Got Reel Mower Questions?
We’d love your feedback! Do you have burning questions about using or assembling reel mowers that we haven’t answered?
Let us know, so that we can improve this site!
Leave us a comment with your question, and we’ll do our best to answer it for you. If we don’t know the answer, we’ll look it up!
{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I have an old Boulavard reel mower made by F & N Lawnmower Co. It cuts great, would like to keep using it. I had a tire go bad, all that is left is the metal wheel with a ridge in the center. Is there a place to get a tire ?
Thanks…..Bob
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I’m not an expert on antique reel mowers, unfortunately.
I recommend trying http://www2.crocker.com/~jricci/ to see if they know anything. I’d say the chances are very slim that you’ll be able to find a tire for it.
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Last night, as I was mowing, I discovered that sometimes when I push the mower the blade doesn’t catch and rotate. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Why? And more important, how I do fix it?
Thanks, John
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What kind of a mower do you have?
Typically, there is a gear inside of the wheel of the mower. When you push the mower, the gear turns the blades. In some mowers, the gear is plastic, and can wear out over time. In other cases, it could be that the wheel filled up with grass or something like that.
If the cog is worn out, you can typically get a replacement from the manufacturer for just a few bucks.
So I would take off the wheel and take a look and see if that is your problem, and then go from there.
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I believe my mower is a Scotts 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower. (I am at work, so I can’t run to the garage to confirm.) Do those models have that particular problem?
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Yes. So you’ll want to check the wheel first, because that cog might need to be replaced.
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Thanks. I’ll give it a try.
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I HAVE A ECLIPSE LAWN MOWER COMPANY SERIES 1110 GAS WALK BEHIND REEL MOWER AND I NEED NEW WHEELS FOR IT .(THE RUBBER THAT GOES AROUND THE METAL HUBS). CAN YOU DIRECT ME TO SOME OR HOW TO RETROFIT IT. THEY MEASURE 7 1/2 IN DIAMETER BUT 9 1/2 WOULD BE BETTER TO MAKE IT AN EVEN CUT.
THANK YOU,
KARL BEARD
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Sorry, I don’t have much expertise in gas mowers, so I’m not sure what to suggest.
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My reel mower squeals really badly and someone suggested I set the blade back a little. How do I do that? How much noise is normal for a reel mower, they aren’t silent are they? It is unbearable at this point, like opening an old rusty gate.
I tried wd-40 on the blade but feel very eco-unfriendly and it only keeps the squeal away for 1/2 the mow.
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How the blades are adjusted depends upon the mower brand and model.
Most of the American Lawnmower models have two screws on each side that adjusts the cutter bar closer or further away from the blades. You can see photos on this page that explain how to adjust the blades on a Scotts Classic. Maybe you can figure out your own mower model from looking there?
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A fascinating website. I live in NJ and I am looking for a petrol powered cylinder lawn mower which has the roller at the back. All of the petrol powered cylinder mowers I have seen so far are either industrial size or are for greens and have no roller. Do you know of any USA manufacturers which make mowers similar to Atco or Suffolk in the UK?
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McLane makes gas powered reel mowers in the United States.
I don’t have any expertise in gasoline powered equipment, so I cannot vouch for them or give you any detailed information.
http://reelmowersetc.com/power_seven_blade_reel_mower.htm
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I purchased an 18″ Great States/American Reel Mower with a basket to catch the grass. We have dogs in our yard, and for ease of keeping the dogs “grass clippings free”, would like to use the basket. My problem is, the basket dumps the grass blades that it catches back into the rotating blades, which in turn throws the clippings in front of and under the mower. The basket is attached by a plastic clip underneath that runs the width of the basket, onto a rod on the mower. This clip rotates up as I mow, much like a dump truck emptying its contents. There is also a chain and hook to attach to the handle above the basket. The model of the mower is 816-18. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you for your time.
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One thing that might help is emptying your basket more often. Although the basket will hold a lot of grass, as it starts to fill up, it isn’t as effective.
