7 Best Reel Lawn Mowers
Best Overall
- Sharp, Clean-Cutting Blades
- 5 heat-treated alloy steel blades.
Budget Friendly
- InertiaDrive reel system
- single lever height-adjustable cutting system
Great Value
- 16-inch 5 Blade bearing ball
- T-style handle with a cushioned grip
So are you thinking about buying a reel lawn mower for your lawn? Then spending your money on a reel lawn mower is a reasonable one. But what are Reel Lawn Mowers, and how they can perform is the first thing that probably came to mind while investing your money. So, let us provide a brief description of reel lawn mowers below.
Since the reel lawn mower was the first manual mower operated manually by the operator. While the technology has been changed and the new type of lawnmower models also available in the market, but not everyone is adopted to new technology. Many are attached to the manual reel lawnmower. These Reel lawn mowers are also known as Cylinder Mowers. Manual reel mowers are moderately simple devices, they depend on just a few moving parts and the basic application of power. Manual reel mowers are efficient and environmentally friendly, but it’s still a slower operation than gas mowers.
Modern reel mowers are lighter in weight, equipped with a better design, and easier to push and mow your lawn. Taking care of reel mowers is very easy and if they care properly reel lawn mowers can last for long decades, as there are no oil changes or setups required. Reel mowers still boast a number of key advantages over gas mowers. The better way to understand how the reel mower work is to follow the flow of force through the mower. There are so many factors to consider when you’re going to purchase the reel lawnmower. We came up with some of the best reel mowers in the market based on performance and maintenance.
- Extremely Affordable
- Sharp, Clean-Cutting Blades
- Wide Deck
- Doesn’t Edge very well
- Not Ideal for Large lawns
- The Quality of the Blades is not Appreciated
Performance: Scotts Outdoor Power Tool is a reel lawnmower powered by a 62-Volt 5Ah lithium-ion battery and fast charger. Lithium-ion batteries are a type of rechargeable battery that provides portable electricity. Also contains a 2-speed brushless motor for gas-like power, increased performance, and also run-time. The Brushless motor automatically adjusts to the power that needed to perform the work.
3-in-1 functionality of this Scotts Outdoor mower provides mulching, side discharge, and rear-bagging system. This reel mower comes with the LED headlights for cutting your lawn to the best at any time. This reel lawn mower offers a cutting height width of 0.5 inches to 1.75 inches that is quite easy to adjust. This mower cuts your lawn using a cylinder made up of 5 heat-treated alloy steel blades.
Design: This lawn mower comes with a 18-inch cutting width with a stable steel deck. Generally, steel decks are usually treated with powder paint that helps protect the deck and fight corrosion. The adjustable cutting system of this reel mower makes the user adjust the height levels from 1.5 in-3.75 in.
The folding handle with quick-fold capabilities of this mower is used for comfortable vertical storage. This reel lawn mower arrives with a battery level indicator on the control panel which determines to charge your mower if the charging is low. Scotts consists of a dual wheel tracking system that makes use of two larger 10-inch wheels and two smaller 6-inch wheels.
Ease Of Use: This reel lawn mower is not only easy to use, but it’s also really secure to use. It only weighs about 35 pounds and for mowing your lawn it took very little work to push it around. The amount of time you have to invest into the care and maintenance of this push reel mower is minimum.
There are nine different settings are available in this reel lawn mower to choose from in total ranging from 1 to 3 inches. On each wheel, you will have a little height adjustment lever that can be quickly moved to adjust the cutting height to the conditions in your yard. This reel mower consists of a 20-inch wider swath that makes your lawn not mow in so many passes and this reel lawn mower does not require any oil or gas to run.
- Mostly Superb Cutting Quality
- Simple Blade Adjustment
- Easy Foldable Handle To carry
- Somewhat High-priced for a Push Reel Mower
- No Grass box Catcher is Provided
- Struggle with Long grass over 6 inches
Performance: The Fiskars StaySharp is an advanced technology reel lawn mower designed in the 21st-century.This reel mower consists of a chain-driven IntertiaDrive reel. This InertiaDrive reel system has a large diameter that supported providing more power than traditional reel mowers. Forward discharging is one of the best features in this mower to discharge the clippings forward. The idea behind this is that you won’t have to put up with your legs and feet being covered in grass clippings while mowing.
