# GM 1000 BedKnife Replacement



## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

I just ordered a Fairway Cut bedknife from R&R and replacement screws. Is there any prep work that needs to be done to the bedknife or GM 1000 that will need to be done. I have never done this before.


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## dfw_pilot (Jan 28, 2017)

@g01fer41ife, I put this in the Equipment section for better visibility. Cheers.


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

@dfw_pilot Thank you! I wasn't sure which one to put it in.


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

I have read where I might need to grind the new bedknife at a certain degree/angle in order to marry it with my reel and then I would be good to go. Does anyone have any experience in doing this themselves? I have a golf course where I can carry it and they will do it but I would like to do it myself if possible.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

g01fer41ife said:


> I have read where I might need to grind the new bedknife at a certain degree/angle in order to marry it with my reel and then I would be good to go. Does anyone have any experience in doing this themselves? I have a golf course where I can carry it and they will do it but I would like to do it myself if possible.


To grind either the knife or the reel, you generally need some specialized equipment. I'd head over to the course with it and let them throw it on the grinder. Even if you don't have the equipment, you can learn exactly how it's done if they'll let you watch.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

If you can't find a course with a grinder, you can do a backlap if you have the means to do so. You're really just trying to marry the two surfaces with each other, and the backlapping does that if you don't have access to a grinder.


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

Colonel K0rn said:


> If you can't find a course with a grinder, you can do a backlap if you have the means to do so. You're really just trying to marry the two surfaces with each other, and the backlapping does that if you don't have access to a grinder.


Thank you, I do have access to a course that I could carry it to. Only issue is I don't have a truck so I would have to arrange someone to help me carry it bs figuring out how to do it myself. I dont want to take a lot of material off the reel. If I just backlap without grinding the bedknife would that not take a lot of product off?


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

MasterMech said:


> g01fer41ife said:
> 
> 
> > I have read where I might need to grind the new bedknife at a certain degree/angle in order to marry it with my reel and then I would be good to go. Does anyone have any experience in doing this themselves? I have a golf course where I can carry it and they will do it but I would like to do it myself if possible.
> ...


Yes, if they will let me watch I would love to learn how to do it. I have been trying to find good videos doing it. Brett's Grasscapades does one for his but I don't know if he did anything to the bedknife prior. Or how much material is removed from the reel during the bedknife. I am still very new to the reel life and trying to learn everything I can.


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## Colonel K0rn (Jul 4, 2017)

g01fer41ife said:


> Colonel K0rn said:
> 
> 
> > If you can't find a course with a grinder, you can do a backlap if you have the means to do so. You're really just trying to marry the two surfaces with each other, and the backlapping does that if you don't have access to a grinder.
> ...


Can't you just remove the cutting unit and take that to them? I can separate the cutting head and drive unit on my Flex 21.


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

Colonel K0rn said:


> g01fer41ife said:
> 
> 
> > Colonel K0rn said:
> ...


I am not sure on that. I have only had the GM 1000 for a few weeks. Only used it 2 times so far so I am not that knowledgeable yet on this unit. I will look into it and see if there is a way to remove just the cutting unit though. That would be a great thing to know and would make things like this go a lot easier.


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## bigmks (May 22, 2018)

Only the flex head can detach. The GM1000 head is fixed. You would have to take the whole reel mower.


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## vwbeaner (Nov 30, 2019)

When I put a new 8 blade reel on my GM1000 with an old bedknife I backlapped it for 10-15 minutes or so and it cuts paper like a champ. Make sure you have the proper tools to do the job too, hand impact tool, hammer, bedknife bit, anti seize, new screws, torque wrench if your picky and look up the torque sequence. (That's my recommendation for tools anyway.) I made a screw bit with a grinder and an impact extension for about $4 vs buying one for $25 from R&R.


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

bigmks said:


> Only the flex head can detach. The GM1000 head is fixed. You would have to take the whole reel mower.


Thank you, that is what I suspected but I was not sure 100%.



vwbeaner said:


> When I put a new 8 blade reel on my GM1000 with an old bedknife I backlapped it for 10-15 minutes or so and it cuts paper like a champ. Make sure you have the proper tools to do the job too, hand impact tool, hammer, bedknife bit, anti seize, new screws, torque wrench if your picky and look up the torque sequence. (That's my recommendation for tools anyway.) I made a screw bit with a grinder and an impact extension for about $4 vs buying one for $25 from R&R.


