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MagKnife technology earns great reviews for superior results

J.D. Franz (at left), superintendent of Cottonwood Creek Golf Course, Waco, Texas says, "The longevity of the MagKnife is very noticeable, we get at least 50 percent longer life compared to a regular bedknife."

The timesavings created by Jacobsen’s MagKnife technology are already well known among golf course superintendents and their technicians. But others are discovering another important benefit of the MagKnife — its ability to consistently provide a  superior cut.

The magnetic bedknives were recently used at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. They were installed on the courses’ Greens King 518A walking greens mowers partly for ease of maintenance, but also because the MagKnife has a slimmer profile for one of the shortest cutting heights in the industry.

PGA Tour players aren’t the only ones benefiting from this exceptional cut.

More consistent cut

Tim Barrier, superintendent of Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, San Diego, California, says, “Our mowers seem to be performing very well. We get a much more consistent, better cut.”

The superior quality of cut provided by MagKnife is just one way that this technology is revolutionizing turf care. Instead of the usual method of attaching a bedknife to a bedbar using numerous screws — up to 18 in some cases — MagKnife holds the bedknife in place using powerful magnets. Using a special removal tool, bedknives can be removed and reattached in seconds, compared to minutes of fiddling with screws required to install and remove a traditional bedknife.

“It’s just so much easier to switch out these bedknives,” Barrier says, “and they cut much better because the bedknives aren’t being warped by the tension from screws.”

Rancho Santa Fe uses MagKnives on six Jacobsen walking greens mowers.

Patented by Jacobsen

Jacobsen patents MagKnife technology and the unique bedknife kits are only available for Jacobsen equipment. MagKnife also maintains a high quality of cut with less maintenance for a much longer time than a traditional bedknife.

J.D. Franz, superintendent of Cottonwood Creek Golf Course, Waco, Texas, says, “The MagKnives seem to last longer between grinding and backlapping than traditional bedknives.”

Cottonwood Creek uses MagKnives on four Greens King IV Plus triplex mowers, two on greens and two on tees. Besides the ability to change bedknives faster, Franz says it’s easier to identify potential problems.

“We find ourselves checking things we might not ordinarily do,” he explains, “because removing the MagKnife is so quick and easy. Time is important to our technicians because they have heavy loads. We pull reels and check them daily on greens mowers, so whatever makes it faster for them is a plus.”

Reduce grinding time

Cottonwood’s technicians don’t grind the MagKnives as often as regular bedknives.

“Before the MagKnife, we replaced bedknives more often,” Franz says. “They seem to be harder, and they’re straighter because of the way the magnets work. We don’t need a true-up grind with the MagKnife. A regular bedknife develops a bowed shape when it sits on the shelf for awhile. On a brand-new regular bedknife we have to do a touch-up grind. We don’t do that with the MagKnife because it’s so straight. This extends bedknife life right out of the box. The longevity of the MagKnife is very noticeable; we get at least 50 percent longer life compared to a regular bedknife. We have Tifdwarf Bermuda grass greens and our height of cut is 0.125. We’re getting superior quality of cut with less labor.”

"I save at least an hour to an hour and a half per mower with the MagKnife." — Martin Garcia of Legacy Hills Golf Course

Preventive maintenance pays

When head technician Martin Garcia of Legacy Hills Golf Course, Sun City, Texas, removes a MagKnife from a Greens King IV, he cleans it and applies a light coat of anti-seize lubricant.

“I noticed on all our bedknives that there is a very small buildup of metal from backlapping,” he says. “Also, we wash our mowers daily and this increases the potential for rust. I saw a problem coming and decided to head it off. I haven’t had any problems with the MagKnife.”

Garcia doesn’t have an assistant, so anything that saves time is important.

“I save at least an hour to an hour and a half per mower with the MagKnife,” he says. “We topdress about every three weeks, and I’m changing bedknives once a month. I’ve got other mowers to get to, and with the MagKnife I don’t have to do anything to the mowers; I just put them back on, reset them and we’re ready to cut. They cut just as well as other bedknives. 

“With MagKnife it’s so easy,” Garcia continues. “I just grab the top and bottom and pull them off. When I’m going to grind I don’t have to take off all the bedbars on all the cutting units. I just take off one bar, grind the bedknife and use the same bar for the other bedknives. That saves time. And I don’t have to line up holes for the bolts, saving more time. On other units I have to go through all that work three times.”

Jacobsen value

Experiences like these impress even those superintendents and technicians who were already convinced of Jacobsen’s value.

“I’ve been a Jake guy with my greens mowers for a long time,” Barrier says. “We probably would have bought Jacobsen anyway, but the MagKnife sealed the deal for us. Jacobsen really hit a home run with this thing. In a nutshell, we love them.”