Adjusting reel mower blades. How to Sharpen a Reel Mower Step-by-Step Guide

How to Sharpen a Reel Mower Step-by-Step Guide

Reel lawn mowers are ideal for small lawns. They are environmentally and budget-friendly. over, it doesn’t emit any fumes or noise. It also helps maintain a healthy lawn. Instead of other mowers rotating blades that chew up and whack off the top of the grass, the reel mowers blades act like a pair of scissors that cut off the top of the grass efficiently.

How Often Should You Sharpen Reel Mower Blades?

It depends on lots of factors, like in the mowing time when the blades meet with small stones, rocks, and any kind of hard obstacles it loses the blade’s sharpness. But generally, Mowerslab experts recommend every 20-25 hours of usage take an interval and sharpen the blades. But some people do it once or twice a year. Conversely, if you use a reel mower in a commercial location, we recommend sharpening mower blades once a week for optimal performance.

Working with dull blades will damage the grassroots. And make your lawn brown instead of green. To maintain a healthy lawn you have to do it.

In this article, we will provide you a step-by-step guide on how to sharpen your reel mower blades within an hour.

However, before sharpening reel mower blades we required some tools that will save time, effort and make your work much easier than ever.

• A file
• A hand gloves
• Protective eyeglasses
• A regular sharpening kit.
• A back lapping sharpening kit.
• Use of power drill with a sharpening attachment.
• Use of metal finishing sandpaper.
• A range

How To Sharpen Push Reel Mower?

The rest of the machine exists to support those two main parts. Wheels drive a gear that spins the 5-7 blades and the blades angle snip the grass better. Also, there is a roller behind the bed knife that allows adjusting the cutting height.

Well before sharpening the blades, we have to take some safety precautions

• Wear hand gloves, protective eyeglasses to protect your hand and eye.
• Wear tight-fitting clothes; no jewelry. Loose-fitting clothes and jewelry tend to get hooked on the machine parts and thereby leading to avoid accidents.
• Don’t sharpen the blades if you’re tired or on drugs
• Wear landscaping boots and jeans pant that will help to protect your feet and legs from the object that may fall or be thrown
• Wear a face shield to protect your face from any kind of tiny metal particles, sanding stone, and others.

All these gears protect you from accidents while shaping your mower blades.

Our main goal is to make your reel lawn mower blades like a bread knife.

So, we don’t want to waste your precious time. Let’s get into the definite reel mower blades sharpening guide.

How To Sharpen A Reel Mower With A File

A mill file is an ideal tool for sharpening reel mower blades. However, many hardware stores will carry special mill files that are specially designed for sharpening a reel mower blade.

Well, here we mention the 5 steps to sharpen reel mower blades with a file.

Press carefully to the toothed end of the metal mill on the dull edge of the first blades. Now use the file to scratch the edge of the blades, and always ensure that you go forward and backward throughout the length of the blades. And also don’t try to make the new cutting angles.

You’re just trying to remove one or two millimeters from the dull cutting angle.

Do it several times. It fully depends on the blade’s conditions. But we recommend at least up to seven times.

Once you have sharp the edge of the blade, now you will need to remove the broom handle and carefully rotate the mower cylinder to fully access the next blade. Then re-secure blades and repeat the sharpening process for all the dull blades.

When you’re done sharpening all the blades, apply great to avoid rusting of the metal blades. On the other hand, Spray (light) some penetrating lubricant like WD40 on all the moving parts.

Also, MowersLab experts recommend you should coat the blades with penetrating WD40 lubricant or a little bit of linseed oil soaked into the clean paper towel.

Now we are taking a detailed look at how to use a sharpening kit to sharpen the reel mower blades.

How To Sharpen Reel Mowers Blades Using A Sharpening Compound

In 2021 there are some mower manufacturers offering some special sharpening kits to sharpen the reel mower blades. Generally, they provide “Back Lapping”.

It’s yet another easy and efficient way to sharpen dull mower blades. It comes with a handle and a sharpening compound. The sharpening compounds are applying on the cutting edge.

Now we use a handle or lapping tool to turn the reel mower driving gears. For the razor sharpness, you have to move the blades in one direction for 3 to 4 passes.

In our experience, it’s not working as well as the file. And also takes more time and effort.

But the advantage of using the back strapping and sharpening compound method, it cuts the blade angles equally so that you don’t worry about matching the bevel angle of the bales.

How to Adjust The Blade Alignment Of My Reel Mower?

Properly adjusted blade alignment ensures a clean and efficient cut without any training. However, it won’t damage any grassroots and helps to maintain the green lawn.

Now we know how to sharpen the blades. Adjust the blade’s alignment is the major part of this definitive guide. Follow these 4 steps and adjust the blade alignment.

Step – 1: Lay down the mower handlebar on the workbench for easy access to the reel and chock the two wheels with small wood blocks to prevent them from moving and turning the cutting cylinder.

Step – 2: Spin the reel with your hand several times to determine the type of adjustment required. If you do not hear any kind of metal scraping sound, everything is fine. But if you hear metal scraping sounds, find the position and adjust the blades aways from the horizontal cutting bar. Now, If the blades spin freely, move it closer to the reel cylinder.

Step – 3: If you think they are not in the right position, take a screwdriver and tighten the blades and make it right positioned. Also, if you need to bring the blades closer, simply tighten the screws.

Step – 4: Spin the blades again to determine if any further adjustments are needed. Check and turn the adjustment screw a little at a time until you achieve the proper position.

Conclusion

You shouldn’t hire a professional or go to a service center to sharpen a reel mower. You can do it by yourself with these simple steps.

Honestly, reel mowers are really handy gardening tools to maintain a healthy lawn.

We are at the end of this article.

Hopefully to say you enjoy our reel mower sharpening definitive guide. And also if you have questions or confusion feel free to drop your Комментарии и мнения владельцев.

Our experts are ready to help you.

Desmond J. Hernandez

I’m a lawn mowing expert and gardening enthusiast. I started my own lawn care business in college and have been doing it ever since. I love taking care of lawns and gardens, and I’m always looking for new ways to improve my skills. I’m also a big fan of composting and using natural fertilizers.

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How to Sharpen Reel Mower Blades?

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Have your reel mower blades gotten blunt lately? Hate it when that happens. But what if instead of tossing it away, you could sharpen its blades?

Well, as busy home homeowners, we like our tools being ready for use at all times, and when it fails to work, we either replace or try to fix it. Not all appliances can be repaired, but you can definitely fix things when your reel mower’s blades hit a snag.

Even though these blades are designed to retain their sharpness for a long time, they eventually wear and stop working altogether. While that’s unavoidable, there are several effective ways to sharpen a reel mower’s blades. And you can do it yourself by following a few simple steps and taking some precautions beforehand.

