These mowers prove "reel" disappointments

"I can't take the way the mower's blades only cut some of the grass. Each row requires at least two passes. Whereas I initially loved the mower's simplicity, I'm now envious of the power of the self-propelled mowers. I'm jealous that my power-mowing neighbor doesn't need to carbo-load the night before a big mow. Grass with more than six days of growth requires a cool-down with a sports recovery drink. I can't help wondering when Al Gore last mowed a lawn."

That's how Jenny Sokol, a columnist with The Orange County Register, described her experience with a reel lawn mower in "It's Not Easy Being Green With a Push Reel Mower."

We share not only Sokol's desire to reduce her carbon footprint but, sadly, also her disappointment in reel mowers. As we found in our latest report on lawn mowers and tractors, reel mowers don't do a particularly good job cutting grass.

One 15-inch model proved difficult to push (not a good trait for a reel mower), and a 20-inch reel mower simply didn't cut some areas. Another 15-inch model did cut evenly, but its maximum height is too low for most grasses when the weather turns hot. Get the details of our testing in "Reel Mowers: A Disappointing Trio" (available to subscribers).

If you have a small yard, a far better green mower move would be to buy an electric model. This type of mower is easier to use and maintain than gas-powered models and creates no exhaust emissions at the machine. You'll find details on three corded and five cordless electric push mowers in our Ratings (available to subscribers).

Also, learn about lawn-mower-exchange programs—you swap your gas model for an electric mower—and check out the Black & Decker CMM1200, an Energy Star-qualified electric mower.—Steven H. Saltzman

Essential information: Use our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide to keep your property in tiptop shape this summer.

Comments

[K. C.]

I am not surprised by you poor performance of ANY reel mower just out of the box. These mowers are shipped with a "loose" shoe to prevent blade damage. The process of shipping today is such that no reel mower can maintain it's proper adjustment while once home they are rarely subject to these kinds of shock. A simple 2 minute adjustment with a sheet of paper and you are good to go for the season. Please use testers with knowledge of these mowers before publishing such poor reports. I have been a CR subscriber for years and every year or so you republish the same report - rewritten - on mowers. This kind of inaccuracy makes me lose confidence in your other evaluations. K. C.

[Keith Petrus]

It's true that reel mowers are not the solution for the vast majority of homeowners. However, if you have a small yard and a little patience, you can definitely use and even enjoy mowing with a reel mower. My own yard is just under half an acre. I've been using a 20" Scott non-electric reel mower for two years and have been forced to resort to my riding mower only when heavy rains resulted in too-high grass. It's great to just walk up to a non-electric reel mower and get after it - no gas, no oil, no recharging. The keys to happy mowing include: a small yard, mowing often, and patience to occasionally mow the same strip in two directions (think of it as an extension of your exercise program).

[Ralph Jackson]

Reel Mowers - tips for mowing high grass --
Try mowing in an arc so that the high grass will be fed in from the side rather than straight on, where it usually escapes the blades.
Also, when a twig is trapped between the blades and locks up the mower, just take your foot and spin the blades backwards a couple of inches to release the twig, and start mowing again.

[Keith Petrus]

Great comment by Mr. Jackson. When I encounter the occasional tall patch of grass or weeds, I pivot the mower around its left wheel into a tight spiral to bend the weed stalks into the path of the cutters (usually becoming a bit dizzy in the process). As for the occasional handle-punch to the gut from a tiny stick caught in the reels, I've found collecting small fallen branches prior to cutting the lawn to be a worthwhile investment in time.

[D Lattimore]

So is there anywhere I can find reviews of what the best mowers are by people who actually want to and know how to use them?

[Jeremy Quirk]

I'm in 100% agreement with the first posted reply to this article on reel mower performance as a whole. Push reel mowers are, when calibrated correctly (which is not rocket science by any means!), easy to push and the blade spins fast enough to make very nice shearing cuts of the blades. In fact it's easy enough for my neighbor's skinny little kid, weighs under 100 pounds, to push mine with one arm. Like any yard implement you purchase, you can't expect it to work magically for you. It has to be set up correctly. With as many "how to" videos that are on YouTube or elsewhere on the net, a reel mower can be calibrated to work perfectly by your typical homeowner, at home, with an adjustable wrench and a screw driver.

