# Where are All the Rotary Mower's at?



## Sam23

Any of you members just Rotary Mower's? We can not all be Reel Mower's on here?


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## pennstater2005

Me! No plans on reel mowing. I like the look of it but I like the look of higher cut grasses as well.


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## Sam23

Thanks for the reply @pennstater2005 I was wondering how much of a minority we were on this forum.


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## pennstater2005

I think plenty of cool season folks on here use a rotary to cut their grass. My problem is keeping my blades sharp! Imagine the trouble I'd have maintaining a bedknife, reel/cylinder, roller, etc.... :lol:


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## Sam23

pennstater2005 said:


> I think plenty of cool season folks on here use a rotary to cut their grass. My problem is keeping my blades sharp! Imagine the trouble I'd have maintaining a bedknife, reel/cylinder, roller, etc.... :lol:


Lol, I have nothing against the Reel Mower's on here, it is just nice to see Members with common interests and goals.


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## pennstater2005

Sam23 said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I think plenty of cool season folks on here use a rotary to cut their grass. My problem is keeping my blades sharp! Imagine the trouble I'd have maintaining a bedknife, reel/cylinder, roller, etc.... :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> Lol, I have nothing against the Reel Mower's on here, it is just nice to see Members with common interests and goals.
Click to expand...

I'm mowing at around 4" presently. I like that look and during the summer I can maintain a fairly green yard with minimal (none  ) irrigation with the higher HOC.


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## Sam23

pennstater2005 said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> 
> I think plenty of cool season folks on here use a rotary to cut their grass. My problem is keeping my blades sharp! Imagine the trouble I'd have maintaining a bedknife, reel/cylinder, roller, etc.... :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> Lol, I have nothing against the Reel Mower's on here, it is just nice to see Members with common interests and goals.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I'm mowing at around 4" presently. I like that look and during the summer I can maintain a fairly green yard with minimal (none  ) irrigation with the higher HOC.
Click to expand...

Yes, the Tip I received for mowing higher has given me great results too. I always mowed to short in the past.


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## Green

Yes. All rotary. The only time I use a reel is on new grass. I have one of those Fiskars manual/mechanical mowers for that.


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## Sam23

Welcome to the Thread @Green .


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## Green

Sam23 said:


> Welcome to the Thread Green .


Ok, thanks. What's going to be our slogan? Somehow, mowing "rotohigh" doesn't sound as good as "reel low".


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## Green

@Sam23, btw, we have almost the same mower (different engine, though).


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## Sam23

Green said:


> @Sam23, btw, we have almost the same mower (different engine, though).


"RotoHigh", I like it. What engine do you have? Honda? My mower you could have ordered it with either CubCadet or the Honda engine. I got such a good deal on mine I did not get the Honda engine. I may regret it later.


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## Green

Sam23 said:


> Green said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sam23, btw, we have almost the same mower (different engine, though).
> 
> 
> 
> "RotoHigh", I like it. What engine do you have? Honda? My mower you could have ordered it with either CubCadet or the Honda engine. I got such a good deal on mine I did not get the Honda engine. I may regret it later.
Click to expand...

Briggs and Stratton.

This is my mower, except with a slightly different engine (L-head design) from back in 2014 before they were using OHV: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19364986&cp=12665333.1255125.1971557

And here's the Craftsman version of your mower: https://www.sears.com/craftsman-11b-b28s799-37471-7.25-torque-briggs-stratton/p-A013300357?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


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## social port

I use a rotary, and I prefer high-cut grass. My push mower is much like the craftsman linked above, but I replaced my front wheels with larger ones to...raise my HOC, of course. I also use a Gravely zero turn.



Green said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome to the Thread Green .
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, thanks. What's going to be our slogan? Somehow, mowing "rotohigh" doesn't sound as good as "reel low".
Click to expand...

This is the real question. In the past I've always used a reel low/real high contrast, but real high isn't as clever as reel low.
Some alternatives:
Tall cut
4 high 
Raised high
Tall blade 
High cut


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## Sam23

Green said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Green said:
> 
> 
> 
> Sam23, btw, we have almost the same mower (different engine, though).
> 
> 
> 
> "RotoHigh", I like it. What engine do you have? Honda? My mower you could have ordered it with either CubCadet or the Honda engine. I got such a good deal on mine I did not get the Honda engine. I may regret it later.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Briggs and Stratton.
> 
> This is my mower, except with a slightly different engine (L-head design) from back in 2014 before they were using OHV: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=19364986&cp=12665333.1255125.1971557
> 
> And here's the Craftsman version of your mower: https://www.sears.com/craftsman-11b-b28s799-37471-7.25-torque-briggs-stratton/p-A013300357?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1
Click to expand...

