American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14 14-Inch 4-Blade Push Reel Lawn Mower, Red

I've been using a traditional gas rotary mower for years and had heard good things about reel mowers. There's a lot of options, and I tried out a Scotts 16" Elite Reel Mower first from a local store before upgrading to this 18-Inch 5-Blade Reel American Lawn Mower, and overall, I am pleased with it so far. Assembling the mower fairly easy using the provided instructions and it didn't take long before I was ready to start cutting. One of the standout features of this (and any reel mower) is its clean cutting ability, sort of like a pair of scissors. The five-blade reel spin as you walk and push the grass up against the cutting bed to give a consistent cut, every time. The speed of the reel is dependent on how fast you are walking, so a good moderate pace is required. I tend to do some perimeter cuts first, then go back and forth (switching from 'horizontal' to 'vertical' or 'diagonal' every few times to switch up the pattern. The cut quality is truly superior to that of traditional rotary mowers. However, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. The mower may struggle to catch all the grass if some blades are bent down or if the grass is too long. With this, its recommended cutting the grass more frequently, going in opposite directions, and overlapping each pass. While this may reduce the effective cutting width from 18 inches to around 12-14 inches, it ensures a thorough and even cut. It actually takes around the same amount of time to cut the ~4000 sq foot I cut with this than with the rotary gas mower and that is comparing a 21" cut to this. Perhaps its because its lighter, I can walk faster, and turning is easier too? For maintenance and accessories - Maintaining the sharpness of the blades is important for optimal performance, and although I haven't had the need to sharpen them yet, there are sharpening kits available. Additionally, the option to purchase a bagger is available, but personally, I prefer leaving the clippings on the lawn as natural fertilizer. Just be sure to pick up any twigs or anything else the blades may catch on during use, as you'll come to a complete stop as it jams into the cutting bed. At least with a reel mower you don't have to keep your hand on the push-bar, so you can easily stop to pick something up. I even look around to 'de-weed' the lawn in that area as I come across things. Sometimes I'll carry or attach a small bag to the unit to store the twigs or anything else I pickup so I can throw it out when done. Also, it's worth noting that the mower throws the clippings backward, so wearing long pants and shoes is key to avoid getting them on your legs. Though I'm sure it would work with some additional leg-power, this mower works best on flat lawns without too many weeds, as it may struggle with uneven terrain as it's self-powered and the weed stems can also stop the blade reel in its tracks if they are too thick. One other thing, is that you won't really get the traditional 'stripes' of a rotatry mower. I've seen others modify the reel mower to drag a lead / pvc pipe with sand in it, but personally I don't bother. As long as the grass looks trimmed and neat, I'm happy. You also can't beat the workout it provides - I get a solid ~30 minutes of mowing every few days and you work up quite a sweat. Overall, I wanted to try reel mowing for the season and the 18-Inch 5-Blade Reel American Lawn Mower is a solid choice that fit my needs. While it may require some additional effort one of the standout things is since its nearly quiet, you can mow at any time, and even when its wet - two things a gas powered mower just can't (or shouldn't) do. Really - you can't bet the cut quality and that's why I'm doing this, for a healthier lawn.

