Well here goes nothin'!

I will try to forget how much I paid for this thing and give an unbiased review of cut quality and ease/difficulty of maintainence.

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I'll post a couple pics when I get it put together this evening or tomorrow.

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Wow. Just did a google search on it. PRICEY! Pretty neat that they have a gang setup with 3 of these in a pull behind setup. Anyways, congrats on the purchase and looking forward to seeing how you like it.

I am curious too!!!! Can't wait to see how it cut and what your opinion is on it?

Is that one of the tow-behind models? Seems like a pretty decent idea for dealing with reel mowers....

One thing though - be sure to be extra thorough on your stick and mulch chip patrols before mowing.... You may very well jam it up and not know....

Thanks

Yep. It is a tow behind.

Good point about jamming one up. I've been going out everyday for the past 2 weeks and just doing a little walk around. Twig here. Acorn there. By the time I'm ready to mow, it'll be spotless, and easier for me to keep up with new debris.

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Just got everything together. First impression.....heavy.

John, now I fully understand the warning about the 21" reel. There is quite a size difference between the 18" and the 21".

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Wow! you went all out on this!

I was going to ask if the John Deere trike has a hitch on the back, but then I considered that the Farmall red on the tow rig would clash.

I have a yellow and tan Cub Cadet, and even the wife didn't understand why I now need a different color lawn mower. I'm going to look like an idiot pulling red and black with yellow and tan.

Some people just don't get it.

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Yeah - that 21" push-reel is a beast... Let me tell you... I honestly wish I had bought the 18" model for manual pushing.... It's not the weight that is the problem... It's the force to push it that's the problem....

Be sure to post some reviews on how it runs behind your lawn tractor.... It is probably a pretty decent option for many people with Bermuda lawns....

I am seriously tempted to rig up some sort of contraption that will make my self-propelled mower pull the 21" reel behind it.....

Thanks

That's a great looking reel setup! I'm interested in hearing a review as well.

I am glad I saw this - I myself am looking at getting that Flex 58 - 3 gang tow behind - I am looking forward to hearing your results

I've hooked it up, and pulled it around the yard some, and have a pretty good feeling I'm gonna love it.

I do have one complaint. I wish it were more adjustable on height.

They main height adjustment comes from raising and lowing the wheels. But there are only 3 settings. 5/8", 1.5", and I don't recall the other because I'm not going that tall anyway. Think it was 2.5"

You can make small adjustments with the rear roller, but it's main purpose is to level the bed knife. That doesn't leave you with much room to move it.

I haven't gotten to mow with it, so I can't say with experience what an unlevel bedknife will do. I've read it can leave a ripple effect in the grass when cut.

Don't know what I'll do yet.

I want an inch HOC.

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I've managed to get it set to 13/16". Close enough. I think that should put the final cut a little over an inch once the grass gets thick.

Bed knife still isn't perfectly level. I'll just have to wait and see what happens when I mow.

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I ended up raising the height a little to level up the bedknife. Somewhere at just over an inch.

I still wouldn't call my grass 100% full yet, but it is getting there. Probably cut off a 1/2 inch today.

It may have missed a blade here and there, but nothing I haven't seen a rotary do.

Some weeds require a do-over, but for the most part, I was impressed at the way it handled them.

Pretty easy to maneuver, too. I did find myself backing up alot to make sure I didn't miss any grass in the turns. I don't feel like that added any significant time to the job, though.

I also don't like making tight turns on asphalt or concrete. It just *feels* like it is putting undue stress on the whole thing. Easily alleviated by cutting header strips around the lawn.

I'll have to work on straight lines. I REALLY like watching the reels cut, so spent most of the time looking behind me while I was mowing. Make sure small children and pets aren't wandering around the lawn while you are mowing.

So far, so good. I'll post back when I start having to make maintainence adjustments. All I've had to do so far is spray some light oil on the blades, bedknives, and pivot points on the frame.

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I use a hand wisk broom to sweep off any wet grass blades then apply a light spray of silicone to the blades after every use, and at 3 years of use, my Sunlawn reel mowers blades look as new.

Constant rain has kept me from mowing as often as normal.

This thing does not care for tall grass. You are firmly held to the 1/3 rule.

This is not a surprise to me, and not a problem as I love mowing. Every other day mowing doesn't make me bat an eye.

Thought I better put it in the review so one knows that you have to stay on top of things.

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More rain this week has delayed mowing again, so I thought I would post what happens when grass is too tall. I think you should be able to see it with these pics.

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Called corrugation. It clears up with an extra pass. It isn't a problem when you are able to mow regularly, but should be expected if you are prevented from mowing for one reason or another.

Here is what I was cutting today. And just for ****s and giggles, I set the rotary deck to last years height and turned it on. Didn't cut a thing.

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Hey Michael, that is very nice cut you are getting with that Pro Flex!!!!!! I know when started cutting mine with a reel, it was like the grass had to "learn" to get cut with it. It was kind of like shaving with an electric razor as opposed to a regular one.

This rippled cut crap is annoying. I think T-Dub said a 10 blade reel is the best for a thick Bermuda lawn, but this is the most blades I've found available for a gang.

Mowing everyday would probably cure it, but I'm pretty sure my wife would divorce me, and I'm not sure of how custody of the lawn would work.

Overall, I'm torn with this thing. I COULD NOT cut this low with a rotary on my lawn. The lawn does look good, and I think a majority of it is due to the reel and my frequent cutting.

Most of the ripple effect can be dealt with by going back over the bad spots a couple times. That doesn't take much time or effort, but after $1500 you would rather have it cut right the first time.

I'm going to call promow Monday to see if there is anything I can do, but from my understanding of reels, I think I'm stuck with the ripples unless I want to raise the height or cut more often.

So, would I tell someone to by it? I really wish I knew how long it would take to cut my 20000 sq. ft. lawn with a 27" TruCut.

If you have Bermuda, and your lawn is just too darn big for a self propelled reel, I would say yes.

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