Over the years, I have owned a number of Tru-Cut, Trimmer, and McLane front throw reel mowers. Personally I lean toward the Trimmer with it's roller drive, but concede that the Tru-Cut is a very capable machine. I always had St. Augustine while living in Los Angeles a reel was the only way to go.

Originally, the Tru-Cut was offered in 21", 25" and 27" widths, and Trimmer and McLane in 20" and 25". Looking online, I do see that Tru-Cut is now 20" rather than 21", and some website list 25" and some don't.

I think a 27" would be overkill for your application. I had about 1/3 acre double depth lot with 6,000+ sf of lawn, and found a 21" Tru-Cut or 20" Trimmer was more than adequate. I did have several 25" machines over the years, but they didn't improve the cut time that much, mainly because I had a lot of obstacles to negotiate (tree rings, flower bed, planters, etc.). Also, the one 27" I had tended to scalp in rolling areas, while the 21" machines followed the contour of the lawn better.

I'm now in New Jersey, and use a couple of Snappers as well as a lawn tractor. I do have a 25" Locke for nostalgia purposes, but it doesn't do well on the bent grass typical in this climate.

Lastly, although I had decent success with McLane in the 80's and 90's, I understand they had cheapened the steel or heat treating of the reel and bedknife and they now wear much faster and will not hold a sharpening as well as in the past. Buyer beware.

ggoyeneche,

I appreciate the reply and found another post of yours regarding reel mowers. You've provided some points to think upon. There is a considerable price difference between the 20 and 27 inch reels as well. Whatever size I end up purchasing I do plan to use it with a roller rather than casters to minimize scalping.

Does the roller drive; such as used on Trimmer models, aid in reducing scalping as does the front roller?

If you're sure a reel is what you want I might recommend finding a local shop to service it before buying. They require a lot more maintenence than a rotary.

If you're not sure whether you want a reel, try a cheap 20" McLane before you spend several thousand on a tru cut... I have both a McLane & a 21 rotary, the reel dosent get used very much at all anymore

I'm convinced I'll be purchasing a reel before the mowing season begins. Bermuda at 3" just doesn't look well. I alternate mowing direction each cut, but you can still see the tracks left by the mower. Bermuda doesn't "fluff" well at this height. Unfortunately, I can't cut any lower with the mower because of scalping. I'm leaning towards a 27" inch as the 25 is no longer available and I'm concerned the 20 is too small.

Good advice on locating a local shop for service. Bermuda is a fairly new application for residential lawns in Charlotte, NC. Reel mowers aren't as common. I did find one shop which supposedly services reels, but will be calling around/emailing local golf courses for recommendations too.