A reel mower is the best friend of a homeowner interested in keeping his lawn trimmed perfectly without hassle and the expenditure of electricity or gas. Before battery, gas, and electric mowers came to the market, these push reel mowers were the solution to manicuring the perfect lawns. It comes as no surprise that many homeowners with smaller yards still prefer a manual push mower.
A reel lawn mower is sustainable and eco-friendly since it does not rely on oil or gas and upholds zero pollution. With advances in features and design, the reel mowers are gaining popularity, given that they are easier to push these days. These mowers are silent and ecological, and they are a healthy alternative to electricity and gas mowers. They are also comparatively cheaper than the fuel or electricity mowers, and not to mention, quieter.
The mechanics of the mower is simple. It spins when the mower is pushed and stops when you stop pushing. The blades vary between models, but usually, they have one blade, at a minimum, and a bed knife blade. While being manual and environmentally-friendly, the reel mowers are lightweight and very easy to use.
Here’s our list of the top 10 reel mowers that we’re sure you’ll love and want to own for your small to medium-sized yard.
The Best Reel Mower
American 1815-18
At the top of our list is the American 1815-18. Manufactured by American Lawn Mower Company, this reel mower with five blades is one of the very best options on the market, with some stating that this is the best mower.
The American Lawn Mower has an experience of about 120 years in manufacturing quality tools for lawns, and this product is no exception. It has a sturdy build and an 18-inch cutting width, allowing you to manicure your lawn with ease and in a small amount of time.
This product has five tempered steel alloy blades and also a ball bearing design, making it sturdy. This feature also helps make defined cuttings on every pass. This reel lawn mower weighs about 29 pounds, making it easy to operate. It also has 10-inch wheels that are big enough to overpower unsteady terrain.
The 1815-18 Reel Mower facilitates quick adjustment of cut height from ½ inch to 2 ¾ inches, ensuring that you attain the precise cut depending on the type or length of grass in your lawn. Lastly, it also folds down in its handles, and it is incredibly easy to store.
Scotts 2000-20
Up next, we’ve got the Scotts 2000-20 Reel Mower, which is one of the best reel mowers available on the market. It has a wide cutting width of 20 inches, which makes it incredibly easy to mow a medium-sized yard in a relatively short time. It has also been designed to feature a rear wheel that makes maneuvering incredibly easy while reducing drag and helping speed up the lawn mowing process.
The Scotts 2000-20 is exceptionally stable and easy to operate with its 10-inch dual tracking wheels. It also consists of five steel blades that are heat-treated and are incredibly sharp, leaving scissor-like cuts for a well-manicured and beautiful lawn.
This reel mower has an incredible nine cutting heights, ranging from one inch to three inches. As such, you can choose the perfect cut height. The mower comes with a foam-grip handle that makes operation easy. Plus, its build is steady and durable that we’re sure it will last well over a decade. For a price of $130, this is one of the best cheap lawn mowers that you can purchase today.
American 1204-14
Now, we’ll be taking a look at the American Lawn Mower Company’s 1204-14 Reel Mower, which is suitable for homeowners with small to medium-sized lawns.
This product has a cutting width of 14 inches. Plus, it is also extremely compact and comparatively lightweight, which delivers extraordinary performance that can only be expected from a company that has been manufacturing high-quality mowers for over 120 years.
This model has four precision tempered alloy steel blades that are incredibly long-lasting and a bed knife blade that helps give precise and clean cuts. The cutting height of the reel mower can be adjusted from ½ inch to 1 ¾ inch, and it allows you to adjust and select the perfect cut for your grass.
With a weight of only 19 pounds, the American 1204-14 is easy to maneuver across your yard. It is also incredibly easy to store in your garage or shed when not being used, and it takes very little storage space.
All in all, the American 1204-14 is one of the best reel mowers manufactured by the American Lawn Mower Company. It is easy to use, lightweight, and built sturdily at the same time. With a price of under $70, this product is one of the best deals you can get.
