# SunJoe Cordless Reel Mower



## Sonoran Desert Lawn

https://www.snowjoe.com/products/sun-joe-24v-crlm15-24-volt-ion-cordless-push-reel-mower-w-4-0-ah-battery-charger-and-rear-collection-bag

Check this out. Looks similar to the mowers found in AUS.


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## Redtwin

.6" isn't too bad. I'd love to hear what anyone who has used one thinks of it. I may want to try it out on my fringe sections.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

From what I noticed on Home Depot's website, it appears to be a preorder situation. Too new to know for sure though.


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## g-man

It is available now. $229.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Sun-Joe-24-Volt-iON-Plus-Cordless-Push-Reel-Mower-Kit-with-4-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-24V-CRLM15/315448314

I dont understand what is the electric motor doing. Is it just rotating the reel or is it also driving the wheels?


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

If its anything like the Ryobi in Australia than it just moves the blade. My thought is wouldnt that actually complicate the cuts more than help if you walk too slow? I would think its a good investment for bermuda but not rye


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## Redtwin

I'd love to try it on my Tifway-419. With it not having any drive it would probably be easier to work around and between my firepit and trees. Heck, I'd be willing to deal with a corded version if it could cut low enough.


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## Trent161

Redtwin said:


> I'd love to try it on my Tifway-419. With it not having any drive it would probably be easier to work around and between my firepit and trees. Heck, I'd be willing to deal with a corded version if it could cut low enough.


I didn't even think about the possible improved maneuverability without any drive. This could be a great gateway reel mower for me!


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## gooodawgs

"gateway reel" That's hilarious :lol:


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I do know without a battery it turns into a manual reel.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

https://www.toolsid.com/sun-joe/24-volt-ion-cordless-push-reel-mower-kit-mpn-24v-crlm15.html?view=441812&gclid=CjwKCAiAl4WABhAJEiwATUnEF2u8C9TxkV7tEXlFCNpGa7cH3watFrnYZEFDjz7AiJvrcQ5A9WwrqhoCmaEQAvD_BwE


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## Redtwin

OK, so who's going to be the Guinea pig for the group?


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I am buying one for sure but not sure when. I am checking with my financial manager and I will get back to you. She has already let me buy tons of guns, smokers, and now a brick pizza oven. &#129315;


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## brettgoodyear

Redtwin said:


> OK, so who's going to be the Guinea pig for the group?


I ordered one and it showed up today. I'll be messing with it over the next couple weeks. Anything yall want to specifically see tested on it?


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## Redtwin

How does it cut on the lowest setting? Is the catcher any good?


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

That was going to be mine. HOC. 0.6" vs the 1 inch


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## brettgoodyear

Alright good news... and bad news.

I broke open the mower and immediately the cheap plastic cover that goes over the battery broke off (really not that big of a deal and anyone who has used any Sun Joe products knows the build quality is not great). The unit still functions as it should so I took it out for the test run. 
I set it to the highest setting (2") and mowed for a bit and it did as most reels do on high settings, really poorly.

I bumped it down the the 1" setting and thats when it really started to do well. At both the 1" and .6" setting it really surprised me by cutting pretty well. It didn't cut to the level that my GM1600 does (obviously) but it did well enough to cut my 7100 square foot back yard on a single battery no problem.

The grass catcher leaves much to be desired as it just hangs out in the back and catches some of whats cut. But having it off the machine throws clippings all over the place and they get all over you.

I hit a tiny little stick and it caused a burr in the bedknife and I had to tweak it to get it back to cutting paper, this isn't a huge surprise since the quality isn't professional grade by any stretch of the imagination. It was frustrating though as I had to get a flat file out to fix the burr.

I filmed the whole thing but after filming realized that I had filmed it all in slow motion and that there was no audio file attached to it, so I am planning on refilming a lot of it and will post that at some point.

Overall the Sun Joe battery reel mower is a decent "gateway reel mower" I personally think that its a better option than a used McLane to use as a "am I really going to have the dedication to get into reel mowing" gauge. At $200ish I think its a decent deal and will be able to scratch the reel itch for someone on the hunt for a greens mower or saving up for an Allett or Swardman.

Hopefully this review is helpful for someone considering buying this reel. Its definitely better than their corded "reel mower" with the razor blade attachments.

Pic is post mow with the battery reel.


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## Trent161

Thanks for doing this. You confirmed what I thought about it being a good way to decide my true level of dedication to this endeavor.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

Thanks for the review. Buying one soon &#128077; I have all kinds of squeaks and squeals in my reel after I hit sticks with my manual 7 blade.


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## Shindoman

Thanks for that review. I have a tiny 120 sq ft area that I use a 10 blade McLane.
It's ok but the area is so small that it would be better to have a reel that spins even when the mower is stationary.


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## brettgoodyear

Shindoman said:


> Thanks for that review. I have a tiny 120 sq ft area that I use a 10 blade McLane.
> It's ok but the area is so small that it would be better to have a reel that spins even when the mower is stationary.


This may fit the ticket for you then. Its incredibly light and easy to maneuver and you can keep the reel moving even when stationary


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## Redtwin

brettgoodyear said:


> Shindoman said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for that review. I have a tiny 120 sq ft area that I use a 10 blade McLane.
> It's ok but the area is so small that it would be better to have a reel that spins even when the mower is stationary.
> 
> 
> 
> This may fit the ticket for you then. Its incredibly light and easy to maneuver and you can keep the reel moving even when stationary
Click to expand...

Thanks for the review, Brett. Based on your findings, I may get one to mow around my fire pit area since it will spin while stationary.


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## WarTide

Brett, any idea how you're going to backlap it when it's time?


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## brettgoodyear

It doesn't seem to have a way to backlap it unfortunately. You may be able to take the wheels off and do it that way.

Just wrapped the video up if you're interested here is a link to it.

https://youtu.be/o2U5m5Xrkfg


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## WarTide

You got that FL back yard looking sweet in no time. Hows the front after your reno?

Got me an Ariens this winter based on your review. Gonna try it at 1.5 all summer just to see what a lawn looks like short with a zero turn.


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## jeffjunstrom

Looks like a decent machine, but all else being equal how would it compare to a higher quality manual reel? I'm guessing the blade quality is better on a Great States, American, etc., and while you lose the grass catcher (which you say isn't that great on the SJ, anyway) and you lose the power (which isn't too much of a problem for flat-ish yards), the manual is half the price. Would an entry to the reel life be better served with this machine of dubious quality-of-build, or a manual reel that has quality parts?


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## Retromower

It looks pretty legit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2U5m5Xrkfg&t=385s


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## ShadowGuy

jeffjunstrom said:


> Looks like a decent machine, but all else being equal how would it compare to a higher quality manual reel? I'm guessing the blade quality is better on a Great States, American, etc., and while you lose the grass catcher (which you say isn't that great on the SJ, anyway) and you lose the power (which isn't too much of a problem for flat-ish yards), the manual is half the price. Would an entry to the reel life be better served with this machine of dubious quality-of-build, or a manual reel that has quality parts?


I got the same questions!


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I will throw one random thing into the mix, sprinklers. My spray nozzles along with the bodies of the sprinklers were flush with the soil. I changed all the nozzles for rotary nozzles. They now stick out above the bodies 1/4 to 1/2 an inch. If I go over them slow with a manual I have zero issues. If I went over them with this electric one, I will obliterate the nozzles.

Yes, I am going to readjust all my sprinklers, but in the mean time my manual 7 blade fits the bill for me. I get a nice cut at half an inch. Yes, I get washboard/rifling. I really do not mind it. If you do, then this mower will cut your mow time by half or 2/3 because you will have to mow 2 or 3 times with a manual for the same cut.


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## wtlawn

I think this mower would be a great fit to those who has small-to-medium lawn or lawn of "flowing' shape. For this kind of lawn, using manual or commercial reel mower can be a hassle. Manual reel mower needs to be pushed above certain pace to avoid washboard effect and the pace of commercial reel mower is usually a bit too fast for small lawn. Where this mower is going to compete is more likely powered residential reel mowers, like Tru-cut, California Trimmer, and McLane.


