Lawn mowers, Reel vs Push.
 

I'm looking at buying a new lawn mower in the next few days and am looking at the reel type mowers. I've only used the push type before, and wonder how well they work. I do like how quiet they are.

Or is this another one of those things like depowering a steering rack, where it sounds cool but once you've done it you want to go back.

Buy a Honda, never look back.

I've had one, and I loved it. The only reason I got rid of it was because I transferred to somewhere that I had no lawn, or place to store it. If I decide to go with a push mower, the Honda Civic is at the top of the list.

But I kind of like the idea of a virtually noiseless mower.

I'd rather deal with noise than having to propel my mower.

If your yard is small enough to push a reel type mower through it, then it's small enough for a cordless electric mower.

You can find 40V mulching + bagging mowers with over an hour run-time on a charge

A co-worker got a 16" reel mower when he moved in his new home last month, it takes him 2 1/2 hours to mow 1/4 acre every 4 days (spring in Indiana), his excitement about a quiet no pollution mower is fading fast, we joke that we will fertilize his yard one of this nights to keep the grass growing at this rate LOL

Never considered an electric mower. I hate dragging cords around, and I figured the rechargable ones were either not strong enough, or wouldn't hold a charge long enough. I'd hate to have to replace the batteries after only a couple of seasons.

Has the technology come far enough on those to make them a viable option?

How big is your lot / long it takes you to cut it?

I picked up a battery operated mower last year. I've cut for 2 hours with it and it didn't show any signs of dieing.
I really like it, but you can't bag with it. Because i'm in Detroit, and everything is well kept and nice i like to bag my lawn. So i'm actually selling it today for $50. If i didn't care to bag the lawn i'd keep it. It's really quiet, and i can go cut at the ass crack of dawn before it gets to be 95F outside in the summer. That was the best part.

It's not a huge lot, maybe 1/4 acre. I like the idea of mowing early without pissing off the neighbors. Maybe I'll scour Craigslist for one. I have a hard time justifying over $300 for a mower, even if it is quiet.

I picked up my battery mower off CL for $25 *not working*. I replaced the 30a fuse, and it worked great. New batteries are $80(not sure when they would need replacing) for the one i got, so it's really not that much. Plus they are extremely simple, simple circut, easy to work on. Sold it to a friend for $50.
If one pops up, it shouldn't be to expensive.

I love your avatar by the way.

Thanks, I've always liked that picture.

I wish CL was a little more realistic up here. People in the area don't seem to understand depreciation. Everyone buys the cheapest lawn mowers at Home Depot, uses them for 2-3 years, and tries to hock them for $20 less than they paid for it new. Hell, trying to find any lawn mower around here for less than $150 that isn't broke down is a chore. I've gone to see a few in the last week, and in the ad they "work just fine" but when you get there, it smokes, won't start, and the blades are look like they were trying to mow granite.

This, exactly. Buy one of the cheaper Sears/Craftsman ones for $300. Change the oil once a season, and it'll last you for 25 years, easy.

I got rid of my nearly 30 year old Snapper because it was so hard to start (wife couldn't get it running from cold) and got the Sears gold one. Starts so easy it's almost scary. Runs quieter, burns no oil, and even stretches the gas further (can you measure mileage on a mower?).

Reels will take you twice as long. You'll be hot and sweaty while the neighbor is long finished and enjoying a cold one. You can't bag (if you'd ever want to), and you can't run over sticks (jams). You have to keep the blades sharp or they tear the grass which is hard on the lawn. If it's even slightly wet, they will clog up.

There's a reason most people don't use reel mowers; they suck.

for small lawns an electric mower is a great idea. i used to work for an outdoor equipment company and the most popular thing we sold (brush mowers, lawn vacuums, wood chippers) was a little electric mower.

check these out - Walk-Behind Mowers | DR Power Equipment

I wouldn't bother with anything but a gas mower. But I don't give 2 shits about noise or pollution.

Quite the salesman, aren't you phillyb? Those things are pretty damn awesome. I like the idea of it producing lift to make the grass stand up before cutting. 16000 rpm seems pretty fast for a mower.

I think I'm leaning more towards the electric versions. I hadn't thought about damp grass, and a reel type doesn't sound fun in that.

If you have an actual 1/4 acre of grass... do yourself a favor and just get a riding mower. Maybe it's me approaching 40yrs old, but I'm finding myself more and more saying "fuck it" when it comes to money vs. time. I used to have all the time in the world and would use lots of it to save a few bucks... but fuck that now.

You can get new riding mowers at Home Depot for $800'ish on sale (or refurbished or returned) that are worth every penny. Good thing about riding mowers being marketed as "lawn tractors" is that they do more than mow... pull a dump wagon or aerator. If you've got a place to store it, there's no reason to spend $400 on a Honda push mower when you can get one of these... might even convince the wife to go mow now and again:
Ranch King lawn mower
White Outdoors Riding Lawn Mower
(REDUCED) Craftsmen Riding Lawn Mower

Srsly? $100
Riding Mower

lol. it's been a long time since i would have made any commission out of a sales "pitch" but yeah. those things were super popular. my dad has one and fucking loves it.

maybe i don't understand how big/small 1/4 acre is.

I just wish I got a rwd mower to drift around with.

sidecar for the cats?

they are too scared of the outside. i tried to get one to grill with me last night but she wasnt having it.