Review of Scotts 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower, Model 2000-20 (purchasing, problem)

[reviewer]

If you're tired of your heavy, dirty, loud, gasoline-powered lawn mower, or if you'd like to reduce your carbon footprint by orders of magnitude, then you might consider purchasing a reel mower.

This model comes in a box, but is easy to assemble. The only hitch during assembly was putting on the rubber handle cover, but adding a little dish washing liquid for lubrication solved that problem. This mower has a 20-inch cutting path, 10-inch wheels with radial tires that can traverse uneven terrain, and five sharp, heat-treated blades that have nine adjustments for different grass heights. The height adjustment is located near the rear wheel and is easy to change, just a matter of sliding a lever to the proper slot.

The reel mower is lightweight - only 35 pounds - so it's much easier to push than one with an engine and less likely to cause injury. With this people-powered mower, you eliminate the danger of flying rocks and other projectiles. It's possible to mow with kids and pets nearby. Gone is the aggravation of pulling repeatedly on the starter cord. There's not much that can go wrong with this mower, aside from the blades occasionally needing sharpening, but that would be true with a motorized mower as well. Many chores are eliminated: no gas tank to refill, no spark plugs to replace, no oil and filters to change. The grass will be healthier due to the clean-cut delivered by the reel blades, as opposed to the shredded grass that results from using gas mowers.

For people who have a power train on their motorized mower, they will find the reel mower requires more effort to get through thick grass. On the other hand, the reel mower has great maneuverability. This mower will cut grass and weeds up to about 6 inches tall, so more frequent mowing will be required if you don't want to be forced to pull out your motorized machine.

At $119.99, this mower is comparable with many others in price, but delivers more features, like the wide cutting path and the caps that prevent weed stalks from getting caught in the gears.

While it might not seem feasible for large lawns, in fact it requires much less effort to push than a gas mower and it's a nice way to enjoy nature and get some exercise. Instead of the deafening sound of the motor and the smell of fumes, you'll be able to hear the birds and other sounds of nature as you stroll along. Lawn mowing becomes less of a chore and more of a garden walk. Also, your neighbors will thank you for one less motorized sound destroying the peace and quiet.