Looking to buy a reel mower

[ChrisC_77]

I have been looking at the option of buying a reel mower. With having problems nickel and diming my current gas mower and probably going to buy a new one anyway. I thought I would at least look into the concept. I have an average size yard. Takes about 45 minutes to mow. Does anyone use one on a regular basis and what brand and models would you recommend? I have read that some have trouble with taller grass or certain grass types. Thanks!

[Bguar]

We have small yard and we use a standard 16" Scott's reel mower. The yard is only a quarter acre and about half of that is lawn. It takes me 35 minutes to mow the yard; my wife takes about 45. It is all about keeping momentum and taking long straight paths. We both enjoy a good workout and look at it as just that. It is a chore we each look forward to, a completely different experience than the noise and smell of a gas mower. You can't let the grass get too long, so when things are growing fast in the late spring we cut it every 4-5 days. The mower does have trouble with devil grass and anything with tough stalks--it strips them of the soft leafy parts but leaves the stalks standing. Sometimes I have to go back and forth over an area and that still doesn't completely do it. I've been going back when I'm done mowing and taking down the residual stalks with our string trimmer, and I recently got a grass whip and have taken to whacking away at the stalks--again, the latter is a great workout. We got the mower free from a friend. Before she offered it to us, I had done some research and was set to get the Fiskers Stay-Sharp reel mower. One drawback of the Scotts is that it doesn't cut very close to obstacles, so you really need to touch up with the string trimmer. The Fiskars version's design allows it to cut closer and Fiskars claims it has a mechanical advantage than other reel mowers. See if you can find a used one on Craig's list. If you don't mind a good workout, you'll never go back to gas again!

[tomc]

if you can find an antique powered reel mower, its worth finding a mechanic who can keep it running. Both are likely to be quite old in this century.