Extra wide reel mower. How To Cut Tall Grass With A Reel Mower In Just 4 Easy Steps

How To Cut Tall Grass With A Reel Mower In Just 4 Easy Steps

Today they represent an eco-friendly way to keep your lawn trimmed short and neat.

Yet what happens if your lawn is accidentally allowed to grow too long? Can a reel mower handle cutting tall grass?

The short answer is, yes a reel mower can handle long grass. We just need to take a closer look at how a reel mower looks, to better understand the changes you need to make in your mowing technique.

How Does A Reel Mower Work?

With a reel lawnmower, the blades are spinning from above. This tends to cut the grass at a more natural angle, as it essentially pulls the blades in and cuts them like scissors.

A convention gas-powered or electric rotary lawnmower has blades that attack the grass from the side.

Even when a rotary mower’s blades are more perfectly sharp, they still tend to more damage to individual blades of grass.

When a rotary mower’s blades start to dull the damage to the grass can be pronounced.

Not only can this leave your lawn looking shaggy and unkempt it can also lead to future problems. Damaged grass blades tend to be more prone to common lawn diseases as well as pests.

Inconsistently cut grass is also increasingly prone to problems with excess thatch suffocating the turf, making it harder for water, air, and key nutrients to feed the roots.

How Often Do You Need To Mow The Lawn With A Reel Mower?

A reel mower isn’t really designed to tackle an overgrown lawn. Long blades of grass can be matted down or even potentially tangle in the cylindrical blades.

Even the best reel mower will struggle to handle grass that is longer than say 4-inches.

For most lawns, this means cutting the grass with a reel mower at least once a week. During the peak of the growing season, you might have to mow more frequently, like once every five days.

Then as the sun starts to wane in early fall, you might be able to get away with dialing it back to once every ten days. If you keep an eye on your lawn, it will tell you when it needs to be cut.

How Can I Cut Tall Grass With a Reel Mower?

Reel mowers and stray sticks do not like each other. Twigs, fallen leaves, and other lawn debris also have a knack for hiding in tall grass.

Make sure to go a little walkthrough to clear away any debris before you start mowing. This will spare you unexpected headaches along the way.

Step Four: Increase Your Overlap

If the blades of grass are over four inches tall, you will need to increase the size of your overlap. This means walking a full pass down your lawn.

When you get to the end, turn around and make sure that your second pass is overlapping the first by at least four to six inches.

You may have to have even more overlap if you notice blades of grass from the first pass that have essentially been knocked down instead of cut.

In the case of a severely overgrown lawn, you might have to repeat the same path twice. This will ensure that you have made contact with each blade of grass and cut it to the desired height.

Can I Cut My Grass In A Checkerboard Pattern?

Checkerboard patterns and lawns that are cut at intersecting 45-degree angles can be very visually attractive.

This is also another type of mowing pattern strategy that you can use to tackle long or otherwise overgrown grass.

With a reel mower, you tend to get the best results by completing one pass in each direction.

Then when you are done, you walk along at a perpendicular angle. Not only will this catch any long blades that may have been left behind by the first pass, but it will also leave you with that visually appealing crosshatch pattern in your lawn.

What Happens To The Grass Clippings Produced By A Reel Mower?

Grass clippings, which are also known as “Thatch” can be a little bit of a double-edged sword when it comes to a reel mower.

If conditions are normal, or perhaps even a little wet, grass clippings can quickly decompose within a few days to a week after cutting. This is more likely to occur with short clippings.

When this happens it can actually feed nitrogen and other basic nutrients back into the turf. The net result is a lawn that says verdantly green, while also helping to prevent weeds from establishing a presence in your lawn.

Yet long grass clippings tend to take much longer to break down. If the summer has been particularly dry, grass clippings of any size can stop decomposing.

When this happens, the thatch layer starts to buildup in the upper layers of the turf. Left unchecked, it can choke off otherwise healthy blades of grass causing dead spots and making it increasingly hard for your irrigation system to thoroughly soak the roots.

Some reel mower manufacturers produce units that have a removable collection bin positioned right behind the cutting cylinder. I would personally recommend these over units that don’t have an optional bin.

Yes, you will need to empty it from time to time in a single mower session, but it will spare you having to deal with thatch complications and excess costs of seasonal aeration.

If the grass is excessively long, or the recent weather is very dry, you can attach it to collect most of the clippings.

If you have been keeping the grass short, with frequent mowing sessions, and the local weather has been normal to wet, you can leave the collection bin off, to let the clippings refeed the turf.

In Conclusion

It’s true that a reel mower and its blades do need a little bit of extra care and maintenance.

Yet if you compare these efforts and costs to things like fuel costs, oil changes, and all the other things that go into maintaining a gas-powered lawnmower, I think you’ll find that a reel mower will pay for itself in spades.

Spending a little extra money on a proper mill file and giving the moving parts an occasional spray with some penetrating lubricant will further help extend the value of a reel mower.

It will also help keep the blades moving easily to reduce your overall efforts in each mowing session. This is the best way to make sure you see the full return on your investment.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that reel mowers and rainwater do not get along.

If you have a roof leak in your garage or garden shed, or your property is at risk for flooding, make sure the reel mower is up and out of the way in a dry place.

From his childhood obsession with gardening to the decade he spent operating a hobby farm, Eric has developed over four decades of experience in self-sufficiency. Not only does this include the organic elements of growing and tending plants, but it also includes a wealth of experience in lawn care, landscaping, and gardening equipment.

