Reel Mower

9 years ago

Hi. I'm a professional gardener who knows nothing about lawns. Well, nearly nothing.

I'm an urban gardener in Philadelphia. Most of my work involves window boxes, planters, and tiny courtyard gardens. Very, very few of my clients have lawns, and, if they do, you can almost trim them with a pair of scissors, or, at least, nicely sharpened hedge sheers.

But I've just gotten an inquiry that involves a lawn, albeit, a small one. I am a sole proprietor, and, for now, am running my business out of my little urban rowhome, back yard and a Honda Fit (I know, I know.)

So, I'm thinking about getting an unpowered reel mower - something light enough that I can regularly lift in & out of my car, and carry through homes (in many of our city gardens, the only yard access is through the house.) I don't have any lawn clients right now, and will likely only have a handful in the future, so it would get fairly light use.

Can you recommend a good mower for my purposes?

Featured Answer

User

9 years ago

Yeah, anything with an engine is going to weigh 60-70 pounds - at least. Then you got gas and oil to worry about as you traverse people's homes.

Maybe stop by Lowe's and check out their battery powered mowers. People with smaller yards have good things to say about GreenWorks mowers. Should be somewhat lighter I would think. Or try out a cheapo reel mower to see if it's doable before you spend big money.

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Comments (10)

Pennstater2005
9 years ago
I don't know much about reel mowers but this one is light and not very wide. It gets pretty good reviews overall.

https://www.amazon.com/Gardena-4023-15-Inch-Silent-Mower/dp/B002VED4JC/ref=pd_sbs_86_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B002VED4JC&pd_rd_r=YV0YWZ3VJSPP99ZE4MFB&pd_rd_w=SA2HH&pd_rd_wg=LLirZ&psc=1&refRID=YV0YWZ3VJSPP99ZE4MFB
Red (6a SW PA) Skip
9 years ago
The area you are in, cold season grasses, you won't want to use a reel lower. Very hard to push through 3+ inches of grass.
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Carrie B
Original Author
9 years ago
Red - do they make other mowers that are light enough for one 51 yo 5'3" woman to haul in & out of a car & through a house on a regular basis?
User
9 years ago
A self propelled push mower is going to be your best bet. It's a little heavy so taking it out of the car is going to be a bit of a batch, but after that the work is over, it drives itself. A reel mower is going to be quite the workout in tall grass.
Carrie B
Original Author
9 years ago
I'll need to bring it in & out of my car, up steps and through houses. Really, weight is a big issue.
reeljake
9 years ago
Not a good plan. Even if you find a light one that's good for tall grasses, there are exposed free spinning blades all the time on a reel. Lifting it in & out of a car repeatedly is asking for trouble.
Carrie B
Original Author
9 years ago
What you say about sharp spinning blades makes total sense! Not sure what you're saying about tall grasses.... I'm thinking small, well tended lawns, about 3-5"... is that considered tall?
User
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sunbeam, among others, used to make small twin bladed corded electric mowers that were quite light. (20-25 lbs?) You may be able to find a used one on ebay or craigslist. They have become highly sought after. :(

The newer models are bulkier, but fairly light:

https://www.mowersdirect.com/Black-and-Decker-LM175-Lawn-Mower/p10991.html
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
For a small lawn, I prefer push reel mowers - they give a very precise and professional looking cut.

American is the brand I used when I still had a lawn to mow :-) The higher end ones do have a height adjustment and work perfectly well with a taller growing lawn but I suggest mowing at least weekly to avoid allowing the lawn grow too tall. Very portable and easily taken in or out of a vehicle.