Bedknife Dragging Cancel The title field is required!

1. Norma O'Leary

   

   1 posts
   
   6/13/2016 8:06 AM

   Why am I suddenly having so much trouble with my bedknife dragging on the greens. I am not using super thin ones, but never have. My bench setting is .150 which has not changed for several years. I am in my second full season using a greens roller. Does this have something to do with it? I am clearly "creating" more grain in my greens with the roller, and the hopping of the greens reels caused by the dragging is far worse when going against the grain. I never roll my nurseries, and no matter how recklessly I operate the mower on my nurseries, I do not have issues with the greens reels "hopping" on the nurseries.
   
   I will start using super thin bedknives (as soon as they get here) but really wish I knew why this has only been a problem of recent. It began about 10 days ago when I verticut the greens. My greens are push up and have been growing like crazy this season because it won't stop raining. I finally got them slowed down under regulation, but I really wish I knew what caused this problem to develop. Thanks in advance for any of your thoughts on this topic. I hope the super thin bedknives fix my problem.
   
   Norma O'Leary, CGCS
   Silver Bay, MN

   
   
   
   
2. Ron Bradley

   

   63 posts
   
   6/13/2016 11:06 AM

   How old are your reels? Are they worn out? This will change the attitude of the bedknives and cause scuffing. Turf conditions (puffy turf) can cause this issue. Hope this helps.

   
   
   
   
3. Michael Kriz

   

   0 posts
   
   6/13/2016 11:06 AM

   Sounds to me like your growth rate and mowers not able to keep up. Simple things, mow when dry (I know easy to say) raise hoc for a short period, switch to solid rollers for a short period. This too will pass. All this given you answer the previous posed question as to reel diameter.

   
   
   
   
4. Kirby Keltner

   

   0 posts
   
   6/13/2016 1:06 PM

   Maybe you have already checked this but I'd take a look at the bearings in your reel rollers. Sometimes they can wear out and cause the reel to bounce.

   
   
   
   
5. Paul Double

   

   37 posts
   
   6/13/2016 3:06 PM

   What brand of mowers are you using? I have Deere 2500B I mow greens with. About 7 years ago we started noticing the same thing with bedknives all of a sudden dragging and we were using the same bedknives we had been using. We switched to super thins from JRM and never had a problem since. Also check your front roller brackets, I have seen them in the wrongs slots before on John Deeres, and also have the brackets backwards, extending the distance between the front and back roller.
   Good Luck
   
   Paul L Double
   Sugar Valley Golf Club
   Bellbrook, Ohio

   
   
   
   
6. Keith Pegg

   

   0 posts
   
   6/13/2016 5:06 PM

   Check all bearings first and then the adjustment bar for true flat. I used to many years ago before thin bed knifes grind a little off the bed-knife bottoms so they would not drag. Also if you have a lot of thatch can cause the rollers to sink a little lower.
   
   Good Luck
   
   Keith
   
   Retired

   
   
   
   
7. Keith Lamb

   

   3 posts
   
   6/13/2016 5:06 PM

   What Keith said (see Keith, we need you), and the thatch is going to expose worn reels.

   
   
   
   
8. Norma O'Leary

   

   1 posts
   
   6/13/2016 6:06 PM

   My mower only has about 500 hours on it (reels too). I only grind once per season, so reel diameter is still pretty good. I started using smooth rollers on the front two years ago (when I began rolling the greens). It seems to hop just as bad when mowing dry. Just not sure why this is the first time in 26 years at this same golf course why I am seeing this problem develop. The only thing different is the addition of rolling the greens. They have been verticut and topdressed every two weeks for the past 20 years or so as well. They are a bit on the thatchy side right now because of how quickly they had been growing all spring, but I've certainly had similar springs and growth rates in the past. I really want to blame this newly developed problem on greens rolling, but it seems we are all too much in love with that practice, that we don't like to admit when it creates problems for us.
   Norma

   
   
   
   
9. Bedford Mike P

   
   6/14/2016 5:06 AM

   I agree with Keith and Keith.
   I had similar issues with our older 2500A last year. The main issue was worn reels, anything below .135 would drag. Grinding the bottoms of the bedknives is a good option, as well as double checking the bedknife attitude. On the Deere's, clippings going over the baskets compounded the problem.
   Have you tried switching back to grooved front rollers? Solids will change both your effective HOC and attitude.

   
   
   
   
10. Henry Heinz

    

    0 posts
    
    6/14/2016 7:06 AM

    The lower you go with your HOC the less of the reel you can actually use. You're at a decent HOC being at 150, but using the thicker bedknives can simulate areel that is 4.7 in diameter and mowing 080, it will most likely drag. Mowing when dry will make it worse as there is no lubrication for the knife to slide across the surface, plus the dry cuts gain buildup on the underside from the plants chlorophyll. Reel bearings shouldn't have anything to do with a knife dragging as the knife is mounted in the frame of the cutting unit If its bearings you should be hearing contact between the knife and reel.
    
    Regards,

    
    
    
    
11. James Smith

    

    112 posts
    
    6/14/2016 8:06 AM

    I get this problem every summer after aerification and topdressing. I have had to raise my cutting height from .125 to .150 for the duration of the year. I think it is more to do with thatch and when you verticut your greens you basically softened them up enough to allow the reel to sink into the canopy. it does not take much when your already cutting close to 1/8".
    The thinner bedknives will help but raising your HOC will help as well. what your doing in either method is getting the bottom of the bedknife a little higher.
    Hows your roll speed? If it is great no need to worry about going up a little then.
    
    Last year I started getting a little more aggressive with verticutting in order to try and keep from having this issue. while it did help to some Degree I still had issues with what appeared to be grain. I actually had to take my verticutter into small areas and verticut against the grain to thin out those areas.
    
    I have had members brag about the green speeds when I was cutting at .150" (they had no idea of my HOC). the stimp was telling me I was rolling 10's at that HOC so I just left them alone. they looked as well or better then they had over the last 10 years.

    
    
    
    
12. Norma O'Leary

    

    1 posts
    
    6/14/2016 9:06 PM

    Keith:
    How much grinding off the bottom of the bedknife are you talking? Just a few passes with an angle grinder? or mounting it upside down in a bedknife grinder? or what?
    Norma

    
    
    
    
13. Henry Heinz

    

    0 posts
    
    6/15/2016 6:06 AM

    Clamp them to your bench or in a vice and use a belt sander. Start at the front of the knife and work toward the screw holes, this will give you a nice uniformed grind and surface on the bottom of your knife. Then re-grind it so the heat build up from grinding the bottom doesn't affect your mowing and reel to bedknife mating surfaces. You can thin them down as much as you like doing them this way and its very fast and easy.
    
    Regards,