Manual Reel Mowers

Thanks to concerns about pollution and rising gas prices, reel mowers are becoming popular once again. One of the biggest misconceptions about reel mowers is that reel mowers are too hard to push and take more work than gas powered mowers. However, modern reel mowers are lighter, better designed, easier to push, and cut better than old models. There are of course some disadvantages to using a manual reel mower, and they do take some effort to push, but they aren't any harder to push than an 80 pound gas mower that isn't self propelled. And with a reel mower you do not have to deal with the loud noise, the vibrations or the dirt, leaves and exhaust that get blown out from a gas mower. Reel mowers are a much more pleasant and safer experience to mow with.

Reel Mowers Though gas mowers are much smaller than cars, they lack the emission standards that are placed on motor vehicles. One gas mower produces as much pollution as 43 new cars driven 12,000 miles. Compare that to a standard push reel mower, which produces no pollution.

Reel mowers are much more efficient than gas mowers and are environmentally friendly, but of course work at a slower pace than a gas mower does. So with that in mind, reel mowers are practical only for smaller yards, however there are other large scale reel mower options available. With a reel mower you may also have to mow a little more frequently than with a gas powered mower. If the grass gets to tall it will be nearly impossible to cut using a reel mower, so you will need to stay on top of mowing to prevent this from happening.

Mowing the lawn with a reel mower is much like using a gas-powered push mower. The gears in a reel mower make the blades turn as you push the mower, the blades actually turn faster than the wheels do so to keep the reel spinning you just need to walk at a steady, reasonable pace. The trade off of using a reel mower over a gas mower is that you will wind up sacrificing speed and adding sweat, though you will get a bit of exercise, which may be an added benefit and in general you will only be adding an additional 10 – 20 minutes to your mowing time. One other benefit of reel mowers is since they are completely quiet, you can mow whenever you want without bothering your neighbors. With that in mind you can mow early in the morning or in the late evening to enjoy the cooler temperatures.

Top 10 Reasons To Use Reel Mowers

Reel mowers offer a number of key advantages over gas-guzzling rotary mowers.

Reel mowers are cost less than gas mowers.
Reel mowers are environmentally friendly.
Reel mowers are better for your grass. Unlike gas mowers which tear the grass, reel mowers cut the grass like scissors, leaving a fine spray of cuttings as mulch for your yard.
Reel mowers are lightweight.
Reel mowers are quiet.
Reel mowers require very little maintenance.
Reel mowers are just as easy to push as much heavier motorized mowers.
Reel mowers do not blow exhaust or harmful fumes.
Reel mowers are much less dangerous than gas mowers since they do not fling debris around.
Reel mowers are much easier to transport and store.

Getting The Best Cut With Reel Mowers

Make sure to walk at a steady pace, a reel mower will tend to bind up and skid if you walk at a slow pace. The faster you walk, the faster the blade turns. So make sure to move at a comfortably quick walking pace and you'll get the best results for your lawn.

Overlap your rows when you are mowing back and forth across the lawn. Slightly overlapping the last row that mowed will make the mower a bit easier to push because you're mowing less grass, and it will also help catch any spots that you might have missed on the last.

Make sure not to let your grass get too tall. Reel mowers are harder to push when the grass gets too tall, so keep your lawn mowed weekly. Also experiment with your cutting height to see which height makes your grass easiest to cut, and which height gives you the best cutting results.

Taking Care of Reel Mowers

Taking care of reel mowers is very easy. Reel mowers can last for decades if properly cared for. There are only a few things needed to maintain a reel mower and they are very easy to do. You will need to clean the blades after use, which is easy to do, just simply using a hose to rinse them off is really all that is needed. Also make sure to keep the mower out of the rain to prevent it from rusting. Besides simple cleaning, the only other thing needed to maintain a reel mower is to sharpen the blades.

To sharpen the blades, all you need are a grinding stone, grinding paste and some newspaper. The stone is little more than a rough file made of rock, and the paste has the gritty consistency of wet sand. Reel mower sharpening kits typically include both these items. First, use the grinding stone to file out nicks and burrs. Then, apply the grinding paste to the reel blades and cutter bar. By turning the reel backward, the gritty paste files away at the blades, sharpening the edges. The last step is simply to clean off the blades and test the cut on some newspaper to make sure the reel and cutter bar are close enough. If not, just make a few manual adjustments to the blade settings.