Benefits of Push Reel Mowers
There is probably one chore that some homeowners do every spring and summer and that is to cut the grass. Some like doing this job while others wish for winter to come soon. How one goes about doing this task will vary from homeowner to homeowner. Some hire a landscaping company to cut the grass, while others do it themselves using a gas riding, gas push, electric push, cordless push and push reel mower model.
They all will do the job. This article will point out some of the best-selling push reel lawn mowers and the benefits of using a push reel mower instead of the standard gas powered mowers that most homeowners use for the job.
It all boils down if one enjoys cutting the grass or it’s something to check-off the chore to do list.
The following topics will be covered for further reading:
- How They Operate
- Comparison Chart
- Better For Your Health
- Environment—No Pollution
- Grass Health
- Quiet
- Hassel Free
- Less Expensive
- Safer
- What To Do With The Clippings
- Size of Yard
- Characteristics
- Push Mower Concerns
- What Sort of Grass Do You Have?
- How To Sharpen The Blades
- Shop Push Reel Mowers
How Push Reel Mowers Operate
The basic operation of push mowers is the blade is connected to a rotating or chain cylinder. As you push the mower forward the blade moves and cuts the grass using a scissors-like shearing action that cuts the grass instead of chopping or tearing. These units provide a superior quality of cut over gas powered mowers.
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Comparison Chart
Below is a comparison chart of the top fifteen selling push reel lawn mowers on Amazon. The comparison chart shows at a glance some of the features like manufacture, rank, cutting width, cutting height adjustment range, warranty, weight, price, model number, and if it’s CARB compliant. This should help you in trying to find out which model is the best for your lawn.
Manufacture | Model # | Type | Engine | Cutting Width | Cutting Height | Warranty | Price | Weight | ASIN # | CARB |
American | 1204-14 | Push Reel | N/A | 14″ | .5-1.5″ | 90 Days | $70.99 | 20 lbs. | B00004RA3F | Yes |
American | 1815-18 | Push Reel | N/A | 18″ | .5-2.75″ | 2-Years | $87.99 | 29 lbs. | B00004R9UK | Yes |
American | 1705-16 | Push Reel | N/A | 16″ | .5-2.25″ | N/A | $105.65 | 25 lbs. | B00004R9UL | Yes |
Best Choice | SKY1245 | Push Reel | N/A | 20″ | 1.3-2.5″ | N/A | $93.00 | 32.2 lbs. | B007P523NA | Yes |
Brill | 78371 | Push Reel | N/A | 15″ | .7-1.8″ | 2-Years | $123.99 | 18 lbs. | B0013M2MBE | Yes |
Fiskers | 62016935J | Push Reel | N/A | 18″ | 1-4″ | 3-Years | $190.99 | 52 lbs. | B0045VL1OO | Yes |
Gardena | 4023 | Push Reel | N/A | 15″ | N/A | 1-Year | $187.99 | 19 lbs. | B002VED4JC | Yes |
Great States | 204-14 | Push Reel | N/A | 14″ | .5-1.5″ | N/A | $75.27 | 19.9 lbs. | B004S6HR1M | Yes |
Great States | 815-18 | Push Reel | N/A | 18″ | .5-2.75″ | N/A | $114.00 | 27 lbs. | B0007ZK5V2 | Yes |
Great States | 304-14 | Push Reel | N/A | 14″ | 1-1.75″ | 1-Year | $80.00 | 21 lbs. | B000139Q56 | Yes |
Great States | 705-16 | Push Reel | N/A | 16″ | .5-2.25″ | 1-Year | $106.00 | 25 lbs. | B00080OECC | Yes |
Greenworks | 25062 | Push Reel | N/A | 18″ | 1.75-2.75″ | 4-Years | $117.99 | 30 lbs. | B002ZVOLYI | Yes |
Scotts | 2000 | Push Reel | N/A | 20″ | 1-3″ | 2-Years | $134.19 | 34 lbs. | B00004RA3E | Yes |
*Steel Products | SP-PM200M | Push Reel | N/A | 20″ | 1.75-2.75″ | 1-Year | $95.99 | 35 lbs. | B003O9TDMU | Yes |
Sun Joe | MJ502M | Push Reel | N/A | 20″ | up to 2.44″ | 2-Years | $98.87 | 30 lbs. | B0072CTQWC | Yes |
Sun Joe | MJ501M | Push Reel | N/A | 18″ | up to 2.44″ | 2-Years | $88.78 | 28 lbs. | B0072CTQVS | Yes |
*Discontinued by manufacture.
