Reel Mower Guide
So you’re thinking about buying a reel mower, or maybe you’ve already got one. First off, congratulations! You’ve taken the first step toward a better looking yard, a much more enjoyable mowing experience, and cleaner air.
I bought my first reel lawnmower in 1997, when I moved into a rent house in South Carolina that required me to cut the grass myself. I wasn’t about to buy an expensive Toro gas mower for a house that I didn’t even own, so I headed over to a local home improvement store to see what my other options were.
I spotted a couple of different models of reel mowers in the store and was surprised. I didn’t even realize that anyone still made push mowers. The cheapest manual mower model was under 100, so I picked up the box and headed home with it. It took about half an hour to assemble.
I started pushing it around the yard, and I was blown away. The mower not only worked, but it worked pretty well, and it wasn’t even hard to push. “Why don’t more people know about this?” I wondered.
That first one I ever used made quite an impression on me. To borrow a saying of the guy from the Remington Shaver commercials, “I liked it so much, I started my own company!”
Over the years, I’ve sold thousands of reel mowers, as well as other lawn and garden supplies, to people all over the country. As you can imagine, I’ve dealt with just about every reel mower issue that you can think of. I thought it might be helpful to people who are interested in reel mowers to write down some of this knowledge and share it. So here it goes.
Picture the pleasure of using a manual mower. The smell of fresh air, the pleasant mechanical sound of the blades cutting the grass, the feel in your hands of of the handle as you push the lightweight mower around the yard. You’ll feel a sense of satisfaction from getting a bit of exercise while knowing that you didn’t burn any gas, or use any electricity to keep your yard looking neat and trim.
They’re light. 2. They’re quiet. 3. They’re environmentally friendly. 4. They’re better for your grass. (Rotary mowers tear the grass. Reel mowers cut the grass like scissors, leaving a fine spray of cuttings as mulch for your yard.) 5. They’re maintenance free. 6. They’re as easy to push as much heavier motorized mowers. 7. They don’t blow exhaust into your face while you’re mowing.
But wait! Aren’t reel mowers hard to push?
These people mean well, but the truth is, they probably have never actually used a manual mower at all. Or they used an old beat up 50 pound rusty antique model 40 years ago when they were 10 years old. Hmmm, could this be why they recall that it was difficult?
Modern reel mowers are lighter, better designed, easier to push, and cut better. Take it from me, I know. I’ve sold thousands over the years, and even with a 60 day no-questions money back guarantee, we get a return rate of well under 3 percent. If they’re so hard to push, then why do we get so many testimonial letters from people who love them and so few returns?
There are of course some disadvantages to using a manual reel mower, which I’ll get to later. And they do take some effort to push. They aren’t magical. But honestly, they aren’t any harder to push than an 80 pound gas mower that isn’t self propelled. And since you don’t deal with the loud noise, the vibrations or the dirt, leaves and exhaust that get blown out from a gas mower, it’s a much, much more pleasant experience to mow.
The Myth of the Three Inch Cutting Height
I get emails and phone calls on a weekly basis from people who absolutely insist that they need to keep their grass cut at least three inches high. The fact is, there are only about one or two varieties of grass that actually need to be kept this tall. If your preference is to keep the grass taller, then it’s not going to hurt the lawn. But it isn’t a requirement.
All grass is not the same. If only it were so simple to arbitrarily pick one height that works for all different grass varieties!
Here is a link to a site that lists the cutting ranges for different types of grass. These cutting ranges have been carefully researched by experts, and are recommended by the association of companies that make their living selling sod. Do you think they’d recommend a cutting height that would hurt the product that they sell for a living?
With a hand mower you may always cut to the lowest recommended height. Current higher mowing height recommendations are based on the requirements of the default choice, the rotary power mower (90% of all the mowers in use in the U.S.). Rotary power-mowed lawns must be mowed higher to compensate for the repeated disturbance to the lawn as well as to avoid browning and scalping injury. Mowing heights for reel mowers have been proven over 200 years of worldwide use.
Regularity is the key to effective mowing. The rule of thumb is to reduce the height of the grass by one-fourth to one-third. If you mow to 1.5 inches then at about 2.25 inches it’s time to mow again – usually a week or so.