In general, reel mower catchers aren’t quite as effective as power mower catchers, because you don’t have the vacuum action like you get with a power mower. It’s just mechanical force and gravity throwing it back.
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Hi,
I have a 20in Task-Force reel mower that works great except for ‘missing spots’ here and there. In some cases in run around the spot several times from several angles and the mower just won’t cut the grass in question. Any thoughts?
thanks
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I’m not a big fan of those Task Force mowers. In my opinion, they are kind of junky.
But to answer your question, it could be several things that are causing your problem.
1. It might be the mower itself. If the manufacturing tolerance is bad and the reel or cutter bar won’t align properly, then you’ll never be able to get it correctly adjusted and you’ll have spots where the mower won’t cut. But if that were the case, you’d probably be missing some grass with every row that you mow.
2. It might be that the mower is just not adjusted correctly. The owner’s manual of that mower should have instructions on how to adjust the blades. Check that to make sure it is adjusted.
3. It might be that you have some weird shoots of grass that just don’t deal very well with a reel mower. Is it really tall shoots that are going to seed? Those tall shoots are sometimes hard to cut with a reel mower. Same goes with things like dandelions, or any other tall willowy kinds of weeds.
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Decades ago I remember seeing reel mowers that worked backwards and forwards, so that when you came to the end of a row, you could just switch the handle to the opposite side and mow the return row without having to turn the whole mower. Does anyone remember these? Do they still exist?
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I am familiar with a Black & Decker corded electric mower that works that way, but I have never heard of a push reel mower like that.
If anyone would know, if would be the gentleman who runs this site:
http://users.crocker.com/~jricci/ Reel Lawn Mower History & Preservation Project
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Hi.
Want to mow my field (which I am turning into a golf course) with a gang reel mower. Are there any out there that mow higher than 3″?
Phil
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I resently bought a Reel mower and am trying to find some information and/or manuals for it. It is a Pro-Master, Wheel Drive Mower. Has a sticker that sais Kato Equipment Company, Whittier Calif. There is a service sticker on the engine that Sais Ralph’s Garden Equipment in Whittier, Calif, with a phone number of, OX 8-8356. That number tells me it’s from the late “50′s early “60′s. What can you all tell me?
Jim
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steve Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Jim,
Try this fellow, he is an expert on older reel mowers.
http://users.crocker.com/~jricci/
He should be able to help you out.
Good luck!
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kevin Reply:
May 13th, 2010 at 9:10 am
@Jim Boicourt, I also have a promaster that I bought from Ralphs in the early 80′s. They were the ones who built them, but they closed down around the late 80′s. I still have the manual for mine, but the manuals only had a few pages, with very little info.
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I am interested in purchasing the Scott’s Classic Reel Mower. My grass is a hybrid Bermuda with a recommended mowing height of 1/2″ to 1.5″ which my deck mower cannot do. Also, with the deck mower it is rather difficult to cut my grass 2 days after a rain which sometimes causes me to fall behind in my mowing. My lawn has poor drainage in certain areas. With a reel mower, can I expect to be able to mow the lawn when there is more moisture present when I otherwise wouldn’t be able to mow with my deck mower.
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steve Reply:
April 20th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
@Graham, A reel mower should not be any more difficult to push in moist grass as a rotary mower. You may want to begin bringing soil in to fill in the low spot which should force the water to the outer parts of your lawn.
The Razorcut 38 is another option for mowing 1/2 to 1.5 inch grass.
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I have a 16″ Scott Reel Mover Turf, and you can’t push it. What’s the problem?
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admin Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
@Sam,
It might be that the blades are adjusted in a way that they are too tight against the cutter bar, preventing them from turning.
If you need to adjust the blades, here are instructions:
http://www.reelmowerguide.com/scotts-classic-push-reel-mower-information/ Different mower, but blade adjustment is similar.
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Ive got an American Lawn Mower Co Model 1303-14 push reel mower. Just took it out for the first time this year and only the right wheel will turn. The blades turn completely but only the right wheel is turning. Thoughts?
