Got Reel Mower Questions?
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Leave us a comment with your question, and we’ll do our best to answer it for you. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll look it up!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I have an old Boulavard reel mower made by F & N Lawnmower Co. It cuts great, would like to keep using it. I had a tire go bad, all that is left is the metal wheel with a ridge in the center. Is there a place to get a tire ?
Thanks…..Bob
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I’m not an expert on antique reel mowers, unfortunately.
I recommend trying http://www2.crocker.com/~jricci/ to see if they know anything. I’d say the chances are very slim that you’ll be able to find a tire for it.
Last night, as I was mowing, I discovered that sometimes when I push the mower the blade doesn’t catch and rotate. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Why? And more important, how I do fix it?
Thanks, John
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What kind of a mower do you have?
Typically, there is a gear inside of the wheel of the mower. When you push the mower, the gear turns the blades. In some mowers, the gear is plastic, and can wear out over time. In other cases, it could be that the wheel filled up with grass or something like that.
If the cog is worn out, you can typically get a replacement from the manufacturer for just a few bucks.
So I would take off the wheel and take a look and see if that is your problem, and then go from there.
I believe my mower is a Scotts 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower. (I am at work, so I can’t run to the garage to confirm.) Do those models have that particular problem?
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Yes. So you’ll want to check the wheel first, because that cog might need to be replaced.
Thanks. I’ll give it a try.
I HAVE A ECLIPSE LAWN MOWER COMPANY SERIES 1110 GAS WALK BEHIND REEL MOWER AND I NEED NEW WHEELS FOR IT .(THE RUBBER THAT GOES AROUND THE METAL HUBS). CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO SOME OR HOW TO RETROFIT IT. THEY MEASURE 7 1/2 IN DIAMETER BUT 9 1/2 WOULD BE BETTER TO MAKE IT AN EVEN CUT.
THANK YOU,
KARL BEARD
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Sorry, I don’t have much expertise in gas mowers, so I’m not sure what to suggest.
My reel mower squeals really badly and someone suggested I set the blade back a little. How do I do that? How much noise is normal for a reel mower, they aren’t silent are they? It is unbearable at this point, like opening an old rusty gate.
I tried wd-40 on the blade but feel very eco-unfriendly and it only keeps the squeal away for 1/2 the mow.
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How the blades are adjusted depends upon the mower brand and model.
Most of the American Lawnmower models have two screws on each side that adjusts the cutter bar closer or further away from the blades. You can see photos on this page that explain how to adjust the blades on a Scotts Classic. Maybe you can figure out your own mower model from looking there?
A fascinating website. I live in NJ and I am looking for a petrol powered cylinder lawn mower which has the roller at the back. All of the petrol powered cylinder mowers I have seen so far are either industrial size or are for greens and have no roller. Do you know of any USA manufacturers which make mowers similar to Atco or Suffolk in the UK?
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McLane makes gas powered reel mowers in the United States.
I don’t have any expertise in gasoline powered equipment, so I cannot vouch for them or give you any detailed information.
http://reelmowersetc.com/power_seven_blade_reel_mower.htm
I purchased an 18″ Great States/American Reel Mower with a basket to catch the grass. We have dogs in our yard, and for ease of keeping the dogs “grass clippings free”, would like to use the basket. My problem is, the basket dumps the grass blades that it catches back into the rotating blades, which in turn throws the clippings in front of and under the mower. The basket is attached by a plastic clip underneath that runs the width of the basket, onto a rod on the mower. This clip rotates up as I mow, much like a dump truck emptying its contents. There is also a chain and hook to attach to the handle above the basket. The model of the mower is 816-18. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you for your time.
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One thing that might help is emptying your basket more often. Although the basket will hold a lot of grass, as it starts to fill up, it isn’t as effective.
In general, reel mower catchers aren’t quite as effective as power mower catchers, because you don’t have the vacuum action like you get with a power mower. It’s just mechanical force and gravity throwing it back.
Hi,
I have a 20in Task-Force reel mower that works great except for ‘missing spots’ here and there. In some cases in run around the spot several times from several angles and the mower just won’t cut the grass in question. Any thoughts?
thanks
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I’m not a big fan of those Task Force mowers. In my opinion, they are kind of junky.
But to answer your question, it could be several things that are causing your problem.
1. It might be the mower itself. If the manufacturing tolerance is bad and the reel or cutter bar won’t align properly, then you’ll never be able to get it correctly adjusted and you’ll have spots where the mower won’t cut. But if that were the case, you’d probably be missing some grass with every row that you mow.
2. It might be that the mower is just not adjusted correctly. The owner’s manual of that mower should have instructions on how to adjust the blades. Check that to make sure it is adjusted.
3. It might be that you have some weird shoots of grass that just don’t deal very well with a reel mower. Is it really tall shoots that are going to seed? Those tall shoots are sometimes hard to cut with a reel mower. Same goes with things like dandelions, or any other tall willowy kinds of weeds.
Decades ago I remember seeing reel mowers that worked backwards and forwards, so that when you came to the end of a row, you could just switch the handle to the opposite side and mow the return row without having to turn the whole mower. Does anyone remember these? Do they still exist?
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I am familiar with a Black & Decker corded electric mower that works that way, but I have never heard of a push reel mower like that.
If anyone would know, if would be the gentleman who runs this site:
http://users.crocker.com/~jricci/ Reel Lawn Mower History & Preservation Project