Brill Razorcut 33 Reel Mower Summary
The Brill Razorcut 33 is designed and manufactured in Germany. It is a light reel mower that weighs only 15.2 pounds. It has five blades, and it has a cutting range of 0.7 inches to 1.8 inches (15 mm up to 45 mm). It has a 33 cm mowing area, which is about 13 inches wide. The Brill has a silent cut design where the blades do not make contact with the cutter bar when the blades spin. This reduces friction, which makes the mower a bit easier to push, and also protects the blade from damage. The blades can last 10 years or longer before they need any kind of sharpening.
The Razorcut 33 is the successor to the Luxus 33 mower. It is essentially the same mower, with an updated cosmetic design and an improved handle. The new handle is terrific, because that metal part in the middle is nice and stiff and transfers power from the handle to the mower very well.
Assembling a Brill Reel Mower
Assembling the Brill Razorcut 33 is incredibly simple. There are no tools required, and it takes about five minutes, max.
The reel mower body is already completely assembled. You just have to attach the handle. As you can see from the photos, the handle comes in four pieces. The bottom two parts pop onto two metal attachments on the mower body. The upper two parts of the handle attach to each other, using wing nuts.
Here’s the box that the mower comes in and all of the parts. There are no tools required for assembly!
See how the body is already fully assembled? All you have to do is attach the handle to the reel mower body.
These are all the handle parts, laid out so that you can see how they fit together.
The bottom of the handle has two attachment points that mount on the mower body.
See how they just slide right in and attach to the silver metal pegs?
You’ll also need to attach the top grip part of the handle to the middle section.
This is the top part of the handle assembly, after you have attached it to the middle.
After you put those on, you can attach the middle part of the handle to the two bottom parts, with a large wing nut.
Now you’re all done, and your assembled mower should look just like the manufacturer’s photo below.
Adjusting the Blades on the Brill Razorcut 33 Mower
So wait a second! What’s the difference between adjusting the blades and changing the cutting height?
The cutting height adjustment changes how high the grass is cut. The blade adjustment, on the other hand, adjusts how the reel turns inside the mower, keeping the blades cutting properly when the reel turns. The Brill reel mower comes with the blades pre-adjusted, so you won’t need to mess with it initially.
The Brill owner’s manual also comes with a little strip of metal and a really complicated explanation of how to adjust the blades. That method works, but in a complicated German way. I’m going to tell you the easy American way to do the same thing!
After using the Brill for a couple of years, you might notice that it doesn’t seem to cut as well as it used to. You’ll then look down at the blades and see that the blades have a flat edge that isn’t sharp at all and you’ll think, “Gosh, the blades must need sharpening.” That’s not what’s going on though. When the mower is brand new, the blades have that very same flat edge. They are not supposed to be sharp like a knife. Look at your new mower when you get it and notice this! I even included a picture.
So how do you fix it then, if it doesn’t need sharpening? Simple! You adjust the reel. Flip the mower upside down, and you’ll see that there are two silver spring-loaded bolts that hold the cutter bar in place on the bottom of the mower. Now, go find an adjustable wrench. Next, you’ll want to just barely tighten the bolts on each side. Keep tightening until when you spin the reel, the blades knock against the cutter bar. At this point, just barely, barely loosen the bolts until there is no more knocking.
Your mower is now perfectly adjusted again, and you’re ready to mow for several more seasons! Wasn’t that easy? I told you it didn’t need sharpening!
Cool Features of the Brill Razorcut 33
Brill reel lawn mowers have several cool feature that set them apart from most other reel mower models. They have a powder coat paint job. You can read about the advantages of powder coating versus plain old paint here.
Brill reel mowers have sealed bearings. That means you don’t have to mess with constantly oiling them, there’s no worry about rust, and the bearings are protected from yard debris.
Brill reel mowers have flame hardened, welded steel blades. This toughened steel, combined with the non-contact silent cut design, means that you pretty much never have to sharpen the blades. You just have to adjust them now and then.
Where to Buy the Brill Razorcut 33 Reel Lawn Mower
The Brill Razorcut 33 reel mower is available from Clean Air Gardening.
Other Information About Using Push Reel Lawnmowers
Don’t forget to read the general guide to using a manual reel mower on the front page of the site.