OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Question On Scott Bonnar Cylinder Mowers Rover 45 - 6 or 8 blades

hi all,
I am thinking of buying a second hand Rover 45 mower with 6 blade reel.
Want to ask about whether I should upgrade to an 8 or 10 blade reel (so need to consider the additional cost of the reel, which is around $400)
I have Seaisle variety which are I think similar to bluecooch, ie quite fine leaves.
Thanks a lot.

Hi lovemygreen, and a warm welcome to the forum. It's great to have you aboard.
The standard 6 blade reel in a Rover/SB 45 is used on a variety of different grasses with perfect results. I have used my Scotty (6 blades) on kikuyu, buffalo and couch with no problems.
Once again, to OutdoorKing.

Hi lovemygreen,

I think it depends on what you're looking to do with your lawn. The standard 6 blade reel will do a very nice job if the bedknife and reel are sharp and properly adjusted. Usually you would increase the number of blades if you plan to mow very low - If you're after a putting green for example, I think you'd see some benefits. Otherwise the increased number of blades can cause a fanning effect and actually reduce the quality of cut.

I've been experimenting with it myself, I have a 10 blade in my Rover 45 and a 6 blade in my Scott Bonnar and at very low heights the 10 blade is great. I use the 10 blade on my back lawn and keep it very low and use the 6 blade out the front at a more conventional height. Both cut beautifully. The downside to mowing very low is the increase in maintenance. I try and mow the backyard daily and at a minimum 5 days per week. I also keep a maintenance schedule for watering and fertilising.

There's some good info here if you're interested to read a little more on how the frequency of cut works.



Michael

Thank you both very much for replying.
I can only mow once a week but try to have the height i think around 5-10 millimetres. Just home lawn, not putting green.

One question: for a well kept Rover 45, excellent condition, reel may need sharpening, what is the price range? $600-$700.

Thanks again.

5mm is getting pretty low, golf greens are around 3-7mm.

As for the price range, that's probably about right if it's in good shape. Check the condition of the chains and sprockets as they can be expensive to replace. Also have a look around the engine mounting points carefully as the frames are prone to cracking on poorly maintained machines.

You can always post some pictures up of the machine if you'd like some advice prior to purchase. Deejay knows them inside out

I could wrong about the height, I've not measured how high so thought it'll be 5-10mm, the ground is not absolutely flat so some places may be 15mm, some 5-10mm.

Please see the photos here. One of the blades look slightly bent & reel is rusted from not used but other bits & pieces look clean.
Probably need servicing on the reel and bedknife, may be $100-$150?

Hi again lovemygreen, and thanks for posting the pics.
Overall, it seems to be in good condition.
Some things I have observed:
The grass deflector is installed incorrectly...on side is hooked under the catcher attachment lug. Just release the other side and straighten it up.
I also would like to see a pic of the bent blade....one of the chains and all sprockets (especially the small top primary chain sprocket). These are located in the chain case on the left hand side of the machine. Just remove the cover.
Please take a pic where the sprocket is not covered by the chain...so as we can see the teeth.

Finally, the complete string of the long series of numbers stamped on the cooling air cowl of the Briggs. They will be grouped into Model, Type, and Code. We can then tell the date of manufacture of the engine.

As for price...$500 -$700 is about right and $100+ for a spin grind. The engineer will be able to straighten the blade if it is not damaged beyond limits.

thanks again deejay, i don't have more photos, have not bought it yet so don't want to bother seller more.
Rover shutdown their factory in Brisbane in 2007, so these would be made overseas? or they must be made before 2007?
Also if made overseas are they of similar quality as ones made here?
Thanks

The Rover 45's were all made locally. As Darryl has suggested, the string of numbers stamped onto the side of the Briggs engine indicate configuration and date of manufacture. The numbers are grouped into 'Model' 'Type' and 'Code'. The first two numbers of the code are the year of the engines manufacture and will give you a rough idea of when the mower was made.

Appearance wise, it's consistent with a late model Rover. It looks like a later model Briggs engine, has the newer style Rover logo on the decals, plastic cover over the clutch assembly and ID sticker on the side of the frame (rather than ID plate riveted to the rear rail).

