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| Ok ive had a very interesting question come up by one of my customers. and im gonna direct this question @tiemco or dchall maybe one of you can answer this. Reel or standard mower And the question is which is the better type mower for bermuda and zoysia grass? And is there a preference? i personally dont own a reel mower i own 4 Kubota ZD331 tractors and some smaller ones for those people who have gated yards that my big mowers wont fit thru. And i have noticed that alot of schools in my neighborhood use reel mowers on their football fields any thots on this. Im assuming the reel mowers cut way lower. I mean my ZTRs cut pretty low but not low low.. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by KubotaMaster 7A-Arkansas (My Page) on Mon, Jul 9, 12 at 12:30
| Yes i know i probably should shuld have posted this in the lawn mower or tractor forum but not many of them folks know the effects on the grass they are like me and only know about the mechanics of the mowers. |
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| There are a lot of Bermuda lawns around here and lots of lawn services. I've never seen any of them use a reel mower. Sure, you can get lower with the reel but that means more frequent mowing. Is there anyone in your customer base willing to hire you to mow three times per week? At higher mowing heights, the reel mower will definitely give a sharper and more even cut. That "sharp" look goes away with a couple of days of growth. So, IMO, you'd still have to mow much more often to really see the benefits of the reel. |
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| A properly sharpened and set up reel mower will always give a better cut than a rotary. Reel mowers cut like a pair of scissors, the grass is cut by a moving blade against a stationary bedknife. It also gives more even results as the bedknife holds the blades up while they are cut as opposed to being hit by a spinning blade with some lift provided by a suction effect from the blade. After I cut my lawn with a rotary I usually have some missed blades. Reel mowers are the only ones that can cut very short, so if you want to have a fairway for a yard, then you need a reel mower. A bumpy yard however, will give an uneven cut at low heights (the yard will look even, but the grass on mounds will be shorter and in the dips will be longer), and scalping can occur, but this is also true of rotaries too. Rotaries, if their blades aren't very sharp will tear grass blades, so you get ragged edges, which isn't great for grass, although a poorly sharpened reel can have its issues too. |
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- Posted by texas-weed 7A (My Page) on Mon, Jul 9, 12 at 18:56
| What it boils down to is quality and frequency of mowing. Most all Bermuda and Zoysia varieties look and perform best when kept less than 1-inch. Some Varieties you can go to less than 1/4 inch like those used on putting greens and sports feilds. But be very careful what you ask for. When you go lower than an inch requires more frequent mowing. On the order of two to 3 times a week mowing. . Get down to sports field and golf course height with Bermuda and you are talking every day mowing. In addition you are talking more water and fertilizer thus more expense. Great if you are a pro landscaper and have a customer with a large multi-acre lawn as you can keep 1 man full time there working every day. All you got to do is get the client to sign the contract for $1500/week... You get a $1000 and Pedro gets $500 a week. |
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- Posted by dchall_san_antonio 8 San Antonio (My Page) on Tue, Jul 10, 12 at 1:21
| Ditto. Reels mow better than rotary lower than 1 inch. Rotaries are much less expensive and do okay above 1 inch. |
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