American Lawn Mower 1705-16 16-Inch Bent Reel Mower

Nearly every homeowner in my immediate area (where the lawns average less than 1/4 acre) possesses a giant, smelly, noisy gas powered mower. Surely a better way existed, but what to do? A reel mower, one state-of-the-art, simple to operate and quiet fills the bill. This product is easy to assemble (lawn cutting out of the box within 20 minutes), easy to use (I let my seven-year-old son push it around with supervision for a few minutes) and very effective on our small yard. Furthermore, the slippery handle grips mentioned above were neither easy to put on (unless lubricated with a bit of soapy water) or easily removed. If you have a small, relatively flat yard - you can't go wrong. The unit is quite maneuverable and generates about as much noise as roller-blade skates.

I bought the Great States model 1415-16 mower from Amazon two years ago. The same company makes the Great States, American, and Scotts brands... You can't buy directly from Great States/American and Amazon has the best selection. From what I've read and experienced, buy the lightest mower with at least five blades. I'll tell you this. These aren't your father's reel mowers. Today's reel mowers are state-of-the-art. Once you buy one of these, you'll never go back to gas. The one I have can compete with any of the "best" gas-driven mowers on my street. It's easy to push, more gentle on the grass, and doesn't pollute. Best of all? No starting. No gas. No maintenance. I haven't had to sharpen the blades yet. This is one item I can recommend without reservation.

An old BMX biking trick for putting handles on easily and making them stick is to spray them down with hair spray before slipping them on. They go on real easy when wet and are stuck tight when dry.