Roger, You don't need to remove the reel to backlap your machine. Backlapping involves using a grit paste to remove the last couple of .001's high spots to get the reel closer to the bedknife. I wrote these directions on a previous post: "If you are starting with a new machine, with properly sharpened and set up reel and bed knife, you should be good for two seasons before you need a back lapping. If you have sandy soil, you might need to back lap annually. You should then be able to get at least two or three back lappings before you need a full blown sharpening. Sharpening has to be down by a professional, preferably using a relief grind, not the less expensive spin grind. After such a sharpening, the shop will then back lap reel to bedknife to dial in the last couple of thousands, and then adjust reel to bedknife for final set. As a homeowner you can adjust the reel to the bednkife and you can also backlap the machine your self. All mowers have some kind of adjustment to move the reel relative to the bedknife. Professional machines like Trimmer and Tru-Cut have the reel bearings in eccentric holders, which you rotate to cam the reel closer or further. Less expensive machines either move the reel or the bedknife relative to one another, with a simpler mechanism. The goal is a scissor type action, while not actually having metal-to-metal contact. It takes a fair amount of time, and the reel is set by using a number of strips of paper to see that the ree-bedknife is cutting cleanly on each blade, and at several points across the blade. With a seven-blade reel, you will be testing with strips of paper thirty five or more times. Back lapping is done using a grit paste (like Clover Compound) to gently grind or burnish the high spots between reel and bed knife. The reel is rotated in reverse direction, and continually adjusted to get a pencil line of contact across the full width of every blade. When you are done, you have to carefully clean all compound, and then set the reel to bedknife as described above. There are power back-lapping machines or sprocket arrangements, but I don't recommend. They can easily gall the reel and bedknife, if you don't know what you're doing, and at very least tend to remove more metal than necessary. I suggest you get a bell crank, or at least use a large pair of vise-grips to manually rotate the reel. If you damage the reel and beknife with power back lapping, you could be looking at a new $400 reel and $200 bedknife." A professional can do a backlapping and reset the reel in 60 to 90 minutes. Figure 2 to 3 hours yourself as a shade tree mechanic.

I have both a Brill and a Scotts classic, and they both have their own advantages and disadvantages. For sure, I wouldn't use them on a big lawn (my house sits on slightly less than 1/4 acre). For the purposes of comparison, here's a rundown if anyone is interested in either mower. AFAIK, the sunlawn is similar to the Brill Maneuverability: The brill is much lighter than the scotts, and the rollers on the Brill make turning around obstacles much easier than the Scotts with the wheels. However, the Scotts is a bit easier to stay in a straight track because of this. Also, I find the Scotts better for hills, because the Brill is so light, the cut is compromised especially when going uphill or cutting sideways along a hill (where the wheels are slightly "lifted" up due to the light weight and slow the blade down). Advantage: for flat lawns with many obstacles, the Brill. For hilly lawns with no/few obstacles, the Scotts. The Blades: A lot of hype is touted with the contact free blade system of the Brill (and Sunlawn) over the scissor contact type blades of the Scotts (and many other traditional reel mowers). Yes, the Brill is much easier to push around when "not cutting grass", but when you are actually mowing, the difference is very little in the force required (and I'd attribute the difference to the narrower cutting width of the Brill). I also find I need to adjust the Brill once or twice a season for optimum performance (not the 4 years or whatever they claim) though it is very easy to do. There is also a good reason the Brill only has a maximum cutting height of 1.8": the cut quality suffers at its highest setting (in unevenness), but cuts awesome at the lower settings. I guess the blade needs to dig in lower where the leaf blade is stiffer and doesn't cut as well when the grass is longer and "floppier" You also need to maintain a decent speed when cutting with the Brill to get the best cut. The scissor blades of the Scotts are much less dependent on height and mowing speed than the Brill in getting a good cut. I'm not sure about sharpening interval, as I have only had the scotts a few months, but it is still cutting great. So, in my opinion, the contact free blade system might have an advantage in sharpening interval (with easy adjustments now and then), I prefer the cut of the Scotts overall, unless you are cutting short (under 1 1/2 in), where the Brill is probably equal. The dreaded wheel lines of the Scotts: Yes, you notice the lines, but they are less pronounced the shorter the cut, and depending on the grass type (I hardly notice them on my front lawn which is KBG, whereas it is more noticeable in the back with the KBG, fescue and rye mixture even at the same cutting height) The Brill with it's rollers has a much less noticeable track, and in fact due to it's slightly less quality cut (compared to scissor blades), looks more "natural", or like the lawn hasn't been cut recently (but nice and even, not that the lawn hasn't been cut!) So, I think neither is better than the other, it depends on your conditions. For a lawn with few obstacles and turns, but has hills, I'd recommend the Scotts even though it is heavier. For flat lawns with a lot of obstacles and curves and only minor grades, "and" you always cut shorter than 1.8", the Brill would be good. I'm glad I have both, as my lawn is in between the conditions that would prefer one or the other (some hills out back, flat in front, some obstacles and curves). If I only could have one, I would pick the Scotts mainly due to the higher cutting setting available. I will be pulling out my Brill when it gets cooler and am cutting shorter. As for my lawn, I get many good complements from the neighbors, who all use power rotary mowers, and some who even have sprinkler systems ( I use oscillating sprinklers when needed, and fertilize organically 90% of the time)

