when we moved into my house a few years ago I put in celebration Bermuda in the back yard. Decided to go with a reel mower to get the best cut. I was limited on the budget, so just picked up a mclane from sears. Nothing too fancy for about $500. Still works, but I think the belt is getting worn and loose. Trying to cut in thicker patches stops the reel. Has anyone switched out a belt on a reel mower? Should I take it to a pro to do it or is it not too bad of a task?

Any other reel mower thoughts? Want to upgrade to a nicer Jacobson in a couple years. Any other grass nerds out there??

A real mower like a Honda? I do.

I use a Fiskar's manual reel for my Palisades zoysia, now 4 1/2 years in. Much cussing every time I mow and swearing I'm going to a power mower. Most ofthe power reel mowers I've looked up were 700-2000. I'm not paying that for a mower.

Finishing up my Masters in Turfgrass Management as we speak, and mow a few high end lawns on the side. All of my residential hybrid Bermuda lawns are at 0.325"- I'm a turf nerd to the fullest extent!

What height are you mowing the Celebration at, and at what frequency? Depending on the number on blades in the reel (I have a McLane commercial that has 11 blades for putting greens), if you wait too long between mowings it will clog. I would venture to guess you're trying to cut too much off at one time. Celebration should ideally be cut below 1" and at least twice per week if you don't have any growth regulator on it. Remember the 1/3 rule- you only want to cut off less than 1/3 of the blade during each mow, so mow more often if the grass is kept shorter. My McLane is at least 20 years old and still cuts really well, but the belt will slip over time. These mowers weren't made to slog through 2-3" grass weekly, so the strain of trying to cut through all of that grass puts more of a load on it.

We bought a used Jacobsen Eclipse 122 with the floating head and it's a fun machine to run. Cuts really well, stripes like a dream, and the reel speed matches the roller speed so your clip rate never changes. Definitely a Cadillac for a homeowner, but if you're serious about it then a professional greens mower is the only way to go. We got ours from Luber Brothers in Grand Prairie- I think it ran about $1,800 for the refurbed unit. If you're looking for something between the Sears model and the professional models, take a look at Tru-cut.

Great info. I took a turfgrass management class for one of my electives at a&m. That's what got me really interested in it.

The problem, i think, was the warm winter. My grass in the back never went full dormant and now i am trying to get it back to .5"-.75". So yes, a little high the past few weeks. I have also been trying to get rid of st augustine that has creeped into the grass. Just trying to get it in prime shape for the comming warmer months.

So at what point would you recommend replacing the belt? I have a smaller 7 blade McLane.

Wildcat- do you have an email where I can reach you? Have a turf grass question that is unrelated to this thread, hoping to pick your brain on it.

Thanks!

Jake- Spring is always tough because you've got all of last year's late growth along with the stems when you're trying to work it back down. If you've got the time, scalp it down 2-3 notches below your regular mowing height and then let it come back up to your desired height. You'll get rid of some of the stolons and stems, and encourage leaf blade growth. Make sure to catch everything when you scalp so you don't get a thick thatch layer built up over time. I'd welcome some of the other turf/Hort guys on here (SkierAg and B1-83, plus others) to chime in with any advice as well!

On the belt, it's a judgement thing really; if you hit a thick patch and the engine bogs down along with the reel, the belt is probably still tight enough. If the engine speed doesn't change but the reel slows or stops then the belt is loose enough to change. Honestly, I'd change it if you are worried about it since it's a relatively cheap and easy replacement.

PFG- shoot me an email at abilene(at)mosquito joe.com. I'll get you my personal address from there.

The belt on a mcclane is about a 10-15 minute job. it's not too difficult, you'll need some needle nose pliers, crescent and a socket. Possibly also need your biggest flat screwdriver to lever the belt in place if you get a tight one. just replaced mine last week.