Rotary mower roller attachment. How to mow stripes into a lawn – top tips for a professional finish

US6336311B1. Gang-type rotary lawn mower with rear roller. Google Patents

Publication number US6336311B1 US6336311B1 US09/546,145 US54614500A US6336311B1 US 6336311 B1 US6336311 B1 US 6336311B1 US 54614500 A US54614500 A US 54614500A US 6336311 B1 US6336311 B1 US 6336311B1 Authority US United States Prior art keywords deck frame lawn mower cutting side plates Prior art date 1997-02-03 Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.) Expired. Lifetime Application number US09/546,145 Inventor Richard D. Bednar Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.) Textron Innovations Inc Original Assignee Ransomes America Corp Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.) 1997-02-03 Filing date 2000-04-10 Publication date 2002-01-08 Family has litigation First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=25161833utm_source=google_patentutm_medium=platform_linkutm_campaign=public_patent_searchpatent=US6336311(B1) Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 2000-04-10 Application filed by Ransomes America Corp filed Critical Ransomes America Corp 2000-04-10 Priority to US09/546,145 priority Critical patent/US6336311B1/en 2000-08-22 Priority to US09/643,697 priority patent/US6336312B1/en 2002-01-08 Application granted granted Critical 2002-01-08 Publication of US6336311B1 publication Critical patent/US6336311B1/en 2005-06-27 Assigned to RANSOMES AMERICA CORPORATION reassignment RANSOMES AMERICA CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: BEDNAR, RICHARD D. 2005-07-12 Assigned to TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC. reassignment TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: RANSOMES AMERICA CORPORATION, RANSOMES INC., RANSOMES RHODE ISLAND 2005-07-15 Assigned to TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC. reassignment TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC. CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE TITLE AS ELECTRIC RIDING MOWER WITH MOTOR GENERATOR SET AND NOISE ABATEMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 016245 FRAME 0085. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE THE ASSIGNMENT OF THIS PROPERTY. Assignors: RANSOMES AMERICA CORPORATION, RANSOMES INC., RANSOMES RHODE ISLAND 2017-02-03 Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical Status Expired. Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

• 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 68
• 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 12
• 240000000218 Cannabis sativa Species 0.000 description 6
• 238000009966 trimming Methods 0.000 description 6
• 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 4
• 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
• 230000000875 corresponding Effects 0.000 description 2

Images

Classifications

• A — HUMAN NECESSITIES
• A01 — AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
• A01D — HARVESTING; MOWING
• A01D75/00 — Accessories for harvesters or mowers
• A01D75/30 — Arrangements for trailing two or more mowers

• Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
• Y10 — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
• Y10S — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
• Y10S56/00 — Harvesters
• Y10S56/03 — Ground effect

• Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
• Y10 — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
• Y10S — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
• Y10S56/00 — Harvesters
• Y10S56/10 — Uneven terrain compensation

• Y — GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
• Y10 — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
• Y10S — TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
• Y10S56/00 — Harvesters
• Y10S56/14 — Hitch

Abstract

A gang-type rotary lawn mower including a frame supported by wheels for movement over the ground, a power source which is mounted on the frame and which drives at least two of the wheels, an operator’s seat mounted on the frame, a steering system enabling the operator to steer the lawn mower, at least two side-by-side front rotary cutting deck assemblies mounted on the frame, the front deck assemblies defining a gap between adjacent front deck assemblies, and at least one rear rotary cutting deck assembly mounted on the frame behind the front deck assemblies, each rear deck assembly being aligned with a respective gap between adjacent front deck assemblies, each of the front and rear deck assemblies including a single-spindle mulching deck defining a downwardly opening space, a single spindle mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis within the space, and at least one cutting blade mounted on the spindle for rotation therewith.

Description

This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/794,141, filed Feb. 3, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,530.

Historically, reel mowers have been used to cut golf course roughs. It is generally recognized that rotary mowers are better suited for cutting tall grass, where scalping is not a problem, while reel mowers are better for shorter cutting. A gang of reels can be either attached directly to the frame on which the operator rides, or pulled behind a tractor. Pull-behind or tow-behind rotary gangs are also known. These can be driven either by a power takeoff or by a separate engine. Tow-behind gangs, whether reel or rotary, are generally undesirable for cutting a golf course rough because close trimming is difficult. Thus, rotary mowers have not been used to cut golf course roughs, which require close trimming and the ability to cut undulating terrain at a relatively short length.

