# Cottage Craft Works / CL "Clipper" 17 Inch Manual Reel Mower



## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

https://www.cottagecraftworks.com/clipper-push-reel-lawn-mowers

There appears to be no information, outside of the seller's website, available for this product. I have one on order and will be reporting my experiences. Any other owners are, of course, welcome to add to the information base.

So far, I can only share my thoughts on the ordering process. It was straightforward and isn't anything unfamiliar to anyone who has bought a product online. Their billing policy is unusual, but they are clear about it. Instead of billing the purchaser when the item ships, the charge is processed immediately. I ordered the mower at 10:20am, Texas time (their website lists Texas as their place of business), on Friday. I had hoped it would be on the truck over the weekend. But, as of the close of business, I wasn't informed that it was shipped. This left me wondering if the mower is on a six-month back order, or if it's being made, at all.. I consider this to be a fail.

It did ship, from Pennsylvania, this morning (Monday, June 21st). UPS says it will be here Friday, June 25th.


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## sam36 (Apr 14, 2020)

I've very happy with the Mascot. Mine has 10" wheels, which size did you get?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

$600 ?


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

sam36 said:


> I've very happy with the Mascot. Mine has 10" wheels, which size did you get?


They don't offer 10" wheels any more. Mine is coming with the new, standard 9 5/8" diameter wheels.


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## sam36 (Apr 14, 2020)

FrankS said:


> sam36 said:
> 
> 
> > I've very happy with the Mascot. Mine has 10" wheels, which size did you get?
> ...


Yea I noticed that. I was debating on getting a set of the 9" ones to try out. But that would make it harder to push.. and I don't have washboarding so there really would be no point I guess. Was just curious, but don't want to spent $80 on the 9" replacement wheel set.


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## theguybrarian (Apr 11, 2020)

g-man said:


> $600 ?


 :shock:


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## lacrossekite (Aug 10, 2020)

theguybrarian said:


> g-man said:
> 
> 
> > $600 ?
> ...


I second this. $600?


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

lacrossekite said:


> theguybrarian said:
> 
> 
> > g-man said:
> ...


Over $800 for a loaded 21" model.

If it's what they say it is, I can see the price. Things don't have to have an engine to be expensive. Low volume production, hand assembly, domestic labor, it's going to cost more than your average Amazon buy.

There's always the Mascot which is comparable in function and build, just not made or assembled domestically.

$470 vs $770


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn (Aug 22, 2020)

What gets me is the 30 day return policy with a 25% restocking fee.


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## Chocolate Lab (Jun 8, 2019)

As far as the delay, I suspect I know what is happening. I tried to order some old Mascot parts from them a few weeks ago, and the guy told me they don't have them in stock, they actually have to order them from the Amish in Pennsylvania... and they can't even use the internet, it has to be by fax.

So I suspect this is a mower made entirely by the Amish here in the US, not just assembled in China and then tuned up by the Amish afterwards like the Mascot is. That probably accounts for the higher cost over the Mascot, also.

The mower looks like a re-make of the old Silent Scotts reel, right down to the orange color. I've seen a few of those for sale on CL over the years.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

@Chocolate Lab The website claims that the mower is completely made in USA - right down to the use of USA made steel.

There wasn't any real delay, in shipping. The UPS tracking says it shipped the evening, of the day, I ordered. There was only a delay in informing me that it shipped. It was shipped after 7pm, Pennsylvania time, which I suspect is after Cottage Craft Works closed up shop.


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## Chocolate Lab (Jun 8, 2019)

Good to hear. Always nice to support USA-made products, and I bet it's of very high quality.


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## MGC (Jun 4, 2017)

dang for that price point it better cut like a swardman and brew a glass of ice tea as you mow , let us know how it goes they do look quality ...


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn (Aug 22, 2020)

Realistically, Mclane manual mowers are made in the USA and were up to $819 for the 10 blade at one point. The 7 blade was around $600 as well


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

You might think that getting a new mower would cause a 100 year flood. But nooo. We need the rain too much. Instead, we're having record heat.

I don't intend to drag this out, but it's HOT out here.

Box-in-box packaging: 


The actual manufacturer is, apparently, some business called: CL Tool & Die. I will attempt to contact them to get any possible information.