Fiskars StaySharp cutting system promotes long-lasting dependable performance by extremely reducing the amount of friction. However on this model, the blades never actually come into contact with the reel assembly which doesn’t make friction. Most real lawn mowers blades come in constant contact with the reel assembly and the resultant friction makes the blades to dull fastly. The 18-inch cutting width of this reel mower makes it more suitable for small and medium-sized lawns.
Design: The mower is designed to be easier to push than other reel mowers. Different from many other reel lawn mowers, this mower comes with a single lever height-adjustable cutting system that ranges from 1 inch up to 4 inches. Fiskars also features a reversible grass slide that works extremely to direct the clippings forward and prevent any trouble. StaySharp performs with superior cutting power to trim down tough spots without any damage to the grass.
You have better control of grass clippings as they can be directed either forward, backward or downward with a reversible grass chute. This reel mower design has inset wheels which are awesome in maximizing the cutting width of 18 inches and reduces the level of grass around the edges.
Ease Of Use: The Fiskars StaySharp Max is really easy to push and maneuver across the lawn. This reel mower consists weight of 51 pounds, there is no need to worry about rechargeable batteries or motors as this reel lawn mower is an environmentally friendly choice as there is no electricity, gas, or oil used. The noise level is very low unlike many gas or electric lawnmowers. This mower includes an inertia drive reel which will give you so much more cutting power particularly in heavy and tougher lawn growth areas.
- Easy To Maneuver
- Unique Compact Design
- Quick and easy to Use
- Does Not Have Any Grass Bagging option
- Doesn't cut well the Tall Grass
- Unsuitable for Rough Terrains
Performance: Firstly the Great States reel lawn mower is well known for its excellent cutting power With an adjustable blade height of 0.5-2.5 inches. Mowing your lawn with these Great States reel mower makes easier and more efficient.
Because of its 16-inch 5 Blade bearing ball feature, the blades are fabricated with heat-treated alloy steel, which makes blades maintain their sharpness for a long time. The tempered alloy steel reel and a bed knife blade of this Great States 415 reel mower ensure to trim your lawn evenly and make a perfect cut.
Design: The Great States 16-inch reel mower is lightweight and durable. And 10-inch composite wheels make using this manual hand push reel lawn mower very easily. The wheel height can also be adjusted to three positions so that You can move the reel lawn mower according to your heights and perform work easily.
lightweight design and T-style handle with a cushioned grip of this reel mower give you more comfort while mowing your lawn on uneven surfaces. Featuring an unbreakable steel side plate of this reel lawn mower will serve you well for many years to come.
Ease Of Use: This Great States 415-16 reel lawn mower is easily maneuverable and perfect for small lawn owners. It does not require any oil or gas to operate. The sharpness of the blades allows you to create neat edges along with your lawn. This reel lawn mower trims the grass off without any plucking or tearing, resulting in a well-trimmed lawn. Powder coated finished handle of this reel mower lasts longer and prevents rust.
You can move this reel lawn push mower around with ease because the handles are comfortable while mowing. The Great States reel mower is easy to assemble, and more importantly, allows you to keep your lawn looking neat and trim without making heavy noise.
- Zero emissions and no fossil fuels
- Easy to maintain and use
- Ergonomically designed handle for ease of use
- Rear Bag of this mower is not well Designed
- Unable to cut the Edges Properly
- Have Trouble with Taller Grass
performance: The Greenworks 25052 is an effective reel lawnmower. This mower contains a 16-inch wide cutting path that performs the job quickly and efficiently. The 10-inch front wheels and 2-inch rear wheels of this reel lawnmower make it easy to maneuver and you can smoothly move around the corners and sides of your lawn.
And the 4 position height adjustment of this Greenworks reel lawn mower offers a range of cutting height from 1 1/8 inch to 2 1/4 inch for the perfect cut for all grass types. You can choose any kind of cutting height according to your lawn size by using this 4-position height adjustment.
Design: Another feature of these Grass Catcher 25052 reel mowers is 2-in-1 mulch and rear bag capabilities. Mulching is a process where the grass clippings collected from the yard are cut into fine pieces. Often mulching is healthier and also improves the grass growing system.
This 2-in-1 mulch and rear bag carry the form of a grass catcher. This grass catcher is attached to the mower on each side and you can also adjust it so the catcher doesn’t pull all of the grass clippings. This makes your mowing experience cleaner.
Ease Of Use: Greenworks 25052 reel lawn mower is a zero-emission mower. And this is lightweight which weighs just 15 pounds. This reel mower is 20 pounds lighter in weight when compared to other reel lawn mowers which means you can mow much faster which consumes less time and effort.
