This article looks at the best reel mowers to help you choose wisely. What’s more, you’ll get to know if this is the right tool for your yard. Welcome and let’s go through the review together.

The wheels roll effortlessly to provide smooth movement on all surfaces. The tread design provides excellent traction that comes in handy when pushing on slippery grass surface. With this mower, you get a tough 4-blade reel made of tempered alloy steel for maximum durability and great resistance against rust.

The cutting bar comes tough and delivers a cutting width of 14 inches. The scissor-like cuts provided by the blade are clean and precise. What’s more, you get to adjust the cutting height to match the size of the grass or weed being cut.

Cutting height adjustments are quite easy and can be set from 1/2-inch to 1-1/2 inches. Assembling the unit is not quite a hassle and takes about 15 minutes to complete. It comes with a 90-day limited warranty.

Who Should Buy?

American Lawn Mower 1204 has 4 blades and has a cutting height range of 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches. The 14-inch cutting width is quite average. That said, this mower makes a great option for small lawns having short finer and thinner grasses.

#2. Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower

Editor's Rating:  (4.3 / 5)

The gears engage 5 heat treated blades that provide easy, accurate and efficient cutting. These ultra-sharp blades can be adjusted via quick-snap adjusters to a cut height that ranges from 1 to 3 inches. With up to 9 height slots, you get complete control over the height of your grass.

A welded reel hood comes in handy to protect overhanging plants and shrubs. This mower has a cutting width of 20 inches, which is maximum for a reel mower. You only need a few passes to mow a large area. That means you get to save more time.

Maneuvering this reel mower is made even much easier with a set of 4 wheels: 10-inch radial wheels and 6-inch tracking wheels. The dual tracking technology functions to eliminate drag and make the mower much easier to push over even the toughest terrain. Scotts 2000 comes with a 2-year limited warranty.

Who Should Buy?

Scotts 2000 has an impressive cutting path of 20 inches and the cut height (1 to 3 inches) is adjustable to 9 different settings. Such specs make it ideal for medium sized lawns having finer and thinner medium size grass.

#3. Fiskars 362050-1001 18-Inch StaySharp Max Reel Mower

Editor's Rating:  (4 / 5)

The blades come thicker and combine with the large-diameter reel to deliver double the cutting power. With that additional strength, you get an ideal mower that makes easy work of weeds and tougher spots. The fact that the blades make no contact means that they stay sharper for longer.

The grass cut height is adjustable from 1 to 4 inches, a feature that can be easily tailored to your lawn preferences. You get a cutting path of 18 inches, which clears a large area in less time. Four inset wheels come in handy to provide smooth movement. Apart from easy mobility, the wheels also provide easy edging.

The rear wheels come larger than the front wheels. Molded tread is sported on each wheel for better traction, especially on slippery surfaces. Fiskars 362050 reel mower comes with a 3-year limited warranty.

Who Should Buy?

Fiskars 362050 comes more powerful than other manual mowers. It’s equipped with 5 non-contact blades designed for quiet operation. This mower is an ideal choice for all types of short to medium grasses, even the tougher varieties.

#4. Great States 815-18 5-Blade, 18-Inch Push Reel Lawn Mower

Editor's Rating:  (4.3 / 5)

Great States 815 is fitted with 5 heat-treated blades designed to stay sharp for longer. With them, you get quality cuts that are clean and precise. These blades are tailored to match your lawn preferences. That’s achieved via the adjustable cut height that ranges from 1/2 to 2-3/4 inches.

This reel mower has a generous cutting width of 18 inches, a feature that lets you cut more in less time. For easy mobility, Great States 815 comes fitted with 10-inch front wheels sporting a radial tread design for maximum traction. The wheels make movement possible even on rough terrain. This mower comes with 2-year limited warranty.

Who Should Buy?

With its 18-inch cutting path, Great States 815 makes a great option for medium sized lawns. The 5-blade system and 1/2 to 2-3/4 inches cut height makes a perfect match for finer and thinner medium sized grasses.

#5. GreenWorks 25052 16-Inch Reel Lawn Mower with Grass Catcher

Editor's Rating:  (4 / 5)

Apart from easy maneuvering, GreenWorks 25052 provides the convenience of easy mobility on most surfaces. This is made possible via 10-inch wheels and 2-inch rear rollers. The wheels roll smoothly and sport a tread design that gives them excellent traction on the slippery grass surfaces.

GreenWorks 25052 provides a cutting path of 16 inches that lets you trim more in little time. The blades are adjustable to 4 different cut heights that range from 1-1/8 to 2-1/4 inches. This makes it an ideal choice for cutting most types of grasses.

User comfort has been taken into considering by including a loop handle that has cushioned grips. The mulch bag clips on the frame and can easily be detached for emptying. GreenWorks 25052 comes with a generous 4-year warranty for parts and labor.

Who Should Buy?

GreenWorks 25052 provides 5 sharp rust-resistant blades that deliver a generous cutting width of 16 inches. Combined with the adjustable cut height, this mower makes a nice choice for small or medium sized lawns with thinner and finer grass.

#6. Great States 415-16 16-Inch Reel Mower Standard Full Feature Lawn Mower

Editor's Rating:  (4.3 / 5)

Easy maneuvering and effortless pushing is made possible with a lightweight construction of 25 pounds. This reduces user fatigue and improves productivity. Moving about the lawn is made easier by 10-inch wheels. Fitted with ball bearings, the wheels roll effortlessly to provide smooth movement on uneven surfaces.

Excellent traction is assured by a tread design on the tires. Great States 415 makes use of 5 heat-treated blades that provide a generous cutting width of 16 inches. The cut height comes tailored for your needs since it can be adjusted from 1/2 to 2-1/2 inches.

