Filter
Top Products
Reel Mowers 31
Toro University Technical Training
Reel mower sharpness and reel-to-bedknife
contact could affect:
Related Mowing Quality Issue:
Related Mowing Quality Issue:
• Visual quality
• Plant vigor
• Susceptibility to disease
Quality of cut can be affected by reel blade
sharpness and contact with the bedknife. There is a
lot of discussion in the industry about the desirability
of running units with light contact. One camp says
light contact is not necessary while the other says it
is if you want the best quality of cut.
We are interested not only in the effect of these
things on appearance, but the effect of leaf injury
resulting from a less than optimum set-up on plant
vigor and the plants susceptibility to disease. Most
believe that increasing injury increases susceptibility
to disease.
Factors that can affect aftercut appearance
• Tire pressure
• Engine governed speed
• Reel bearing
condition/adjustment
• Reel and bedknife
sharpness
• Bedknife parallel to reel
• Bedknife to reel contact
• Bedknife attitude
(angle)
• Roller(s) parallel to reel
• Height of cut (bench set
vs. actual)
• Bedknife selection
• Roller selection
• Cutting unit alignment
and ground following
• Roller and roller bearing
condition
• Reel speed
• Traction speed
• Cutting unit drop speed
and sequence
• Cutting unit
counterbalance or down
pressure setting
There are many factors that can affect after cut
appearance, including, condition of the mowing
equipment and agronomic factors. Turf conditions,
such as excessive thatch, sponginess, or attempting
to cut off too much grass height may not always be
overcome by adjusting the machine. It is important
to remember that, the lower the height of cut, the
more critical these factors are.
Also, remember that the effective or actual height of
cut depends on many factors, including, cutting unit
weight, cutting unit accessories, and turf conditions.
Effective height of cut will be different than the
bench set height of cut.