The 7 Best Reel Mowers 2023 Reviews Buying Guide

A reel mower is a perfect lawn mower used widely to keep the lawn manicured properly without any mess. The blades of this lawn mower will spin vertically from north to south and uses a scissoring action to cut grass gently.

The reel mower is cheaper, lightweight, simple to use, easy to store, and environmentally friendly that delivers a clean cut. It’s became a favorite tool for most of the users having a small – medium sized yards. Whereas for larger yards, one has to look for best riding mowers.

This easy to push lawn mower not only keep your lawn healthy but also let the user get proper exercise while walking throughout the lawn with this mower. Also, you can simply opt for string trimmers as an easier option to trim the grass in a smaller yard.

So, one has to consider these 3 main factors to speed up their selection process and choose the best one.

• Cutting Width – The width or size of the cutting blades will let you the amount of grass it cut at a time. Choose the larger cutting width like 20-inch reel mower rather than 14-inch mower for best results.
• Number of Blades – Different reel mower models comes with various number of cutting blades. For quick and clean cutting, you have to choose the one with higher number of cutting blades.
• Size and Weight – Check the size and weight of the mower while purchasing. To push the reel mower to all corners of your backyard and to have a clean cut of grass, one has to choose a small, compact and lightweight mower rather than heavier large mowers.

Not only these 3 factors, there are so many factors to consider when you’re going to purchase the reel mower. All those are clearly mentioned in the below “Buying Guide”. We came up with some of the best reel mowers in the market that help to maintain your lawn with perfect trim of grass.

Top Push Reel Mowers in 2023 List

The 7 Best Reel Mower Reviews

American Lawn Mower Reel Mower

American Lawn Mower Company is a company that makes a wide range of lawn mowers right here in the states. You can also find various reel mowers from this brand, including the 1204-14 reel mower.

The American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14 reel lawn mower is present in the 1st position in this article as it is the cheapest option present in this article. But even then, it offers various things to its users that makes it an excellent value for money option. You get a 14-inch wide blade in it that makes it one of the most compact options out there. You get a total of 4 blades in this reel mower that is quite decent for its given price.

It offers a wide cutting height range that can be easily adjusted between 0.5 inches to 1.75 inches as per your needs and requirements. Since its blade is made out of heat-treated alloy steel, you get a clean cut while cutting grass using it. This reel lawn mower has 8.5-inch wheels on the side that are quite decent. These offer a decent grip and allow you to easily use this lawn mower on uneven surfaces as well as in thick grass without any issues.

Best Features:

• 14-inch cutting width
• 4 cutting blades
• 5 to 1.75-inch cutting height
• 2-year warranty
• 5-inch wheel size
• Heat-treated alloy steel blade
• High value for money
• Ergonomic cushioned handle

Great States Reel Mower

Scotts Outdoor Power Tools is a brand that makes various kinds of power tools. And as you would expect, it also makes garden tools, including multiple reel mower models, that can be handy for different users.

Scotts Outdoor Power Tools’ 304-14S reel lawn mower is present in the 2nd position in this article as it can be another great option if you are on a budget. While it is slightly more expensive than the previous option, you get some extra things that make it worth its given price. You get a 14-inch blade in this lawn mower that is quite decent for its price. But it comes with a total of 5 blades that result in a clean-cut while cutting grass.

Despite its affordable price tag, you get decent build quality along with a 2-year warranty. As a result, this lawn mower can easily last longer than most other budget reel mower options out there. It offers a cutting height range of 0.5 inches to 1.75 inches that is quite easy to adjust. Just like the previous reel mower option, this one also has 8.5-inch composite wheels. A great thing about this lawn mower is that you get comfortable grips on its handle.

Best Features:

• 14-inch cutting width
• 5 cutting blades
• 5 to 1.75-inch cutting height
• 2-year warranty
• 5-inch wheel size
• Lightweight and compact
• Affordable option
• Heat-treated alloy steel blades
• Cushioned grips on the handle

Great States 815-18 Reel Mower

Great States is one of the most popular brands of garden tools and equipment out there. You can also reel mower options from Great States, including the one we have mentioned here in this article.

This Great States 815-18 reel lawn mower is present in the 3rd position in this article as it offers a large-sized blade without having a high price tag. It comes with an 18 inch wide cutting blade. Since this is much larger than other options out there, you can cut a lot of grass at once. And this reel mower can offer an excellent cutting performance along with clean cuts since you get a total of 5 cutting blades in it.

Unfortunately, since this is a comparatively budget lawn mower option, you only get a 1-year warranty with it. But even then, this reel mower is decently durable as you get a great build quality with it. It comes with large-sized composite wheels that have a size of 10 inches. You also get a cutting height range of 0.5 inches to 2.0 inches that is possible due to these large-sized wheels. It has a loop design handle that is quite ergonomic and comfortable to use.

Best Features:

• 18-inch cutting width
• 5 cutting blades
• 5 to 2-inch cutting height
• 1-year warranty
• 10-inch wheel size
• Loop design handle
• Tool-less assembly
• Affordable price

Fiskars Reel Mower

Fiskars is a premium and expensive brand of power tools when compared with other options out there. And this is also true for its reel lawn mower that is slightly on the expensive side when compared with other options out there.

You get a decently large 18-inch wide cutting blade in the Fiskars 362050-1001 reel lawn mower. This cutting blade has a total of 5 blades that are highly sharp and result in a clean-cut while using this lawn mower. It also comes with a 3-year long warranty due to which this lawn mower can last much longer than other options.

