I was doing 26k with a GM 1600. It was a lot!! Once you add in your trim pass, edging, rotary scissor work and then the actual mow, I was looking at 4 hours and about 5 miles of walking…3 times a week!! If I had 10k or less, I would have continued. I've put the reel low obsession on hold until I can find a triplex that is in good shape for a decent price.

 

I would think the answer lies in the question, "Why do you already have a ZT mower?"

Do you legitimately have the time to walk that yard 2-3 times a week in the middle of a 3 month 100 degree summer? Yes, you can mow in the morning when it's "only" 85 and muggy as all get out.

Personally I'd rather spend the $150-200 on a manual reel and try it out first and see what I thought. If you decide you like it and it's doable, then marketplace the manual reel and get yourself a powered reel.

 

This is my first yard after living in the city. A ZT was what I thought was the best option. But as I'm growing to love doing the work and want to go lower, a reel is really the only way to go.

I do have the time. As I already cut 2-3 times a week now. (Need to look into some sort of growth regulator next season haha). It is a big investment into a powered reel, as I would like to keep the ZT for cleanup (bagging), scalping, etc.

Been browsing swardmans and alletts. For cartridge options. And a 20-22" cut would prob take a while on my front yard compared to the 42" ZT. Haha

 

BTW it really helps to know the square footage of each section of your lawn. You will need it in order to spray/spread fertilizer, herbicides, etc.

There are links here to tools that allow you to draw your lawn on a map and it will calculate the approximate area. https://www.greenviewfertilizer.com/articles/how-to-calculate-your-yard-s-square-footage-online-tools/

 

Cartersville? Ball ground?

Looks like alot for the demands of Bermuda

 

I'm in Mcdonough, about 40 minutes south of Atlanta.

So it looks like my front is 8k and back is 4K. If that helps narrow anything recommendations down.

 

I mow 12K with a GM1000 or Flex-21. It takes me just under 2 hours total for set up, cut, trim, and blow. Greensmowers are self-propelled so it's really just a lot of walking and sweating.

 

I think I'm down to give this a shot next season! But fot a complete newbie, what would you recommend mower wise? I've looked for used toro stuff, but haven't been able to find anything that looks in great shape. Just seems hard to go that route versus a swordman or allett new for the same price.

 

Don't let @Redtwin fool you, he actually only uses he reel mower 3/4 times a year, the rest of the growing season his yard is covered in sand :mrgreen: :lol:

 

@Skibrett3211 I would look for a Peachtree Legacy 30" if I were going to cut that much yard.

 

You can buy a used triplex for not a ton more than a new walk behind reel mower. That would make quick work of your yard.

 

@Skibrett3211 I would look for a Peachtree Legacy 30" if I were going to cut that much yard.

:thumbup:. @reidgarner had one.

I'd think 25" min... for the long game @Redtwin ?

 

Have you considered a TruCut c27? It should handle your hill very well - even pulling you up if you let it! And it won't force you into sub-1/2" HOC that most greens mowers excel at, as that's where the 'reel craziness' seems to begin. Your open 12k sqft would be a joy to mow with that beast.

 

If you are handy and decent at fixing things, I would go with a used triplex, put some money into it and you could mow that lawn in probably 30 minutes or less as it looks pretty wide open. Just know that going with a reel mower will open up a whole new can of worms as you go down the rabbit hole

 

Don't let @Redtwin fool you, he actually only uses he reel mower 3/4 times a year, the rest of the growing season his yard is covered in sand :mrgreen: :lol:

Hello, my name is Redtwin and I'm a sand addict...

I agree going the triplex route. It would be a little tight for me in some spots but I still consider it occasionally. If I could find one for a decent price, I'd jump on it. I'd also love to have a wider walk-behind as well. Based on the OP photos, a triplex would work very well there.

 

I certainly wouldn't want to cut it with anything small. The 20-21 mowers might be a bit under sized if you wanna get it done in decent time.

 

There is definitely a lot more "tinkering" that goes along with using a reel mower. It's not like a rotary where you crank the motor and start cutting.

Because of the time required to cut that much sq footage ON TOP OF the extra time reel mowers typically require, I'd say the standard 20" or 21" reels would probably make your mow time longer.
But maybe you're one of the guys that doesn't mind a longer mow time.

 

If I cut my whole yard which is 10.5k it takes me about 2 hours with a 22" reel to get everything done. I think a 26" reel or larger would be your best option. A triplex would be the best option but if you haven't setup a cutting unit before there is a bit of a learning curve and the fact that you have 3 to adjust and maintain.

