Anyone have a push / reel mower?

Supposedly, a push mower doesn't work too well on Zoysia, St. Augustine or bermuda grass (I am almost positive that we've got bermuda grass), but a neighbor of mine has a Scotts push mower and let me try it out on the lawn...I absolutely LOVED it (although, I am not a lawn snob like my hubby....he wasn't that impressed) but I'm home more often and I like push mowers. I was thinking of the Brill luxus or Sunlawn lmm35, does anyone else have experience with these lawn mowers?

Right now, we are paying someone else to mow our lawn (we just haven't invested in a lawn mower, but I keep thinking, dang, why are we paying someone else?) but I have no issue getting up and pushing a reel mower in the early morning while it is still cool.

we don't, but hubby and i have been talking about one for like 2 years now!!!!
i told him i will mow EVERYTIME if he buys me one!!! he has to mow right now because that thing is just way too heavy for me, and i don't like using it.

but i love the exercise involved in mowing, and the earth-friendliness involved in a reel mower, so i think he is finally going to get me one this year.

a few houses down neighbour has one and he looks like it cuts his grass pretty well.....

They work great - we had one until I was about 15 -so I am very familiar with these. They are a bolt load of work though.

As for zoysia -my grandparents had the best zoysia lawn on thier street and it was all push mow - grandma wouldn't allow anything else.

We were just talking about one, too, so if anyone finds a source please let us know!

Yeah, how much are they, do you know?

I know there's a place in Plano at 15th and 75 that sells reel mowers. We are thinking about getting one because we have "golf course" grass. I'm blanking on the name, but it's something like Plano Lawn Equipment. We haven't made it there yet. They have funny weekend hours, they close on Saturday at like 1 and are closed on Sunday.

Dang, we need someone who actually owns one!:lol I know all the reel mowers vary in price, but I've been to this website that shows comparisons of the big name reel mowers:

http://www.peoplepoweredmachines.com/info/brill_compare.htm

I've seen some reel mowers real cheap on ebay (like about $45), but I'm going to stick with some of the tried and true (like the Sunlawn or the Brill) but like I said, I tried the Scotts today and had a FABULOUS time pushing it....it was really easy, and I guess it would be no different than pushing your kid in a stroller (this was a 34 lb machine, too, but I didn't think it was bad, either)

I also know that there is a place in Dallas that sells the Brill Luxus, and they even have a "trial" mower for you to use....we just live far enough away that we're too lazy to drive to try it out.

My husband is NOT wanting the reel mower, but he's hardly home to mow the frickin' lawn anyhow! He said "I used to mow with a reel mower all the time when I was younger" but from what I read, they've come a long way since then. Just like cloth diapers!

My sister Hayley has one, not sure what kind, she loves it, I will direct her to the post later.

I JUST told dh TODAY that if we stay in our current place, that we need a reel push mower. I would love some recommendations as well.

I own one, I bought it at home depot. I tried the Scott's one, but I had to return it because there was a defect in how it was made so the reel wouls catch itself (clicked and wouldn't turn) I was going to get the same thing again, but the other 2 in stock had the same issue. So I got the cheaper one and it works great on my bermuda. It doesn't work so well on st augustine, so I am seeding fescue in my shady spots.http://www.homedepot.com/cmc_upload/HDUS/EN_US/asset/images/eplus/161771_3.jpg

I like my mower. It is quiet, it isn't much harder than a regular mower but since it doesn't cut tall weeds I have to either dig those up or weedeat after mowing.

Sticks, rocks and occasionally dog poop will catch the reel, but you just push the reel backwards with your foot and it will go again.

It will work on zoysia, or tif, or bermuda. I don't know about buffalo grass.
http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN_US/diy_main/pg_diy.jsp?CNTT

Honestly, I do have to make an extra pass most of the time, but I start and stop so many times that could be user error.

Interstingly, I am 99% certain that my mower and the scotts mower is made at the same place, the scotts is just wider and has green paint. The instructions are almost identical and the construstion is similar. The also have reel mowers at Lowes. I bet there are smaller places that have them, I just had a home depot gift card.

Oh yes, and you can mow at 9pm or early in the am and not disturb your neighboors.

Thanks Hayley, for the great information....I will have to look up that brand....and you're right, its definately cheaper! I made several passes, too, using the Scotts (when I was demo-ing it today)...so I don't think it is user error (okay, with me, maybe it is):lol

There are a few Reel mowers on Craigs list.

Okay, I bit the bullet and just ordered my reel mower (its been a project in the making for awhile, so this isn't too much of an impulse buy). I bought it at People Powered Machines and its got a 30 day money back guarantee (although, you have to eat the return shipping and $10 restocking fee), but the shipping is free and there is no tax.

I bought the Sunlawn lmm35....I like the fact that supposedly, you don't have to sharpen the blades for up to 7 years (there are other reasons why I bought this one, too,). I am just hoping that I love this one like I enjoyed the Scotts push mower....I just know that today, when I mowed, I was just so frickin' excited to see the blades of grass/weeds just be cut down and it was SO easy....

I will report back to let you know how it goes when I get it...dang, and its not even my birthday yet!

We have one as well- it was 12.oo at the resale store.

