American Lawn Mower 1815-18 18-Inch Reel Mower

This item is not for everyone. If you have a relatively small, healthy yard that is free from debris then it will probably work for you. I am not a connoisseur of grass, but the variety I have has very slender, fine blades, and tends to flatten very easily (when walked upon, etc.). This is not a problem for a power mower, because the circular action of the blades works as a vacuum to pull the grass up before it is cut. The push-reel mower does not have that advantage, and grass that is not standing tall can easily escape the blade. Therefore, one pass does not yield an even cut, so it is usually necessary to repeat every pass from a different direction to get satisfactory results. For that reason, this item would not be very practical for a large yard. If your grass is of a thicker variety, as I think you may find more of in the south, then the mower would probably work more efficiently.

If you have large trees in your yard, you may want to consider the effects of the...Read more

This is the perfect mower for the perfect lawn. Unfortunately, mine isn't the perfect lawn (yet). I was looking for a quiet and clean mower without the hassle of extension cords or the price of a cordless and this fit the bill perfectly. So, after reading the reviews, I bought it, use it, and like it. However, having recently moved into town from out in the sticks, I find I need to re-adjust my `mowers are a great way to deal with anything in the yard under three feet tall' attitude. When the previous reviewer said the tiniest twig stops it he wasn't exaggerating, no matter how fast you get it moving it's just NOT gonna cut wood. Also, it does a fine job of decapitating dandelions but tends to leave the stems standing. Again, I like this mower and am glad I bought it (it's just fun to mow with), but be aware that this mower is for grass only (the old lawnboy did equally well on grass, fern, pine or madrona...) If your lawn tends more toward the rough than the green, you might want to...Read more

I bought my mower a few weeks ago and have used it a couple times on my 1/2 acre lawn. It cuts beautifully, and nearly as quickly as my old gas powered mower. I have enjoyed being able to hear the birds and enjoy the fresh air while I mow. The mowing is a little bit more of a workout than pushing a small gas mower, but anyone who can walk should be able to push it easily. A couple of caveats though, the mower does not cut wet grass well, but I have had good experience cutting grass up to 6" long when it's dry. Also, it requires a clean lawn, even the tiniest twig will stop the blades, but the sticks are easily removed from the blades. The Amazon reviewer thought it was difficult to assemble. While I agree it could be easier, I was not frustrated and had the mower assembled in less than 15 minutes -- and I'm no genious at assembling products. Also, height adjustments could be simpler, it takes 5-10 minutes to readjust the height with a couple of wrenches. Overall, I'm...Read more