My experience switching from a power mower to a manual push reel mower: thumbs up
Last year my power mower died. I went to Home Depot and was about to plunk down $350 on a new Honda mower
when I noticed the manual push reel mowers. I didn’t know anything about them but decided it was worth a try.
What a great decision it proved to be. I always associated push reel mowers with cutting tiny plots in the city,
but they work wonderfully up to about a quarter acre.
The number one thing I like about my
manual reel mower is the lack of noise. Now mowing is a pleasant stroll in the yard, not a nerve jarring 30 minutes
with a 100 decibel small engine stuck in my ear. I can’t stress enough what a positive change this is.
I think I actually enjoy my lawn more now that I don't associate the drone of the gas mower with it.
It is similar to what I experienced
when I started using a wood stove to heat my house
instead of a noisy furnace.
Beyond the lack of noise, the lawn mowing process becomes less stressful. You don’t have to deal with the
surge of adrenalin that comes when the mower scalps a high spot or throws a rock. No more stress about taking
a pebble to the eye.
It is also pretty relaxing to see the gearing and rotary blades spinning and it is
surprisingly easy to push. I have a decent hill in my backyard and I have no problem pushing the mower up the
hill. Even my ten year-old son has no trouble. The last power mower I owned wasn’t self propelled and the
reel mower is easier to push than it was.
As far as the job it does, the reel mower is used to cut greens on golf courses. It is unrivaled for evenness of cut.
However, If the reel gets dull it will start missing a few grass blades.
The one big drawback of a push reel mower is that if you let the grass get really long, it can be a workout.
You may want to borrow a power mower to chop it down to a reasonable height.
Getting back to the positives, I really enjoy not fussing with gas. I often spill and kill a patch of lawn, get gas on my hands, etc...
I also like that I don't have to store the gas and that engine maintainance is eliminated.
Small engines have improved, but even with these improvements my last mower periodically wouldn’t start. I like not
playing the "guess why the mower won't start" game. Also, pull-starting the mower is no longer a barrier to other family members mowing !
Another small but positive thing was that my reel mower
was only 100 dollars, so I saved $250 over the power mower. If you are environmentally conscious, I suppose it is
a small step in the right direction. At least your neighbors will appreciate the lack of noise pollution.
Overall, mowing the lawn has become a much more enjoyable experience now that I use a reel mower.
It also gives me an excuse to do an exhaust-free walk around the yard.
When it comes time to play "Taps" for your current mower,
you may want to give a
manual reel mower a try.
Click to see a video of my reel mower:
(Windows Media Player required)
Here are a few shots of my manual push reel mower:
