Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 77
 excellent product January 23, 2010
Nitram (SFO)
I have had this for quite some time and it works excellent. i keep it outside and it has not rusted and is still very sharp. I would buy this again in a second...
Excellent Reel Mower November 11, 2009
Mr. Good (Louisiana)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
You are thinking of a reel mower. Your answer is yes. And this is probably the one you want.
This review may hit your "TLDR" filter, but if you're seriously shopping it might be worth it.
Like the guy who reviewed the McCulloch MCM2013 20-Inch Push Reel Mower, I'm not interested in reel mowers for their hippie "green" nonsense. I just have a smallish subdivision yard, and high-maintenance technology is pointless for such a thing. And, with storage space at a premium, the concept of a mower I can hang on the wall is also nice. Last but not least, the claimed higher cut quality (better for the grass) was attractive.
I had recently inherited the lawn duties, and soon after the balky-engine 6.5hp rotary mower -- which required an order of magnitude more time and effort to crank and keep cranked than was rewarded in actual cutting -- finally totaled itself out. All the desperate pulls on the cord on level asphalt caused the old plastic wheels to break, with the left side wheels falling off during the last mow. At that point I dragged it through the yard on two wheels out of sheer spite until it sputtered and refused to start again.
I decided I was going electric or push reel, if the price was right. (No scythe, sorry.) Electric was intriguing, but cordless comes at a high price. We had a fairly new gas trimmer, so cord management would be an extra and unique chore. (If I had one of those inexpensive corded trimmers, I'd have gone all-electric and had the trimmer strapped on the back ready for quick-switching like some electric grass ninja. Now, if the trimmer dies I'll probably get one of those grass-shears-on-a-stick by Fiskars.
Note well that I have virtually no twig/stick or leaf producing item in my yard, and no gravel. Things like that might've given me pause.
So I did my usual exhaustive research. You may know the Scott's 20-inch mower is reported to have nylon plastic gearing instead of metal, and that it is made in China by a company called American (which also makes the Great States mowers). You may not know the aforementioned McCulloch is visibly identical to the Lowe's "Task Force" and the pricier ProMow reel mower. Also, the cheap no-name green mowers on eBay are a special model developed and sold by QVC, and have bad reviews. The Gilmour is visibly identical to the "Mark's Choice" red reel mower. And I could tell you other various things, but suffice it to say that I knew as much about reel mowers as I could without ever having actually owned one myself.
My criteria, in approximate order:
1. Value
a. Cost
b. Blade Count and Cut Performance on Centipede+Weeds+Random Green Things
c. Mechanical Quality and Durability
2. Maximum Cutting Width
3. Maintenance (e.g. Sharpening)
4. American-made
5. Grass Catcher (not required, but would be nice)
I had no intention of overpaying for a German Brill or Swedish Husqvarna or Chinese-made Sunlawn mower. I just couldn't see the point. I also focused exclusively on 20 inchers, save for the "American" 16-inch 7-blade designed for bent grass, which I have on this lumpy partly-Centipede southeastern US weedgarden/lawn.
So my choices were thus down to Scott's, Gilmour, the McCulloch/Task Force/ProMow, and the 7-blade.
At the time of my purchase, all three of the 20-inchers were competitive price-wise, with perhaps $20 separating the highest from the lowest. The 7-blade was a few dollars cheaper. The ProMow brand is just an expensive paintjob, compared to the identical McCulloch. The Task Force is better ... it includes a grass catcher. Scott's plastic geared, non-sharpening, catcher-lessness put it out of the running.
I had a little trouble choosing between the Gilmour and McCulloch. The Gilmour had a lot more exposure on Amazon and elsewhere than the McCulloch, with over ten times as many reviews. The Gilmour was also self-sharpening, and came with a grass catcher. Country of origin was irrelevant, as none are US-made . . . but I almost chose McCulloch because at least they are made in Taiwan, and not China. But in the end, it wasn't enough. The Gilmour also knocked off the 7-blader, since I don't think this lawn requires 7 due to its lower density than, say, a golf green.
The Task Force might have been an acceptable alternative, but it isn't designed to be self-sharpening. And, it has a smaller cutting range (1.75-2.75 vs. 1-3). Last but not least, it has poor reviews on the Lowe's website.
So I went with the Gilmour. Here are a few notes on what I've seen with it so far:
1. The front tires are an older, smelly rubber compound, but they're very good. The wheels supporting the tires appear to be plastic, which is a minor disappointment. However, the Task Force appears to have plastic wheels, too, and reviews suggest these are better.
2. It is easy to push in low Centipede, thanks to the bearings. I can keep the reels spinning in a turn (with just one wheel turning) and push the thing one-handed on smooth ground. Note that it won't be as easy to push as a *self-propelled* rotary mower (duh!), but it is as easy if not easier than a gas-powered push mower. That engine and steel deck weigh a good bit, but it evens out some since the reel mower takes some extra energy to turn the reel. It is, however, far easier to maneuver, and can be picked up if needed.
3. I put the handle together in 10-15 minutes (if that), and hand-tightened the bolts and screws. I mowed a few test patches, then retightened with actual tools (use a 10mm socket). I then mowed the front yard and part of the back yard, and there was one slightly loose screw but the rest were good. I haven't had a problem in the week since. Even if I had, though, it is easier than sharpening blades, and way easier than cleaning the carburetor!
4. It is not silent. I can hear my cellphone ringing in the pocket (try THAT with a gas rotary!), but I wouldn't try to talk and mow at the same time. I would say the volume is equivalent to a slow skateboarding kid on concrete, but a higher pitch. If you want lower volume, get a non-contact, non-self-sharpening reel mower. I didn't care.
