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John Deere greens mower Questions

513K views 2K replies 288 participants last post by  cnet24 
Ha, I haven't even cut the whole lawn with mine yet! I scalped with my Toro, then did the irrigation project. I'm now waiting on everything to fill back in from the leveling project before I run it. I just didn't see any need to compromise the reel/bedknife on the new mower.
 
Greens mowers are very heavy and are designed for mowing wide open spaces, so I don't think there was much consideration for things like backing up or mowing close to obstructions. There is definitely a learning curve to using one on a home lawn, but I think my best advice would be to focus on setting yourself up for efficient turns, then use the forward momentum of the mower to begin making the turn. If you get to the end of a run and come to a stop before thinking about changing directions, the weight of the mower will absolutely wear you out. I also start my cut with two perimeter passes, then use that area to make my turns.
 
Txmx583 said:
How does everyone measure their HOC? I read the manual with the little tool thing but I don't have it... Tried using a straight edge and ruler but it seemed way off....
I would recommend one of these or one of these. Either would work great.
 
SCGrassMan said:
The grass is above the level of the concrete. Do you have an opinion on the number of blades best suited? I think the "standard" is 14 blades but I've seen some here talk about 7 or 11. I was also looking at changing the bed knife to a fairway model as I've seen some mention to get a little more height.
If you're choosing, fewer blades is theoretically better for the HOC's most of us are working with.
 
drlushin said:
Can you tell me how to set the HOC on the groomer on my 260sl? Typically how low should i set groomer in relation to the reel HOC?
Here is a link to the 260SL Operator Manual. Adjusting Greens Tender Conditioner (GTC/groomer) is covered in Section 25.

It looks like JD gives a spec of 1/32" below cutting height for the GTC, but that's for golf green HOC's. I think the folks who are using groomers regularly here on a home lawn are going much deeper - like upwards for 50%+ below HOC when the turf isn't stressed.

There is a thread about the Weeks Auction here.
 
gatormac2112 said:
Yeah I'm wanting to cut at 0.75 inch with my JD 220e, but it's an 11 blade reel and according to the manual the max it will cut and maintain appropriate FOC is 0.48 inch. The 7 blade is what I would need and I don't know where I could get a new one or how much it would cost.
I wouldn't worry too much about the FOC. A HOC/FOC mismatch is not "ideal", but it's unlikely that you would ever notice on a lawn. I would address it if you ever swap the reel, but you should be fine until then.

I never had any issues with my 11-blade GM1000, and I have even seen some good looking grass cut with a 14-blade.
 
Rockinar said:
Are these 220SL selling for $1800 good deals? Bad deals? It keeps mentioning Honda motors. Are these aftermarket engines on here? I don't know anything about SLs other than brand new they are $10K.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-JOHN-DEERE-220SL-GREENS-MOWER-HONDA-MOTOR-RUNS-GREAT-1/263550305532?_trkparms=pageci%3A709c445a-2889-11e8-9496-74dbd180496e%7Cparentrq%3A2b324e4b1620a9924374a135fffc0ecd%7Ciid%3A1&_trksid=p2481888.c100675.m4236
JD uses Honda engines (with black paint) on their walk mowers.

Price can vary a lot depending on condition and who is selling them. Those look pretty clean. Here is the breakdown on the models/years:

Pete1313 said:
They are the evolution of the JD greensmower.
The 220A was made from 1997-2002,
The 220B from 2002-2006,
The 220C from 2007-2010, and
The 220SL from 2011-Current.

Small design changes were made over the years to various parts of the mowers.
 
KevC said:
Hi all, is there a thread that discusses reel sharpening and blade counts ?
Not sure if a relief grind is necessary or standard, and how often it should be done, or if just a flat/spin grind is all you need?
Also if you're cutting a home game lawn at 1/2" or higher seems like lower blade count 7-9 is better than 11-14 blade counts, just not sure why? Think it has to do with frequency of cut but just trying to learn some of the ins and outs of reel mowing before taking the plunge
Thanks for any guidance folks
Here are a few to get you started...

Clip Frquency

Grinding

Grinding
 
Brackin4au said:
walk1355 said:
717driver said:
I bought a feeler gauge set off amazon for a couple bucks that included a .001" gauge, which is what was recommended in the JD manual for my 220A. Bummer about the grinding issue, hopefully he can get it cutting again.
@717driver. Can you link the one you bought?
Yes please. I looked and lowest I can find is .0015. Pretty close, but when we are talking about that finite a measurement, it seems significant. I found a set with .0015 at harbor freight for like $4, so I'll just get it instead, if I can't find anything below .0015 on amazon.
This set says it goes down to 0.001". Here are some plastic ones. Alternatively, here are some singles.

That said, more often that not I just use small strips of paper. I look for the reel to bedknife clearance to pinch the paper when inserted parallel, and cut the paper when inserted perpendicular.

 
There are some other ways to heat the bearing if you're not comfortable putting it in the microwave. :D

And note the reverse is true if you need to drop a bearing into a housing - put it in the freezer for a few hours. :thumbup:
 
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