# Greens Mower Choices



## msandercock (Sep 10, 2021)

I finally caved. My wife's been complaining about the 3.5-4" HOC for years. This year, we came to an agreement - I choose a height under 2" and do what it takes to keep it short until Winter 2022, and she doesn't ask questions about the process, equipment, or cost (within a more than modest budget). Picked up a push reel mower over the summer and gradually brought it down to 1". Then killed 15-20 patches of clumping fescue and bentgrass, topdressed, leveled some particularly low areas, and overseeded with SS1100 bluegrass in the front and a mix of SS1100 and SS1000 tall fescue in the back. It's coming in nicely, and our two grade-school boys love playing on it . I'm officially sold on the low HOC and have learned more than I ever expected from this awesome community.

So now I'm in the market for a used greens mower and have plenty of time to be patient and picky. I'm looking at the two below and would love some input so I can pull the trigger when the right one pops up. *What's the better choice?*

Note: I still have a small, rolling swale (~3-6ft wide, 6-10" deep) running from the front of the house, where a few downspouts drain, to the middle of the yard. It's tough to see in the pictures (between the driveway and tree). Leveling it and improving the drainage would be a bigger project than I want to tackle right now.

6300 sqft lawn - NE Wisconsin
~7/8" HOC

Toro GM 1600 vs. John Deere 220e
- *HOC* - Tie (both up to ~1" without high HOC kits)
- *Width* - GM 1600 (I already wish the stripes from my current 22" rotary were wider, but not a deal breaker).
- *FOC* - Tie??? (GM 1600 frequently found with an 8-blade reel. JD 220e usually 11-blade but has adjustable FOC). Any input on this?
- *Sharpening* - JD 220e (GM 1600: at least two GC's within 20min likely able to sharpen. JD 220e: Onboard backlapping. Still looking, but I know of at least one GC ~65min away. Can you just bring in the QA5 unit instead of the whole mower??)
- *Contour following* - Biggest ???. I'm questioning whether the floating head is needed to handle the swale or the sloped edges of the paver patio in back. Part of me wonders if I'd even see a difference at my HOC. *At what point does the floating head start to make a noticeable difference?* I can't find anything that gives guidance on this.
- *Footprint/handling* - GM 1600 (It sounds like the GM 1600 is easier to maneuver due to the fixed head, shorter profile).
- *Cost* - Tie (highly dependent on seller. Seem similar enough in cost be a wash)
- *Local Availability* - Tie/Too soon to tell (if I were looking at the GM 1000, it'd be a no-brainer, but 1600 is definitely harder to find. Hoping to find some good options this winter)

Thanks!!!

M







RIP Long Grass


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## Bmossin (May 31, 2018)

I would go GM1600. With the Deere E-cut there are some more things that can go wrong and add up to $$$ when it comes to the electrical pieces.

Also, with the HOC you are going to be at, I think the 1600 would meet your needs.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

The 1600 HOC is closer to 1.25 inches, fyi. I believe that is stock. I bought mine from a golf course that used it to cut collars, so I don't think I have any kind of high HOC kit.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Cost of ownership will be lower for an all-mechanical mower vs the gas/electric or even battery-electric hybrids.

If the width of the unit (often 40ish inches) isn't a problem, I'd go for a 26" machine for aesthetics and generally better setup options. Resale is better on a 26" unit as well, especially if you are not selling to golf courses.

Floating head units have more to consider for setup parameters and that can be an issue in resolving aftercut appearance issues, especially if you are new to these machines. Less of a concern if you are having a pro make adjustments. They are nice if you must transport to have it sharpened because in most cases, yes, you only need to haul the cutting unit in.

Why is the Jacobsen GreensKing 526 not on your short list? 

Lots of Deere 260B/C/SL's and Jake units out there to add to the 26" selection. Here's why I like the Jake at home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzmZK9Pr1C0


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## msandercock (Sep 10, 2021)

@MasterMech thanks for the detailed response! Interesting point with the setup parameters on the floating head. Hadn't seen that - what kind of extra parameters would it have?

