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Originally Posted by Dickey
I have a question about your reel mower. I'm actually considering one since my regular go to mower has some issues and because most of my property is wooded and the actual area with grass to mow is less than 1/2 acre. I've seen quite a few reel types that can go for upwards of $200 and claim to do fairly well. I've never used one, do they rely on their mass and your pushing alone to create enough torque to spin the blades? Are they geared in some manner so the blades spin faster than the mower is pushed?
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You can't go wrong with the Scotts that is sold at Home Depot and another brand that comes highly recommended is Brill. Their Razorcut line is about as good as it gets in the reel mower world.
Don't buy anything less than 19-20". Even with a 20 inch mower, you're lucky to get 18" of solid cut. There is always a section on the end where the blade cannot contact the cutting surface as tight as it can in the middle. So, if you buy a 16", you're only really using a 14" cutting swath, with is just barely better than mowing your lawn with scissors.
They have gears and cogs inside the wheels that spin the 5 blades much faster than walking speed. Anything in the yard over 3 inches will not get cut, simply because of the geometry involved in the way those things are built. Keep an even steady walking speed to increase the uniformity of your cut. (You can even run up hills if you want. Trust me, the blades can keep up.)
If you only have about 1/2 an acre to cut and the grass is a pretty good quality blade then you will really enjoy it. I love the experience of cutting with a real mower. It's very relaxed and even fun. You can have a conversation with your neighbors while you're mowing or even take a phone call and never have to worry about shooting wooden projectiles at your kids playing on the playground...
However, much larger than 1/2 and acre and you're going to spend maybe 3-6 hours per week cutting your grass. And, to be honest, as much as I love being outside, I don't want to spend 6 hours cutting grass.