The invention provides a gang-type rotary lawn mower suitable for cutting a golf course rough. This is a tremendous improvement over the known prior art, because a rotary mower typically requires substantially less maintenance than a reel mower. The lawn mower has single-spindle cutting decks attached directly to the frame on which the operator rides, with a front row of two or more cutting decks in front of the front wheels, and with a rear row of one or more cutting decks between the front and rear wheels. The invention also provides an improved arrangement for mounting a rotary cutting deck on a lawn mower frame. Each deck is mounted on its own lifting arm so that the deck can move vertically relative to the frame and can pivot relative to the frame about three mutually perpendicular axes.

particularly, the invention provides a gang-type rotary lawn mower comprising a frame supported by front and rear wheels, an operator’s seat mounted on the frame, at least two side-by-side front cutting deck assemblies mounted on the frame in front of the front wheels, and at least one rear cutting deck assembly mounted on the frame behind the front wheels and in front of the rear wheels. Each of the front and rear deck assemblies includes a pair of laterally-spaced, generally vertically-extending side plates, front wheels supporting the side plates for movement over the ground, and a rear roller extending between the side plates and supporting the side plates for movement over the ground. Each deck assembly also includes a single-spindle cutting deck located between the side plates and in front of the roller, the deck being mounted on the side plates such that the height of the deck relative to the ground is adjustable. The roller extends across substantially the entire width of the deck. The roller resists scalping and stripes the grass, both of which are aesthetically desirable.

Each deck assembly is connected to the frame by a generally L-shaped, horizontally-extending lifting arm operable to lift the deck assembly relative to the frame. Each deck assembly is connected to the frame by its own lifting arm. Each lifting arm has an inner end pivotally connected to the frame. A cross member is mounted on the outer end of the lifting arm for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis and about a generally horizontal axis extending in the forward-rearward direction. One end of the cross member is connected to one of the deck assembly side plates for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal, laterally-extending axis adjacent the forward ends of the side plates, and the other end of the cross member is connected to the other side plate for pivotal movement about the same axis.

This construction enables the lawn mower to cut the undulating terrain of a golf course rough and to be controlled for close trimming. Also, as mentioned above, the lawn mower requires much less maintenance than the reel mowers historically used to cut a golf course rough.

Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following detailed description, claims and drawings.

Before one embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

A lawn mower 10 embodying the invention is illustrated in FIG. 1. Except as described below, the lawn mower 10 is identical to the lawn mower disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/787,389, filed Jan. 22, 1997, titled “PARALLEL-SERIES FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE HYDRAULIC CIRCUIT FOR A RIDING LAWN MOWER” and assigned to the assignee hereof. The lawn mower 10 comprises a frame 12 (partially shown in FIGS. 2-5) supported by front wheels 14 and rear wheels 16 for movement over the ground. While the illustrated lawn mower 10 is rear-steering and has four-wheel drive, it should be understood that the invention is applicable to front-steering or two-wheel-drive lawn mowers.

The lawn mower 10 further comprises a power source 18 supported by the frame 12. The power source may be any type known in the art, such as a gasoline-powered, internal-combustion engine. The engine drives a hydraulic pump (not shown) that supplies hydraulic fluid to hydraulic motors (not shown) drivingly connected to the wheels 14 and 16. The lawn mower 10 further comprises an operator’s seat 20, and a conventional steering system, including a steering wheel 22, enabling the operator to steer the lawn mower 10. In the illustrated construction, the steering system is hydraulic and is connected to the rear wheels 16 to steer the lawn mower 10.

The lawn mower 10 further comprises front and rear rows 26 and 30, respectively, of cutting deck assemblies 34. particularly, in the illustrated construction, the lawn mower 10 has three side-by-side front cutting deck assemblies 34 in front of the front wheels 14, and two rear cutting deck assemblies 34 behind the front wheels 14 and in front of the rear wheels 16. As is known in the art, each rear deck assembly 34 is aligned with the gap between two adjacent front deck assemblies 34.

Each of the cutting deck assemblies 34 includes (see FIGS. 2-5) a single- spindle mulching deck 38 defining a downwardly opening space 42 (FIG. 4). The deck 38 is located between and supported by a pair of laterally-spaced, generally vertically-extending side plates 46 and 48. The term “lateral” is used herein to mean the direction from one side of the lawn mower to the other, i.e., perpendicular to the forward-rearward direction. Two front wheels 50 rotate about an axle 54 (FIGS. 2 and 3) extending between the side plates 46 and 48 in front of the deck 38, such that each front wheel 50 supports one of the side plates 46 and 48 and the deck 38 for movement over the ground. A rear roller 58 extends between the side plates 46 and 48 and also supports the side plates 46 and 48 and the deck 38 for movement over the ground. The roller 58 is behind the deck 38 and extends across substantially the entire width of the deck 38. The roller 58 resists scalping and stripes the grass.

