A regular mower cuts grass by lopping the top with a blade. Basically the speed of the blade insure the cut is made. However a push reel mower SHEARS the grass just like a pair of scissors. So it makes a much cleaner cut. There are several advantages to this. The main one is that the cleaner cut makes for a healthier lawn. It also gives the lawn a more manicured appearance. So it definitely has its advantages.
However there are some real disadvantages. The main one is that you have to push it to turn the blades. If you get the right reel mower for your lawn, it gets easier. They are typically lighter than power mower. If you have a lawn tractor, you can get versions that are towed behind it with very wide cuts. There are powered ones out there but they aren't cheap. I was looking at ReelMowers.Com and saw that their powered mowers start at $1300 but they do have Honda engines.
Another disadvantage is that they are more mechanically complex. Basically there are more things to break. However they are usually very reliable. You can expect to sharpen the blades a bit more often than a regular mower and that is typically more difficult simply because there are more blades to sharpen.
IMO the biggest disadvantage is that they are pretty much useless in tall grass. Not only is it very difficult to push, but the tall grass gets pushed down and cut up very unevenly. The blades can clog up too. However it shouldn't be a problem if you're the type of guy that ALWAYS mows his yard regularly.
Hope this helps..
However there are some real disadvantages. The main one is that you have to push it to turn the blades. If you get the right reel mower for your lawn, it gets easier. They are typically lighter than power mower. If you have a lawn tractor, you can get versions that are towed behind it with very wide cuts. There are powered ones out there but they aren't cheap. I was looking at ReelMowers.Com and saw that their powered mowers start at $1300 but they do have Honda engines.
Another disadvantage is that they are more mechanically complex. Basically there are more things to break. However they are usually very reliable. You can expect to sharpen the blades a bit more often than a regular mower and that is typically more difficult simply because there are more blades to sharpen.
IMO the biggest disadvantage is that they are pretty much useless in tall grass. Not only is it very difficult to push, but the tall grass gets pushed down and cut up very unevenly. The blades can clog up too. However it shouldn't be a problem if you're the type of guy that ALWAYS mows his yard regularly.
Hope this helps..