I see.


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## pennstater2005

social port said:


> I use a rotary, and I prefer high-cut grass. My push mower is much like the craftsman linked above, but I replaced my front wheels with larger ones to...raise my HOC, of course. I also use a Gravely zero turn.
> 
> 
> 
> Green said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome to the Thread Green .
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, thanks. What's going to be our slogan? Somehow, mowing "rotohigh" doesn't sound as good as "reel low".
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> This is the real question. In the past I've always used a reel low/real high contrast, but real high isn't as clever as reel low.
> Some alternatives:
> Tall cut
> 4 high
> Raised high
> Tall blade
> High cut
Click to expand...

I like 4 high although folks might get the wrong idea :lol:


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## Sam23

The Craftsman 6.75 3 in 1 beater mower I have is Model #917374430


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## social port

@pennstater2005 would 'super high' work?


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## Sam23

Just a Note: All Replies are Welcome!


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## Ecks from Tex

Sam23 said:


> Any of you member's just Rotary Mower's? We can not all be Reel Mower's on here?


I am rotary because this is AMERICA. We ain't cutting the Queen's grass there skipper, we live in big houses, grow tall grass, and have above-ground Jacuzzis because in America we are the land of the free and the home of the rotary mower. That's right, the rotary mower was invented in America by John Albert Burr. Why? Because we perfected an engine powerful enough to use it. AMERICA!

Not only is reel mowing un-american, but my very loose and totally unsupported interpretation of the King James Bible leads me to conclude that God and his only son, 8 lb. 6 oz Baby Jesus, considered mowing low a sin. Let me school you on some scripture:



> Psalm 147:8 - Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, *Who makes grass to grow* on the mountains.
> 
> Psalm 72:16 - May there be *abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains*; Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon; And may those from the city *flourish like vegetation* of the earth.
> 
> Isaiah 5:24 - Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble And dry grass collapses into the flame, *So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust; For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel*.


I think this makes it clear that mowing low is not only anti-American but also direct disobedience to the Word of God. We all need to pray for these misguided low mowers and help get them back on the path of righteousness.


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## Sam23

I need one with TheLawnForum Logo that says
Mow Tall
St. Aug.

Thats to Funny @Ecks from Tex


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## Ecks from Tex

MowTall


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## Butter

I mow as tall as I can with my Snapper and homemade roller. RealTall!


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## dfw_pilot

Tall? Rotary? Of what do you gentlemen speak?

:twisted:


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## pennstater2005

@Sam23 See what you started


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## Sam23

pennstater2005 said:


> @Sam23 See what you started


Yes I know.


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## pennstater2005

social port said:


> @pennstater2005 would 'super high' work?


Some kind of leaf or something for our logo.


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## Rackhouse Mayor

Kubota Zero Turn Rotary here. I love it.


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## Sam23

Rackhouse Mayor said:


> Kubota Zero Turn Rotary here. I love it.


@Rackhouse Mayor Is this it! If so that is a Sweet Rig!


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## TigerinFL

Jesus said ... Mow Low & Sin No More


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## Rackhouse Mayor

Sam23 said:


> Rackhouse Mayor said:
> 
> 
> 
> Kubota Zero Turn Rotary here. I love it.
> 
> 
> 
> @Rackhouse Mayor Is this it! If so that is a Sweet Rig!
Click to expand...

That's it. It was a game changer for me. I'm not against reels, but I'd have to get a triplex due to my yard size. I'm not ready to step up to that level of complication yet.