The deck 38 is mounted on the side plates 46 and 48 such that the height of the deck 38 relative to the ground is adjustable. In the illustrated construction, the deck 38 includes spaced deck plates 66 and 68 (FIGS. 3 and 5) extending upwardly adjacent the side plates 46 and 48, respectively. The upper end of each side plate 46 or 48 has thereon (see FIG. 2) generally horizontal, inwardly-extending ears 69 and 70, with the ear 69 adjacent the front of the side plate and the ear 70 adjacent the rear of the side plate. Fixed to the ears 69 and 70 of each side plate 46 or 48 is an elongated plate member 71 having outwardly-extending ears 72 and 73 respectively secured to the ears 69 and 70 by suitable means such as bolts or screws 74. Each side plate 46 or 48 and the corresponding plate member 71 has therein (see FIGS. 4 and 6) a series of holes 76. Each of the deck plates 66 and 68 has therein several vertically-spaced series of holes 78. Bolts 80 extending through holes 76 in the side plates 46 and 48 and in the plate members 71 and through holes 78 in the deck plates 66 and 68 secure the deck 38 to the side plates 46 and 48. The height of the deck 38 is adjusted by changing the holes 78 in the deck plates 66 and 68 and/or the holes in the side plates 46 and 48 and in the plate members 71 through which the bolts 80 extend.

A single spindle 84 (FIG. 4) is mounted for rotation about a generally vertical axis within the space 42 defined by the deck 38. The spindle 84 is driven by a hydraulic motor 88 on top of the deck 38. The above-mentioned pump supplies hydraulic fluid to the motor 88. It should be understood that other means could be used to drive the spindle 84.

A set of cutting blades is mounted on the spindle 84 for rotation therewith. In the illustrated construction, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each blade set includes a lower, leading blade 92 and an upper, trailing blade 96. The leading blade 92 has a leading cutting edge and an upwardly angled trailing edge or lift. Preferably, the lift of the leading blade 92 is angled upwardly at an angle of approximately forty-five degrees. The trailing blade 96 has a leading cutting edge for cutting clippings deflected upwardly by the lift of the leading blade 92. The blades are preferably identical to those disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/787,383, filed Jan. 22, 1997, titled “ROTARY LAWN MOWER MULCHING DECK” and assigned to the assignee hereof. In alternative embodiments of the invention, different blade arrangements can be employed.

Each of the deck assemblies 34 is mounted on the frame 12 by a generally L-shaped, horizontally-extending lifting arm 112, such that each deck assembly is mounted on its own lifting arm 112. The lifting arm 112 has (see FIGS. 2 and 3) a laterally-extending inner leg 116 with an inner end connected to the frame 12 for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal axis 120 extending in the forward-rearward direction. The arm 112 also has an outer leg 124 extending in the forward-rearward direction. A cross member 128 is mounted on the outer end of the outer leg 124 for pivotal movement about a generally vertical axis 132 and about a generally horizontal axis 136 extending in the forward-rearward direction. Each of the opposite, laterally-spaced ends of the cross member 128 has thereon (see FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 6) a downwardly and slightly rearwardly extending arm 140. The lower end of one arm 140 is connected to the side plate 46 for pivotal movement about a generally horizontal, laterally-extending axis 144 adjacent the forward ends of the side plates 46 and 48. The lower end of the other arm 140 is connected to the side plate 48 for pivotal movement about the axis 144.

A hydraulic assembly 148 (partially shown only in FIG. 5) connected between the arm 112 and the frame 12 pivots the arm about the axis 120 for lifting and lowering the deck 38. When the deck is lowered for cutting, the hydraulic assembly allows the lifting arm to “float” thereby allowing the deck 38 to move vertically relative to the frame 12. The connection of the deck 38 to the arm 112 via the cross member 128 allows the deck 38 to pivot relative to the frame 12 about the three mutually perpendicular axes 132, 136 and 144. This mounting arrangement enables the deck 38 to adjust to undulating terrain, thereby substantially avoiding scalping.

It should be understood that the lawn mower 10 could have only two or more than three cutting decks in the front row, and only one or more than two cutting decks in the rear row. Also, other arrangements could be used to mount the decks on the frame 12.

How to mow stripes into a lawn – top tips for a professional finish

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Learning how to mow stripes into a lawn will ensure your garden always looks tip-top – and it’s beneficial from a health and results standpoint.

By cutting the grass into stripes with the best lawn mower available, you can make sure it’s full of vitality while also being the envy of all the neighbors.

