# The Case For Reel Mowing



## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

The change in turf quality by simply reel mowing is absolutely incredible. These pictures are one year apart. Same grass, same fertilizer regimen, same everything...except the GM 1600. If you're on the fence, just do it. Also, I'd love to see other people's before and afters.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

Looks awesome, @Philly_Gunner!

I agree. Reel mowing is a game changer at any HOC.


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## Passat774 (Oct 9, 2018)

Wow! No levelling either just mowing?!

What is your HOC


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

Passat774 said:


> Wow! No levelling either just mowing?!
> 
> What is your HOC


Ok, I forgot leveling. I've only done one level as it currently is. Was cutting at .625 but with all the rain we've had recently I bumped it to .750.


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## JayGo (Jun 13, 2019)

For sure, @Philly_Gunner. Funny how just the cut alone makes for a better appearance.


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## jayhawk (Apr 18, 2017)

Great thread. Imo, it's the 'game-changer' ...not seaweed, or the latest super juice (carbon, cannibis, trt)


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

jayhawk said:


> Great thread. Imo, it's the 'game-changer' ...not seaweed, or the latest super juice (carbon, cannibis, trt)


Haha, exactly Jayhawk!! The NEW triple coated, reverse osmosis processed, sea kelp extract combined with nature's ideal ratio of biosolids and carbon paired with quadratic equation engineered prills to make your yard the envy of your neighbors.


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## Mightyquinn (Jan 31, 2017)

I agree that reel mowing takes your lawn to a whole new level and the quality of cut over a rotary is second to none. It just can't compare in my eyes. I guess if you like long grass I can see why you wouldn't want to reel mow but to me there is nothing better than seeing a close mowed lawn that looks like carpet.

I know when I went from a rotary to my TruCut, I was astonished at how much better the lawn looked after a mow then it did with the rotary. I will have to say that the same was true when I went from a TruCut to a greens mower as the quality of cut was even better as I think it has something to do with the reel speed and the drive speed being in sync as opposed to the TruCut which are independent of each other.

As for fertilizers I have found that there is no magic bullet out there and the old school stuff works just as well as all this new fangled crap at 2-3 times the price most of it is just marketing and snake oil salesman.


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

I've always said that bermuda, especially a hybrid, is a COMPLETELY different grass when mowed below an inch vs. above an inch. I also get way more pop out of a cheap bag of 10-10-10 than I do from the over-engineered stuff.


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## CaptPat (May 5, 2021)

I'd like to move to a reel, but with 2.3 acres I haven't found a triplex at the right price point that won't require a big investment in time and money to get right.


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## Chuckatuck89 (Mar 28, 2019)

CaptPat said:


> I'd like to move to a reel, but with 2.3 acres I haven't found a triplex at the right price point that won't require a big investment in time and money to get right.


This is the key, I don't think anyone here "wants" to rotary mow their hybrid Bermuda, there's just a high barrier of entry in terms of cost, time, and effort to upgrade to reel mowing.


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## dubyadubya87 (Mar 10, 2020)

It's like night and day. Good looking yard @Philly_Gunner


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## Tmank87 (Feb 13, 2019)

Chuckatuck89 said:


> CaptPat said:
> 
> 
> > I'd like to move to a reel, but with 2.3 acres I haven't found a triplex at the right price point that won't require a big investment in time and money to get right.
> ...


Yep, generally just different degrees of "want" for the most part. It is really either a priority, or it isn't. Which, by the way, both are completely fine.


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

dubyadubya87 said:


> It's like night and day. Good looking yard @Philly_Gunner


Thanks!


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

Redtwin said:


> Looks awesome, @Philly_Gunner!
> 
> I agree. Reel mowing is a game changer at any HOC.


Coming from you, that's a huge compliment. Thank you.


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

This is a before and after of my backyard but with the robot 2 months apart. I did scalp it once with a rotary to help speed the process along. 1st picture is August 16, 2nd is October 18th.


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

Boy_meets_lawn said:


> This is a before and after of my backyard but with the robot 2 months apart. I did scalp it once with a rotary to help speed the process along. 1st picture is August 16, 2nd is October 18th.


That's pretty cool. What height does the robot cut at? Any issues with it thus far?


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## Phids (Sep 24, 2020)

Philly_Gunner said:


> The NEW triple coated, reverse osmosis processed, sea kelp extract combined with nature's ideal ratio of biosolids and carbon paired with quadratic equation engineered prills to make your yard the envy of your neighbors.


Hmmmm....does SiteOne carry that? 🤔


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

That was at 0.8" last year which is the default lowest setting. I modified a fairway kit to fit my model and its now cutting at 5/8th.

Only issue I have had was the mower got stuck in a corner one time and I had to place it back in the charging station. I'm pretty much running it the max area its rated to cover and while it has a lot of charge cycles everything is working as new so far.


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

Here's a recent picture, not the best lighting though.


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## PhxHeat (Oct 18, 2019)

Seeded bermuda from several varieties bought from the big box stores over the years.

Cutting with a reel mower has made a HUGE improvement in the quality of my common bermuda. Much much much softer (no more "ouchie" grass :lol: ) and a lot of neighborhood folks can't believe it's the same grass just cut shorter.

Probably my best looking rotary cut, Sept 2019 at 1-1/2".









2020 was spent pushing growth & spread. Scalping to start at a 1/2" from the taller rotary height really opened my eyes to how much a taller grass canopy creates the illusion of a thicker lawn.

Here is Mid-May 2021, playing at 1/2" before the 100°s rolled in.


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

Boy_meets_lawn said:


> Here's a recent picture, not the best lighting though.


That's impressive!! Color and density looks great. What is the maximum cutting area?


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

PhxHeat said:


> Seeded bermuda from several varieties bought from the big box stores over the years.
> 
> Cutting with a reel mower has made a HUGE improvement in the quality of my common bermuda. Much much much softer (no more "ouchie" grass :lol: ) and a lot of neighborhood folks can't believe it's the same grass just cut shorter.
> 
> ...


Dang, that looks great. Well done.


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## burntfire (Dec 10, 2020)

Can everyone stop posting their reel mows? It's annoying...

because I'm extremely jealous.


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

Philly_Gunner said:


> Boy_meets_lawn said:
> 
> 
> > Here's a recent picture, not the best lighting though.
> ...


0.25 acres is the maximum spec yard size for the 310.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Philly_Gunner said:


> The change in turf quality by simply reel mowing is absolutely incredible. These pictures are one year apart. Same grass, same fertilizer regimen, same everything...except the GM 1600. If you're on the fence, just do it. Also, I'd love to see other people's before and afters.


How about the frequency of mowing? I'd love to see a control case where someone was mowing Bermuda at 1" 3x/week with a rotary and then swapped to a reel at the same height.

Switching to a reel does a few things to benefit. You mow with a sharper cut, you don't scalp due to the design of the mower, and you mow more frequently as a reel does not handle overgrowth well.


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## BUbbaSwine (May 8, 2018)

Would a manual reel produce similar results? Thinking Fiskars or Scotts


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## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

MasterMech said:


> Philly_Gunner said:
> 
> 
> > The change in turf quality by simply reel mowing is absolutely incredible. These pictures are one year apart. Same grass, same fertilizer regimen, same everything...except the GM 1600. If you're on the fence, just do it. Also, I'd love to see other people's before and afters.
> ...


I agree with your statement, more frequent mowings without scalping will definitely benefit short cut turf appearance. My backyard that is robot mowed is probably twice the density of my front yard with the same input at the same hoc. The only difference is I have to manually reel mow the front. If someone with a level yard cut at 1" 2 or 3 times a week with a rotary and used pgr I think it would be hard to tell.


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## PhxHeat (Oct 18, 2019)

Thanks @Philly_Gunner, yours is looking good too. Be nice to see some more rotary to reel lawns.


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## dubyadubya87 (Mar 10, 2020)

BUbbaSwine said:


> Would a manual reel produce similar results? Thinking Fiskars or Scotts


Yes, but only to a point. I've got a Scotts from HD that I've been pleased with during my renovation, but as my grass thickens up, it's getting increasingly harder to mow. I have to double-cut to get the smooth appearance I want and even then you can see small ripples from the reel. A greensmower or powered reel is on my wish list to get that increased reel speed/spin.


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## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

The only thing I have changed was reel mowing. The after photo hasn't even had fertilizer yet this year.

Before. Taken last year after a mow with my Zero Turn. It doesn't look horrible.


After. I think it looks nicer. Same area of the yard as last year, but different angle.


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

Chuckatuck89 said:


> CaptPat said:
> 
> 
> > I'd like to move to a reel, but with 2.3 acres I haven't found a triplex at the right price point that won't require a big investment in time and money to get right.
> ...


Agree with that. Arguably, my neighbor is as happy or happier about their lawn as I am mine. I reel mow 2 per week or more depending on the time of year. My neighbor has his done every 10 days by a guy on a zero turn. Sure, they look different but his is as nice as anyone else in the area. Mine is over the top and I enjoy it but you do have to want to do it and want to keep doing it.


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

Deltahedge said:


> The only thing I have changed was reel mowing. The after photo hasn't even had fertilizer yet this year.
> 
> Before. Taken last year after a mow with my Zero Turn. It doesn't look horrible.
> 
> ...


Beautiful home and lawn. Those little stones by the walkway are a "reel" nightmare though. 😂


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## DFWLawnNut (Jul 7, 2020)

PhxHeat said:


> Seeded bermuda from several varieties bought from the big box stores over the years.
> 
> Cutting with a reel mower has made a HUGE improvement in the quality of my common bermuda. Much much much softer (no more "ouchie" grass :lol: ) and a lot of neighborhood folks can't believe it's the same grass just cut shorter.
> 
> ...


I get asked the same thing about my bermuda and the neighbors thinking it something different than theirs. Not a day goes by that Im out in the lawn without getting questions about it. I normally have some earbuds in listening to music but have since moved to some muffs so people know I cant hear them lol. Im hoping it'll eventually just keep em from asking questions so I can finish work lol. DARN LOOKEY LOUS!


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## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

Philly_Gunner said:


> Beautiful home and lawn. Those little stones by the walkway are a "reel" nightmare though. 😂


The 0.5" black star granite was a good idea on paper only. It's a nightmare. If I could have a do-over, I might consider grass between the pavers, but most likely 2" Mexican river stone.


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## Philly_Gunner (Apr 23, 2019)

Deltahedge said:


> Philly_Gunner said:
> 
> 
> > Beautiful home and lawn. Those little stones by the walkway are a "reel" nightmare though. 😂
> ...


Man, that would look awesome.


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## sam36 (Apr 14, 2020)

Curious what the science is behind the better look with reel mowing? Does the bermuda just branch out more and make better sod when cut below 1" or something? Or is it something like a rotary "sucks" up all the runners and prevents a dense sod from forming?


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## walk1355 (May 31, 2018)

sam36 said:


> Curious what the science is behind the better look with reel mowing? Does the bermuda just branch out more and make better sod when cut below 1" or something? Or is it something like a rotary "sucks" up all the runners and prevents a dense sod from forming?


A reel mower cuts the grass like a pair of scissors would cut a piece of paper.

A rotary mower is literally just whacking the grass off with a high speed blade.

Do an experiment, cut a sheet of paper with a pair of scissors, then cut a different piece of paper by swinging a knife at it. which one looks like it got a cleaner cut?


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