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Manufacture
There are ten manufactures of push reel mowers on this chart with Great States having the most – at four models. Other manufactures include: American, Best Choice, Brill, Fiskers, Gardena, Scotts, Steel Products, and Sun Joe.
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Cutting Height
The cutting heights range from .5 inches to 3 inches. The model that cuts the grass closest to the ground is American 1204-14 .5” to 1.5” and Great States 204-14. The model that cuts the grass highest from the ground is Fiskars model 62016935J at 4 inches, and has the most settings from 1 inch to 4 inches.
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Cutting Width
The cutting widths vary from a low of 14 inches to a high of 20 inches. The model with the narrowest width is American 1204-14 and Great States models 104-14 and 304-14, all with 14 inch widths. The models with the widest cutting width at 20 inches are Best Choice SKY1245, Scotts 2000, Steel Products SP-PM2000M and Sun Joe MJ502M.
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Warranty
The warranties vary from 1 year to 4 years. The model with the best warranty at four years is Greenworks 25062. The average warranty for most models is two years.
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Weight
The weight of these mowers varies from 18 lbs. to 52 lbs. The 18 pound model 78371 is by Brill. The 52 pound model 62016935J is made by Fiskars. The Fiskars model uses a chain rotating method verses the rotating cylinder as the other models use.
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Price
The prices on these models will vary from time to time based on any discounts being offered at the time of purchase. The prices range from $70.99 the lowest to $190.99, the highest. The American 1204-14 model is the lowest at $70.99 with a 14” cutting width and Fiskars model 62016935J with an 18” cutting width is the highest at $190.99.
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Better For Your Health
Since these mowers have no auto drive they are powered by the individual or man power. Most are designed for easy pushing and at the same time provide exercise which is good for the body. If it’s on a warm day you will work up a satisfying sweat but not leaving you feeling exhausted. Because they do not have any noise, you can use this mower early in the morning when it’s cool and not have to worry about bothering the neighbors.
The push reel mowers make the grass look better than lawns being cut with gas powered models which should make you the envy of your neighbors as it will be a cleanly cut lawn. Remember, as you are pushing the mower, it is snipping the grass instead of chopping and tearing it verses the other models. The push reel mower is the only model that snips and not chops, just like a pair of scissors. When you are finished with the lawn, you feel great and notice the results of how the mower had mowed the lawn nice and cleanly.
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Environment – No Pollution
A huge advantage of these mowers is that they do not emit any pollution such as gas emissions since they don’t have any. So, if you are concerned about the environment choosing between power and manual, it’s a done deal for you. Go manual. Since no emissions are emitted, these mowers are always CARB compliant in California and other states that have laws against pollution.
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Grass Health
Most home owners are not aware of what happens when using a rotary power mower. It cuts the grass by chopping and tearing the grass as the mower is being pushed. The reel mower cuts the grass by snipping it cleanly just like a pair of scissors.
The torn and shredded grass leaves it vulnerable to disease and insect attacks. Grass that is cut by snipping allows it to heal faster and is less vulnerable to disease and insect attacks, thus a healthier lawn.
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Quiet
A nice benefit of a push mower is that they are quieter. They can be used at any time. You can cut early in the morning or in the evening without disturbing your neighbors as they don’t give off noise and gas emissions. It’s better for you as well since you don’t need to cut the grass during the heat of the day.
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Hassle Free
The push reel mowers are simple machines and do not need hardly any maintenance. You just push it and blades spin around and cut your grass. That’s it. No pulling starter cords or priming the engine before you can mow. Just start walking and–bam!–you’re cutting the grass. Also, you’ll never have to buy gas, oil, or spark plugs ever again. You don’t have to change the oil and be concerned about adding gas into a hot engine. The only maintenance you will have to perform with your push reel mower is blade sharpening. Even that is once every five (5) years or so.
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Less Expensive
Generally, push mowers are less expensive than the gas powered models. You can get pretty good models for under $100. Some wider cutter models may cost a little more. The price range I have found is between $75 and $190 dollars. A second area of savings is not having to buy gas, oil and spark plugs and keeping extra of these items on hand. You do not have to worry about storing extra gas which makes it safer in not worrying about a fire or spillage.
A third area of savings is on fertilizer. The grass cuttings act as a fertilizer saving you lots of money in not having to fertilize the lawn. Most push reel owners just leave the cuttings on the lawn without using a catcher or rake.
