# Fiskars Reel Mower Question



## SSE Dad (Jun 9, 2020)

Hello, I'm new to the site and just bought my first reel mower. I found a used Fiskars StaySharp Max on FB Marketplace and I'm curious if anyone knows the HOC for the different settings. I know the lowest is 1 inch and the highest is 4 Inches but does anyone know the in between notch heights? Not sure if I'm ready to go to 1 inch just yet but want to start going lower.


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## dubyadubya87 (Mar 10, 2020)

I have a basic Scott's reel mower and like the Fiskars, the settings aren't marked. I just use a tape measure from the bed knife to the ground. Something it took me a while to realize though, when you're seeing all the guys on here with their high dollar greens mowers talking HOC, that is a _true_ height. Yours and mine do not have enough weight on the mower, so ours will tend to float somewhat on the top of our turf. So the measurements will differ from what you see measuring the height on your driveway and what it actually cuts the grass at.


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## DFW_Zoysia (May 31, 2019)

SSE Dad said:


> Hello, I'm new to the site and just bought my first reel mower. I found a used Fiskars StaySharp Max on FB Marketplace and I'm curious if anyone knows the HOC for the different settings. I know the lowest is 1 inch and the highest is 4 Inches but does anyone know the in between notch heights? Not sure if I'm ready to go to 1 inch just yet but want to start going lower.


I tried one for a day and returned it. It scalped horribly.

My 7 blade manual push reel performed much better.


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## SSE Dad (Jun 9, 2020)

What brand/model did you go with for the 7 blade?


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## coolturf (Mar 11, 2020)

SSE Dad said:


> Hello, I'm new to the site and just bought my first reel mower. I found a used Fiskars StaySharp Max on FB Marketplace and I'm curious if anyone knows the HOC for the different settings. I know the lowest is 1 inch and the highest is 4 Inches but does anyone know the in between notch heights? Not sure if I'm ready to go to 1 inch just yet but want to start going lower.


I have been using a Fiskars StaySharp Max 18 for about 2 years. I love it.

It is the easiest to push manual reel that I have tried, and I had a Scotts and a Great States in the past.

Nothing wrong with the either the Scotts or Great States. I don't recall what happened to the Scotts, but I recall the weld on the bedknife broke on the Great States, or I would probably still be using it. Back then I was not familiar with backlapping, so I was taking it to a local guy to sharpen.

Here are the things I like about the Fiskars StaySharp Max 18:
1) The wheels are inside the cutting path of the reel, meaning, that all I have to do to get my overlaps right is to follow the wheel marks. And I don't get those ugly (to me) double wheel marks on the overlaps. It also means if you use the left side of the mower, you can get extremely close to obstructions like trees etc ( the HOC knob is on the right side, so you can't get so close).
2) The chain drive mechanism creates a mechanical advantage that makes it easier to push.
3) There is one knob to adjust the height of cut (HOC) and it is spring loaded, making it the easiest to adjust of any mower, of any kind, that I have ever had. I cut different areas at different HOC, and it is no hassle at all to change HOC.
4) It cuts at 4 inches and that is very helpful since tall grass is the enemy of any reel mower. 
5) It has wheels, not a roller in the front and back. This minimizes the grass getting pushed down before getting cut.
6) It is light weight and I can cut in the rain, or on saturated turf. When the ground is saturated, I use the Fiskars to keep the height down so when it does dry out, I can cut with my greens mower without violating the 1/3 rule.
7) Build quality is very good, design is excellent. IMHO those Finn's know how to split the difference between Italian design, and German over engineering.

Here is the "IS WHAT IT IS" about the Fiskars StaySharp Max 18:
1) No rollers means no stripes. I love stripes, but I also enjoy the smooth monochrome look I get with the Fiskars.
2) You can set it from 1" to 4", but the sweet spot is between 1.5" and 2.5". If you try to go lower, and your lawn is not very level, yes it will bottom out and scalp. Cutting at 4" is very helpful, but if you try to maintain a 4" cut, you're going to get a lot of pushed over and uncut grass.
3) Backlapping is not difficult, but it requires quite a few steps. But it is not something I have to do often, once per season would probably be enough, but I like to do it two or three times, because I love a super sharp blade. It makes it easier to push and gives a nice clean cut (much better than my rotary mower no matter how sharp I get it). 
4) AND YES, you still want to have a rotary mower, preferably with a bagger/catcher. If grass gets over 4.5", "catching up" with any reel mower is not going to be a pleasant experience. And reel mowers are no good at mulching leaves.
5) It is an 18" reel. I think the reason others go with 14" or 16" reels is to make it easier to push. The Fiskars compensates for this with the chain drive. The competitors with 20" reels will require fewer passes, but may be more difficult to push in comparable turf conditions.
6) It cost about $100 more new than most others. Manual reel mowers (regardless of model) are not for everyone, so the good part of that is you can usually find a used Fiskars in good condition for $100 or less. Just be prepared to backlap and adjust the reel. I purchased mine used, but IMHO, the extra $100 to get one new is very justifiable.
7) Like all reel mowers, you need to mow "before it needs it". Reel mowers work best when taking off about 1/4 inch and not more than 1/2 inch.


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## lucas287 (Jun 3, 2018)

It looks like the OP has Bermuda. Unless you have experience manual push reeling a bermuda lawn, your experience/input is almost moot. Sounds like a douche thing to say, but there's just no comparing a cool season lawn or even Zoysia/St. Aug lawn to a sub 1" bermuda lawn.

