So many options to think about when you are buying a reel mower. Blade count, height of cut, terrain, greensmower?? Let's go over a few things before you purchase your first or next reel mower. John deere reel mower comparison.
Hey, man, tha ks for touching on the JD's. I have zero experience with them and am currently looking to switch my reel. JD is an option for me, so I'm just reading up on them when I stumbled on your video. Thanks again. Helped a lot.
@BermudaBoss Well, let me ask this for now: have you noticed any issues with the Flex leading to more "thatchy" spots? I ask only 'cause I was told by a pro that the floating head can start to go over parts of the lawn where the grass is a little bushy-er and that this can lead to clipping build-up. I like the concept of the floating head and the modular design where I can remove the reel, but wonder if it's giving you any cut issues.
@@thelawnrenaissance nah no cut issues at all with the floating head. The only thing I have really noticed with floating head is if you mow at higher heights like around .75 then it can be harder to hold a perfectly straight line as the head wants to move around more. In my most recent video, I raised my toro flex up to .60 and it handled good...
@@BermudaBoss yeah, stuff like that is my primary concern. I lean towards the fixed head GM's only because the entire weight of the machine pushes down on the bed knife. But man, I like the convenience of the Flex. Thanks, man.
@@thelawnrenaissance I keep at least one of each lol, they will all break at some point and be down. I learned that the hard way with my first reel, I always keep a backup now.
North Dallas here! SO ready for Spring and the temps to warm up! Good stuff! Finished annual scalp last weekend and used 8.5 tons of mason sand to level. PROJECT! Had the right tools and plenty of labor and got it done in one day. I'm running a 25" McLane with 10 blade and grooved front roller. Aiming for a 7/16" HOC but may push up to 5/8". Let's go!!!
Wooooo! Thanks and me too! I just got done scalping as well, next I will get some fresh mulch out on these beds. I have learned to mulch after scalping bc the clippings go everywhere haha. Levelnig is no joke very labor intensive. Great machine you have, I can run the 11 blade JD at .5 without many issues. Sometimes there are a few stragglers but nothing crazy so I'll double cut with it.
@@BermudaBoss Totally hear you about the mulch! Also, I've been using Fertilome Greenmaker 18-0-6 for the past couple years and it's awesome! I have about 9,800sqft though so I need to use a few more pounds. :-) Keep going with the great videos!
Hello great video! I bought a 220E last year and I won’t be cutting with any thing else.my lawn has areas that are slopes and no other machine could get around it ,but this John Deere E is a beast the reel is on a swivel and contours to the field. The reel is detachable and you can just bring the reel to get sharpened not the whole machine ,last but not least you can put the Eletric motor in reverse and back Lapp the unit no attachments needed. Team John Deere I also own a toro 1600 and pg22 Jacobson like them all but JD my main reel
Hey, there he is!! The 260 definitely feels more grounded to me, but then again I wouldn't want that beast in a smaller yard. Thanks again for the info about the LifeGrip tape, you will have to keep everyone informed how it holds up
In my area you can get a good deal on used units. There are plenty of folks that reel mow zoysia but it's much higher maintenance to reel mow anything.
Appreciate your advice on getting into reel mowing. Do you think the 11 blade reel is ok mowing at 3/4”? I’ll be mowing every other day in the growing season. Can you change to a different reel on the 220?
Awesome! The 11 is fine at that height if you mow frequently. I've seen some folks run a 9 blade on the 220 but unless you need a new reel, it's prob not worth doing.
Hi, very easy there is a screw on the rear of the gear casing just unscrew and it will drain out. To refill you will need hygard and take off the belt cover and remove the reel engagement lever (pull it straight up and off), that is where you will pour in the new oil.
Great video!! I just bought a 220A from a golf course that is in phenomenal condition and I love it. I do have some issues maneuvering it around my small front yard because it’s heavy. But otherwise I love it. Do they make a groomer attachment for the older models?
That's awesome Matt! They do but they are expensive to buy new (sometimes more than what you will pay for an entire mower). Sometimes you can get lucky and find used on ebay. There's a guy Chris with General turf he may have one laying around 8283294546
Hello, thanks for the sub, glad to have you! I like to try as many as I can, I usually sell most of them once I am done. Been super happy with the toro flex!
