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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:14:08 PM EDT
Local kid who usually cuts my lawn is going away for the summer. While I kinda enjoy cutting grass, I'm not interested in investing a lot because work frequently takes me away for extended periods. But, I'll be home most of the summer and was thinking of just getting a reel lawn mower to use. I'm on just under a quarter acre, small yard. Anyone use one of these (random pic form Walmart below)?
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:16:05 PM EDT
[#1]
Had to use one of those as a kid back in the 1980s. Sure, my old man had a gas powered mower but I wasn’t allowed to use it so that’s what I had to use.
Absolutely sucked to cut the grass. It would take me all day. I swore I’d never use one of them again. But you do you. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:16:12 PM EDT
[#2]
People actually use those?
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:17:47 PM EDT
[#3]
Not since I was a teenager, when my parents had very nicely manicured lawns both in front and back of our house.
They work great if your grass is in good shape to begin with - No Bermuda or St. Augustine grass, no major weed problems, etc. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:17:48 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Had to use one of those as a kid back in the 1980s. Sure, my old man had a gas powered mower but I wasn’t allowed to use it so that’s what I had to use. Absolutely sucked to cut the grass. It would take me all day. I swore I’d never use one of them again. But you do you. Hahaha, yeah, I remember my old man using one back in the early 80s too. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:17:58 PM EDT
[#5]
Hard pass.
I bet you could get a cheapo gas mower for a similar price anyway. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:19:03 PM EDT
[#6]
this one is actually pretty easy to use. cuts great, too. had one when i had a small lawn instead of a big yard.
https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/products/reel-mowers/staysharp-max-reel-mower-362050-1002 |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:19:26 PM EDT
[#7]
I remember cutting my grandmother's tiny front lawn in Bay Ridge Brooklyn with one of those as a kid.
Talk about antiquated items. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:19:29 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted: People actually use those? They seem to be popular among hipsters and lefties. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:19:32 PM EDT
[#9]
By saying reel I thought you meant this:
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:20:22 PM EDT
[#10]
I had one for a very specific odd spot in our yard. $50 on Amazon, now I just weedeat that crap. Pretty much only works if the ground is smooth and the grass doesn't grow long.
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:22:39 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Hard pass. I bet you could get a cheapo gas mower for a similar price anyway. I just borrowed a reel mower from a friend, always wanted to try one out. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:23:05 PM EDT
[#12]
I have a John Deere reel mower. I use it periodically if we haven't had a lot of rain but the front lawn starts to look a bit uneven.
Just a walk around the yard and it looks even again.. We've had that John Deere reel mower for 6 or 7 years. Found it at a yard sale for $10. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:23:06 PM EDT
[#13]
Mowing the lawn & neighbor's lawn was one of my duties as a lad. Started with the OP push mower, then graduated to a McLane reel mower with Briggs engine. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
OP, get a mower with an engine. Hear me now and thank me later. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:23:45 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Not since I was a teenager, when my parents had very nicely manicured lawns both in front and back of our house. They work great if your grass is in good shape to begin with - No Bermuda or St. Augustine grass, no major weed problems, etc. Ah, OK. I've got centipede. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:23:49 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I remember cutting my grandmother's tiny front lawn in Bay Ridge Brooklyn with one of those as a kid. Talk about antiquated items. The Duchess of Bay Ridge!  Attached File |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:24:05 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Hahaha, yeah, I remember my old man using one back in the early 80s too. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Had to use one of those as a kid back in the 1980s. Sure, my old man had a gas powered mower but I wasn’t allowed to use it so that’s what I had to use. Absolutely sucked to cut the grass. It would take me all day. I swore I’d never use one of them again. But you do you. Hahaha, yeah, I remember my old man using one back in the early 80s too.  This was my weed whacker. Man I miss being a kid in the 80s. I’ll take a reed mower and grass whip over lgbtqwtfwokebbqbullshit of today. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:26:31 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted: https://www.lewiscontractorsales.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/6203-3.jpg This was my weed whacked too. Man I miss being a kid in the 80s. I'll take a reed mower and grass whip over lgbtqwtfwokebbqbullshit of today. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:28:20 PM EDT
[#18]
A 1/4 acre, you serious, Clark? I know a guy who uses one but he lives in a tiny townhome downtown.
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:32:11 PM EDT
[#19]
My very first home was a trailer with a very small yard.
That style mower worked just fine. I wouldn’t want to do my current yard with one. But for trailer courts and townhomes, it’s probably the better option. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:32:49 PM EDT
[#20]
Looks like it would do the job, but it wouldn't mulch, right? So you'd be left with blades of grass everywhere, or you'd have to bag it.
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:33:57 PM EDT
[#21]
My buddy had a small yard, like 20 feet by 40 feet. They had a reel mower and it was fine for that sized yard. Cut really well when it was sharp and perfectly aligned. Once it got dull it basically would not cut at all.