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## Schaftastic

Has anyone gone through and modified theirs? I want to put an after market roller from one of the conveyor belts rather than the cheap plastic thing it comes with.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

When I did my roller on my manual reel I just took the roller and rod off and measured it. Measure twice; purchase once.


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## frostyshake

wtlawn said:


> I think this mower would be a great fit to those who has small-to-medium lawn or lawn of "flowing' shape. For this kind of lawn, using manual or commercial reel mower can be a hassle. Manual reel mower needs to be pushed above certain pace to avoid washboard effect and the pace of commercial reel mower is usually a bit too fast for small lawn. Where this mower is going to compete is more likely powered residential reel mowers, like Tru-cut, California Trimmer, and McLane.


I believe this comment about pace is a common misconception. For most manual reel mowers, the reel is driven by wheels contacting the ground. The reel spins a set number of times for each revolution of the drive wheels assuming the wheels aren't sliding on the ground. The frequency of clip is the important metric for washboarding and is constant for any walking speed. The wheel size and gearing on my 7 blade Earthwise gives a frequency of clip right around 1 in no matter what speed I walk at.


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## Schaftastic

I spent some time taking the wheel assembly apart for backlapping. It is possible, but a pain compared to what I'm use to with the GM1000.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

My wife is very firm about having an electric or manual reel. Right now I am enjoying my 7 blade Earthwise but I am thinking of upgrading to this sunjoe or a Mclane manual greensmower. Any advice? Is a manual 10 blade better than this 5 blade electric? Thanks


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

Check out this genius move:

https://youtu.be/xffMeCvljU4


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## g-man

I knew someone was going to make this mod. I was thinking @Reelrollers was going to be first.


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## Ribido

I've got one of these and I will say I'm pleasantly surprised. Full disclosure, I had a home depot discount from my AMEX that essentially gave me 100 bucks off making the price 120 which I'd totally buy for. I've never used a reel mower and I've taken my EGO as low as it will go. I immediately saw results taking my lawn to .6 with this, really happy with the quality of cut. A brett demonstrated in his video, I get some minor rippling at .5 if I go too long between mows but a second pass, or a second mow the next day resolves it. The only problem I've run into now, and maybe this is more my fault than the mowers, is that the 2 or 3 times I've hit something hard it's really messed things up. I have small kids, rocks and twigs make their way into my yard. As soon as I hit one and everything jammed up I started getting some hard knocking sounds and rubbing on reel to bedknife. It doesn't feel like the bedknife was damaged (only one blade catching) and a lot of filing didn't resolve the issue. It almost seems as if the reel itself warped from the impact. By this point with the amount of filing I've had to do to the reel it should have been removed enough but it still catches. I realize it's damaging to the motor but I have no choice but to continue with it catching as it spins, par for the course I suspect.


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## Mdjamesd

Ok, so serious question for the reel mowing folks.

Have any of you hit and dog piles with your reels?

Would it be a simple hose off scenario, or is there more to it?


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

No. I have never hit a pile. I can clearly see my dog's pile before I hit it. The way that reels work, especially manuals, it will more than likely fling it at you. At that point you're more concerned about washing yourself than the mower.


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## LiverpoolFC

I have recently picked up the Sunjoe Battery Reel and am pleasantly impressed with it. Battery life holds up well from my 3k sqft front yard. Props to the video posted above from Jason Ochoada, inspired me to create my own front roller for my unit. Wanted to try and create a grooved roller without breaking the bank.


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## LawnGeek

Sonoran Desert Lawn said:


> I am buying one for sure but not sure when. I am checking with my financial manager and I will get back to you. She has already let me buy tons of guns, smokers, and now a brick pizza oven. 🤣


"Financial manager". :lol: I'm stealing that one!


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

LiverpoolFC said:


> I have recently picked up the Sunjoe Battery Reel and am pleasantly impressed with it. Battery life holds up well from my 3k sqft front yard.


Looks great. How does it run? What are the components of that roller?

Also where did you find the mower? It is sold out everywhere except if you buy it without the battery


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## DallasZoysia

I bought it from here, although it was at $175 when I purchased on 5/1:

https://www.pcrichard.com/Sun-Joe/Sun-Joe-24V-CRLM15-CT-24-Volt-iON+-Cordless-Push-Reel-Mower-w-Rear-Collection-Bag/24V-CRLM15.pcrp

Only place I could find with the mower in stock.


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## LiverpoolFC

Sonoran Desert Lawn said:


> LiverpoolFC said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have recently picked up the Sunjoe Battery Reel and am pleasantly impressed with it. Battery life holds up well from my 3k sqft front yard.
> 
> 
> 
> Looks great. How does it run? What are the components of that roller?
> 
> Also where did you find the mower? It is sold out everywhere except if you buy it without the battery
Click to expand...

I found these heavy duty grooved "H-type" casters on Amazon. Only picked up 2 orders with 4 each. 
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083Q5HX17?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

Outside of that I got 3/4 threaded rod from Home Depot. 24" was maybe less than $5. Couple of locking bolts and plastic spacers. I had to mess with the positioning of spacers/casters to make it fit with minimal gaps. (I had drill bits and other tools for mod)

It runs pretty well so far, obviously the more level your lawn is the better off you are. Will update if I run into any issues.

PC Richard & Son is the place to find them as strange as that sounds. Found 4 in stock at store local to me.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08NK964J5/ref=cm_sw_r_u_apa_glt_fabc_49EY30QPE8RH5EPNX8HF

Its on sale


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## jahsoul

edited


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## Schaftastic

Ribido said:


> I've got one of these and I will say I'm pleasantly surprised. Full disclosure, I had a home depot discount from my AMEX that essentially gave me 100 bucks off making the price 120 which I'd totally buy for. I've never used a reel mower and I've taken my EGO as low as it will go. I immediately saw results taking my lawn to .6 with this, really happy with the quality of cut. A brett demonstrated in his video, I get some minor rippling at .5 if I go too long between mows but a second pass, or a second mow the next day resolves it. The only problem I've run into now, and maybe this is more my fault than the mowers, is that the 2 or 3 times I've hit something hard it's really messed things up. I have small kids, rocks and twigs make their way into my yard. As soon as I hit one and everything jammed up I started getting some hard knocking sounds and rubbing on reel to bedknife. It doesn't feel like the bedknife was damaged (only one blade catching) and a lot of filing didn't resolve the issue. It almost seems as if the reel itself warped from the impact. By this point with the amount of filing I've had to do to the reel it should have been removed enough but it still catches. I realize it's damaging to the motor but I have no choice but to continue with it catching as it spins, par for the course I suspect.


This happened to me, I contacted SunJoe and they sent me a whole new unit with my warranty!


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## Puffoluffagus

Well I'm in for one.

We'll see how it goes. I'll likely limit it to the front yard since my birch trees in the back just love to throw sticks at me. I'll save the manual reel or rotary for that


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## midfielder

Anyone having issues with it floating? I'm wondering if I should add some weight to mine.


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## jochoada

Wow! This is super exciting that my front roller mod is helping and providing inspiration for better versions 👍 to your point @midfielder the mower is very light and I could see if someone tried to do front and rear solid rollers it could float. But stock or "grooved" roller designs seem to be fine.


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## midfielder

Thanks - I have done the rear roller mod using a conveyor belt. I have the casters and threaded rod to do the front roller. Just need to find the time. Next cut I'm going to zip tie a couple of small free weights to the top and see what happens.


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## jochoada

Very cool &#128077; for those interested I just took apart my front roller and created a template which will make the measuring using a dowel to get the correct placement of the holes unnecessary. Hopefully tonight I can get the video posted and have the template hosted so the template can be downloaded and printed.

Thanks,
Jason


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## jochoada

@Ribido totally know what you are talking about. The SunJoe reel is very prone to damage from yard debris. What actually happens is the motor is powerful enough to bend the reel blade if it gets jammed on a twig or mulch. Agree with @Schaftastic that SunJoe has an excellent customer service.

I'm the mean time you can see where it is catching and what you can do is grip that area with s vice grip and twist it down away from you to straighten it enough to use until the exchange comes in.

Hope this helps 👍
Jason


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## DurtEsanch

Looking into buying this. I wanted a Gardena electric reel but they really aren't for sale anymore and the reviews were 50/50. Not enough lawn to pop for an Allett/Swardman.