Without further ado, let’s get down to business.

How to Sharpen Reel Mower Blades?

• Safety Measures Before The Job
• File As a Sharpening Tool

• Get rid of the debris
• Secure the blades and file
• Work till the midpoint and beyond
• Repeat on all blades

• Step 1
• Step 2
• Step 3
• Step 4
• Step 5
• Step 6
• Conclusion
• Related Articles

Safety Measures Before The Job

You don’t need to hire a handyman or a technician to get the job done, but you need to follow certain safety procedures. So, before we discuss the sharpening methods, we want to elaborate on the precautions. Here we go…

• Make sure that the reel is secure.
• Do not, at any point, place your hands on the cutting edge.
• Avoid all distractions while going through the process.
• While sharpening the blades, wear well-fitted clothes and take off all jewelry. This is necessary as with loose-fitting clothes and jewelry, there’s a risk of the mower parts getting hooked on to them.
• Wear resistant and non-slip footwear as well as full-length pants to keep your legs covered and protected at all times. While sharpening the blades, it’s essential not to wear slippers, sandals, or any type of shoe that will leave your feet exposed.
• Wear a face shield and safety glasses. While sharpening the blades, a lot of tiny metal particles, sand, stone bits, and other small matter will fly around and may reach your face. Hence, you must cover your face, especially the eyes, properly to avoid any injury.

All these measures are ways to ensure a safe experience and prevent any mishap or injury. So, it’s best that you follow this basic routine before getting started.

File As a Sharpening Tool

This is by far the most cost-effective method of sharpening reel mower blades. It’s pretty easy and helps you hone the edges of the blades until they regain sharpness.

Get rid of the debris

Before using the files, scrape off the stone chips, sand and other debris stuck on the blades. For this task, you can use a wire brush or a coarse sandpaper. After you finish cleaning, put the mower on a workbench or tabletop and chock the wheels with a piece of wood so that they don’t move.

Secure the blades and file

Lock the blades in position by inserting a broom handle through the mower’s blades. Thereafter, press the toothed end of the metal file on the bevel edge of the first blade. Angle the file and simply scrape on the blade between 3 to 6 times, dragging it down towards the end of the beveled edge.

Work till the midpoint and beyond

Continue filing your way down the blade until you reach the midpoint, repeating the brushing motion. Since the blades twist, you’ll have to stop near the midpoint, remove the broom handle and reposition the reel to work on the rest of the first blade. Continue filing the blade applying the same motion but now start from the other end of the tool.

Repeat on all blades

Once the entire blade is sharpened, reposition the reel so you can perform the same course of action on the second blade, third blade, and so on, until all of them have been sharpened.

Finish with a lubricant – Once you’re done with the blades, lubricate them so that they resist rust. You can either spray lubricant directly on the edges of the blades or apply some on a rag and then wipe it down the edges.

How to Sharpen Reel Mowers Blades Using A Sharpening Compound

Using a back-lapping sharpening kit is yet another quick and productive way to sharpen dull mower blades. The kits usually come with a handle and the sharpening compound. That being said, sharpening compounds are grainy substances which when applied to the mower’s cutting edges sharpen them as the blades rub against each other.

This procedure involves attaching the handle to the driving gear of your reel mower, then using a paintbrush to apply the sharpening compound on each blade. Coat the blades generously and make sure to apply on all the blades. After that, push the reel mower backwards so that the blades rub against each other and regain their sharpness.

The reel can be driven back manually, but it is somewhat a tedious process, requiring a lot of effort. However, you always have the option of using a power drill to crank the reel more quickly, which speeds up the process, making it less stressful.

How to Adjust the Blades of a Reel Mower

We often mistakenly assume that the blades of our reel mowers have become dull, and need sharpening. But this may not be the case always as misalignment of the blades can also hinder the smooth operation of the mower. Fortunately, with these simple steps, you can realign the blades and resume work in a snap.

Below are some tips on how to adjust the blades of your reel mower:

Step 1

Lay your mower on a flat surface like a tabletop or a workbench. Wedge the wheels to prevent any movement.

Step 2

Spin the reel to determine the type of adjustment necessary (they are not the same always). While spinning, if you hear a screeching noise, it’s an indication that you have to reposition the blades away from the cutting edge. However, if it spins loosely, then you must move the blades nearer to the cutting bar.

Step 3

After ensuring the type of adjustment needed, if the blades need to be moved nearer, place a flathead screwdriver in the screw hole and tighten the screws. Conversely, if the blades need to be positioned farther away, unscrew the bolts a little until the desired distance is achieved.

Step 4

While tightening or loosening the screws, make sure it is done a little bit at a time. If it’s too much, the blades may be over-adjusted.

Step 5

Turn the screws of the cutting edge in the direction opposite of the reel screws. This should also be done slowly, bit by bit, to prevent over-adjustment.

Step 6

Continue spinning to find out other adjustments needed.

If this procedure is followed correctly, you can quickly fix any misaligned blade. If the blades are still blunt, then you should sharpen them employing any of the methods explained above, to get the mower working once again.

Conclusion

It is totally unnecessary to pay a professional for a job that you can complete yourself in the comfort of your home. That being the case, reel mowers are bound to get blunt with use over time, so it’s best that you master the skill to undo the damage.

However, before we leave, we once again advise caution as sharpening any tool should be done carefully by following all the safety measures. If, at any point of time, you feel uncomfortable handling sharp parts, it’s best to ask for help.

On that note, we’ve come to the end of this guide, and we hope we could answer all your queries.

Let us know in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев section below if you have more tips to share.

The Best Reel Mower for Your (Small) Lawn

We’ve reviewed this guide, added competitors, eliminated older models, and reconfirmed our decisions on our picks.

Reel mowers aren’t for everyone. They’re designed for small, flat lawns, and they take some effort to push around. But they provide exceptional cut quality and a completely unplugged mowing experience, so they offer things no other mower can. We think the best one is the Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower.

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

During initial tests with a golf course grounds crew and in years of follow up use, the Scotts-branded mower has the best cut quality of any of the mowers we’ve tested, and its unusually tall maximum cutting height of 3 inches makes it a versatile choice for different types of lawns and grasses. It has a 20-inch cutting swath—the widest available—and at 34 pounds, it’s light and easy to maneuver. It was also the only mower in the group that didn’t jam during testing.

Good cut, less elegant

This mower cuts almost as well as our main pick and has a taller cutting height, but it’s bulkier (making it harder to turn around) and more expensive.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 250.