I can sharpen a gas mower with a bench grinder or just ignore a dull blade and it will still cut. When my buddies reel mower got dull they had to take it to a pro. OP - when yours gets dull you will either have to order new blades or find a person to sharpen it . That may not be possible where you live. Price new blades. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:34:19 PM EDT
[#22]
I do
I prefer it Leaves me time to think about things and it's easy enough you can't fall behind, it sucks if the grass gets too long |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:35:48 PM EDT
[#23]
I have one , used it for a couple of years before I hired a lawn guy,
lawn never looked better while using it, was good excercise, had to walk it over the yard twice a week, if the grass gets too long , forget it. make sure you rake real good once in the spring, small sticks will jam the blade and stop it in its tracks I have a half acre of grass, |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:35:55 PM EDT
[#24]
Fuck that.
Have you ever used one? It's like pushing a fucking cinderblock through sand. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:38:09 PM EDT
[#25]
Used one as a kid. When the blades where sharp and it was running correctly, it worked really well for our small yard.
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:38:52 PM EDT
[#26]
They're great for grass that doesn't need mowing. Otherwise a hard no.
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:39:03 PM EDT
[#27]
Flat lawns they work ok. You'll want to mow often, tall grass doesn't work well.
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:45:25 PM EDT
[#28]
Just get one of the cheaper Ryobi electric ones. No oil or gas to deal with and they are perfect for your size yard
https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-40V-HP-Brushless-20-in-Cordless-Battery-Walk-Behind-Push-Mower-with-6-0-Ah-Battery-and-Charger-RY401170VNM/317061059 They have cheaper if you want to use the 18v batteries. This one is the 40 volt |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:48:13 PM EDT
[#29]
I used a Fiskars StaySharp reel mower here for a few years. They're actually great if your yard is small, grows at roughly the same rate, and can be mown weekly.
I stopped using mine because we resodded part of the yard, and the new sod grew much faster than the other grass. A reel mower only cuts in a certain height range, so it's a pain if the yard is different heights. I use an electric mower now. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:49:09 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryQuoted: this one is actually pretty easy to use. cuts great, too. had one when i had a small lawn instead of a big yard. https://www.fiskars.com/en-us/gardening-and-yard-care/products/reel-mowers/staysharp-max-reel-mower-362050-1002 My wife's friend bought one a few weeks ago. I installed the handle and set it up for her. Then I pushed it around to see how it cut as I've never used one. My 5min review is... PROS: it was easy to push, it cut the "grass" portion well, it feels well made CONS: pickup and avoid anything not grass (sticks, pine cones, etc) and the big problem I found right away it would not cut tall weeds unless I kind of gave the mower a quick push and camped on the weed I wanted cut. Someone mentioned grass whips, OP you'll probably want one if you buy a reel mower. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 2:50:45 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted: They're great for grass that doesn't need mowing. Otherwise a hard no. 
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Posted: 5/23/2022 3:26:48 PM EDT
[#32]
Does a powered reel count? I have a 1/4 acre lot and would not want to mow it with a manual anything. This is my first season using a reel after years of rotary mowing - 20" California Trimmer 7-blade. Kept my Honda HRX for scalping and using it in the back yard.
 Be warned... powered reel mowing is a gateway to greens mowers 
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Posted: 5/23/2022 3:32:03 PM EDT
[#33]
I bought one this year just to mow the strip of grass between the pool and house because the riding mower blows grass cuttings off of the house and into the damn pool every time I mowed.
Works fine for that small 25' x 15' area. Wouldn't want to have to cut much more than that with one of these though. |
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Posted: 5/23/2022 4:57:14 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted: I have one of these also. They suck ass along fences and foundations and most of the places you would use a weed eater. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: https://www.lewiscontractorsales.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/6203-3.jpg This was my weed whacked too. Man I miss being a kid in the 80s. I'll take a reed mower and grass whip over lgbtqwtfwokebbqbullshit of today. They're terrible for cutting anything other than your shins. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 1:45:54 PM EDT
[#35]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Does a powered reel count? I have a 1/4 acre lot and would not want to mow it with a manual anything. This is my first season using a reel after years of rotary mowing - 20" California Trimmer 7-blade. Kept my Honda HRX for scalping and using it in the back yard. https://i.imgur.com/KgtUsNh.jpg Be warned... powered reel mowing is a gateway to greens mowers Hahaha, I was looking at Allett Stirling's website earlier, good grief. I'm looking to keep in under $150. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:07:55 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Does a powered reel count? I have a 1/4 acre lot and would not want to mow it with a manual anything. This is my first season using a reel after years of rotary mowing - 20" California Trimmer 7-blade. Kept my Honda HRX for scalping and using it in the back yard. https://i.imgur.com/KgtUsNh.jpg Be warned... powered reel mowing is a gateway to greens mowers THAT is an awesome mower. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:10:29 PM EDT
[#37]
Yeah.. in the 1950's.