After a friend bought one of these, I was intrigued so I asked to use it to mow both my front and rear lawn. It was a bit of a workout (that's a good thing) and I was so impressed that I bought one for myself to replace my standard gas mower (22" Briggs & Stratton). So, it came a few days later and took all of 10 minutes to assemble (just the handle). Other reviewers have stated some of the things below, but I will too (from my perspective). - this unit (and other reel mowers) are really a breath of fresh air. No fumes to mess with. - this is not for the ego-challenged suburbanites who pride themselves on the $500 gas "Cadillac" mower and buy computers based on Megahertz rating. I will leave it at that. - this unit cuts incredibly fine if the yard was properly cut beforehand (not mowing for the first time all year at 4" height could cause a problem). No grasscatcher needed at all. - I live in Oklahoma with almost all standard Bermudagrass, which grows at a rapid pace in summer with our 95-degree days. I find I have to mow a little more often with this mower, which is no big deal since it really is quite relaxing to use. - After using this mower twice and not having used a gas mower for over 10 days on my lawn, I was *really* impressed by how much greener my Bermudagrass was. Seriously. It seems the "chopping" of the gas mower (which would leave nasty circle sometimes) was less healthy for my grass than this reel mower's cut, which seemingly mulches the grass clippings and seals the blades themselves. A quick Google search on some horticulture sites confirmed that reel mowers are the most healthy way to mow a lawn (for any grass). - I have to overlap rows to ensure I get all blades cut. I generally overlap about 1/3 of the mower's wdith to ensure each pass gets cut about twice (roughly). - Another reviewer said that just after mowing with this mower, it will not have the pristine, "just cut" look a gas mower usually provides. This is true - there are no "tracks" to indicate to others that the yard was just mowed. Umm, for me I have easily gotten used to having a much more greener yard with a total and whole "cut look" than having 20-inch tracks throughout the yard. Once you get used to it, it's not an issue. After I get done mowing, the yard is pretty darn close to perfection (as in a gas mower cut), and looks "whole". - I cut my Bermudagrass at the lowest-height setting (1/2") and my yard looks fantastic at that setting with proper watering and fertilizing very few months. - The foam handle makes this mower extremely easy to handle and use, and it does give a decent aerobic workout if it takes 30 minutes or so to mow. Very nice indeed. I've never had a self-propelled gas mower either, since I view yardwork as exercise and not "armchair quarterbacking". - Instead of continuing to pollute, I bought a rechargeable blower and trimmer and now can completely take care of my yards without any gas pollution whatsoever. Can't say that for my neighbors and their guzzling SUVs and huge and noisy gas mowers. - Don't want to continue bashing gas mower "people" (because I was one for a long time), but try one of these and make a change. If you take care of your lawn with a gas mower now, the transition to this reel mower will be simple and more than likely, you'll enjoy mowing again. - Can't stress this enough - like many reviewers have said, spray the blades with WD-40 after every mow and the next time you will have a well-oiled machine (no pun intended) with perfectly sharp blades, which will mow extremely quiet. I have mowed once at 7:30am (was bored) and did not wake a soul in my neighborhood since this thing was so quiet (much less noise than a rechargeable trimmer). Nothing is quite as bothersome as sitting on the deck in a backyard with a nice *beverage* and being deafened by a gas mower starting as soon as you begin to relax. That's it. I have started conversations with neighbors already who can't believe I am using 100-year old technology to mow my yard, but they all come away impressed with the cut and my explanation(s). I am keeping the gas mower for now, but it will probably go away soon. Some things in life are best enjoyed simple when everything else is so complex, and this is one of those things.

Love this thing. It has been used for weeks on the dangerous parts of a very large yard and works great at evening up the parts where the large deck mower has a hard time due to the shape of the ground. It is super easy to assemble, fairly easy to push (I often use one hand due to a wrist injury), easy to clean, easy to store and does a really nice short cut. Doesn't like really tall grass or sticks of any diameter. Would be nice if it had a mechanism to unlock the blade height for when debris jams in the blade housing so I don't have to stick whatever tool is handy in there.

I only bought this thing because I was tired of taking a gas can to the gas station. This solved that problem, but it also solved other problems that I didn't even think of. Before I continue, let me say that I understood when I bought this that it's not going to leave the lawn looking as good as it does with a power mower, but it comes close . . a LOT closer than I thought! As far as it solving other problems, I used to have to worry about which direction I was pointing the mower in case I hit a rock or something that could end up flying through a window, or hurting somebody. I don't have to worry about that anymore. That alone made this worth buying for me. If I hit something like a sprinkler head, it doesn't destroy the head and the blade, but rather, everything just stops. It's safe for a kid to use with no worries. I can grab the upright part of the handle and just lift it up and over stuff like I do with a vacuum cleaner, which means no more having to move stuff around in the garage so I can dig out the mower. I just lift it up and walk right out the front door if I want. The people in my neighborhood that drive electric vehicles praise me for "going green" (I didn't tell them I only bought it because I was fed up with getting gas cans filled) Tip: If it doesn't cut a piece of grass on the first pass , back up and go across it slowly to give the blade a chance to grab the grass. (It's not like that is constantly happening, just once in a while. For super-stubborn weeds, park the mower blades directly above the weed and then spin in a stationary circle . . like you're trying to drill a hole) Update: I've had the mower for over a year now and I am extremely satisfied with it. It actually stopped working today (the blades quit spinning). It turns out it is SUPER easy to fix. All that was wrong was some dirt got inside the wheel casings and caused a pin to freeze up. The good news is there are only 4 parts. A "C" clip, a wheel, a gear, and a pin. Remove the C-clip and slide the wheel off, then slide the gear off. Then pull the pin out with your fingers. Spray everything (the pin and inside the hole) with WD-40 to remove the dirt. Slide the pin back in, then replace the gear, the wheel, and the clip, and you are done! It only took about 10 mins and that's with me making a mistake and having to do the first side over again. (The mistake is I put the pin in backwards. The "Inclined surface" or "Ramp" side goes to the front. You'll see what I mean. Take a picture before you pull the pin out if you are worried) The mower works perfect again! Good as new! Now I know how to do all the maintenance on it (and so do you now) Plus I bought a blade sharpener from Amazon when I bought the mower. It works perfect. AAAQQ Reel Mower Sharpening Kit SK-2 for American Lawn Mower, Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener Tool for Great States,Scotts,Earthwise Reels.

Great product, no gas needed, environmental friendly, and very affordable. There are some minor details worth mentioning. I think the assembly process could be much easier and faster if there are step by step illustrations, There are 3 screws ONLY, but I managed to pick the wrong one the first time. It seemed to be a little too long, but it worked. When I try to second one and it's too short to fit. So, I had to start over. Another thing is the mower may get stuck if the blades caught a small twig or rock. I didn't mind that too much, it's just a pause time for me to stretch my back to free the blades.

