A push reel mower is basically a manual reel mower. It’s not powered so you will have to provide the power by pushing it. As such, you need to be very careful when settling for one because it can make or break you and your lawn. The best push reel mower should have all “push-friendly” features because you don’t want to hurt your back and hands in the process. Also, evaluate your lawn before buying any push reel mower to know what features you should prioritize.
In this article, we are going to look at the top 7 best push reel mowers to help you make the best decision for you and your lawn.
Why Use a Push Reel Mower?
They are not only cheaper to buy but also to operate and maintain. They are also environmentally-friendly, and no noise pollution plus mowing this way is a better aerobic exercise. They cut precisely and cleanly thus better for your lawn.
Reel push mower buying guide: Factors to consider when buying a push reel mower
Weight
Being a push reel mower, avoid the too heavy options because the weight might weigh you down even before completing the task.
Cutting Width
This matters most if you have a large lawn. To avoid taking too long to get the job done, go for bigger and longer mowers i.e electric lawn mower or electric riding lawn mower because with just a few back and forth passes you will have covered a wider area. However, bigger and longer mowers might be heavier so decide on what to compromise, weight or fast mowing.
Cutting Heights
Ensure that the push reel mower you’re considering buying has the ideal range of heights to adjust the blades for your lawn.
The Direction of Grass Spray
The reel mower will either spray the grass from behind or front. The problem with it spraying from behind is that your feet will be covered in clippings.
Size of your lawn
Push reel mowers are only ideal for use in small-medium sized yards.
The Nature/Condition of Your Yard
Manual/push reel mowers may not handle overgrown and bumpy yards well as these conditions affect the traction of the wheels and thus can’t move the blade properly. However, if it’s only a small part of it, you can go back with a weed-wacker.
The Type of Grass You Have
Push reel mowers don’t work the same on all kinds of grass. Thus, as you buy, ensure that the mower is the best for your type of grass.
List of Top Best Push Reel Mower
Fiskars 18 Inch Staysharp Max Reel Mower
Weight: 52 lbs.
Cutting width: 18″
Height adjustment: 1-4 inches, one-touch
Warranty: 3 years (limited)
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The Fiskars Staysharp 18 inch Max reel mower is quite expensive compared to most push mower options, but it’s definitely worth the extra bucks. Coming from a company that specializes in making high-end scissors, the blades in this are super impressive.
First, this reel mower works on small twigs and thick grass easily, thanks to the incorporation of the inertiaDrive reel technology that has heavier-than-normal blades with a larger-than-usual diameter that gives it more power to get the job done faster. If you have used a different push reel mower before, you’ll definitely notice the difference with this.
It also cuts any type of grass perfectly thanks to the proprietary VersaCut technology which also reduces internal friction. About sharpening, you will go years without thinking thanks to the hardened steel, precision-ground blades.
It’s easy to push thanks to the looped handle, and you can easily adjust the height from 1-4 inches. Again, the edging tasks are easier to handle thanks to the well-thought design where the wheels are on the inside of the mower. This is the one most important feature that makes Fiskars better than Scotts classic.
The cutting deck is 18-inches wide, and the mower discharges clippings forward, and even though it’s heavier than most options, it’s much easier to work with.
- Easier to push than most manual reel mowers
- Great cutting power
- Sprays the grass in front of you
- It stays sharp and only needs sharpening every 5-10 years
- Fast
- Powerful
- Maneuverable
- It’s heavy and quite expensive compared to other models, but it’s easier push, work on edges, and generally worth the extra bucks.
Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower
Weight: 34 Lbs.
Cutting width: 20″
Height adjustment: 1 – 3 inches, nine settings, quick-snap
Warranty: 2 years
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Scotts Classic comes up second in our list of the best reel push mower for a number of reasons. One, compared to our number one, Fiskars model, Scotts Classic features a simpler design, and it’s way affordable. Important to note though, the simple design and lower price doesn’t mean lacking in performance.