One of the most unique things about this lawn mower is its wheels that make this reel mower 60% easiest to use when compared with other options out there. It also comes with a reversible grass chute. You can use this to direct the grass clippings either towards the front or towards the back as per your wish. This lawn mower comes with StaySharp cutting system that keeps the cutting blade of this reel mower sharp and functioning for a long time.

Best Features:

• 18-inch cutting width
• 5 cutting blades
• 1 to 4-inch cutting height
• 3-year warranty
• Unique wheel system
• 60% easier to use
• StaySharp technology for keeping the blade sharp
• Inbuild grass chute
• Loop design handle for comfort

Scotts Outdoor Reel Mower

As mentioned earlier, Scotts Outdoor Power Tools makes all kinds of lawn mowers. Thus, we are here with another reel mower that is much larger than the previous one and offers better features.

Just like the previous Scotts Outdoor Power Tools reel mower, this 2000-20S lawn mower comes with decent build quality and a 2-year warranty. But the biggest difference between this and the previous one is that you get a 20 inch wide cutting blade in this one. As a result, you can easily cut a lot of grass at once using this reel mower. Since this has a total of 5 blades, it offers clean cuts while cutting grass as per your height adjustment.

Speaking of height adjustment, you can choose a cutting height from 1 inch to 3 inch as per your wish. It offers this large height range due to its 10-inch dual tracking wheels. You also get a set of smaller wheels at the back for extra stability while using this lawn mower in your backyard. Another great thing about this reel mower is that it uses heat-treated alloy steel blades that stay sharp for a long time without any issues.

Best Features:

• 20-inch cutting width
• 5 cutting blades
• 1 to 3-inch cutting height
• 2-year warranty
• 10-inch dual tracking wheels
• Heat-treated alloy steel blades
• Tool lees assembly
• Lightweight and easy to operate

Greenworks 25072 Reel Mower

Greenworks is a brand of power tools that makes highly reliable electric options. While its reel mower is not powered by an electric motor, it is certainly as reliable as its electric models.

One of the best things about the Greenworks 25072 reel lawn mower is that it offers a great build quality. And when combined with its 4-year long warranty, you can easily expect it to last much longer than most other reel lawn mower options out there that come with just a 1 or 2-year warranty. You also get an inbuilt grass catcher in this lawn mower that is quite handy. It collects all of the grass so that you do not have to clean your lawn afterwards.

As per the name of this reel mower, you get a 20-inch cutting blade in it that has a total of 5 blades. And due to its large blade size along with sharp blades, you can expect a great cutting performance. You get 10-inch wheels at the front and 6-inch wheels at the rear of this reel mower for ease of use. Due to its wheels, it offers a large cutting height range of 1 ¾ inch to 2 ¾ inch. It provides all of this while having a very justified price tag.

Best Features:

• 20-inch cutting width
• 5 cutting blades
• 1 ¾ to 2 ¾ inch cutting height
• 4-year warranty
• 10-inch wheels at the front
• 6-inch wheels at the rear
• Comes with a grass catcher
• 2 in 1 cutting modes
• 9 position height adjustment system

Earthwise Reel Mower

Coming to the last reel mower option present in this article, we have Earthwise that also makes various lawn mowers. And we are here with the Earthwise 1715-16EW reel lawn mower in this article.

One of the most unique things about this reel mower is that it comes with a total of 7 blades. And since these blades are quite sharp, this reel mower offers excellent cutting performance with clean and sharp cuts while cutting grass. You get a 16 inch wide cutting blade in this reel mower. This provides a great balance between cutting performance and size as it is quite sharp while being neither too big or too small.

Just like various other options present out there, you get a 2-year warranty with this Earthwise reel lawn mower. Thankfully, the build quality of this reel mower is much better than most other options present out there as it comes with alloy steel blades. It offers 10-inch composite wheels that allow you to easily use it over uneven surfaces. Such a large wheel size also results in a decent cutting height range of 0.5 inches to 2.5 inches that can be easily adjusted as per your cutting needs and requirements.

Best Features:

• 16-inch cutting width
• 7 cutting blades
• 5 to 1.75-inch cutting height
• 2-year warranty
• 10-inch wheel size
• Alloy steel blades
• Easy to store
• Decent build quality

What is a Reel Mower?

A reel mower used to maintain the lawn perfectly by trimming/cutting the overgrown grass, with its blades by using a scissoring action. The push mower is a basic type with less maintenance which suits best for those who are looking for an alternative to powered mowers. It has 2 or 4 wheels with 3 – 7 cutting blades, which are steel or other metal for durability and long-lasting sharpness. It is a best option for many people who want a healthier, affordable, quieter and low maintenance mower.

How it Works – When you start pushing the mower forward then its blade will spin vertically and cut the grass in between them. Simply, they create a scissor cutting action that snips blades to cut grass properly. It operates silently without emitting any harmful fumes.

Types of Reel Mowers:

One can categorize the reel mower into two different types – manual electric. Knowing about them in detail will help you to select the best product, as per your need.

A. Manual Reel Mower:

This type of reel mowers is mostly used by people who are cardio junkies, environmentalists and budget-friendly. The less buying cost and low maintenance will make them cheaper than motorized mowers. It won’t have an engine to make noise or pollution. Here, as the name implies, you have to put your efforts to move the reel mower and thereby to mow the lawn properly.

• The blades of this mower won’t shatter even though they hit pipes, rocks or any hidden objects in the grass while mowing. Unless and until the high-speed rotary blade hit something hard.
• Moving a reel mower manually in your lawn will make you get proper exercise.
• It is a time-consuming process and requires a lot of work and effort, as one has to mow frequently.
• Not suitable to mow on places where a lot of thick weed, tall grass and a lot of brush.