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## Darrell

Ecks from Tex said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Any of you member's just Rotary Mower's? We can not all be Reel Mower's on here?
> 
> 
> 
> I am rotary because this is AMERICA. We ain't cutting the Queen's grass there skipper, we live in big houses, grow tall grass, and have above-ground Jacuzzis because in America we are the land of the free and the home of the rotary mower. That's right, the rotary mower was invented in America by John Albert Burr. Why? Because we perfected an engine powerful enough to use it. AMERICA!
> 
> Not only is reel mowing un-american, but my very loose and totally unsupported interpretation of the King James Bible leads me to conclude that God and his only son, 8 lb. 6 oz Baby Jesus, considered mowing low a sin. Let me school you on some scripture:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Psalm 147:8 - Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, *Who makes grass to grow* on the mountains.
> 
> Psalm 72:16 - May there be *abundance of grain in the earth on top of the mountains*; Its fruit will wave like the cedars of Lebanon; And may those from the city *flourish like vegetation* of the earth.
> 
> Isaiah 5:24 - Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes stubble And dry grass collapses into the flame, *So their root will become like rot and their blossom blow away as dust; For they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel*.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I think this makes it clear that mowing low is not only anti-American but also direct disobedience to the Word of God. We all need to pray for these misguided low mowers and help get them back on the path of righteousness.
Click to expand...

I'm crying, I'm laughing so hard!

I have a rotary (for now), and I have bermuda! I'm working on mowing "lowish" with my rotary.


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## Ecks from Tex

dfw_pilot said:


> Tall? Rotary? Of what do you gentlemen speak?
> 
> :twisted:


If you ever decide to live life the way Baby Jesus and our Founding Fathers intended, I can loan you my spare rotary mower. It's a Craftsman brand, forged from the Rock of Gibraltar and fueled with Dinosaur semen. I got it at ACE Hardware.


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## Ecks from Tex

TigerinFL said:


> Jesus said ... Mow Low & Sin No More


That's from the Old Testament! Back when Europeans told us what to do.


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## HomerGuy

Ecks from Tex said:


> dfw_pilot said:
> 
> 
> 
> Tall? Rotary? Of what do you gentlemen speak?
> 
> :twisted:
> 
> 
> 
> If you ever decide to live life the way Baby Jesus and our Founding Fathers intended, I can loan you my spare rotary mower. It's a Craftsman brand, forged from the Rock of Gibraltar and fueled with Dinosaur semen. I got it at ACE Hardware.
Click to expand...

@Ecks from Tex man, you are on fire in this thread. I'm dying over here.

Another rotary guy here. I like what I've seen of the reel low turf, but I would also need a triplex due to yard size, and I'm just not there yet.


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## stotea

Way too many leaves, acorns, etc. to use a reel. I prefer the look of 2.5"-3.0". Anything taller doesn't cut too well in shady areas (grass gets floppy), and anything shorter leads to scalping due to my lawn being so bumpy.


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## pennstater2005

stotea said:


> Way too many leaves, acorns, etc. to use a reel. I prefer the look of 2.5"-3.0". Anything taller doesn't cut too well in shady areas (grass gets floppy), and anything shorter leads to scalping due to my lawn being so bumpy.


I chop up a lot of little sticks with may mower. If they're huge I pick them up but I size them up with my eyes and then run em' over! They mulch right in :thumbup:


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## Sam23

*Feel Free to use it!*


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## TigerinFL

Ecks from Tex said:


> TigerinFL said:
> 
> 
> 
> Jesus said ... Mow Low & Sin No More
> 
> 
> 
> That's from the Old Testament! Back when Europeans told us what to do.
Click to expand...

bawwhaaa :lol: I'm pretty sure Psalms in the old testament as well


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## Jacob_S

I have both, front yard, mostly centipede, gets rotary usually once a week at "hey that looks good HOC". Back yard, bermuda, gets the JD220e 3 times a week at 1"(for now until a level is performed then we go low).


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## Stegs

rotary guy here from michigan

Running a Scag Vride 52" velocity plus deck. Marbian hi lift blades. 23.5 HP kawasaki Vtwin (with Hemi heads)

WOT on the kawi gets those blades howling

Still experimenting on HOC for my lawn. My junk lawn that i plan on redoing this fall right now is cut at 3.75 to keep it green during the summer

Still playing around with my TTTF HOC.

It has awesome color and look at 4"+, however the grass just lays down and doesnt want to stay vertical. Im going to have to get a soil text and find out whats going on.

Last night i cut my TTTF and PRG at 3.25.....it looks nice, just doesnt have the color as it would with 4" hoc

I wish it would "stand up" at 4", but it dont. So Im playing around between 3.25 and 3.75.

Any TTTF experts on here that can give me some pointers?LOL


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## Sam23

What does the acronym "HOC" stand for. I see members use it all the time.


