So I cut my lawn with my new Reel Lawmower.

[underpants]

The push kind. A "Leave it to Beaver" as we used to call them.

Sun Joe model. 20" blades. Got it for $101 on Overstock (one of several discounts to I got by changing my address with the Post Office online) only to see that I could have gotten it for $80 on Amazon. Oh well.

Basically you put the arms/handles together and it snaps right on to the actual mower.

Worked really well. I had to get used to keeping the arms at a certain angle but after a while I really got the hang of it. I could get into specific spots with it. Nice clean cut. I had it raised up because this was the first cut but I can't imagine cutting the grass any shorter.

Small front yard. That was one of my requirements for our new house (first time buyers both of us) because I was sick off cutting grass. My wife said we could hire a service but my pride (I'm cheap too) wouldn't allow me to do that.

The back yard I was worried about but by the time I got to it I had become one with the machine.
It doesn't do very well with thin wispy weeds though. Those I had to go at from different angles or just pull up. It was the first cut so hopefully I'll have the yard setup from here on out. I'd guess it should take me maybe 30 minutes to cut the grass every week. There is a bit of a noise with this thing but I can actually hear if someone is calling my name.

$100. No more gas or oil or noise. I didn't feel like I was doing a chore I really enjoyed it.

[Ohiogal]

1. I remember my Dad using one of those

When I was very young, then he eventually graduated to a gasoline powered reel mower.

Just think underpants, you aren't buying gas, and you aren't polluting the air with your grass cutting contraption. And if you enjoy doing it, what could be better!

[underpants]

2. Yeah AND my daughter can use it

She's getting close to the age where cutting at least the front yard (15 minutes tops) will be a thing.

I don't like dealing with gas especially a can IN my car.

I brought our old gas one over here to do the initial cut but can't get it started. It was chugging and smoking like the Orca (Jaws) and near its end anyway.

[Ohiogal]

5. "Smoking like the Orca"

lol!

[rurallib]

15. Pretty hard to get your hands into the running blades also

a serious problem eliminated there.

[Beartracks]

26. Don't worry, it gets easier with practice.

========

[True Dough]

3. I used one of those a decade or so ago

It was new and I had high hopes for it. Despite having sharp blades it left behind way too many blades of uncut grass for my liking. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to household chores and couldn't live with all of those "escapees."

I purchased a battery-operated mower and trimmer two years ago and I'm much happier with that.

[sl8]

4. Oh, sure, lord it over all of us still struggling with our Virtual Lawnmowers.

[marble falls]

6. I envy you, we own a condo. I always loved the sound of a good reel mower ...

adjusted and sharpened right. Been decades but I can close my eyes and hear it.

[Floyd R. Turbo]

7. My mother gave me one for my eighth birthday!

[Glorfindel]

8. That's the kind of mower we used when I was a kid

It was actually kind of fun. Then my father bought a gasoline-powered one that was hard to start, stank of gasoline, and made LOTS of noise. Goodbye, fun.

Congratulations, underpants. I hope you can enjoy your new mower for many years to come!

[shraby]

9. For the odd long ones that escape the mower, give the mower an

extra hard push and just let the blades spin over it and that should do the trick.

Been there, done that...years ago and will never go back to one.

[MrModerate]

10. The blades are sharp when the mower is new . . .

But after a couple of uses will get lots duller. Be prepared to push harder. You can sharpen the blades, I'm told, but I don't actually know how.

[csziggy]

25. There are a lot of videos on YouTube advising how to sharpen and adjust the blades

I won't link any one since I don't own that kind of mower and have no idea which of them might be better to view.

[El Mimbreno]

11. Easy mowing

We picked up a Fiskars on closeout for about $130. It's quiet and easy to push and cuts clean except for the buffalo grass runners. Our actual lawn is only about 600 square feet - native blue grama and buffalo grass. The turf is so thick that some of the buffalo runners grow on top of the grass, horizontally. The rest of our acre is wild grass and flowers that we mow as needed with a string mower. I haven't mowed the whole yard yet this year, just trimming around the irrigated trees and veg beds. Yeah, it's been dry; 6" so far this year, most of it early.

[underpants]

24. Fiskars is good stuff

I have one of their axes. It’ll cut anything including plastic lawn furniture I’ve had to bust up to get in the recycling.

[paleotn]

12. congrats and welcome to the club.

[AllaN01Bear]

13. i live in an apartment , so cant do that , but if i ever had a front lawn , no heart problems ,

i would do it with one of these ,
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scythe-with-Grinding-Stone-4-7/512154997?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=18988&adid=22222222227291948118&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=354232375112&wl4=pla-761929079495&wl5=9032205&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=125210027&wl11=online&wl12=512154997&veh=sem&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgtLSvYOy4wIVh56fCh3ocwGJEAQYASABEgIiL_D_BwE

mowed our front and back yard lawn of the house that i grew up in with a reel mower.

[demigoddess]

16. when I was 6 I used to mess around with one of those. Don't remember

if I was really cutting the grass or playing.

[Clash City Rocker]

27. Wear a black robe with a hood when you do it. It'll really freak the neighbors out.

[Ponietz]

14. I bought a scythe and enjoy using it so much more than a weedeater

Very easy to resharpen it.
Quick, too.
👍

[liberalmuse]

18. Where do you get a scythe?

How cool is that? My weed eater is dead and a scythe would be great since I now have a small yard.

[Ponietz]

19. At my local country farm store

They’re not for everyone, but I enjoy using it.

[underpants]

21. Yeah I have a sling blade. Works very well actually.

Mmm hmmm

[Clash City Rocker]

28. Great for cutting them French fried potaters

[mr_lebowski]

30. THERE IS NO BAND RANDY!!!

I love that movie ...

[liberalmuse]

17. I used to use one all the time for a large yard.

My grass was so lush. The blades are better for the grass than gas mower blades. It’s the cutting angles. I left off the bag Because the cuttings from reel mowers are good for the lawn. I have another one I got from a yard sale for 15 bucks, aside from an electric mower given to me, but need to pull out the blade sharpening kit.

[underpants]

22. Most golf course fairways are cut with the old fashioned mowers

At least the PGA course I worked on. Basically an overlapping triangle with mowers in the middle too. Pulled by a big tractor type vehicle. They can cut 15-20 feet wide each pass.

[Mendocino]

20. I have a rechargeable

Black and Decker bought in 2005. Runs 45-60 minutes, just the right run time for my yard. Just push the button and go. Plastic housing, no rust.

[zanana1]

23. I had to use one on our big lawn.

During my teenage years, my mother gave me a choice; housework or outdoor chores. Like an idiot, I chose outdoor chores. It took over two hours to cut the grass with that mower. 90 degree weather with high humidity really helped. (not)

[Hoyt]

29. Yeah, but with those you can't use the "lawnmower won't start" as an excuse.

I think I'm going electric next, have a fairly small yard.

I have heard the newer reels work quite well.