# Greens mower questions



## okstatejoe (Sep 7, 2017)

So I've been trying to decide between a greens mower or a tru cut and was wondering if you all could help point me in the right direction. There's been several greens mowers on Craigslist that I've been tempted by but I have these concerns.

Limited on height of cut. I'm fine with mowing however much I need to but I don't know exactly what variety of Bermuda I have. The house was built in 2006 and I'm sure it was sodded so with that I'm thinking it should be alright mowing it at 1/2" to 3/4". Would you all agree? Last year it was mowed at 2" to 2.5" so that's going to be a big difference.

Are the transport wheels really needed? My yard is divided into like 7 different areas (separated by sidewalks/driveway). Will it be alright roll it on the drum across these areas? I don't want to be taking the transport wheels on/off all the time. I assume the transport wheels are more for getting it on a trailer etc.

How do the greens mowers do on slopes? My yard has a pretty good slope to it in the front (see pic).


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

As a recent owner of a greensmower (Jacobsen GK526a) myself, I understand your decision dilemma! The main advantage of a greensmower over a machine like the Tru-Cut is the drive roller. That roller contributes to the superior striping and resistance to scalping a greensmower offers. Now, a tru-cut would probably actually deliver a better aftercut appearance on my Rocky-Mountain rough yard, but that is something I intend to start rectifying this spring with a leveling project.

The transport wheels are nice for wheeling the unit around when not mowing but certainly are not necessary by any means. Hence they are optional on almost all greensmowers at initial purchase. Rolling across the concrete is not catastrophic to the drum, however I would avoid harsh impacts.

From the pic, if that's the worst you have for slope, I would not hesitate to try a greensmower!


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Oh yeah, regarding HOC, greensmowers can be set up as high as 1"-1.25" depending on model, look for one that is setup as a "tee & approach" mower and it will already have the gear recommended for higher cuts. These machines typically are equipped with 7-9 blade reels (11-15 is typical for a "greens" unit) and high profile or "fairway" bedknives. An 11 blade reel will work but may require double-cutting to eliminate any "stragglers" due to the excessive Frequency Of Clip.

This is an advantage of the Tru-Cut's larger diameter (5 blade?) reel. It can take a big "bite" but the lower FOC will limit how low you can cut before a scalloped after-cut appearance becomes evident. How low do you want to go with that Bermuda?


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

MasterMech pretty much touched all the subjects pretty well :thumbup:

Here is my take on your situation. Definitely look for a mower that can cut up to 1" as that will give you room to adjust to the best HOC for your lawn, if you have any questions on certain models that you are looking at, feel free to ask them here as we have a wide range of knowledge on TLF about greens mowers. I am pretty sure you have Tifway 419 so you can go as low as you want to a certain extent(.250" and up). I agree that transport wheels aren't needed and you should be fine rolling the mower across a sidewalk or driveway for short periods of time, there are a lot of members here that don't have them at all and do just fine. From the looks of your picture, your slope doesn't look too bad at all so you should be just fine. Redtenchu has a very severe slope on his lawn and his looks amazing!!! . One thing you will also want to look into is using a PGR(Plant Growth Regulator) as it will cut down on your mowing frequency quite a bit if you plan on mowing it under 1".


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

I agree with most of what these fine members have put out there, but don't be afraid of an 11 blade reel. I have a 14 blade reel on my greens mower and haven't had any issues single cutting at 1/2 inch.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

Redtenchu said:


> I agree with most of what these fine members have put out there, but don't be afraid of an 11 blade reel. I have a 14 blade reel on my greens mower and haven't had any issues single cutting at 1/2 inch.


+1

I forgot to mention that in my response, I have an 11 blade reel and have never had issues with stragglers or missed cuts. It will happen regardless if you try to mow too much at once no matter how many blades you have.


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## okstatejoe (Sep 7, 2017)

Thanks for the feedback! I've noticed there's a local John Deere dealership that carries quite a few used greens mowers so I may stop by and check those out soon. It looks like they have a toro gm 1000 and a few John Deere models online so that may be a good place to see a few different models. I'm sure I'll have some more questions before this is all said and done &#128522;. Thanks again!


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## OState_Patriot (Apr 5, 2017)

Do you mind sharing where the John Deer mowers are in OKC.? I'm in the market for a new used greens mower.


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## Redtenchu (Jan 28, 2017)

OState_Patriot said:


> Do you mind sharing where the John Deer mowers are in OKC.? I'm in the market for a new used greens mower.


I'd also like to know. I've seen some used lease returns on the P&K John Deer website, but they're always in bad shape.


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## DJLCN (Jul 11, 2017)

Give Springdale Turf a call. I talked to them last week. Bill said he had a 220 that came from UofA that was like new. Don't recall what he quoted it to me at.


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## okstatejoe (Sep 7, 2017)

I haven't went to look at them in person yet but it was the P&K in Stillwater I was referring to. It looks like they have (1) 180b, (3) 220b, and a toro unit. The ad doesn't say if they're in working order or not but they look like they're in decent shape.


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