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## pennstater2005

Height of cut.


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## Sam23

pennstater2005 said:


> Height of cut.


I thought so. I just wanted to be certain. Still learning the lingo on here. :thumbup:


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## Sam23

@Stegs Welcome, My local dealer sells Scags here. I overheard him talking to a customer and he stated he sold 15 last month. Sounds like they are very popular, especially with the Pros. That is a good chunk of change.
I thought only Dodge's had Hemis.


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## Suburban Jungle Life

I'm rocking a honda. I was wondering if there was a way to get it higher than 4". I have the hrr. I thought about putting the hrx wheels on it since they are an inch bigger but I don't think the back will work since the gear looks bigger. I thought about cutting tread off a car tire and glue/screw it to the current plastic wheels. A fresh car tire would probably add over an inch. I just don't want it to hit the deck. I also thought about a way to have a new notch for the adjuster. If you move it more, the mower does go higher but I need a new notch to lock it in. Any ideas?


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## Sam23

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> I'm rocking a honda. I was wondering if there was a way to get it higher than 4". I have the hrr. I thought about putting the hrx wheels on it since they are an inch bigger but I don't think the back will work since the gear looks bigger. I thought about cutting tread off a car tire and glue/screw it to the current plastic wheels. A fresh car tire would probably add over an inch. I just don't want it to hit the deck. I also thought about a way to have a new notch for the adjuster. If you move it more, the mower does go higher but I need a new notch to lock it in. Any ideas?


At the risk of jacking up your mower you might want to sell it convert to a HRX217. I here it has 6 settings, but an HRX217 user on here will have to confirm on high that is.


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## pennstater2005

@Sam23 I'm digging your new avatar :thumbup:


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## Ware

pennstater2005 said:


> Sam23 I'm digging your new avatar :thumbup:


It looks very similar to the one I designed for my YouTube channel.


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## Sam23

Thanks @pennstater2005 .

That is where I borrowed it from @Ware. I hope you did not mind. I started with that and then I edited it. I could not find a Green Square one to use as a starter.


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## Ware

Sam23 said:


> Thanks pennstater2005 .
> 
> That is where I stole it from Ware. I hope you did not mind. I started with that and then I edited it. I could not find a Green Square one to use as a starter.


Not at all. I just emailed you one without the white box (I added your text to the original) if you would rather use it.


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## Sam23

Ware said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks pennstater2005 .
> 
> That is where I borrowed it from Ware. I hope you did not mind. I started with that and then I edited it. I could not find a Green Square one to use as a starter.
> 
> 
> 
> Not at all. I just emailed you one without the white box (I added your text to the original) if you would rather use it.
Click to expand...

Thanks @Ware I received your email and changed all.


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## pennstater2005

Now for the mow tall t shirt :thumbup:


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## Suburban Jungle Life

Sam23 said:


> Suburban Jungle Life said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm rocking a honda. I was wondering if there was a way to get it higher than 4". I have the hrr. I thought about putting the hrx wheels on it since they are an inch bigger but I don't think the back will work since the gear looks bigger. I thought about cutting tread off a car tire and glue/screw it to the current plastic wheels. A fresh car tire would probably add over an inch. I just don't want it to hit the deck. I also thought about a way to have a new notch for the adjuster. If you move it more, the mower does go higher but I need a new notch to lock it in. Any ideas?
> 
> 
> 
> At the risk of jacking up your mower you might want to sell it convert to a HRX217. I here it has 6 settings, but an HRX217 user on here will have to confirm on high that is.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the HRX and HRR have the same mowing height of 4". Doh! The HRX mows lower so maybe that's why it has more settings.


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## Sam23

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Suburban Jungle Life said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'm rocking a honda. I was wondering if there was a way to get it higher than 4". I have the hrr. I thought about putting the hrx wheels on it since they are an inch bigger but I don't think the back will work since the gear looks bigger. I thought about cutting tread off a car tire and glue/screw it to the current plastic wheels. A fresh car tire would probably add over an inch. I just don't want it to hit the deck. I also thought about a way to have a new notch for the adjuster. If you move it more, the mower does go higher but I need a new notch to lock it in. Any ideas?
> 
> 
> 
> At the risk of jacking up your mower you might want to sell it convert to a HRX217. I here it has 6 settings, but an HRX217 user on here will have to confirm on high that is.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Unfortunately, the HRX and HRR have the same mowing height of 4". Doh! The HRX mows lower so maybe that's why it has more settings.
Click to expand...