Watch the assembly video from the instructions, it’s actually a simple assemble! The reviews saying it gets caught on sticks, even the tiny ones, that’s true. It does struggle to cut longer grass, I was attempting to mow for the first time this year as it’s finally warming up, and it kept getting stuck. I’ll admit I’m not strong nor do I have a good endurance, but I could not get the thing to push forward when it got stuck. I’d have to drag it backwards and push again. So instead of one or two pushes, it was a bunch of micro shoves. That being said, if you can, use a gas powered mower for the long grass, and then I think this will work well for short frequently cut grass. It breezed through the short patches (minus the little branches getting stuck!) Edit: This thing truly does get stuck on every single micro branch, and sometimes it gets caught on stuff I can’t even see. Be mindful of this when you buy it. It’s already exhausting trying to remove any tiny twig that gets caught, and I just bought it.

I live on my friend’s farm and have a sweet area in the back of my apartment house that I set up with an awning, lights, outdoor furniture, and potted plants. It’s a large property and her son uses a riding mower. The only way to manage my area is for him to use the weed whacker. So I decided to purchase this mower so I could manage it myself. The grass was super high by the time I got out there but with some upper body strength and some sweat it looks amazing! Easy to assemble and easy to use. Definitely recommend!

Okay first of all, I'd just like to say that I am autistic, and I absolutely LOATHE mowing the lawn. The mower is too loud, the vibrating of the handle makes my arms go numb, and I can never quite pull on the cord hard enough to get it started by myself. I always have to find someone else to turn it on for me. And not to mention the fact that the smell of gasoline gives me a headache. So I finally decided to see if any old-fashioned mowers still existed, because I would much rather deal with something slower and time-consuming if it meant I wouldn't have to deal with using a normal lawn mower. Imagine my surprise when I found that there are /new/ manual lawnmowers, and I can just order them from Amazon! So I decided I had nothing left to lose, and I would give it a try. Best. Decision. EVER. NOTE OF ADVICE: If you have difficulty putting it together (specifically, attaching the handle to the blade part), find someone with more upper-body strength to help you. They'll get it done in two seconds. (it took me half an hour of attempting to do so before I gave up and waited for my sister to get home so she could help me) Also: it only cuts while you're pushing it forward, so all you have to do to move it when you're not cutting is to pull it along behind you. As for cutting grass? I love it. It works perfectly, aside from a few snags on branches that I didn't notice. If you move it forward and back a few times, you can cut even tall weeds! Much easier than pulling them out by hand in the areas that the normal gas mower can't reach. It's not silent, but it's also not the deafening roar of a gas mower. If I had to describe the sound, I'd say it's a whooshing sound, and much much quieter than a gas mower. Plus, you don't have to deal with your arms vibrating or constantly having to turn the mower back on! No more buying gas, no more struggling to pull on the cord hard enough to turn the mower on, and no more complicated wire-pulling to turn it off. All I have to do is push forward, and the grass gets cut. Stop walking, and it stops cutting. It's easy to maneuver, and it's not so heavy that I can't pick it up and carry it up a flight of stairs to my porch if I need to. I'm never using a gas mower again.

Shipping time was good. Product looks well built and works well. No complaints. Very happy

It's a dream to cut with this mower

Muy funcional, buen precio, estoy contenta con esta compra 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Nicht ganz günstig, aber die Qualität passt. Der Rasen sieht Top aus.

Ne venivo da un tagliaerba a motore, usato per anni; prima ancora ho solo avuto altri tagliaerba elettrici, perchè ho sempre guardato con un certo scetticismo questi prodotti "a mano" e apparentemente gracile. La fortuna ha voluto che mi si rompesse il tagliaerba; ho quindi cercato subito una alternativa, naufragando nelle decine di prodotti disponibili, non senza guardare con curiosità anche i vari robot pur sapendo dei loro costi, che reputo ancora davvero alti e poco giustificabili. Nella curiosità mi sono avvicinato a questi prodotti senza motore, atterrando su questo in particolare. L'impressione è stata subito positiva. Di costruzione davvero solida, oltre le mie aspettative, mi permette un taglio ben fatto (sulla qualità del taglio non ho trovato differenze rispetto al tagliaerba elettrico) e silenzioso, che trovo quasi rilassante. Questo anche perché il peso, che c'è è inutile nasconderlo, non è eccessivo e tutto sommato aiuta la guida. Per chi non avesse mai provato un prodotto come questo: dovrai ripassare 2, forse 3 volte sulle zone con erba tenace. Conclusioni Acquisto davvero azzeccato. È robusto, compatto, taglia bene e ad oggi non ha richiesto alcuna manutenzione, altro elemento importante da non sottovalutare.