Comments on: Hot or Not? Reel Mowers

By: Adam Cline

Adam Cline — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:31:49 +0000

I was in the market for a new lawn mower and was curious about reel mowers because of their “green” potential, so I did some research on the internet. I found plenty of useful information about the advantages and disadvantages of manual powered mowers and customer reviews. After lots of research I was leaning towards the Scotts 20” reel mower, but in my area I could only find the Scotts 16” reel mower, so I purchased the 20” Task Force reel mower from Lowe’s. So far I am very pleased with the Task Force reel mower. It does take a little longer to mow the lawn, but because it is so light I’m not as tired at the end of the job. It doesn’t cut tall weeds that are more than six inches high, like dandelions, but I just mow my lawn as usual and spray the weeds with weed killer as I go. I do have to mow the lawn more often, but it’s just a good excuse to get some extra exercise. I would suggest keeping your gas mower if you have one, because it is helpful to get rid of the winter undergrowth and stubborn weeds. My only complaint about the Task Force reel mower is that the foam handle grip isn’t very durable and it feels a little low. I wish the handle was set higher. Overall, I’m very happy with my purchase.

By: Roger

Roger — Fri, 30 May 2008 17:22:28 +0000

Picked up a Task Force 20″ from Lowes ($130). Used it for the first time yesterday. Really a treat. Light enough that I can push it up a short steep grade hill (40 degrees). Lawn took a couple passes before it looked evenly cut. Overall, a very pleasant surprise.

By: Eli

Eli — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:25:26 +0000

We just bought one of these for our new home. I love it. I think it pushes easier than a regular lawn mower. A couple good tips is to not try to start on high lawns. Our lawn hadn’t been cut yet this year and was about 6-8 inches tall. It took a couple passes with the reel mower to get the height under control. After that, though it has been a breeze maintaining it. I would recomend this mower for anyone with a small to medium yard.

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:02:16 +0000

I purchased a Task Force 20 in. mower 3 weeks ago. My yard looks better than ever and I feel a sense of accomplishment when I’m finished. Less pollution, I get exercise, no gas smell and not to mention a great conversation peice with my neighbors. It is pretty cool to be a trend starter, I have now seen 3 of my neighbors with manual mowers now.

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:35:56 +0000

These mowers are great! I got a task force 20″ cut yesterday and as soon I’d finshedcutting my1/3 acre lot I wanted to do it all over again. I even choped up asix inch pile of maple leaves. The Task Force mower is for any one who wants an easier job mowing.

By: Rob S

Rob S — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 19:43:37 +0000

I love my reel mower. I’ve got a small amount of grass to cut (40′ x 30′ back, 20′ x 30′ front). It takes less than 15 minutes to cut both. Frankly I’d be embarrassed to use a gas powered mower on my yard. If you get a good mower, and keep it sharp and adjusted, it’s not hard to push. On a few occasions I’ve let the grass grow for a few weeks. When that happens I just raise the mower all the way (mine goes up to 45mm), cut once and then go back with the mower set to normal hight (25 mm). It will miss tall weeds, but I just clean those up with the string trimmer. In addition to clean, quiet operation, they are inherently safer than gas or electric mowers.

Another bonus: the mower (Brill Luxus 38) only weighs 16 lbs.

By: Keno

Keno — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:21:54 +0000

HOT. Its great to be able to mow at 7am on a Saturday if the fancy strikes. (small yard though)

By: Slow-Mowtion

Slow-Mowtion — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 20:26:12 +0000

Hot.

I mow a 60′ X 200′ patch of grass with one, and like everyone says, I have to do it often enough to prevent the grass from getting too high. It’s more work, but then how many people mow with a gas mower then spend time at the gym (and paying for a membership) or “exercising” (expending effort for it’s own sake)?

Better yet, how many people mow with a gas mower and SHOULD be exercising?

We mechanize so much of our lives that it’s no mystery why so many of us get winded just walking to the mailbox. Use the stairs instead of elevators, walk instead of driving whenever possible, and mow the lawn with a quiet, manual mower that lets us smell the flowers instead of poisonous exhaust; it might even feel good! After all, sometimes making things too easy has unintended consequences.

By: john

john — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:49:49 +0000

I like mine .. lighter then a gas one and easyer to push .. you can’t be as lazy and not mow for long periods of time … but that isn’t a negative in my mind.

also the grass does so much better .. don’t need to water it as much .. don’t get brown tips …

I got the small one and now i want to buy a bigger one so that it takes less passes to mow the lawn.

By: Rick B

Rick B — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:13:38 +0000

It brings back too many bad memories. Pushing a mower and then trimming the edging with a pair of scissors. Thanks Dad!!

By: Stephen Cooke

Stephen Cooke — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:40:48 +0000

I wish I had bought a reel or even an electric mower rather that the self-propelled, polluting monster I did end up buying, (I even paid extra to get the CA model). I bought it 2 weeks before Chuck did his mower review was in Wired magazine. I now curse my stupidity every time I have to drag it up from my basement to cut my 30′ x 30′ patch of grass.

By: Weldo

Weldo — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 12:42:18 +0000

So very hot. I bought my first house about 10 years ago and the cheapest reel mower I could find. I think it was about $50 once I found it. Around here all the home improvement places have huge riders and self propelled engined thingies. I just keep the blades sharp and don’t let the grass get to long as the other comments have already pointed out. Plus, no gas, no oil, no winterizing, no air filters and higher HDL levels!

They’re great as long as you follow these guide lines:
Don’t leave it out in the rain.
Keep it sharp.
Keep it clean.

Like any other tool, if you treat it right it will treat you right.

By: Zathrus

Zathrus — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:17:03 +0000

Hot if you have a fairly small yard and grass that’s best cut short (bermuda, zoysia, etc).