Strategies for getting your best cut with a manual reel mower
With a manual reel mower, YOU are the engine. Just like your car will stall if you don’t give the engine enough power when you take off, a reel mower will also tend to bind up and skid if you walk at a snail’s pace. The faster you walk, the faster the blade turns. So get moving at a comfortably quick walking pace, and you’ll get the best results.
This means that when you are mowing back and forth across the lawn, slightly overlap the row that you already mowed. This will make the mower a bit easier to push because you’re mowing less grass, and it will also help catch any spots that you might have missed on the last row where there’s a little bit of grass left over.
Experiment with different mowing patterns. Different types of grass and different lawns have different growing patterns, and different types of grains of growth. So the direction in which you mow can make a difference in the quality of the cut. So mess around with it, and see if mowing in one direction versus another gives you a better cut.
Years. 55,000 Mowers Later. These are the Reel Mowers That We Think are Best!
For the last 14 years, our family run, eco-mission based company has sold over 55,000 push reel mowers. We look at every model of reel mower on the market each year, and could easily carry many other models. We carry Earthwise Reel Mowers, the popular Scotts Classic, and the Hudson Star Greensmower.
All were tested by our experts and chosen for their features, quality and durability.
Helpful Info from Our Experts
135.00 30 shipping
The Brill Razorcut 33 is the smallest push reel mower in our lineup.
The Brill Razorcut 38 is the top of the line reel mower from Germany.
The Earthwise 16″ Reel Mower is specifically designed to cut low-growing, creeping grasses.
The Scotts Classic Reel Mower cuts as wide as a traditional gas mower.
Grass Types :: All, except Bermuda, Zoysia overgrown St. Augustine
Grass Types :: All, except Bermuda, Zoysia overgrown St. Augustine
Grass Types :: All grass types
Grass Types :: All grass types
Blades :: 5 flame hardened, welded steel blades
Blades :: 5 flame hardened, welded steel blades
Blades :: 5 heat treated blades
Blades :: 7 blade ball bearing reel
Walk Mowers
Walk mowers encompass a range of lawnmowers that the user walks along behind. They are best suited to smaller lawns, generally anything up to half an acre in size (although a half-acre lawn might take you a good few hours to mow with a walk mower and you’d be forgiven for choosing a ride-on to tackle a lawn of this size.)Walk mowers offer the greatest variety and versatility when it comes to lawnmowers. They can vary wildly in price, quality, and offer numerous different features. Most walk mowers can be broken down into the following categories.
2.1. Cylinder Mower
Cylinder mowers, also known as reel mowers, have vertically rotating cylindrical blades at the front of the mower, which slices against a fixed blade. They trap the grass between the blades and slice it off, with action not dissimilar to scissors. The vertical blades on a cylinder mower can range in number from three to twelve, with a higher number of blades usually signaling a more precise cut. They are designed for use on flat lawns and don’t cope particularly well with uneven or rough surfaces. They give a neat cut, which works especially well for creating defined stripes on a lawn if this is a look you would like to achieve. They are best suited to soft grass types, as they don’t handle coarse grass well. They also struggle to cut long grass, so if you opt for a cylinder mower, you will need to keep on top of your mowing and cut your grass regularly, as the mower won’t perform well on grass that has become overgrown.
During the growing season, this will mean mowing your lawn at least once a week, ideally twice a week. These types of mowers have blades that are less accessible, making them more difficult to sharpen than a rotary mower, which is unfortunate because they do tend to require the most maintenance. If a cylinder mower is not serviced regularly, it’s blades will start to chew the grass, giving a very poor cut. For this reason, cylinder mowers are best suited to those who are mechanically skilled. They also tend to be less adjustable than other mowers, giving you fewer options when it comes to grass cutting height. They are also generally less common, so if they go wrong, you might struggle to find replacement parts. That being said, these mowers can be affordable and efficient when paired up with the right type of lawn and are enormously popular among those gardeners who take pride in a neat and short lawn cut. They also often come equipped with a roller on the back, offering the user a two-in-one tool. The grass box on a cylinder mower is usually at the front.