If our main pick is sold out or otherwise unavailable, we also really like the Fiskars 18-Inch StaySharp Max Reel Mower. Its a solid mower with a 4-inch cutting height is higher than any other reel mower’s. In testing the Fiskars cut well, but it wasn’t on par with the Scotts and didn’t handle tall grass quite as well. It’s also heavier and bulkier, making it more of a chore to turn around, it also costs more than the Scotts.

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

Good cut, less elegant

This mower cuts almost as well as our main pick and has a taller cutting height, but it’s bulkier (making it harder to turn around) and more expensive.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 250.

Why you should trust us

We spoke with Jason Kruse, assistant professor of environmental horticulture and turfgrass specialist at the University of Florida. As his bio states, Kruse’s responsibilities include “managing the University of Florida turfgrass Envirotron teaching and research facility, planning and implementing turfgrass educational field days and leading the statewide turfgrass teaching design team.” The guy knows a lot about grass.

For testing, we enlisted the aid of the grounds crew of the Diamond Hawk Golf Course in Cheektowaga, New York, a bunch of people who are serious about mowing. While using the mowers, they picked up cut blades to carefully examine how cleanly the mowers cut; they also bent down to compare the color of the turf after each one made a pass, and pushed all the mowers around on various lengths of grass.

Here at Wirecutter, we’ve been covering lawn equipment since 2014. As for the specific topic of grass-cutting implements, we’ve written extensive guides to both lawn mowers and string trimmers in addition to reel mowers.

Since the first version of this guide, we’ve recommended the Scotts as well as the runner-up Fiskars, and we’ve continued to use both models in assorted locations, paying attention to their long-term performance and any ongoing maintenance needed.

Who should get a reel mower

Before getting a reel mower, you should be aware of their pros and cons. Simply put, a reel mower is not a direct replacement for a regular mower.

As one of our long-term testers said, “I love [my reel mower]. It makes mowing feel more like a pleasant way to spend time outside and less like something I need to grit my teeth and power through.” On the other hand, a second long-term tester stated that he regrets purchasing a reel mower and has “frequently considered selling it to get a cheap electric mower.”

Reel mowers are better for the lawn’s health. They snip the grass blades like scissors, while rotary mowers tend to shred grass blades. According to University of Florida assistant professor of environmental horticulture Jason Kruse, “The scissor-cutting action of the reel mowers results in less damage to the leaf tissue, which in turn puts the plants under less stress.” He continued, “They lose less water, are less susceptible to disease, and generally look better when cut with a reel mower.”

Reel mowers are also good for the operator’s health. Because you hand-push the mower and it isn’t motorized, it takes effort to use, especially if you have a large lawn. Keep in mind that the turning wheels are what rotate the blades, which adds to the resistance. So the task is not as simple as, say, pushing an empty furniture dolly, where you’re pushing the wheels and nothing else. According to a Livestrong.com article, (which in turn credits Harvard Medical School, among others) a person weighing 175 pounds would burn approximately 251 calories by pushing a reel mower—which the article refers to as a hand mower—for 30 minutes. This is 51 calories more than someone weighing 185 pounds pushing a mower with a powered blade for the same amount of time.

Reel mowers also require minimal maintenance and are much, much quieter than regular mowers. Aside from lubricating and sharpening the blades every few years, you don’t have a lot of upkeep to do on a reel mower. As for the noise, many users of reel mowers cite the gentle snipping sound the tool makes as a key benefit. Gas mowers, on the other hand, require gas, regular tune-ups, oil changes, and winterizing. They’re also noisy and smelly. As one of our long-term testers said, “I love [my reel mower]. It makes mowing feel more like a pleasant way to spend time outside and less like something I need to grit my teeth and power through.”

But for a reel mower to be practical, you need a fairly small lawn. Anyone with more than a quarter acre (roughly 10,000 square feet) will find weekly mowing with a reel mower exhausting. One long-term tester stated that he regrets purchasing a reel mower for the size of his lawn and has “frequently considered selling it to get a cheap electric mower.”. In contrast, another of our long-term testers has approximately 1,000 square feet of lawn, and mowing takes her about 20 minutes.

A reel mower works best with a strict adherence to a regular cutting schedule. If grass gets overgrown, a reel mower will merely push it down and roll right over it, so if you tend to go a while between mowings, you should stick with a regular push mower. One long term tester had to wait so long for the reel mower to arrive that once it got there, the grass had grown so high they needed to hire someone to cut their grass. And the necessary diligence goes beyond the schedule: Reel mowers can’t mow over twigs and leaves as gas mowers can, so additional attentiveness to pre-mow lawn cleanup is required, as well.

Reel mowers are troublesome on sloped or bumpy lawns. The torque that turns the blades comes from the wheels as you roll them along the ground. On an uneven surface, the wheels lose contact with the ground as they bounce or as the weight shifts on a slope. As one of our long-term testers put it, “Small dips can lead to grass getting missed, so I often end up mowing from two or three different angles to try and get it all.”

In fact, the results in general may not be what you expect. One of our long-term testers said that their mower “often totally misses taller strands of grass” and that they “have to go back and snip those with a pair of shears.” Also, on most reel mowers, the blades are inboard of the wheels, so you’ll have a wider gap of unmowed grass against a fence or a stone wall.

How we picked and tested

To figure out how to pick the best reel mower, we spoke to Scott Dunbar, superintendent of Diamond Hawk Golf Course in Cheektowaga, New York. He explained that reel mowers can cut much closer to the ground than rotary mowers. At the golf course, the crew uses reel mowers to cut greens and approaches but uses gas-powered rotary mowers for the rough. But the average homeowner isn’t cutting the lawn for use as a putting green—in fact, cutting your lawn too low is terrible for its health. Turf experts suggest never cutting off more than a third of your grass’s length; cutting too close to the ground can cause the grass to dry out and get scorched in the summer. This means that a mower’s minimum cutting height isn’t a useful measurement, since you’re unlikely to use that setting.

The maximum cutting height was a crucial detail. We used this spec as our primary factor in eliminating mowers from contention. Few reel mowers are able to get above 2½ inches, which may not be good for your lawn. “[Cutting height] is one of the primary complaints I have against the majority of reel mowers that are marketed for home use. Most residential grasses (both cool- and warm-season) have recommended heights of cut that are at the upper limit or even exceed the height of cut that is possible with some of the mowers,” said University of Florida turfgrass specialist Kruse. “While it would be possible to use the mower, the long-term health of the turf could suffer significantly,” he continued.

Other factors were also important:

• How easy is the mower to adjust?
• How hard is it to push?
• How wide is it?
• How much does it weigh?
• What have other reviewers said about it?