Well I would not be careful about mowing to tall or it will lay over and you do not want that. I believe if you search on GCI Turf Services YouTube channel I think he shows the same grass that you have. I also have seen on Ryan Knorr's Youtube channel where he discusses mowing to tall. I like to Mow Tall but not to the point to where it lays over but I have St. Augustine.


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## Suburban Jungle Life

Sam23 said:


> Suburban Jungle Life said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> At the risk of jacking up your mower you might want to sell it convert to a HRX217. I here it has 6 settings, but an HRX217 user on here will have to confirm on high that is.
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, the HRX and HRR have the same mowing height of 4". Doh! The HRX mows lower so maybe that's why it has more settings.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Well I would not be careful about mowing to tall or it will lay over and you do not want that. I believe if you search on GCI Turf Services YouTube channel I think he shows the same grass that you have. I also have seen on Ryan Knorr's Youtube channel where he discusses mowing to tall. I like to Mow Tall but not to the point to where it lays over but I have St. Augustine.
Click to expand...

In the summer, Pete mows at 5" or higher. I have let my grass grow and it'll stand up at 8". I'm not worried about that. I just want it to retain water better over a hot and dry summer since I don't want to irrigate. Ryan has trouble with KBG but my TTTF is a wider blade and stands nice and straight. Probably the same if not more so with st.aug. I think that is even wider bladed. The concern becomes fungus... I'm on a fungicide program so...


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## Sam23

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Suburban Jungle Life said:
> 
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, the HRX and HRR have the same mowing height of 4". Doh! The HRX mows lower so maybe that's why it has more settings.
> 
> 
> 
> Well I would not be careful about mowing to tall or it will lay over and you do not want that. I believe if you search on GCI Turf Services YouTube channel I think he shows the same grass that you have. I also have seen on Ryan Knorr's Youtube channel where he discusses mowing to tall. I like to Mow Tall but not to the point to where it lays over but I have St. Augustine.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> In the summer, Pete mows at 5" or higher. I have let my grass grow and it'll stand up at 8". I'm not worried about that. I just want it to retain water better over a hot and dry summer since I don't want to irrigate. Ryan has trouble with KBG but my TTTF is a wider blade and stands nice and straight. Probably the same if not more so with st.aug. I think that is even wider bladed. The concern becomes fungus... I'm on a fungicide program so...
Click to expand...

Ya, you do not want to Mow Tall to the point of getting Fungus. I saw that was Knorr's issue but right he has KBG.


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## dfw_pilot

Sam23 said:


> What does the acronym "HOC" stand for. I see members use it all the time.


Don't forget there is an acronyms thread.


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## Sam23

dfw_pilot said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> What does the acronym "HOC" stand for. I see members use it all the time.
> 
> 
> 
> Don't forget there is an acronyms thread.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that help me out a lot.


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## Stegs

Sam23 said:


> @Stegs Welcome, My local dealer sells Scags here. I overheard him talking to a customer and he stated he sold 15 last month. Sounds like they are very popular, especially with the Pros. That is a good chunk of change.
> *I thought only Dodge's had Hemis. *


Well maybe, but i was reading on kawasaki website about the fx730v (which is what i have)

The heads on those motors are hemispherical (hemi)

I guess thats why kawi motors make such good power at higher RPM. Thats where those heads are designed to breath

years ago when i did commercial lawn care, it was known in the industry that kohler had torque, and kawi had high rpm power

Thats why alot of Garden tractors come with kohler, more torque for pulling/tilling/pushing/snowblowing etc

But if you talk to alot of commercial lawncare guys, they like kawi because wide open throttle (where there mowers run 99% of the time) they get more power there.

My old scag and exmark both had kohlers, the exmark was efi. I went to kawi on the vride and its a noticeable difference.

Those blades howl under the deck, and kawi vtwins just sound sweet at idle


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## Suburban Jungle Life

I know pro mowers which are large have a great vacuum compared to a standard 21" mower. I always wondered if it was just the power of maybe because they all like to discharge clippings. I noticed my mower does fine on mulch mode but on discharge, I can see the grass getting sucked up. The vacuum is a lot more. The difference is impressive! I guess the air has to go somewhere... Now I discharge instead. As long as it isn't too overgrown, the discharged cuttings dry out in the sun and disappear into the grass. Looks the same as mulching but I get a better and cleaner cut. Anyone experience this?


