# Mclane, Roller or no roller?



## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Hi all, new here! I have about 3-4000 sq ft of zoysia and own a 20" mclane. I have a roller but always debate whether to use it or not. I currently took it off because the yard has been muddy (its been really wet lately)and the added weight of the roller was causing issues with the wet ground, tearing up muddy patches and digging in. Maybe its me. I really like the cut because there are some uneven parts in my yard, but sometimes I can tell the grass is getting pressed down by the roller and not cut. Also I get lines in the grass when cutting the slope in my front yard. The grass has been better without it but not cut as even as with the roller.

Any ideas on this? I'll try to get a pic of my lawn. Thanks!


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Smooth rollers are not good for Zoysia. What works better are the grooved rollers with wide spacings between each groove. You also want a heavy roller to reduce lifting of the front.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Are there grooved rollers made for 20" mclanes? I've searched and have been enable to find any.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

None. The people that know tell me to avoid smooth rollers because they do not keep the grass mowed down and thin. This is important for Zoysia. Failure to keep Zoysia low and thin results in a mess later on.


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## SGrabs33 (Feb 13, 2017)

gkaneko said:


> Are there grooved rollers made for 20" mclanes? I've searched and have been enable to find any.


There are greens keeper versions on the McLane REELs. Those are the only ones that come with grooved rollers.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

thanks guys. I wishI could find a grooved roller.

And how is the new mclane pricing sustainable for the new company? Insane pricing!


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

My current advice to someone looking at McLane mowers is to pick up a GM 1000 retiring from a golf course. That is what I did 5 years ago. Never looked back. Modified it to correctly mow grass above 1/8" HOC.


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## Kicker (Apr 5, 2018)

Greendoc said:


> My current advice to someone looking at McLane mowers is to pick up a GM 1000 retiring from a golf course. That is what I did 5 years ago. Never looked back. *Modified it to correctly mow grass above 1/8" HOC*.


Can you expand on this? The range is up to 1" on the 1000. I understand the clip rate should match the HOC for optimal results but what modifications are you talking about.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Great question on the rollers. To be upfront, we are the manufacturer of the front rollers and used to make a grooved roller for McLane.

Truth is, it didn't work well and was expensive. , like $250. The hamlenge with the grooved rollers are their weight (lack of)because they are made of aluminum and are too light for the McLane. The front of the McLane would never stay grounded, which is why the smooth steel rollers (much heavier) work so well on the residential reel mowers like McLane, Trimmer, and Tru Cut. Plus, the average residential lawn is not really that smooth, so the bouncing is amplified.

-A 20" grooved roller weighs 4lbs.
-Front caster wheel set up about 7lbs
-steel smooth front roller is 14lbs

On the other hand Greens mowers are weighted differently and the mower is designed to have a light weight aluminum front roller.

Yes, a grooved roller will cut through dense grass better and you can get a lower HOC. But, the smooth roller will give the McLane it's best cut possible.

I cut my Zoysia with a Swardman at 1/4" HOC with a grooved roller, but it's weighted differently like a greens mower and doesn't bounce with the grooved aluminum roller.

As far as pressing the grass down, the roller actually helps. Instead of 130lbs of McLane mower dispersing it's weight on 2 front 1" wide wheels (stock no roller) with the roller, you're dispersing that weight across 20" of roller. If rolling objects ahead of your mower impacted HOC significantly, every lawn would have 2 higher lines if grass where their front wheels were prior to cutting. Riding mowers, rotary, zero turn, reel mowers, etc. truth is, the reel is spinning forward so it is actually grabbing the grass and bringing it into the bed knife giving you an exact cut.

I hope this was helpful and gave a little rationale to why there are only heavy steel smooth rollers for the residential reel mowers.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

Reelrollers said:


> Great question on the rollers. To be upfront, we are the manufacturer of the front rollers and used to make a grooved roller for McLane.
> 
> Truth is, it didn't work well and was expensive. , like $250. The hamlenge with the grooved rollers are their weight (lack of)because they are made of aluminum and are too light for the McLane. The front of the McLane would never stay grounded, which is why the smooth steel rollers (much heavier) work so well on the residential reel mowers like McLane, Trimmer, and Tru Cut. Plus, the average residential lawn is not really that smooth, so the bouncing is amplified.
> 
> ...