We took our final four mowers to a golf course. There the grounds crew helped us adjust the blades to the exact same standard they used on their mowers so that the blades could cleanly slice a piece of paper. Over the next three hours, we pushed all four mowers back and forth on different-height grasses. On hand were course superintendent Scott Dunbar, a member of the grounds crew, a mechanic who maintains the course equipment, and an equipment salesman who happened to be at the course that day. These guys are all turfgrass experts who deal with grass and mowing equipment every day. They really took to the task of comparing these mowers, examining every aspect closely and answering all our questions about turf and cut quality.

Our pick: Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower

For the healthiest grass

The Scotts makes the cleanest cut, has the widest cutting path, and jams the least of any reel mower, and its unusually tall 3-inch max cutting height makes it more versatile for different grass types.

Buying Options

At the time of publishing, the price was 145.

The Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower is the reel mower to get. Of the tested mowers, it offered the cleanest cut and the easiest adjustments, and it was the only one that didn’t jam. It also has a wide, 20-inch cutting swath—the widest we found—as well as height adjustments between 1 and 3 inches, which is a more versatile range than we saw on almost all of the other available reel mowers. At 34 pounds, it’s light and easy to turn around at the end of each mowing row, but it’s heavy enough that it doesn’t bounce around on slightly uneven turf.

The quality of the cut excelled against the competition. When our lawn experts were going back and forth with the mowers on a variety of grasses and lengths, they noticed that the Scotts model would leave a swath of totally trimmed grass with each blade snipped evenly across, no ragged edges to be seen. In contrast, the other mowers would leave a bunch of blades sticking up like chimneys after a house fire, requiring the testers to back up and go over the area again. The Scotts mower also never jammed up during testing, whereas all of the other mowers did.

The Scotts 2000-20 also snipped a wider path than most of the others. The Scotts is a 20-inch-wide mower, the widest size available (the measurement refers to the blade width, not the overall width). We tested another 20-inch model, the Lee Valley 20″ Mower, but that one was harder to push, and its cut quality was worse.

Our testers also gave the Scotts 2000-20 high marks for overall usability. At 34 pounds, it lands in the middle of our test group in weight but manages to hit the sweet spot between maneuverability and stability. The Fiskars StaySharp Max is heavier and harder to turn around at the end of a mowing row; by contrast, the lighter Lee Valley model bounced around on uneven ground and left a ragged cut as a result.

All of the adjustments on the Scotts mower are easy to make. For cutting height, it has two levers, one for each wheel. One other model we tested, the 16-inch Great States 415-16, required us to unbolt it each time we wanted to change the cutting height. Also, the height settings on the Scotts model are accurate; the 1-inch setting on the Fiskars, in contrast, actually cut much lower, practically scalping the lawn, before we readjusted it to a higher setting.

The Scotts 2000-20 has a cutting range of 1 to 3 inches. The vast majority of reel mowers top out around 2 inches, so we appreciated the ability to go taller, either for the health of the grass or for a less manicured look. A DIY Network article lists the ideal cutting heights for a variety of warm- and cool-weather grasses, and the capabilities of the Scotts land nicely in the strike zone for every grass mentioned. Our runner-up, the Fiskars StaySharp Max, has an even higher maximum cutting height at 4 inches, but it’s a much heavier mower with more difficult maneuvering, and it doesn’t cut as nicely.

The Scotts is easy to assemble, and doesn’t require any tools. The bolts that attach the handle have large plastic wing nuts, so tightening by hand is simple. If you ever need to take your mower apart—to fit it into a compact space like a car trunk or a small storage area—we found that the Scotts was easy enough to disassemble, too. You might need pliers to remove the small C-clips that attach the handle to the body of the mower, but otherwise it shouldn’t be a hassle.

Scotts stands behind their products. Erin Price, then Wirecutter’s Audience Development Manager, had a wheel fall off her Scotts push mower and the company replaced the entire mower for her. She told us, “I love my reel mower and perhaps love it even more now that the company was so helpful.”

It has performed well in long term testing. Two other Wirecutter staff members, who both happen to be women, also have Scotts Classics in their personal tool sheds, and they appreciate the mower’s simplicity and ease of use. Senior Photo Editor Rozette Rago had never used a reel mower before picking up the Scotts for her small, flat yard in LA, and found it quick to get used to. It was easy to figure out for two people who have never used it before. Wirecutter Producer Beth Niegelsky, who has used both the Fiskars and the Scotts, prefers the latter, “ I actually like the Scotts significantly more because it is SO much lighter.” She explained, “With the Fiskars, I basically couldn’t mow the hill of my front yard without feeling like I was doing something dangerous. It’s basically no problem with the Scotts.”

Senior Software Development Engineer Joshua Brewer had the Scotts for three years and recently replaced it for our lawn mower pick. Throughout his three years of usage, he highlighted that the Scott was “kinda fun to use.” He appreciated that it was easy to storetash, didn’t require fuel, and was quieter than a traditional lawn mower. However, the Scotts did squeak despite thorough maintenance, required multiple passes on his lawn, and his foam handle disintegrated after the first year. Overall, Brewer says The Scotts 2000-20 worked, but was much more laborious to use with a lush and dense lawn and worked a lot better when the lawn was more sparse. He’s much happier with the Ego LM2135SP now.

Supervising Editor Josh Lyon also has a Scotts and said there are bumpy parts of his lawn that he needs to go over one or two additional times, but that “the mower is so light and has such a smooth roll that even with the extra passes it takes half the time to do our entire lawn than with the gas-powered mower we used to have.” Overall, Lyon is very happy with the Scotts and says he’ll never go back to a gas mower.

Finally, even though it wasn’t a major factor in our decision, testers liked how the Scotts looked better than the other mowers (some found the Fiskars model’s oddball form to be off-putting). The Scotts 2000-20 is covered by a two-year warranty, and user reviews suggest that the manufacturer, American Lawn Mower, issues free replacement parts whenever a problem crops up.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We analyzed the negative Комментарии и мнения владельцев at Amazon and found that most of the complaints center on the aluminum handle breaking, a plastic gear in the mechanism stripping out, or simply the realization that a reel mower is not the right choice for the owner’s particular lawn.

We investigated the plastic-gear complaint by removing the wheel of the Scotts mower and taking a look at the gear. As you can see in the photo above, it’s a pretty robust gear with deep teeth, and it interfaces with the teeth on the inside of the plastic wheel. The wheels turn as you push, and those teeth turn the plastic gear, which rotates the blades. Stripping it out is an issue to be aware of, but under proper use, the gear shouldn’t be a problem. And if it becomes one, replacing the gear is a 10-minute repair job. While it would be nice if both the wheel and the gear were made of metal, such a design would likely add money to the price tag and a significant amount of weight to the mower.

One of our long-term testers also noted that when the Scotts arrived, many of the screws holding the handle together were loose and fell out within a month. Once they were replaced, no further problems surfaced.