 

Thanks for all the helpful info. My wife "may" kill me for just getting a reel mower and spending more time in the yard than I already do. She "would" kill me if I brought home a triplex!!! 😂😂

Another 30 minutes cutting isn't going to kill me. I do agree I'd like a bigger cut but I'm leaning towards a swardman as I have reel rollers and reel works close for help getting started with servicing/etc. I'm not the most handy mechanic (tech guys by trade) so I think an older greens mower or a triplex would be a little daunting for my first one.

A guys is selling a Edwin 2.0 55 used in my area with 5 blade reel and 10 blade reel. Low hours. For $2500. Is that a good deal. $3600 new with those specs.

 

I would think that problem wouldnt be much could the mower handle it but could you handle walking that 3 times a week, every week?
If you already have a zero turn, either its a luxury item or you actually need it and try to walk that much yard, several times a week could be a real shock.
I know that I personally wouldnt try to reel mow that much yard but everyone is different and maybe you have the spare time and dedication.

 

:thumbup: I do about 20K of turf with my GM1600. Some days I just mow, don't edge to save time. The mower does go pretty fast, especially compared to other walk behinds. I can do it all in about an 1 hr 15 if I hustle and don't double cut. If you exercise, switch out a run or walk for a mow and kill two birds with 1 stone. And if you stay on top of it, it's actually an enjoyable process. Listen to an audio book or podcast and the time is spent mowing, exercising, and potentially learning. Sounds a little cheesy but it's true

 

Agreed on the triplex. Its easy to spend other peoples money but you'd be able to double cut that in 25min without edging.

 

I started the season mowing around 30K with my GM1600. I was about to die cutting every other day at almost 2hrs when I was pushing the Bermuda to try to fill in some spots before starting PGR. We had a hiking trip planned this summer with my older teenage boys in the Rockies, so the exercise was worth it for preparing for that trip. Once under regulation, the cuts went to every 5 days when I got the PGR dialed in. When the heat really hit, then I pulled back on some of the backyard area and made a fairway type shaped cut around the porch area in the back. My front yard is 9K and then I am cutting another 6K in the back now. Cut time is around an hour. You can always play with what all you cut with the reel and then rotary some stuff as well. If you can find a triplex, then you can do some really quick cuts and wouldn't have to regulate as much or possibly at all. If you go with a walk behind then I would say you want to plan on using PGR to slow things down. The unicorn pee (pgr) has been amazing besides just the slow down in vertical growth. I have around 15K of pasture common Bermuda
on the very back of my property that has turned into a completely different grass with the PGR. Nothing like a hybrid but a tolerable grass vs common that is not under regulation. I am going to be looking for a triplex when I can so I can cut my entire acre with it. It's a rabbit hole for sure, but the grass looks amazing cut low.

 

Thanks for all the helpful info. My wife "may" kill me for just getting a reel mower and spending more time in the yard than I already do. She "would" kill me if I brought home a triplex!!! 😂😂

Another 30 minutes cutting isn't going to kill me. I do agree I'd like a bigger cut but I'm leaning towards a swardman as I have reel rollers and reel works close for help getting started with servicing/etc. I'm not the most handy mechanic (tech guys by trade) so I think an older greens mower or a triplex would be a little daunting for my first one.

A guys is selling a Edwin 2.0 55 used in my area with 5 blade reel and 10 blade reel. Low hours. For $2500. Is that a good deal. $3600 new with those specs.

Just note that not just the additional time per cut but also additional cuts per week to maintain a certain HOC with the desired visual appearance. All very personal decisions and I think reel low bermuda is the pinnacle of a residential lawn- buuuut you also might need to consider PGR or other cultural practices to keep up.

I've got a relatively large area to cut and use a 42" rotary. With Cut, trim, and blow I'm in for ~3 hours. I cut twice a week and trim once. With work and a young family I'm maxed out on yard care time.

 

Thanks for all the helpful info. My wife "may" kill me for just getting a reel mower and spending more time in the yard than I already do. She "would" kill me if I brought home a triplex!!! 😂😂

Another 30 minutes cutting isn't going to kill me. I do agree I'd like a bigger cut but I'm leaning towards a swardman as I have reel rollers and reel works close for help getting started with servicing/etc. I'm not the most handy mechanic (tech guys by trade) so I think an older greens mower or a triplex would be a little daunting for my first one.

A guys is selling a Edwin 2.0 55 used in my area with 5 blade reel and 10 blade reel. Low hours. For $2500. Is that a good deal. $3600 new with those specs.

You will be out there for a long time with that swardman. Good thing is you can cut higher, because it's going to happen where you just can't get out there or don't want too.

I would suggest looking around for a machine in good shape. I wouldn't pay the $2500 for an older swardman, but you may like it, s d feel comfortable having service in NGA.