2.2. Rotary Mower
These are the most common types of walk-along mower you will find. They have a single blade that rotates at very high speed in a horizontal motion, cutting grass as it comes into contact with it, a lot like a food processor or blender. These mowers work best on medium to long grass, meaning you can leave longer in between mowing sessions without any negative impact. The cut you get from a rotary mower is less precise than a cylinder mower. It tends to bash and thrash the blades of grass around, slicing them on impact due to the high speed of rotation, which results in a less accurate and more uneven cut than you would get from a good cylinder mower. The difference of cut, however, probably wouldn’t be that noticeable to most people, especially on an average lawn with its slopes, bumps, and color and thickness variations. A more manicured lawn, however, may be able to tell the difference between the two cuts, with the cylinder mower offering the more superior cut of the two.
2.3. Push Mower
Push mowers, as the name suggests, requires the user to manually force the machine across the lawn. The motor turns the blades, but the wheel action is all you. These mowers are popular because they are usually the most inexpensive, and they are also lightweight and easy to handle. A push mower offers good maneuverability, allowing the user to direct exactly where it goes, steering around obstacles and corners, and even reversing. The fact that it is lightweight may be useful if you need to lift the mower into a trailer or truck bed, or if you need to carry it up and down steps.
These mowers take some physical exertion, which is great if you’re keen to add some extra exercise into your schedule, but may not be good for people with health complaints or anyone who doesn’t want to get a sweat on. It should be noted that push mowers work best for level lawns because having to push it up a hill can be very labor-intensive, as can chasing it down a hill! They are best suited to small yards due to their strenuous nature and are probably the most simple type of lawnmower you can get. For anyone concerned about the environmental impact of mowing their lawn, push mowers are the best option as they produce no emissions. They also don’t make noise pollution like powered lawnmowers.
2.4. Self Propelled Mower
Self-propelled lawnmowers have a transmission that propels the machine forward, so the user does not need to push it, and instead guides it. These mowers are generally simple to operate and make mowing a lawn a much easier and quicker job, even in small yards. The main advantage of a self-propelled mower is the fact that it doesn’t require any manpower, but there are other advantages too. These mowers tend to give a more consistent lawn cut compared to push mowers, as they are able to maintain a constant speed. Self-propelled mowers are more mechanically technical than push mowers, so they require more maintenance and can be more difficult to fix when things go wrong. These mowers are typically more expensive to buy than push mowers, but many people find that the extra expenditure is worth it to avoid having to manually propel a push mower.
2.5. Hover Mower
Power Types
The type of power source most appropriate for your mower will depend on the size of your lawn, your strength, and your own personal preferences. The options to choose from when it comes to lawnmower power types are:
3.1. Manual Powered Mower
Manual powered mowers essentially push mowers. Though they may have an engine, this only operates the blades and doesn’t provide any momentum. The user is the source of momentum with muscle power, as opposed to an electric, battery, or gas-powered mower, where the momentum is supplied by the engine, and the user just provides directional guidance. These mowers are the quietest, most environmentally friendly, and the most inexpensive. They are also the hardest to use, requiring a good amount of strength and energy to operate. They are best suited to small lawns.
3.2. Electric Powered Mower
These corded mowers are powered by electricity through a cable attached to the mower. They are enormously popular and account for the majority of lawnmowers purchased each year, being especially common in small to medium-sized yards. Their popularity is due to their many advantages. They are lightweight, therefore easy to handle and maneuver. They are smaller than gas-powered mowers, making them easier to store when not in use. They never have to be charged like battery-powered mowers, and they won’t run out of gas. This means that so long as you have electric power, you can run these mowers whenever you like, giving the user ultimate convenience. Electric mowers are simple to use and give good, consistent results. They are also very affordable, typically ranging from around 100 to 250.
The biggest disadvantage of electric mowers is the fact that they are tethered to an electrical outlet. This presents a few problems. The main problem is that if you have a yard that is longer than your cable, then the furthest part of your lawn is not going to cut. It’s vital you measure your lawn and compare it with the cable length of a mower before you buy it to avoid this issue. The second problem, which can be worked around, is having a cable trailing behind you everywhere you mow. You’ll need to be careful not to bring your mower blades into contact with the cable, and take care not to get tangled along the way. This is a minor inconvenience that can be worked around with a bit of practice, but many people find corded mowers too restrictive.