Yes, you will not always cut all the grass in one pass. But if sharp and if calibrated, you will likely get 95% in one pass. Plus the grass is cut like a pair of scissors and will be better for your lawn. I highly recommend that most Americans, who do not own over an acre of lawn, start to realize they can indeed cut their lawn using a reel mower easily and effectively. The benefits are reducing CO2s (5% of the CO2s we have in the USA come from power lawn equipment) and also that dreaded, blaring noise. You also supposedly get a workout, but honestly nothing more than pushing your typical gas mower. Today's reel mowers push so easily I doubt you are getting that much more exercise than a regular gas powered mower.

[cheryl]

I love my Brill reel mower. While my neighbors fire up their noisy smelly irritating mowers, I walk around and think about my garden and hear the phone ring and in general have a nice time mowing. When it is long, I do 2 things...use this as a nice workout, or 2..grab my weed wacker (electric) to go thru the really tall areas. I wish I had bought the brill electric reel mower as I did get to try that and it goes thru the tall grass just great. At the time it seemed pricey but I would gladly pay for that when I come back home from a vacation.

As for sharpening the blades, every spring I do this blade adjustment (google "brill blade adjustment") and that's it. I love I can lift this mower and get it up under the porch...I could never do that with any other type mower.

We have to have better priorities than perfectly cut grass...like lower emissions, avoiding noise-pollution, user safety, and even reducing lawn space- http://peoplepoweredmachines.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/america-spends-more-money-on-lawn-care-than-foreign-aid-why-we-need-less-lawn/ And no matter what, if you choose not to go the reel mower route...do not go back to gas. Electric Reels and other electric options are out there.

And in closing, in case you were still obsessing on your lawn...(from the blog post above) :
- Did you know that per acre, it costs more to maintain a lawn than it does to grow corn, rice or sugarcane. More than 40 billion dollars are spent on the lawn in North American each year - more than the entire continent gave in foreign aid in 2005.

[Victor]

I couldn't resist picking up an old and battered JC Penney reel mower that had been sitting out in the rain at my local St. Vinny's lot. For $3.50 it was a treasure find, especially after I replaced a couple of missing nuts and bolts, tuned it up, and just pushed it around until the blades self sharpened. It just takes a little understanding about how a reel mower functions to get the results you want. I did struggle, due to the height of the grass, on the first use but I just used that as my cardio workout for the day instead of my treadmill and rowing machine. The next time it went really well because I didn't let the grass get too tall, my lawn looks really good and my upper body gets a nice workout. Best bargain I've found in a long time.

[Mary]

I'm a 56 year old woman and I don't think the reel mowers are difficult to push at all. And our Scott's mower, which we've used for 17 years, does a perfectly fine job. "Less even cutting"...give me a break. And it's easier to operate. No messing with gas, or getting it repaired. The thing I like most about our mower is it's quiet. We actually spend time in our yard, unlike some people who only go outside to get in their car, or to make lots of noise with a power mower. Then they go back in the house to their a/c. Jeez, why even have a yard?

[drew]

It's true that reel mowers are green mowers. You don't have to fill it up with gas before a run. Also, they are easier to keep running. It's not like you have to replace the engine or anything like that. If kept property they can last a really long time. Lastly, if you pick the right mower that's easy to push you will not have a hard time mowing. You can't say all reel mowers are bad until you tested the different brands and sizes.

