Lawn Mower Service Log
Keep a mower running past its fifth year, by tracking the three things that actually kill them: stale fuel, a blocked air filter and neglected oil.
OM-01 2 pages
Outdoor machines · OM-19
Reel Mower Bedknife and Height of Cut Record
A free printable reel mower setup record: each cutting unit listed once, then height of cut measured left and right, paper test, backlap, grind and bearings.
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2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Set every cutting unit the same way, and prove it with a height measured at both ends. Streaking or an uneven cut can then be traced to one unit, not the whole machine.
Who it is for
Greenkeepers, groundsmen and mechanics looking after reel (cylinder) mowers on golf courses, bowling greens, sports pitches and fine lawns.
How to use it
- Number the cutting units on the machine and list each one with its reel serial and bedknife part number.
- At each setup, write the height you are setting, then measure it at both ends of the unit with the same gauge.
- Record the paper test result across the reel, and whether it was backlapped or ground.
- Log grinding and bedknife replacement on the back, with who did it.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: Every cutting unit of a reel (cylinder) mower set the same way: each unit listed once, then every setup with the height wanted, the height measured at both ends, the paper test and any backlap or grind.
Your heights, the maker's limits. No heights of cut, contact settings or wear limits are printed. The height is your own choice for the surface, and reel and bedknife limits come from the mower maker. Measure with the same gauge every time, at both ends of each unit.
Write-on lines: Mower make & model · Fleet or asset no. · No. of units · Height gauge used
Cutting units — number each unit on the machine and keep to those numbers
Table, 5 rows: Unit · Reel serial · Blades · Bedknife part no. · Fitted · Reel limit · Notes
Setup and height of cut — a line per unit each time it is set
Also printed: Measured height
Table, 17 rows: Date · Unit · Target · Left · Right · Paper test · Backlap · Grind · Bearings · Hours · By
Page 2
Grinding and bedknife record — reel ground, bedknife faced or replaced
Table, 5 rows: Date · Unit · Work done · Reel size · Done by · Hours · Cost
Ruled lines: Notes — cut quality, streaking, units that drift
Questions
Why is no height of cut printed?
Because the height is a choice for your surface, season and grass, not a fixed figure, and reel and bedknife wear limits come from the mower maker. The sheet gives a target column so every unit is checked against the height you chose.
Why measure both ends of each unit?
A unit set high on one side cuts unevenly even when its average is right. Measuring left and right with the same gauge shows a twist or a worn roller that a single reading would hide.
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