I'll be watching this thread... we have been checking them out as well, I really want one, so would love to see how it works for you... I would love to find one that has been used already, just because I prefer that method, I see they run around 120-180 I think at Home Depot and Lowes... Scotts was the one we liked best so far, but am curious about your new one ...

Love this forum!!!!

We were just talking about one, too, so if anyone finds a source please let us know!

Green Living in Lakewood sells them. I talked with the owners about them. They said one thing is you need to mow regularly, as they don't work well once the grass gets too tall.. but I've had several friends that love them.

www.green-living.com

I've been checking ebay on and off for reel mowers....they have a few of the scotts classic on there....less than what you would spend at Home depot or lowes. I will definately write back once I get my lawn mower....I never knew I would ever be the gal to be excited over domestic things....including push mowers. go figure!

I'm trying to convince B we need a reel mower. He says that since he mows the lawn, he gets to choose, but I told him if we had a reel mower that I would do it. I know it would be good exercise for me, but I'm not so sure what I'd do with Sophie. Hopefully the posts here will help me convince him.

wear her on your back! i do lots of outside jobs and vacuuming etc with yossarian on my back.
be a bit hot to do it comfortably in the middle of july, but still an option!

My husband hates the way I mow lawns (hey, I was raised in the desert....we didn't have a lawn) so the first time I mowed it, it was pretty rough and choppy. No matter. Since I am taking this on, I don't mind making multiple passes to get a groomed look....we're expecting our second little monster sometime in July, so I imagine that he'll be riding on my back or front while I push mow.....its actually better this way, because when we used to hire someone to mow, we never knew when they would show up....and now with a toddler and soon-to-be baby, I don't want naptime disturbed by the gas lawn mower sound....luckily, our area isn't too big and bad to mow!

My husband hates the way I mow lawns (hey, I was raised in the desert....we didn't have a lawn) so the first time I mowed it, it was pretty rough and choppy. No matter. Since I am taking this on, I don't mind making multiple passes to get a groomed look....we're expecting our second little monster sometime in July, so I imagine that he'll be riding on my back or front while I push mow.....its actually better this way, because when we used to hire someone to mow, we never knew when they would show up....and now with a toddler and soon-to-be baby, I don't want naptime disturbed by the gas lawn mower sound....luckily, our area isn't too big and bad to mow!

I was just poking around in Sundance Channel Blogs for more info on The Green (I don't get Sundance so I have no idea how good it is) and found a blog entry about reel mowers (http://www.sundancechannel.com/blogs/treehugger/390206028). There are a few links in there that might be helpful.

Ours is by Husquevarna. Works great! Was like $130 new, we got it for $30 used.

....quick shipping! My report is this: I absolutely adore the idea of a push mower. I had to tackle some pretty high grass though, so it took a long time to mow my backyard but I eventually got it done. There was a lot of going over the same area and having to back off a spot because it would get stuck (the grass was super long, though, so I expected that). The only thing I DON'T like about the Sunlawn is that you have to loosen and then tighten a set of screws to adjust the cutting height...which isn't bad, but I noticed mid-mowing that the screws would come loose and the cutting height would be altered. That's a dumb design. But maybe it was because I was really whacking some tough, long grass and it would throw it off-kilter.....if it was already manicured and easy to mow, maybe the adjustment wouldn't change.

What I LOVED about it was that it was really simple....our lawn is sloped and I'm 7 months pregnant and yet I could still wheel the thing around. When my daughter was yacking at me, I could hear her and I could mow right next to the dogs when they were lying in the grass. When my daughter told me (twice) she had to go poo poo, I could hear that, and I could drop the handle of the mower and just attend to her....no need to start a lawnmower, just pick up the handle and resume my work. I didn't wear shoes and when the reel would get stuck (too much grass) I would actually stick my bare foot on the blade reel and free it up (yeah, maybe that isn't the smartest thing to do). The only bad thing about not having to wear shoes was that I stepped in a dog turd.

Other than that, I am really pleased with the reel mower...I might write the company (People Powered Machines) and get their feedback on the cutting height adjustment thing, but overall I really like the reel mower in general.


Tomorrow, I hope to tackle the front lawn and side lawn (thankfully, I had mowed it with the neighbor's Scott reel mower a week before so the grass should be more manageable) but I love it for the ease!

HOpe this review helps other people...I think the reel mower totally kicks butt (although I bet my husband will have something negative to say) and yeah, its more work, but as long as you don't mind that, there are just SO many positive things about it! I still remember people scoffing at the idea of me using a push mower, but it really is so simple!

Has anyone had any BAD experiences with particular brands? I've heard that high-end reel mowers are great but that the inexpensive models can be iffy. Anybody come across any duds?

APConnect, I have one and its not been a good experience so far. I bought it after the raves on here and a few other sites instead of buying a motor powered one. With all the rain this season, my grass is overrun with weeds and the push mower just isnt cutting it. I hired the guy that does our neighbors yard for the front yard and am just going to hire him for the back too because its just not cutting it (literally) :(

Oh, and I have a Sears Craftsman brand.

Oh, and I have a Sears Craftsman brand.

That's what I'm thinking, that a brand that's not a specialty brand or higher end might not cut it -- *especially* for those of us who don't use herbicides and have more weeds than some people might. :fingcross

We love our Scott's ....