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admin Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 9:30 pm
@Rob Volmer,
Could be grass stuck up in the inside of the wheel area, where the gears from the wheel turn the blades. Or it could be a worn out gear. Either way, if you pop off the wheel, you’ll be able to see what the problem is.
If it’s a broken part, you can order them from http://www.reelin.com.
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am wanting to buy a reel mower – The Fiskars model with 4 wheels looks nice – is it really worth the extra money ?
I need to do small slopes and shallow hills etc. Does a particular model or size work well for this?
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admin Reply:
April 12th, 2010 at 9:28 pm
@Laura,
The Fiskars mower seems really, really heavy when you pick it up. Pushing it through the grass on a flat surface isn’t a problem, but I wonder how it would be to push it uphill. (Still waiting for the grass to start growing here to do a full test of the Fiskars.)
For the northern half of the country, a lightweight mower is typically easier to maneuver and push, because of the types of grasses. But in places where you have Zoysia, St. Augustine, or Bermuda, a heavier mower will plow through those ultra thick grasses easier and the weight works as an advantage.
Not knowing where you are or what type of grass you have, I can’t really say which mower you’d be better off with.
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also am wondring if the fiskars Momentum model is too heavy to push (at 43 lbs) when all the Brill models are only 15-20 lbs .
Any thoughts?
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Hi,
I was helping an older neighbor move and discovered an antique
F & N Lawn Mower Co. “The Ace Lawn Trimmer” in a box.
The owner said it was over a 100 years old. The item was disassembled and all the parts appear to be there but I can’t
figure out how to assemble. Anyone help?
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Hi – I am trying to repair my girlfriend’s Task Force 20″ Reel Push Mower that she got from a friend. I KNEW I should have taken a picture of the smaller wheel assembly before taking it apart – but I didn’t. Do you know anywhere that I can get an assembly manual for this mower, or a good picture of the smaller wheel assembly? I can’t figure out how to reassemble it so that the height is adjustable.
Thanks for a helpful site!
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lars Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 4:17 pm
@Chris
The Task Force was a Lowes exclusive, I believe. I am not aware of it being sold anywhere else. I think maybe they were just having them made in China, although I don’t know that for a fact. So your best bet would be to go there, and see if you can find one and take a peek in the manual that way.
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Hi,
I manage a small (approximately 1 1/2 acre) farm and am looking for alternatives/better ways to keep the grass down (which of course doesn’t cover the whole 1 1/2 acre). I saw someone using a reel mower the other day and thought that would be super! Not sure if it’s practical though – the grass edges the farm in an approximately 10 ft wide path, and there are a few paths through the beds as well. It’s definitely uneven in places, though I’m getting the rocks out, at least. It’s mostly grass (fairly thick) and dandelions, some assorted other weeds as well. I thought a reel mower would be nice because it was environmentally friendly and seemed less cumbersome – I could get it closer to the edge of the beds and in between them more easily than the gas-powered mower we have (I’m doing a LOT of weedwacking…). I’m based in southern NH and not afraid of heavier mowers, if that makes a difference.
Is a reel mower practical, or would it even work for my conditions?
Thanks!!!
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lars Reply:
May 23rd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
@Catherine
The problem with reel mowers is that they have wheels on both sides of the blades. So if you’re trying to mow up against an edge of some type, there is always going to be several inches of grass that doesn’t get cut. (If you envision a typical regular mower, you can see how the blades cut as wide as the mower itself.)
But aside from that issue (and it sounds like you’re weedeating already, which is the solution), I think it might work. But I wouldn’t say definitely yes.
Reel mowers don’t like tall spindly weeds like dandelions though, and will often roll right over them without cutting. So you’d need to consider that too, if you have a large number of dandelions or other tall weeds.