For those that have it, how do you backlap? Have you found the 5 blades to be enough. I'm hoping to buy this or get a higher quality manual reel like a Mclane 10 blade or something that won't cause the ribbed look in my .75 Celebration.

Why don't more companies make electric reels?


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## Thick n Dense

15" ? Need bit more width for me.

Slap on diy roller and gtg


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## jochoada

@DurtEsanch great questions. I can't speak for higher cuts but I'm not seeing any rib marks in tif419 at the 0.6 setting on the SunJoe. I've found I'm getting the best performance backlapping every 16K sqft. That's every two mows for me. A bit tedious but for me worth it. Basically to backlap you need to remove the motor side wheel circlip pliers help here. Then remove the cover to access the drive belt which is 4 Phillips screws. Then remove the belt. Then slide off the drive gear but leave the pawl. You can slide a socket over the pawl to drive the reel backwards with a drill. I use 120 grit lapping compound but before I had that I used valve grinding compound which can be found in many auto parts stores.

Hope this helps 👍
Jason


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## jahsoul

midfielder said:


> Thanks - I have done the rear roller mod using a conveyor belt. I have the casters and threaded rod to do the front roller. Just need to find the time. Next cut I'm going to zip tie a couple of small free weights to the top and see what happens.


How is the rear mod working for you. Got pics or a recommended part?


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## jochoada

For those interested I tore my front roller down and created a printable template which makes the drilling easy. Important note though is it only works for the diameter wheels I used in my video.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ml4r07yGlQP52X0wznaYN-DCr3ZkJzPl/view?usp=drivesdk


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## midfielder

jahsoul said:


> midfielder said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks - I have done the rear roller mod using a conveyor belt. I have the casters and threaded rod to do the front roller. Just need to find the time. Next cut I'm going to zip tie a couple of small free weights to the top and see what happens.
> 
> 
> 
> How is the rear mod working for you. Got pics or a recommended part?
Click to expand...

It works okay... it is not really heavy enough to stripe, but it helps mitigate scalping on my bumpy lawn. Pic incoming...


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## burnhagw

Just ordered one and it will be here Monday. Going to give it a shot. I'm currently manually reel mowing 3500sqft and in this heat, it's getting pretty hard.

Edit: Just finished the first mow. That was sure easier than manual push reel that i've been using for two seasons. First mow was a success at 1".


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## BermudaBoy

Mine died last night around 7:30. I got halfway done mowing my back and it gave up the ghost. I chatted with customer support around 8 last night and woke up to an email saying that a replacement was on the way. Gotta give customer support five stars.


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## bptexan

I just placed an order yesterday -- Sun Joe is running a sale for 25% off -- promo code JOEDAY -- brought it down to 185 w/ tax.


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## Lawndry List

Just got one & for the $ it's a good buy. Do you stop it at the end of each pass? Sorry if it's a dumb question, but it felt awkward and in some spots it double cut if I tried to turn for the next pass like I do with my rotary


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## jochoada

@Lawndry List 
I usually do a perimeter run then turn around on that without stopping the motor. This prevents gouging when coming on and off the sidewalk or driveway.

Hope this helps,
Jason


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## burnhagw

jochoada said:


> @Lawndry List
> I usually do a perimeter run then turn around on that without stopping the motor. This prevents gouging when coming on and off the sidewalk or driveway.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> Jason


This is how i've been doing it, although I've only used it twice so far, lol.


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## brown_town

Got mine in today with the JOEDAY discount and gave it a quick go on the front yard after giving a slight adjustment to the reel to bed knife contact. Handled everything fine at the 1" HOC setting, I tried to go down to the .6" HOC for a scalp in an area and it bogged down pretty quick in a thick part of my Zoysia. I had to take it really slow. Previously I was maintaining the HOC at ~2" with a rotary mower.

I may have to take my time trying to scalp next season at .6", but shouldn't be too bad if I only have to do it once and then maintain at 1".

I like how light it is because it's easy to push and drag around on my very sloped front yard.


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## TampaBayFL

Dang.....looks like I missed the JOEDAY sale :-( Just tried the code this AM and its no longer working.


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## DurtEsanch

TampaBayFL said:


> Dang.....looks like I missed the JOEDAY sale :-( Just tried the code this AM and its no longer working.


I tried it on the 22nd and it didn't work either.


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## DurtEsanch

Pulled the trigger on this mower. Ordered from PRrichard. base price of $199, $215 after tax w free shipping. Projected to arrive on the 8th. Cannot wait.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

DurtEsanch said:


> Pulled the trigger on this mower. Ordered from PRrichard. base price of $199, $215 after tax w free shipping. Projected to arrive on the 8th. Cannot wait.


Let me know how it compares to the 7 blade. Does that include the battery?


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## DurtEsanch

Sonoran Desert Lawn said:


> DurtEsanch said:
> 
> 
> 
> Pulled the trigger on this mower. Ordered from PRrichard. base price of $199, $215 after tax w free shipping. Projected to arrive on the 8th. Cannot wait.
> 
> 
> 
> Let me know how it compares to the 7 blade. Does that include the battery?
Click to expand...

Yes, according to the site the battery and charger were included. I am curious too how it compares. I was wanting to go motorized to get the blades spinning faster. Will update.


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## TampaBayFL

DurtEsanch said:


> Sonoran Desert Lawn said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DurtEsanch said:
> 
> 
> 
> Pulled the trigger on this mower. Ordered from PRrichard. base price of $199, $215 after tax w free shipping. Projected to arrive on the 8th. Cannot wait.
> 
> 
> 
> Let me know how it compares to the 7 blade. Does that include the battery?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, according to the site the battery and charger were included. I am curious too how it compares. I was wanting to go motorized to get the blades spinning faster. Will update.
Click to expand...

Any updates?

I was debating giving one of these a try just for yucks.


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## DurtEsanch

Out of the box it s very light. Almost concerning. Assembly takes 10 minutes including throwing out packaging. Bettery cam mostly charged, bed knife was super easy to adjust with an Allen wrench underneath.

Started at 1.5". Was surprised that in the thicker areas it does stall out. Grass wasn't that tall just very thicken bad need of a verticutting.I began to just walk slower in those areas until the last few mows which have trimmed it down. The grass catcher gets about 75% of the grass, the rest is sprayed on you. To make it hold more and not dump clippings out I stop and shake them to the back.

Easy to maneuver, does give a nice cut. I used it to help me scalp yesterday and did a decent job. Catcher is frustrating but does help to prevent too many thatch and clippings from being left on top of the cut lawn. Battery charges quickly compared to my other battery operated tools.

Compared to my manual it's almost a tie. The manual left such bad ribbing and bounced at 1" and the SJ just powers thru.


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## TampaBayFL

Thank you for that great write up @DurtEsanch . It sounds like this thing is worth giving a try. I just ordered one a few minutes ago.


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## DurtEsanch

TampaBayFL said:


> Thank you for that great write up @DurtEsanch . It sounds like this thing is worth giving a try. I just ordered one a few minutes ago.


Cool, I hope you like it. I scalped yesterday to reset the HoC. Can't wait to use it at 1" with a lot less runners.

To ensure coverage I've been lining up the logo in the middle of the battery cover with the wheel tracks from the last pass.


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## TampaBayFL

DurtEsanch said:


> TampaBayFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you for that great write up @DurtEsanch . It sounds like this thing is worth giving a try. I just ordered one a few minutes ago.
> 
> 
> 
> Cool, I hope you like it. I scalped yesterday to reset the HoC. Can't wait to use it at 1" with a lot less runners.
> 
> To ensure coverage I've been lining up the logo in the middle of the battery cover with the wheel tracks from the last pass.
Click to expand...

Good tip re: lining up using the logo✔

Ive been maintaining the past few months at 2" or so, but it grew to ~3+" (due to laziness 😊) but night took it down to 1.5" expecting some brown rearing its head, but to my surprise got almost none. When the SJ arrives Ill probably go to 1", and if that doesnt scalp it Ill prob drop to the 0.6" HOC (which will most def scalp) and then maintain at 1".

Mine should arrive Thursday (PC Richard has these in stock and ships fast).