‘In addition to the aesthetic benefits of a clean, elegant striped lawn this methodology can also lead to healthier grass,’ says Andrew Gaumond, head horticulturist at Petal Republic.

Below, we tell you how to mow stripes into a lawn in easy steps.

How to mow stripes into a lawn

Mowing stripes into a lawn isn’t just about aesthetics, but lawn health, too.

‘By cutting in opposing directions you’re enabling the blades to receive varying light exposure, which can promote growth and vitality in comparison to continually mowing in the same direction,’ says Andrew Gaumond.

Invest in the right lawn mower attachments

To achieve clean and clearly defined stripes on the lawn the tools are often just as important as the technique.

Andrew says: ‘Many lawn mowers either have a built-in roller or attachment that helps to flatten and press the grass blades after the rotary has passed through.’

Cut in straight but overlapping lines

‘By cutting in straight lines, and then returning in the opposing direction you’ll achieve a consistent striped effect across the lawn,’ says Andrew.

‘You’ll want to ensure each pass slightly overlaps the last which will help to accentuate the definition.’

Any tips for keeping the lines as straight as possible? Andrew Комментарии и мнения владельцев: ‘I always recommend starting from a central point in your lawn and picking two reference points at either end of the imaginary first line and working between these initially. This will produce a straight master central stripe that each additional stripe can be mown against out to the border on either side.’

He adds: ‘I have also seen gardeners utilize string or rope as well to act as a guide for the first line.’

Create a border around irregular-shaped gardens

For lawns that are slightly irregular in shape and don’t possess clean right angles throughout, Andrew advises that it’s often worth starting with a clean mow around the perimeter to create a border.

‘Then start the former process of cutting opposing lines from within the remaining central body of grass,’ he says.

How does lawn striping work?

Lawn striping works by reflecting light in opposing directions giving the visual appearance of light and dark stripes.

Andrew explains: ‘Those lines cut towards you will appear darker due to the shadow created by the bent blades, whilst those lines cut away will be lighter as they bounce the light off and away.’

Do you need a roller to mow stripes into a lawn?

‘A roller is a vital tool for gardeners looking for professional looking stripes,’ says Andrew Gaumond of Petal Republic. ‘The key for truly distinct stripes is to be able to control and influence the bend of the individual blades of grass to enable light to refract in a particular way.’

Can I mow stripes into a lawn without a roller?

If you find your mower doesn’t have a roller attachment you’ll still be able to achieve a plausible result by mowing in opposing directions for each adjacent stripe.

Does blade height help when mowing stripes into a lawn?

‘With proper tools, it’s possible to achieve a very distinct striping effect on very short grass (less than an inch in length), though for the average home gardener with a consumer grade mower, I’d recommend taking a gradual approach to reducing length,’ advises Andrew.

‘You’ll typically see better striping results with slightly longer grass, which will diminish with each shorter cut.’

He adds: ‘Start at a medium to high setting and assess the results before committing to anything shorter initially.’

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Ruth Doherty is an experienced digital writer and editor specializing in interiors, travel and lifestyle. With 20 years of writing for national sites under her belt, she’s worked for the likes of Livingetc.com, Standard, Ideal Home, Stylist and Marie Claire as well as Homes Gardens.

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Lawn Striping and Lawn Patterns

The following explains how lawn striping works and what can be done to increase the lawn-striping effect.

The “stripes” that you see on a lawn or athletic field are caused by light reflecting off the blades of grass. They have not been cut at different heights nor are there two different breeds of grass. The “stripes” are made by bending the blades of grass in different directions.

It’s All About Direction!

The direction that the grass is bent determines the light- or dark-colored stripe. When the blades of grass are bent away from you….the grass appears lighter in color because the light is reflecting off of the wide, lengthy part of the blade. When the blades of grass are bent towards you, the grass appears darker as you are looking more of the tips of the blades (a smaller reflective surface) and the shadows under the grass. So cutting a lawn in an opposing pattern (up/down, right/left, north/south, east/west, etc.) provides the most contrasting stripe effect. Interestingly, as the “color” of the stripe is dependent upon what direction you are looking at it from, a light-colored stripe will appear dark if you view it from the opposing direction.

Lawn-Stripe Intensity

The easiest way to intensify the stripe is to bend the grass farther. The best way to do that is to physically contact it with a roller and press it to the ground. The Scag ® Tiger Striper does exactly that. In fact, it even uses spring force to bend the grass over. It is much more effective than other systems that simply glide a roller across the tips of the grass. Stripe intensity can also be affected by the length of cut. Cutting the grass shorter will normally lessen the stripe as the shorter grass blade will not bend over as far and therefore reflects less light. A longer cut will normally enhance the striping pattern. Even a small amount can make a noticeable difference. Going from 2″ to 2 1/2″ or from 3″ to 3 1/2″ can make a difference in the intensity of the lawn-stripe pattern.

