mower won't cut grass blades which are longer than some magic value. As you increase the reel diameter or reduce the number of blades, this range increases (but the cut isn't as fine). You choose the appropriate number of blades (you'd need a machine/fabrication shop to change the diameter of the reel) based on the HOC you intend to use.

Rotary mowers are much more flexible in HOC. I always recommend that you keep a rotary mower around in case you take a vacation or go visit a sick relative. It's just another expense of having a reel mower.

I think the "magic length" mentioned above is 1/2 the distance between the blades. And you can increase the clip rate by increasing the RPMs of the reel relative to the travel speed.


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## Dooman185 (Jul 6, 2018)

Thanks for all the help!! I am enjoying my mower a lot was looking to get a new reel for it but r and r does not have one. I am going to contact Toro to see if I can get a 8 blade reel. If not I am going to find a 8 blade 1600 somewhere. Stragglers or not the reel mower dominates the neighborhood and I am probably the only one that notices.


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## zeus201 (Aug 30, 2017)

Look at R&R (https://www.rrproducts.com/) for replacement reels, bedknife and bearings for your Toro. Most likely be more cost effective unless you have a contact at Toro to get them at reduced pricing.


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