3.3. Gas-Powered Mower
Gas-powered lawnmowers have engines that run on petrol. They aren’t restricted by a cable and therefore are great for mowing large areas where corded mowers can’t reach. They are more powerful than electric mowers and will cut grass faster, resulting in shorter mowing time. Their power means they are suitable for cutting even dense, thick, or tall grass with ease. Gas-powered mowers are easy to steer and maneuver reasonably well around obstacles. In terms of use, one of the biggest differences you will notice when operating a gas mower is that it is much heavier and larger in size.
There are a few drawbacks of gas-powered mowers. Firstly, they have engines which, much like vehicle engines, are a cause of pollution. They also need to be regularly maintained and serviced to prevent them from going wrong. You will also need to keep on top of oil and fuel levels. Gas mowers are also very noisy and are typically the most expensive type of walk mower you can get. They generally range in price between 200 and 800.
3.4. Battery-Powered Mower
Battery-powered mowers run off a battery, usually, a lithium-ion battery, which is lightweight and long-lasting. These mowers give the user all the benefits of an electric mower, without the restriction of cable length. As these mowers are not tied down to a power source, they are well suited to gardens of any size. They tend to be slightly heavier than an electric mower, but much lighter than a gas-powered mower. These mowers offer excellent convenience, but this comes at a cost. They are more expensive than electric mowers, usually costing in excess of 500 for a good quality model.
The main drawback of a battery-powered mower is its run time. Many of these mowers will run for about an hour before they need to be re-charged, which could prove quite frustrating if you’re only halfway through mowing your lawn when the battery runs out. Batteries also do not last forever and will need to be replaced every few years.
Drive Types
The drive of your mower is an important consideration that can impact performance, depending on your terrain. Mowers will either be rear-wheel drive (RWD), front-wheel drive (FWD), or all-wheel drive (AWD), with each having pros and cons.
4.1. Rear Wheel Drive
These mowers are pushed forwards by the motion of the back wheels. They work well for wide-open spaces as they can be difficult to maneuver, and therefore you may struggle in small or awkwardly shaped gardens. They can be difficult to turn in order to change direction, and particularly struggle to reverse. However, they are excellent on rough or unsteady terrain, as they will push forward across any bumps or steep inclines.
4.2. Front-Wheel Drive
FWD mowers are propelled by the front wheels, which pull the mower along with their turning motion. These types of mowers work best for level lawns that don’t feature slopes or hills, as they don’t perform well on inclines. Front-wheel drive mowers are easy to steer, and they can be maneuvered well around obstacles or irregularly shaped lawns.
4.3. All Wheel Drive
These mowers have all four wheels connected to their source of power and are all propelled equally, moving together in unison. The main benefits of an all-wheel-drive mover are its speed and power, though it does lack the maneuverability of front-wheel drive mowers.
Reel Mowers Require Less Maintenance than a Gas Mower
I alluded to maintenance with price, but there’s also a time saving component that goes into it. No driving to the gas station and back when you run out of gas. No oil changes, and no spark plug changing. You may have to sharpen the blades every few years with a push reel, but you have to sharpen or change blades on gas mowers as well.
Push reel mowers are simpler and easier to maintain.
They also fit in a garage or shed much more easily than a gas or electric powered mower.
Reel Mowers Offer Peace and Quiet
With a push reel mower you can mow whenever you want without disturbing the neighbors. That includes morning or night when it’s typically cooler and healthier for you and the grass.
You can hear birds singing and neighbors when they walk by to say hi. And you don’t feel like that tingling in your arms like they have just been working a jackhammer.
Using a push reel mower is a pleasant and calming experience. Just what outdoor gardening should be.
The Cool Factor
There is not a neighbor that has walked by my house who uses a gas-powered mower that doesn’t stop to ask me questions with curiosity. First, they notice how well the mower cuts. Then they appreciate how quiet and peaceful the experience looks in comparison to a gas mower experience. Then they realize how much healthier it is for them and their lawn.