Grass types are also a factor in striping. Certain breeds of grass will bend easier and can provide a better stripe pattern. Warm-season grasses (found in the southern regions of the United States) are typically more difficult to stripe as they are more rigid and harder to bend.

The stripe is also affected by the position of the sun. Stripe patterns may seem more intense at various times of the day and at different light levels. When the sun is behind you, you will see a more intense stripe pattern.

How to Create Basic Lawn-Stripe Patterns

Begin by mowing the perimeter around the property (reference the diagram to the right). Next, mow in opposing directions through the remaining property.

Take care when turning at the end of each row to prevent turf damage. A simple “Y” type turn at the end of each row will reduce the chance of turf damage while setting the mower up for the next row to be mowed.

Going over the perimeter once again will remove any stripe-pattern irregularities left from turning at the end of each row and deliver a clean, finished look.

How to Create Checkerboard Stripe Patterns

Begin by mowing the perimeter around the property (reference the diagram to the right). Next, mow in opposing directions through the remaining portion of the property (as shown in the diagram to the left). Take care when turning at the end of each row to prevent turf damage. A simple “Y” type turn at the end of each row will reduce the chance of turf damage while setting the mower up for the next row to be mowed. Now, travel perpendicular to the direction of the original mowing pattern. (For example, if you were mowing north and south, now mow east and west.) Finish the job by mowing the perimeter again. Going over the perimeter once again will remove any stripe-pattern irregularities left from turning at the end of each row and deliver a clean, finished look.

How to Create Diagonal or Crisscross Stripe Patterns

This pattern is achieved using the same technique as the “Checkerboard” stripe pattern listed above. Simply apply the stripes in a diagonal direction.

How to Create Zigzag Stripe Patterns

Start by completing the diagonal or checkerboard pattern listed above. This serves as a template for the zigzag pattern and is very helpful when first applying this unique stripe pattern.

Select a “light” stripe towards the center of the checkerboard area. Travel across one of the intersecting “dark” stripes and onto the next “light” stripe. Carefully turn the mower, while on the “light” stripe, 90 degrees to the right. Move forward across the next “dark” stripe and onto the “light” stripe, and carefully turn the mower 90 degrees to the left. Keep repeating this as you move across the area. When you reach the end of the area you are striping, repeat this procedure on the light-colored stripe next to the zigzag path you just mowed. Repeat.

Finish the job by mowing the perimeter again. Going over the perimeter once again will remove any stripe-pattern irregularities left from turning at the end of each row and deliver a clean, finished look.

What About Lawn Striping Around Trees and Other Obstacles?

When mowing/striping around trees and other obstacles, mow around the object into the uncut path (reference the picture to the left). While making your next pass, you will mow/stripe over the turn marks and retain your nice, even stripe pattern. With a little practice, your stripes will appear to pass directly through the objects, producing an even stripe throughout your lawn.

Take Your Lawns to the Next Level

Lawn striping can be easy with the right tools and a little planning. A stripe pattern can make fertilizing and overseeding easier by giving you definitive lines to follow. It can also help detract attention from imperfections in your lawn such as weeds or bare spots. Striping is sometimes used to accentuate certain parts of a property. By converging the stripe pattern at a particular location (a focal point like a fountain, flowerbed, etc.), you can draw the viewer’s attention to that area.

Lawn striping is an excellent way to set your lawns apart from the competition and create a lawn that everyone admires. If you are serious about striping, it is important to know that all lawn stripers are not created equal.

The Best Reel Mower for Your (Small) Lawn

We’ve reviewed this guide, added competitors, eliminated older models, and reconfirmed our decisions on our picks.

Reel mowers aren’t for everyone. They’re designed for small, flat lawns, and they take some effort to push around. But they provide exceptional cut quality and a completely unplugged mowing experience, so they offer things no other mower can. We think the best one is the Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower.

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

During initial tests with a golf course grounds crew and in years of follow up use, the Scotts-branded mower has the best cut quality of any of the mowers we’ve tested, and its unusually tall maximum cutting height of 3 inches makes it a versatile choice for different types of lawns and grasses. It has a 20-inch cutting swath—the widest available—and at 34 pounds, it’s light and easy to maneuver. It was also the only mower in the group that didn’t jam during testing.

