Scotts Classic 20 inch Reel Type Push Mower Maintenance

[@bones6173]

Thanks old school boy this is why I listen to my elders there's knowledge 😇

[@Semitraveled]

Thank you for posting this. We have a small backyard and small home now. This mower was perfect for our needs.

[@protivationsrtcartel2360]

just snagged one at a thrift shop for 20 bucks. Needed this info didn't have a clue on how to maintain and upkeep this beast.. Thanks

[@gordonborrell6330]

Thanks, Sam! Just bought the Scotts Classic last week and cut my lawn (about .75 acres) today. Mostly Zoysia. I come from the generation that took pride in maintaining/keeping things a long time, so I appreciate your maintenance tips and the fact you've had this more than a decade and it looks new. Hopefully, in 2035, mine will still look as new as yours.

[@samowens44]

Thanks @Gordon Burrell. I know the feeling, I actually feel good about using my Scott’s push mower. I get exercise and my yard never looks like it needs cutting. I mow 2 times a week. A push mower requires frequent cuts or if it gets too high, the mower can’t cut it, the reel will just push the grass down. Gordon, you and I have the right mindset to own a reel type push mower.

[@samowens44]

@gordonborrell6330, thanks for comments. I am sure you will take care of yours and it will be handed down to your great grandson one day.

[@JKFlaker]

Just purchased this mower. Haven’t had to play with adjustments yet but thanks for posting. This will come in handy.

[@samowens44]

It will be a long time before you need to sharpen reel blade cutter bar, but you will know how to do it when the time comes. Best is WD-40 and hosing off after each use.

[@UsedProfessionalStrobes]

Thanks for the video. I have had these mowers for 25 years and always dreaded sharpening and adjusting. Your video made it easy and I especially the part where you say, this is what your mower should sound like.

[@samowens44]

@Steve Walker, Thanks for your comments Steve. I think the Push Mower may come back as a "New" way for people to mow their lawn. I really did not need to adjust the cutting bar as my mower was cutting good. I felt that if people find their mowers not cutting good, they need a detailed way of checking and if out, the simple steps to adjusting the cutting bar to meet with 5 blade reel for a perfect cut. Sharpening the reel blades and the cutting bar is covered in the manual and should not be needed for a long, long time.

[@samfeldman1508]

Agreed. I think what gives these mowers a bad reputation is that either the reel doesn’t cut or it’s adjusted too far into the bed knife and as you mention lubricant is key and most are dry. All this equals a difficult operation unless it’s “dialed in.” My parents had this style mower and I HATED mowing as a kid. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized it just needed to be “dialed in”.

[@samowens44]

@@samfeldman1508 You nailed it with the term "dialed in". That means having the 5 blade cutting reel adjusted evenly across the cutting bar at just the sweet spot of adjustment. Just close enough yet not too close. If it is too close, you will see the 5 blade reel will be hard to push and you will not look forward to using it. When is is "dialed in", it will sound right, feel right and cut right. Small adjustments will give best results. Thanks, Sam Feldman for your input.

[@CardAholic-BoomBucketBreak]

Great video. I just bought the same reel mower used and needed a good maintenance demo. Awesome job.

[@bearpuf]

Hi Sam. Very much enjoyed your video to maintain and tune a reel mower. We have one sitting in our garage that was rescued from the trash a year ago but have had little idea how to tune it to make it run correctly. Your directions give us a basic understanding to how its close scissors contact of the back plate and the reel blades that should get us cutting again. Thanks very much.

[@samowens44]

@Jan Alter glad video helped. You will enjoy that push mower when it is in good adjustment.

[@bearpuf]

@@samowens44 Dear Sam, You are the man! Within 20 minutes my wife and I were able to adjust the flat bar's alignment to the reel blades as you had explained. Paper cut through both ends cleanly when we tested. We brushed off the dust and sprayed the mower with WD40 and when she pushed it through the grass I watched the grass clippings flying in the air. How novel. It was spectacular. And this lawnmower was actually doing its purpose. To me, just learning what had to be done is a gift itself. My wife's out there in the yard right now having a blast making green confetti. Many thanks.

[@samowens44]

Thanks for sharing your story.

[@Tamara-id1pe]

Thank you! I have sharpened it, but I can’t seem to get the adjustment right and have to make several passes to get an even cut. I mostly wanted to know that it’s supposed to sound like that. We just moved and have about 1/3-3/4 of an acre of grass, and the little Scott’s 16 inch reel mower is my only mower at the moment 😂

[@samowens44]

One key thing for good cutting is to get the blade adjusted to the highest point for the height of the grass. If adjusted to low for height the grass will just be pressed down and not get to cutting blades. You need to mow the grass before it gets. To high. Try starting at highest height and see how it cuts. Then adjust down 2 steps and find a height adj that works best.

