Reel Mower Update

A lot of posts going on here. I (Jonathan) posted a month or two ago about my research into reel mowers. Here is an update on the purchase for the two people that actually read the post (Adam and Vanessa...and Adam thought it was boring). We did decide to go with the Fiskars mower. So far I have 3 mows under my belt. It has been great! Below is a quick rundown on the pros and cons. I should note, if you have no idea why we have been looking at reel mowers, read the original post. It is fairly informative (and slightly dull).

(Getting started shot- left side is not mowed, the first two rows are different settings, figuring out where to place the height)

Pros:

• Very quiet! You only here a slight "whoosh, whoosh" as the blades are spinning. Lyndsy brought Heath out to watch and we can easily hold a conversation. I also have listened to my iPod with no problems.
• It cuts quite well. One complaint with reel mowers is they miss grass and weeds. As long as you don't cut too much at one time, there is no problem with the mower missing grass.
• Light weight. It really isn't that hard to push. For someone used to riding their mower or utilizing self-propelled mode, then yes, this will be a challenge. But you don't have to be in great shape to easily push this mower.
• No extra costs. I bought the mower and haven't spent anything on it since (oil, gas, filters, etc.). Granted I only have had it a couple weeks, but there won't be any additional costs in the future either.
• I don't stink when I'm done...well unless I have worked up a sweat, but I don't smell like gas fumes.


• Extremely easy to set up.
• Extremely easy to use. Just set your height and push.
• Comfy handle bar that allows your hands to be parallel or perpendicular to the ground.
• I could go on and on, but to be fair, let me write some cons.

Cons:

• Mulch that has come out of the flower bed, can easily clog the mower. You have to stop and dislodge it. Sometimes simply stopping and backing up a step will fix the issue. It is worth noting that we have an apple tree in our backyard and so far the mower has gone over the fallen apples without any issues.
• Inclines can be a challenge. It is good exercise working the mower on our steep incline along the driveway side of our property line, but it can certainly be challenging for some folks (in no way am I stating I am in peak physical condition).
• The mower has to be moving to mow (or at least have some momentum going). In tight areas (such as along our fence line), I have had to make passes in different directions to essentially make a turning zone.

I could talk for a long about the mower. Please leave some comments below and ask some questions. Adam, just pretend you are interested in it. Likely one day you too will have a yard. :)

Heath was on hand to supervise.