American Lawn Mower Company 1304-14 14-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel

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.

Ich wollte schon längere Zeit einen Spindelmäher haben, weil unser Elektromäher sehr unhandlich ist und wir mittlerweile mehr Beete als Rasen haben. Noch dazu mag ich das laute Geräusch der handelsüblichen Mäher nicht - früher hatten meine Eltern immer einen Spindelmäher und das hat auch immer funktioniert. Leider ist die Qualität bei vielen Produkten heutzutage nicht mehr das Wahre und so informierte ich mich längere Zeit, welchen Spindelmäher man nun überhaupt noch kaufen kann. Ich glaube, die Amerikaner lassen mittlerweile auch in China produzieren, aber da kommt man wohl kaum drum herum. Ich habe mich letztendlich für dieses Modell entschieden, weil er von der Breite her für meine Ansprüche genau richtig ist (breiter wäre bei uns zu viel des Guten, da wir auch ein paar schmale Durchgänge haben) und weil er nur fünf Spindeln besitzt und nicht sieben. Bei weniger Spindeln sind die Abstände zwischen eben diesen größer, so dass auch etwas längeres Gras hindurch passt. Sprich: Man muss etwas weniger häufig mähen. Insgesamt sollte einem aber natürlich klar sein, dass ein Spindelmäher eher für nicht allzu langes Gras geeignet ist und man mit dem Mähen nicht zu lange warten sollte. Das Produkt macht einen guten Eindruck. Lediglich die Räder sehen etwas billig aus, für meinen Geschmack. Alles in allem aber besser, als die Baumarkt-Spindelmäher, die ich bisher so gesehen habe. Da wir den Mäher erst Sonntags zusammen gebaut haben und ihn natürlich auch gleich testen wollten, ohne die Nachbarn zu stören (Ja, manche stören sich tatsächlich auch an so einem Geräusch), haben wir ihn erstmal nur ein kurzes Stück ganz langsam und vorsichtig über die Wiese geschoben. Es standen einige einzelne Halme mit etwa 15 cm Länge darauf, die auch etwas dicker waren und Blüten hatten. Der Mäher schnitt sie im Nu ohne Kraftaufwand einfach sauber ab. Wir staunten nicht schlecht :-) Er ist wirklich richtig scharf und erfüllt voll und ganz seinen Zweck. Das Gras war nicht geschreddert oder gequetscht. Es sah aus, als hätte man es mit einer Schere gekappt. Ich hoffe, dass er lange Zeit ein so gutes Schnittbild liefert und auf Dauer auch die Natur davon profitiert und etwas weniger Insekten im Mäher landen (der elektrische saugt ja quasi alles an und zerschreddert es). Auch der Rasen wird es uns auf Dauer danken. Ich kann den Mäher guten Gewissens weiter empfehlen.

So I'll start by saying that I've used push mowers for over 20 years and over 3 different house lawns. Further I've used powered reel mowers including a Toro. So in short I've got experience here. As a kid I mowed my dad's lawn with a Toro powered reel mower and that is the Cadillac of residential mowers. Later when I moved out I bought an old used no name push mower, fixed it up and used it. It did the job. Next was a Gardina C360 (16.5 inch cut) at a price of $139 back in 2002. It was nice and lasted me 18 years and lots of lawn millage. The gears on the wheels wore out and replacement parts don't seem to be handy. So now I bought this American 18 inch cut. Wow so nice. Quiet. Smooth. Cuts with ease and does as good a job as any 5 blade reel mower would. Feels solid. Had no issue putting it together as it's as simple as 8 bolts. Deliver was quick as well including 3 days from the States. Previous comments make me laugh. Yes push reel mowers don't work well if you haven't mowed the lawn in 6 months. I recommend cutting once a week at a minimum. Yes they don't cut 100% of the grass blades so I recommend double cutting (one way then across it) to get a real fine golf course look. I would also recommend top dressing your lawn if it's bumpy or as drop offs etc. The smoother the lawn the better. All in all if you want something environmentally friendly, quiet, gets you some exercise, cuts almost as good as a professional power reel mower, and I suspect will last me 20 years than this is the mower for you.

A quality manual push mower. Build quality is very good, blades are sharp, and it is relatively easy to push, and to maintain. Just be wary of the handle wing nuts as they can work loose after a few mows.

Este é o meu segundo cortador de relva de rolo. O anterior é de uma marca europeia e não se aproxima á robustez do America Lawn Mower. Tem uma estrutura simples e robusta. O seu peso pode dificultar o início do movimento, mas é esta característica que ajuda no corte mais preciso e eficiente. Vale a pena para os pequenos relvados de impossível acesso do trator de corte, que é o meu caso. Sem dúvida recomendo.