5. This mower does well on grass, chops Japanese clover, and slices up all the other random stuff this yard threw at it. It even punches through well-fortified antbeds. As with a walk-behind, you have to hop over. I have yet to mow on very tall grass (trying to avoid it).
7. I encountered a random piece of cedar mulch in the yard that had somehow emigrated from elsewhere. Yes, I came to a dead stop. Since the gearing does not engage in reverse, you do have to turn the reel with finger or toe so the item falls out.
8. Yes, on bent grasses you may have stray blades or weeds that get missed. However, both powered rotary push mowers and powered rotary riding mowers have missed blades in this yard. This will never be a golf green, so a stray grass blade doesn't concern me much. Overlap a little, just like on a gas push.
9. The yard looks better. The grass was yellowed from a riding mower cut (despite just-sharpened blades), and the grass itself was damaged and purple where the tire tracks ran over it. Since I've reel-mowed, the yellow tips are gone and the purple is fading.
10. The grass catcher is good enough. Breezy conditions allow escapes (the Task Force's catcher may be superior with its higher side walls), but it catches the vast majority. I can mow in crocs without getting blades trapped inside with the grass catcher, otherwise not.
So there you have it.
Better than I expected! November 7, 2009
Jeremy C. Noble (St. Paul, MN)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I spent months looking at all the different reel mowers before buying one for my new house. I wanted to get a reel mower, not for the environmental reason, but because the noise and hassle of a gas mower wasn't something I wanted to take on. I settled on this model because of the reviews saying the bearings were nice, and it was more robustly built than the Scott's with its nylon gears. Since I'd done my research, I expected to get a mower that would cut grass, leave some spots, and not touch any weeds/leaves. I was prepared for that. Surprisingly, this thing actually shears off about half of the dandelions I've come across, neatly shears off broadleaf weeds, and has cut up leaves I'm too lazy to rake up. Our lawn is awfully bumpy, and this mower doesn't miss a beat. Even as the wheels bounce around on the ruts and bumps, the blades keep on whirring.
The noise? Yeah, it's noisy. Screeching metal on metal. I wish it were quieter, but I can deal with it.
 Great mower, bad bag. October 5, 2009
Christopher Keys (Houston, TX)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The short version: It's worth it and not hard to push.
I've been using my Gilmour 20" Push Reel mower for the better part of 10 months now and I feel it is a good time to give a review of it's performance. I purchased it because I wanted to handle my own lawn, on my own terms with no loud mower sound which would allow me to mow earlier and be done sooner. Being in Houston, TX during the summer is a pain, so the sooner you start, the sooner you finish and lower your chance of heat stroke, but starting at 7 AM may upset your neighbors with a gas-powered mower. I'm not an environmental guy, but it is "green."
I purchased this model after reading the reviews and seeing that it comes with a bagger, which I found to make it the best value. The models offered at my local home improvement store were limited, overpriced and offered no accessories.
It is so much quieter than a gas mower. It's not whisper quiet, but it is dramatically more quiet than a gas powered one. The height adjustment it easy to work with and gives an option of 5 different settings. The cutting ability is very good, but you do need to find a pass technique that you'll be happy with. I've tried all I could think of: 1 pass leaves tall blades and should not be used unless you really don't care about your lawn's look. An overlapping method involves overlapping your work by half the length of the blades though you'll still see some very sparse, rebellious blades, but no more than a traditional mower. Overlapping is best when you have let your lawn overgrow. The last method is my preferred method and I call it "twice as nice." Twice as nice involves literally covering your pass twice, either using the same direction or reversing and going over the same grass twice. I have seen no rogue blades when I do that method.
Using this type of mower will make you change some decisions about your lawn care, namely mulching. Being originally from Louisiana, I'm used to using cypress mulch, which has large pieces of wood in it. Bad idea, so next time I'm going with a fine mulch. Push reel mowers do not like obstacles, especially thick twigs and pieces of wood. Be sure to clear your lawn before you mow, or keep and eye out as you make passes. If you do get something stuck, it's nothing to spin the blades backwards to get rid of the offending piece of wood, just be sure not to mow barefoot.
The bag on the model is really bad. The hooks to connect are small and the strap/latch system at the top disconnects too easily. I never used it but a few times, because with weekly mowing, the clippings were so fine it wasn't necessary. I say go without it. Additionally I should mention that the spongy handle cover began to rip, so I covered it with electrical tape to save it. Totally worth it.
We have approximately 2500-3000 sq ft of lawn with St Augustine grass and 4 young trees (2 oak & 2 silver ash) and I am done in about 1 hour. It's worth it if you're wanting to break away from using a gas powered machine and all the fumes and noise.
If you have a lawn with a lot of branches, I would suggest going with a gas powered mower unless you're comfortable with a lot of manual pickup. Our trees don't shed much because of their age, so I can't comment on how the performance is affected by a lot of leaf coverage.
 NO exercise here August 29, 2009
Pamela J. Howell (sumter, SC)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I bought this mower to mow a little strip of grass in my backyard by the house fenced in for my litte dog. I thought this would be perfect to keep the grass cut down because it is hard to get the riding mower in and out ot the small yard. This mower works great on the grass but here in SC we have what they call Highway grass that grows wild in our yards and it will not mow it.. It is like a tough tall thin weed.. So this mower did not work for me.. But when I read the reveiw about this mower I thought it said it would mow all grass... hmmmm.. not!!
So now it is parked in my neighbors shed just to get it out of my yard..
Showing reviews 1-5 of 77
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