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

wyatt · 07-14-10, 12:40 PM

I came across this posting about a month ago, and found it so intriguing I watched Craigslist for a reel mower. One finally came up at a price that was too good to pass up (almost free, and delivered!) so I got it. It is older, but does a great job. I plan on using it to mow the front yard, and use the riding mower to take care of the back yard.

When researching Reel Mowers, I came across some neat ones! There are electric ones that spin the reels for you ($350-$400), there are some innovative ones, like the one that Fiskers has come out with ($250) that addresses one of Darin's complaints, specifically wheels crushing the grass before you can mow it. It also has the highest cut height (up to 4 inches) of any reel mower I have found. There are also some that are small, for getting between things easier ($170). You can also get bags to catch the clippings. I plan on trying to make one so I can dump the clippings onto our compost pile.

My experience with the reel mower has been:
It's heavier than I expected, but it's not a problem because it pushes easier than I expected, and cuts well (tall grass is still tough, if I can keep up momentum I can usually get it in two passes). It could use a tune up (sharpening and alignment), so maybe it will do even better in the future!
It's a lot more work than using the riding mower, but with our front yard being as small as it is, it only takes twice as long for me to mow it as compared to the riding lawnmower (with a 42 inch deck).
It doesn't kick up dust! Another good reason to use it in our front yard. A couple weeks ago, I mowed the front yard, and wound up having to wash the cars afterward! It also doesn't throw rocks, or spew grass clippings out onto the driveway or onto the vehicles.
By far the coolest thing about it is my wife is excited to be able to use it! Next time the yard needs mowed, she is going to try to mow the front yard. I hope she likes it, she has enjoyed using the weed whip a couple times, but is too intimidated to try the riding mower or the string trimmer (both gas).

07-14-10, 12:40 PM	#18
wyatt Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 75 Thanks: 3 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	I came across this posting about a month ago, and found it so intriguing I watched Craigslist for a reel mower. One finally came up at a price that was too good to pass up (almost free, and delivered!) so I got it. It is older, but does a great job. I plan on using it to mow the front yard, and use the riding mower to take care of the back yard. When researching Reel Mowers, I came across some neat ones! There are electric ones that spin the reels for you ($350-$400), there are some innovative ones, like the one that Fiskers has come out with ($250) that addresses one of Darin's complaints, specifically wheels crushing the grass before you can mow it. It also has the highest cut height (up to 4 inches) of any reel mower I have found. There are also some that are small, for getting between things easier ($170). You can also get bags to catch the clippings. I plan on trying to make one so I can dump the clippings onto our compost pile. My experience with the reel mower has been: It's heavier than I expected, but it's not a problem because it pushes easier than I expected, and cuts well (tall grass is still tough, if I can keep up momentum I can usually get it in two passes). It could use a tune up (sharpening and alignment), so maybe it will do even better in the future! It's a lot more work than using the riding mower, but with our front yard being as small as it is, it only takes twice as long for me to mow it as compared to the riding lawnmower (with a 42 inch deck). It doesn't kick up dust! Another good reason to use it in our front yard. A couple weeks ago, I mowed the front yard, and wound up having to wash the cars afterward! It also doesn't throw rocks, or spew grass clippings out onto the driveway or onto the vehicles. By far the coolest thing about it is my wife is excited to be able to use it! Next time the yard needs mowed, she is going to try to mow the front yard. I hope she likes it, she has enjoyed using the weed whip a couple times, but is too intimidated to try the riding mower or the string trimmer (both gas).