2 years ago I discovered this site and became hooked on lawn care. I told myself, wow, these guys are crazy buying fancy mowers. I'll just get a Scotts push reel. It worked great, for about a month. My HOC back then was right around 1". Bermuda will get so dense that you literally cannot push a Scotts reel. Even if you power through, you get bad washboarding because the clip rate is too low. Returned the Scotts mower to HD and found a McLane push reel on CL. Score - i though! WRONG. Same problem. Then, I found a Gardena battery operated reel on CL. Scooped it up and it was awesome! Then the electric crapped out. I took the motor off and the belt drive and used it as a manual reel and it actually worked pretty darn good. The clip rate is much higher on this thing which keeps it from washboarding. Time frame was July and I was mowing only 3500 sq ft, but it was killing me! 2-3 times a week having to basically double cut.

So what did I do? I bought a used Cal Trimmer. Best decision ever.

Long story short, keep your rotary until you can afford a gently used powered reel. My 2 cents at least.


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## SSE Dad (Jun 9, 2020)

lucas287 said:


> It looks like the OP has Bermuda. Unless you have experience manual push reeling a bermuda lawn, your experience/input is almost moot. Sounds like a douche thing to say, but there's just no comparing a cool season lawn or even Zoysia/St. Aug lawn to a sub 1" bermuda lawn.
> 
> 2 years ago I discovered this site and became hooked on lawn care. I told myself, wow, these guys are crazy buying fancy mowers. I'll just get a Scotts push reel. It worked great, for about a month. My HOC back then was right around 1". Bermuda will get so dense that you literally cannot push a Scotts reel. Even if you power through, you get bad washboarding because the clip rate is too low. Returned the Scotts mower to HD and found a McLane push reel on CL. Score - i though! WRONG. Same problem. Then, I found a Gardena battery operated reel on CL. Scooped it up and it was awesome! Then the electric crapped out. I took the motor off and the belt drive and used it as a manual reel and it actually worked pretty darn good. The clip rate is much higher on this thing which keeps it from washboarding. Time frame was July and I was mowing only 3500 sq ft, but it was killing me! 2-3 times a week having to basically double cut.
> 
> ...


Thanks guys, I appreciate everyone's input. So I bought the used Fiskars for $85 after lurking on this site for a little while. I figured at that price I could still sell it for basically the same thing if I hate it. I've cut my grass twice so far on the second lowest height and you guys are not kidding, it's a workout. I cut last Saturday and then again last night (Tuesday) and a lot came off. Now I'm starting to read about PGR and other things and as I'm sure you all know, it's extremely addictive. I'm probably going to use the Fiskars for this season and then see where I'm at, there is just so much to learn initially and it seems overwhelming. Right now I'm researching PGR and what type of sprayer I need to get. I have about 4800 SQ FT. if anyone has opinions on sprayers.


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## SSE Dad (Jun 9, 2020)

coolturf said:


> SSE Dad said:
> 
> 
> > Hello, I'm new to the site and just bought my first reel mower. I found a used Fiskars StaySharp Max on FB Marketplace and I'm curious if anyone knows the HOC for the different settings. I know the lowest is 1 inch and the highest is 4 Inches but does anyone know the in between notch heights? Not sure if I'm ready to go to 1 inch just yet but want to start going lower.
> ...


Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!


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## lucas287 (Jun 3, 2018)

Right now I'm researching PGR and what type of sprayer I need to get. I have about 4800 SQ FT. if anyone has opinions on sprayers.
[/quote]

Glad we could help!

I use on of these and it is fantastic! https://my4sons.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYL3BRDVARIsAF9E4Gf5kFLTUgOB6_wT6NJiHO_gLxM43GtXACtJ-CafIIjjDzI4FKqvnAoaApv6EALw_wcB


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## coolturf (Mar 11, 2020)

@lucas287 
"It looks like the OP has Bermuda. Unless you have experience manual push reeling a bermuda lawn, your experience/input is almost moot. Sounds like a douche thing to say, but there's just no comparing a cool season lawn or even Zoysia/St. Aug lawn to a sub 1" bermuda lawn."

I completely acknowledge the "no comparison" between cool season and warm seasoned reel mowing. I would expect you would need to cut warm season grass about every day to make using a manual reel mower a "casual" experience. Looking forward to updates!


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## Canuck Mike (Jul 23, 2018)

When I first started taking my lawn seriously I used a Fiskers stay sharp.
I'm not sure if it's the same model you have but here is what I learned.



I made a roller to replace the wheels using 2 bearing rollers and some abs pipe.



This worked well for both leveling the cut and as a stripper. I still wanted to get a shorter hoc so I ground away some of the black steel next to the wheels to get the bed knife lower. This worked but the knife does ground out some times and the drive wheels loose traction.


It will go as low as 3/4" but your ground must be level and I do get washboard ripples at that hoc. Next level up is 1 1/8" so it's a bit of a jump.


I do like the mower it's very well made with a beefy real. A good first step before committing to a greens mower.


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## lucas287 (Jun 3, 2018)

coolturf said:


> @lucas287
> "It looks like the OP has Bermuda. Unless you have experience manual push reeling a bermuda lawn, your experience/input is almost moot. Sounds like a douche thing to say, but there's just no comparing a cool season lawn or even Zoysia/St. Aug lawn to a sub 1" bermuda lawn."
> 
> I completely acknowledge the "no comparison" between cool season and warm seasoned reel mowing. I would expect you would need to cut warm season grass about every day to make using a manual reel mower a "casual" experience. Looking forward to updates!


Thank you for not taking that the wrong way! And yes...this stuff grows stupid fast!


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