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Safer
These mowers will not turn into a death trap like power models. The statistics have shown that more than 75,000 Americans, or about 10,000 which are children, are injured in a lawn mowing accident annually. Seventy five people die from these accidents every year. A power mower can shoot a hidden rock like a projectile traveling up to 200 miles per hour which can take out an eye.
The fast moving blades have injured toes and hands. When the mower is off after the grass cutting, the engine is still hot and can cause burns when touched. While, there are some dangers using the reel mower, they are much safer than power mowers. When you stop, the blades also stop. If a twig or rock is run over, it just jams the mower blade for easy removal. Another advantage is there are no hot engines to burn you on.
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What To Do With The Clippings
Some home owners bag the clippings and use them for mulch after a mowing session or have a basket attached that will catch the clippings as they mow. There are some models of push reel mowers that come with this attachment. However, they do not work well and many models do not come with a catcher at all.
You may want to consider in not using a bag catcher with your push reel mower. Why? Most lawn care experts agree that you should not bag the clippings and just leave them in the grass. The reason is that the clippings are a fertilizer for the lawn. They provide the same beneficial nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium nutrients that come in commercial fertilizers, accept that they are free. What a deal!
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Size of Yard
The size of your yard will determine if a push reel mower is right choice for you. Most experts agree that if your yard is greater than 8,000 square feet, you should consider using a gas powered push or riding mower.
For medium to smaller size yards, a push reel mower should be considered. For the average size yard will take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to cut using the manual reel mowers.
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Characteristics
The characteristics among brands will vary in the following ways:
- Weight – How heavy will it be when you are pushing it? Get a feel of it at the store.
- Cutting Width – The longer and wider the blade, the heavier it will be, but less passes will be required, and you will get the job done much faster.
- Cutting Heights – What is the range of heights that you can adjust the blades up or down? This is important as the grass gets taller it will become more difficult for you to cut the lawn as jamming may occur. Each model has a different cutting height adjustment level. Determine your need first before buying.
- Direction of Grass Spray – Does the grass spray behind the mower or out in front? The latter is better as the grass clippings will not be covering your feet as you mow.
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Push Mower Concerns
If your lawn should have lots of bumps, then the push reel mower will not do a good job of cutting because the wheels will not be able to get some good traction to move the blade. You may have to use a tool to complete the job like a weed-wacker if happens to be your situation. Push mowers work best on lawns that are maintained well. These mowers have issues in cutting long grass.
If this should be the case, a power mower should be used. Don’t let the grass get too long before you cut it with the push reel mower. Try to maintain the height of the grass up to the maximum adjustment on the mower. Otherwise, you will be using a power model to do the job.
Using the push reel mower will mean cutting your lawn more often during the mowing season at least twice a week.
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What Sort of Grass Do You Have?
Manual reel mowers work better on certain types of grass than others. Most reel mowers have a hard time handling extra thick grasses like Zoysia, St. Augustine, and Bermuda. If your lawn is made with one of these types of grasses, don’t fret, you’re not necessarily relegated to just gas-powered mowers. Heavier, more powerful manual reel mowers are available and will get the job done. Getting a mower with seven blades will do the job well on these types of grasses.
You can also try adjusting the height of the reel mower’s blades to the highest position can also prevent the mower from getting bogged down in the thick grass.
For normal types of grasses, you can use four or five blade push reel mower.
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How To Sharpen The Blades
The biggest maintenance concern for owning a push reel mower is keeping the blades sharpened. They should be done prior to storing the mower away for the winter. Below is an excellent video showing how this is done. Take a look! Sharpening Push Reel Mower Blades.
The push reel mower blade will need sharpening if you should see any of the following conditions:
- The grass is not being cut cleanly
- Streaks
- Stragglers
- The cutting unit is noisy
- It’s that time of year
Some units can be sharpened by using the “backlapping method”. The video above shows this type of method. However, in some cases, you must actually grind the blades and bedknife. Before doing any sharpening of the blades, always wear protective eye-ware (safety glasses) and gloves. If you do not want to sharpen the blades yourself, you can take the unit to a local shop that performs this type of work. Be sure to do this before the starting of the growing season or at the end.
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Shop Push Reel Mowers
Below are the top selling push reel mowers on Amazon. Click on an image where you will be taken directly to the ordering page where you can read reviews and other important features of the product before buying.
Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower |
Sun Joe Mow Joe MJ502M 20-Inch Manual Reel Mower with Catcher |
Sun Joe Mow Joe MJ501M 18-Inch Manual Reel Mower with Catcher |
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