The seller wants $775 for it. It's very good condition but the think from photos one of the blades are bent, which means straightening and sharpening. So looking at almost $900.
Do you think an Alroh is a better? Much more expensive though but does have independently drive and reel clutches and well made. thanks

Hi again lovemygreen, asking questions and taking photos before a purchase is part and parcel of the transaction.

After all, unless this machine is offered with a comprehensive warranty, it is a case of "caveat emptor" which means 'buyer beware'. The model, type and code could have told us a lot about the engine, and given us a rough idea of the machines age.

Re: the Alroh, have a look at this thread....Click HERE
This member has put his Alroh project on the backburner and purchased a Scott Bonnar Model 45.

It certainly may be worth that money to the right buyer but if it were me I'd find something a little cheaper. As you've said earlier, it's just for your home lawn and you're not looking to mow daily or achieve a putting green, so it probably isn't worth looking around for even better machines.

I come across Rover/Scott Bonnar 45's for sale all the time in good condition for a lot less than that, and whilst many are not in such nice condition cosmetically they have been well maintained mechanically over the years and will still have years of reliable use if maintained in the future. With a sharpen and service they cut and work very well. The other bonus is that spare parts are easy to come across.

I bought one of me SB45's for $70 in good condition only because the Briggs had no spark and the owner couldn't get it going. It took me 10 mins to fix that once I got home and less than $100 for a sharpen and some oil and a plug. If you're prepared to take your time and hunt around you can definitely get a good bargain. Out of interest, what part of QLD are you in? If you're in striking distance to Brisbane there's usually plenty of model 45's for sale each week. If you're further north they get a little thinner in numbers.

Cheers, Michael

Thanks Michael for the reply. Went a bought one.. not the one above.
Please see photos. Looks quite 'new', engine cover is a little rusty prob because it was not used for a while.
A few questions please:
1. The grass catcher, I could not push it low enough to hook the two tabs or blades to use the screw to hold it in. Is it because of this model?
2. The clutch cover does not have any hole on top for oil. Can I just drill 2 holes there? If so do I need to cover it up with tape or something? You can see that owner has not oiled it so the clutch thrust is melted a little
3. manual says use chain oil to oil the chain. What type of oil? The photos show the chain & gears are quite good condition, you think the teeth are in good condition?
The chain tension plastic on top hardly have any wear on top.
Handles are a bit rusty, prob owner left it in shed for too long.
Thanks again.

Hi again lovemygreen, Firstly, on your becoming a Rover 45 owner. Can you please post the Model, Type and Code numbers stamped on the air cowling of the Briggs....we can then give you the date of manufacture.

Now to your problems;
The silver tag you are trying to fit to the bottom of the grass deflector goes underneath the front rail in the position of the hole and the black screw knob fastens it there.

You then roll the grass deflector behind the reel and the 2 short tabs on the bottom secure it to the top of the soleplate (the bottom blade holder) and the 2 longer tabs at the top of the deflector slide through the small cut outs in the front rail and you adjust it to the correct position.
Here's a pic, this is not my machine, but you will get the idea.

The catcher then hooks to the 2 fixed lugs attached to the chassis side frames. You can see them in the pic at the front edge of the deflector.

I have had a look at the chains and sprockets, and unfortunately the small (top) primary sprocket is reaching the end of its life, as is the double cutter sprocket (the inner primary side especially). These will need to be replaced as will the primary chain. This has been caused by the chain being way to tight and incorrectly adjusted

The cutter clutch is also out of adjustment causing the plastic thrust pad to melt...this pad will need replacing, and you will have to remove the engine and clutch assembly to complete the task.
We can help you through the procedures to complete these tasks yourself. All parts are available through the OutdoorKing online store.
Re: drilling the protective cover...I myself wouldn't, I would remove the cover to oil the machine and inspect it for serviceability at the same time.
I personally use a good quality grease on my chains, you can see my video...Click HERE

Hi lovemygreen, also, I think you've done well!

