# Do you "oil" your reel ?



## Prospect (Mar 19, 2019)

Do you? Am I supposed to spray lubricant on the reel as a maintenance item. I have never heard of this and I was reading a thread and a guy sprayed his reel with WD 40 after backlapping. Curious


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Wd-40 won't really do anything.

Use motor oil and brush the edges of your reel. Will prevent rust and lengthen the life of your reel.


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

I mow too much to worry about rust. I guess if you were putting it away for storage it may help


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

Right, I don't put anything on the reel until fall when I'm done for the season. I spray a light coat of wd-40 and park it.


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## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

I don't. I just make sure it is nice and dry when I park it. A leaf blower works well for this.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

Zero reason to oil the reel if you are using it. If you have to oil it to make it function after doing something like a backlap it's not set up properly.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

FATC1TY said:


> Zero reason to oil the reel if you are using it. If you have to oil it to make it function after doing something like a backlap it's not set up properly.


+1 to this!!!!!!!

Even if rust were to form, after your first pass, all that rust will be gone.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Interesting. guy that sharpens my mower recommended oiling it after use. Says he seen reels last longer. Every time it rusts, you lose metal is what he told me.


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## FATC1TY (Jul 12, 2017)

gkaneko said:


> Interesting. guy that sharpens my mower recommended oiling it after use. Says he seen reels last longer. Every time it rusts, you lose metal is what he told me.


Sure.. but everytime you sharpen you lose metal, and every time you backlap you lose metal. I'd venture to assume we lose more to those activities, than you would surface rust.

Better point is, what kind of environment are you using your mower, and why/how aren't you using it often enough to keep rust off of it?


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## AllisonN (Jul 4, 2020)

Lol if they want to oil the reel then oil the reel.... it's not the end of the world.


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## Retromower (Jan 28, 2021)

I wouldnt do WD-40 because its not actually a lubricant, its meant to displace water and for general cleaning. I used to put some dry lubricant on the bed knife of my reel mower, just so that the reel would spin a bit more freely.
I would never use WD-40 though.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

gkaneko said:


> Interesting. guy that sharpens my mower recommended oiling it after use. Says he seen reels last longer. Every time it rusts, you lose metal is what he told me.


When pick it up, it's greased up... as well, peachtree mowers would advise same

Dry your razor blades, get a few more cycles out of them too


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

But I have put a bead on the bedknife.....depends
Was it freshly sharpened and 'tight' ?
Dry weather ?

Never felt confident it was dry after using a blower, lot of irregular areas


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

I have fogged my reels if I anticipated putting them up for more than a week or so. Otherwise, blow them off, hose 'em out and put it up for the next mow in 2-3 days.


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