It has a 20” cutting width meaning you will need just a few passes to cut your lawn. It’s also very easy to push despite the wide deck, and this is why most people prefer it over the other options. It also features 5 heat-tempered blades that are in a unique ball-bearing assembly, and each is inclined at a different angle so as to reduce friction while improving their cut.
It’s the one push reel mower that handles any type of grass well, and it’s very consistency. Height adjustment, nine settings, is easy and it’s also very lightweight thanks to the simple design.
The only downside to going by this mower is that it doesn’t perform very well through large twigs and very tall grass. It’s meant to handle up to 20 inches tall grass, and it performs perfectly on thick or normal grass.
- Very powerful
- Lightweight and easy to push
- Very affordable
- Wider cutting width
- 3” max cutting height, thus very versatile
- Since the Scotts 2000-20 Classic’s dual-tracking radial wheels are outside the mower and this makes it hard to edge your lawn. Again, as noted above, the more doesn’t do well over large twigs or very tall grass.
Great States 415-16 16” Reel Mower
Weight: 26 lbs.
Cutting width: 16″
Height adjustments: 1 – 2.5″
Warranty: 1 year
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The Great States 415-16 is another great push reel mower, even though it has a narrower cutting deck, 16 inches, than both Scotts and Fiskars models. It also has fewer height adjustments, 2.5 inches, and has a cushioned T-shaped handle as opposed to the looped design. That aside, the Great States 415-16 is still a really good push mower, and that’s why it made it to the top three in our list of the best reel push mower.
First, it’s powerful, and it handles normal-length grass perfectly. It’s also very durable, and you won’t be looking for a replacement in a long time. It’s also lightweight thus even more easy to push and has enough heft to handle level grounds easily without drifting or bumping. The wheels are 10-inches, and they are in ball-bearing assemblies thus they roll smoothly.
It has five blades, and they are all made from tempered steel, and they are angled to make it possible to handle various lawns with ease.
Compared to Scotts 2000-20, the Grate States 415-16 more is less expensive, but their performance is very close, and they also share a lot in common apart from the cutting deck width and the adjustable heights.
- Lightweight and easy to push
- Durable
- Easy to assemble
- Very satisfactory cut
- Has plenty of power
- The blades stay sharp longer
- The Great State 415-16 has a narrower cutting-deck compared to our top two options, and it also has fewer height adjustments.
Gardena 4023 15-Inch Push Reel Mower
Weight: 20 pounds
Cutting width: 15″
Height adjustments: 1 – 2.5 inches
Warranty: 1 year
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The Gardena 4023 is a manually push operated reel mower with a 15 inches cutting width. The cutting technique is contact-free meaning that the rear cutting blades don’t make any contact with cutting reel blades thus maintaining their sharpness while also reducing maintenance frequency. This feature allows cutting reel blades to stay sharp for long and you don’t have to often sharpen them unlike in the case of contact reel mowers. Additionally, it makes the Gardena super quiet when cutting your lawn.
Moreover, Gardena cutting reel features five hardened steel blades with a non-stick coating that makes it sturdy and durable. It also has a ground bottom blade that ensures you have an even, clean cut every time you mow.
The handle is straight and can be adjusted to be used by people with different heights, and it’s easy to push. The lawnmower also has sliding cutting height adjustments from 1inch to 2½ inches. The lawnmower weight is 20 pounds making small and compact for easy storage in the tool shed or garage. The grass catcher is an optional accessory that is sold separately.
- Coated steel cutting cylinder
- Removable handle thus easy to transport and store
- Adjustable cutting height
- Easy to push
- Contact-free cutting system
- Durable, hardened five cutting blades
- Assembling is easy
- Quite expensive for a manual reel mower
- Because the wheels are on the outside of the blades, the mower doesn’t do edges well.
GreenWorks 16-Inch Reel Lawn Mower
Weight: 26 pounds
Cutting width: 16″
Height adjustment: 1 1/8 – 2 ¼ inches
Warranty: 4 years
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The Greenworks 16-inch reel lawn mower is environment-friendly, easy-to-use, with low- maintenance unlike loud, electric or gas powered mowers. It’s a walk behind mower that has a grass catcher. The grass catcher is an added advantage as it has adjustable straps and can sit low, close to the throw of the mowers’ blades arrangements for pleasant collecting of the cut grass.