[dot dugan]

I read all the comments. thank you because I am thinking of purchasing one of these types of mowers. I am 66 and don't want to be bothered with that pulling cord/gas/smelly/noisy machine so I am looking to purchase the reel kind. I see that the most popular one seems to be Scott. Does anyone have another brand that they feel is better? thanks
dot

[andy]

I have to agree with the majority of people commenting that the evaluation posted by Consumer Reports is WAY OFF!
There is only one reason I own a reel mower and that is for the exercise. The fact that it is quiet and doesn't pollute is an added bonus. I guess if you're out of shape or just plain lazy then buy a power mower. Boo Hoo if you have to make a couple of passes to cut the grass! Are you really in that much of a hurry to get back to the couch?
Oh, by the way, do you actually have a decent review of reel mowers conducted by people who actually know how to use them instead of a bunch of panzies with soft hands and weak muscles that can't push their garbage can to the street?

[Erik Eriksen]

I have been using an American 16" light reel mower for three years now. I love this mower, it makes my yard look like someone laid grass carpet in my front yard. I keep the grass very short, like the fairway of a golf course. I can go out at 7:30 in the morning and not annoy my neighbors. I must admit, I do have to cut the grass more using this mower as it takes much more time if I let the grass get too long. I get many compliments on my lawn. I am going to upgrade to an electric reel this summer. Reel mowers are the way to go!!
Erik

[Green Mower dude]

I think you should get a better mower. This green mower sounds like a bad model. Just like some gas mowers engines break this mower needs some work.

[Tom Metayer]

I feel a little out of place here, but I would like to comment on the use of a reel mower. I have been using reel mowers for at least thirty years, and my opinion, shared with many others is that, it is the only way to cut grass. Like one person mentioned, it is like cutting the lawn with a pair of scissors. Properly sharpened blades, and alignment with the blade against the bedknives, will shear the grass evenly, and your lawn will look like a fairway. It also trains the grass to grow more evenly, resulting in a professional look, compared to rotary mowers. Like anything mechanical, it is neccesary to have your machine professionally sharpened and adjusted, in order to do its job properly.

As for me, my choice of mower is and has always been the Locke Triplex.
I own two of them, each one has a 75" cutting width, and will cut 2 acres per hour. And yes, they guzzle gas, and smoke occasionally. But, cutting 3/4 acre in about 20 minutes, isn't going to harm the planet. Besides, the smoke from the exhaust helps keep the bugs away. And, with a lawn that looks like a baseball field, we are helping to beautify the neighborhood and planet..

[drew]

How tall was the grass? A green mower is not the best in high grass. Also, if anyone is looking for more info on a green mower here is a good webpage: http://www.greenmowers.org/what-is-a-green-mower.html

[Bruce L.]

I am nearly sixty. When I was a young boy, ten, my grandfather asked me to keep up his lawn for the summer. Payment was lunch and supper provided by grandma. I happily took the chore. All Grandpa had for a mower was a push reel similar in design to the Scott's machine. It may have been one. It was old when I started to use it. I remember being so proud of the work I did with that mower. Grandpa would not let a powered machine either rotary or reel touch his lawn as powered wheels left tracks. To use a rotary was, to him, a sin against lawns. He had simply the most beautiful yard for miles around. I started at ten a.m., broke for lunch, and finished around three. That included hand trimming around sidewalks and driveway. I did this for many years. Grandpa had one acre of grass! That mower, well kept I might add as Grandpa was a mechanic, worked like butter on a biscuit. After "Gramps" died the house was sold to "rotary people" and the lawn never looked the same again.

The original complaints about push reel mowers...well, there is a certain lack of information and experience. If one isn't willing to learn, or research grass types, lengths, etc., one could be disappointed with the greatest of commercial Toro or John Deere powered machines. I use an 18 inch push reel now on my lawn, about one quarter of an acre. I've never matched my grandfather's lawn in quality, but close. Every time I see my lawn freshly mowed I think fondly of him... and Grandma's great cooking. I now get great exercise each week of the summer. I am quiet about it and my garage has no gas cans inside to smell it up. I am reminded of Henry David Thoreau and his thoughts in "On Walden Pond." He visioned a farmer with a barn on his back. Sometimes, really, less can be more.

[drew]

the reel mowers don't do the best in high grass. Did you run over sticks in the yard? if so that might of dulled the green mower blades.