Hi, I am a big time fan of reel mowing. I am a commercial lawn-care company owner and own a 25" Eastman "trimmer" reel, a 25" Tru-cut reel, and a 20" Trimmer of Fresno homeowner model. I have also owned a King O' Lawn reel which wasn't much to brag about, but still a decent mower. In my opinion, the Eastman is a much more comfortable mower to operate and they last just as long, if not longer than a Tru-cut. Some like the separate drive clutches of the Tru-cut, but I don't find it of much benefit unless you are planning on driving your reel mower to the corner store. In regards to your question concerning the best width of reel mower, I find the 25" models to be the best constructed the best and are most well fit to the rigors of daily, commercial use. The 20" Tru-cuts are very well constructed mowers, just as well constructed as the 25" reels. In regards to whether a 20", 25" or 27" is the proper choice, it is a matter of how your lawn was constructed. If you have lots of holes and slopes, a 20" will probably be a wiser choice because it will scalp less. IF you lawn is relatively flat, a 25" will suffice. I find the 27" Tru-cut to be too large to be justified purchasing. Not only is it 2" wider than the 25", it is heavier=less maneuverability and it is also a little more expensive. The 27" Tru-cuts are for places like baseball diamonds and large institutions. With regards to the question about the roller, once again, if your yard is bumpy, a roller would be a wise choice because it will prevent the front wheels from becoming unbalanced. Generally a roller is not needed unless you are wanting to create a striping affect. I have heard both good and bad about rollers, one bad thing is that they lay down the grass making for not as close of a cut. A good thing is the striping affect and it does not scalp. The rollers are made out of a very durable plastic and will not scratch. About the edging, generally the edging I use is brick set in with mortar. However, the flagstone you describe will work. As long as the flagstone is equal with the height of the lawn, you will be able to ride the mower on it with out any problems. Generally 2" is sufficient to avoid the Bermuda runners from creeping into the beds, just keep it trimmed using a string trimmer, stick edger, or walk behind edger preferably. I would suggest doing some research on basic masonry work, especially that concerning flagstone. I would suggest using mortar to set and joint the flagstone with a layer of landscape fabric and pea gravel. Best of luck on your endeavors and please feel free to ask me any questions.

I can help you, we use nothing but Jacobsen at work. I am assuming this is a very old mower....(30 years or more), for Jacobsen has not made 21 inch walk behinds for many years. It might be a Lawn Queen model. If so, I have no experience with these. However, being that it is coming from a Golf Course, and has a 550.00 price tag, the machine is probably an old Greens mower or it's actually a PGM22. Which is 22 inches. Either way, it probably will not perform well for you. These receive power to the ground via an aluminum roller or drum if you will. It is fragile to denting and should not be rolled on concrete or pavement. Thusly, it comes with two "transport wheels" that are clipped onto two fixed axles at the outside of the machine. It is a PITA to attach and un-attach these wheels everytime you need to move the machine. Furthermore it is probably an eleven blade reel which will not perform well on your turf. It also may not cut ABOVE 5/8ths. 550.00 is a great price if it is a PGM22 for these sell upwards of 7000.00. It could also be a Tee and Collar mower which will work well for you. Find out what it is. If it is a Lawn Queen model, 550.00 is way too high.