These tool-free adjustments are simple and can be executed in seconds. Great States 415 comes with a 1-year limited warranty.

Who Should Buy?

Great States 415 provides up to 3 different cut heights and has durable heat-treated blades that deliver a cut width of 16 inches. This is an ideal reel mower for finer and thinner grasses in lawns measuring up to 2/3 acre.

#7. Remington RM3000 16-Inch Reel Push Mower

Editor's Rating:  (4 / 5)

Pushing the mower feels comfortable, a feature that’s made possible by the ergonomic handle. This loop style handle is fitted with soft foam on the grips to ensure maximum user comfort.

5 heat-treated blades come in handy to tackle light-duty yard work. These durable blades provide a cutting width of 16 inches. What’s more, you get to adjust the cut height using a set of levers. The height positions range from 3/4-to 2-1/2 inches.

This mower comes lightweight at 28 pounds, a feature that makes pushing much easier. For assurance of quality, Remington RM3000 reel mower comes equipped with a 2-year limited warranty.

Who Should Buy?

Remington RM3000 has multiple cut height positions with durable heat-treated blades. This mower is a great choice for those that want an affordable reel mower ideal for light-duty yard work.

​Benefit of Using Reel Lawn Mover

Reel lawn mowers and gas powered mowers provides two completely different experiences. But what makes reel lawn mowers a more preferred choice over gas mowers? Well, let’s go straight to the benefits you get from using a reel mower.

• Less expensive: Reel mowers are generally cheaper compared to gas powered mowers. They’re available at the price range of $80 to $200. However, most of them are below the $125 price tag. Gas powered mowers on the other hand are quite pricey with some reaching up to $500.
• More environmentally friendly: Gas powered mowers burn fuel that leads to environmental pollution. Reel mowers on the other hand are powered by the user’s effort, which means zero emission. This makes them safe both to your health and the health of your lawn.
• Require less maintenance: Compared to the gas models, maintaining a reel mower is not a hassle. There’s no running to the gas stations, making oil changes, nor spark plug changing. The only thing you need to do is sharpen the blades and you’ll be good to go. What’s more, some reel mower blades can stay up to five years before resharpening.
• Quiet operation: Reel mower lets you mow in peace without disturbing the neighbors. With the low noise level, you get a pleasant and calming experience that provides the best environment for outdoor landscaping. The quiet operation means that you can use them at any time, even at night.
• Exercise your body: Unlike the gas mowers that have got an automatic drive system, reel mowers are completely man-powered. That said, it gives the body a good amount of exercise. Therefore, you get to work out without feeling too much exhausted.
• Make lawn look nicer: The scissor-like cutting mechanism that a reel mower uses results into even and clean cuts. This leaves your lawn looking professionally manicured.

Should I Buy Reel Lawn Mover?

Despite the many benefits that a reel mower has to offer, you need to know that it’s not a tool for everyone. Below are factors you need to consider prior to switching to a reel mower.

#1. Should have maximum yard size of 1/2 acre

Reel mowers are designed to be used on small to medium sized yards. The maximum recommended area ideal for a reel lawn more is 8,000 square feet. Therefore, if your lawn falls in that range, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t use a reel mower.

#2. You can’t bag clippings

Some people want something that can collect the clippings while mowing. And in case you fall in such a category, then reel mowers might not be a good choice for you. Well, some models come with a discharge bag, but that doesn’t work more effectively. What’s more, most experts recommend that you leave the clippings on the lawn since they’re rich in potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus.

#3. What type of grass do you have?

Reel mowers don’t work well on all types of grasses. They tend to experience difficulties when tackling the extra thick grasses. Such grasses include St. Augustine, Bermuda and Zoysia. Therefore, in case your lawn has one of these grasses, then it’s better that you switch to a gas mower. Alternatively, you can decide to use the more powerful reel mowers, such as Fiskars.

#4. Not ideal for overly bumpy and overgrown yards

Reel mowers don’t do a good job on bumpy yards due to lack of enough traction from the wheels. They don’t do great on tall grasses as well. Consider it only if your yard is quite leveled and the grass is well maintained.

How to Choose Reel Lawn Mover

There are some crucial factors that you need to consider when buying a reel lawn mower. Let’s take a look at these factors and why they matter a lot.

#1. Size of Your Yard

Before going to the shop, you need to first determine the size of your yard. Reel mowers are only designed for small to medium sized yards. Therefore, if you own a bigger yard, these mowers might not be ideal for you. To use a reel lawn more, ensure that your yard measures a maximum of 8,000 square feet.

#2. Cutting Width

The more the cutting width, the more heavier the blade. But then, you get to cut more in less time with a reel mower that’s got a wider cutting width. This is because you make less trips compared to a smaller cutting width. In short, it’s advisable to go larger when it comes to cutting width.

#3. Cutting Height

At what height do you need to maintain your lawn? This is something that you can easily solve by getting a reel mower that has adjustable cutting height. This will make it much easier to maintain the required grass height.

#4. Number of Blades

The number of blades that come with a reel mower is a major consideration. Most often, reel mowers are equipped with 4 to 7 blades. Those with 4 to 5 blades make an ideal choice for thinner and finer grasses. On the other hand, thicker grasses are well handled by mowers having 6 to 7 blades.

#5. Weight of Mower

You don’t want a reel mower that would be difficult to push. That said, you need a lightweight reel mower that doesn’t compromise on built quality. This will help make every push quite effortless.

#6. Direction of Discharge

A reel mower sprays grass in front or behind depending on the model. In case you don’t want your legs getting in the mess, then I would recommend a reel mower that sprays grass in front.

#7. Warranty

A warranty is an assurance of the quality of a particular reel mower. Therefore, get a model that includes a warranty. This will help cater for defects in parts or workmanship.

Resources: Artofmanliness.com