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Fiskars StaySharp Max 18-Inch Reel Mower
And now we have the Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel mower, which is fourth on our list of the top 10 best reel mowers. This product is an excellent purchase because it is well designed, sturdy, and adjustable.
For its features, this reel mower has an 18-inch cutting width and an InertiaDrive technology, which is said to outperform any other reel mower by twice the power. Its StaySharp Cutting System is advertised to cut the costs and the inconvenience of sharpening the blades manually. Its VersaCut Technology, on the other hand, is used to easily adjust cutting heights, allowing you to mow your lawns effortlessly.
This product also boasts a one-touch height adjustment handle, and inset wheels that allow you to make narrow strip cuts along walkways, sidewalks, and paths, which is one of the biggest complaints of consumers with manual mowers. Moreover, its cutting blades are designed never to make contact with the reel, resulting in improved performance and sharpness.
At $200, this product is an expensive mower, but it is well worth its price. It is built to be incredibly long-lasting, and the blades are sure to deliver clean and precise cuts through the toughest parts of your lawn. Although it weighs 51.7 pounds, it has been designed for easy maneuver. Finally, its blades assure quick work to any lawn.
For more quality products like this, check out our list of the top zero turn lawn mowers.
Great States 415-16
Fifth on our list is the Great States 415-16, which is not only reasonably priced but a budget-friendly product as well. Regardless of the price, this machine is an exceptionally well-made mower that delivers precise and reliable results. Aside from being sturdy, its reel can also stay sharp longer than the other contenders on this list, making it a reliable tool. Also, its steel blades have been treated with heat.
Easily maneuvered and lightweight, this is a high-quality and economical mower for proprietors with a lawn of a smaller size. It has 10-inch ball bearing wheels that let you navigate your yard quickly. Moreover, its sturdy steel side plate gives additional resilience and protection.
The mower comes with a 16-inch cut width, and it can make broad cuts so that you can cut your lawn in less time. The handle comes with cushioned grips that are powder-coated to prevent rust. The cut height of the mower can be tuned from ½ inch to 2 ½ inches, allowing you to select the best cut height for any variety of grass.
At $70, this is one of the most affordable mowers on our list and a good bargain for homeowners. Aside from being comparatively inexpensive, it gets the job done and is very reliable. Plus, it can undoubtedly deliver precise and clean lawn cutting, making it an excellent option for buyers.
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Greenworks 25072
And now we’ll be taking a look at the Greenworks 25072, which is a well-designed and straightforward reel mower that can cut small or medium-sized lawns efficiently and quickly, leaving the grass looking healthy, clean, and perfectly trimmed. The price of this product is reasonable, and despite its affordability, it makes for a sturdy and reliable mower.
The Greenworks 25072 is incredibly lightweight at just 31.8 pounds. Another great feature of this product is its rear bag, which you can use for gathering grass clippings. The cutting path is comparatively wide at 20 inches, which makes for broad cutting swathes and allows you to mow your lawn in several fewer swathes than other small reel mowers. Also, it boasts a height adjustment of nine positions, and it can be easily adjusted from 1 ¾ inch to 2 ¾ inches.
This reel mower also has 10-inch front wheels and 6-inch rear wheels that offer easy maneuverability and increased stability, lessening the time to manicure the lawn. With a lightweight and comfortable handle, this mower is easy to maneuver. Plus, it is also easy to store in the garage or shed. With this product, you can also choose between rear bagging or mulching, meaning you can dispose of the grass clippings or fertilize your lawn.
Overall, this is certainly one of the very best reel mowers and a viable option for homeowners due to its great features and affordable price.
For more perfect lawn and garden tools, be sure to browse our list of the most reliable self propelled lawn mower.
Fiskars StaySharp 17-Inch Push Reel Mower
It isn’t surprising for the Fiskars StaySharp 17-Inch Push Reel Mower to make it to our list because this product is an exceptionally well-made push mower that is easily one of the best options for a homeowner with a small or medium-sized lawn. It was specifically designed to be sturdy and durable while being extremely easy to maneuver and use. Also, it can trim the grass quickly with minimum hassle.