My question then becomes why not make a cast iron or steel grooved roller? Toro GM 1000s come with aluminum grooved rollers yes. I take those off and replace them with the steel grooved roller. I want a reel mower to be as front weight biased as possible. 


Kicker said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> > My current advice to someone looking at McLane mowers is to pick up a GM 1000 retiring from a golf course. That is what I did 5 years ago. Never looked back. *Modified it to correctly mow grass above 1/8" HOC*.
> ...


Clip kit and 8 blade reel. I also use the black bed bar rather than the red. Black tilts into the grass more. Setting these mower to mow high will tilt the bedknife up rather than down into the grass where it should be. I also use the heaviest grooved roller possible in the front. Light rollers work fine on greens height grass that is mowed daily. Not so much on lawns that are not mowed daily.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

this all makes sense to me. I get the reel should pull up the grass to the bed knife but what the reality of it is, I have sections that have clearly been pushed down below the cutting height. Maybe it's user error or I'm not cutting low enough.

I really would like to use the roller but the mashed spots and the drum burnouts I get from the weight of it is a big problem.

I was thinking a double caster would be good or obviously a grooved roller.


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

You are not mowing low enough if that is happening. There is a reason why I want Zoysia to be at 1/2" or lower if being grown in Hawaii.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

hmm. maybe I'll give the roller another shot.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

Greendoc said:


> You are not mowing low enough if that is happening. There is a reason why I want Zoysia to be at 1/2" or lower if being grown in Hawaii.


Agree, mowing that high, continue with casters. But, if you go low your Zoysia will love it and become a much denser turf.

I keep my zoysia at 1/2" or less. My suggestion, get the grass down to 3/4", out roller back on, and keep going low until you scalp, then raise it up a setting.

Ideally you will mow as low as you can without hitting soil. Can't say the best height for your lawn because it depends on how level your lawn is.

Hope next summer you post before and after pics. The turf will be a carpet by next summer.

Good luck!


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## Greendoc (Mar 24, 2018)

In Hawaii, Zoysia japonica varieties(Empire, Jamur, El Toro), are easier to live with at 0.35"-0.5" depending on how much sun the grass gets in the day. Emerald Zoysia is nice at 0.2"-0.3". Higher than that and it is a thatchy ugly mess.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

My yard is pretty uneven, its a slope and has a gentle cut for drainage. I will try the roller again especially since it's less wet. I'll pull it out and scalp and then raise up. I'll post some pics tomorrow.


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## Reelrollers (Feb 6, 2018)

gkaneko said:


> My yard is pretty uneven, its a slope and has a gentle cut for drainage. I will try the roller again especially since it's less wet. I'll pull it out and scalp and then raise up. I'll post some pics tomorrow.


How did it go cutting shorter?


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Thanks for the check in, Haven't had time to switch out wheels and cut the grass. Also haven't been home when its light out to get pics. Will do this weekend.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Ok so put on the roller. Grass needed a cut bad, also realized that my grass was way too long so I cut lower.

The roller definitely gave it a more even cut. I still had problems with drum burnout on the muddy areas but I tried to minimize it as much as I could.

And yes if you caught it, I have 2 types of zoysia growing. Emerald and I think it was El Toro that I planted in a wetter, shadier area because the emerald wasn't growing well. They are competing and I'm totally OK with the weirdness of it.

Usually my lawn looks a lot better but it's been super rainy and wet lately and grass has been struggling. Hopefully with it being shorter and drier, it'll start coming back. If not I'll probably aerate and top dress.


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Its been sunny so hopefully grass comes back!


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## gkaneko (Dec 11, 2018)

Going on 3rd week without a cut. It's been really rainy and I only have time to cut on weekends. Yikes!


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