Somewhere along the way, Americans were convinced that gas-powered mowers were superior to push reel. Maybe they were at one point. But push reel mowers are a lot more advanced these days. It only takes a few trendsetters in a neighborhood to make the whole neighborhood realize it – cutting down the air, ground, and noise pollution for everyone. Why not be the trendsetter?
Reel Mower Caveats
I’ve painted a pretty rosy picture here, but there are a few things you should be aware of, if you are going to make the move to a push reel mower.
– Find a mower that cuts up to 3 inches or more. I moved from a Brill push reel mower to the new Fiskars reel mower (seen below), which allows you to cut up to 4 inches. The Brill, and many other reel mowers only let you cut up to 2 inches max. I like to grow my grass longer so that I don’t have to water it as much. It’s much healthier for your lawn.
– You can’t let the grass get too long, particularly if yours cuts up to a short max length. Otherwise it becomes difficult to mow. I’ve also heard that some weeds and very hardy grass varieties are very difficult to mow with a push reel. It’s something to be aware of. You may want to test out a neighbors push reel on your grass before buying (if their blades are sharp).
– Read reviews pretty thoroughly. Not all reel mowers are made made the same. Scotts, American, and Fiskars have the best reviews.
– You may have to go over some areas twice. Some people tout this as a big negative with push reels. I don’t think it is at all. We’ve probably all pushed a gas-powered mower at one time or another. It’s a hellish experience. Especially if you have hills. Pushing a 150 lb. beast up a 45 degree incline or even on flat ground is not easy. So from an energy exertion standpoint, you’re probably break even. As long as you keep your blades sharp, that is (very important).
– Not convinced that a push reel mower is right for you? If you’re looking for something lighter or with a little less ongoing maintenance than gas, check out the E-Go cordless electric mower. Not as environmentally friendly, but still a big step up over a filthy, heavy, loud, high-maintenance gas mower.
Design of a Hand-Held Grass Mower
The hand-held grass mowing machine is a petrolpowered machine with rotary blades for cutting grass on lawn. The machine was designed with locally available materials, putting into consideration factors such as strength, durability, light weight, ease of assembly and disassembling. This machine saves both energy and time, which is not so with the manual and pushable mowing methods, thereby providing greater and flexible mobility. A detailed design of the machine was done and performance test result shows that proper grass trimming is achieved in a comparatively shorter time with 67 percent process efficiency.
This paper presents modelling and simulation of a wind turbine driving a grid connected induction generator. A DC motor is used to emulate the performance of the wind turbine. Different parts of the system have been modelled using MatLab – Simulink. A model of a DC motor derived by a converter is employed to emulate the performance of the wind system. A speed control loop is used to force the dc motor shaft to follow the induction generator shaft which is coupled to the wind turbine.
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This project deals with design development and fabrication of ” MULTI PURPOSE PNEUMATIC MACHINE “. This machine is designed for the purpose of multi-operation i.e. Grinding, punching, and cutting. This machine performs multipurpose operation at same time with required speed and this machine is automatic which is controlled or operated by pneumatic pressure. This model of multi-operational machine may be used in industry and domestic operation which can perform mechanical operation like grinding, punching, and cutting of a thin metallic as well as wooden model or body.A high pressure compressed air is forced on a fan and the fan is made to rotate. This rotation is transmitted to the machining head by a shaft and the required operation is carried out.
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International Journal of Engineering Research and Technology (IJERT)
https://www.ijert.org/design-and-analysis-of-rotary-lawn-mower https://www.ijert.org/research/design-and-analysis-of-rotary-lawn-mower-IJERTV5IS040152.pdf KAMCO Industries, Athani, India is a reputed industry undertaken by Kerala state government producing farm and agro-machinery used all over India. KAMCO has a product line up of several farm and agro machineries, but has not produced Lawn Mowers. We are trying to put forward a simple lawn mower design which can be added to the product lineup of KAMCO with minimal cost. Here we have focused on simplifying the design of existing lawn mowers. Simple mechanisms for height adjustments and grass collection has been employed for usability and cost reduction. The frame and height adjustment module has been analyzed with the help of ANSYS Workbench and conclusions have been made
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Switched reluctance machine has various desirable features, which comes from its simple construction. They are the wide speed range, high temperature operation and small moment of inertia. There are many control variables, such as: firing angles, reference current, speed and voltage. This paper presents a nonlinear model of 6/4 Switched Reluctance Generator (SRG) with two converter (one with generator side and other with grid side) based on wind Energy system. This system provides a new approach to maximize the amount of power generated. Closed loop control with based PI current Control model is used. A Power converter in SRG can be produced maximum power efficiency and minimize the ripple contents in the output of SRG depend on the converter angles. A second power converter namely PI based controlled PWM inverter is used to interface the machine to the Grid. This system proposed feasibility and validity are simulated on MATLAB/SIMULINK.