Suitable For – The manual reel push mower suits best for small flatter yards with 2000 square feet or less area.

B. Electric Reel Mowers:

This electric / motorized mower works with a motor that runs with electric power supply. The engine will let the mower mow the yard without any putting any effort/strain. It is categorized into two types – Corded Cordless. Let’s know about them in detail.

Electric Corded – They are operated with electric power by using an extension cord of about 100 – 150 feet from any standard electric power outlet.

Pros – They are easy to start, easy to use and won’t weight a lot.

Cons – Its range is limited, as it is operated with an electric cord.

Suitable for – This electric corded will suit best for small to medium sized lawns with below 3500 square feet.

C. Electric Cordless/Battery Powered:

Here the engine is powered by a battery to run the mower. This is considered as the best environmentally friendly motorized lawn mower, why because they won’t produce any toxic fumes. With a full charge battery, one can easily run this mower for about 45 minutes.

Pros – It can used in any place without having any limitation on its range.

Cons – It runs on limited time, till charge in the battery lasts.

Suitable for – It suits best for medium to larger sized laws with 5000 square feet.

Do you know…?

• All reel mower models won’t cut the grass at same settings.
• It works best with regular cutting regimen to prevent hard cutting of overgrown grass.
• It is best to mow for smaller lawns of less than 10,000 square feet of lawn (quarter acre).
• A sloped or bumpy lawn may result in an uneven trim and leave patches, and one has to mow it from different angles.

Want to know some more interesting facts about reel mowers and choose the best one. Then just go through this buying guide.

How to Select the Best Reel Lawn Mower?

As a buyer, you should know all the information regarding the reel mowers along with factors to be considered while purchasing a reel mower. This will help you to pick the perfect one, as per your backyard requirement.

In case, if you still have any queries about its selection then feel free to share it with us in Комментарии и мнения владельцев section, we are happy to clarify your doubts and help you in selection process.

Cutting Width

The cutting width of the reel mower will determine the amount of grass, a mower can cut at a given time. A larger cutting width aids in better cutting performance, as it offers a larger contact surface area and thereby allows you to cut a lot of grass at once. One can find the cutting width options like 14-inch or 20-inch when purchasing the reel mower, in which 20-inch reel mower will provide a best cutting performance in your backyard lawn and saves your time.

Cutting Height

Most of the reel mowers offer a variable cutting height range, which allows you to change the cutting height of the mower. This cutting height will allow the blades to cut the grass neatly without harming the blades in a longer run. Simply, set the specific length or required height of the grass you want to trim.

One can find the adjustable cutting height range of reel mowers as 1/2 – 3 inches (1 – 2 ½ inches or 5/8 – 3 inches). Most of the users prefer larger cutting height range to get precise control over grass cutting while mowing.

The height can be adjusted by using its inbuilt levers and handles while some other require a tool to adjust the height. A few modern models come with tool less cutting height adjustments.

Number of Blades

The reel mowers have vertical blades that cut all types of grass efficiently in the backyard. Different reel mowers come with different number of blades, resulting in different cutting performance. So, most people prefer to have high number of cutting blades in the reel mower for a smooth clean cutting.

A few models offer 4 blades while others come with 5 blades or even 7 blades, in which the mower with 5 or 7 blades are better than 4 blades. The mower with higher number of blades then it last longer why because the higher blade count will keep it stay sharp for a longer time.

Wheel Size

All reel lawn mowers come with wheels that allows you to push the lawn mower around the backyard to cut grass. Since the reel mowers won’t have any motor or engine, the wheels use gears to power the cutting blade. So, it is essential to check the wheels and wheel size offered by the reel mower before buying.

Experts advice to use a large wheel size to have a smooth operation of the reel mower. This will allow you to use the reel mower even in thick grass and on uneven surfaces without much issue. One can generally find wheel size options like 10-inches or 12-inches while purchasing the reel mower for backyard. So, you have to choose the large wheel size of about 12-inches for better utilization of reel lawn mower.

Size and Weight

The weight and the physical size should also be taken into consideration while selecting the reel mower. Choose a small and compact size reel mower to make it easily get into all corners of the backyard without any problem. Also, it takes less space for storing it in garage while not in use. Even though, a bigger reel mower means a faster, wider cut but it is difficult to handle while cutting grass.

Coming to weight of the mower, most of these mowers are manual and won’t have any motor or engine and one has to push manually. So, prefer to choose a lightweight mower rather than heavy weight mower, which is hard to push around the backyard to cut the grass.

Here we are providing some guidelines to select the perfect size weight of the reel mower.

• The wider mower will cut more grass in each row you push.
• One won’t observe any difference in the length of time/time period to mow for a small sized lawn. It only shows a bit noticeable difference in mower width, as the amount of grass gets larger.
• The small mowers are lightweight and easy to carry and easy to push through the grass as well.
• Never ever over-grow the grass and have a regular trimming or cutting of the grass to get control over ease of using the mower and time to mow the lawn.
• Also, for manual reel push lawn mower, the user has to act as a motor to put all their efforts to mow the lawn. So, if not done regular mowing, you have to do extra work to cut the grass and maintain the garden effectively.

6. Durability Reliability

The reel lawn mowers are widely used for cutting a lot of grass in the backyard. Want to use this mower without facing any issues even after using it for a longer time, then simply choose a reel mower which is durable and reliable.

How to know whether the selected reel mower is durable or not? This query will arise in your mind while discussing about durability. Its simple, the durability mainly depends on the build quality, construction material and warranty period.