[@samfeldman1508]

Nice video. I think the correct nomenclature is “Bedknife” (cutting bar) & Reel (blade).

[@samowens44]

Thanks, I did get that wrong with names of parts.

[@1dd434]

Thanks for the great video, newbie here, learning.

[@samowens44]

Keep the mower sharp and adjusted, I have a video on sharpening the Reel Blade, review it also. Good luck on the summer mowing season.

[@MercedesMechanic]

Very informed video Sam, thanks

[@MajWoody]

I wonder if cutting aluminum foil will sharpen the blades? It works for scissors so I figured it would help here too.

[@samowens44]

Actually, the sharpening action is done spinning the real backwards. That is why the wheel has to be removed in order to performing the sharpening action on the blades. Due to this, I don't think the tin foil will work for the manual real type mower blades.

[@GeoffRogers42]

Do you know how to tighten the back wheels if they get loose? I can't get a wrench in there to tighten it, and I don't know how to remove the wheel to access it.

[@samowens44]

@GeofRogers, I have a video about sharpening the Reel Mower blades. In the video you will see how the wheels is removed. Look it up on my Channel.

[@MercedesMechanic]

I just went to Lowes to get WD-40 for my new Scotts Classic 20 inch Reel Type Push Mower and saw they now have it in a larger can with a wide spray called Big Blast which is ideal for this because I hit the spray for about 1 second while turning the reel and it covers it all. Before, I had my regular can of WD-40 with the little red straw on it and nearly used a whole can trying to coat the blades. Get the Big Blast WD-40

[@navymandiver]

I have a question. When the cutting blades are loose and not in contact with the cutting bar, the mower is hard to push. It's a brand new Scott's classic 20 inch. Any suggestions?

[@samowens44]

@navymandiver thanks for your question. The reel 5 blade assembly should not be loose. You may want to return the mower to where you purchased it and get another one. First, you should check all mounting bolts and screws for tightness. Also, the cutting bar is the only adjustment. I demonstrate the adjustment procedure in my video. Very small adjustments produce adjustments. You need to adjust both sides of cutting bar to cut paper all the way thru. Don't forget to tighten the locking set nut to hold the adjustments. Use WD-40 or other lube on the blades and cutting bar before and periodically as you mow.

[@Vern859]

Hey Sam Does this mower have a free wheel so i can push it down the street for a good way's to mow another section across the street without the blades turning?? Im concerned the bkades will get hot and dull after a block or two down the street??? Thanks

[@samowens44]

@vern859 yes you can free wheel it. With the mower sitting in position to mow, take the handle and pull it over the drive wheels the small wheels will be up and you can push it without blades turning. If you try to pull it in that position, the blade will turn.

[@Vern859]

@samowens44 Oh, nice. Im planning on getting one. Im tired of gas, dust, pulling rope, and noise... 👍

[@isabellebranchaud348]

hi, thanks for your video. I don't know if you can help me, I just bought a scotts classic 20", I used it once, when I was almost done mowing the mower suddenly stopped moving forward, it can go backwards, but does not move forward anymore, the wheels seem to be blocked. do you have an idea of ​​the problem and how to fix it? thank you

[@samowens44]

@Isabelle Branchaud, Glad you got the Scotts Push Mower. I think I know what has stopped your mower from moving forward. As you mow your grass, if there are any hard twigs or sticks in the yard, the blade is spinning and when it hits a stick, the blade will become imbedded in the stick and you can not move forward because the reel blade can not turn. What I do when this happens is put my foot on the reel blade and push down causing the blade to spin back and release the stick. Look closely next time and you will most likely see a twig or stick between the cutting bar and the Reel blade. It will move backward as the blade does not spin in reverse. I think I will make another video showing this condition and how to get the mower out of it, so you can continue to mow.. Thanks for contacting me, hope this is the problem and it will solve you mower issue. I just uploaded a new video that shows how to clear the mower of material locking blade. Here is the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bomyYZaQdphni80

[@OlayinkaPopoola]

Thank you sir

[@rcthomas6925]

Thank you

[@lindencamelback2305]

There is a much easier and better way. Switch the wheels with the gear cogs and push the mower forward coated with sharpening paste, then reverse the wheels back to normal.

[@samowens44]

That method is explained in the owners manual. I opted to demonstrate the tool for the folks as moving the cog around I thought would be more difficult for a lot of people that just are not mechanically experienced. Thanks for the suggestion, some people may want to look at that do perform their sharpening chore.

[@Josef_R]

Using a gas blower to clean a manual mower...