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— The paper aims on the design, development and the fabrication of the robot which can dig the soil, put the seeds, leveler to close the mud and sprayer to spray water, these whole systems of the robot works with the battery and the solar power. than 40% of the population in the world chooses agriculture as the primary occupation, in recent years the development of the autonomous vehicles in the agriculture has experienced increased interest. The vehicle is controlled by Relay switch through IR sensor input. The language input allows a user to interact with the robot which is familiar to most of the people. The advantages of these robots are hands-free and fast data input operations. In the field of agricultural autonomous vehicle, a concept is been developed to investigate if multiple small autonomous machine could be more efficient than traditional large tractors and human forces. Keeping the above ideology in mind, a unit with the following feature is designed: Ploughing is one of the first steps in farming. During this process we till the land and make it ready for the seed sowing. By tilling we mean that a plough will be used which will have teeth’s like structure at the end and will be able to turn the top layer of soil down and vice-versa. Seed sowing comes next where the seeds need to be put in ground at regular intervals and these needs to be controlled automatically. Limiting the flow of seeds from the seeds chamber is typically doing this. Mud leveler is fitted to close the seeds to the soil and to level the ground. Water pump sprayer is used to spray the water)
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This paper presents the Modeling and Simulation of Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine for Single and Double Stator configurations. It proposes the AFPMSM to be used in Wind Energy Conversion System as the replacement of conventional induction generator. The MPPT technique is incorporated to extract the maximum power and the comparison of output powers with and without MPPT is presented.
Hand Push Lawn Mowers
Webb H18 46cm/18″ “Contact-Free” Side-Wheel Push Lawn Mower
Choose Push Lawn Mowers for a Traditional Feel
Enjoy the more traditional method of mowing your lawn with a manual, hand-propelled or push lawn mower from The Green Reaper. Equipped with cylinder-style blades, these push/pull lawn mowers give a close cut and provide the simple way to achieve great results on a small to medium-sized lawn. Many models also feature rollers to give that desirable striped finish.
We’re very pleased to stock pedestrian-powered lawn mowers from leading brands such as Webb, Cobra and AL-KO, so you can be sure that when you shop with us, you’re getting a quality product at a great price.
How a Push Reel Mower Works
Your typical power rotary mower has a spinning blade that chops off the top of the grass as it rotates like a helicopter, resulting in torn and shredded turf. Instead of tearing and chopping your grass, a reel mower cuts your grass just like a pair of scissors. It’s easier to understand how this works when you can see the mower, rather than just describing it, so check out the video below for a full explanation:
Oh, and it goes without saying, but unlike a power mower that requires gas or electricity to work, you provide the power to your manual reel mower.
Choosing a Push Reel Mower
The basic construction of a reel mower is pretty much the same across brands. They mainly vary in characteristics like:
- Weight. How heavy will it be when you’re pushing it?
- Cutting width. The longer and bigger the mower is, the heavier it will be, but the less passes you’ll have to make back and forth on your lawn, and thus the faster you’ll get the job done.
- Cutting heights. What’s the range of heights you can adjust the blades up and down?
- Direction of grass spray. Does the grass spray behind the mower or out in front? Obviously the latter has an advantage in not covering your feet with clippings.
