Push Lawn Mowers
- Lawn Mower Comparisons -

Push lawn mowers or manual reel lawn mowers are enjoying a resurgence of popularity. Consumers are discovering that the latest incarnations of these classic garden implements are not only easy to push but a pleasure to use. They are light, safe, require hardly any maintenance, don't confront the senses and can be used by just about anyone.

Recommendations - the Best Lawn Mowers

When choosing a push lawn mower don't look for the cheapest mower. There are significant differences in quality between the best and worst. However it's even more important to consider the type of grass and the optimum height at which to cut it. Some of the best push mowers for maintaining finer grasses will clog up and grind to a halt on encountering a 4-5 inch growth.

Top Sellers

Our short list of the three best push lawn mowers:

• Scotts lawn mowers - the Classic and Elite
• American Lawn Mower - 1705 Bent Reel Mower and 1815 Deluxe Light
• Fiskars Garden Tools - Momentum Mower

Scotts lawn mowers are the most popular of the options. They are competitively priced, rugged and handle both short and long grasses with equal ease. Scotts mowers are manufactured by the American Lawn Mower Company.

The American Lawn Mower Company has manufactured mowers under it's own brand name since 1895. It's Bent Reel Mower is the solution for anyone with creeping or centipede grass.

Fiskars is a Finish company that has been manufacturing cutting tools and scissors for over three hundred years. The Fiskars Momentum Mower is highly innovative and arguably the best push lawn mower available.

On the right type of grass and in the right conditions a Brill Reel Mower is in a class of it's own. They are beautifully engineered products at a premium price. If you have a fine European style lawn the Brill Razorcut 33 or 38 could be exactly what you are looking for. Otherwise see our short list above.

Rotary vs. Manual Reel Mowers

The heavy weight push reel mowers that could be found in every suburban garden shed during the 50's and 60's fell out of favor when the rotary lawn mower came on the scene. Rotaries now account for over ninety percent of all lawn mowers, but that could be about to change. An increasing number of home owners are ditching their raucous rotaries in favor of light weight push lawn mowers. A new generation of gardeners has discovered the pleasure of quietly grooming a lawn, while breathing fresh air and enjoying some exercise.

The Case for Push Lawn Mowers

For anyone with less than a quarter of an acre of lawn the best lawn mower for their needs may well be a push reel mower.

1. The latest generation of push mowers are light and easy to use. For example the Brill Razorcut 38 weighs in at just 17 pounds. Even the Scotts Classic real mower with an enormous 20 inch cutting width weighs only 30 pounds. By way of comparison the average walk behind lawn mower weighs between 80 and 100 pounds.

2. The scissor action of a rotating reel achieves a far cleaner cut than the shearing action of a rotary blade. It enables grass to be cut shorter without exposing roots and damaging turf. The clippings that result are also finer and decompose more quickly. There is no question that reel lawn mowers are better for the health of your grass than their rotary relatives.

3. Maintaining a push reel mower is a breeze compared with gas powered alternatives. All gas powered mowers need to be serviced regularly to avoid the frustrations of a spluttering engine that refuses to start. At the very least air filters and spark plugs must be cleaned and oil changed on a regular basis. If these are not duties that you find enjoyable either hire a lawn mower service or get the best available push lawn mower you can find.

4. They are environmentally friendly in every way. A push mower can be used at any time of day without antagonizing the neighbors. Early morning is the best time of day to mow a lawn. It's not only more pleasurable for the person pushing the mower, but also better for the grass.

5. In addition to being almost silent, push lawn mowers don't pump out noxious fumes for your family, pets and neighbors to inhale. Whether CARB compliant or not, gas powered lawn motors are collectively responsible for putting vast quantities of pollutants into the atmosphere.

6. Push reel lawn mowers are much safer than powered mowers including electric lawn mowers. They are even safe enough to be used by children.

7. The up front cost of a best push mower is far less than a walk behind lawn mower. The cost differential is even greater when all costs are totaled over a lifetime of use.

The Case Against

While we confess to being biased in favor of push lawn mowers, we also recognize that they are not the right solution for every lawn or home owner. Let's consider some of the show stoppers that may disqualify them from consideration.

1. The size of a lawn and the terrain are key factors. As a rule of thumb we would hesitate before recommending a push lawn mower to anyone with more than ten thousand square feet of lawn. If the area is also littered with twigs and or stocked with weeds, we would almost certainly recommend powered alternatives and probably a self propelled lawn mower.

2.Top of the range Scotts lawn mowers can slice through grass up to five or even six inches in height, but they are an exception. Most push mowers struggle to handle grass any longer than four inches. Once it gets to that height you may need to borrow a rotary mower or hire a lawn mower service before using your push reel mower again. An even better solution is to make a point of cutting your grass every week and reducing it's height by no more than one third.

3. It takes a little longer to mow a lawn using a push mower. On average it takes about twenty five percent longer. Hence there are personality as well as lifestyle considerations that may make a push mower inappropriate for some.

4. Push mowers are designed to cut grass and only grass. They are totally ineffective when used on weeds and sticks. At best a reel lawn mower will simply bend or roll over tall weeds. Twigs and sticks are notorious for causing jams. Rotary or mulching lawn mowers are the best solution for a weed infested garden.