For those commenting on the mower's price, I was billed $40 for shipping. Recently, I shipped a package about the same distance. It was half the weight, the same length, same height, and half the width. It cost me $107.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

'Some' assembly is required:



It has nice, grippy tires. The roller is fiber reinforced plastic. I'm bummed about the steel handle.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Oh! The handle is painted wood. I was really hoping for bare wood.

While the mower simply oozes with quality, it isn't flawless. I found a couple of places where the finish is marred:


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Umm, guys?
The handle bolts aren't long enough:


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

The reel is relief ground:



You can kinda see it.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

What the manual says is the 2" HOC setting, actually sits a tiny fraction above 2 1/8".



The 1 7/8" setting is very close to two inches.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I don't know how good of a test this is, but I did find a missed cornstalk in a 20ft. pass:


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Well, this is annoying. The wheel adjustment levers rub agaonst the "handle straps", emitting a horrible screech each time.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

On the neighbor's yard, I cut off an inch to an inch and a half.





I didn't expect it to cut the weeds. It actually did pretty well.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Trying to cut 4" off the tall fescue(?) left a lot of blades standing.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Clipping off a more reasonable 1/2" - 3/4" results in a much nicer cut.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Overall, I am extremely happy with the quality of cut.

It takes more effort than a rotary, but not so much that it can be called a workout.

The hard part comes at end of row turns. That takes a lot of force. I'll look at the roller, to see if I can cut it into three or four segments. I think that would make it turn easier.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn (Aug 22, 2020)

Looks good &#128077;&#127995;


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

FrankS said:


> The hard part comes at end of row turns. That takes a lot of force. I'll look at the roller, to see if I can cut it into three or four segments. I think that would make it turn easier.


Do you do trim passes along the outside, thereby eliminating the need for end of row turns? Basically outlining the perimeter of the property line, and that way, you don't have to turn at the end of the property line.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Colonel K0rn said:


> FrankS said:
> 
> 
> > The hard part comes at end of row turns. That takes a lot of force. I'll look at the roller, to see if I can cut it into three or four segments. I think that would make it turn easier.
> ...


My Uncle had a gas powered reel mower. I can't remember how many individual segments the roller had. It was a bunch - like six or eight. That was 55 years ago.

On the internet, I see pictures of rollers split into as many as seven segments.

I think that it's done to make the mower easier to turn.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

With the temperature returning to more like normal, I experimented with the HOC adjustment. My yard (I won't use the word 'lawn', in order to avoid laughter.) isn't good enough for a real test, but it's all I've got.

First off, maybe I don't understand the mechanism, but the manual states: _"Loosen the axle nuts, if the mower is new, to adjust height."_ This, to me, implies that the nuts are to be left loose after the adjustment is made. It doesn't seem to work that way. You're left with wobbling wheels. I tightened the axle nuts after each adjustment.

The other issue that I had was with the grass clippings. It wasn't a problem, at the 2" HOC, but as I cut lower it left a layer of clippings on top. I don't have a leaf blower, so I kept brushing off the clippings. In turn, this caused blades of grass to stand up. I didn't want to give the false impression of missed blades of grass, so I kept making passes until there wasn't a layer of clippings on top. That took four passes.

I'm lazy. I didn't try all eight of the listed settings. The manual lists HOC settings of 2.5" down to one inch. These heights are achieved through various combinations of wheel and roller settings.

I used only the 1 7/8" and 1" settings, plus I dropped mower as low as it would go and still function.

As I stated previously, the 1 7/8" setting is actually a touch over 2". I'm happy with the resulting cut. 
The 1" setting measures at about 1 3/16".

It also provided a good cut.
 The flaws seen are mainly from patches that haven't filled in after weed removal.

There are possible height settings which the manual doesn't list. I don't know why it is, but the mower height can be adjusted so its weight rests on the bedknife. As that setting is impractical, I raised the mower to its next lowest possible setting of about 11/16".
 
At that height, the effort required to push is too much for me. I was cutting through the crowns of some plants. In addition, the cut quality deteriorated significantly. There was some small variance in height, but it might be due to bouncing as opposed to washboarding.


Maybe some here, with lawns kept below 3/4" would be able to use that lower setting, but I'm only speculating on that.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I've mowed with the Clipper three times, so far. At this point, I'm still learning how to use it.

I don't want to make anyone cringe, but I've discovered a cheat for turning around. I'm tipping the mower onto one wheel and pivoting it around. Then, I pick it up to align it with the next row. - Probably hard on the grass.

