EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Ten observations on a full season of push reel lawn mowing

NeilBlanchard · 06-08-10, 07:17 PM

I also have a Scotts "Classic" 20" push reel mower, and I also use a Gilmore 20" model. The Scotts model works better on very thick grass, but the handle is less than ideal -- it tends to twist an it helps to stiffen it with some additional tubes. It also require you to manually adjust the shearing contact between the reel and the blade, with the 2 screws on each side. This takes some trail and error.

The Gilmore has a spring tensioned contact between the reel and the blade, which is very easy! And it's handle is fine as is. It probably needs you to put a little LocTite on the bolts on the "spreader bar" that runs between the trailing wheels -- they tend to come loose as you use it.

Both mowers require/benefit from a liberal use of grease on the wheel shafts and the gears, etc. This should greatly reduce the wear and tear on the plastic wheels and makes them a bit easier to push.

As a point of interest, I used my new plug-in electric mower (which I got for when the grass grows too quick for me to keep ahead of with the reel mower) for 2 hours and 10 minutes, and the mower uses very little energy: a total of 0.84kWh. *I mowed about 1.3 acres, maybe a bit less, and much of it is *very* thick grass.* That is ~0.38kWh/hr (or ~380Wh/hr) on average.

Since 1 gallon of gasoline = 33.4kWh so each hour consumes just a little more than 1/100th of a gallon of gas! 12/1000nds of gasoline per hour is pretty amazing, I think.* In the 2 hours and 10 minutes I ran the mower, it consumed about 17 cents worth of electricity (.84kWh @ ~20 cents/kWh).

06-08-10, 07:17 PM	#15
NeilBlanchard Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Maynard, MA Eaarth Posts: 383 Thanks: 78 Thanked 39 Times in 32 Posts	I also have a Scotts "Classic" 20" push reel mower, and I also use a Gilmore 20" model. The Scotts model works better on very thick grass, but the handle is less than ideal -- it tends to twist an it helps to stiffen it with some additional tubes. It also require you to manually adjust the shearing contact between the reel and the blade, with the 2 screws on each side. This takes some trail and error. The Gilmore has a spring tensioned contact between the reel and the blade, which is very easy! And it's handle is fine as is. It probably needs you to put a little LocTite on the bolts on the "spreader bar" that runs between the trailing wheels -- they tend to come loose as you use it. Both mowers require/benefit from a liberal use of grease on the wheel shafts and the gears, etc. This should greatly reduce the wear and tear on the plastic wheels and makes them a bit easier to push. As a point of interest, I used my new plug-in electric mower (which I got for when the grass grows too quick for me to keep ahead of with the reel mower) for 2 hours and 10 minutes, and the mower uses very little energy: a total of 0.84kWh. I mowed about 1.3 acres, maybe a bit less, and much of it is very* thick grass.* That is ~0.38kWh/hr (or ~380Wh/hr) on average. Since 1 gallon of gasoline = 33.4kWh so each hour consumes just a little more than 1/100th of a gallon of gas! 12/1000nds of gasoline per hour is pretty amazing, I think.* In the 2 hours and 10 minutes I ran the mower, it consumed about 17 cents worth of electricity (.84kWh @ ~20 cents/kWh).