I was under the impression that the Jacobsen mowers only went up to around 1/2". That's also the reason I knocked off the 260SL.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

msandercock said:


> @MasterMech thanks for the detailed response! Interesting point with the setup parameters on the floating head. Hadn't seen that - what kind of extra parameters would it have?
> 
> I was under the impression that the Jacobsen mowers only went up to around 1/2". That's also the reason I knocked off the 260SL.


That's a common piece of mis-information that's out there, even in Jake's own documentation. All that's needed to mow over the 7/16" limit is the appropriate bedknife and the tall front roller brackets. The bedknife application requirement is true for just about any greensmower as well, not a Jake specific quirk. Worth nothing that the 526 is the only GreensKing machine that supports a 7-blade reel. The 518 and 522 only support 11-blade and 15 blade reels. The 11 is workable as long as you mow frequently enough. The 7-blade reel is super beefy compared to an 8 on the Toro's or the 11-blade option on any greensmower. I've run a screw gun bit through mine and only had to replace the bedknife and file down the high-spot on the reel.

You can see the best/worst of the GK526 here - https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=2471

One of my biggest points for the GreensKing units for home lawns and owners is that they are mechanically simple and fairly low maintenance. There are some things to keep an eye on, but the lack of drive chains and an oil filled chaincase are big wins along with the mechanical simplicity of the dry belt drive. No V-Belt clutches either (clunky and constant wear/adjustment) but that comes at the cost of either a plate clutch or centrifugal clutch that are costly to replace if necessary. (rare that total replacement is needed). In the case of the centrifugal clutch, that also gives excellent control and efficient turns as I show in my video.

On the 260's, I don't know all of the details involved in going higher than .500" (It certainly has been done) but perhaps @Pete1313 does. https://thelawnforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=1230

Regarding extra setup of a floating head unit - You have at least 1 extra roller, 2 if the unit has a basket frame roller. Admittedly, a basket roller is just extra grease and not so much setup. This allows you to adjust the behind-center distance and angle of attack for the bedknife. All good, just more to be aware of when servicing or changing the HoC for a floating-head unit vs a fixed-head. With a fixed-head, the only adjustment possible is the front roller, which is why bedknife selection matters so much on those units. With the extra rollers, a floating head unit needs to have both the front and rear rollers adjusted to parallel with the reel axis. If they are not, the cutting unit can wander and bob in relation to the traction unit causing some difficult to diagnose aftercut appearance issues. All of this fine adjustment is to maintain consistent aftercut appearance at putting green heights. All of that extra adjustability of a floating head unit is a double-edged sword. Dialed in, it's great, and it's not hard to take all the extra adjustment into account. It just requires a little more understanding. But it's intended to maintain consistent performance at putting green heights as the reel wears or turf conditions change. Once we get into .500"+, it's a lot less critical to maintain such tight tolerances.


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## jha4aamu (Oct 16, 2017)

msandercock said:


> @MasterMech thanks for the detailed response! Interesting point with the setup parameters on the floating head. Hadn't seen that - what kind of extra parameters would it have?
> 
> I was under the impression that the Jacobsen mowers only went up to around 1/2". That's also the reason I knocked off the 260SL.


The 260sl can def go above 1/2 with a stock 2" front roller. I used a 3" front roller and cut it as high as ~1.5"


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## MrMeaner (Feb 21, 2017)

11-bladed reels need to be under 1/2" for a decent cut!!

1600GM 8-blade is your best bet for 1/2" and higher cuts...Conner ward had an excellent video on yourtubes for cool season grasses....


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## msandercock (Sep 10, 2021)

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I'll keep it simple and keep my eyes peeled for a good deal on a GM1600. Cheers.


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## potterwc (Jul 1, 2019)

I got a too good to pass up deal on a 220e last summer and I love it. I have Tif419 bermuda that keep at 0.5". My bigges issue is with waves even when I consistently use the groomer. Cross cutting solves the problem until I decide to go with a new reel with fewer blades. I did kill the electric motor this summer but it was my own fault and cost me a few hundred dollars. Overall, I have been impressed with the ease of maintenance on the QA5 cutting unit.


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