The Bottom Line
Pros
- Reel lawn mowers are cheap, including no maintenance costs.
- Reel lawn mowers are safe and quiet.
- Reel lawn mowers are pollution-free.
Cons
- Not good for mowing tall grass or for shredding twigs, leaves.
Description
- Rotary blades spin on a plane parallel to the ground; those of reel lawn mowers, perpendicular.
- Although reel lawn mowers are relatively cheap, you shouldn't necessarily buy the very cheapest....
- Scotts 2000-20 20" reel lawn mowers, for instance, are high-quality, offering a 20" cutting width.
- No engine with reel lawn mowers (the "push" type) means no gas, which means no pollution.
- No engine with reel lawn mowers means no noise -- listen to the birds sing while you mow.
- No engine with reel lawn mowers means no tune-ups, which means additional savings.
- No engine also means no machine-maintenance: no oil to check, no filter to clean, no spark plugs.
- Modern reel lawn mowers are lightweight and easy to push. Don't be misled by granddad's stories!
- Reel lawn mowers are ideal for small lawns with no trees.
Guide Review - Reel Lawn Mowers
When you think of mowing, the mental image that comes to mind is that of a rotary machine, because this type of grass-cutting device has become the standard. Unlike the rotary models you’re used to, reel lawn mowers (I'm talking about the "push" type) don’t have an engine! Instead, this 19th-century invention by a man named, Edwin Budding relies on sharp blades to cut your grass, while you supply the power with your own muscles.
Environmentalists tout reel lawn mowers as a clean alternative to polluting gas-powered rotary models. Reel lawn mowers offer many benefits besides being environment-friendly, including benefits in safety, noise-level, maintenance and cost. Modern reel lawn mowers are easier to use than older models, because lightweight plastics and alloys incorporated into their framework have made them more maneuverable.
But reel lawn mowers come with some disadvantages, too. Reel lawn mowers don’t chop up twigs as do rotary machines, as twigs get lodged in the blades, requiring manual removal. Consequently, raking up twigs prior to mowing would be advisable. Nor can reel lawn mowers be employed in fall as makeshift leaf-shredders -- not an unimportant consideration for those who like to shred leaves for the compost pile. 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. These limitations argue that, for all but the most industrious and idealistic, reel lawn mowers may be most suitable for those who tend small urban lots.