A close reading of the user complaints suggests that owners who were using the Scotts mower on tall or tough Southern grass had the most problems, but such difficulties are likely to be common among all push mowers and not just the Scotts.

Lawn mower technology has advanced in the past few decades, but there are still many reasons to opt for a reel mower. Read on for top recommendations and tips on navigating this mower market.

By Glenda Taylor and Mark Wolfe | Updated Apr 20, 2023 12:27 PM

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Quiet in operation, simple to maintain, and largely affordable, reel lawn mowers can be Smart options for yard maintenance. Taking up about a third of the storage room needed by a traditional mower, they’re easy keepers.

Reel mowers also might be better for a lawn’s health than standard mowers. They make a sharp cut along the top of the grass blade, similar to the way scissors cut. Traditional rotary mowers have blades with a tendency to tear the grass, which causes ragged brown tips and increases the risk of disease.

While all reel mowers function similarly, there are differences among the options. We tested the following models to find out how blade width, mowing height, handle design, and other details affect performance in different settings. Keep reading to learn what to look for when shopping for a reel mower, and find out why the following models are among the best reel mower options available.

• BEST OVERALL:Great States 18-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower
• BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK:Great States 16-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower
• UPGRADE PICK:Fiskars StaySharp 18-Inch Max Reel Mower
• BEST FOR SMALL LAWNS:Great States 14-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower
• BEST FOR TOUGH GRASS:Earthwise 16-Inch 7-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower
• BEST LIGHTWEIGHT:American Lawn Mower Company 14-Inch 4-Blade Mower
• BEST WITH GRASS CATCHER: Greenworks RM1400 14-Inch Lawn Mower
• ALSO CONSIDER:Greenworks 16-Inch Reel Lawn Mower

How We Tested the Best Reel Mowers

We tested these mowers in a Georgia backyard in the middle of winter. That meant a combination of dormant warm-season grasses (some Bermuda grass and some centipede grass) along with a few areas infested with cool-season weeds like annual bluegrass, chickweed, henbit, dandelion, and wild onion. The test areas included a combination of flat, sloped, and uneven lawn.

We divided the lawn into test plots so that each mower would have a chance to prove its capability under a variety of conditions. For inclusion in this article, each mower had to effectively perform the basic function for which it was built: mowing to reduce the grass height by approximately one-third. Then, beyond basic weed-free lawn mowing, we also tested each mower on the tougher conditions of overgrown and weed-infested grass. All of the mowers included in this guide easily passed the basic functionality test and earned bonus points by tackling one or more adverse conditions, noted in the reviews.

Our Top Picks

Using a reel mower is an environmentally friendly way to mow the lawn and get a bit of fresh air and exercise at the same time. We tested these manual models on our lawn to find out which would be the best reel mowers for different users and circumstances. Learn about the performance details in the reviews.

Great States 18-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower

Those wanting a wide swath on a reel mower may want to consider the Great States 18-inch five-blade mower that cuts a hearty swath to reduce mowing time. This reel mower is simple in design and allows for adjusting mowing height from as low as 0.5 inch to as high as 2.75 inches. It comes with 10-inch composite wheels and back stability rollers.

The blades are made from heat-treated alloy to retain their sharpness longer, and the handle comes with nonslip cushioning to help reduce blisters and to improve grip. The loop-style handle folds down for easy storage, and the mower weighs in at 27 pounds.

In our backyard test, this mower worked quickly, quietly, and easily. It was pretty easy to push in all but the thickest grass but was abruptly stopped by twigs or debris thicker than a pencil (as were the rest of these mowers). We liked the padded wide-loop handle that gave it the familiar feel of a conventional gas mower. Sharpening the blades—a task that most users would require once or twice a season—requires disassembly of one wheel to access the blade drive mechanism. The process is typical of these mowers and was only slightly complicated.

Product Specs

• Wide swath cuts down mowing time; great for larger yards
• Loop handle increases user comfort and control
• 10-inch wheels roll easily over uneven terrain
• Alloy steel blades stay sharp longer; less maintenance required
• 3.5 inches from blade edge to outer edge of wheels means more edge trimming
• Sharpening, when necessary, requires disassembly of the drive wheel
• Hard plastic blade height bracket seems like it may wear out prematurely

Get the Great States 18-inch reel mower at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Great States 16-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower

For affordability and mowing ease, this five-blade reel mower is a worthy option. It features a smooth cutting operation and a cushioned T-handle that makes it easy to maneuver around corners. Its 16-inch swath width makes the mower relatively simple to push, and it features back rollers for added stability.

This reel mower’s five heat-treated alloy blades resist dulling, and blade height is adjustable from 1 inch to 2.5 inches, making it optimal for mowing short grass species, such as buffalo or zoysia. At just under 25 pounds, it’s also easy to maneuver.

We found this 16-inch mower to be a good “middle of the road” option: narrow enough to move well through thick grass but still wide enough to get the job done quickly. Its T-style handlebar grips gave it a more “articulate” feel that was comfortable and easy to maneuver. The 16-inch blade moved slightly easier through dense grass than the 18-inch model but still cut a generous swath.

Product Specs

• Lower profile for easy storage; great for busy gardeners with lots of tools to store
• Comfortable handlebar style grips; ideal for prolonged use
• Easy to use screw-knob-style height adjustment
• Cuts too low for taller grasses like fescue
• Sticks, acorns, and pine cones stop the blades abruptly
• Does not cut to the edge; may need a trimmer tool

Get the Great States 16-inch reel mower at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Fiskars StaySharp 18-Inch Max Reel Mower

The saying “You get what you pay for” rings true with this reel mower from Fiskars. Boasting high-quality StaySharp blades that reduce the need for resharpening, this model also includes two small front rollers to help balance and stabilize the mower. It also features InertiaDrive, a design that allows the mower to power through thicker grasses.

At around twice the price of the others we tested, the Fiskars Stay Sharp Max mower delivered performance to justify it. Weighing in at a hefty 52 pounds, the build feels heavy duty but works smoothly and efficiently. The ergonomic handle was extremely comfortable, and the machine moved almost effortlessly over all but the roughest ground. The only criticism we had was that the 8.5-inch drive wheels felt somewhat undersized. Unlike other reel mowers, the wheels are offset in a way that prevents them from flattening the grass before it is mowed and allows the mower to cut within an inch of the edge rather than 3.5 inches from the edge like other reel mowers. The toolless lever height adjustment worked with one hand, in seconds. It was a pleasure to mow with this tool, and the completed cut was clean and even.

Cutting height is adjustable from 1 to 4 inches, and there’s an adjustable chute so the clippings can be directed to fall in front of the mower or behind it. The Fiskars mower cuts a generous 18-inch swath, making it well suited to mowing small and medium-size yards. An optional grass catcher can be purchased separately.

