OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Question On Scott Bonnar Cylinder Mowers Scott Bonnar 45 Reel & Soleplate Removal Guide

Here is a video of how to remove a cylinder reel and soleplate from a Scott Bonnar Model 45.




Many thanks to Joe Carroll for filming, editing and posting for me, Deejay.

That's a fine piece of work Deejay and Joe. Deejay, I have to criticise something of course, so I'll comment on one thing: when you spun the reel we heard "ting ting ting", which seemed to mean some of the blades were touching the bedknife. Would this have been worth mentioning in the commentary, or otherwise, editing out the sound? By the way Joe, that was nice work, it came out very smooth without signs of heavy editing.

Great job guys, and it shows the detail that always seems to be missing from those videos when other people do them.

Hi grumpy, well spotted mate, but all is well, when you remove the sprocket, the adjustment of reel to bottom blade can shift slightly, as it has done in this case...that is quite normal and of no consequence as it's off to the sharpeners.
In hindsight, (always 20/20 of course) I could have loosened the adjusters and raised the reel before the removal....but as it's to be sharpened, no damage can result, and we wanted to complete the video before we ran out of camera memory

Thanks for that Deejay, that gets the explanation on the record in this thread. My guess would be that the reel settled slightly lower in its worn chain-side ball-bearing when you removed the chain, due to the chain exerting a slight upward pull. You did say in the video that the bearings were now up for replacement. Overall, it helps to emphasise how very small the reel to bedknife clearance should be.

Hi again grumpy, yes mate, I think you're spot on there, and as you say the tolerances are minute. Serviceable bearings and adjusters are the secret to successful clearance adjustment.
Joe and I will be making another video of the replacement and adjustment, and hopefully mow some grass to show the results....will also mention the safety aspects of handling newly sharpened components.

Thanks Deejay and Joe.
I will be referring back to this video when I do my three reel mowers
- although I dont know where I will be sending the reel and bed knife to be sharpened.
Will look forward to the "Replacement " video too.
Thanks again blokes.
Stationary

Hi Joe, just finished the lawn and edges, the 45 cuts beautifully...very smooth finish....here's a pic...

Thanks once again for all your help yesterday, and Happy Editing, I can't wait to see how it turned out either!

This video was great. Thanks heaps. I need to replace my bottom blade but even after 48 hours soaking in CRC they don't want to budge, any tips? I tried an impact driver an even that would not move them.

Hi Splattapus, and a warm welcome to the forum. It's great to have another Scott Bonnar owner on board.

The bedknife blade (if it needs replacing) is removed by the engineer that sharpens the reel...ie. you take the cylinder reel and the soleplate (complete with the bedknife) to the engineer. He has the special tools required to remove the screws and has the new screws to replace them. The new bedknife has to be ground before re-installation in the machine.
Here is some info for you....

Myth: New bedknives are �true� and don�t require grinding.

Fact: �New bedknives are certainly not true coming from the factory. Every bedknife that gets installed on a bed bar needs to be ground properly in order to achieve a consistent quality of cut. The bedknife is the single most important factor in achieving a great quality of cut. The bedknife�s job is to position the grass before the reel blade cuts it. Depending on where the position is will depend on how clean and consistent your turfs after cut appearance will look.

Bedknives will take the shape of the existing bed bar once tightened. By grinding the bed knife properly it will give you a smooth surface that you will then align to a reel that has been ground to a true cylinder. Once this is complete you will have 2 perfectly aligned surfaces that can achieve the quality of cut that everyone is looking for. It is very important that the bed knife is ground to its proper angle (manufacturer�s recommendations) in order to maintain high quality turf grass.
Do not attempt to remove the bedknife from the soleplate yourself....the soleplate is cast iron and will fracture easily and very expensive to replace.
Hoping this helps, and once again to the OutdoorKing forum.