CLASSIC REEL MOWER

[scottsAI]

Son moved into his first home ($8k from gov made it possible, found a great deal).

Needed a lawn mower, he asked me to come along help select mower. Cutting area is quarter acre, told him my first was a push reel mower. He liked the idea of not messing with gas / oil, noise etc. Shopped at 5 stores. Bought a push reel mower, Paid $139 + tax. Cheaper than any gas or electric mower to boot.

Shockingly easy to push, grass had been cut a couple days before, cutting half inch or so. Not sure grass length would change effort. He since has cut it a couple times, very happy with his choice. Girl friend pushes without trouble.

Effort is on par with self propelled rotary lawn mower! Yes!

Son will bring reel mower to my house (some day), will see how it works my lawn. Kentucky blue grass.

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=289835-53393-26153&lpage=none&



amp;cm_mmc=search_gps--gps--gps--Task%20Force%2020%22%20Reel%20Mower%20with%20Bag

Similar unit: (better write up:) (same price, no grass catcher)

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/scotclasreel.html

Much simpler than converting a rotary mower with a DC motor and charging it with solar...

Lowe's return policy, Son felt if he did not like how it worked... return it.

He will keep it.

Have fun,

Scott.

[zeusmorg]

 That's exactly what i use to cut mine, kept sharp clean, and maintained they can last forever. also properly adjusted..

 They work fine if you cut before the grass gets too high for the reel to catch it. And they work just fine in MOST grass types, really dense grasses tend to make it hard, (like the damn bermuda grass in my back yard i can't get rid of), but no gas,, no noise, SAFER!!!!!,and you could cut your grass at midnight without waking the neighbors!

 I use valve lapping compound to keep the blades sharp, put it on the reel, and turn it backwards, pressure of the cutting bar against the reel is VERY important. Once you get it right it will cut paper better than scissors (which is what i use to test the sharpness)

 I inherited both my reel mowers because of poor adjustments, too tight and too hard to push!

[bob g]

i am less than enthusiastic about real mowers

therefore i am in "tim the toolmans" camp on this one

give me 150 turbocharged, fuel injected, nitro burning hp

in a self propelled walk behind.

(i was going to say rider, but i need the excersize)

bob g

[divemaster1963]

hey try cutting over 3 acers of grass. we have had rain on 15 out of 16 days in hte past month. grass grows 6 in. in a night. got a riding mower from a man ho wanted a bigger mower. runs great. cuts the whole place in 3 hours.

have fun

[richhagen]

I have a push reel mower.  Of course my yard is about the size of a small office cubicle.  I have a gas mower too, from where I was before I bought this place, but it has been sitting for a dozen years or more.  Rich

[Norm]

We had two acres, with a lot of garden ,

rows of grapes, blackberries and fruit trees,

chickens, couple of goats. My Dad had his son

mow the lawn around the house with a reel mower.

  IF the grass got too high and made it hard to

cut it was my problem not his ! after all I was

under contract, keep the lawn mowed for a $1 a

week. At todays scale I suppose that would be

about $20.

[zap]

I'd be a little more enthusiastic about a reel mower if it wasn't for the clippings.

The folks that live with a little more humidity than I have here could probably just let the clippings lie.

My sister lives on the gulf coast and nearly anything you leave lying on the ground is half decomposed the next morning.

If I were to try and mulch all my clippings, the mulch pile would take up half the back yard(exaggerated).

Around these parts,unless you have the time and space for a mulch pile, or just toss the clippings in the trash... a mulching mower is the way to go.

[Bruce S]

I thought that was what goats were for

Keep smiling

Bruce S

[dnix71]

Until it rusted out, I had one as a backup to the weed whacker. The Scott version you list looks like it might be useful becsause it will cut up to three inches. Mine wouldn't go higher than about 2.

Better golf courses use gasoline reel types on fairways.

I have Saint Augustine and in south Florida you can't cut grass too low in the summer or the roots will burn when it gets hot and doesn't rain for a day of two. The back yard slopes toward a canal and is full of fruit trees and veggies, so gasoline line trimmer is faster than mowing then trimming.

Many years ago I tried the plugin 120v Black and Decker electric mower, but it used a disc with small bolt-on blade tips and wouldn't spin up properly in the dense grass that grows here.

[jacobs]

NEVER!!!! It would take me a week to mow the lawn. I'd turn the cattle out to graze it down first!

[frepdx]

Make sure he knows how to sharpen and adjust it. Otherwise it will be useless in a season.

The sharpening kit has a hand crank that I modifies to chuck up in my cordless drill. Takes just a couple of minutes to sharpen. Getting the adjustment right afterwords takes some practice.

Your son will also want a gas mower for times when the grass gets too long. Get a $40 special from craigslist. In my experience they have always lasted longer than brand new mowers - go figure.