How Does a Reel Mower Work? | Reel & Bed-Knife Cutting Guide

A reel mower works differently from a conventional rotary lawn mower. Instead of using a high-speed horizontal blade, a reel mower rotates a series of spiral blades past a stationary bed knife. This functions much like an old-fashioned paper cutter, where the blade barely touches the entire edge of the paper cutter to cut a sheet of paper smoothly and evenly. Hold the blade away from the edge, and the cut becomes ragged and torn.

Understanding this simple mechanical cutting system makes it much easier to operate, adjust, sharpen, and properly maintain a reel mower. Using strips of newspaper across the cutter bar is the ultimate test of whether a reel mower is perfectly sharpened and adjusted correctly.

How a Reel Mower Cuts Grass

A traditional reel mower has two primary cutting components: the rotating reel and the stationary bed knife.

As the mower travels forward, the wheels turn the reel. The spiral reel blades guide individual grass blades toward the stationary bed knife, where they are cut. The wheels have a pawl inside that catches and engages the reel, pushing it forward, but releases it like a ratchet when the mower is pulled backward.

This is fundamentally different from the horizontal blade underneath a rotary mower deck.

The simplicity of this design is one reason reel mowers have remained useful for generations.

The Wheels Power the Reel

On a manual push mower, pushing the mower rotates the wheels. A gear-and-pawl system transfers that movement to the reel.

The same principle is used on Cottage Craft Works tow-behind gang mowers.

A tractor, ATV, or UTV provides forward movement, but it doesn't directly power the cutting blades. As the mower wheels travel across the ground, they mechanically rotate the reels.

That means these tow-behind mowers don't require a PTO, a separate gasoline engine, a hydraulic motor, or an electric cutting motor. Cottage Craft Works' current gang mower systems are ground-driven in this manner.

Why Reel-to-Bed-Knife Adjustment Matters

The relationship between the reel and bed knife is critical.

Excessive clearance can cause grass to pass between the cutting surfaces without being cleanly cut.

This is one key point in understanding why reel mowers do not do well with sticks, twigs, and heavy stems, as they will get between the reel and cutting blade and lock the mower up

Excessive contact creates unnecessary resistance and can accelerate wear.

Professional reel equipment manufacturer Toro similarly emphasizes that improper reel-to-bed-knife contact can increase wear and adversely affect cutting performance.

If the adjustments are not made equally on both sides, the reel cuts at an angle to the cutting bar, ultimately creating a smaller diameter on one end of the reel than on the other. This is called coning, where the reel looks more like a cone and will need to be replaced.

The Paper Test

One common method for evaluating reel adjustment is to place strips of newspaper between the reel and the bed knife, then slowly rotate the reel, sliding the strips across the entire reel to check that they cut evenly. It is best to turn the mower head upside down on a bench to perform this test.

A properly adjusted and sharpened mower should produce a clean cut at multiple locations across the cutting width.

If it cuts at one end but not another, the bed knife may require adjustment.

If proper adjustment cannot produce a clean cut, sharpening or professional service may be required.

Why Six Spiral Blades?

The Mascot and Clipper mowers currently offered by Cottage Craft Works use six-blade reel designs. The spiral arrangement distributes cutting action across the width rather than attempting to cut the entire width simultaneously.

Disclaimer

This information is provided for general educational purposes. Always follow the mower manufacturer's instructions and observe appropriate safety practices for equipment, blades, towing, and operation.