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## DurtEsanch

TampaBayFL said:


> DurtEsanch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> TampaBayFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you for that great write up @DurtEsanch . It sounds like this thing is worth giving a try. I just ordered one a few minutes ago.
> 
> 
> 
> Cool, I hope you like it. I scalped yesterday to reset the HoC. Can't wait to use it at 1" with a lot less runners.
> 
> To ensure coverage I've been lining up the logo in the middle of the battery cover with the wheel tracks from the last pass.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Good tip re: lining up using the logo✔
> 
> Ive been maintaining the past few months at 2" or so, but it grew to ~3+" (due to laziness 😊) but night took it down to 1.5" expecting some brown rearing its head, but to my surprise got almost none. When the SJ arrives Ill probably go to 1", and if that doesnt scalp it Ill prob drop to the 0.6" HOC (which will most def scalp) and then maintain at 1".
> 
> Mine should arrive Thursday (PC Richard has these in stock and ships fast).
> [/quote
> 
> Mine came 2 days early. Be careful not to stall out. Maybe try 1.5 first or if u do go 1" go slow to begin with. Opposite of the push reel.
> 
> Did a cut on the front today and it does leave some subtle striping.
Click to expand...


----------



## TampaBayFL

DurtEsanch said:


> TampaBayFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> DurtEsanch said:
> 
> 
> 
> Cool, I hope you like it. I scalped yesterday to reset the HoC. Can't wait to use it at 1" with a lot less runners.
> 
> To ensure coverage I've been lining up the logo in the middle of the battery cover with the wheel tracks from the last pass.
> 
> 
> 
> Good tip re: lining up using the logo✔
> 
> Ive been maintaining the past few months at 2" or so, but it grew to ~3+" (due to laziness 😊) but night took it down to 1.5" expecting some brown rearing its head, but to my surprise got almost none. When the SJ arrives Ill probably go to 1", and if that doesnt scalp it Ill prob drop to the 0.6" HOC (which will most def scalp) and then maintain at 1".
> 
> Mine should arrive Thursday (PC Richard has these in stock and ships fast).
> [/quote
> 
> Mine came 2 days early. Be careful not to stall out. Maybe try 1.5 first or if u do go 1" go slow to begin with. Opposite of the push reel.
> 
> Did a cut on the front today and it does leave some subtle striping.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I gave my zoysia a pretty hard reset last night with it. I did it at 1 inch first and it managed to do that fine, but since I want to maintain at 1 inch I then gave everything a cut at the bottom 15 mm/0.6 inch setting and it had a pretty tough time completing the job. It would stall out quite often. That said, for the money this thing seems pretty good and I'm expecting it will be able to maintain the lawn at the 1 inch setting without a problem.
> 
> A few weeks ago and a few minutes after----
Click to expand...


----------



## TampaBayFL

The scalping is somewhat inconsistent, but I still hit it pretty hard. We've got a couple of months of summer like conditions left here but I still figure it will look bad for a month&#128522;

I picked up a 50 pound bag of water-soluble 40-0-0 that I will hit it with (along with a lot of water) to spring it back to life.


----------



## TampaBayFL

DurtEsanch said:


> TampaBayFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you for that great write up @DurtEsanch . It sounds like this thing is worth giving a try. I just ordered one a few minutes ago.
> 
> 
> 
> Cool, I hope you like it.
Click to expand...

I've only used mine a few times now, but I have to say I am fairly impressed with this thing for the money. It is definitely not suitable for larger lawns, but it is also a very dramatic step up from using a push reel. Having the reel spin independently of forward speed is very helpful in navigating small areas.

The overall quality of cut also seems pretty good, no complaints so far.


----------



## TampaBayFL

TampaBayFL said:


> The scalping is somewhat inconsistent, but I still hit it pretty hard. We've got a couple of months of summer like conditions left here but I still figure it will look bad for a month😊
> 
> I picked up a 50 pound bag of water-soluble 40-0-0 that I will hit it with (along with a lot of water) to spring it back to life.


I am about three weeks post scalp and most areas of the lawn you cannot tell. But, some of the slower areas are still recovering. The Sunjoe did a respectable scalping job✔


----------



## DurtEsanch

Since the scalps I have only mowed with it and I like it more and more. 1" cut is clean and there is no ribbing.


----------



## TampaBayFL

I ended up deciding to let my Zoysia go back to a little taller HOC so I haven't mowed for about 10 days. I'm going to try maintaining at the highest setting of the Sunjoe (2") and see how it cuts. If that doesn't work well I will try the next highest which I think is 1.6". I have a rotary that can cut down to about 1.75" (so there is some overlap in usability between the two) so Ill maintain with whichever one does the best job overall in the end.


----------



## TampaBayFL

As follow up for anyone who is thinking about using the Sunjoe reel at at 2 inch HOC, I found it did not work very well. The grass is simply too tall and "floppy" and does not feed between the bed knife and reel very well. Honestly though, I think this tends to be an issue with any reel mower at this HOC. It's simply too tall and a rotary is probably more appropriate.

I dropped it down to the 1.5 inch setting on the Sunjoe and it cut beautifully✔


----------



## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I somewhat agree with what others have said as well. Most folks on here say anything above 1 inch should be cut with a rotary. I actually say 1.5ish and below, but either way, 2 inches is tough on reels.


----------



## nameless

I decided to take the plunge and ordered one from Pritchards (thanks to the person posting the link) I may return the GA 7 blade reel push mower I bought recently, this is only $50 more and that is the cost of the catcher attachment the GA doesn't come with we will see which one I keep after I try the SJ out.
I do not have any kids or trees in my small lawn area, just did a RENO which I posted in cold season grass so my lawn is flat and I don't think I have any spots that would leave one wheel off the ground and scalp do to not having a front roller so would I even need to do the mod? Those seem to be the only issues I have read about so that shouldn't be an issue for me. The GA push reel doesn't have a front roller and haven't had a problem mowing with that.

Next question.
There is a thread about adding a conveyor roller to the GA push reel mower to replace the rear feather lite plastic roller and it helped a lot by adding 5 lbs it skipped less and felt more solid, has anyone looked at that as an option for this?


----------



## TampaBayFL

I personally haven't looked at making any modifications with regard to front or rear rollers and adding weight, but I can definitely see how that could improve things. I may mess with adding a little weight to mine and see if it makes a difference, but I think I'm generally going to be maintaining around 1.5 inches (and I'm not getting any wash boarding currently) so the lighter standard weight may not make a difference in my case.


----------



## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I started the metal roller thread for the Earthwise. Part of the reason I added the weight was to prevent bounce, create strips, and maybe get rid of the washboarding. The most successful thing the weight does is stripe.

Reel mowers rely heavily on frequency of cut (foc). If I am mowing at .5", but my clip rate is 1.02" (like on the Earthwise 7 blade), the bed knife is literally smacking thick grass and bouncing up. You need a lot of weight to fix the issue of bounce as the fulcrum, or pivot point, is at the front two wheels.

My 60 lb McLane Mower does not even fix washboarding. Even my 250lb roller does not compensate the washboard look. Only a proper height of cut matching the foc will fix that. The lowest any manual mower should go is 1" unless you have Hudson Star. On this mower, the foc is effected by the walking pace. If you cut at .6", walk slower. If you at 2" walk as fast as you want.

Adding a metal roller looks nice. Hoc changes are easier as well. On the SunJoe, I think it will only help give a stripe look to cool season lawns.


----------



## nameless

Well I do have PRG which is supposed to stripe really good, my plan is 1" or 1.5 HOC whichever looks best and I have a small lawn so walking slow is not an issue.

I have to say adding that roller then backlapping the new mower made a huge difference, it was quieter and smoother even just pushing in my garage that backlap even though the mower was new really helped.

If you know the part number and if a conveyor roller will slide right on like the GA 7 blade I would really appreciate the info.

Thanks again for tip on push mower roller even though I will probably end up with the SJ


----------



## nameless

TampaBayFL said:


> I personally haven't looked at making any modifications with regard to front or rear rollers and adding weight, but I can definitely see how that could improve things. I may mess with adding a little weight to mine and see if it makes a difference, but I think I'm generally going to be maintaining around 1.5 inches (and I'm not getting any wash boarding currently) so the lighter standard weight may not make a difference in my case.