When I was looking for a reel mower, I did a lot of research and finally brought home the Fiskars Staysharp Max Push Reel Lawn Mower. This thing isn’t your grandpa’s heavy old contraption. The folks at Fiskars have taken the old manual reel mower design and updated it for the 21st century: it’s 60% easier to push than other manual mowers, boasts twice the cutting power of competitors, sprays the grass out in front of you, and the blades only need sharpening every 5-10 years (that’s the “StaySharp” bit). It’s fast, powerful, and maneuverable. Not to mention kind of fun to use. After mowing with my Fiskars for nearly two months, I can confidently say that it’s given me the best mowing experience I’ve ever had. Kate and I even fight over who gets to mow the lawn now (the compromise: I mow the front; she mows the back). I can’t sing the mower’s praises highly enough ( and I don’t have any affiliation with the company whatsoever, by the way–just a very happy customer ).
Look at that beautiful cascade of grass.
If your only experience with a push reel mower was using a heavy clunker in your youth, I highly recommend giving the Fiskars a try. It will change your mind about manual mowers.
The Benefits of a Push Reel Mower
Push reel mowers are better for your grass’ health. This was my biggest motivating factor for purchasing a push reel mower as opposed to a power rotary mower. As mentioned above, power rotary mowers cut the grass by chopping and tearing your grass, while reel mowers cut the grass by snipping it cleanly like a pair of scissors. Torn and shredded grass leaves your lawn vulnerable to disease and insect attacks; grass that is cleanly cut with a reel mower heals faster and is less vulnerable to those maladies.
Push reel mowers make your lawn look nicer. Not only are reel mowers better for your grass’ health, they leave your lawn looking professionally manicured. Again, it all goes back to the scissor-like way the reel mower cuts the grass. Clean and even cuts make for a clean and even-looking lawn. The reel mower’s superior cut is the reason why groundskeepers at professional baseball stadiums and golf courses use large reel mowers pulled by tractors. The reel cut makes the grass look purty.
Push reel mowers are quiet. One of the things I hated the most about the old gas-powered Lawn Boy of my youth was the noise. First, it’s just grating to have to listen to a loud and obnoxious two-stroke engine for extended periods of time. Second, because the thing was so stinking loud, I couldn’t mow the grass too early or too late in the evening, lest I disturb the neighbors. That’s not a problem if you live in, say, Vermont, where summer days are pleasantly warm and idyllic (if it’s not raining). When you live in hot and humid Oklahoma, however, mowing your yard during the day with the sun beating down on you is downright miserable.
The push reel mower solves both of those noise-related problems. The only sound it makes is a satisfyingly quiet “snip-snip-snip” as the mower cuts the grass. I love hearing that sound. It’s actually rather soothing. And because my manual reel mower is so darn quiet, I can mow my lawn early in the morning without waking up the neighbors. Goodbye 107-degrees-with-a-heat-index-of-a-115 lawn mowing sessions!
Push reel mowers don’t emit pollution. Don’t let the smallness of your power lawn mower engine deceive you. That sucker spits out a crap load of air pollution. If you let a typical gas-powered lawn mower run for an hour, it will produce as much air pollution as a sedan running for two hundred miles. Jeez-um!
The amount of pollution a push reel mower produces? Zilch. Unless of course you count the relaxing farts you rip as you cut the grass.
If you’re an environmentally-conscious guy, the choice is clear between power and manual. You gotta go manual.
Push reel mowers are hassle-free. Push reel mowers are simple machines. You push it and blades spin around and cut your grass. That’s it. No pulling starter cords or priming the engine before you can mow. Just start walking and–bam!–you’re cutting the grass. Also, you’ll never have to buy gas, oil, or spark plugs ever again. About the only maintenance you’ll have with your manual reel mower is blade sharpening, and some folks think that’s more of an enjoyable, mind-settling task than a chore. And again, with the Fiskars, you’ll only have to sharpen the blades every half decade or so.
Push reel mowers are cheaper. Even a “top-of-the-line” reel mower like the Fiskars costs less than most power mowers. And if you get one of the smaller, classic models, they can run you less than 100. Plus, there are no maintenance costs. With gas as high as they are, why waste a single drop tooling around your backyard?
Push reel mowers exercise your body. There’s no autodrive on a push reel mower. These bad boys are man-powered. The Fiskars is particularly heavy for a reel mower (52 lbs), but is designed in a way that makes it easier to push, and it gives me a nice bout of exercise; hard enough to work up a satisfying sweat, but not so hard it leaves me feeling exhausted. It’s kind of like pushing a Prowler Sled around your yard, except for that when you’re done, you’re in better shape and your lawn has been mowed.
