Reel lawn mowers are cheap mowers that involve very low maintenance costs. They may appeal to those who are eco-friendly, love exercise, or those who are trying to save money. Aside from cost and low maintenance, reel mowers may be attractive because they are quiet, lightweight, and create no pollution. If you want to take “going green” to the max then a reel mower may be the way to go. Many owners of reel lawn mowers are highly motivated people who can keep up on mowing to ensure that their grass won’t get too long.
The thing to remember with reel lawn mowers is that you will have to mow on a regular basis, being sure to not let your grass get too long. You will also be well-advised to remove all twigs from the yard before mowing. This could become a “reel” hassle if you have a lot of trees in your yard! This makes these little mowers ideal for smaller yards with few trees.
How Reel Lawn Mowers Work
The blades of reel mowers are set up to spin perpendicular to the ground. This is accomplished through the classic cylinder shape of the reel lawn mower. The classic rotary lawnmower that most people are familiar with uses blades that spin parallel to the ground and are powered by a gas engine. The blades on a reel lawn mower simply spin with the wheels in a circular motion as the mower is being pushed by the user.