That conveyor roller mod Sonoran posted was awesome, it made the mower feel way more solid so I am thinking it will do the same for the SJ since people remark it feels cheap and light this may transform the feel and may even improve the cut slightly.


----------



## TampaBayFL

Great info @Sonoran Desert Lawn

I found this video on YouTube which gives a pretty concise animation of what you are describing. From some other articles I found online the general consensus among golf course superintendents is that the FOC & HOC should be relatively close to each other for the best overall result.


----------



## TampaBayFL

There are also lots of good rather detailed videos at Premier Lawns on YouTube for this topic and others. They are obviously not using Sunjoe 24 V mowers &#129322;, but the concepts still apply.

Sidebar of unrelated interest......The greens at this beautiful golf course featured in the below video are comprised of Bentgrass and poa annua! Since these are rather frequent attendees in the weed forum here, it just goes to show that the definition of a weed is an unloved plant.&#128522;

https://youtu.be/lKinScbUEAs


----------



## cleohioturf

TampaBayFL said:


> Sidebar of unrelated interest......The greens at this beautiful golf course featured in the below video are comprised of Bentgrass and poa annua! Since these are rather frequent attendees in the weed forum here, it just goes to show that the definition of a weed is an unloved plant.😊


I could name countless courses rated in the top 100 in the US that are comprised of poa annua. Part of the reason you dont see much selective herbicide for poa annua and triv, golf courses use these grasses to their benefit.


----------



## TampaBayFL

cleohioturf said:


> TampaBayFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sidebar of unrelated interest......The greens at this beautiful golf course featured in the below video are comprised of Bentgrass and poa annua! Since these are rather frequent attendees in the weed forum here, it just goes to show that the definition of a weed is an unloved plant.😊
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I could name countless courses rated in the top 100 in the US that are comprised of poa annua. Part of the reason you dont see much selective herbicide for poa annua and triv, golf courses use these grasses to their benefit.
Click to expand...

Yes, the superintendent in the video link above kind of alluded to that. It was almost a "if you can't beat them join them" type of thing . The proof is in the pudding, the greens and fairways at that course look absolutely gorgeous.


----------



## Automate

Yes, but Tiger has blamed Poa for his bad putting. https://golf.com/news/tiger-woods-four-putt-bumpy-greens-torrey/


----------



## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I actually saw him at Torrey and Augusta. I will admit, the Augusta greens were far better. I believe Torrey is where Mickelson double parred a hole too


----------



## Lawndry List

Went two months with good luck of not hitting anything & damaging the reel. That ended last night unfortunately. Heavy clicking on the reel, looks like I'll bust out the file & vise grips.


----------



## FATC1TY

TampaBayFL said:


> cleohioturf said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> TampaBayFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sidebar of unrelated interest......The greens at this beautiful golf course featured in the below video are comprised of Bentgrass and poa annua! Since these are rather frequent attendees in the weed forum here, it just goes to show that the definition of a weed is an unloved plant.😊
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I could name countless courses rated in the top 100 in the US that are comprised of poa annua. Part of the reason you dont see much selective herbicide for poa annua and triv, golf courses use these grasses to their benefit.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Yes, the superintendent in the video link above kind of alluded to that. It was almost a "if you can't beat them join them" type of thing . The proof is in the pudding, the greens and fairways at that course look absolutely gorgeous.
Click to expand...

Putting on poa greens sucks if you've ever gotten used to bermuda or bent greens though.

They look fine, but performance wise they can get bumpy late in the day from growth.


----------



## TampaBayFL

Lawndry List said:


> Went two months with good luck of not hitting anything & damaging the reel. That ended last night unfortunately. Heavy clicking on the reel, looks like I'll bust out the file & vise grips.


I nailed a big chunk of pine bark mulch with mine today and was half expecting semi catastrophe, but I guess the mulch was soft enough it didnt do any damage....this time......


----------



## TampaBayFL

TampaBayFL said:


> TampaBayFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> The scalping is somewhat inconsistent, but I still hit it pretty hard. We've got a couple of months of summer like conditions left here but I still figure it will look bad for a month😊
> 
> I picked up a 50 pound bag of water-soluble 40-0-0 that I will hit it with (along with a lot of water) to spring it back to life.
> 
> 
> 
> I am about three weeks post scalp and most areas of the lawn you cannot tell. But, some of the slower areas are still recovering. The Sunjoe did a respectable scalping job✔
Click to expand...

Sunjoe at 1.5" HOC on Empire about 3.5 weeks after a fairly rough scalp. I don't think it gives the type of cut folks get with the very high dollar machines, but I think it is definitely better than a push mower and the bang for the buck is there.


----------



## DurtEsanch

This my Sj cutting at 1" 12 days after scalping to .6". Post scalp I dropped equal parts Ironite and Ammonium Sulfate. About 5 days later dropped some PGF balance 10-10-10. The corners are still working to come back.

I am very happy with the cut. I feel like it looks as good as anyone who's using $2K gas reels.


----------



## Lawndry List

TampaBayFL said:


> Lawndry List said:
> 
> 
> 
> Went two months with good luck of not hitting anything & damaging the reel. That ended last night unfortunately. Heavy clicking on the reel, looks like I'll bust out the file & vise grips.
> 
> 
> 
> I nailed a big chunk of pine bark mulch with mine today and was half expecting semi catastrophe, but I guess the mulch was soft enough it didnt do any damage....this time......
Click to expand...

Lol, fingers crossed! It hasn't impacted my cut quality, but the clicking noise is pretty annoying.


----------



## Lawndry List

DurtEsanch said:


> This my Sj cutting at 1" 12 days after scalping to .6". Post scalp I dropped equal parts Ironite and Ammonium Sulfate. About 5 days later dropped some PGF balance 10-10-10. The corners are still working to come back.
> 
> I am very happy with the cut. I feel like it looks as good as anyone who's using $2K gas reels.


That looks fantastic. Your yard & @TampaBayFL show what a great value this mower is. Hoping Ryobi, Toro, & other manufactures see the need for this type of machine. I absolutely love mine. Obviously, I'd like a greens mower, but I'm still saving up. Also interested in a McClane, Tru-Cut, or Cal Trimmer, but not sure I will get that much better of a cut than this Sun Joe. Steal of a deal at $200 in my opinion.


----------



## DurtEsanch

Lawndry List said:


> DurtEsanch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This my Sj cutting at 1" 12 days after scalping to .6". Post scalp I dropped equal parts Ironite and Ammonium Sulfate. About 5 days later dropped some PGF balance 10-10-10. The corners are still working to come back.
> 
> I am very happy with the cut. I feel like it looks as good as anyone who's using $2K gas reels.
> 
> 
> 
> That looks fantastic. Your yard & @TampaBayFL show what a great value this mower is. Hoping Ryobi, Toro, & other manufactures see the need for this type of machine. I absolutely love mine. Obviously, I'd like a greens mower, but I'm still saving up. Also interested in a McClane, Tru-Cut, or Cal Trimmer, but not sure I will get that much better of a cut than this Sun Joe. Steal of a deal at $200 in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much. I'm really hoping more companies get into the cartridge system so one machine can do a number of tasks. IMO electric is so much easier than messing with gas. My yards aren't huge though.


----------



## Sonoran Desert Lawn

"Hoping Ryobi, Toro, & other manufactures see the need for this type of machine."

SunJoe copied Ryobi. Ryobi sold this is AUS but discontinued it last year.


----------



## TampaBayFL

100% agreed the bang for the buck with this mower is very good. I did have a much more expensive battery powered reel previously (Allett Liberty 43) And, although it had its problems which led to me returning it, when it worked right the quality of cut was definitely better at all heights and I never had to go over a given area more than once. But, and this is a big but, it cost 10 times as much! So clearly, this is a far far far better value.


----------



## TampaBayFL

DurtEsanch said:


> . IMO electric is so much easier than messing with gas. My yards aren't huge though.


Absolutely, I am converting to battery on everything possible. It is just so so much easier. Of course, this is only practical for smaller yards like mine. For larger ones gasoline powered still seems to be the way to go (outside of some very very high-end battery powered stuff) such as the below. If you would like to spend $17,000 on a battery powered cylinder mower, here you go 😊

https://www.allett-usa.com/products/allett-c34-evolution-cylinder-mower


----------



## TampaBayFL

Lawndry List said:


> Obviously, I'd like a greens mower, but I'm still saving up.


Make sure your lawn can actually use one. I had every intention of maintaining my lawn at a very low HOC, but the more I learned (much by trial and error  )the more I saw that even my lawn which seemed flat was simply nowhere near level enough to cut it super low. I'm obviously done a complete 180 now with my above revelation that I maintaining at 1.5" 😊


----------



## TampaBayFL

DurtEsanch said:


> This my Sj cutting at 1" 12 days after scalping to .6". Post scalp I dropped equal parts Ironite and Ammonium Sulfate. About 5 days later dropped some PGF balance 10-10-10. The corners are still working to come back.
> 
> I am very happy with the cut. I feel like it looks as good as anyone who's using $2K gas reels.


BTW......You are laying down some pretty nice stripes there @DurtEsanch with that $200 machine 

When I see nice Bermuda like that it really makes me wish I could use it instead of zoysia. Both types of grass can be complete pain in the butt, but I like the much faster lateral growth of Bermuda and it's overall ability to handle a lower HOC all else equal. I would never have torn my Celebration out if it wasn't for the insufficient sunlight in my side yards.


----------



## DurtEsanch

TampaBayFL said:


> DurtEsanch said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This my Sj cutting at 1" 12 days after scalping to .6". Post scalp I dropped equal parts Ironite and Ammonium Sulfate. About 5 days later dropped some PGF balance 10-10-10. The corners are still working to come back.
> 
> I am very happy with the cut. I feel like it looks as good as anyone who's using $2K gas reels.
> 
> 
> 
> BTW......You are laying down some pretty nice stripes there @DurtEsanch with that $200 machine
> 
> When I see nice Bermuda like that it really makes me wish I could use it instead of zoysia. Both types of grass can be complete pain in the butt, but I like the much faster lateral growth of Bermuda and it's overall ability to handle a lower HOC all else equal. I would never have torn my Celebration out if it wasn't for the insufficient sunlight in my side yards.
Click to expand...

Thanks Tampa, This is the only angle in which you can actually see stripes. The grass is still raging from the scalp recovery fertilizer. Any striping was gone by the morning. I took this pic Monday afternoon and it's got at least a 1/2 inch of growth when I came home from work this morning.


----------



## TampaBayFL

I was laughing when you said the grass was raging from the recovery fertilizer! I've been doing the same on mine, I have been putting down around 1 pound of N/1000 every 7 to 10 days.


----------



## TampaBayFL

And I totally believe that growth rate. Last year I went absolutely ballistic with fertilizer on mine, honestly through a little bit of ignorance (because I just kept going more more more  ) and I was mowing every day and cutting off like a half an inch each time, it was ridiculous. This of course opened me up to fungal problems which are already prevalent in zoysia anyway.


----------



## nameless

Anyone do the conveyor roller beside midfield, looking for info on size and or part number. I see the expensive reel mowers have a front roller, do those only work for really short grass? I see the front roller mod on here to prevent scalping on uneven areas and the roller mod to resemble a grooved front roller, is there any benefit to this for 1" to 1.5 " HOC besides preventing scalping?


----------



## Jreihsen

Is this mower discontinued? It could be the current chip shortage, but I can't find it on Sun Joe's site or on Amazon.


----------



## TampaBayFL

Jreihsen said:


> Is this mower discontinued? It could be the current chip shortage, but I can't find it on Sun Joe's site or on Amazon.


PC Richard has em in stock......This is where a few of us have gotten ours.

https://www.pcrichard.com/sun-joe-24v-crlm15-ct-24-volt-ion-cordless-push-reel-mower-w-rear-collection-bag/24V-CRLM15.html


----------



## DurtEsanch

TampaBayFL said:


> Jreihsen said:
> 
> 
> 
> Is this mower discontinued? It could be the current chip shortage, but I can't find it on Sun Joe's site or on Amazon.
> 
> 
> 
> PC Richard has em in stock......This is where a few of us have gotten ours.
> 
> https://www.pcrichard.com/sun-joe-24v-crlm15-ct-24-volt-ion-cordless-push-reel-mower-w-rear-collection-bag/24V-CRLM15.html
Click to expand...

I got mine thru the PC site also. It was about $15 cheaper that way.


----------



## Jreihsen

The pcrichard website doesn't say if that battery and charger are included.


----------



## TampaBayFL

Jreihsen said:


> The pcrichard website doesn't say if that battery and charger are included.


They are.


----------



## midfielder

Hi all,

Sorry jahsoul and nameless for not replying sooner, I have been travelling.

Here are some pictures of the roller mod:

























The roller comes on a hexagonal bolt. I used an angle grinder to smush the ends down into a rough circle, then wedged it into the existing back roller sockets. The grinding probably took about ten minutes. The advantage of doing it this way is that you can still use the grass catcher.

Here is a link to the conveyer roller: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081J54B3R
Heavy Duty Roller with Bracket | 15″ Galvanized Steel | 1.9″ Diameter

I don't have any pictures of the striping it acheived. It was faint but noticeable.

I also bought all the bits to do the front roller mod (casters, spacers and rod) but I have not done that yet.... because well my sun joe never worked that well from the beginning. I did the rear roller mod before I even did a first cut with it, and after the first cut you could see it wouldn't even cut paper. It did cut the grass. Actually it did a fair job. But the fact it never cut paper bugged me. So I tried to sharpen the blades and bed knife, and lower the clearance, etc....but I ran out of time.

I picked up a rotary dual blade ryobi at a very good price locally, and I have been using that with a big league lawn striper.

If I ever get the time I'd love to improve the cutting of the sun joe. It is narrow which means it takes longer to cut, but reel looks so much better than rotary.

I hope that helps. Good luck!


----------



## FATC1TY

How wide is this mower outside wheel to outside wheel ?

Wondering if this would be worth getting to cut my hell strip that's unlevel and has concrete all around it. My toro is way too big.


----------



## TampaBayFL

FATC1TY said:


> How wide is this mower outside wheel to outside wheel ?
> 
> Wondering if this would be worth getting to cut my hell strip that's unlevel and has concrete all around it. My toro is way too big.


Check back here within the hour, I'll measure it.


----------



## TampaBayFL

FATC1TY said:


> How wide is this mower outside wheel to outside wheel ?
> 
> Wondering if this would be worth getting to cut my hell strip that's unlevel and has concrete all around it. My toro is way too big.


----------



## FATC1TY

TampaBayFL said:


> FATC1TY said:
> 
> 
> 
> How wide is this mower outside wheel to outside wheel ?
> 
> Wondering if this would be worth getting to cut my hell strip that's unlevel and has concrete all around it. My toro is way too big.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for that!


----------



## Lawndry List

@midfielder That roller looks fantastic


----------



## midfielder

Thanks @Lawndry List! It is hard to say how well it stripes whilst the reel isnt cutting paper. If I can get that sorted then I'll run it again and take some pictures.


----------



## jahsoul

@midfielder Thanks for the pics. My sunjoe is actually down and out right now. Hit a rock that came out of nowhere and had the hardest time trying to bend it back and spent about 30 minutes backlapping it to where the knocking was a little faint. Went back to cut and 30 minutes into it, heard the knocking again but this time it was worse. So now I'm trying to figure if I will buy another one, go for something with beefier blades, or get a Rotarola and call it a day. Was looking at a Liberty 43 but I just can justify that right now.


----------



## TampaBayFL

@jahsoul ......I've had the liberty 43 and the Sunjoe and I would concur with your assessment that it would be hard to justify the liberty at 10x the cost of one of these Sunjoes.


----------



## Lawndry List

jahsoul said:


> @midfielder Thanks for the pics. My sunjoe is actually down and out right now. Hit a rock that came out of nowhere and had the hardest time trying to bend it back and spent about 30 minutes backlapping it to where the knocking was a little faint. Went back to cut and 30 minutes into it, heard the knocking again but this time it was worse. So now I'm trying to figure if I will buy another one, go for something with beefier blades, or get a Rotarola and call it a day. Was looking at a Liberty 43 but I just can justify that right now.