Nice! I want to say there are around 10 but not positive off the top of my head. If you have a groomer there should be 2 more. There is even one or two under the presence bail area (underneath the green front cover) if I recall correctly. If you download the service manual it will show you where they all are. I do use the JD polyurea grease.
Great video and very informative. You mentioned close to the end of the video about a tape people use for their smooth rollers. I have an Allett that slips a lot on my sloped yard due to its smoothness. What is the name of the tape and where can one get it from? Thanks
Thank you! Checkout lifegrip anti slip safety tape on Amazon. It's like a roll. Dad who mows best on IG has some pics of it on his drum. I've never used it but it looked pretty promising. Thanks for watching.
Thank you! The 260s are harder to come by but they are out there. Used reel mower prices are pretty high right now along with everything else in the world. I sometimes travel hours to get them.
Hi, I have a 260B and I often find the transport axle on both sides of the mower hitting obstacles in my yard. Did you remove them? And if you did, how did you remove them? Is the only way to remove them is by cutting them with a reciprocal saw? Thanks in advance
Good morning! Yeah those transport axles get in the way of everything. You do have to cut them off on JDs. I used a reciprocating saw. One thing to consider is resale value from what I've seen ppl prefer to buy with them on. That bring said I haven't really had trouble reselling cutoffs just had some comments about them being cut. It's much better mowing in a home lawn with them off in my opinion.
Does it take off with the transport lever being pushed down or is the lever up in neutral? The belts are under the belt cover which just has 1 bolt to remove it. Do you have the manual? I would download and review it 🙌
Guess I was hoping for more specifics… I have no idea what general budget these machines require. I can assume the larger the mower the more expensive but what is the baseline?
Any follow up with greensmaster? I’m looking at maybe trying to track down a 220 JD or a flex. I just dropped a lot in an Allett Buffalo 27 in and I like it but it’s more of a commercial mower and very heavy at over 300 pounds. Seems as though a lot less maintenance on toro but I don’t know because I’ve never had one or a JD to that matter. I have a 10 blade McClane to mow a back yard golf green but even that only mows down to about 1/4 in. I usually don’t have the rest of the yard over 3/4 of an in so would be interested in your thoughts. I’m even looking at mow master (Australian made) R22G, g is for greens, and these are crazy priced too but if it lasts 30 years then it’s worth it.
Another thing though is the jd is easier to adjust from a very low to a high hoc (without any additional parts). the flex you need shims to get above like .5 I think or you would need the high hoc kit. I just use shims.
Thanks for the great review. I just wish I'd seen it before the mistake I made getting talked into a new McLane Mower. WHY? Because McLane's New $2400.00 25" Reel Mowers are quite simply, poorly assembled junk, built using Inferior parts. HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT in 2023: Misalignment issues, Annoying Rattles and Vibration Noises at different RPM's, Metal Fatigue, and cracks that develop within the first few weeks, caused by HORRIBLE welding during manufacturing (that gets covered up with paint at the factory), then they slap on some stickers (crooked) with their name and deliver these piss-poor mowers to customers. The only Guaranty that you can count on is you'll have Multiple Failures with several vital safety covers, shields and critical support parts within its first season, and they DO NOT honor their warranty for defective parts and/or workmanship. And that's even if it's only for single residential use ! They have HORRIBLE Customer Service Management and the worst technical support provided by some old woman with no troubleshooting or technical skills, and who only speaks broken Engrish. And my big question is just how are these (allegedly) "Made In America" when their engines are made in Thailand ? Their advertisements shamefully talk trash about the competition for using foreign parts, and yet with McLane, the most complex and the most important part of the mower, which is over 18% of the weight and has the most internal parts, is built by Honda of Thailand? And where are they getting the other poorly made, reject level parts from? I can only believe they continue to keep their doors open solely using FALSE ADVERTISING and Unethical Business practices. Because its been my experience that is how McLane operates daily. These guys are LIARS and THIEVES ! Just notice there aren’t ANY reviews on McLane’s website. Now we know why! BUYER BEWARE !! AVOID McLane Lawn & Garden Equipment. In my opinion, even IF they were once Made in the USA, (they’re NOT now ) they give "Made In America" such a bad reputation, they'll make you wish you'd bought something "Made In China" instead ! They are an embarrassment to the lawn equipment manufacturing industry, and to American companies in general.