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i just got a taskforce 16″ mower from someone on craigslist. my lawn is a bit tall, and this mower is “gagging”. i looked at it, and it seems the helical blades miss the bedknife by about 1/16″ or so. is this how the taskforce is supposed to be? it’s also not cutting areas of my lawn where the grass is sparser.
none of the blades is very sharp, and as it is right now im sure it wouldn’t cut a piece of paper unless i can move the blades closer to the bedknife. this seems to involve tightening two bolts which are currently stuck. is this what i should do? how close should the blades be to the bedknife? thanks for any info.
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lars Reply:
June 7th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
@Neal
Reel mowers will often choke on really overgrown grass. So it might not be the mower. The best way to handle the situation is raise the cutting height to the maximum and suffer through it, and keep it better under control in the future.
Reel mower blades aren’t supposed to be sharp like a knife, so that’s okay too.
I’m not a big fan of the Taskforce mowers in general. They are on the low end of the quality scale, in my opinion.
I would adjust the blades so that they are just barely scraping against the bedknife, evenly on both sides. If you put them in too close, the mower will be too hard to push. And too far away, there’s no contact and it doesn’t cut as well.
Hope this helps!
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Great site! I have a 20″ scotts reel mower, as well as a vintage Toro Sportsman. We have loved these mowers, and they do a great job . My Scotts mower currently has a broken handle–any ideas if replacements are available, or how to repair this?
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lars Reply:
June 14th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
@Steph
You can get replacement handle parts for the Scotts Classic from the manufacturer, American Lawnmower. http://www.reelin.com. They have parts listed on their site, and also an 800 number where you can call in the order.
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My son-in-law was going to cut the grass with my reel mower, but wanted to adjust the height, not realizing how to adjust the height, he removed the wheel, realizing this was a mistake, when he began to re-attach the wheel, the cover came off and the sprocket fell out and there was a small metal tooth like piece that was freely loose, we cant’ figure out how to re-assemble the wheel so that it will turn the blade, is there any where we can find diagrams of proper assembly and how to re-attach to the axel properly.
Thanks
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steve Reply:
June 15th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
@mike paulk.
My father in law would have knocked me one for something like this, sounds like you are more patient. Without the make and model I would not be able to tell you if I have a diagram or not. Once you have the manufacture name and model, try going to their site and looking it up. They will likely have the instructions on their site. Or give them a call.
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I’m looking for any feedback on the McLane 17″ Hand Push -10 Blade Reel Mower. The Friskars looks promising, however, McLane has been a long standing company with their manual and gas powered mowers. I’ve got shaded St. Augustine and maintained at 2-3″.
Thanks
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@Toby, The Mclane 17″ with 10 blades will be much more difficult to push compared to the Fiskars. We have tested the Fiskars mower and it did extremely well.
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i have a scott reel mower the hard plactic brickets that hold the roller bar on broke where can i find a replacement?
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steve Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:51 am
@Kay,
Here is the customer support number. Give them a call and they will take care of you.
Consumer Hotline: 1-800-633-1501
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Hi. C onsidering purchasing a reel mower for a small yard in Fla. Yard is very shaded, grass is not St. Augustine (probably mostly bahia and weeds) but there is a lot of leaves and oak tree debris especially during the spring and likely at other times. with rotary mulch mowers, you don’t need to rake unless you let the leaves pile up. How are reel mowers with yards that accumulate a lot of leaf litter??
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steve Reply:
June 22nd, 2010 at 11:47 am
@marti,
A reel mower is designed for more manicured lawns and does not do well with leaves and weeds. If you rake the leaves and other debris and stay ahead of the growth of the weeds it will do ok, however if you can’t I suggest an Electric Mower like this one:
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/graslaw10.html
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Hello,
I ahve a Clemson Bros. Inc. reel mower that I bought used at a garage sale a few years ago. I have just about an acre of land to mow, so this mower just wasn’t “cutting” it!! I bought a Troy Built mower and would like to maybe sell the Clemson Bros. one! However, the mower has a few problems that I’m not sure how to fix…
Problem # 1: The handle bars keep falling off. I have tried to snap them back into place, but they just keep coming loose. Any suggestions?