I'm in the same boat... It still cuts fine, but the noise is beyond annoying. Sun Joe customer service is fantastic & super quick to respond. This item is currently OOS, but they are going to send me a brand new one when they are back in stock. They don't even want me to send my current one back, so I'll eventually have 2, 1 I can work on & hopefully bend back into shape. I'd reach out to their customer service team, heck a free $200 mower isn't a bad deal.


----------



## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I dont have the Sunjoe but I do have an Earthwise and 2 Mclanes. There is a huge difference in the blades. The Earthwise gets caught on every twig, whereas the Mclane handles literally everything but concrete or solid rocks.

If anyone live near San Diego there is one for sale for $25 with a catcher. The catcher alone was worth $140 new.


----------



## jahsoul

@TampaBayFL If you don't mind me asking, what issues did you have with the Liberty? I was actually looking around for a used one, since I've grown to like battery powered tools, but I'm looking for a "lifetime" buy and really leaning towards the Masport Rotarola with the quadcut blades. But I always find myself peeking at the Liberty..lol

@Lawndry List Thanks for the advice. I may end of doing that.


----------



## TampaBayFL

jahsoul said:


> @TampaBayFL If you don't mind me asking, what issues did you have with the Liberty? I was actually looking around for a used one, since I've grown to like battery powered tools, but I'm looking for a "lifetime" buy and really leaning towards the Masport Rotarola with the quadcut blades. But I always find myself peeking at the Liberty..lol


I was having issues with the drive mechanism. It would periodically not engage properly and/or the belt would slip. It started happening straight away when I had the unit and the problem was sporadic. I also wasn't terribly fond of the steel drum used for driving the mower as it would slip easily on even the smallest inclines.

Overall, it was just a lot of money for what it was and I think the sunjoe at 1/10 price is a much better value all things considered.


----------



## nameless

I got my SJ24v
Been lowering my HOC now at 1" (second spot on adjustment from lowest)so it isn't as dark as the 2" 
It does leave some washboard so I cross cut. No roller mod front or rear but I am getting the rear roller just in case.
This is me RENO I did this fall did an over seed to fill in some bare spots two weeks ago.

1" pic with SJ24v



This was 2" with Honda HRX since lawn was longer from overseed.



Can't say I am super impressed with the actual unit but I think the cut is as good as you can get for $200 as good as push reel I got but this does seem to cut the grass into smaller pieces so using without bag is better than push reel.
Overall I can say I am satisfied.


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## Lawndry List

nameless said:


> I got my SJ24v
> Been lowering my HOC now at 1" (second spot on adjustment from lowest)so it isn't as dark as the 2"
> It does leave some washboard so I cross cut. No roller mod front or rear but I am getting the rear roller just in case.
> This is me RENO I did this fall did an over seed to fill in some bare spots two weeks ago.
> 
> 1" pic with SJ24v
> 
> 
> 
> This was 2" with Honda HRX since lawn was longer from overseed.
> 
> 
> 
> Can't say I am super impressed with the actual unit but I think the cut is as good as you can get for $200 as good as push reel I got but this does seem to cut the grass into smaller pieces so using without bag is better than push reel.
> Overall I can say I am satisfied.


1" seems to be the sweet spot for this mower. I took it down to the lowest setting yesterday to scalp my bermuda for prepping my perennial ryegrass overseed. At 1", I've been using it without the bag. Cutting vertically & then horizontally, & then running my rotary over it with the bag to pick up the clippings.


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## TampaBayFL

Lawndry List said:


> 1" seems to be the sweet spot for this mower.


This is my conclusion as well. With only four settings to choose from, the 0.6 inch is too low for this mower to really be able to provide a good cut (bogs down), and the two upper settings of 1.5 and 2" are too tall for the reel to do a good job cutting....... it's more rotary territory it seems. Thus, the 1" sweet spot.


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## Kmartel

On cool season turf, mine does a beautiful job at .6". Very impressed with it, only wish it was wider.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

Kmartel said:


> On cool season turf, mine does a beautiful job at .6". Very impressed with it, only wish it was wider.


Same with manual mowers. Cool season grass is fairly easy to cut even if the cut rate is off because the grass stands straight up. Thick low bermuda grass is horrible with manuals and It sounds the same with this mower.


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## Lawndry List

Anyone figured out a hack to keep the handlebars at the highest setting? I'm 6'3, it's a minor complaint but super inconvenient


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## nameless

Feeling less sure about mower hoping a replacement will fix it. Not sure of bed knife design or reel quality and its noisy. I adjusted it a little loose to stop cutting paper then tried to make the smallest adjustments until it would cut across the blade which it did then one blade didn't cut the center strip when I adjusted to make it cut then the wheel slips instead of rolling because the other blades are a little tight . We will see how the replacement does.


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## Lawndry List

nameless said:


> Feeling less sure about mower hoping a replacement will fix it. Not sure of bed knife design or reel quality and its noisy. I adjusted it a little loose to stop cutting paper then tried to make the smallest adjustments until it would cut across the blade which it did then one blade didn't cut the center strip when I adjusted to make it cut then the wheel slips instead of rolling because the other blades are a little tight . We will see how the replacement does.


I reached out to them this morning to see if they had an update on when they would be back in stock / when I could expect my replacement. She confirmed they are back in stock & is working on sending me a new one. I just have to send mine back in the box they ship the new one in. Hopefully you get yours soon, I'll keep you updated if I hear more.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

https://snowjoe.com/products/sun-joe-24v-crlm15-24-volt-ion-cordless-push-reel-mower-w-4-0-ah-battery-charger-and-rear-collection-bag

Flash Sale. 20% off. $183 after discount


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## Katodude

For $183 I am willing to give this a try. Just ordered one.


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## VictorMatos3

Any way to mod this to cut lower than .6"? Ive seen on video of it running without the wheels but couldn't get a straight answer on if the hoc dropped below .6


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

I am going to say no only because most people that reviewed the mower say the motor can't really handle the .6" too well. It is probably the fact it has 5 blades. 5 blades are usually meant for an inch HOC. On top of that, mowers that have rear wheels like that usually have the same HOC when the rear wheel is removed.

Edit: spelling/autocorrect errors


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## VictorMatos3

Sonoran Desert Lawn said:


> I am going to say no only because most people that reviewed the mower say the motor can't really handle the .6" to well. It is probably the fact it has 5 blades. 5 blades are usually meant for an inch HOC. On top of that, mowers that have rear wheels like that are usually have the same HOC when the rear wheel is removed.


Thanks thats good to know. Appreciate the response.


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## Thebridge5

First post here. Been looking and reading and YouTube a lot. 
My thoughts after a week of using.
…Wheels off after one day. They don't work if you are cutting at .6. ..my yard is super smooth already. I added the front roller (thanks YardBrah.. you can find the correct one in the comments. Find the vid and watch it first)
I ordered it while sitting on the beach. It and the mower were waiting on me when I got home. 
I have suggestions on how and where it should be attached if anyone cares.
…The mower is light. That's no good when you cut thick grass LOW, and have a roller. Being light also makes it very hard to keep straight.
…battery if fine with me. I cut my 2000 sq 3 times.
…it needed back lapping and adjusting. No big deal. I have a really easy way, just ask.
…I actually like it a lot. I consider it a throw away after a year or two. It's not bad if you consider the cost. Again, it MUST have a roller on the front for .6 IMO.
I'm cutting Zeon. Adding pics if I can figure out how. CB


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## Thebridge5

…about the post above.. Don't be judging my beds.. im thinking about adding small river rock, but haven't made a final decision or had time.
..the FJ is NFS&#128540;


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## cr0ntab

What


Thebridge5 said:


> I have suggestions on how and where it should be attached if anyone cares.