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## Sam23

Question is do you get fungus because you mow to tall or because you irrigate to much with tall grass or is it a combination of both?


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## Stegs

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> I know pro mowers which are large have a great vacuum compared to a standard 21" mower. I always wondered if it was just the power of maybe because they all like to discharge clippings. I noticed my mower does fine on mulch mode but on discharge, I can see the grass getting sucked up. The vacuum is a lot more. The difference is impressive! I guess the air has to go somewhere... Now I discharge instead. As long as it isn't too overgrown, the discharged cuttings dry out in the sun and disappear into the grass. Looks the same as mulching but I get a better and cleaner cut. Anyone experience this?


your best cut will always be bagging or side dischage. Air flow is directly related to quality of cut. Mulching will always give you the worst cut, b/c the air and no where to go.

Ryan Knorr did a video on exactly this with his timemaster. Mulching is not a very clean cut, but as soon as he did side discharge, he got a cleaner, level cut.

The reason that commercial mowers have a cleaner cut is a few different things.

1. Horsepower....they have alot of it....My dads scag turf tiger has a 35HP B&S big block engine. For comparison this JD 4115 compact loader tractor is only 23 Hp

2. Hi lift blades. They are designed to lift grass (vacuum) cut it 1 time and throw it out of the deck. Hi volume discharge can handle alot of clipping at 1 time.....cut it 1 time and throw it out

3. Deck design and baffles. My scag has a adjustable front baffle. The lower the baffle, the more vacuum you get, but the clippings dont seem to throw as far(more airflow pulling up over throwing clippings out)

Now if i raise the baffle, i get less vacuum, but more discharge velocity. So you adjust it to what your grass needs.

Scag has the velocity plus deck, toro has the turbo force deck, bobcat has the airfx deck, ferris has the ICD deck. All of these designes are made for maximum lift and discharge

Scag i believe has the widest deck opening of all the mowers.....so it can discharge the most clippings without clumping

toro has the the turbo force which allows you to open or reduce the discharge opening size......(the smaller the opening, the higher the velocity. )


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## Suburban Jungle Life

Sam23 said:


> Question is do you get fungus because you mow to tall or because you irrigate to much with tall grass or is it a combination of both?


Fescue is prone to fungus in the hot weather. If it gets good airflow, cut shorter, then there is less chance of fungus. The problem I have is I don't want it short for when the weather gets hot. The long blades shade the ground more and reduce loss of soil moisture. Sometimes we'll get a lot of rain but I want to keep it tall so then fungus becomes a problem. But, a week later, it's dry and hot again. I don't want to mow it low and then hope it grows tall enough for the next dry heat wave. So, I guess having it tall and too much water or rain creates a breeding ground for fungus. Transition zone problems. Cool season grass isn't good for our summers but warm season grass isn't good for our winters. Gotta pick one and be stuck with their drawbacks.

I don't irrigate. My goal is to have a decent lawn without using water. Whatever nature supplies. I only water during seeding and lightly to keep it moist. I'm not a fan of paying for all that water and to me, it seems a bit of a waste to use drinking water to water the grass. Irrigation isn't popular around me. I don't think I've seen anyone aside from a few corporate office's that have any irrigation. Just not popular here I guess. I know florida is the opposite! But I also hear their water supply may not always be city water for irritation but the local ponds instead.


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## social port

After thinking about it some more, I think I like reel low vs cool cut.
Cool cut TTTF, cool cut KBG, cool cut St Aug, and so on.
I think it flows well, e.g.: "how do you maintain your KBG, reel low or cool cut?"


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## PHXCobra

Rotary for me.... for now.

We only have grass in our back where the children play and the dog does her thing.

If we do the front (the wife and I have discussed it) I want it to be reel low and dominate the neighbors. We have a couple of neighbors that have good looking grass and one with fake grass. Just about everyone else either has dead grass, weeds, or rock.


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## IaHawk

Rotary4Life. Just kidding...I might try out the reel mower at some point but I'm new to all of this so I'm sure it's a few years down the road after a full reno.


