OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums General Discussion Forum Lawn Care & Maintenance Buffalo Grass & SB45 Cylinder Mower

Hi Guys,

How many of you would consider using a SB45(17") Cylinder Mower on Buffalo (Palmetto) grass? I did a search and found that you can gain an extra 10mm on the height adjustment.

Reason is there is a guy selling one around the corner for about $200 without the catcher. It appears to be in fine condition!

I don't have much grass to mow but always wanting the manicured lawn look.

Cheers,
Pete

Hi Peter, and a warm welcome to the forum.It's great to have you aboard.

The first thing I would like to know is, where you got the information that you can increase the height range of a Scotty Model 45 by 10mm. I would like to know how this could be achieved.
To achieve a really nicely manicured look to the lawn, you will need a catcher....they are around the $200 mark...this would make this quite an expensive mower.

To assess its condition, could you please post some pics of the machine from different angles, especially the cylinder reel and the bottom blade, engine, and the chain case without its cover.
Through this procedure, we can give you a fair assessment of the machine and possibly save you extra expense.
Once again Peter, to OutdoorKing

Hi Deejay,

Its not detailed or proven to work but I found someone talking about it on another post.

Height Adjustment

I'll see if I can get down to the guy selling this mower tonight and get some snaps of the cylinder/bottom plate, engine and under the chain case.

Thanks for your help!

Hi Peter, I wrote that post back in 2009, the original poster never came back and explained how the modification went.
I have learnt since then from greenskeepers, that it is not a good thing to modify a cylinder mower away from the original settings as it can upset the cut due to the tilt of the bottom blade (bedknife) which is the most important part in the cut.
The bedknife is the single most important factor in achieving a great quality of cut. The bedknife�s job is to position the grass before the reel blade cuts it. Depending on where the position is will depend on how clean and consistent your turfs 'after cut' appearance will look.

Thanks Darryl,

So from what I have read the cutting range on the Scotty 45 is between 3mm to 25mm? is that correct!

This range is not ideal for Buffalo Palmetto grass as most sites state to mow between 30-60mm but does that differ if its been cut with a reel/cylinder mower?

Maybe I should just buy a standard rotary mower?

Hi Peter, never having used a cylinder mower on buffalo, I can't advise you which way to go....maybe one of our members here can help.

Peter, I think you need to bear in mind that the wheels on a rotary mower sink into the grass, while a roller-type reel mower spreads its weight over the whole width of the front and rear rollers. You may find that there is a difference between the mowing height measurements that are relevant to the two types of machine. Why not try your SB45 at its maximum height setting on a small area of your Palmetto, and see how it compares with what other people are mowing Palmetto to? My guess would be that your result will be comparable with a rotary mower set somewhat higher - probably at least 30 mm with a 25 mm setting. Of course there is not a simple, fixed relationship between the two mowing styles. If you've ever tried to mow thatched kikuyu with a rotary mower, you'll notice that the effective mowing height depends to a considerable extent on how fast the mower is kept moving: let it stop for a moment, and it sinks in, creating instant scalping. My long ago experience with reel mowing did not produce that result as readily as a rotary does.

Hi Peter,
Thanks grumpy for the informative reply. It fits in with the research I have done this morning.
Peter, I have learnt that a Scotty Model 45 will do a brilliant job on buffalo.....But only under certain conditions.
The lawn should NOT be at all spongy and should be thoroughly de-thatched. The mower set to a height of 12 to 15mm, where a well sharpened Scotty will give you a brilliant green lawn with the classic stripes. As you could imagine, a cylinder mower with a full catcher would dig in and scalp a spongy lawn.
To compare with a rotary, the rotary will always leave the lawn looking rather dry after mowing and very large wheels would be required to mow at a height of 60mm.

No one I spoke to seemed to agree with the 30mm to 60mm height with buffalo....They all commented it would be too spongy.
Hope this helps....as grumpy has suggested, try it on an area that will not be noticed if you are not happy with the result......But it may surprise you!

Guys,

Thank you so much for your assistance on this website. I took too long to make a decision on the purchase of the mower and it was sold on me as the guy got a better offer.

I am defiantly on the hunt on another Scotty 45 14" or 17" mower I don't think I'll find another for the price and condition though so until then happy mowing!

Thanks for letting us know, Peter. Best of luck finding another and good hunting!
As this thread is now complete, I will now close it. If any member has anything to add, please PM a moderator.