Sandersons is one of the few specialist workshops in Perth still hand sharpening and setting cylinder mowers. Our Osborne Park workshop has been servicing cylinder mowers since 1975, including for several of Perth's premier bowling clubs, croquet greens and high end residential lawns.

We collect your cylinder mower from anywhere in the Perth metro area free of charge on Saturday morning, complete the work in our workshop during the week, and return it Sunday the following weekend.

Residential cylinder mower service is a flat fee of $350. Commercial cylinder mower service is $450. Both prices include:

• Free Saturday pickup and Sunday delivery anywhere in the Perth metro area
• Full hand sharpening of every cylinder blade
• Setting the cylinder to the bottom blade with feeler gauges
• Back lapping with paste to a precision finish
• Bottom blade inspection and adjustment
• Complete engine service (oil, plug, air filter, fuel system)
• Test cut before delivery

No transport fees, no hidden costs. What you are quoted is what you pay.

They are the same thing. "Cylinder mower" is the Australian and British term, "reel mower" is the American term. Both describe a mower that cuts with a scissor action between a spinning cylinder of blades and a fixed bottom blade. We service them all under the same flat fee structure.

For a residential cylinder mower used weekly during the growing season, once a year is right. Most homeowners book us in late winter so the mower is sharp and ready for spring growth.

For commercial use on bowling greens or croquet lawns, two to four times a year depending on hours of use and the abrasiveness of the local soil. Sandy Perth soils are particularly hard on cylinder edges.

Yes. Cylinder mower repairs are a specialty of ours. We repair engines, gearboxes, drive belts, height adjusters, grass catchers, throttles and clutches across all major cylinder mower brands. Many of the cylinder mowers we work on are 20 to 50 years old and we keep them running with a combination of genuine parts, sourced parts and workshop fabrication where needed.

Servicing a cylinder mower requires removing the cylinder, hand sharpening each blade, setting the gap to the bottom blade with feeler gauges, and back lapping with paste. It is precision work that takes longer and costs more than a standard rotary service. That is why a cylinder service is $350 and a rotary service is $250.

The cylinder is removed from the mower and each spiral blade is hand sharpened to restore the cutting edge. The cylinder is then refitted, set to the bottom blade with feeler gauges, and back lapped with abrasive paste. The result is a precision matched finish that delivers the clean scissor cut a cylinder mower is designed to produce.

Sharpening is precision work. A poorly sharpened cylinder will not cut cleanly, will tear grass tips brown, and can damage the mower over time.

Back lapping is the process of running the cylinder backwards against the bottom blade with a fine abrasive paste between them. It hones both surfaces simultaneously to a precision matched finish, far sharper than grinding alone.

Every cylinder service we do includes back lapping with quality paste. We also sell back lapping paste over the counter at our Osborne Park workshop for customers who maintain their own cylinders between services.

Yes. We stock back lapping paste in different grits at our Osborne Park workshop. Walk in any weekday or call (08) 9444 1284 to check stock before you come down.

For a residential cylinder mower, once a year as part of an annual service is right for most lawns. If your grass tips are turning brown after mowing, the cylinder is dull and tearing rather than cutting cleanly. Time to sharpen.

Commercial bowling green and croquet mowers typically need sharpening two to four times a year depending on hours of use.

Most can. We assess the cylinder before quoting. If the blades have minor wear or chips, sharpening and setting will restore them. If the cylinder is severely worn or damaged, we will discuss replacement with you before proceeding. Cylinder replacement is occasionally needed on heavily used commercial mowers but rare on residential ones.

Most jobs run on a one week cycle. We collect your cylinder mower on Saturday morning, complete the sharpening, setting and engine service in our workshop during the week, and deliver it back the following Sunday.

If you need it back faster, ask about our jump the queue option for next day or immediate bench priority work.

The bottom blade is the fixed cutting edge that sits beneath the spinning cylinder. Grass is sheared between the moving cylinder blades and the stationary bottom blade, like scissors. The bottom blade is one of the most important components on a cylinder mower because the quality of the cut depends on the precision of the gap between cylinder and bottom blade.

Setting is the process of adjusting the gap between the spinning cylinder and the fixed bottom blade so they just barely contact along their full length. The gap is checked with feeler gauges and adjusted with the cylinder bearings. Set too tight and the cylinder grinds against the bottom blade. Set too loose and grass slips through uncut. The right setting is a fraction of a millimetre and it changes as both surfaces wear.

Setting is included in every cylinder service we do.

Yes. Bottom blades wear over time and eventually need replacing rather than just sharpening. We stock bottom blades for the most common cylinder mower brands and can source the rest within a few days. Bottom blade replacement is quoted on inspection.

Signs your bottom blade is worn out:

• The mower will not cut cleanly even after sharpening and setting
• Visible grooves or chips along the cutting edge
• The blade is thinner than it used to be
• The setting will not hold for more than a few mows

Bring it in or book a pickup and we will assess and quote on replacement.

Yes. We stock feeler gauges, back lapping paste and common cylinder mower parts at our Osborne Park workshop. Walk in during business hours.

Yes. Bushranger cylinder mowers (including the popular 410CM model) are one of the most common cylinder mowers we service in Perth. We carry common Bushranger parts in stock and can source the rest within a few days. Standard $350 residential or $450 commercial flat fee.

Yes. Scott Bonnar cylinder mowers are an Australian classic and we have decades of experience servicing them. Many of the Scott Bonnars in Perth are 30 to 50 years old, and we are familiar with the quirks. Parts can take longer to source for vintage models, but we will tell you up front whether sourcing is realistic before quoting.

Yes. Mountfield, Atco, Greenfield and most other current and vintage cylinder mower brands. Bring it in or book a pickup and we will assess and quote.

Yes. Masport cylinder mowers are serviced regularly through our workshop, including the Olympic series. Standard $350 residential or $450 commercial flat fee.

Yes. We have decades of experience with vintage and classic cylinder mowers including Scott Bonnar, vintage Masport, vintage Mountfield and others. Parts for some vintage models take longer to source, but we will tell you up front whether sourcing is realistic before any work begins.

Three ways:

• Online: Book a service or pickup online
• Phone: (08) 9444 1284 (press 2 for repairs)
• Walk in: Main Street, Osborne Park, weekdays during business hours

Yes. We offer free Saturday pickup and Sunday delivery across the Greater Perth metro area for cylinder mower service. We collect from your home, complete the work in our Osborne Park workshop, and return it the following weekend.

You do not need to be home as long as the mower is accessible. Just let us know where it will be when you book.

We cover the entire Perth metropolitan area and the Rockingham region. Northern, central, western, eastern and southern suburbs through to Rockingham and Baldivis. Call (08) 9444 1284 if unsure.

Yes. We offer jump the queue options for next day or immediate bench priority work, subject to technician availability and parts on hand. Useful for commercial landscapers, bowling clubs and councils who cannot afford downtime. Mention it when you book.

Some experienced owners do, but it is not recommended for most. Cylinder mower sharpening requires the right setup (cylinder grinding fixture or precise back lapping), feeler gauges to set the gap, and a good understanding of how the cylinder and bottom blade interact. Done badly, you can damage the cylinder or end up with a mower that does not cut cleanly.

Walk in to the workshop and our technicians are happy to talk you through what is involved. Most customers find the time, equipment and patience required makes the $350 flat fee good value.

Yes. We stock back lapping paste, feeler gauges, bottom blades and common cylinder mower parts at our Osborne Park workshop. Walk in any weekday during business hours, or call ahead to check stock.