Rough - Reel Mowers For Sale

About Reel Rough Mowers

Reel rough mowers, or cylinder mowers, are often used on sports turf and in the intermediate rough areas of a golf course where there’s a short transition from the fairway to primary rough. They use cylinders of twisted blades that cut grass against a bottom blade or bed knife in a scissor-like action instead of the horizontal chopping motion of rotary mower blades. Greenskeepers often find that reel mowers produce a cleaner cut that doesn’t damage the grass as much as a rotating blade. Reels are also superior to rotary blades for lower mowing heights and provide better cutting performance on wet grass.

---

Toro LT3340 Reel Rough Mower

Reel mowers are a good option for fairway surrounds, because they provide a more consistent cut than a rotary mower, resulting in a better playing surface. For a clean, crisp appearance, course managers may also opt to use a rough reel mower in high-traffic sections and primary rough, as well as in other areas such as courtesy walks. Commercial reel mowers also see use in municipal areas and parks in addition to sports fields and golf courses.

Configurations & Power

Reel rough mowers typically provide easy adjustment mechanisms for changing the height of cut (HOC), as well as floating-head contour decks that can quickly adjust to changes in terrain without scalping the turf. The large areas to be mowed discourage slower, narrower walk-behind mowers, so this category focuses on self-propelled reel mowers and pull-type or front-mounted models that run on a tractor’s PTO power.

Ride-on reel mowers may have three or four wheels shod with tires designed for flotation and minimal surface damage. Many self-propelled golf course mowers have four-wheel or all-wheel drive for traction on wet grass. They are typically powered by diesel fuel or gasoline, although there is a growing number of battery-electric systems and even hybrid power plants such as on Toro’s Reelmaster 5010-H, which combines a diesel engine with an inline, electric motor generator. The Reelmaster 5010-H’s PowerMatch system only uses the power of both motors when cutting conditions demand it, conserving fuel.

Reel mowers come in various cutting widths, often with multiple cutting units with lift systems that can raise them to bypass obstacles or to prepare for transport and storage. Each cutting unit spins its bladed cylinders with hydraulic or electric reel motors or a mechanical chain drive. Reels come in various diameters such as 5 or 7 inches (127 or 178 millimeters), and with 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or even 11 blades, depending on the model. Some reel mowers have an onboard backlapping valve or system for turning the cylinders in a reverse rotation to sharpen the blades against each other using lapping compound or abrasive paste.

Other Features

Playing field and golf course mowers may come with reversing radiator fans to clear away clogs made of grass clippings and dust. Some ride-on models feature rear steering, and many have wet disc parking brakes.

John Deere engineers its reel mowers with features specially tailored to golf course and sports turf applications. For example, its PrecisionCut 6700A model has a TechControl display that can password-protect mowing and turning settings to keep them consistent regardless of the operator.

Find The Right Reel Rough Mower

NeedTurfEquipment.com offers a number of reel rough mowers for sale from brands such as Jacobsen, John Deere, Ransomes, Toro, and others. Some related categories on the site include rough rotary mowers and trim, surrounds, and slope mowers.