Are


Thebridge5 said:


> …it needed back lapping and adjusting. No big deal. I have a really easy way, just ask.


the tips!  :bandit: :thumbup:


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## Thebridge5

cr0ntab said:


> What
> 
> 
> Thebridge5 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 1658079715[/url] user_id=19051]
> I have suggestions on how and where it should be attached if anyone cares.
> 
> 
> 
> Are
> 
> 
> Thebridge5 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 1658079715[/url] user_id=19051]
> …it needed back lapping and adjusting. No big deal. I have a really easy way, just ask.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> the tips!  :bandit: :thumbup:
Click to expand...




cr0ntab said:


> What
> 
> 
> Thebridge5 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have suggestions on how and where it should be attached if anyone cares.
> 
> 
> 
> Are
> 
> 
> Thebridge5 said:
> 
> 
> 
> …it needed back lapping and adjusting. No big deal. I have a really easy way, just ask.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> the tips!  :bandit: :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Just a minute. Pics are everything…


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## Thebridge5

Answering questions above..
I use a nut driver for an impact drill. Short rubber hose and two clamps. The hose size I had already fit it perfectly. I use it to sharpen my Fiskars too. You can roll the belt off the large pulley..it's a pain to roll back on, but I did it yesterday. Also, when putting the compound on the reel, put it on the inside of the blade. That way when it spins, it travels out toward the edge being sharpened. You'll be able to spin it fast enough for that to work with the rubber hose method.
The roller.. it needs to be close to the reel. Stripes are a byproduct. Rollers are used to span across imperfections and hang over edges. When it's close to the reel, it can also go over bumps in the yard without scalping as much. Take a look at a triple gain mower next time you are around one. Notice the roller location.
Pics below..
FYI..I love my Fiskars reel. Had it for 4 years. If they made the same one electric…it would rock. Except the wheels are to far out front. CB







Oh,..I used two self tapping screws on each side to attach the roller. Super simple after you get it all lined up. Hope all this helps🤔


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

Thebridge5 said:


> FYI..I love my Fiskars reel. Had it for 4 years. If they made the same one electric…it would rock. Except the wheels are to far out front.


Number 1 reason I never bought a Fiskars.


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## SoCalLowMow

Decided to give this a try based on some of the reviews here, etc. Never thought I'd buy a Sun Joe anything but this really did fit the bill for my needs. My new TifTuf was getting tough to cut with a manual push reel. I already had the Scott's 20" 5 blade and that gave some pretty intense washboarding at 1" HOC.

I upgraded to the Earthwise 7 Blade but honestly it didn't make much of a difference compared to the Scott's and the build quality wasn't as good as Scott's.

I didn't really want to deal with the roulette wheel of a used Mclane off of Craigslist so I bought this.

It's definitely a Sun Joe. But that being said, I'm pleasantly surprised with the ability. No problem cutting at 1" and no wash boarding. It was scalping in a few areas but I hadn't leveled my new sod yet and I plan to try adding a front roller (thanks Yard Brah).

When I scalped the grass down to .6" for a sand level, the mower really stuggled - bogged down and stalled out a lot. And that was after I already cut once at my maintenance 1" HOC. It was a bit of a pain but in the end, it did do it - and with no real washboarding to speak of.

I understand why people hate the grass catcher. It usually only fills up once when I cut frequently at 1" but when I scalped I had to empty the catcher SEVEN TIMES for my lawn that's less than 500 sq/ft.

Overall, happy so far…


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## Marlon

No one really outright stated that this mower is better than a rotary down at 1". I have a 7K Bermuda lawn and my rotary is choking and scalping even at 1.5" in thick areas...is this mower going to handle this with ease? If so, I'm sold.

I am also considering a robotic mower only because of the reel like cut at low HOC. However, due to sloping in parts of my lawn, I need the Husq AWD at $4K...no thanks.


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## Pannellde

Where did y'all find one for sale? Every place I ck says they're out of stock.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

Pannellde said:


> Where did y'all find one for sale? Every place I ck says they're out of stock.


It's because Sunjoe keeps having 25% off sales.


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## Marlon

You can get the mower alone without battery/charger for $149 on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/255582569665?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28

Can I just use any 24V 5+amp battery? Ready to buy this.


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## Redtwin

Anyone ever thought about trying this one?

https://smile.amazon.com/Wild-Edge-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Included/dp/B09B7R7QP9/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=sun%2Bjoe%2Breel%2Bmower%2B24%2Bvolt%2Bbattery&qid=1661452468&sprefix=sunjoe%2Breel%2Bmower%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-6&th=1

I'm considering getting it as a beater mower to transition back into reel mowing after a sand level.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

Redtwin said:


> Anyone ever thought about trying this one?
> 
> https://smile.amazon.com/Wild-Edge-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Included/dp/B09B7R7QP9/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=sun%2Bjoe%2Breel%2Bmower%2B24%2Bvolt%2Bbattery&qid=1661452468&sprefix=sunjoe%2Breel%2Bmower%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-6&th=1
> 
> I'm considering getting it as a beater mower to transition back into reel mowing after a sand level.


If my memory is right, someone on here from DFW bought it and sent it back. It had issues.


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## Bombers

Doesn't go as low as the SJ and only 3 height positions. I would rather consider a refurbed SJ. It might pop back up around the holidays.


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## DFWLawnNut

Sonoran Desert Lawn said:


> Redtwin said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone ever thought about trying this one?
> 
> https://smile.amazon.com/Wild-Edge-Lithium-Ion-Cordless-Included/dp/B09B7R7QP9/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=sun%2Bjoe%2Breel%2Bmower%2B24%2Bvolt%2Bbattery&qid=1661452468&sprefix=sunjoe%2Breel%2Bmower%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-6&th=1
> 
> I'm considering getting it as a beater mower to transition back into reel mowing after a sand level.
> 
> 
> 
> If my memory is right, someone on here from DFW bought it and sent it back. It had issues.
Click to expand...

It was me and it was a terrible mower. At the time it was the only battery operated reel mower other than the Elektra and the Liberty. Im surprised its back on the site. Last time I checked it wasnt being made anymore. Imagine cheap manual mower with chinese motor add ons. Bed knife was warped and it would never cut across the whole thing.


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## Thebridge5

My SJ with rollers is still going. I’ve back lapped it twice already. I only cut 2500’. If I had 7k, like mentioned above,… heck no! I’d be looking for used greens mower. CB


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## baruman

Is the SJ the lowest HOC battery or manual reel mower at .6"? Looking for under .5 for a small backyard golf green project.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

baruman said:


> Is the SJ the lowest HOC battery or manual reel mower at .6"? Looking for under .5 for a small backyard golf green project.


I have 2 manual 10 McLanes that can touch dirt, but you are all the way in Georgia. Otherwise I would sell you one. No mower is currently retailing to mow lower than the SJ. My 7 blade Earthwise can be lowered to .5, but the blades spin at a rate of 1.1”. Thus, washboard marks and the grass “jams” the blades.

Keep in mind that putting greens are .25 or less. PGA is .125. That is lower than 2 quarters stacked.


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## appsdeacs

Sonoran Desert Lawn said:


> I have 2 manual 10 McLanes that can touch dirt, but you are all the way in Georgia. Otherwise I would sell you one. No mower is currently retailing to mow lower than the SJ. My 7 blade Earthwise can be lowered to .5, but the blades spin at a rate of 1.1”. Thus, washboard marks and the grass “jams” the blades.
> 
> Keep in mind that putting greens are .25 or less. PGA is .125. That is lower than 2 quarters stacked.


What's the lowest you think the Earthwise 7 Blade can cut without washboarding? I'm not very familiar with the spin rate numbers and how to interpret them. Thanks.


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## frostyshake

baruman said:


> Is the SJ the lowest HOC battery or manual reel mower at .6"? Looking for under .5 for a small backyard golf green project.


The Hudson Star is a manual reel mower that claims to cut at greens heights. I have no experience with it though. It is the lowest HOC manual reel you can buy new that I'm aware of.

There are many electric reel mowers that can go lower than 0.6in. Swardman Electra, Allett Liberty, Allett Stirling are a few. Most of the big greens mower manufacturers have electric only options as well. These range from expensive to ridiculously expensive.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn

appsdeacs said:


> What's the lowest you think the Earthwise 7 Blade can cut without washboarding? I'm not very familiar with the spin rate numbers and how to interpret them. Thanks.


an inch is the proper height, but you may be able to pull off .75 if the grass is not too dense. .5 can scalp but it would be a rough ride with hours of several passes


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