Problem # 2: Just last weekend I was mowing and the left wheel completely fell apart! I haven’t been able to fix it the right way, so that the wheel doesn’t fall off every 5 minutes! Suggestions??
Anything you can tell me would be greatly apprecaited!! Like I said, I think somebody could benefit greatly from this mower, which is why I want to sell it, it just has a few flaws!! Please let me know what I should do!
Many thanks,
Tony
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steve Reply:
July 6th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
@ Tony,
Check out this site, http://users.crocker.com/~jricci/
I’m not as familiar with the older models as this guy is.
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i was just wondering if someone could tell me how much a antique reel blade mower would go for? im thinking of selling it. it works great just needs the blades cleaned and sharpened.
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steve Reply:
July 29th, 2010 at 2:39 pm
@amy j,
Check out this site, http://users.crocker.com/~jricci/
I’m not as familiar with the older models but they may be able to put a value on it.
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I just purchased a Mascot Silent Cut 18″ reel mower (for tall grasses). I live on a very hilly lot, with about 20 different kinds of grass all mixed up, and it seemed to be a nice choice. Used it for the very first time today, and I love the heck out of it. A little difficult to push uphill… I might try mowing sideways across the hills instead of directly up, next time.
My question, though, is this: as I was mowing, it would get harder and harder. I realized that the problem was that grass clippings were getting jammed in between the right wheel and the reel unit. So, if I stopped every 2 minutes or so and unjammed the grass, it worked much better, but of course I’d much rather not have to stop so often. Any ideas? Thanks so much!
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steve Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
@Scott,
Reel mowers work best if you stay on top of your mowing. In other words don’t let it get overgrown, which means you might need to mow a little more often then you would traditionally with a gas powered mower. It sounds like the tall grass must be what’s getting caught up on the side between the unit and wheel. Give it a try.
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What is the best way to cut grass on a slope with a reel mower?
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steve Reply:
August 13th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
@Sarah Jowers,
Mowing with your reel mower will likely work best if you go side to side instead of up and down. Give that a try.
Happy Mowing!
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Have you tried the Great States 705-16 16-Inch Specialty Push Reel Lawn Mower? I have bermuda and would like to know if this will work or just buy the silent.
Thanks
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steve Reply:
August 30th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
@sam zirpolo,
The best mower for thicker grass like Bermuda and St. Augustine is a heavier mower like the Mascot or Fiskars mower.
Try this site,
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/mascot-reel-mower.html
http://www.cleanairgardening.com/fiskars-momentum-reel-mower.html
I hope that helps!
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I just purchased a Scotts 16″ Elite Reel Mower. Since I am “mechanically challenged” I was disappointed that they didn’t include a small manual that showed assembly, blade sharpening and adjustment in the box. I found a website that said to put the “c” rings on the handles after putting the handles on the mower. I figured out what the c rings were…and I think I have the handles on where they are suppose to be on the mower, but I can’t get the c rings to stay on. Help!!
Thanks!
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steve Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 2:04 pm
@Sue, I have the manual for the Scotts Classic and assuming the “c” ring is the same and the “e” ring as described in the manual you will need a pair of pliers to get it on. Basically the ring is used to keep the handle from coming off.
Using your fingers slide the “c” ring so its close to being in place, then using your pliers pinch the “c” ring into place. It would be like using your fingers to force it on but using the pliers in place of your fingers.
If that does not help try calling American Lawn mower directly. 1-800-633-1501
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I just recently picked up two old reel mowers. One looks pretty standard while the other is a half size with only one wheel and a 1/4″ steel plate on the other side. I believe it would be used along the edge of a building to get a closer cut. Ever come across anything like this or is this a rare piece from a groundskeepers past?
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steve Reply:
September 1st, 2010 at 12:57 pm
@Chris,
Check out this site, http://users.crocker.com/~jricci/
I’m not as familiar with the older models as this guy is.
You should be able to contact him from that site.
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