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These Mowing Tips from the American Lawn Mower Company, will
help you maintain the perfect lawn.
A hand reel lawn mower provides the traditional mowing
technique preferred by lawn care professionals. These mowers
are designed to provide years of dependable service and give
optimum performance in lawn care. The reel mower not only
benefits you and your lawn, but the environment as well.
A reel mower works on different principles than a standard
rotary mower. It only cuts what gets between the reel and
the cutter bar. Therefore, it is important to cut your lawn
regularly and not allow the grass to reach a height of much
over 3-4" in order to insure a proper cut.
Mow no more than one-third of the grass blade, so that a
deeper root system is encouraged. A lawn with an extensive
network of roots needs less help finding food and water and
can better crowd out weeds.
If the lawn gets exceptionally tall, 4" or over, it may be
necessary to increase the amount of overlap between passes,
mow the same path once up and once back, or actually mow in
a checkerboard pattern to obtain the desired results.
Another symptom of grass that's too tall is a strip of uncut
or taller grass towards the center of the reel even though
your mower is set properly and you appear to be cutting
grass along the entire width of the reel. This usually means
you are attempting to cut too tall or too much grass in one
pass for the reel to cut it properly. First increase the
cutting height or, if already in the highest setting,
increase the amount of overlap between passes. Ideal cutting
performance is achieved at approximately 1-3/4" to 2-1/2"
depending on the mower you choose.
In past years most people mowed with reels and actually
sawed their way through the grass by mowing with a back and
forth motion and slowly taking a step at a time. Today
that's not normally necessary unless you have extremely
tall/dense grass. Usually just walking normally in a single
pass or at times two passes will be sufficient and provide
satisfactory results.
If you mow regularly and maintain your lawn at your desired
height, the hand reel mower should do an excellent job. The
scissor action helps your grass maintain moisture and keeps
your lawn healthier than conventional rotary mowers. You may
have to change your mowing technique as conditions change in
your lawn. In the spring grass is growing vigorously and is
full of moisture, each blade is thick and full. You should
set your mower at a higher cutting height and mow as often
as necessary to prevent grass from getting over 4" tall.
As summer gets longer, the grass will become thinner and
have less moisture content. It tends to droop instead of
standing straight, particularly when it grows over 4" tall.
It may be necessary to reduce your mowing height to get the
desired appearance. Every lawn is different and may vary
greatly according to the varieties of grasses present. You
need to experiment to determine the results for your lawn
and conditions.
A reel mower has a difficult time with tall willowy weeds
such as dandelions or buckthorn. If these weeds are present
in your lawn, don't be surprised if you have difficulty
mowing them. This is because the mower pushes them over and
they are tall enough not to spring back up between the reel
and cutter bar. The only real solution for tall weeds is a
good dose of weed and feed or mowing before they reach their
full growth.
The biggest error most people make with any mower, including
garden tractors and power rotary mowers, is to let the grass
get too tall. Grass is always taller than you think. Many
times it is 6" or higher before you know it.
It is important to remember that grass has a grain and
growing pattern that can vary greatly between varieties.
Therefore the directions in which you mow can affect how
well you mow. Experiment to determine the optimum mowing
technique for your lawn.
A reel mower is lighter, more maneuverable, and easier to
push than a non-self propelled power mower. Since it cuts
like scissors, it does not bruise or damage the blades of
grass, which enables you to maintain a greener, healthier
lawn. To mow properly it is essential that you take proper
care of your mower.
- Keep the cutter bar properly adjusted (do not over
tighten). Check with paper as outlined in your owner's
guide.
- Regularly lube the bearings and the cutting edges
with WD-40 or a similar product.
- If sharpening is required instructions are in your
owner's guide or a sharpening kit is available
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