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## Topcat

I go both ways - My backyard is St Aug that I keep between 3-4" My front is Bermuda that I keep at .5". I really like both of them, however if I did not have so much shade in the backyard, I'd probably go with reel low in the back as well. The St Aug looks great when healthy. I am battling Fungus in the St Aug this year. We've had a VERY wet spring, and so far a very wet summer, with rain just about EVERY single day for the last two and a half weeks. I typically water my St Aug twice a week in the dead of summer with temps hovering around 95 degrees. The copious rain is causing a lot of headaches for me this year. My backyard has not dried out in over three weeks.


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## driver_7

I have a Honda rotary, for now, that I use on my Bermuda lawn. I would like to move up to a reel soon, hopefully after this season. Not in the budget this summer though. :bandit:


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## dfw_pilot

@717driver, Bid three-day trips, use PGR, and your Bermuda will do _reely_ nice.


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## ericgautier

PHXCobra said:


> Rotary for me.... for now.


+1 :thumbup:

I'm currently at 3.5" on my eXmark.


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## Bunnysarefat

My baby when she first arrived. I keep her sharp and she keeps the St. Aug happy. It did a decent job on my bermuda when it's all I had but rotary only gets so good for bermuda.


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## dfw_pilot

Nice Toro/Honda, BAF.


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## gene_stl

I have a Hustler Flip Up 52" with a Kohler 25 hp. It cuts great! and fast. It's back at the dealer now for warranty service. (the fuel gauge and hour meter have both failed) and I am having suspension front forks and seat suspension springs installed too. Before the dealer came to pick it up I roared over the whole 1.9 acres in two hours. I was at full throttle the whole time.
The maximum HOC is said to be 4.75 inches. I use side discharge and if I ever get any clumps which is rare and unusual I just wait till they dry and run over them again. I also ground up lots of leftover leaves too.
https://www.hustlerturf.com/products/raptor-flip-up

I do have a five gang ProMow tow behind reel mower that I bought used from a farmer who has a little league field on his land. But it needs major service/rebuilding/grinding/backlapping. My dealer is going to check with one of his golf course buddies to see if he can get it relief ground for me. (five reels!)
http://www.promow.com/products/sport_series_mower.htm


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## MasterMech

Stegs said:


> Sam23 said:
> 
> 
> 
> @Stegs Welcome, My local dealer sells Scags here. I overheard him talking to a customer and he stated he sold 15 last month. Sounds like they are very popular, especially with the Pros. That is a good chunk of change.
> *I thought only Dodge's had Hemis. *
> 
> 
> 
> Well maybe, but i was reading on kawasaki website about the fx730v (which is what i have)
> 
> The heads on those motors are hemispherical (hemi)
> 
> I guess thats why kawi motors make such good power at higher RPM. Thats where those heads are designed to breath
> 
> years ago when i did commercial lawn care, it was known in the industry that kohler had torque, and kawi had high rpm power
> 
> Thats why alot of Garden tractors come with kohler, more torque for pulling/tilling/pushing/snowblowing etc
> 
> But if you talk to alot of commercial lawncare guys, they like kawi because wide open throttle (where there mowers run 99% of the time) they get more power there.
> 
> My old scag and exmark both had kohlers, the exmark was efi. I went to kawi on the vride and its a noticeable difference.
> 
> Those blades howl under the deck, and kawi vtwins just sound sweet at idle
Click to expand...

Kawi has been building Hemis for a long time. Anything that says V-Valve on the valve cover(s) is a giveaway. They have a couple "wedge" designs too. Kawi has always made good power for their size and sounded great, Kohlers tend to have less maintenance over time (hydraulic valve lifters!), and Briggs are just brutes in the Power department. Talking real commercial grade engines here, not the entry level stuff! Those Intek twins that are on so many lawn tractors are amazing for the $$. If they had a decent air filter on them they'd last a LOT longer. And none of them hold a candle to the Yanmar 3 cyl gas engine Deere used on the 322 garden tractor, and the 1420 front mowers.

Fun fact, the little Kawi FD liquid cooled v-twin that powered the first and second generation John Deere Gators sounds incredible sans muffler! :lol:


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## Jconnelly6b

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> I know pro mowers which are large have a great vacuum compared to a standard 21" mower. I always wondered if it was just the power of maybe because they all like to discharge clippings. I noticed my mower does fine on mulch mode but on discharge, I can see the grass getting sucked up. The vacuum is a lot more. The difference is impressive! I guess the air has to go somewhere... Now I discharge instead. As long as it isn't too overgrown, the discharged cuttings dry out in the sun and disappear into the grass. Looks the same as mulching but I get a better and cleaner cut. Anyone experience this?


