American Lawnmower Deluxe Light Reel Mower 1815-16

Pros: Operates on elbow grease alone, doesn't pollute
Cons: Takes several passes to be effective

My husband and my three kids and I live in an inner-city neighborhood, in a 116-year-old house with a small, weedy lawn. We prefer to do lawn and garden things in as non-toxic and eco-friendly and CHEAP a way as we possibly can. We are NOT attempting to...

Pros: Quiet, light, cheap, did I mention quiet?
Cons: Bad for cutting tall weeds / grass, may need adjustment out of box

My wife and I bought our first home in October 2001, with a lawn that would require maintenance. So, as per my duty, I began to do research to find the best mower for the job. Gas or electric? How many horsepower? Reel or fan? Self-propelled or ...

Pros: Initial cost is low, it's easy, quite, convenient, no maintenance, totally liberating!
Cons: Won't mow weeds or grass that's too tall.

This lawnmower helped me declare my independence from my husband and get the lawn mowed at MY convenience! There were many things I used to hate about mowing the lawn. (1) Going to town to get gas (2) Transporting gas in my car (3) Trying to start ...

Pros: Simple and quiet operation
Cons: Near impossible to cut taller grass and weeds

I have owned both gas and electric mowers in the past. Gas powered mower was too loud, so I have always preferred electric despite the hassle of playing with the long cord that followed everywhere. When I recently moved to a new house with a small 1/4...

Pros: Quiet, Easy to Maintain, Quality
Cons: Some grass and weeds will escape its blades.

I purchased the mower when I moved into my new house and the mower served itself very well during that time. It gave me plenty of exercise and required little more than keeping it clean as maintenance. I used the mower for three years and it is still in good condition even though I purchased a Craftsman rear bag mower to help pick up leaves in the yard. I have no regrets on the purchase of the mower and would recommend it to anyone who does not have a big yard, wants something that does not take up a great deal of space, and is economically operated.

Pros: Quiet, light weight, easy to push, easy to store, save $ on gas, good exercise
Cons: Stopped by the smallest twig, does not cut tall grass or weeds

Our yard is about 1/4 acre. This mower is perfect for lawn about this size. We have learned that we have to go over an area about twice to get a nice even cut. We simply do this by running the mower with a slightly larger overlap (about half of the width of the cutting path). It takes about an hour to do our lawn and we mow about twice every three weeks. It works great for our lawn. This mower does not cut tall grass or weeds very well. Small twigs can stop the mower frequently. These are the only two problems we have experienced.

Pros: Quiet, easy to use, generally efficient and good way to meet the neighbors
Cons: A challenge if the grass is very long. Mowing more often solves the problem.

I'm not sure which American Law Mower I have, but it is great. I bought it on sale and it has exceeded my expectations. If it represents their whole line I would, and have recommend it highly. I have a small yard and have found that I can manicure it and get some exercise at the same time. Most of the time it does a great job. The only drawback is if I go too long between mowings--then I need a little more energy to get the lawn cut.
Another advantage that I had not considered is that when I am in the front yard mowing, strollers and neighbors stop to visit. People encounter so few reel mower users that my mower has become a great conversation starter and a good way to meet the neighbors.