Push reel mowers are a great way to have a positive impact on the environment, save money and make your lawn look great at the same time. While using a push reel mower is rather simple, shopping for one gets a bit more complicated. Luckily we have discovered a guide that compares the top ten push reel mowers on the market to help you find the model perfect for you.
Head on over to People Powered Machines to find their comprehensive guide to selecting a push reel mower. In their chart they compare: price, weight, blades, sharpening interval, blade program, cutting system, cutting height adjustment, ball bearing reel, dry powder coating process, flower/ shrub protection, and optional grass catcher. Honestly, I didn't know that there were so many options!
Check it out at People Powered Machines and get on your way to mowing the green way!
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Great exercise, too. My 90 yr old mom uses one to mow her own lawn and is sharp as a tack (the mower is, too!)
I've wanted to be able to use one of these guys but no matter what find the cut they do on the grass doesn't look very good. A real mower makes the grass just look more neat to me.
I have the Scotts one. It's fine as long as we don't let the weeds/grass get too tall.
I actually was just trying to research a "people powered" alternative to a rototiller. Any suggestion for that?
You do have to change your standards...it just doesn't look the same. But maybe that isn't such a bad thing. We love our reel mower because it lets us do lawn work while carrying the baby in a backpack.
My great-grandmother had a reel mower when I was growing up. For some reason mowing her lawn was always a blast! I plan to own a reel mower when we eventually buy. Mostly because my husband is allergic to fresh cut grass and reel mowers make less dust than powered.
Also, if you're having problems with keeping the grass even and neat, then your blades probably aren't sharp enough and you're not going the right speed. Too slow and it doesn't cut. Too fast and you miss blades.
I have used a Fiskars model for two seasons now and am pleased with it. I have gotten many strange looks from neighbors and people passing by and some have even approached me to ask about it. No dust, no fumes, very little noise and green clippings flying out in front of you. Almost meditation.
However, to get the best looking cut I have found that it helps to overlap your last pass a good bit in order to get shoots that it may have missed, since they were likely leaning the opposite direction on the initial pass. Also, cutting the yard 'again' perpendicular to your first mowing will yield the best look. IF you have a small yard this shouldn’t be much of an inconvenience.
chillrepute- It's not people powered, but there are electric weed eaters that have attachments and rototillers are one of them. It might be a "better than gas option."
I totally agree that the standard is not as nice, but we're ok with that. What we're *not* OK with is the extra effort of having to rake afterwards. I'd love to get a grass catch for our existing push mower to make it a quicker process!
chillrepute, this cordless drill-powered rototiller from Johnny's is somewhat people-powered.
Lee Valley also has this wheel hoe with a variety of attachments.
We bought one for our (pretty small) yard this summer and LOVE it. There's definitely a learning curve to getting it smooth and even, and maybe it won't ever look quite the same, but frankly I don't care. I like the "slightly rough" look, personally. It's the first time I could say that I've enjoyed yard work. It's fun to see the blades fall under your own two feet. It's quiet and pretty relaxing. Doesn't ruin the mood of a little weeknight BBQ at all.