One can find mowers with a minimum warranty period of 1 year to a maximum of 5 years. Also, a well-built mower with stainless steel blades and strong handle will make the mower last for a longer time without any issues.

Price

The price of the reel mowers will range in between 70 – 200. The manual mowers are affordable than electric or gas-powered mowers. They won’t associated with any operating costs like electricity, batteries, and not paying for any oil or gasoline.

Maintenance

The manual reel mower is virtually maintenance – free rather than electric or battery powered mowers. The reason is that they won’t require any replacement parts, refueling, charging or oil-changing. All you need is to sharpen the blades of the mower regularly to make it work perfectly for every few years.

Advantages of Reel Mower

Other than sharpening and lubricating the blades for every few years, you won’t have to upkeep to do on reel mower.

• It requires less maintenance and work quieter than other regular mowers.
• The usage of these reel mowers is quiet, healthy, peaceful and good for both user and their lawn.
• The manual push reel mower is inexpensive than electric and gas mowers. The price of manual reel mowers may vary by depending on its quality and design.
• Most of the reel mower user hear a gentle snipping sound the tool makes while mowing. Although, the manual one will make less noise than either any other electric or gas-powered mowers.
• Regular mowing of the lawn will prevent diseases like brown patch and thereby won’t leave your lawn pockmarked with areas of dead grass. Also, the rust signified by red pustules on the grass will be prevented.
• It is easy to store, as lightweight smaller models can be easy to hung on the garage wall.
• It is free of fumes and exhaust while mowing the garden.
• For best mowing, leave the mower dry in the sun after use then sharpen the blades once in every 2 – 4 years depending on the model and lubricate the gear assembly.

How to Maintain Push Reel Lawn Mowers?

Here is a detailed way of maintaining the reel mower properly. Have a look and follow it properly.

• Wipe off the mower occasionally. This cleaning will help to keep the mower to last longer.
• Adjust the cutter bar properly without over tightening. One can find that vibrations, which are associated with mowing may loosen it over time.
• It’s must to lube the bearing, blades and cutting edges of the lawn mower regularly.
• Also, purchase and use a sharpening kit on the blade of mower. But make sure to check the manufacturer recommendation while buying this kit for your mower.

How to Sharpen a Reel Mower?

The blades of the mower get dull after using it for several times why because they are pushed over the curbs, rocks, thick twigs and other hard surfaces. The dull blades will resist smooth operating and thereby make the mower difficult to push. Then simply check the alignment of the mower and if it is fine then it’s time to sharpen the blades of your mower. Here are a few ways to sharpen your reel mower.

• For most of the models, the manufacturer is offering a kit, which is attached to the mower. It is like a sandpaper strip that allows the mower to sharpen its blades while pushing on it.
• Simply purchase a back-lapping sharpening kit. This kit includes a handle and some sharpening compound. To use it, one has to attach the handle to driving gear on mower and apply the sharpening compound to the blades by using a paint brush. Then crank the mower in opposite direction to restore the sharp edge.
• One can also perform this backlapping task by using a power drill and sharpening attachment, in which the power drill will work like a polishing brush attachment. Simply pull the trigger of the drill and run the attachment. Make sure to remove the blade reel or secure it properly to prevent any accidental injuries.
• However, most of the high-quality blades will retain a sharp edge for so many years. So, it’s always best to sharpen your blades as an annual routine while at the beginning or end of the mowing season.

So, always remember that proper maintenance will ensure that a reel mower will offer a best possible performance. For this, when once the blades are sharpened, you have to apply a thin coating of any edible or vegetable oil on the blades. This will help to prevent the formation of corrosion or rust for not to leave any harmful residue on the grass.

Reel Mowers FAQs

Ans: In general, a reel mower working under right circumstances is not at all hard to push it. For instance, there are is a lot of grass than weed in your lawn and you’re mowing it every week will won’t make you hard to push the reel mower. Compared to other mowers, this reel mowers (manual) are lightweight, weighs from 17 – 35 pounds quite less than electric or non-self-propelled gas mower. This will make it easy to push and thereby its blades will cut the grass easily.

Ans: The manual reel mowers/cylinder mowers/push mowers were considered as the first lawn mowers with same basic principle.While pushing the mower all across the garden. The wheels spins in a cylinder movement and thereby the blades will cut the grass. The modern models are lightweight, and easy to move rather than old heavy weight metal mowers and power mowers as well.All you need is to simply set the cutting height and handle height as per your requirement and thereby push the mower and walk along with it to have some exercise for you and to trim your lawn properly.

Ans: While both electric manual reel mowers are excellent at mowing the lawn but most people prefer to use manual models rather than electric one. The reason is that manual reel models are lightweight and make you feel that task accomplished by yourself.In general, people those who love to use electric reel mowers will get benefited by these two points – the electric motor will turn the blades and thereby aids in proper cutting process (easier to push but hard to pick up due to its overweight). It spins the blade at higher RPM than manual mower ad thereby gets more cuts per square inch along with a clean cutting.One can increase the cutting effecting by walking slowly along the mower while their blades are turning fast to cut the grass, whereas for manual reel mowers, you have to walk faster to turn the blades fast. Although, it won’t make a big difference in mowing your yard by using either manual or electric or gas-powered mowers. So, it’s all depend on your personal preference and your budget.

Scotts Manual Reel Push Mower Unboxing and Review. No Gas or Electric Required!

Ans: All models of the mower blades will require sharpening after some usages to cut the grass properly. For push reel mowers, the re-sharpening can be done after 3 years, whereas for battery or gas-powered mowers, it requires twice a season.

