Reel, Real Low with a Rotary Mower, Beyond The Lowest Mower Setting

Рет қаралды 16,767

4 жыл бұрын

Going to the lowest setting and beyond. What's a rotary mowers actual lowest cut height and can it compete with a reel mower? I love all my mowers and they all have their own personalities within the lawn. I have recently found that I can make my toro mower go extremely low and it get the grass to an unbelievable level.
A couple of notes. If you do what i did here, you should already be mowing low. this is for folks cutting sub 1". My kentucky Blue grass is being cut in summer heat at 1/2". This takes work to get it low and more work to keep it low. plan in mowing everyday if you want to thicken the turf, have color return and not stress out the grass.
anyone with fine fescue, perennial rye, bermuda grass, some zoysia and bluegrass can accomplish this height of cut. It may not be best for certain turf types, but it sure looks pretty when its all said and done.
I dried my grass out for a couple days before shooting this video in order to keep it upright and from matting as much as possible. We are over 90 degrees at 7000' wit 12% humidity every day right now. Cool season grass can take a beating and watering your lawn properly is important.
another note: I do not wear protective gear in the video. I do not recommend this to anyone and you are an adult and make your own damn decisions. Maybe this video will help you decide which is the best mower for you when going short.
Another word of caution... If your lawn isn't leveled, you will scalp. There is a lot of work needed to get and keep grass this short. I would say that most people will abandon the method after on or two years.
Mowers Used
Toro 60v 22" Space Saver or something like that 469.99
Great States 18" 149.00 or something close
John Deere 180 Greens mowers... thousands or nothing depending on who you know.
answers@lawncology.com
#lowmow
#parkcity
#lawncology

Пікірлер: 73

@jordanmcgregor9428 4 жыл бұрын

Best intro in the game, hands down. I jam when you say, “What’s up, everybody?”.

@Mike-ys7rh 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks John-informative, as usual...

@goodrabbi7176 4 жыл бұрын

You always seem to read my mind, John. I think about something lawn related, and days later, I see a video on the same topic, always with helpful info. I really like how you seem to have your finger on the pulse of “homer” lawn care. Keep it up!

@tonybrown737 4 жыл бұрын

Go for it John!!

@wermzer1312 4 жыл бұрын

Atleast once a year I fall into a week long suicidal depression & completely give up on my lawn all together. This will be helpful!! 😄

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Awe don’t do that! It’s hot and dry and time to play in the sprinklers around here

@l9ikjam 4 жыл бұрын

I did what Connor ward did in one of his videos. He put washers over his blade to lower it. Tried it out in my backyard and it looked good. I was going to by a reel mower once I got my front yard leveled, but I think I'll stick with using the washers

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

I’m going to try that

@minoutv7347 4 жыл бұрын

I remember that video! That’s a great idea👍🏻

@Jmfokken 4 жыл бұрын

Your just living dangerously removing the guard from the whipper snipper, and wearing flip flops. Bold move JP, bold move.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Living on the edge always

@SpeedNessRx7 4 жыл бұрын

Good stuff. Thanks for comparing! A few things to keep in mind however. The John Deere probably has an 11 blade reel, not ideal for anything higher than 0.25 inches really, that is why you are seeing some stragglers and would probably require a few more passes to clean up the cut. On larger commercial greensmower like toro GM1000, JD 226 or Jacobsen 526 you can get a lower count blade reel (ie, 7 or 8 blade reels) which are much better suited for "higher" HOC's around 0.5" to 1". Also, in order to get a good quality on a rotary at those low HOC's you better have a pretty damn leveled lawn, if there is any sort of undulation or dips in your lawn you will get a lot of scalping when any of the tires go into the low spots in the lawn. Keep it up!

@jacobbacker6387 3 жыл бұрын

Hey John, I came across a video Connor made a while back about dropping the height of cut on a rotary mower. He just used some washers between the blade and its mount to shim it down closer to the ground. Might be something to look at to keep your blades on the Toro level.

@michaellewis6569 4 жыл бұрын

Consideration is needed for sure. I've got an ego select cut and it does great at 2" on my lawn here in Lehi, but I had wanted to get a fiskars reel mower perhaps. That washboarding would definitely bug me so I don't know that the cleaner scissor cut is worth the cost.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

If you mow with them a lot, it will go away. It just takes getting it all down and even

@richardsims1958 4 жыл бұрын

Have a little over 16000 SF to cut, use the Toro Time Master 30" Cut the Zoysia at 1.25 inches. Looking good but not as well as it can. Feeding the bio-pack to it, seen improvement from the first app. Just need to get the balance of the soil correct to see it at its best.