[Paul Happ]

Despite the CR Review and article, I purchased a Scotts 20" reel mower from Home Depot (~$130) based on the user comments. It is excellent. It is well built, operates smoothly, and requires little effort on my far from perfect rough, grass / weed area that passes for a lawn.

My concern is now with the reliability and quality of CR Reports. Even more of a concern is to not find any feedback, reply or explanation from them in the comments.

Interestingly, during checkout out at Home Depot, an employee warned me that his brother-in-law purchased one and was not happy. The reasons were almost as hilaraious as the CR Review was poor and inaccurate. Although he didn't mention that it didn't "cut under the wheels very well", he did say that it didn't cut pine cones! Give me a break. It's a grass cutter not a chipper shredder. He also said it didn't cut dandelions very well. I can't imagine what type of dandelions he might have.

I guess the bottom line is one of expectations and prejudices. However, CR is supposed to be unbiased and objective and provide pros and cons. They failed to do that in their reel mower review and without a reply from them I have to seriously re-consider my subscription and reliance on ALL their reports.

Given the number of feedback sites on the Web, they should be very concerned about their reputation and their subscriber base.

Finally, as I write this I want to send a copy directly to them. At first attempt, I see no obvious way to send them feedback. But I will look harder.

[ben]

i don't think electric mowers are green. Why not workout mowing the lawn?

[John]

I'll have to get mine out the shed n give it a good old cleaning after I've watched my new Stephen King DVD
I know what you mean though, there not that good... Good write up!

[dot dugan]

Well, thank you to everyone who provided info on reel mowers for me. I think I will settle on a Gilmore RM 30 which seems to have good reviews. The Brill sounds above the Gilmore but the price is hefty...over 200.00. I don't have a large yard and the exercise will be great. I think I need to get off the couch and cut down on gas emissions, lose the smell, not to disturb the neighbors and to get more exercise and have a great looking lawn.

[Giamatti]

only fully automatic grass mowers dont disapoint me. most of the time the sei-automatic mowers are just to weak to handle any "small" preasure

[blowfish]

This is a nice reel mover. I have the other model and it is way to bulky and difficult to manuver. This one has a slick shape and ligther I guess.

[Hardwood Flooring]

These fully automatic mowers seem to be effective but rather take the joy out of the flexbility you achieve in the yard. I think 18' reels are the best way to go.

[weight loss pills]

I am not surprised by you poor performance of ANY reel mower just out of the box. These mowers are shipped with a "loose" shoe to prevent blade damage. The process of shipping today is such that no reel mower can maintain it's proper adjustment while once home they are rarely subject to these kinds of shock. A simple 2 minute adjustment with a sheet of paper and you are good to go for the season.

[Dir]

What a disapointment.

.

[Jen]

I just borrowed a Scott's 20-inch from a friend to try out as I am considering switching. We have tall fescue which we usually keep at three inches because we live in a hot climate zone. We have a small/average sized front lawn, I mowed for thirty minutes. Did it take thirty-minutes to cut the grass? No, it took about ten. I mowed the other twenty minutes because it was fun! I'm short, overweight, and lazy -- so this isn't the testimonial of someone who just loves exercise either. My lawn has a hill and is anything but "even" -- this wasn't any harder to push than our gas-guzzler. My friend is thinking of getting rid of her reel mower because "it doesn't work" on her grass -- I could buy this off of her for a steal, but think I oughta tell her to just try again. It's not hard to push. This is a bad review by CR. Not everything green has to be electric guys.

[B]

Leave it to a reporter, who knows nothing about a product, to comment on it. Reel style mowers cut cleaner, shorter, and better than a blade, PERIOD. Don't wait two weeks to cut your grass. I do twice a week, and it takes no time at all. If a person such as this columnist is not smart enough to properly use the equipment, they should take it to a local professional for setup. I can't wait to read the story from "Jenny" about the car purchase she made, and the engine froze up because there was no oil in it. It's not the car's fault.

[Shannon]

I have a reel mover but is gas powered. It cuts great. The push one you have to be the motor and push it hard to keep those blades moving.