Additionally, it comes with a detached handle that is easy to assemble with just a wrench, 8 nuts, and bolts. In less than 10 minutes you are good to start cutting grass in your lawn. Moreover, the 5 blade with steel helical design is set up to help cut grass evenly and fine than when using a normal reel mower. The contact-free blades are suitable for silent cutting.
If you intend to mow weekly, you can leave the grass on your lawn as mulch. Nevertheless, this reel lawn mower has four position height adjustment, between 1 1/8 -2.25 inches that make it easy to work on various types of grass. Adjusting from one height to the other is easy.
Again, the front wheels of this mower are 10 inches and the rear rollers are 2 inches which ensure easy maneuverability.
- Less noise pollution
- Very sturdy
- Very lightweight
- Very maneuverable
- Very fast
- Simple height adjustment
- Has a grass catcher
- Doesn’t do well on really tall grass, but you can avoid this by mowing frequently
- It easily gets snagged by twigs and sticks, but you can pull the blade back using your foot to release the twigs or sticks.
Earthwise 1816-18EW 18” 5-Blade Economy Reel Mower
Weight: 27 pounds
Cutting width: 18″
Height adjustment: 1 – 3 inches
Warranty: 2 years
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The Earthwise 1816 reel mower snip and cut grass with each blade like scissors, unlike other rotary mowers that hack the grass blades tearing and ripping the grass leaving it open to insects and diseases. With Earthwise 1816 reel mower you are sure of a clean cut and an attractive lawn. Again, you can mow your lawn in total silence because it’s very quiet.
Better still, the handle features an ergonomic design that makes it easy to push, and it’s also well-cushioned for comfort. It’s also easy to assemble and thanks to the large 10”composite front wheels and the 6” tracing rear wheels, the mower is very maneuverable and fast.
Moreover, this mower weighs 27 pounds which is easy to push on uneven ground, and it’s actually very lightweight compared to our first two options.
Additionally, it the cutting height adjustment is between 1-3 inches meaning it’s a quite versatile mower. And, storing Earthwise 1816 reel mower is easy since it’s quite compact and it doesn’t take a large space. You can store it in your shed, garage or hang it on the wall.
- Large wheel for easy and fast maneuverability
- Alloy steel construction makes it sturdy and durable
- Precise cutting
- Tool-less assembly
- Ergonomic handle design
- Wider cutting width
- The mower has a hard time working on a yard with a lot of debris, say twigs, walnuts, acorns, etc. so you might want to rake them off before starting to mow.
American Lawn Mower 1204-14
Weight: 19 pounds
Cutting width: 14″
Height Adjustments: ½ -1 ¾ inch
Warranty: 1 year
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This American lawn 1204-14 is a push reel mower that provides a precise, clean, scissor-like cut to turf grasses. It has a 14 inches cutting width and ½ to 1¾ inches cutting height options that you can switch in between, making it efficient for the small-medium lawn but not suitable for heavily overgrown grass, twigs, and branches as it makes the reel to jam.
The mower has high impact polymer wheels with a diameter of 8.5 inches that has a molded design for easy maneuverability. Moreover, this lawn mower features convenient one-blade 3-spider reel and alloy steel reel assembly that makes it sturdy and effective when cutting turf grass with a gentle push.
The mower weighs 19 pounds making it lightweight and has a comfortable T-handle such that it’s easy to push and use as long as you are physically fit and can walk. The footprints are small thus making it compact for easy storage.
- Simple to assemble and use
- Durable high-impact wheels
- It’s lightweight with sharp blades, making manual work easy.
- No gas or fuel required hence no emissions
- You need to rake the lawn before using this mower since it easily gets stuck on rocks and sticks.
- It has a small cutting width forcing you to make more passes across a large lawn.
Conclusion
The best push reel mower will not only make it easy and to maintain your lawn in the best condition, but it’s also environmentally friendly. From the seven options above, you will get one that meets your needs perfectly.
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