@Justthemow Жыл бұрын

I have a gravely 260 I adjusted my deck down half an inch co when I cut customers grass I cut at 3” is really 2.5” at my house I pull the pin out and let it ride I think it’s at 3/4 to 1 inch but I cut it every other day or 3rd day by most

@andrewmunoz9642 4 жыл бұрын

My manuel reel washboards everywhere at 1 inch HOC, and my rotary scalps in multiple places. Would like to purchase a powered reel for next season, but boy are they expensive.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Yes they are

@vinnypinatelli221 4 жыл бұрын

Great video !!! I just got my yardmastery soil test back I'll be asking you for help when I get paid soon!!!

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Awesome

@minoutv7347 4 жыл бұрын

So it wasn’t my imagination the Toro looked unusually low to the ground. 😳 Pleasantly surprised the Toro won out in this type of comparison. Perhaps you can find some older Toro wheels that are compatible, but a little smaller and swap out the back wheels. 🧐

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

I’m seriously thinking of doing a mod to cut at 3/4” and leaving it there. Works really well but bagging will give the best visual result. The clipping get stuck when it’s that low on the recycle setting

@ColeSpolaric 4 жыл бұрын

Don't forget that you can always mow with a rotary to get the grass blades up and then go back over it with a reel set slightly lower. I'm at least a year off from doing a renovation, but I'm curious about something. If I have a good 3 inches of rich top soil built up from nearly 30 years of never bagging clippings, leaves, etc, how far deep should I till that into the clay layer and would I need to bring in any compost. I want to get the soil right so that all I need to worry about is fertilization and water.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Great question. Till the soil 4-6”. Having a mix of clay is not a problem.

@ColeSpolaric 4 жыл бұрын

@@Lawncology thanks. I'm not worried about clay other than loosening it deep enough and keeping it loose enough for the roots to be able to penetrate deep enough.

@TRACKMKIII 4 жыл бұрын

A sharp blade on the Rotary will help with the cut quality and help get rid of the "brown or yellowish" haze.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Bagging at that height helps too

@JimmyLewisMows 4 жыл бұрын

It never matters how low I cut my lawn. Someone always tells me to go LOWER!! 😉

@ericvangorp608 4 жыл бұрын

The Toro Prostripe 560 might provide the ultimate solution for those willing to pay!

@joer481 4 жыл бұрын

The area of my lawn that I mow with a reel mower gets driven on by service and emergency vehicles. Most of my lawn is a steep slope which I mow with a 4wd x595. I use a toro recycler professionally. I absolutely cannot mow the lawn any lower than second notch from lowest or it scalps all over. Why? Because the vehicles make my lawn bumpy, despite my leveling it with sand every spring after I scalp it. My Mclane doesn’t have this problem. Mows it with no scalping. That’s the big advantage here. I WISH I could mow at 3/4 of an inch with my x595 but that’s just not possible. I put hours and hours of work in each week on mowing the lawn. I do prefer the way a rotary mower sucks the blades up and cuts every single one but you really can’t mow as low with one without scalping, unless you have some perfectly flat lawn that no one goes on, just not reality for most folks. We use our lawn.

@seansmidwestlawn8991 4 жыл бұрын

That JD come equipped with Reel Brake™️ from the factory? Or is that only an aftermarket addition?

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Aftermarket for sure

@australianlawnfanatics3535 4 жыл бұрын

Push reels need more blades if you want to go lower than an inch. The clip rate simply isn’t high enough to cut properly.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Yes and there are some very cool high end ones.

@dlvh007 4 жыл бұрын

Nice video John. If I keep a REALLY sharp blade on my Rotary, I can achieve a crisp clean cut Very similar to a powered Reel Mowers cut. I was contemplating purchasing a Manual reel mower , but the Wash-Boarding would drive me nuts.