Good cut, less elegant

This mower cuts almost as well as our main pick and has a taller cutting height, but it’s bulkier (making it harder to turn around) and more expensive.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 250.

If our main pick is sold out or otherwise unavailable, we also really like the Fiskars 18-Inch StaySharp Max Reel Mower. Its a solid mower with a 4-inch cutting height is higher than any other reel mower’s. In testing the Fiskars cut well, but it wasn’t on par with the Scotts and didn’t handle tall grass quite as well. It’s also heavier and bulkier, making it more of a chore to turn around, it also costs more than the Scotts.

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

Good cut, less elegant

This mower cuts almost as well as our main pick and has a taller cutting height, but it’s bulkier (making it harder to turn around) and more expensive.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 250.

Why you should trust us

We spoke with Jason Kruse, assistant professor of environmental horticulture and turfgrass specialist at the University of Florida. As his bio states, Kruse’s responsibilities include “managing the University of Florida turfgrass Envirotron teaching and research facility, planning and implementing turfgrass educational field days and leading the statewide turfgrass teaching design team.” The guy knows a lot about grass.

For testing, we enlisted the aid of the grounds crew of the Diamond Hawk Golf Course in Cheektowaga, New York, a bunch of people who are serious about mowing. While using the mowers, they picked up cut blades to carefully examine how cleanly the mowers cut; they also bent down to compare the color of the turf after each one made a pass, and pushed all the mowers around on various lengths of grass.

Here at Wirecutter, we’ve been covering lawn equipment since 2014. As for the specific topic of grass-cutting implements, we’ve written extensive guides to both lawn mowers and string trimmers in addition to reel mowers.

Since the first version of this guide, we’ve recommended the Scotts as well as the runner-up Fiskars, and we’ve continued to use both models in assorted locations, paying attention to their long-term performance and any ongoing maintenance needed.

Who should get a reel mower

Before getting a reel mower, you should be aware of their pros and cons. Simply put, a reel mower is not a direct replacement for a regular mower.

As one of our long-term testers said, “I love [my reel mower]. It makes mowing feel more like a pleasant way to spend time outside and less like something I need to grit my teeth and power through.” On the other hand, a second long-term tester stated that he regrets purchasing a reel mower and has “frequently considered selling it to get a cheap electric mower.”

Reel mowers are better for the lawn’s health. They snip the grass blades like scissors, while rotary mowers tend to shred grass blades. According to University of Florida assistant professor of environmental horticulture Jason Kruse, “The scissor-cutting action of the reel mowers results in less damage to the leaf tissue, which in turn puts the plants under less stress.” He continued, “They lose less water, are less susceptible to disease, and generally look better when cut with a reel mower.”

Reel mowers are also good for the operator’s health. Because you hand-push the mower and it isn’t motorized, it takes effort to use, especially if you have a large lawn. Keep in mind that the turning wheels are what rotate the blades, which adds to the resistance. So the task is not as simple as, say, pushing an empty furniture dolly, where you’re pushing the wheels and nothing else. According to a Livestrong.com article, (which in turn credits Harvard Medical School, among others) a person weighing 175 pounds would burn approximately 251 calories by pushing a reel mower—which the article refers to as a hand mower—for 30 minutes. This is 51 calories more than someone weighing 185 pounds pushing a mower with a powered blade for the same amount of time.

Reel mowers also require minimal maintenance and are much, much quieter than regular mowers. Aside from lubricating and sharpening the blades every few years, you don’t have a lot of upkeep to do on a reel mower. As for the noise, many users of reel mowers cite the gentle snipping sound the tool makes as a key benefit. Gas mowers, on the other hand, require gas, regular tune-ups, oil changes, and winterizing. They’re also noisy and smelly. As one of our long-term testers said, “I love [my reel mower]. It makes mowing feel more like a pleasant way to spend time outside and less like something I need to grit my teeth and power through.”

But for a reel mower to be practical, you need a fairly small lawn. Anyone with more than a quarter acre (roughly 10,000 square feet) will find weekly mowing with a reel mower exhausting. One long-term tester stated that he regrets purchasing a reel mower for the size of his lawn and has “frequently considered selling it to get a cheap electric mower.”. In contrast, another of our long-term testers has approximately 1,000 square feet of lawn, and mowing takes her about 20 minutes.

A reel mower works best with a strict adherence to a regular cutting schedule. If grass gets overgrown, a reel mower will merely push it down and roll right over it, so if you tend to go a while between mowings, you should stick with a regular push mower. One long term tester had to wait so long for the reel mower to arrive that once it got there, the grass had grown so high they needed to hire someone to cut their grass. And the necessary diligence goes beyond the schedule: Reel mowers can’t mow over twigs and leaves as gas mowers can, so additional attentiveness to pre-mow lawn cleanup is required, as well.