The StaySharp 17-Inch Reel Mower boasts a wide cut width of 17 inches that facilitates quick mowing of the lawn, and its design allows you to push it with ease, about 30% easier compared to other mowers. The InertiaDrive technology is in motion with this reel mower, and it delivers a cutting power of up to 50% more, which allows the mower to cut through tough patches of twigs, high grass spots, and weeds without having to slow down.
The StaySharp Cutting System of this mower helps keep the blades very sharp and durable, assuring that the blades last longer than the other mowers in its class. This feature also helps eliminate the need to perform annual maintenance or sharpening of the blades. Weighing in at about 40 pounds, this is a sturdily built mower with added stability while being designed to offer easy maneuverability.
Remington RM 3100
Coming in as a strong contender on this list of the top reel mowers is the Remington RM 3100. This product is a handy and affordable mower, which is an excellent bargain for proprietors with small lawns that may require regular mowing. It has five incredibly sharp and sturdy blades that are durable and can deliver crisp, clean cuts.
The mower is equipped with 10-inch wheels that allow you to maneuver it with ease and in less time. A dual lever is in use to adjust the cutting height from ¾ inch to 2 ½ inches. The cut width is 18 inches, which is perfect for homes with small lawns. Plus, this feature allows the mower to get to hard-to-reach and narrow spaces.
The handles in the mowers are ergonomically designed with a foam grip for extra comfort. Moreover, this product is incredibly lightweight, weighing only 28.4 pounds. As such, it is easy to push, steer as well as store when not being used. It also features a rear bag that gives you two different disposal options for the collected clippings.
The Remington RM 3100 is sure to perform extraordinarily well for homeowners with small lawns. With its affordable price, this is one of the best bargains available on the market.
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Earthwise 1715-16 EW
With its lightweightedness, durability, and performance, the Earthwise 1715-16 effortlessly earns a place in our list. It is an exceptionally well-performing reel mower that provides clean and efficient cutting performance.
With a weight of only 26 pounds, this mower lets you push and maneuver it with ease. It also has a cut width of 16 inches, which is perfect for manicuring a small lawn or reaching hard-to-get spots. Additionally, it features seven blades and a reel of tempered alloy steel, allowing you to make fast cuts.
This reel mower is suitable for bent-grass in your lawns such as the Zoysia, Bermuda, or Centipede. It also features an allowance of cut height ranging from ½ inch to 2 ½ inches, allowing you to choose the perfect cut height for the nature of grass in your lawn. Also, it has an indestructible steel side plate, which assures that the mower stays functional and operational for many years.
The mower costs about $115, and it is a fantastic deal for homeowners looking for a durable and well-made mower.
For a perfect touch to your lawn, check out our guide to the top lawn edgers.
Sun Joe MJ501M
Last on our list is the Sun Joe MJ501M. Even though it comes 10th, it is still one of the best reel mowers available on the market. With its durability, lightweightedness, and affordability, it makes a great option for homeowners who are seeking a healthy and clean alternative to electric-powered or gas mowers.
This tool is maintenance-free, and it is incredibly easy to maneuver and navigate while leaving your lawn looking great. It features a cut width of 18 inches, and it is a perfect fit for homeowners with a small or medium-sized lawn. It features a nine-position height adjustment option, allowing you to choose the best cut height for your grass.
This mower also features a dual-wheel design that allows easy maneuvering and helps in reducing the work time. The steel blades provide precise and clean cuts, resulting in a well-manicured look of your lawn. This particular model also features a 6.6-gallon grass catcher, letting you choose between real collection or mulching.
Overall, the Sun Joe MJ501M is an exceptional reel mower that is easy to use and store. Costing just about $70, it is an affordable reel mower for homeowners with small or medium-sized lawns.