reel maintenance Cancel The title field is required!

1. Ian Hunt

   

   0 posts
   
   7/17/2014 12:07 PM

   Can someone tell me what kind of reel maintenance you do between each time you grind your reels. Our mechanic only grinds and adjusts the contact between reel and bedknife every few days. I feel like we are grinding our reels way too often, once a week on walk mowers, and that we can do more backlapping and/or other type of maintenance to keep the reels sharp and cutting well.

   
   
   
   
2. Frank McQuiggan

   

   2 posts
   
   7/18/2014 4:07 AM

   Ian,
   
   My question for you would be is he just doing a light touch-up grind or is he hammering away on the reels to sharpen them? If he is doing just a light touch-up grind then great I'm all for it, it will produce a better quality cut for you, if he is needing to hammer away on the grind then something isn't right that he needs to grind that often. Also is he running contact or no contact on the bed knife to reel? No contact is what I run here, and I grind maybe every 2-3 weeks for greens, 1-1 1/2 months on fairways, same on Tees and approaches. Every time the machine goes out before its put away I check the reel to bed knife and HOC just to be on the safe side. Things happen out on the course reels get dropped on cart path, small stones, etc. As far as back lapping I am not a fan, I did it in the past and I see no real advantage to it. Plus I don't like to get my hands close to spinning reels.
   
   So I would have to say the only maintenance done for my reels is the grinding, no back lapping done here. Check the Bed knife contact, and HOC everyday and grind on the schedule that I use.

   
   
   
   
3. Henry Heinz

   

   0 posts
   
   7/18/2014 5:07 AM

   We will grind reels for greens weekly or bi-weekly if needed. We adjust reel to bedknife after every time out, no matter if it mows 1 green or 9 greens. We use a file or bedknife buddy, that's is a plastic block with a small section of file in it. We run this across our bedknife faces 3 to 4 passes every time we adjust the unit. It helps maintain that crisp edge on the knife. We grind fairway units every 3 to 3.5 weeks, never lap. I feel lapping helps cone a reel. If you are one who topdresses every week like we do, then touch up grinding is the best method, keeps the reel sharp longer, and keeps it a true cylinder when done correctly. For a lot of people lapping is a thing of the past. We can grind a triplex unit as fast, if not faster than lapping, and we can go 3 weeks with just adjusting instead of needing to lap every 3 mowings. My 32 year opinion is, grind away, you'll be far better off, but that's just me
   
   Regards,

   
   
   
   
4. Stephen Tucker

   

   0 posts
   
   7/18/2014 3:07 PM

   We utilize the same method as Skip and have done so for the last 17 years. Use the mower, hand file the bedknife, check the cut, check the height, ready for the next day. That goes for all reel mowers. Grinding varies on greens mowers depending on conditions (sand, verticutting, etc.) Optimal conditions we will see 2-3 weeks before needing a minimal grind on greens mowers.

   
   
   
   
5. Ian Hunt

   

   0 posts
   
   7/21/2014 11:07 AM

   Thanks guys. This has been helpful.