Reel Lawn Mowers
Reel lawn mowers are a great choice for the environmentally conscious, those who want a healthy workout when they mow their lawn, or people who simply own a small level lawn and want something simple to use. Reel lawn mowers are very cost efficient and environmentally friendly lawn care machines. They require very little maintenance and they don’t need gasoline to run.
Because reel lawn mowers are human powered they are pollution free. Not only do they not pollute the air but they are also very quiet. Older push reel lawn mowers were heavy machines that require a huge amount of physical effort and strength to use. However in recent years this has changed. The newer model reel lawn mowers are made of extremely lightweight metals and are very easy to push and maneuver as long as the terrain is suitable and the grass is dry and relatively free of weeds.
Good push reel lawn mowers have heat treated carbon steel blades that do not need frequent sharpening. As long as you keep them lubricated with a little WD-40 after each time you mow, the blades of your push reel lawn mower should remain sharp for a very long time. Even when they do begin to become dull, the blades are very easy to sharpen and there are handy sharpening kits available to help making sharpening them a breeze.
A few things to keep in mind when considering buying a push reel mower are the size of your lawn, the amount of weeds in your lawn, and how often you are willing to mow your lawn. Reel lawn mowers are very difficult to use on lawns that are taken over by large amounts of thick weeds.
Reel lawn mowers are also difficult to use on grass that has been allowed to grow over two inches in height. The taller the grass gets, the harder it is to push a reel lawn mower and the more difficult it is to cut the grass. Because of this, it is necessary to mow your lawn much more frequently when you are using a push reel lawn mower. This is not that big of an issue if you have a fairly small lawn that is neatly groomed and you are in fairly good physical shape.
Wet grass should also be avoided when you are mowing with a reel lawn mower. If the grass is wet it can make mowing very difficult as the wet clippings tend to build up on the blades decreasing the effectiveness of their cutting. When you try to mow wet grass, the wheels will eventually stop turning altogether and the reel lawn mower will just end up sliding over the top of the grass instead of actually cutting it. You should always wait for the grass to dry before attempting to mow your lawn with a push reel lawn mower.
Another thing that makes mowing with a reel mower easier is a fairly flat lawn. It doesn’t have to be perfectly flat but if the terrain is rugged and full of hill and/or holes mowing with a push reel lawn mower can be extremely difficult.
One last thing to consider about reel lawn mowers is the fact that you may have to overlap previous passes as you are mowing your lawn. This is due to the fact that sometimes the reel lawn mower can miss patches of grass here and there as you are mowing your lawn. This is perfectly normal and by making overlapping or checkerboard paths as you mow, you can take care of any unattractive missed spots as you are mowing. The results really can be impressive if you keep your lawn properly groomed and maintained.
Reel Lawn Mowers - Reviews