Reel mowers are troublesome on sloped or bumpy lawns. The torque that turns the blades comes from the wheels as you roll them along the ground. On an uneven surface, the wheels lose contact with the ground as they bounce or as the weight shifts on a slope. As one of our long-term testers put it, “Small dips can lead to grass getting missed, so I often end up mowing from two or three different angles to try and get it all.”

In fact, the results in general may not be what you expect. One of our long-term testers said that their mower “often totally misses taller strands of grass” and that they “have to go back and snip those with a pair of shears.” Also, on most reel mowers, the blades are inboard of the wheels, so you’ll have a wider gap of unmowed grass against a fence or a stone wall.

How we picked and tested

To figure out how to pick the best reel mower, we spoke to Scott Dunbar, superintendent of Diamond Hawk Golf Course in Cheektowaga, New York. He explained that reel mowers can cut much closer to the ground than rotary mowers. At the golf course, the crew uses reel mowers to cut greens and approaches but uses gas-powered rotary mowers for the rough. But the average homeowner isn’t cutting the lawn for use as a putting green—in fact, cutting your lawn too low is terrible for its health. Turf experts suggest never cutting off more than a third of your grass’s length; cutting too close to the ground can cause the grass to dry out and get scorched in the summer. This means that a mower’s minimum cutting height isn’t a useful measurement, since you’re unlikely to use that setting.

The maximum cutting height was a crucial detail. We used this spec as our primary factor in eliminating mowers from contention. Few reel mowers are able to get above 2½ inches, which may not be good for your lawn. “[Cutting height] is one of the primary complaints I have against the majority of reel mowers that are marketed for home use. Most residential grasses (both cool- and warm-season) have recommended heights of cut that are at the upper limit or even exceed the height of cut that is possible with some of the mowers,” said University of Florida turfgrass specialist Kruse. “While it would be possible to use the mower, the long-term health of the turf could suffer significantly,” he continued.

Other factors were also important:

• How easy is the mower to adjust?
• How hard is it to push?
• How wide is it?
• How much does it weigh?
• What have other reviewers said about it?

We took our final four mowers to a golf course. There the grounds crew helped us adjust the blades to the exact same standard they used on their mowers so that the blades could cleanly slice a piece of paper. Over the next three hours, we pushed all four mowers back and forth on different-height grasses. On hand were course superintendent Scott Dunbar, a member of the grounds crew, a mechanic who maintains the course equipment, and an equipment salesman who happened to be at the course that day. These guys are all turfgrass experts who deal with grass and mowing equipment every day. They really took to the task of comparing these mowers, examining every aspect closely and answering all our questions about turf and cut quality.

Our pick: Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

The Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower is the reel mower to get. Of the tested mowers, it offered the cleanest cut and the easiest adjustments, and it was the only one that didn’t jam. It also has a wide, 20-inch cutting swath—the widest we found—as well as height adjustments between 1 and 3 inches, which is a more versatile range than we saw on almost all of the other available reel mowers. At 34 pounds, it’s light and easy to turn around at the end of each mowing row, but it’s heavy enough that it doesn’t bounce around on slightly uneven turf.

The quality of the cut excelled against the competition. When our lawn experts were going back and forth with the mowers on a variety of grasses and lengths, they noticed that the Scotts model would leave a swath of totally trimmed grass with each blade snipped evenly across, no ragged edges to be seen. In contrast, the other mowers would leave a bunch of blades sticking up like chimneys after a house fire, requiring the testers to back up and go over the area again. The Scotts mower also never jammed up during testing, whereas all of the other mowers did.

The Scotts 2000-20 also snipped a wider path than most of the others. The Scotts is a 20-inch-wide mower, the widest size available (the measurement refers to the blade width, not the overall width). We tested another 20-inch model, the Lee Valley 20″ Mower, but that one was harder to push, and its cut quality was worse.

Our testers also gave the Scotts 2000-20 high marks for overall usability. At 34 pounds, it lands in the middle of our test group in weight but manages to hit the sweet spot between maneuverability and stability. The Fiskars StaySharp Max is heavier and harder to turn around at the end of a mowing row; by contrast, the lighter Lee Valley model bounced around on uneven ground and left a ragged cut as a result.