I wish that the roller adjusters didn't stick out so far. I keep bashing them on stuff. Maybe that's intentional; to protect the bedknife adjustment linkage. But, they would still do that if they were 1/2" shorter.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I clean and oil the blades after each use. A 1" paintbrush works to remove clippings.



There is a channel in the bedknife, which I fill with silicone oil. Then, I rotate the reel as I tip the mower so the oil seeps onto the cutting surfaces.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

When I rotate the reel, the resistance varies. I'm guessing that means that the bedknife isn't adjusted evenly?


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

There is definitely a problem with the reel, bedknife, or both. I can feel, and hear, the resistance change as I rotate the reel. There are places that the blades noticeably rub against the bedknife, and three spots where there seem to be clearance. In those spots, it won't cut thin receipt paper. Standing behind the mower, as if to mow, those places are the first 1/2" at the left end of the reel, about 2" one-third of the way from the left, and about 1/8" at the right end. My technique is to mow with a 50% overlap, so I guess that's why I haven't been disappointed with the cut quality.

The manual says to adjust so there is 0.001" clearance between reel and bedknife (They also say that they ship them tighter than that, because they believe that gives a better cut.). I don't have a 0.001" feeler gauge. 0.002" won't fit anywhere.


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## Sonoran Desert Lawn (Aug 22, 2020)

Try to have the reel spin as freely as possible while still cutting paper on all zones of the bed knife. If the clearance is too loose you will know; the paper will fold.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Ordinary notebook paper is about 0.004" thick. It was cut cleanly, all the way across.



The receipt paper is half as thick; at about 0.002". The mower doesn't cut it all the way across. I marked the left(L) and right(R) ends of the bedknife, as well as where the attempted cuts overlap(O). There is an eight inch span, at the middle of the bedknife, where the receipt paper wasn't cut. There are also fractions of an inch, at each end, that weren't cut.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

The manual offers some advice for those experiencing my problem.



Unfortunately, my mower is somewhat lacking when it comes to a torsion bar and adjustment bolt.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I suppose that I could find some shim stock to put between the bedknife and its supporting part.

Although, I still haven't checked whether all five bedknife attachment bolts are evenly tightened...


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## Gilley11 (Nov 3, 2019)

It doesn't look like there is a relief grind on there, you'll need that relief grind so that it can be backlapped. Then you can adjust the clearances and backlap if to mate them.


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## sam36 (Apr 14, 2020)

Hmm, I thought the Clipper model was similar to the Mascot model, but the bed knife looks different. I'm pretty sure on my Mascot, it is a solid piece of metal. Mine doesn't make uniform sounds either while the reel is turning but I bought it used and I doubt it has ever been backlapped. It is on my todo list. 
You can get valve lapping compound at autozone which from my research is a mix of 80 grit to 220 grit for $5 for a few ounces. Not the most ideal but the store is just right down the street from me. To backlap, you can swap the drive gears from the left tire to the right, so that way you can push the reel in reverse instead of using a hand crank or drill. Currently, if I tighten my bed knife so it will cut normal paper, it is way louder and harder to push. I find getting it to cut business cards still leaves it with a good grass cut and is way easier to push.

But for $600, you really shouldn't have to mess with it yet. Regardless of what it sounds like, if it can cut paper and is easy to push, I'd say you are good to go.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

About a half of the blade edge is shiny and about half is dirty. 
It's difficult to take macrophotographs with my phone, but you can kinda see it.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I remain extremely happy with the quality of cut the the mower provides. It cuts standard notepaper across the entire width and it cuts my grass, as well. It might seem like I'm tearing it apart with criticism, but I'm really just trying to be thorough.

I do think that, for $600+, it could be better. But, it does its job and looks and feels like it will last forever. I told a friend that I think I could put it out in the street, have it get run over by six cars, then pick it up and mow the grass while the cars are being towed away.

I'm sure that I will backlap it, just to tighten it up a bit (Thanks for the heads-up on the lapping compound @sam36!). But, before I do that, I'm hoping to come up with a way to determine whether the issue is with the reel, the bedknife, or both. If I can check the bedknife for flatness, I'll be able to find out. All I need is a way to do that. I've always wanted a surface plate. Maybe this is my excuse. A guy really ought to have one.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I made a single 15ft pass and found about a half-dozen unclipped blades. It's early morning, so I have hopes that the neighbors didn't see me crawling around.