While smaller than some other reels, the GreenWorks push reel lawn mower is still a very effective mower that requires fewer passes over your lawn, which reduces the overall mowing time. The mower also has a feature of height adjusters so that you can cut your lawn to the ideal height according to your lawn requirement.
- Precise cutting
- Tempered Alloy steel
- Contains Larger Wheels
- No Mulching or Bagging options available
- Makes Multiple Passes on tall grass
- Best for smaller sized yards
Performance: This Earthwise 515-18 reel lawn mower contains an innovative non-contact quiet reel cutting system which makes the cutting blades stay sharper for a longer period and makes the mower easier to push. The 18-inch cutting width of this reel mower is perfect for small and medium lawns.
The 5-blade ball-bearing reel and 10-inch rubber wheels of this Earthwise Quiet Cut Push reel mower allow easier operability. And the 10-inch composite wheels provide ease to turn in thick or tall grass. The single lever height adjustment of this reel mower can be set from 1-in to 3-in to find your lawn needs.
Design: The tempered alloy steel reel and bed knife blade of this reel mower are built for durability and longer life which keeps the blade sharp for a longer time. The reel mower features an ergonomic V-style handle design that gives a comfortable grip to operate. The Earthwise quiet cut 18-inch reel mower needs no gas, no cords, and no charging.
This mower is quite simple to start work. The 5-blade ball-bearing reel allows you for easier maneuverability while creating a neatly manicured lawn. The blades are made of quality, heat-treated alloy steel for staying sharp longer.
Ease Of Use: This mower is ready to go when you are, and it’s probably easier to push than most gas-powered or electric-powered mowers. This reel mower is lightweight which usually weighs more than 30 pounds and easy to use, really an ideal choice for people to buy this reel mower.
If you’re worried about how to mow over uneven terrain with this reel mower, don’t worry about it. Its rollers on the back help keep it level. On longer grass, you may need to make multiple cuts, but this real mower does great on all grass types, even thicker grass, and even wet grass. You don’t have to worry about maintenance because these mowers do not require any gas, oil, spark plugs, air filters, or spare parts.
- Manual Height adjustment
- Rust Resistant Deck
- Comfortable Handle Grip
- Bag disconnects easily and frequently
- Not Suitable For longer Yards
- Inadequate build
Performance: The Sun Joe MJ501M Reel Mower with Grass Catcher 8-inch wide cutting path controls tough area with ease. This reel mower contains an 18-inch wide cutting path that is ideal for mowing small or medium lawns. The adjustable cutting heights of 2.44 inch gives you absolute power to mow your lawn according to your lawn heights.
This Sun Joe features 9 position height adjustment lever, which gives comfortable grip to operate. This mower comes with 5 steel blade. Grass catcher of this reel lawn mower holds up to 6.6-gallon and disconnect easily. The MJ501M comes with a handy rear collection bag to help keep your yard look nice and effectively.
Design: This reel lawn mower contains dual wheel design which secures high speed and the sharp harden steel blades of this mower provides efficient cutting. Sun Joe reel lawn mower has solid design. Two large 10-inch wheels and two small 6-inch wheels for perfect cut of your lawn grass.
This mower contains compact design which maintain more scope for lawn and provide efficient use of level.
Ease of Use: This MJ501M 18-Inch reel lawn mowers is lightweight which weighs of 28 pounds only. It is best suitable for the medium lawns for effective use. This is very easy to assemble and provides comfortable grip to handle while mowing and also maintenance free manual push lawn mower.
This one is available with rust resistant deck for long lasting performance of mower and this is environmentally friendly for cleaner air.
- 18 inch wide cutting reel for long run battery
- Multiple cutting heights
- Compact Dimensions and Lightweight design
- Sharpening the Blades may Difficult
- Have Trouble With Tough Weeds
- Might Need Frequent Lubrication
Performance: American Lawn Mower 18-Inch 5-blade push is one of the reel lawn mower which is alternative to gas-powered lawn mowers. The 18-Inch cutting width 10-inch long lasting composite wheels with radial tread tires and shaped filler caps. The durable 10-inch polymer wheels are provided for maximum durability of the mower.
This American Lawn 1815-18 mower features a four spider blades on a ball-bearing reel and the knife-sharp tempered alloy steel blade reel can be adjusted for varying grass heights from ½ to 2-3/4 inch which is used for quick adjusting of your mower according to the height you required.