The little issues with the machine that Deejay has gone over are fairly common and easy to fix. I've just purchased sprockets and chains for my SB45 resto and the OutdoorKing store is competitively priced. You shouldn't have any problems keeping the parts costs to under $150 and once they're replaced and adjusted correctly, they'll give many years of service if maintained. If you're planning on getting the reel and bedknife sharpened soon, I'd wait until then to change your sprockets and chain, as they have to come off anyway. The clutch thrust pad is cheap and easy to change so you may as well do it asap.

Michael

Hi Michael, and thanks for confirming my diagnosis.

Lovemygreen, Just to give you some info when ordering;
Primary Chain: (engine shaft small sprocket to inner cylinder reel sprocket) : 3/8" pitch
All the other chains are 1/2" pitch

To remove the engine and clutch assembly to replace the thrust pad....check out the video....Click HERE

Thanks heaps again Deejay & Rolla16v.
I'll order some bits and pieces & will leave the sprocket & chain for when I need to sharpen the blades.
How much life can I still get out of those sprockets? Don't want to spend too much now, spend enough already. Does not look good to Misses that i've to replace too many things now

Another question:
- Does wheeling the mower on rough concrete damage it? I need to wheel from shed to lawn 20-30 metres. Was thinking of making a platform with wheels to place the mower on it so as not to damage the rollers.. I have some emotional attachments to the Rover , more so than my old non-reel mower.
Thanks.

G'day Lovemygreen,
Not trying to be a clever [Censored] or anything and fully admitting to know very little in any of this being a new forum member I might have some useful info for you (see below).

It is important for me to add that I in no way are trying to usurp or undermine any advice from DeeJay and/or Grumpy as I find their information invaluable.

Anyway I digress. Searching the Webnet (sic) I found this page on reels and FOC (Frequency of Cut) very interesting and useful I believe. Perhaps Grumpy and DeeJay could confirm or even add to what it contains. OK....here it is....enjoy.

http://www.pitchcare.com.au/magazine/for-focs-sake.html

Hi 2011PabloEscobar, and a warm welcome to the forum. It's nice to have you aboard.
Thankyou for posting that link, I have read it before and found it a very interesting article, however matching the FOC to your lawn with that degree of accuracy would be sometimes almost impossible because some machines only give you the choice of the cylinder reel they are fitted with at manufacture.
Scott Bonnar however, have a 6 blade reel for the 17" Model 45....and an 8 blade reel for the 20" model 45 as standard, but you can get a 10 blade reel for the 17" which is an 'after market' purchase.
To get a good result, Scott Bonnar must have averaged out the FOC with the height of the 'average' lawn.

Hi, I think you raise an important point with the Frequency of Cut concept. rolla16v has posted that reference before, together with some related issues, in this thread:
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=49580&page=2

The FOC concept can only be dealt with after you have decided at what height you will cut your grass. Furthermore, I think the Height of Cut is a great deal more important, in terms of both how healthy your grass is, and what it ends up looking like. I'll even go further: I think how often you mow is also more important than FOC.

I should have the sense to leave all of these issues to members like rolla16v who know far more about them than I do, but I think it works like this:
1. Work out what you expect of your lawn: what you want to do with it, and how much work you are prepared to put into it, consistently and forever.
2. Choose your grass type, to suit your lawn design and the answers to Item 1.
3. The decisions you make in Items 1 and 2 will enable you to determine your Height of Cut.
4. The decisions you make in Items 1, 2 and 3 will enable you to determine how often you mow. This is based on the "never cut off more than one third of each blade" rule, together with your HOC decision in Item 3.

Those of us who use rotary mowers are accepting that our yards will be covered with grass rather than lawn, but we still need to deal with those four questions. The FOC issue is one of the many matters still to be dealt with by reel mower users, after the four questions above. As Deejay has pointed out, if we are going to use a properly engineered, well-maintained reel mower on one of the standard grass types at a fairly commonplace HOC for a home lawn, it is likely that the standard number of blades on the reel will suit our needs.

Remember that for Scott Bonnar 45 mowers, the blades move past the bedknife at a frequency that depends only on the engine speed, but the forward speed of the mower depends on the clutch slip rate: you do not usually have the clutch fully engaged whilst mowing. You can change the FOC a great deal simply by running the engine fast or slow, and slipping the drum clutch a lot or a little.