Not if you have a big lawn or grass that should be cut long (fescue, bluegrass, etc).

I haven’t seen a single one of these that can handle the 3″+ cutting height that’s preferred for fescue and other cool season grasses. Maybe there is; I just haven’t seen one. Most top out at 2.5″ or much less, and that’s not good for long grass.

If all you have is short, warm season grasses and a pretty small yard, then go for it — it’s cheaper, it’s better for the grass, and it’s better for you!

By: Jim K.

Jim K. — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:01:18 +0000

I remember my first time using one of these and the hell it put me through. Long grass and dull blades are not your friend. Years later though I got to try one of the newer ones that was in good condition and it was a completely different experience. Easy to push, not too heavy, did a good job cutting, quiet, etc. Really quite a good option for people who mow regularly and don’t have too much yard to mow or too rough a landscape. Personally though, my next home will have less lawn and more natural space.

By: Vincent Ma

Vincent Ma — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:49:47 +0000

Another thing that didn’t get mentioned is that with the scissors-like cut of the grass blades less grass stains for your shoes and your pants, because the grass was cut, not whacked.

Anyways I got a Gardena push mower for my modest suburbia yards and never looked back. It also helps if you go learn how to sharpen the blades, and do it once a year. Finally, yeah you have to learn to cut the grass at least once a week, but the lawn looks SO much nicer.
(the push mower is much lighter than your powered mower, so the wheels don’t leave wheel marks on the lawn.)

Plus, since I’m in a newer neighborhood, I still get curious neighbors coming over asking me “what’s that?” and offering to try using the mower. Sweet — I only need to do half a lawn

By: Jaxx

Jaxx — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 22:12:37 +0000

why dont americans like flymos?

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:21:39 +0000

We have one of these, used to use it all the time. It does cut better and it more green. You also get a better workout if like us, your lawn is uphill!

By: John

John — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 21:13:55 +0000

Definitely hot. The only issue with these is that you have to mow regularly. if you get lazy and the grass gets too long, it makes mowing the next time 4 times as hard. The new breed of reel mowers really aren’t any harder to push than gas powered mowers. I have one and I love it!

The big selling point on reel mowers is the emissions factor. I read online that one gas-powered push mower pollutes as much in an hour as 40 late model cars (or as much as as much air pollution as driving a car for 100 miles). Apparently, gas mower engines aren’t regulated like cars, so they can be much dirtier.

By: olderty

olderty — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:42:23 +0000

I just picked an old reeler at the neighborhood garage sale. I mowed the front yard with it once. There’s a few things wrong with these (or at least the one I got)…
It’ll miss some grass. If the grass is laying down below the stationary blade in the back it’ll zip over the top without cutting it. Growing up my neighbor had a tractor that he used to pull a gang of reels with. Some weeks the grass looked good, and some not so good.

The height isn’t really adjustable. At least not on mine. I saw some at Sears and I don’t remember them being adjustable either. As said above, tall grass = a tough afternoon.

They’re narrower. 4-6″ narrower adds up when compared to a 21-22″ push mower.

All that said, try it before you buy it. But I think they make perfect sense for small yards — no matter how they cut. Especially if you live in the city with a small amount of storage space.

By: Erik Ordway

Erik Ordway — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:38:22 +0000

I love mine. I have little 20×20 yards (front and back) . The front it really steep so big mowers you had to fight to keep them from sliding away from you. It takes me 10 or 15 minutes tops to do the lawn and I am less tired than when I used the 22 inch self powered one.

By: Geoff K.

Geoff K. — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:38:03 +0000

These are hot, for sure. We have a sloping lawn that took about an hour to cut with a walk-behind self-propelled gas mower. It’s not particularly big, but with the gas mower it was a hassle. We borrowed a reel mower from a friend to give it a try, and it’s great. So, we bought 1 of our own. It takes about 15 minutes less time to do the lawn, it’s a lot quieter, uses no gas, and leaves the lawn looking great. It’s a nice moderate workout, too.

I agree, with the lawn very long it’s nice to have a gas “backup” but I wouldn’t think of giving up the reel mower now that I’ve used it. These new mowers are definitely not our grandparents’ push mowers! I remember how heavy those wood and cast iron monsters from “days of yore” were. Modern reel mowers are smooth, light and a pleasure to use.

By: Jonathan Peterson

Jonathan Peterson — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 20:36:07 +0000

I bought one to be all green when I first bought my house (.25 acre). The problem is that they don’t work worth a damn for tall seed pod heads or weeds. In Atlanta that means cutting more than once a week, or pesticiding the Hell out of the yard to allow the reel mower to work. Not very green.

I bought an electric that worked ok, but the cords are a pain. When it finally died, I bought the cheapest Honda powered push mower I could find (the rechargeable electrics are awfully heavy and underpowered. I figure it’s going to live longer than I do.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:43:58 +0000

I used one (before I had 2+ acres) and I loved it. If it’s sharp and set up properly it works greate unless you let the grass get too long.

I also had the grass catcher, which was a piece of sheet metal with net sides that hung off the back.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:35:19 +0000

I used one of these as a kid. It was fine for our balding sandlot/lawn. I would love to try a new one. I would second Rob’s comment that you can’t let the grass get to long if this how you cut it. I also worry about all the little sticks that I just ignore with my mulcher right now. I used to see a lot of gas-powered reel mowers. I don’t remember where, but I have seen with the same form-factor as above and I have seen them pulled by tractors … big ones.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:25:39 +0000

Reel mowers are recommended for Bermuda grass. I don’t think they’d be that bad if you had time to mow a lot. The taller your grass the harder it’s going to be no matter how well designed they are. I imagine that hills are probably not a lot of fun with these either.