[w0lfe]

Alright, so this board has already caused me to spend some bucks in the month since I've discovered it :lol: :lol: :lol: .. But now I'm thinking about going to the next level, at least on my front lawn.. So my front lawn, which is terribly unlevel at the moment, but it's only 1200 sq ft or so of Bermuda, 300 or so of soon to be fescue.. It would be a very easy/quick mow with any mower once level. So, since I've spent some bucks lately on yard renovations and equipment, what would you guys suggest for a reel mower that is a budget/wife friendly price? I keep reading to avoid the manual ones at all cost, especially once the yard gets thick. I have U3 Bermuda, but after seeing what Red's looks like, I have pretty high hopes.

 

[gijoe4500]

Wife friendly? Whatever powered mower you can find on Craigslist..

 

[Llano Estacado]

Craigslist. The OKC Craigslist has many reels on it. Just make sure the reel has life in it. I made the mistake of buying a used one and later learned the reel was worn out and needed replacing. Still was cheaper than a new unit by quite a bit but, not as good a deal as I thought it was.

 

[w0lfe]

Craigslist. The OKC Craigslist has many reels on it. Just make sure the reel has life in it. I made the mistake of buying a used one and later learned the reel was worn out and needed replacing. Still was cheaper than a new unit by quite a bit but, not as good a deal as I thought it was.

Yeah, I see there are quite a few on there, but that's my exact worry... I don't know a thing about the reel mowers, or what to check for to be comfortable enough to get something off CL. I'd probably have to have someone over my shoulder to inspect it....

 

[Llano Estacado]

Trucut 20" in Moore

 

[SCGrassMan]

Well, I have about 3k square feet and I just got a Toro GM1600. It's absolutely massive, and way more than I need.

If I had it to do over again, I'd be looking at a Swardman, or a JD 220 e (electric motor for different reel Vs ground speed) in that order.

At the slowest speed, my GM1600 is still almost too fast to reliably maneuver around my small yard, but it produces a fantastic cut.

I recommend looking at some in person before you choose. If you go new and get a Swardman, great, if you get used, look up "prairie turf equipment" and talk to Greg.

 

[w0lfe]

Well, I have about 3k square feet and I just got a Toro GM1600. It's absolutely massive, and way more than I need.

If I had it to do over again, I'd be looking at a Swardman, or a JD 220 e (electric motor for different reel Vs ground speed) in that order.

At the slowest speed, my GM1600 is still almost too fast to reliably maneuver around my small yard, but it produces a fantastic cut.

I recommend looking at some in person before you choose. If you go new and get a Swardman, great, if you get used, look up "prairie turf equipment" and talk to Greg.

Is that in Manitoba?

 

[SCGrassMan]

Yes

 

[Greendoc]

Well, I have about 3k square feet and I just got a Toro GM1600. It's absolutely massive, and way more than I need.

If I had it to do over again, I'd be looking at a Swardman, or a JD 220 e (electric motor for different reel Vs ground speed) in that order.

At the slowest speed, my GM1600 is still almost too fast to reliably maneuver around my small yard, but it produces a fantastic cut.

I recommend looking at some in person before you choose. If you go new and get a Swardman, great, if you get used, look up "prairie turf equipment" and talk to Greg.

On the GM walkbehinds, there is a throttle stop adjustment. I followed the throttle cable back to the engine and found it. I adjusted mine so I could just about drag my feet. First time trying it out out throttle stops not adjusted, I almost ran over my roses. Those guys mowing greens are almost running behind the mower.

 

[w0lfe]

Trucut 20" in Moore

That's actually right by my house... Interesting... So if I went to look at that, what specifically would I need to look for to make sure it's up to par?

 

[SGrabs33]

Many people on here own CalTrimmers and like them. Brand new and reliable for a good price. Let me know if your interested and I can give you more info via PM. Could even throw in a TLF discount if you're nice :thumbup:

Most Craigslist finds are going to be hit or miss. Personally I'm 2/4 in finding good working REELs that need no work. But if you can find a TLFer that can come with you to look that would be a great option!

 

[Jericho574]

I have a small yard as well. Had a GM, and currently have a Tru Cut. While I love the rear roller on the GM, it was just way too big and heavy to maneuver around a small yard. The Tru Cut moves around similar to a rotary in that you can start/stop/feather the throttle for speed purposes whereas the GM is either stop or go. It's like driving a stick shift around a small yard. That being said, if I had a bigger yard, I'd definitely get a GM or Swardman.

If you ever go GM, you best be handy or have a truck/trailer as they are not easy to transport.

