Remember those old fashioned lawn mowers our grand parents used to use? I was surprised to see that these things are still being manufactured and sold at local hardware stores. So, I did some research and here’s what I found.
Pros:
-No Gas = zero emissions!
-A lot less noise. I can listen to my baby monitor or communicate with my wife while mowing.
-Just as easy to push as a standard push mower. Possible because reel mowers are much lighter.
-Much less maintenance than a standard mower.
Cons:
-Occasionally leaves a grass blades standing.
-Must clean yard of twigs and other debry before mowing. Generally a good idea anyways!
-Won’t mulch leaves as well as a standard mower.
Well, I decided to jump on the go-green band wagon and buy a 20″ Scotts Reel mower. I was initially surprised at how easy it was to push. It made a bit more noise than I wanted, but it is still much less than a motor running. The quality of cut is MUCH better and I’m guessing healthier for the grass. The one thing that I don’t like about the mower is how many blades of grass it leaves standing. I didn’t think it’d leave as many as it did, but it does. So, you can either live with it or mow those areas again. If I hadn’t gone back over those areas, I’d guess I’d have mowed the lawn in about 3/4 less time than I would have with my self-propelled mower. When I got done and looked back over my lawn, I was overcome with a feeling of happiness. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe it was because I had gotten some exercise while not sucking in fumes. Or maybe it was because I was doing something good while not having do any measurable amount of extra work.
This post was submitted by Joe Kissell.
I’ve been using a 20″ Scotts reel mower for a couple of years now to cut my 1/3 acre yard. I’ve also found that the grass is breathing a sigh of relief…the gas mower used to rip grass out of our thin soil each time I ran it.
I will say that a reel mower is about three times slower, especially at the height of summer when the grass is growing six inches a week or more. But I love that there are virtually no problems with dust and pollen with a reel mower, which makes a big difference to a person who used to have sinus problems for two days every time he mowed the lawn.
Unfortunately, I’ve already had to replace the handle on my mower. I wish they built this mower for more serious use, but it is nice knowing I have the ability to fix this mower, rather than just throwing it away.
Comment by John — October 9, 2009 @ 4:39 pm