Product Specs

• Heavy-duty construction can last for several years
• Ergonomic design feel comfortable to use
• Easy to adjust and maneuver with oversized wheels
• Cuts closest to the edges so users can skip the trimmer
• Twice the price of other reel mowers
• than twice the weight of other reel mowers
• Bulky design takes up slightly more storage space

Get the Fiskars StaySharp reel mower at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Great States 14-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower

With just a 14-inch swath width and a ball-bearing reel, this little mower is just right for a small lawn and more petite users. This narrower-than-most reel mower is easy to maneuver around trees and corners, and it comes with a back roller for added stability. The blades are made from a heat-treated alloy to help reduce dulling, and it comes with a low adjustable cutting height from 1 to 1.75 inches, making it best suited to short grass species.

A narrow overall body width of just 20 inches, 8.5-inch rubber tires, and a traditional handlebar with padded grips makes this mower easy to maneuver in tight spaces, and it takes up minimal storage space. At just under 20 pounds, it is even light enough to hang on a wall hook. It is essentially a scaled-down version of our 16-inch Best Bang for the Buck pick, with similar height and blade adjustments. Unfortunately, this smaller model requires a wrench to adjust the height instead of using screw-knobs. However, the narrow body was even easier to push in dense grass but took almost twice as long to mow the same amount of space when the imperfections of walking a straight line, additional turnaround times, and overlapping edges are factored in. This could be a good pick for mowing a small grass patch around a townhouse or condo.

Product Specs

• Compact size makes this easy to maneuver in small spaces
• Lightweight and low profile for easy storage
• No frills gardening tool makes for low maintenance
• Does not cut close to the edges (3.5 inches from blade edge to outer wheel)
• Too lightweight for mowing sloped areas
• Height adjustment requires a wrench

Get the Great States 14-inch reel mower at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Northern Tool Equipment.

Earthwise 16-Inch 7-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower

The Earthwise Reel Lawn Mower comes with seven blades—two more than most reel mowers—giving it extra oomph for powering through dense grass. The Earthwise mower cuts a 16-inch swath with its steel alloy blades that are designed to stay sharp longer. The grass-cutting height is adjustable from 0.5 to 2.5 inches, suitable for a range of grasses, including St. Augustine, buffalo, and Bermuda.

Weighing in at 26 pounds, this reel mower comes with a T-handle that makes it easier to maneuver around the corners of houses and trees, and the handgrips feature nonslip cushioning to reduce hand fatigue and blistering.

In our tests, this seven-blade mower gave the cleanest, most consistent cut. We even used it to scalp a section of dormant centipede grass, where it left a smooth, even finish. Unfortunately, the additional blades offered more resistance, making it a little harder to push than five-blade models. Because it has height adjustments ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 inches, a good strategy would be to mow regularly at 1 or 1.5 inches and leave a little room to move higher if the grass gets ahead of you.

Product Specs

• 7 alloy steel blades are great for mowing coarse grasses
• Easy-to-use height adjustment screw-knobs
• Cleanly maintain dense grasses at low height
• Harder to push than 5-blade models
• Does not work as well if grass grows extra long between cuts
• Not suitable for taller grasses like fescue

Get the Earthwise reel mower at Amazon.

American Lawn Mower Company 14-Inch 4-Blade Mower

With a total weight of just 20 pounds, this 14-inch American Lawn Mower is the lightest reel mower in the lineup. It features four cutting blades made from heat-treated steel alloy to reduce dulling and has 8.5-inch polymer wheels and rear rollers to increase stability.

This smaller American Lawn Mower is well suited to mowing a small lawn, and its light weight makes it simpler for more petite users to operate. It comes with a T-handle and cushioned nonslip grips for comfortable mowing. The handle on this lightweight, low-maintenance reel mower folds down for storage, and it is light enough to be hung on wall hooks in the garage if desired. Cutting height is adjustable from 0.5 to 1.5 inches.

With only four 14-inch blades slicing against the bedknife, this mower offered the least resistance of all the mowers we tested, making it the easiest mower to push. However, fewer blades meant a less consistent finish in dense or overgrown grass. Overall the ALMC 14-inch four-blade reel mower felt strong and durable and was easy to use, but it required a second pass to clean up some of the more difficult areas. It’s probably a good choice for keeping up with pathways in the veggie garden or other secondary grassy areas.

Product Specs

• Very budget-friendly compared to similar options
• Easy to push, even in overgrown or dense grass
• Durable construction yet still a lightweight and maneuverable design
• Fewer blades produce a less thorough cut
• Requires a wrench for height adjustments
• 8.5-inch wheels do not roll as well over rough ground

Get the American Lawn Mower Company reel mower at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Greenworks RM1400 14-Inch Lawn Mower

Bagging grass clippings is a cinch with the Greenworks Reel Mower. The mower cuts a 14-inch swath, and the mowing height adjusts from 1.06 to 2 inches, making it well suited to most low-growing lawn grass species. It comes with a T-handle that makes it easy to mow around tree trunks, and it features nonslip cushioned grips for comfort. The handle folds down for convenient storage.

The Greenworks mower comes with a handy grass catcher that connects to the rear of the mower for collecting grass clippings, and the mowing reel has five heat-treated steel alloy blades designed to remain sharp longer. The mower weighs 24 pounds.

In our trials, the Greenworks RM1400 was easy to push and maneuver, thanks to its lightweight frame, narrow wheel base, and T-style handlebar. The mowing height is easy to adjust with spring pins but only varies within a narrow 1-inch range. The sharpening process is similar to other reel mowers, with the exception of the bedknife mounting system. Where most manufacturers use pairs of set screws on both ends to adjust and hold the angle, Greenworks uses single spring-loaded bolts at the ends to hold the proper angle. The system seems less complicated but could offer less durability—only time and extended use will tell.

Product Specs

• Grass catcher included; no mess left behind after use
• Lightweight and easy to push; great for larger yards
• Provides a clean, consistent finish
• Full grass catcher makes the mower difficult to maneuver
• Components feel less durable than other models
• Wheel assembly is more difficult to disassemble for sharpening

Get the Greenworks 14-inch reel mower at Amazon or Greenworks.

Greenworks 16-Inch Reel Lawn Mower

With a slightly wider swath than the other Greenworks mower in the lineup, this 16-inch reel mower deserves a look. The wider swath means fewer passes when mowing, and the 10-inch front wheels make the mower easier to push. This Greenworks model also comes with two rear wheels for stability, and it features a detachable grass catcher for collecting clippings when desired.

This Greenworks reel mower offers an adjustable mow height from 1.125 to 2.25 inches, and it comes with a cushioned ergonomic loop handle that folds to take up less storage space. The mower weighs 26 pounds.

Built on the same platform as its 14-inch sibling, this Greenworks 16-inch reel mower boasts a wider range of cutting heights and a comfortable ergonomic loop-style handle. In our tests the loop handle made it much easier to push and maneuver the mower, especially as the grass catcher filled. The swath size and five-blade configuration hit the sweet spot, balancing the ability to mow tall and dense grass without causing user fatigue. However, a few design features appear less durable, including lightweight plastic rollers and a two-bolt adjustment system for the bedknife. This one would make a good pick for regular use on an otherwise well-maintained lawn.

Product Specs

• Handle folds down for compact storage
• Easy-to-use spring-pin height adjustment
• Comfortable ergonomic handle is ideal for prolonged use
• Lightweight bedknife-adjustment system
• Grass catcher may be somewhat undersize
• Construction feels less durable than the competition

Get the Greenworks 16-inch reel mower at Amazon.

What to Consider When Choosing a Reel Mower

For any home with a lawn, mowing is a fact of life that is required in most neighborhoods. To cultivate a lush green expanse, regular mowing is essential. When mowing is done correctly—frequently enough to remove no more than one-third the height of the grass—it promotes dense, uniform growth.

Manual vs. Powered

Unlike standard mowers, the majority of reel mowers are manual, although consumers can find a handful of gas-powered and battery-powered models.

• Manual: Everything old is new again—or so it seems with more of these old-fashioned mowers popping up in home improvement centers and online stores. One of the drivers of the manual mower’s resurgence is its eco-friendliness. No fuel to store, no fumes, and no pull cord that can cause a struggle. The downside to mowing with a manual lawn mower is the near impossibility of cutting the grass if it’s allowed to grow too tall before mowing, especially if the lawn is dense. The thickness and coarseness of the grass helps dictate if it is too tall, but if the grass is twice as tall as its recommended cutting height, it usually can pose a problem for a manual reel mower. For the best results with a manual reel mower, cut the grass more often during fast-growth periods, such as in early spring and the rainy season.

• Powered: Like traditional rotary mowers, reel mowers may be powered by either gas or a battery, which makes it immeasurably easier to mow dense or tall grass. Some gas and electric reel mowers also include self-propulsion, which virtually eliminates the need to push the mower—the user needs only to guide it. While gas reel mowers are just as noisy as their traditional counterparts, electric mowers are not as noisy as gas mowers. However, they still have a motor and will produce more noise than a manual reel mower. Opting for either a manual or powered reel mower is mostly a matter of personal choice. For those with large lawns, a gas reel mower or an electric reel mower might make better sense.

Blades and Cutting Height

Reel mowers feature between four and seven steel blades. On some models, the blades are treated with a nonstick coating for easier mowing. blades lead to a cleaner cut because the grass blade doesn’t bend as far before it’s severed. For most lawns, mowers with four or five blades work well. A few reel mowers have six or seven blades, which makes them ideal for getting a uniform cut on dense grass. Reel mowers also are suitable for lawn striping, a mowing technique that leaves an attractive alternating pattern in the grass.

The blade cutting height is preset on a few reel mowers, often at around 1.5 to 2 inches, which is well suited to short grasses but not tall-growing varieties, such as fescue. Other models offer adjustable cutting heights. Consider your grass type and its optimal growing height. If yours is a tall variety of grass, opt for a reel mower that will adjust to the best mowing height for the grass.

Swath Width and Grass Type

North American lawns feature a multitude of grass varieties. Easy-to-cut grass types include perennial rye, Kentucky bluegrass, and fescue, and these are suitable for cutting with wider mowers. On the other hand, thick grasses, such as Bermuda, St. Augustine, and zoysia, are better suited to mowing in narrower cutting widths (swaths). In either case, mowing frequently will make using a manual mower easier.

The swath width of a reel mower and the type of grass the yard contains influence usability. Standard swath widths on reel mowers range from 14 to 20 inches. While a wider swath means you won’t have to mow as many passes, it also makes the mower more challenging to push because more grass means more resistance.

Additional Features

Reel mowers don’t come with many bells and whistles, but a few added features can enhance the mowing experience.

• Grass catcher: Some prefer to allow grass clippings to settle back on the lawns. The clippings act as a mulch that biodegrades to offer organic nutrients to the soil. For those who prefer bagging grass clippings, look for models that feature a rear-mount grass catcher.
• Padded handles: Nonslip, padded foam handles make it easier to grip the mower handles and reduce the risk of blisters.
• Rollers: Reel mowers have two sizable front wheels, but some come with additional back rollers or front rollers that add stability to the mower and help the user maneuver the mower near borders and edges for clean cutting.

The Advantages of Using a Reel Mower

Reel mowers are almost always powered manually. The physical pushing of the mower turns the blade cylinder, which in turn cuts the grass. Since they’re push-powered, reel mowers excel when cutting fine, straight-growing grasses but can bog down in coarse, wiry grass. The following are some of the advantages of using a reel mower.

• Avoid diseases. A clean cut helps grass avoid diseases such as “brown patch,” which can leave a lawn pockmarked with areas of dead grass.
• Affordable mowers. While pricing varies based on quality and design, expect to pay about half the cost of a powered push mower.
• Low maintenance requirements. Manual reel mowers only require occasional cleaning and blade sharpening. A gas reel mower requires the addition of oil, draining fuel over winter, and other maintenance tasks.
• Relatively compact and lightweight. Many reel mowers weigh around 20 to 30 pounds, and they often feature fold-down handles for easy storage.
• Free of exhaust and fumes. Breathe the aroma of freshly cut grass rather than toxic exhaust fumes.

FAQs

With no toxic fumes, no need to store fuel or charge batteries, and quiet operation, the reel mower is making a comeback. This eco-friendly mower will reduce your carbon footprint while offering some physical exercise. For those thinking of investing in a reel mower, a few questions are to be expected.

Q. Is it hard to push a reel mower?

Manual reel mowers are easy to push in thin sparse grass, but it takes more force to move one through tall, dense, or coarse grass.

Q. Can you mow wet grass with a reel mower?

Although a manual reel mower can easily cut through wet grass, doing so frequently is not advisable. As with other mowers, clippings will clump and look unsightly. Wet clippings that stick to the mower increase rust formation, dulling the blades prematurely.

Q. How often should you mow with a reel mower?

Mow as often as is necessary to keep from removing more than one-third of the grass’s blade. This may mean mowing two or more times in a week during the fast-growing grass season.

Q. When should I sharpen my reel mower?

In general, it’s a good idea to sharpen the blades on a reel mower after 20 to 25 hours of use. For some users, this may be once a year; others may need to sharpen blades two or more times in a season.