@minoutv7347 4 жыл бұрын

dlvh007 How often do you sharpen your blade? I recall the Lawn Care Nut saying he sharpened his Toro once a month, but that was before he accumulated the current collection in his garage. I know I need to get into the habit of sharpening more. I bought the tools to do it, but a little afraid of using the angle grinder 😳

@dlvh007 4 жыл бұрын

@@minoutv7347 I sharpen my blade about every 4-6th mow, and I cut my lawn every 3rd day. I use a Dremel tool with a Sanding Barrel attachment...it's really easy and quick.

@minoutv7347 4 жыл бұрын

dlvh007 I also mow twice a week 😊 I like the idea of using a Dremel, much less intimidating than an angle grinder. Is this the type of sanding drum you are suggesting? www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-EZ-Drum-1-2-in-Rotary-Tool-Mandrel-for-Sanding-Bands-for-sanding-bands-408-432-445-EZ407SA/203077220 Many thanks for your help!

@dlvh007 4 жыл бұрын

@@minoutv7347 Yes...it's very similar to that...works like a charm! Blessings!

@minoutv7347 4 жыл бұрын

dlvh007 Thanks, dlvh007!

@502KViews 4 жыл бұрын

what was the final cut height on the rotary motor?

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

ImKeithRice roughly 1/2”

@BenNawrath 4 жыл бұрын

Put smaller wheels on the toro. Instant lowering kit. That way you’re not potentially dropping the blade below the deck height which could be dangerous if you add washers.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

I agree

@dthedad7330 4 жыл бұрын

How did you end up getting rid of the voles?

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

They don’t come on the lawn in the summer. Just winter

@dthedad7330 4 жыл бұрын

@@Lawncology oh man, my lawn is clearly the exception. Vole paths all over. Struggling to control it.

@charliesmith9528 2 жыл бұрын

i need a affordable reel mower or mower that will cut low enough for a putting green i installed last month,,any suggestions,,saw a remington rotary that will cut 3/4 inch from lowes for 129

@Lawncology 2 жыл бұрын

That’s not going to do well for you. You’ve got to go lower than 1/2” to have any kind of putting surface, what’s your budget?

@charliesmith9528 2 жыл бұрын

@@Lawncology 500,,i have looked for some used actual greens mowers but none locally for sale..i been a mechanic for 50 years so if i could find a old one with issues at good price it would solve my problem...

@Lawncology 2 жыл бұрын

@@charliesmith9528 that will probably be your best bet. Most push mowers aside from the Hudson star classic won’t go low enough.

@ByeJon 4 жыл бұрын

Do you sharpen your blades yourself? Reel and/or Rotary. If so, what’s the technique? 🧐

@dylan8285 4 жыл бұрын

Interesting my cheap 150-220 dollar troy built rotary mower on the lowest setting which is 1 cuts at .5 Second lowest setting 2 cuts at 1in 3 is 1.5 4 is 2- 2.25 5 is 3in than the top setting 6 is 4-4.25

@richv70 4 жыл бұрын

Yeti!

@blankman6626 4 жыл бұрын

Tiny yeti!

@DiMo28 4 жыл бұрын

It looks like the Toro left swirl marks everywhere.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

Mainly dumping the cut grass. Bagging would be a better option

@JoNathanB1976 4 жыл бұрын

0:07 tiny yeti

@dougmate2378 4 жыл бұрын

it's Ironic that you made this video, this has been the dilemma I have been faced with lol.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

You just have decide how low you want to be

@richardsmith1161 4 жыл бұрын

Not first

@samuelasamoah6906 4 жыл бұрын

If it was bermuda u cut low like that with the rotary, u'd scar it the whole way through.

@Lawncology 4 жыл бұрын

I’m trying to find the height that will not hit any high spots right now. I’m thinking it’s going to be just under one inch

@samuelasamoah6906 4 жыл бұрын

@@Lawncology OK

@YardGuy 4 жыл бұрын

#RotaryLow

@PacificNorthwestLawns 4 жыл бұрын

First...

@Mr1990Darkness 8 ай бұрын

You care way too much for grass lol

@Lawncology 8 ай бұрын

I agree

@notafanboy250 2 жыл бұрын

Get rid of the annoying music.

@Lawncology 2 жыл бұрын

How To Have A Perfect Lawn. One Chart Explains It All. Can You Have A PERFECT lawn? Find Out. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/rrt-o5miqqm-eY0.html

@billie_d_goat 4 жыл бұрын

Tiny yeti!