All of the adjustments on the Scotts mower are easy to make. For cutting height, it has two levers, one for each wheel. One other model we tested, the 16-inch Great States 415-16, required us to unbolt it each time we wanted to change the cutting height. Also, the height settings on the Scotts model are accurate; the 1-inch setting on the Fiskars, in contrast, actually cut much lower, practically scalping the lawn, before we readjusted it to a higher setting.

The Scotts 2000-20 has a cutting range of 1 to 3 inches. The vast majority of reel mowers top out around 2 inches, so we appreciated the ability to go taller, either for the health of the grass or for a less manicured look. A DIY Network article lists the ideal cutting heights for a variety of warm- and cool-weather grasses, and the capabilities of the Scotts land nicely in the strike zone for every grass mentioned. Our runner-up, the Fiskars StaySharp Max, has an even higher maximum cutting height at 4 inches, but it’s a much heavier mower with more difficult maneuvering, and it doesn’t cut as nicely.

The Scotts is easy to assemble, and doesn’t require any tools. The bolts that attach the handle have large plastic wing nuts, so tightening by hand is simple. If you ever need to take your mower apart—to fit it into a compact space like a car trunk or a small storage area—we found that the Scotts was easy enough to disassemble, too. You might need pliers to remove the small C-clips that attach the handle to the body of the mower, but otherwise it shouldn’t be a hassle.

Scotts stands behind their products. Erin Price, then Wirecutter’s Audience Development Manager, had a wheel fall off her Scotts push mower and the company replaced the entire mower for her. She told us, “I love my reel mower and perhaps love it even more now that the company was so helpful.”

It has performed well in long term testing. Two other Wirecutter staff members, who both happen to be women, also have Scotts Classics in their personal tool sheds, and they appreciate the mower’s simplicity and ease of use. Senior Photo Editor Rozette Rago had never used a reel mower before picking up the Scotts for her small, flat yard in LA, and found it quick to get used to. It was easy to figure out for two people who have never used it before. Wirecutter Producer Beth Niegelsky, who has used both the Fiskars and the Scotts, prefers the latter, “ I actually like the Scotts significantly more because it is SO much lighter.” She explained, “With the Fiskars, I basically couldn’t mow the hill of my front yard without feeling like I was doing something dangerous. It’s basically no problem with the Scotts.”

Senior Software Development Engineer Joshua Brewer had the Scotts for three years and recently replaced it for our lawn mower pick. Throughout his three years of usage, he highlighted that the Scott was “kinda fun to use.” He appreciated that it was easy to storetash, didn’t require fuel, and was quieter than a traditional lawn mower. However, the Scotts did squeak despite thorough maintenance, required multiple passes on his lawn, and his foam handle disintegrated after the first year. Overall, Brewer says The Scotts 2000-20 worked, but was much more laborious to use with a lush and dense lawn and worked a lot better when the lawn was more sparse. He’s much happier with the Ego LM2135SP now.

Supervising Editor Josh Lyon also has a Scotts and said there are bumpy parts of his lawn that he needs to go over one or two additional times, but that “the mower is so light and has such a smooth roll that even with the extra passes it takes half the time to do our entire lawn than with the gas-powered mower we used to have.” Overall, Lyon is very happy with the Scotts and says he’ll never go back to a gas mower.

Finally, even though it wasn’t a major factor in our decision, testers liked how the Scotts looked better than the other mowers (some found the Fiskars model’s oddball form to be off-putting). The Scotts 2000-20 is covered by a two-year warranty, and user reviews suggest that the manufacturer, American Lawn Mower, issues free replacement parts whenever a problem crops up.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We analyzed the negative Комментарии и мнения владельцев at Amazon and found that most of the complaints center on the aluminum handle breaking, a plastic gear in the mechanism stripping out, or simply the realization that a reel mower is not the right choice for the owner’s particular lawn.

We investigated the plastic-gear complaint by removing the wheel of the Scotts mower and taking a look at the gear. As you can see in the photo above, it’s a pretty robust gear with deep teeth, and it interfaces with the teeth on the inside of the plastic wheel. The wheels turn as you push, and those teeth turn the plastic gear, which rotates the blades. Stripping it out is an issue to be aware of, but under proper use, the gear shouldn’t be a problem. And if it becomes one, replacing the gear is a 10-minute repair job. While it would be nice if both the wheel and the gear were made of metal, such a design would likely add money to the price tag and a significant amount of weight to the mower.

One of our long-term testers also noted that when the Scotts arrived, many of the screws holding the handle together were loose and fell out within a month. Once they were replaced, no further problems surfaced.

A close reading of the user complaints suggests that owners who were using the Scotts mower on tall or tough Southern grass had the most problems, but such difficulties are likely to be common among all push mowers and not just the Scotts.