Scotts Deluxe Push Reel Mower 18 Inch

by Gerry McDonald
(US)

The most recent lawn mower I have purchased is the Scotts 18" Deluxe Push Reel Lawn Mower. I bought it for about $130 at a brick-and-mortar store, although it can be had more cheaply online. I went with a reel mower to save fuel money and reduce emissions.

The mower turned out to be a good one, but ill suited to my yard in the MidWestern United States. Like most reel mowers, this mower is mechanically simple. The wheels drive a reel of spiraling blades that cut grass against a straight second blade. This system is pre-assembled when you buy, so you only need to put on the handle (this takes only a few minutes and doesn't require any tools).

The action of the blades touching makes them fairly self-sharpening. About the only regular work the mower needs is cleaning and lubrication. The carriage of the mower can be raised and lowered to cut at different heights or pass over roots.

I purchased the mower in Spring of 2010 and it initially performed very well, cutting my grass with no more effort than it takes to push a power mower. Like most reel mowers, this one produces a soft whispering sound with no noise or smelly exhaust.

Unfortunately, summer hit early and with it weeds. While my trusty reel mower could snip grass like a barber cutting hair, it was hopeless with thick, waxy weeds and crab grass. Weeds would choke it, requiring manual cleaning, or they would simply bend under the reel and spring up behind me. Even cutting every week, I couldn't control weeds.

By Winter I had resorted to cutting my yard with my weed trimmer. For Summer 2011, I will probably have to purchase a power mower to control my weeds.

Overall, the mower performs well on just grass. It's as easy to use as a powered push mower, so it will work on small or medium residential yards. Maintenance is easy- I even sharpened it once with no difficulty. The handle is sturdy, but bends somewhat if you're pushing through rough vegetation.

If your yard contains sticks, you need to clear them before mowing as they will jam the mower easily. If you are lucky enough to have a weed free yard then the Scotts 18" Deluxe Push Reel mower will serve you well, but for folks with rugged yards, a power mower is probably in order.

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Scotts Deluxe Push Reel Mower 18 Inch

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Scotts Elite 18 Inch Reel Mower
by: Douglas J. Henson

Near the end of last spring, my small yard finally needed a mow. We are first-time home owners, so this was the inaugural mow. I headed off to Home Depot and bought the 18-inch Scotts Elite reel mower.

We have a small urban yard, so I didn't want to worry about gasoline, or much of anything. I also wanted to be as eco-friendly as possible and maybe burn a calorie or two in the process.

Assembling the mower was pretty easy, though it took a little bit of tweaking so the frame wasn't crooked. I set it to the highest mow height because I'd read it was better to cut the grass longer so as not to tax it.

I was convinced my rookie home owner status had already doomed the grass, so I figured I'd do what I could to keep it alive.

I have no idea what kind of grass I have. In the back it's lovely and lush. In the front it's flossy and straggly. The mower works great in the back but really just flattens the grass in the front.

I even try to rake the grass in the front first, but it still looks more mushed than cut. It is also powerless against weeds or any kind of stalk. A small twig will stop it cold.

The Scotts reel mower makes a high pitched scything noise as I push it, especially as I start. I think this might be normal, as I've heard other push mowers in the distance making similar sounds.

The 18" mower is really easy to use and I could see it working just fine on a moderately large lawn. It's not the mower, just the user that would start to loose power after a while. It does take a little bit of muscle, though not enough to break a sweat in my mini yard.

For the money (it was around $100) and as often as we use it (about once a week), I am very satisfied with our little Scotts reel mower.

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