5. How often one should mow the lawn and how to select the blade height of the mower?

Ans: It’s always suggested to mow the lawn for once in 2 weeks on regular basis to prevent overgrowth of the grass and thereby not to get strain while mowing the lawn. As suggested, won’t remove more than 1/3 rd of grass height. For instance, if you want to keep the blade height at 2 inches then mow the lawn after the grass grows to 3 inches or more inches high. Then it is easy to mow the lawn.

Ans: These are some limitation of reel mower, go through it to know about them.Avoid using reel mower on wet grass/yard why because the wetness will make the mower hard to mow and cut the grass effectively.Also, the mower requires sharp blades to cut the wet grass and in case, if the mower sinks into the wet soil then mowing becomes very difficult and you’re unable to walk along with the mower.The long blades of the push mower get stuck while cutting overgrown grass and makes it difficult to mow and requires a lot of strength to unclear and mow the mower.To resolve the issue, you need to have a scythe while working on an overgrown garden, in case if you won’t want to use power mower.The push reel mowers work great for regular mowing of small sized lawns below 10,000 square feet (or 1/4 acre) but not beyond it.

Ans: To keep your push reel mower, work precisely, you have to follow these maintenance tips. Remove stones and sticks in the lawn to prevent any damage done to the mower while mowing the garden area. Try to maintain clean blades by brushing the mower off with gloved hand or brush. A silicone spray like WD-40 will work for lubricating the moving parts before using the mower. One has to adjust the blades in every 12 – 18 months, as per the instructions in its user manual. This may involve 5 minutes to reset the reel blades to optimal distance.

Ans: It all depend on your personal choice. It is just like a basket mounted behind the cylinder to collect all the clippings. It cleans up your lawn and helps to prevent grass getting stuck to the blades while mowing. In case, if you mow the lawn regularly then its suggested to leave the clippings on the lawn in every other time to enhance the health of your lawn.

Ans: The reel mower is used to mow yards with their unique scissor-like clipping action. It gets bogged down when operating in overgrown areas and thereby causing it difficult to push the mower or may cause it to jam. This suits best for yards in well maintained but it is not ideal for lawns having grass higher than 4 inches. But you can cut the tall grass with a little bit more time and patience.Here are a few ways to cut tall grass by using a reel mower. Overlapping – Adjust the way you mow the lawn with a generous overlap. Simply, when once you finish mowing one row. Then turn around and go back with the mower in other direction while overlapping the previous path by few inches. Make sure that won’t have high streaks of grass between rows. Also, one can cut high grass efficiently with a push mower by repeated the overlap method on each path for twice. All you need is to mow each row once in a direction and turn the mower around and cut the grass in the quite opposite direction. It ensures that blades of this mower catch from both angles to get an even and thorough cut. Checkerboard Pattern – It involves mowing each section of the lawn for twice. When once you mow the lawn normally and repeat the same process in opposite direction, but in crisscrossing the original paths like perpendicularly like checkerboard. The additional pass on each and every strip will help to achieve the clean, manicured appearance.

Conclusion

If you want a simple and straight forward, then you go with a reel mower. These offer an excellent cutting performance while being quite affordable in comparison to powered options. Thus, we have mentioned some of the best reel mowers in this article, along with their features as well as differences. You can even find a detailed buying guide in this article with all of the details regarding reel mowers. These can be quite handy to pick the perfect reel mower for your usage easily. But if you can’t select a reel mower for your needs and requirements, here are some of our recommendations:

• The American Lawn Mower Reel Mower can be an excellent pick for users who are on a budget. It is the cheapest option present in this article and even then offers a lot of things that make it a great value for money option. As per its name, you get a 14 inch wide cutting blade in it that offers a total of 4 blades. Due to this, you can expect decent cutting power from this reel mower that can be quite handy. You also get a 2-year warranty with this reel mower.
• You can also consider the Great States 815-18 Reel Mower if you want a larger lawn mower without paying a lot of money. Just per the name of this reel lawn mower, you get an 18 inch wide cutting blade in it. Due to this, you can cut a lot of grass using it at once. This reel mower comes with a total of 5 blades that result in clean cuts while cutting grass in your backyard. The wheel size of 10 inch offered by this lawn mower is quite decent for its given price.
• But if you want a highly reliable and durable reel lawn mower, then you can go with the Greenworks 25072 Reel Mower. It offers an excellent build quality along with a 4-year long warranty. Due to this, you can expect it to last for a long time without any issues. You also get a 20-inch wide blade with 5 blades in it for a great cutting performance. Another great thing about this reel mower is that it comes with an inbuilt grass catcher that can be quite handy.

Make sure to share your thoughts in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев section. You can also post any questions down there if you have any!

The best hand push mowers in 2023

Our round up of tried and tested hand push lawn mowers.

If you’re looking for a straightforward lawn trim, then a traditional hand push mower could be the garden tool for you. With no battery, fuel or electricity to worry about, manual lawn mowers are a more environmentally-friendly option.These pedestrian powered machines are pushed along the lawn and the cylinder blades rotate to trim the grass as you move. They do require a little more push power than automatic mowers, and walking briskly will give a better cut so you’ll get a workout and burn calories each time you mow. And although a push mowers isn’t for every garden – they’re best for small to medium-sized (up to 250m²) lawns on flat ground with few bumps, the exercise will help keep you fit and they’re generally much more of a budget option compared to their high-tech counterparts. They’re kind to your neighbours too, as they’re much quieter than powered mowers. Cylinder mowers generally give a smoother, sharper finish than rotary mowers and their rear roller creates elegant stripes. Usually small, they’re easy to store and light enough to manoeuvre well around the garden,

If you’re not sure which type of lawn mower is best for you, take a look at our reviews of the best electric lawn mowers and the best cordless lawn mowers.