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## AllisonN (Jul 4, 2020)

FrankS said:


> I made a single 15ft pass and found about a half-dozen unclipped blades. It's early morning, so I have hopes that the neighbors didn't see me crawling around.


How much are you removing at a time. The one blade of grass seems rather long compared to your finished hoc.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

AllisonN said:


> How much are you removing at a time. The one blade of grass seems rather long compared to your finished hoc.


It's impossible to say. I have 82 different varieties of grass and they grow at different rates. I mow every three days. On average, I'd say that I'm removing 1/2" to 3/4".

My grass gets trampled, a lot. I rake it, to fluff it up, before each mow. But, the raking doesn't catch every blade, so it might not have been standing up for the past mow or two.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

I have a couple of strips of 0.001" thickness gauge on the way. Meanwhile, I bought a folding set, containing a 0.0015" leaf, at the local general store. That leaf does fit through the final apx. 1/4" at the far right of reel to bedknife contact area. It doesn't fit anywhere else.

It's probably not anything to cry over.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

That 3/16" of height lost, going from 10" to 9 5/8" wheels, would probably have given me enough clearance to avoid scraping on the steps.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

Yesterday, I received the two strips of 0.001" thickness gauge. They didn't fit between the major portion of reel to bedknife contact area (excepting the far left and right ends, as previously noted). The manual recommends a 0.001" clearance, but the seller notes that the manufacturer ships it tighter.



_"Note: The Amish shop sets the mowers with a tight tolerance of just touching the blades against the bed-knife. They have found this setting provides the best cut and keeps the blades sharper longer."_

Because the reel and bedknife were rubbing relatively tightly, in two places, I guessed that there would likely be more than 0.001" clearance at the loosest point. As a half-inch wide strip of tinfoil is difficult to use, I set it aside and widened the gap between the reel and bedknife until there was 0.008" at the two tightest places. I hope that the results of my measurements are understandable.

Note: The measurements only indicate variances in the reel to bedknife contact area. They do not isolate the differences to the reel or the bedknife.

Going from left to right, in the following images:
Starting at the far left end, the clearance is less than 0.011" to the first vertical line (10). Then, it is less than 0.010" to the second line (9). Then, less than 0.009" to the two connected lines (8), where the clearance is 0.008". Then, less than 0.009" to the final line (9).


Continuing along, the clearance is less than 0.0095" between the lines marked (9) and (9.5).


Then, the clearance is at least 0.0095", but less than 0.010", between the two lines marked (9.5). Then, it's at least 0.009", but less than 0.0095", to the line (9). Then, at least 0.008", but less than 0.009" to the two connected lines (8) where the clearance is 0.008". Beyond the final line, the clearance is greater than 0.008", but less than 0.009".


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

In summary, the reel to bedknife clearance is 0" to 0.0015" across the greater part of the cutting edges.

It's my opinion that greater manufacturing precision is easily achievable. However, in practice, such greater precision is not needed.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

In another set of semi-scientific measurements, the mower makes 40 cuts over 3' 9 3/8" of travel. That gives about 10 1/2 cuts per foot or about 34 3/4 cuts per meter. If memory serves, the Allett Liberty 43 is billed as providing 88 cuts per meter.


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

It may have taken 42 passes, but I did cut this trail with the mower.


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## Wayneessar (Apr 6, 2020)

Awesome thread!
This is the Silent Scott and a similar Yardman mower!
I have a Silent Scott with the very good adjustment for height of cut that changed the angle of the bedknife as it raised and lowered.
My suggestion to your cutting problem is first back off the bedknife pressure.
Once she is loose, reach in with a piece softwood and try to pry up on the reel shaft near the ends.
If a bearing is loose or the tolerance is excessive then it will not be possible to set the reel to bed knife.
The machine is designed for 100% relief so no contact between reel and bedknife hence the spun ground reel.
Check all the fasteners while the bed knife is backed off then check them again, sometimes things become very slightly loose.
Good luck and thank you for all these excellent photos!


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## WicktheMD (8 mo ago)

Thanks for sharing this great thread. Just purchased this device in 19 inch. Anything you would do different? Was it worth keeping for you? Or have you moved on to a more advanced manual mower like the McLane or Hudson Star? Tips?


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