TreeHugger Review: SunLawn LMM-40 Push Reel Mower

Good review, thanks.

I never understood gas mowers (for most people anyway). It's so overkill to use a big explosion engine to cut tiny blades of grass.

Depends on the size of the lawn. To be honest, if it takes more than an hour to mow, most folks get fed up with it.

I have a couple acres that I mow, because of the way the vegetation was when I got the space. That takes too long with a push mower at all, and I wind up having to use the tractor to get it done in as short an amount of time as possible.

I used a push mower as a kid, and for your 20th century village lawns, it was perfect. As your yard grows, so does the amount of time it requires, never mind the energy used to push the mower.

--Hawk

A sure sign that lawns were not to be that big unless you had the team of horses for the big reel...

The one thing that keeps me from going this route is the cutting height; 2.2 inches is just not enough height for good organic culture. It is a great height if developing weeds is the goal, but that is too short a height for grass to grow in a competitive manner; i.e., shading weeds like crabgrass so that when the cool season grasses shut down in the hot dry times, the weeds and crabgrass won't out-compete them. If I was down south and doing Zoysia or Bermuda it's great, but (listen up Sunlawn), if I am going to be green in my turf management, and you make me choose between using chemicals for weed and disease control or using gasoline to mow, it's a no brainer. I know reels don't cut as well at higher heights, but you must find a way to make this green across the board and that includes at least a 3" cut... in the meantime I am going rechargeable electric and splitting the difference...

HG

Just out of curiosity, how large are your yards...for those of you with reel mowers?

I have over 1/2 acre and somewhat rough terrain. I currently have a 20" push mower. The 16" width means that it would take somewhat longer to mow.

Am I a candidate for a reel mower?

Randy.

@Randy

I have nearly a half acre and i've got the exact same mower. The 16" width isn't really a problem for me since you can actually walk faster behind the reel mower vs. a gas powered mower. Also, i've got a fairly bumpy yard and the 9" wheels do just fine over rough terrain. It actually does ok when i let my lawn get too long as well...requires a little more effort though.

I have to add that my favorite features are the ability to mow in flip-flops and the fact that i can actually hear my iPod!

I went to a reel mower last year.

Unfortunately, where I live, the rain makes it impossible to keep up with the lawn and the reel mower couldn't do the job of getting the seeding off.

So, this year, I invested in an electric mower and couldn't be happier.

For some, the reel mower may be the way to go. For others, who still wish to go green, you might try looking into the electric ones. BTW: Our electric plant runs on natural gas, not a perfect solution, but better than coal.

If your lawn is too big for a push mower, your lawn is too big. I'm a fan of the front throw McClain push reel mower. Mulches clippings as you go. One bonus is that if I leave it out, no one tries to steal a push mower.

"replacing grass with native low-lying species of plants and food crops is the best solution"

Can you elaborate? What kinds of plants?

Oliver- here in the San Francisco Bay Area, I am in the process of replacing a small lawn with diamondia. There are probably other spellings. It's two-tone ground cover that you can walk on no problem, low water (like, really low, but not none), and has little yellow flowers in the right season. It's awesome. BUT, you have to start with a weed-free ground, because grass or really anything is a weed compared to it.

Also, some yarrows wear well and those don't take much water if any.

I had a reel mower at one time, an American like the one in the last picture. It cut the grass well enough, but unless I raked up every last twig in the yard before mowing, I would shove the thing along for a while then slam to a stop as a bit of debris lodged between the blades. It got very tiresome after the first five or six times.

I bought one of these about a month ago, after my self-propelled gas mower started giving me problems. I looked at some of the other brands, but picked this one because it's got a non-contact blade design (less friction, cuts almost silently) and it seemed like a pretty good value. My lot in Wisconsin is 90'x140' and it used to take me about an hour to mow with the self-propelled gas mower. Mowing with the reel mower may take a few minutes (maybe 10?) longer, but that time is saved by not needing to sweep up all kinds of stray grass clippings and dirt off the street and driveway. It takes more effort than a self-propelled mower, but it's not "hard" to push by any means. Mowing has become more of a workout that it used to be, but it has also become less of a dreaded chore. If the grass is real long, it takes little more effort to push, and might require going over the real tall areas once or twice, otherwise it's pretty easy and cuts nicely. I find it much easier to maneuver around trees and shrubs than the old mower because it's so lightweight. I also really like being able to mow quietly; I'm actually able to listen to music while mowing for once, and I don't feel like I'm bothering the neighbors when they're outside. It's especially nice that this mower doesn't kick up all kinds of dirt and dust, so mowing doesn't bother my allergies as much, which is probably the single biggest reason I like it! It's also convenient to be able to simply pull it out at will and mow down a little patch of longer grass quickly (between regular mowings) without getting all smelly and dirty. The only thing that's annoying is running over the occasional pine cone and having the thing stop abruptly, but most of the time it goes right over them. I also find something oddly satisfying about watching all the blades of grass go flying as you're walking along. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it, and I'd recommend trying one!

I used to use a very simlar reel mower when I lived in Tennessee, and it did a great job cutting fescue.. . Unfortunately, I had to go electric once I moved to Florida... the predominant grass types here, St Augustine or Bahia, are too coarse and difficult to cut with a reel mower.

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Beware of this type mower if you have sweetgum trees - a sweetgum burr will stop it dead. I still have dents in my chest from walking into the handle of a suddenly-stopped reel mower. Great exercise if all conditions are right, though.

Yay for push mowers! I don't have a lawn, but my dad still uses one.

My parents live in a small town where people are normally very friendly and will strike up conversations with strangers. When he's out mowing the lawn though, even more people stop and talk to him. They're drawn in by the nostalgia factor, but he's sure to remind them of the other benefits: it's a good workout, it's better for the environment, and it's much cheaper. I think he might be getting some converts...