Why Trust Bob Vila

Bob Vila has been America’s Handyman since 1979. As the host of beloved and groundbreaking TV series including “This Old House” and “Bob Vila’s Home Again,” he popularized and became synonymous with “do-it-yourself” home improvement.

Over the course of his decades-long career, Bob Vila has helped millions of people build, renovate, repair, and live better each day—a tradition that continues today with expert yet accessible home advice. The Bob Vila team distills need-to-know information into project tutorials, maintenance guides, tool 101s, and more. These home and garden experts then thoroughly research, vet, and recommend products that support homeowners, renters, DIYers, and professionals in their to-do lists.

What Is a Reel Mower and How to Use It

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

Mary has been a Master Gardener for 30 years and a commercial and residential gardener for 50 years. She is a former Clemson University Extension Agent.

Jillian is a freelance journalist with 10 years of editorial experience in the lifestyle genre. She is a writer and fact checker for TripSavvy, as well as a fact-checker for The Spruce.

Reel mowers appeal to environmentalists, money-savers, exercise-fanatics, noise-haters, and safety-lovers. Simple to operate, a reel mower works well for small areas.

However, with this type of lawn mower, there are some downsides. You must be committed to mowing when the grass is ready, not whenever you get around to it. Sharpening the blades is a hassle. And unless you don’t mind the extra work of raking up twigs beforehand, reel mowers are not practical for large areas with lots of trees, since you can’t ride roughshod over twigs as you can with standard mowers.

What Is a Reel Mower?

A reel mower is a push mower that does not use fuel, electricity, or oil and is powered by the person pushing it. Most have two primary wheels and several sharp blades in a cylinder that spin around to cut the grass.

Reel vs. Rotary Mowers

As with most things, reel mowers are excellent for some situations and users and troublesome for others. Reel mowers lack many of the common annoyances that come with other types of mowers—the smell and noise, the potential risks, and the price—but they also have drawbacks. Reel mowers don’t work as well on tall grass or grass sprinkled with twigs and leaves.

The blades of a rotary lawn mower spin on a plane parallel to the ground. Reel mower blades spin at an angle perpendicular to the ground. While you may be able to get by for years without sharpening the blades on a regular mower, it’s critical to keep the blades of a reel mower razor-sharp.

• Environmentally friendly
• Lower maintenance costs
• Lightweight and safer to use
• Noise-free
• efficient at mowing grass
• Easier to mow larger areas
• Mulches up debris
• Handles cutting grass better on uneven ground

Parts of a Reel Mower

Manual or push reel mowers don’t have engines, so they don’t use gas and emit no pollutants. The lack of an engine also means reel mowers are virtually noiseless. No engine also means no tune-ups, and less maintenance: no oil to check, no filter to clean, no spark plugs, saving time and money.

Reel mowers have blades that turn as the mower is pushed. Today’s models have a protective guard to prevent the grass from being blown back on the person pushing the mower. And some models come with a grass-collecting bag. Most models allow you to adjust the blades to cut the grass at a certain height.

Modern models of reel mowers are lightweight and easy to push. Reel mowers are ideal for small lawns with no trees, although pushing one across any sized lawn will still be a strenuous chore, lightweight or not.

Why Should You Use a Reel Mower?

When you think of mowing your lawn, the mental image that comes to mind for most of us is that of a rotary machine, because this type of grass-cutting device has become the standard. Unlike the rotary models that you’re used to, reel mowers don’t have an engine.

Instead, this 19th-century device, invented by Edwin Budding, cuts the grass using sharp blades that move as you push the device along. This isn’t merely a question of the machine being self-propelled vs not self-propelled, it is entirely human-powered. Still, despite the decidedly unmodern functionality, there are good reasons you might want to consider buying a reel mower.

How To Sharpen a Reel Mower

Environmentalists tout reel mowers as a clean alternative to polluting gas-powered rotary models. Reel mowers also reduce noise pollution. A reel mower is safer to use because the blades stop when you stop pushing, They are less expensive to purchase and maintain than gas or electric mowers. Modern versions are easier to use than older models because lightweight plastics and alloys incorporated into their framework have made them more maneuverable.

Fiskars® StaySharp™ Max Reel Mower. Checking and Adjusting the Blades HD

But reel mowers come with some disadvantages, too. They can’t chop up twigs and the twigs get lodged in the blades, requiring manual removal. Raking up twigs before mowing is advisable, adding time and effort to the task. Reel mowers cannot be used in fall as makeshift leaf-shredders. Rotary models are also better at mowing grass that’s grown too high, an important consideration for those who don’t mow the grass religiously.

Reel lawn mowers are well-suited only to those who tend to small urban lots and enjoy exercise. But if you do have just a small lawn to mow, the reel mower can be ideal. Dealing with all the gas, oil, and noise associated with regular mowers seems like overkill for such a small space.

Another choice other than reel mowers for those who have a small lawn is a rechargeable battery-powered mower. This type keeps mower maintenance to a bare minimum.

Buying vs. Renting

Reel mowers are inexpensive, costing around 100 on average to purchase. Since mowing the lawn is a weekly chore, especially in the spring and summer months, it only makes sense to buy one rather than go through the constant expense and hassle of renting one.

Although reel mowers are relatively cheap, you shouldn’t necessarily buy the very cheapest option. You want to make sure your mower is well-made, and that blade sharpening kits for the brand you select are easy to find because you’ll need to sharpen the blade regularly.

How to Maintain Reel Mowers

There is one regular mower-maintenance chore necessary with reel mowers: sharpening the blades. This needs to be done once or twice every year. You can buy sharpening kits, or you can grab these three basic items: grinding stone, grinding paste, and newspaper. The blades can remain on the mower, and with a little bit of manual effort, you can complete the sharpening process.

• Grinding stone: Use the stone first to smooth out any nicks or burrs you feel on the blades.
• Grinding paste: Apply the paste to the blades and cutter bar. Then turn the reel backward. The grinding paste and running it backward will sharpen the blades and cutter bar’s edges. Do this for a few minutes, and you will see the paste going away and shiny edges appearing. If there’s any excess paste, simply wipe it off.
• Newspaper: Test the sharpness of the blades on the newspaper. If it’s not sharp enough, repeat the sharpening process.

Tip

After each use, make sure to wipe/wash off any grass clippings that have built up on the mower. Store the reel mower in a dry place to help keep it from rusting.

When to Replace Your Reel Mower

Reel mowers will last for many years if you keep them clean and sharpen the blades periodically. If you find yourself not having the time to mow often with a reel mower, or you’ve gotten a larger yard, then you should consider replacing it with a powered mower. If your yard is considerably bigger, then a riding lawn mower will save you time and effort.