OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Collectors Corner Cylinder Scott Bonnar Model 45 - Reel and Soleplate - 17"

Hi All,
This is my first post .
I have had my 45 17" for nearly 10 years with a few services in between, and I cant live without it as my grass looks terrible when its not used.

Recently I had a timber mulch piece get stuck in the reel and bend both reel and sole plate and caused the mower to stop.

I have tried to straighten both and adjusted the reel and it looks straight but the cut is uneven with a small patch across the grass showing that the blades are not touching the bottom plate in 1 (50-70mm) place.

Do I need to get the reel machined or worse still does it need replacing, or can I try and repair it myself.

I have struggled to find a good repairer in Adelaide that knows how to fix these and is reasonably priced.

Any help would be appreciated, I am willing to go anywhere in Adelaide for the right mechanic.

Thanks.

g'day there Frank66 . the SB guru i dont thnk is here right now but sure will be soon , he is in sa too so he is sure to know a place depending where abouts you are . olny place i know is on research rd in pooraka and i heared he is good but ..... im not into 45's too lazy .

i know of nothing out my way that i could recommend too you either , im out north a tad .

and welcome mate , you WILL find correct advise and help with places to go in SA
, Dave

Thanks Dave,
I am Just south of the city, in Mitcham, but don't mind if i have travel to get the right 45 specialist at reasonable prices.

Hello Frank66 and vccomm,

A big warm welcome to the ODK Forum

We all like to tinker and learn here.

Now as far as the model 45 is concerned I could send you somewhere where I know the operator is top notch but of course will charge for his services, or alternatively I'm sure I could help you out depending upon where you are located in Adelaide.

Your reel will most definitely have to be re-machined along with your bed knife, but only a good look will determine what needs to be done.

If you could post up some good close up photos of the damaged areas on both components I will be able to advise you in a much more definitive manner.

For now,

Cheers,
BB

ODK Moderator bonnar_bloke is sure to chime in, when he sees this topic, and can certainly give you the best local advice on SB45's and repairers.

A word of warning though, the repair cost will depend on just which bits need replacing. If only the bedknife is damaged, that's not too bad; but if the cast iron soleplate and/or reel need replacing, it will get exy.

As a serial offender with this kind of damage - Here are some rough estimates. New bed knife blade about $40+ but it needs to be bed ground.
Straighten (minor) reel blades bends and cylinder grind $ 120+

Or if you have done really bad damage and need new sole plate (the cast iron backing to the bed knife) - then you will very likely need reel, bed knife and sole plate =$540 - see attached link to eBay for parts suppliers on eBay

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Scott-Bonnar-45-17-8-blade-reel-washers-bearings-bed-knife-bar-backlap-kit-/141822515662?hash=item210547d9ce:g:9SEAAOSwDk5T8FZc

Frankly - I would be surprised if your damage is too serious - getting wood jammed in the blades is most likely to have simply bent the bed knife blade and maybe one or two reel blade segments.

I am still recovering from a poxie builder who spilt a whole box of stainless steel screws from a scaffold on to my lawn - 18 months later and I am still occasionally collecting one = divot out of both reel blade and bed knife GGGrrrrr

Hi BB, thanks for the reply.

see attached photos the reel looks bent but it was always slightly bent and had been machined when i bought it, the biggest problem is the bottom blade not being perfectly flat which doesn't really show up on the photos.

Hi Frank
Damage looks very superficial to me - I wouldn't be looking to replace any parts. The bend in the reel blade is relatively easily fixed if you are a bit "handy"

You need to secure the blade from moving with a block of wood - placed in & adjacent to one of the blade supports - the with a good sized punch and hammer - bash the blade back into position. I have done this many times and if you are OK with mechanical stuff - easy enough to do with blade still mounted on mower. Once you have the reel blade straight - you should be able to "adjust" the bed knife to make much better mate with the reel and the pair will gradually wear in.

If you aren't comfortable with that path - I guess you will need to take both the reel blade and the entire bed knife assembly (cast backing plate included) to a reel grinding shop to have both reground - should be about $120>$150 but the two blades will come back as good as new.

Removing the two blades is not difficult and I recall there was a short video on how top do it on this site somewhere - maybe someone wiser than me can direct you to it

Hi Frank66,

Blade Butcher is quite correct that the damage is rather superficial. I'm not sure how you would go in removing the reel and sole plate as I'm not aware of your skill level but the real skill comes to reinstalling it and adjusting it correctly. This can be tricky for the novice and there are some fantastic video's on this topic here on the ODK forum.

removal video,

https://www.outdoorking.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=31688#Post31688

Installation video,

https://www.outdoorking.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=32207#Post32207

If you are not comfortable able to do the actual work and are able to transport transport the machine yourself I would be only too happy to recommend someone local to you.

Only too happy to help out a fellow Adelaideian.

Cheers,
BB

Hi BB,
I might be able to dismantle but from experience they are quite tricky to setup again and get everything just right.

So if you could recommend someone that would be great, I am willing to go anywhere in Adelaide to get the right repairer.

thanks Frank