Did it remove a lot of material from you new reel? Did you just use the anti-seize spray for the screws or did you use it as a lubrication between the bedknife and bedbar as well?


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

I received my replacement bedknife in the mail yesterday and un-boxed it with so much excitement only to notice that my lack of knowledge on the reel mower side and my not paying attention to details did not notice that the fairway cut bedknife that I ordered only has 7 screw holes instead of the 13 that my original bedbar has. I am not sure if that will make any difference and I am not going to take that chance. I have already contacted R&R to work out the Return Policy and then selected the correct bedknife with 13 screws that will allow me to cut up to 1". I do not plan on ever keeping my entire yard at 1" but when my yard is much healthier I plan to put in a putting green with a fringe and rough.


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## vwbeaner (Nov 30, 2019)

vwbeaner said:


> When I put a new 8 blade reel on my GM1000 with an old bedknife I backlapped it for 10-15 minutes or so and it cuts paper like a champ. Make sure you have the proper tools to do the job too, hand impact tool, hammer, bedknife bit, anti seize, new screws, torque wrench if your picky and look up the torque sequence. (That's my recommendation for tools anyway.) I made a screw bit with a grinder and an impact extension for about $4 vs buying one for $25 from R&R.


Did it remove a lot of material from you new reel? Did you just use the anti-seize spray for the screws or did you use it as a lubrication between the bedknife and bedbar as well?
[/quote]

I just put anti seize on the screws. I don't think backlapping removes a lot of material unless you use a lot of material and go for long amounts of time while backlapping. When I readjusted the reel to bedknife it was within a few clicks of the adjusters from where it orininaly was, so I would say no, it doesn't remove much material.


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## CoachLarry (Apr 12, 2020)

Quality of cut (reel to bedknife clearance) is by far the most important thing to pay attention to. Take your time and get this right. Golf course mechanics use tighter QOC (you can hear them sing) because they can grind their reels fairly regularly. You don''t want them in contact like that most likely. check your manual but JD usually recommends about 1-2 thousands clearance, I use .001. JD reels are very hard, the best. They don't backlap very easily, but they don't nick or deform much either. Good luck, take your time and enjoy.


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

CoachLarry said:


> Quality of cut (reel to bedknife clearance) is by far the most important thing to pay attention to. Take your time and get this right. Golf course mechanics use tighter QOC (you can hear them sing) because they can grind their reels fairly regularly. You don''t want them in contact like that most likely. check your manual but JD usually recommends about 1-2 thousands clearance, I use .001. JD reels are very hard, the best. They don't backlap very easily, but they don't nick or deform much either. Good luck, take your time and enjoy.


I get mine to where it can cut 2 pieces of paper and then I feel like I am ready to go from there. I am still getting into the reel mowing lifestyle so I am watching videos and reading everything on this site to get going. I have not really found and videos or anything like that on Quality of Cut (Reel to Bedknife clearance) settings that I am aware of. I have just been getting it to cut paper and then taking off.


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## CoachLarry (Apr 12, 2020)

g01fer41ife said:


> CoachLarry said:
> 
> 
> > Quality of cut (reel to bedknife clearance) is by far the most important thing to pay attention to. Take your time and get this right. Golf course mechanics use tighter QOC (you can hear them sing) because they can grind their reels fairly regularly. You don''t want them in contact like that most likely. check your manual but JD usually recommends about 1-2 thousands clearance, I use .001. JD reels are very hard, the best. They don't backlap very easily, but they don't nick or deform much either. Good luck, take your time and enjoy.
> ...


That works. On our reels we take a feeler gauge reading (or paper cut test) in the center of the reel first making sure to adjust both ends the same number of clicks until we get correct clearance at the middle. Then we do the ends of the reels, adjusting each end independently until we get correct clearance. Then recheck all three locations and make very small adjustments until you have uniform clearance across the reel. Search "reel to bedknife" on youtube, there are several videos.


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## g01fer41ife (Mar 4, 2020)

vwbeaner said:


> I made a screw bit with a grinder and an impact extension for about $4 vs buying one for $25 from R&R.


@vwbeaner Could you post a picture of the bit that you made?


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## vwbeaner (Nov 30, 2019)

I'll post a picture when I get home from work tonight.


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