How I TRANSFORMED My Lawn // Tall Cut Grass to Short Cut Grass

Best hand push lawn mowers at a glance

Our expertise

To help you find the right hand push mower, we tested a range of these traditional machines. Everymower has a detailed list of pros and cons for clarity and has been rated according to setting up and storage, ease of handling, performance and value for money. Every mower in our round-up has scored a minimum of three out of five stars, so you can buy with confidence.

In every review we award outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. To see these and the others we recommend, browse our pick of the best cordless lawn mowers, below.

Best Buy hand push lawn mowers

Webb 30cm Autoset sidewheel

Our rating: 4.8 out of 5

• Comfortable to push and hold
• Cuts all grass smoothly and tightly
• Front loading grass bag catches clippings well
• Quiet

Easy to put together and use this simple hand push mower is comfortable, thanks to rubber grip handles, even when pushing over longer grass. It has six cylinder blades offering four cutting heights that are easy to change. The mower cuts from 40mm right down to 10mm, so it gives a precise, neat clip but also cuts longer grass well. It’s quiet, copes with even bumpy ground easily and the 17 litre front collector was the best at collecting clippings in our test. We gave it a BBC GardenersWorld Magazine Best Buy for the best budget push mower in 2023.

Gardena Comfort Hand Cylinder 400C

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Very easy height-of-cut adjuster
• Large grass collector that catches clippings well
• Feels sturdy and well designed
• Cuts well

While there is more to assemble with the Gardena push mower, our tests found the instructions for putting it together clear to understand. The shaped handle was comfortable to use and folds down simply for easy storage. Our experts were impressed with the four easy to adjust cutting heights displayed on a clearly visible scale. The grass collector has a 49 litre capacity but is sold separately. This mower is guaranteed for two years and we gave this a BBC GardenersWorld Magazine Best Buy for the best push mower all round in 2022.

Cobra HM381

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Compact and light
• Quiet
• Comfortable
• Easy to adjust the height of cut
• Good value

We awarded this a BBC GardenersWorld Magazine Best Buy for the best value push mower in 2022 and found it easy to put together with clear instructions. It’s compact and lightweight making it easy to push and operate and the handle is padded for extra comfort. There are four cutting heights ranging from 13-38mm, which can be simply adjusted and a 26 litre grass collector is included. It comes with a two year warranty.

Webb WEH18

Our rating: 4.5 out 5

• Quiet
• Nine heights of cut
• Wide cut
• Very simple height-of-cut adjustment
• Tackles long grass
• Effective front grass collector

Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best for performance, this traditional cylinder mower design has a solid, heavy rear roller and a 22 litre collection box. The instructions for assembling it are clear and it’s light, easy to manoeuvre and quiet to use. There’s a generous choice of nine cutting heights, which are easily adjusted and range from 25-76mm, which is the highest in our test and ensures it handles long grass well. The front-loading grass collector on this model collects clippings well and it comes with a warranty of two years.

The best of the rest

Although some models didn’t quite achieve a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy award, they still have features that make them worth recommending. Browse our pick of the best of the rest on test.

Husqvarna HiCut 64

Our rating: 4.25 out of 5

• Comfortable handle and adjustable heights
• Light and easy to manoeuvre
• Good, efficient cut, and tackles longer grass
• Height of cut adjustment difficult
• Roller doesn’t touch the ground
• Grass collector sold separately

This Husqvarna hand mower requires more assembly than most and tools are required plus, our testers found that the instructions could have been clearer. However, the mower is comfortable to use with handy flexible handle heights and it’s a quick and efficient mower. Testers weren’t keen on the height of cut adjuster. The grass collector has a large capacity of 45 litres but it’s sold separately and doesn’t collect all the clippings, especially when windy. It comes with a one year warranty but if you register, this is extended to two years.

Einhell GE-HM 38 S-F

Our rating: 4.25 out of 5

• Lightweight
• Quiet
• Simple to change height of cut
• Adjustable handle height
• Grass collector doesn’t catch all the clippings and they fall out when emptying
• Not as smooth a mow as some

Our expert testers liked that the handle on this manual lawn mower had a choice of two heights and that it was padded for extra comfort while in use. Clear instructions are included and assembling the model is relatively simple. There are four cutting heights to choose from which can be easily swapped using a lever. The grass collector is included and has a 26 litre capacity. It’s guaranteed for two years.

How to choose a push mower

Before you choose a push mower think about the following:

Have you got the right lawn?Cylinder mowers need an even surface for the scissor action of the blades to work well, so your lawn must be fairly bump free and 250m² or below. Simpler shapes are easier, unless you opt for a compact model with a smaller cutting width that can be manoeuvred more easily around trees and island beds and under shrubs.

Do you like mowing the lawn?Hand push mowers take more effort than powered mowers, but they are easier to push if the grass isn’t too long. Cylinder mowers work best on fairly short grass and will struggle or not cut long grass at all. So you need to cut regularly or choose a mower with a high height of cut to let you catch up if you miss a mow now and then.

Can you look after your mower?Cylinder blades need regular checking and adjusting to ensure a precise cut and prevent the mower chewing the grass rather than cutting it. Adjustment isn’t difficult, but it’s worth bearing in mind if you’re not mechanically minded.

Do you need a grass collector?Most mowers come with one, but some are sold separately and nearly all the grass collectors in our test failed to catch clippings well, particularly when windy. Although front collectors work best, they block your view. If you’re happy to mow regularly (twice a week in the growing season), you may not need one at all and can simply let the short clippings fall down onto the grass and act as a mulch.