I made that exact same decision 6 weeks ago, for the exact same reasons. I was mulching for 3 Year's prior to the realization.


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## Green

Jconnelly6b said:


> Suburban Jungle Life said:
> 
> 
> 
> I know pro mowers which are large have a great vacuum compared to a standard 21" mower. I always wondered if it was just the power of maybe because they all like to discharge clippings. I noticed my mower does fine on mulch mode but on discharge, I can see the grass getting sucked up. The vacuum is a lot more. The difference is impressive! I guess the air has to go somewhere... Now I discharge instead. As long as it isn't too overgrown, the discharged cuttings dry out in the sun and disappear into the grass. Looks the same as mulching but I get a better and cleaner cut. Anyone experience this?
> 
> 
> 
> I made that exact same decision 6 weeks ago, for the exact same reasons. I was mulching for 3 Year's prior to the realization.
Click to expand...

Side discharge really doesn't seem that different from mulching, imho. With a mulching mower, it seems to mulch either way. Maybe not quite as much, but it's still mulching. It probably spreads them just as evenly as regular mulch mowing if you mow the traditional way (no striping). Yes, I noticed it cuts tall grass better since it's not keeping it under the mower for as long. When my mower wasn't working so well, mulching really took a hit. Side discharge worked much better until I had it fixed.


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## Jconnelly6b

Anyone thought of putting high octane fuel in their mower? Does it run faster?


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## Lawn_newbie

Rotary mower here, Honda HRX 21", on Bermuda at 2".

Reel mowing would be nice but I have to get a handle on the basics: fertilizing, watering, and getting the land smoother. I would likely need to get rid of several trees or constantly be in the yard picking up twigs.


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## g-man

Jconnelly6b said:


> Anyone thought of putting high octane fuel in their mower? Does it run faster?


Octane number is a rating/index on the ability of the fuel/air mixture to "hold" under compression and avoid knocking. It doesnt make any engine run faster. There is a screw in the carb that could be used to set the engine to run faster.


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## Eric

Jconnelly6b said:


> Anyone thought of putting high octane fuel in their mower? Does it run faster?


Simple way to make a 21" mower run faster, upgrade to a 36/48" commercial mower! I'm on the lookout for one, although wife doesn't understand why I need a $2500 mower for a 8k yard! I just tell her it's normal, and I show her @ericgautier pictures!


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## gene_stl

@Eric Tell your wife "for gracious living!" :lol:
Here is a video of interest to rotary cutters;





Edit: Just noticed that Topcat posted this video in its own thread. I came up in my you tube feed since my searches have been very lawn oriented. But in case anyone missed it I will leave it.


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## ericgautier

Eric said:


> Simple way to make a 21" mower run faster, upgrade to a 36/48" commercial mower! I'm on the lookout for one, although wife doesn't understand why I need a $2500 mower for a 8k yard! I just tell her it's normal, and I show her @ericgautier pictures!


For an 8k yard, the 48" will do quick work. :thumbup: Can't put a price on the time you save mowing. :lol:


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## Green

I have to take back what I said about side discharge. When I tried it the other day again, the clippings did not get mulched...they were big. Maybe because the lawn was long, or maybe the side discharge only mulched when the mower wasn't working right because the suction was sub-par. I don't know.


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## steensn

gene_stl said:


> @Eric Tell your wife "for gracious living!" :lol:
> Here is a video of interest to rotary cutters;
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Edit: Just noticed that Topcat posted this video in its own thread. I came up in my you tube feed since my searches have been very lawn oriented. But in case anyone missed it I will leave it.


I saw that video too. Early on he states that "you would think there would lawn mowers that cut like scissors..." (rough quote). I laughed and wondered if anyone here would freak out.


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## gene_stl

There are lawn mowers that cut like scissors. Not reels but sickle bar mowers which are often used as brush cutters and hay cutters.
https://bcsamerica.com/product/sickle-bar-mower
https://www.farm-king.com/pages/product_ht_sickle-bar-mower.php
https://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/implements-mowing/cutterbarmowers/


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