Unlike lawn mowers that use single spinning blades that rotate horizontally, reel mower blades mimic scissors’ mechanism and function. This gives you more precise and cleaner cuts on your lawn.
It also encourages growth, avoids discoloration, and results in a more luscious field of grass. That said, the beauty you want for your grass and lawn will greatly rely on the quality of your reel mower.
This is what our team of experts in gardening and lawn maintenance took into consideration when choosing the five reel mowers they personally picked and tested. They are proven to be the top choices when it comes to their reliability, power, efficiency, and precision. So be sure to check them out.
Once you are ready and have found the best choice, be sure to click the buttons below to see their best deals on Amazon! With that, here are five of the best options that we rounded up especially for you.
Best Reel Mowers Comparison & Rating
1. Fiskars Stay Sharp Max Reel Mower
Dimensions | 24 x 23.5 x 14.25 inches |
Weight | 51.7 pounds |
Cutting Width | 18 inches |
Material | Steel |
This reel mower is perfect for maintaining the immaculate look of your lawn. You can control how tall or short your grass is going to be. The cutting process itself goes by quick and doesn’t take a lot of effort. Thanks to the wide cutting width, you spend less time going through the area with the grass. You can ensure a flat, even cut as long as the surface is also flat and even.
2. Great States 815-18 Reel Lawn Mower
Dimensions | 25 x 14 x 10.5 inches |
Weight | 27 pounds |
Cutting Width | 18 inches |
Material | Alloy Steel |
This reel mower provides excellent cutting power for keeping the tops of your lawn grass immaculate. The heat-treated steel blades retain their sharpness over multiple uses. Sharpening the blades can be done DIY once they become dull, as well. Lawns don’t need more than one or two passes to completely finish the job. With its 18-inch cutting width, this reel mower can be used for larger grassy areas too. The size of the composite wheels also makes it easy to push the mower faster.
3. Fiskars Staysharp Push Reel Lawn Mower
Dimensions | 23.5 x 18 x 13.8 inches |
Weight | 40 pounds |
Cutting Width | 17 inches |
Material | Steel |
You can use this reel mower to cut grass with precision and control. Thanks to the sharp and thick blades, you can easily cut through most types of grass. Your lawn can also be done with one or two passes if you want cleaner lines. You can also keep your grass healthy and flourishing since you can adjust how much of them you want to cut. Since the blades are so sharp, you also don’t risk bruising the grass.
4. Greenworks Reel Mower RM1400
Dimensions | 20 x 42.5 x 24 inches |
Weight | 24.1 pounds |
Cutting Width | 14 inches |
Material | Steel |
For those who have standard yards and lawns, this reel mower will do a wonderful job. With five blades to work with, you can easily cut through manicured grass with ease. You can also be the one to decide the height of the grass you are cutting. With the bag catching the clippings, there is less of a mess to deal with. The cuts are also precise and prevent the grass from getting bruised.
5. American Lawn Mower Company Reel Lawn Mower
Dimensions | 20 x 24 x 42.5 inches |
Weight | 20 pounds |
Cutting Width | 14 inches |
Material | Steel |
This is a great reel mower to have if your only concern is to maintain a perfectly manicured lawn. You can count on it to snip off the tops of the grass blades with razor sharpness. This allows you to pass over every inch of your lawn smoothly. Thanks to the heat-treated steel blades, the edge retention guarantees months of sharpness. Pushing this reel mower over flat, even, and dry terrain is also smooth and effortless.
Best Reel Mowers - Buyer's Guide
Reel mowers can have blades numbering between four and eight. Reel mowers with more blades will be able to cut through grass faster and with more efficiency. They will also take less effort to use. However, this will also make them bulkier, heavier, and more difficult to maneuver around.
The cutting width of reel mowers can go from as small as 14 inches to as large as 18 inches. The wider the cutting width, the more area the reel mower will be able to cover when you mush it. However, this brings up the issue of maneuverability again. Wider heads are more difficult to turn and in narrow areas, this can be a problem. Fortunately, it’s not a major issue if you have the patience.
Reel mowers can be adjusted in terms of their height, which is a serious consideration. After all, it involves the aesthetics of your lawn and you need to be able to decide just how tall your grass can grow. It’s also worth noting that grass is healthiest when it is able to keep 1/3 of its maximum height so that it can propagate.
Silent cut reel mowers essentially don’t come into contact with the bed knife while contact reel mowers will. The latter is newer in terms of technological innovations with regard to the tool and is now being implemented by many brands. Silent cut versions are quieter but the contact variety makes for easier trimmings.
Reel mower blades can be made from spring steel, carbon steel, alloy steel, and stainless steel. However, the most common would be low carbon high alloy steel. This makes them strong, flexible, and easy to resharpen in case they become dull. They also have a fair amount of resistance to rust and corrosion, so be sure to keep an eye out for those.
Best Reel Mowers - FAQs
A reel mower is a gardening or lawn tool that cuts grass using blades that rotate vertically. The blades act like scissors that cut the tops of the grass in order to maintain a certain height. Reel mowers are also often uncovered, lightweight, and compact, which makes them easier to put away and bring out.
A lawnmower involves a huge motor, horizontally spinning blades, and a big housing. It can either be pushed from behind or it can be ridden. A reel mower is smaller with vertically spinning blades that often come with no housing and it has no motor. They are also lighter and easier to use in maintaining a manicured lawn.
Reel mowers are considered healthier for grass due to the more precise and cleaner cuts that the scissor blades make. They don’t bruise the grass by using sheer brute force that is often employed by lawnmowers. While lawnmowers might be better for cutting blades of grass that have gone out of control, reel mowers are much better at maintaining the lawn.
Reel mowers are often used to maintain the immaculate look of a lawn. Since they are lighter, even children and people with weaker arms can use them. They are often used by the maintenance staff at golf courses, garden resorts, and public parks, as well. They encourage healthier growth and propagation, which results in thick, lush, and well-maintained grass.
