You are thinking of a reel mower. Your answer is yes. And this is probably the one you want.
This review may hit your "TLDR" filter, but if you're seriously shopping it might be worth it.
Like the guy who reviewed the McCulloch MCM2013 20-Inch Push Reel Mower, I'm not interested in reel mowers for their hippie "green" nonsense. I just have a smallish subdivision yard, and high-maintenance technology is pointless for such a thing. And, with storage space at a premium, the concept of a mower I can hang on the wall is also nice. Last but not least, the claimed higher cut quality (better for the grass) was attractive.
I had recently inherited the lawn duties, and soon after the balky-engine 6.5hp rotary mower -- which required an order of magnitude more time and effort to crank and keep cranked than was rewarded in actual cutting -- finally totaled itself out. All the desperate pulls on the cord on level asphalt caused the old plastic wheels to break, with the left side wheels falling off during the last mow. At that point I dragged it through the yard on two wheels out of sheer spite until it sputtered and refused to start again.
I decided I was going electric or push reel, if the price was right. (No scythe, sorry.) Electric was intriguing, but cordless comes at a high price. We had a fairly new gas trimmer, so cord management would be an extra and unique chore. (If I had one of those inexpensive corded trimmers, I'd have gone all-electric and had the trimmer strapped on the back ready for quick-switching like some electric grass ninja. Now, if the trimmer dies I'll probably get one of those grass-shears-on-a-stick by Fiskars.
Note well that I have virtually no twig/stick or leaf producing item in my yard, and no gravel. Things like that might've given me pause.
So I did my usual exhaustive research. You may know the Scott's 20-inch mower is reported to have nylon plastic gearing instead of metal, and that it is made in China by a company called American (which also makes the Great States mowers). You may not know the aforementioned McCulloch is visibly identical to the Lowe's "Task Force" and the pricier ProMow reel mower. Also, the cheap no-name green mowers on eBay are a special model developed and sold by QVC, and have bad reviews. The Gilmour is visibly identical to the "Mark's Choice" red reel mower. And I could tell you other various things, but suffice it to say that I knew as much about reel mowers as I could without ever having actually owned one myself.
My criteria, in approximate order:
1. Value
a. Cost
b. Blade Count and Cut Performance on Centipede+Weeds+Random Green Things
c. Mechanical Quality and Durability
2. Maximum Cutting Width
3. Maintenance (e.g. Sharpening)
4. American-made
5. Grass Catcher (not required, but would be nice)
I had no intention of overpaying for a German Brill or Swedish Husqvarna or Chinese-made Sunlawn mower. I just couldn't see the point. I also focused exclusively on 20 inchers, save for the "American" 16-inch 7-blade designed for bent grass, which I have on this lumpy partly-Centipede southeastern US weedgarden/lawn.
So my choices were thus down to Scott's, Gilmour, the McCulloch/Task Force/ProMow, and the 7-blade.
At the time of my purchase, all three of the 20-inchers were competitive price-wise, with perhaps $20 separating the highest from the lowest. The 7-blade was a few dollars cheaper. The ProMow brand is just an expensive paintjob, compared to the identical McCulloch. The Task Force is better ... it includes a grass catcher. Scott's plastic geared, non-sharpening, catcher-lessness put it out of the running.
I had a little trouble choosing between the Gilmour and McCulloch. The Gilmour had a lot more exposure on Amazon and elsewhere than the McCulloch, with over ten times as many reviews. The Gilmour was also self-sharpening, and came with a grass catcher. Country of origin was irrelevant, as none are US-made . . . but I almost chose McCulloch because at least they are made in Taiwan, and not China. But in the end, it wasn't enough. The Gilmour also knocked off the 7-blader, since I don't think this lawn requires 7 due to its lower density than, say, a golf green.
The Task Force might have been an acceptable alternative, but it isn't designed to be self-sharpening. And, it has a smaller cutting range (1.75-2.75 vs. 1-3). Last but not least, it has poor reviews on the Lowe's website.
So I went with the Gilmour. Here are a few notes on what I've seen with it so far:
1. The front tires are an older, smelly rubber compound, but they're very good. The wheels supporting the tires appear to be plastic, which is a minor disappointment. However, the Task Force appears to have plastic wheels, too, and reviews suggest these are better.
2. It is easy to push in low Centipede, thanks to the bearings. I can keep the reels spinning in a turn (with just one wheel turning) and push the thing one-handed on smooth ground. Note that it won't be as easy to push as a *self-propelled* rotary mower (duh!), but it is as easy if not easier than a gas-powered push mower. That engine and steel deck weigh a good bit, but it evens out some since the reel mower takes some extra energy to turn the reel. It is, however, far easier to maneuver, and can be picked up if needed.
3. I put the handle together in 10-15 minutes (if that), and hand-tightened the bolts and screws. I mowed a few test patches, then retightened with actual tools (use a 10mm socket). I then mowed the front yard and part of the back yard, and there was one slightly loose screw but the rest were good. I haven't had a problem in the week since. Even if I had, though, it is easier than sharpening blades, and way easier than cleaning the carburetor!
4. It is not silent. I can hear my cellphone ringing in the pocket (try THAT with a gas rotary!), but I wouldn't try to talk and mow at the same time. I would say the volume is equivalent to a slow skateboarding kid on concrete, but a higher pitch. If you want lower volume, get a non-contact, non-self-sharpening reel mower. I didn't care.
5. This mower does well on grass, chops Japanese clover, and slices up all the other random stuff this yard threw at it. It even punches through well-fortified antbeds. As with a walk-behind, you have to hop over. I have yet to mow on very tall grass (trying to avoid it).
7. I encountered a random piece of cedar mulch in the yard that had somehow emigrated from elsewhere. Yes, I came to a dead stop. Since the gearing does not engage in reverse, you do have to turn the reel with finger or toe so the item falls out.
8. Yes, on bent grasses you may have stray blades or weeds that get missed. However, both powered rotary push mowers and powered rotary riding mowers have missed blades in this yard. This will never be a golf green, so a stray grass blade doesn't concern me much. Overlap a little, just like on a gas push.
9. The yard looks better. The grass was yellowed from a riding mower cut (despite just-sharpened blades), and the grass itself was damaged and purple where the tire tracks ran over it. Since I've reel-mowed, the yellow tips are gone and the purple is fading.
10. The grass catcher is good enough. Breezy conditions allow escapes (the Task Force's catcher may be superior with its higher side walls), but it catches the vast majority. I can mow in crocs without getting blades trapped inside with the grass catcher, otherwise not.
So there you have it.Get more detail about
Gilmour RM30 20-Inch Reel Mower with Grass Catcher.
Posts