Push reel mowers are safer than power mowers. In a careless moment a power mower can turn into a rolling death trap, or at least an appendage mauler. than 75,000 Americans, 10,000 of which are children, are injured in lawn mowing accidents annually, and, get this, 75 people die from lawn mowing accidents every year. Mowing over a grass-hidden rock can turn it into a projectile capable of traveling 200 mph and taking out someone’s eye, and the power mower’s fast-whirling blades have eaten up children’s toes and hands. And even if your power mower isn’t running, you’re still at risk for an accident. I burnt my hand on a hot lawn mower engine as a boy and still have the scar to prove it.
While some dangers still exist when using a reel mower, they’re much, much safer than power mowers. Unless I ran the thing right over someone Tom and Jerry-style, there’s little risk of it chewing up a limb. If you run over a rock, instead of shooting it out like a bullet, your mower just jams. Also, no hot engines to burn yourself on.
Push reel mowers make mowing a pleasure. As a young man, I saw lawn mowing as a chore that you had to do every week. I didn’t look forward to it. I just did it because I had to. Since I’ve started mowing with my Fiskars push reel mower, mowing the grass has turned from a chore into a pleasure. I actually look forward to lawn mowing day. Really! I love pushing it in the cool of the early morning as birds chirp at the day’s start. I love listening to the quiet “snip-snip-snip” of grass cutting. I love the physicality of it–how it feels a little like pushing a plow. I love watching tiny blades of cut grass spit out in front of my mower in a green cascade. Most of all, I love the satisfying feeling I get as I look over my cleanly cut lawn.
Is a Push Reel Mower Right For You?
In Gran Torino, Korean War vet Walt Kowalski calms his mind before confronting a violent gang by mowing his yard with a manual reel mower. Manly.
Now before you head to the home improvement store to pick up a push reel mower, you need to know that it’s not for everybody. Sometimes power or riding mowers are actually better, depending on a variety of factors. Below I highlight a few of these factors you should consider before switching to a push reel mower.
Your yard is a half-acre or smaller. Manual reel mowers are suited for small to medium-sized yards. Most experts agree that if you have to mow more than 8,000 square feet, you’re better off using a power push or riding mower. Although I will say that my yard is on the large end of a medium-sized yard, and it only takes me 45 minutes to mow with my manual mower. And if your yard is the size of most yards in suburban developments, there really isn’t any reason you shouldn’t use a push reel mower.
You can’t bag clippings. If you’re one of those folks who prefer to bag your clippings, then a push reel mower probably isn’t for you. While some push reel mowers have a basket that will catch your clippings, they don’t work very well, and many don’t offer any clipping catcher at all.
However, if you’re a devoted-bagger, you might reconsider your stance. Most lawn care experts agree that you shouldn’t bag your clippings and should just leave them in your grass. Grass clippings are fertilizer for your lawn. They provide the same beneficial nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium nutrients that are in commercial fertilizers, except they’re free.
Not great for excessively bumpy and overgrown yards. I’ve noticed that on areas of my lawn that have a lot of bumps, the reel mower doesn’t do a good job of cutting, mainly because the wheels can’t get good traction to move the blade. I’ll usually have to come back and trim that with my weed-wacker. It’s not a problem because there’s only one part in my lawn that gives me trouble.
Also, push reel mowers work best on yards that are already well-maintained. They don’t cut really long grass too well, so if you always let your grass get pretty long before you cut it, you’re better off using a power mower.
What sort of grass do you have? Manual reel mowers work better on some types of grass than others. Most reel mowers have a hard time handling extra thick grasses like Zoysia, St. Augustine, and Bermuda. Never fear. If you have a lawn that’s made completely of one of these grasses, you’re not necessarily relegated to just gas-powered mowers. Heavier, more powerful manual reel mowers like the Fiskars don’t have a problem with these types of grasses. Adjusting the height of the reel mower’s blades can also prevent the mower from getting bogged down in thick grass.