Design: The 2-inch welded shrub bar and unbreakable steel side plate of this mower lasts longly and easy to operate in hard tough areas in your lawn. The Scissor-cut action is another thing in this reel lawn mower assures that your mower blades are in good condition and aligned correctly for the good quality of cut.
This 18-inch Reel Mower is a classic yard working solution for those who like to keep things simple and green. Tempered alloy steel provides the deck from rusting and last long. It increases the strength and hardness of the mower and remain long for many years.
Ease Of Use: Like the other reel lawn mowers, this American Lawn mower is simple to use and also lightweight which weighs at 27 pounds. This reel mower is alternative to gas powered mowers and does not emit fumes. This mower is eco friendly and also maintenance free and requires to sharpened at least once every 3 years.
The Scissor-cut action of this mower will not tear up your grass to make your lawn appear better. The coated loop handle has a full-length foam grip for better operability and comfort. This reel lawn mower does not require gas ,fumes, or oil to operate your mower.
Advantages Of Reel Lawn Mowers Over Rotary Mowers
- They are Lightweight and Environmentally Friendly
- They are less dangerous than Rotary Mowers.
- They’re better for your grass because Rotary mowers tear the grass but Reel mowers cut the grass like scissors, leaving an even cut for your lawn.
- In Reel Lawn Mowers we can pick up and cut the grass blades, instead of tearing them like rotary mowers.
- Cost less than gas mowers and Require little maintenance.
- They don’t blow fumes into your face while you are mowing and also produce little noise.
Reasons To Consider While Buying A Reel Lawn Mowers
1.Cutting Blades: Adjusting the blades of your manual-push reel lawnmower make sure that it cuts grass blades cleanly without any breaking. Different reel lawn mower models come up with various numbers of cutting blades. But for quick and easy clean cutting, you must have to choose the reel lawn mower with a higher number of cutting blades.
Reel lawnmowers have twisted cutting blades that are fixed in a cylinder. The blades spin and cut the grass when you push the mower. When adjusted properly, the cutting blades can cut a sheet of paper cleanly, just as you would cut it with a pair of scissors.
2.Ease Of Use: The Reel lawn mowers are easy to start and use. Because the reel lawn mowers are simple machines and you just push it and blades spin around and cut your grass. No rope pulling is required to start and you’ll never have to buy gas, oil, or spark plugs ever again. A reel lawn mower is a superior alternative to a gas or electric rotary mower because it provides less noise pollution and harmful emissions.
These reel mowers are better for your grass because of their quiet performance and pollution-free features. And these push reel lawn mowers are very easier for adjustments according to your lawn heights.
3.Maintenance: You should perform basic maintenance on a reel lawn mower after every use. Regular maintenance during the mowing season is essential for a reel mower to be pushed easily and cut efficiently.
Simply brush the blades can improve the performance of the mower. If it’s old, the blades probably need to be sharpened. So these mowers are considered as environmentally friendly, alternative to powered mowers for grass cutting.
4.Size and Weight: Considering the size and weight of the mower is one important thing while purchasing. To push the reel mower around all the corners of your backyard and to have a proper clean cut of grass, one has to choose a small, compact, and lightweight mower rather than heavier large mowers. These reel lawn mowers are lightweight, only about 19 to 34 pounds and it’s very easy to lift the mower and store
Consider the proper size of your yard is the most significant thing because if you have a larger yard, you might select the widest mower that cuts 20 inches with each pass. If you have a smaller yard or lawn, you would be fine with a smaller mower that cuts 15 inches.
5.Cylinder VS Rotary Lawn Mowers: A cylinder lawn mower or reel mower has anywhere between five to twelve exposed blades at the front of the mower that rotate trapping and slicing the grass blades. Having more blades is better for a good cut. The cutting system of the reel lawn mowers are better for short grass cut and not supposed for long grass cuts.
6.Safety: Push reel mowers are safer than power mowers because the Rotary lawnmowers have a spinning blade capacity of around 3,000 RPM whereas the reel lawn mower has blades that run between 2,000 to 2,500 RPM. When compared with rotary mowers RPM, the RPMs on a push reel mower are less but increase as you walk faster.
7.Cheaper cost and Environmentally Friendly: Reel lawn mowers available at a cheaper cost when compared with other lawnmowers. Push reel mowers vary in price from $80 to $200 and most are below $125. The only maintenance cost with a push reel is sharpening the blades when they get old. Push reel lawn mowers are cheap due to their simplicity.
Reel lawn mowers cut the grass in a natural way which is good for the environment and there are is no chance of the occurrence of air or noise pollutions.