 

[w0lfe]

I have a small yard as well. Had a GM, and currently have a Tru Cut. While I love the rear roller on the GM, it was just way too big and heavy to maneuver around a small yard. The Tru Cut moves around similar to a rotary in that you can start/stop/feather the throttle for speed purposes whereas the GM is either stop or go. It's like driving a stick shift around a small yard. That being said, if I had a bigger yard, I'd definitely get a GM or Swardman.

If you ever go GM, you best be handy or have a truck/trailer as they are not easy to transport.

Many people on here own CalTrimmers and like them. Brand new and reliable for a good price. Let me know if your interested and I can give you more info via PM. Could even throw in a TLF discount if you're nice :thumbup:

Most Craigslist finds are going to be hit or miss. Personally I'm 2/4 in finding good working REELs that need no work. But if you can find a TLFer that can come with you to look that would be a great option!

I messaged the guy on the trucut 20 inch and he said it's negotiable and that it runs great.. I'm sure the blades probably would need sharpened. I could always throw 375 at him and see if he took it, if things looked okay.

Yeah, I don't want anything over kill for my front yard. I would just continue to rotary mow the back.

 

[SGrabs33]

I messaged the guy on the trucut 20 inch and he said it's negotiable and that it runs great.. I'm sure the blades probably would need sharpened. I could always throw 375 at him and see if he took it, if things looked okay.

Yeah, I don't want anything over kill for my front yard. I would just continue to rotary mow the back.

Nice! The blades just may need a backlap. I'd ask him when the last time it was sharpened was. Under 400 bucks would be a great deal for the TruCut with a Honda. I owned the P-20 once and it's a nice REEL! I think it mentioned that there is no grass catcher. You can order a front roller from forum friend @Reelrollers and you will be set :thumbup:

 

[w0lfe]

I messaged the guy on the trucut 20 inch and he said it's negotiable and that it runs great.. I'm sure the blades probably would need sharpened. I could always throw 375 at him and see if he took it, if things looked okay.

Yeah, I don't want anything over kill for my front yard. I would just continue to rotary mow the back.

Nice! The blades just may need a backlap. I'd ask him when the last time it was sharpened was. Under 400 bucks would be a great deal for the TruCut with a Honda. I owned the P-20 once and it's a nice REEL! I think it mentioned that there is no grass catcher. You can order a front roller from forum friend @Reelrollers and you will be set :thumbup:

Can you tell the specific model of this? Is it the P-20?

 

[SGrabs33]

Honda engine with the double wheels on the front casters. I'm pretty sure that's the P-20. It is an older model based on the shape of the chain guard. 10+ years old I would guess.

 

[Spammage]

I'm curious about that mower, because I don't think that TruCut offered the larger GX160 on the 20" version. The pics of the reel do show what looks like a decent cutting edge, but are unfortunately to far away to get any real idea of the condition.

 

[w0lfe]

Honda engine with the double wheels on the front casters. I'm pretty sure that's the P-20. It is an older model based on the shape of the chain guard. 10+ years old I would guess.

I'm curious about that mower, because I don't think that TruCut offered the larger GX160 on the 20" version. The pics of the reel do show what looks like a decent cutting edge, but are unfortunately to far away to get any real idea of the condition.

I've asked both of these questions to him... The model and age, but he hasn't responded as of yet.

 

[SGrabs33]

It's going to be hard to nail down the age. Most accurate thing you could do would be to call TruCut and ask when they stopped producing the thin chain guard.

Im 99.5% sure on the P-20.

 

[Llano Estacado]

The casters are the best indicator that its a P-20. The P and C models have dual double casters and the H model has a dual single casters.

If you go look at it check to see how wide the blades are. This is the reel off the 27" model I bought and my repair shop is not sure if he can sharpen it or not, I'm going to replace the reel, but thats about $400.

You can see where the blade is welded to the disc that is welded to the center rod. Make sure the blade is a good 1/2" or so past that disc, mine is around a 1/4". I'm still a rookie to reels but I've messed with mine enough to have learned a little. Could the reel in the picture be sharpened? I'm not experienced enough to know for sure, I'll have to take the shops word for it.

Ask the owner to demo it for you.

Tru cut's are nice, but they are a pain to adjust. If you're a mechanically inclined person you'll be ok. If you don't like to tinker you might want to look at a Trimmer or McClane. I love my TruCuts, the ability to feather the clutch and control the speed and the center diff that makes turning corners a breeze. But there are things that I hate, mainly the reel to bedknife adjustment. It has gotten easier the more I do it, but its still a pain.