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:14:34 PM EDT
[#38]
I used one in the 70s to do my Grandparants yard.
My dad used to have me go around our trees with a sickle that was sharp as it could get. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:16:41 PM EDT
[#39]
Quote HistoryQuoted: https://www.lewiscontractorsales.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/6203-3.jpg This was my weed whacker. Man I miss being a kid in the 80s. I’ll take a reed mower and grass whip over lgbtqwtfwokebbqbullshit of today. As kids every time we went to the cabin Dad would hand my former brother and I one of those to beat the sticker bushes back. After that is was time to mow the lawn with an old school top cranked push mower. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:17:25 PM EDT
[#40]
Pretty sure mine is not fake.
2.5 acre yard and many times I just use the tractor while I'm doing other things on the property. Otherwise it would need mowing twice a week. Thing the OP linked looks like it might work if you had a 1/10th acre lot. People didn't spend umpteen amounts on fertilizer and near non stop watering when those were used to mow grass. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:17:47 PM EDT
[#41]
Quoted: Local kid who usually cuts my lawn is going away for the summer. While I kinda enjoy cutting grass, I'm not interested in investing a lot because work frequently takes me away for extended periods. But, I'll be home most of the summer and was thinking of just getting a reel lawn mower to use. I'm on just under a quarter acre, small yard. Anyone use one of these (random pic form Walmart below)? https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/c2bccd2c-e733-4230-99ef-146f0c7ef859_1.cefbc0c66fb3cf9c4c31d8016101274a.jpeg Was just talking about these with my 89 year old neighbor. We joked that if gas keeps going up he will have to take his out and go to work. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:24:24 PM EDT
[#42]
I bought one of those in 2005 for my first house. Used it up until I sold it, and I left it for the next owner. It actually worked very well and was easy to store. The only real downside is that with very tall weeds (crabgrass and sedge) that grow fast the mower will just bend them over instead of cutting them. I found that going back and forth over them a few times seemed to work for the most part.
Compared to the space needed to store a gas or electric mower, it was totally worth it. That was just a postage stamp lawn though. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:26:57 PM EDT
[#43]
We use one at the lake house on our 10×20' patch of "yard." For a 1/4 acre I'd be getting at least a battery push mower.
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:31:13 PM EDT
[#44]
If you're in Iron Man training, they're great....
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:32:14 PM EDT
[#45]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Had to use one of those as a kid back in the 1980s. Sure, my old man had a gas powered mower but I wasn’t allowed to use it so that’s what I had to use. Absolutely sucked to cut the grass. It would take me all day. I swore I’d never use one of them again. But you do you. I did in the 80’s too. It was my money maker. Cut grass for $5, really big yards for $10. My dad always kept my blades/reels sharp. Taught me to appreciate power anything and to stay on top of mowing. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:33:23 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote HistoryQuoted: By saying reel I thought you meant this: https://thumbs.gfycat.com/DentalWellgroomedAsp-size_restricted.gif Now we know this started...  |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:33:41 PM EDT
[#47]
The blade style gives a superior clean cut, if you are a lawn fanatic.
However, you couldn’t pay me enough to mow without an engine. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:36:45 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted: Had to use one of those as a kid back in the 1980s. Sure, my old man had a gas powered mower but I wasn’t allowed to use it so that’s what I had to use. Absolutely sucked to cut the grass. It would take me all day. I swore I’d never use one of them again. But you do you. If I absolutely had to keep my HOA approved lawn tiptop and crisp during an economic collapse, I'd break out the reel mower. My grandfather had two back in the 70s. During that era, hoofing my neighborhood with a push mower and a metal gas can was my childhood revenue stream. Cutting my grandfather's yard on visits, pro bono, with a reel sucked. |
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:43:30 PM EDT
[#49]
Reel mowers were known as "push mowers" when I was a kid; they are what we, and most people in my neighborhood, used. I can think of no reason to choose one over any type of "power" mower.
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Posted: 5/24/2022 2:43:54 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuoted: https://www.lewiscontractorsales.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/6203-3.jpg This was my weed whacker. Man I miss being a kid in the 80s. I’ll take a reed mower and grass whip over lgbtqwtfwokebbqbullshit of today. Quote HistoryQuoted: Quoted: Quoted: Had to use one of those as a kid back in the 1980s. Sure, my old man had a gas powered mower but I wasn’t allowed to use it so that’s what I had to use. Absolutely sucked to cut the grass. It would take me all day. I swore I’d never use one of them again. But you do you. Hahaha, yeah, I remember my old man using one back in the early 80s too. https://www.lewiscontractorsales.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000002/6203-3.jpg This was my weed whacker. Man I miss being a kid in the 80s. I’ll take a reed mower and grass whip over lgbtqwtfwokebbqbullshit of today. Man, I've not even thought about a grass whip in decades. Those were actually quite effective if kept razor sharp. My old man had one that was sickle shaped that was lighter and worked even better. |
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