tlknapp's Full Review: Great States Corp. 16 In. Scotts Elite Push Reel M...
... on the other side of the switch from power to reel.
I had a number of reasons for wanting to switch to a reel mower. Those reasons ranged from the sentimental (remembering the one my grandparents had and that I loved to run around their lawn as a child) to the environmental (no gas, no electricity, just elbow grease) to the personal (over the years I've developed some chemical sensitivity, and pushing around my old gas mower often left me in a coughing fit).
The Scotts Elite Push Reel Mower satisfied me on all those grounds, but I had discounted another. Over the years, I've heard people say that using a reel mower produces healthier lawns. I didn't believe them. But frankly, after only a few weeks of using the reel mower, I think my lawn looks greener, thicker and more attractive than it did before. It may be that the fast gas/electric blades somehow traumatize the grass or something; I don't really know. All I have is the subjective evidence of my eyes to go on here, but that says those stories were true.
Back to the mundane: It so happened that I was in the market for a new mower. I had switched from gas to electric a few years ago, and the cheap electric mower I used was finally falling apart (it was mostly plastic, including the wheel mounts; after one wheel came off in a way that didn't allow for reattachment, I kept using it for awhile until a second did).
Home Depot had the Scotts mower for $79.99. My wife was somewhat suspicious of the reel mower option, but I'm the guy who has to push it so I got my way. Besides, it was much cheaper than an electric or gas model, we're not made of money ... it was an easy decision.
Assembly took about 10 minutes. The instructions were reasonably clear and no special tools were required.
The Scotts mower is light, pushes easily, and is adjustable with respect to blade height. If pushed at a medium, easy speed, it cuts grass quite well. If you catch on a rock or stick, you may need to clear it from the blade and re-mow a couple of feet.
I've roughly timed my mowing jobs, and they take about as long with the reel mower as they did with the gas and electric outfits. There's some re-mowing when a stick or rock gets caught up in the works, but there's no messing around with gas/oil or moving around power cords to keep them out of the way.
As far as effort is concerned, also about the same. The act of pushing the mower provides the blades with their spin so you have to put a little oomph into it, but the mower has larger wheels than the electric or gas mowers, which make pushing easier, and it's not as heavy either.
If you're interest in reducing your environmental impact, reel mowers are the way to go. One Swedish study estimates that running a gas lawn mower for an hour produces as much pollution as driving 650 miles in a 1992 model automobile. Electric mowers are probably better, but that depends on how the power you plug into was generated. They do produce emissions -- they just produce them at the power plant rather than at your house.
16 In. cutting width, with height range of 1/2 In. to 2 1/2 In. lightweight, with easy to push 10 In. wheels and radial tread tires. Flared "T" style ...More at Home Depot
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
16 In. Cutting Width, with height range of 1/2 In. to 2 1/2 In.. Lightweight, with easy to push 10 In. Wheels and Radial Tread Tires. Flared T Style h...More at Amazon Marketplace
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