Do you have storage?These mowers must be kept indoors to prevent the blades rusting, so if storage space is tight, choose a model that’s light enough to hang up or has folding handles.

Cut in long straight lines, walking briskly – the faster you walk, the better the mower will cut.

To create stripes, mow around the edge of the lawn first, then start in one corner, mowing up and down. When you finish a stripe, turn and line up the mower with the completed stripe, as

When adjusting or cleaning the mower, stand it on a flat surface with a block in front of the wheels to prevent ir rolling forwards.

How we tested push mowers

All the mowers in our test are cylinder-type, with blades and a rear roller. Each mower was unpacked, assembled snd tested on a flat, circular lawn and on a sloping, less even, shaped lawn to see how ell they performed. They were assessed according to the following criteria with equal marks attributed to each:

• Setup and Storage. Assessed the ease of assembly and clarity of instructions and how easy the mower is to store.
• Handling. Focused on comfort and ease of use, handle height adjustment and how to change the height of cut, its weight, the effort needed and manoeuvrability.
• Cutting performance. Looked at cutting width, the range of cutting heights, collection capacity and the quality of cut.
• Value for Money. Considered all the above as well as quality and design, warranty and price.

For more information on our testing process see How We Review.

This review was last updated in May 2023. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.

The Best Hybrid Mowers for Green Gardeners: Electric Reel Mowers

Want to green that lawn care but these cons outweigh the pros of both electric rotary push mowers and reel mowers?

Ivy at Shakyard and one reader named Indie both feel this way. In fact, Indie brought up a great question about it on a recent post about reel mowers.

“We bought a reel mower recently and it won’t cut some of the weeds. Since our “lawn” is almost entirely weeds, this is a problem. Any ideas? We plan to reseed the lawn, probably in the Fall, but in the meantime our lawn looks cruddy.”

Have you ever heard that complaint or, even worse, found yourself in the same boat?

An electric reel mower may be the answer to your green lawn care prayers.

What everyone considering a reel mower should know, is that many reel mowers are not rated to cut tall weeds or thicker varieties of common grasses — like Zoysia, St. Augustine, and Bermuda.

Where regular reel mowers fail is where the electric reel mower powers through.

It seems to me that there are only 2 real options when it comes to buying an electric reel mower, the Sunlawn 2007 EM-2 and the 2008 Brill Accu 38.

08 Brill Razorcut Accu 38

The Brill (pictured above) seems like it’d be the way to go.

• 24V cordless electric motor
• multipurpose 24-volt NiCad PowerAccu battery
• mows up to 2,500 sq. ft. on a full charge (30 minutes), battery gives approximately 500 charging cycles.
• weighs 29 pounds (no need for self-propulsion with the light weight of this cordless electric lawn mower, as it is lighter than even most unpowered reel mower!)
• flame hardened non-contact blade system outlasts any other reel push mower and rarely needs sharpening
• sealed, maintenance free ball bearings
• cordless electric mower operates as standard manual push mower as well

Did you catch that last one? Yeah, if your battery dies the mower is the only electric reel mower that can be used equally well as a regular push mower once the battery juice is used up.

David Temple from PeoplePoweredMachines told me via email that it is not suggested for bermuda grass (but Zoysia and St. Augustine should be fine when used as a POWERED reel mower).

You can purchase the Brill Razorcut Accu 38 from PeoplePoweredMachines (with free shipping). That price does not include the grass catcher.

07 Sunlawn EM-2

Even though the Brill Razorcut Accu 38 seems to be a smidge better of a choice, it doesn’t appear to be by much.

• Weight 35.2 pounds
• Cutting width 16 inches
• Cutting height.4 – 2.25 inches, easily adjustable
• Contact-free blade design for exceptional ease of pushing
• Precision ground, flame hardened, bearing mounted blades
• Expected reel mower blade life without sharpening 7 to 10 years
• Utilizes 2 commonly available 12V 7Ah SLA batteries — which can be purchased at Radio Shack (approximately 300 charges and will power the mower for 75 minutes each)
• 6 hours to full recharge

Wired Magazine reviewed the EM-2 against 3 other electric push mowers last summer and found it to be the best of all 4. Even though it officially cuts up to 2.25” high, their review said it plowed down 4”!

It’s also really important to note that the Sunlawn EM-2 is the ONLY electric reel mower I’ve found that is rated to cut the hardy (and annoying) Bermuda grass.

You can also buy the Sunlawn EM-2 from PeoplePowered Machines (with free shipping) and includes 2 batteries and the grass catcher!

So Which One Is The Best Electric Reel Mower?

The Sunlawn EM-2 has 7 blades, the Brill Razorcut Accu has 5.

The EM-2 can only be used as a powered reel mower, the Razorcut Accu can be used as either powered or manual.

The EM-2 currently comes with 2 batteries and a grass catcher for 379, the Razorcut Accu comes with 1 battery and no grass catcher for 429.

The EM-2 is alleged to have a choking problem — although it is probably being caused by walking too fast, mowing grass that’s too tall, or mowing at too low of a height–nevertheless, here is the video:

If you’ve tried a reel mower without much success, would you consider trying an electric powered reel mower? If you were considering a reel mower for the first time, would you spend a little extra to have the comfort of the extra power from the electric motor?

I think every little step toward living green is an awesome one… but eco-snobbery sucks! My goal is to help newbies learn the most important steps toward living green — individually and collectively. Personally, I strive to have as little impact as possible on Planet Earth while I’m here.