Reel Mowing

I woke up sore the next day after my first anti-gravity yoga...but bursting with energy.  So I thought I should do some spring cleaning.  And then I looked out the front window.

Hmmm....looks like the grass may have grown during our camping trip. So I decided to go mow. 

And along the way, I thought you guys should know about what I use, why, and what makes it work best for me.

We have a push mower. Not just any push mower, but a reel mower.  


Here she is:

She's got the narrowest cutting length I've ever seen (thanks Mr. Tupelo...next time get the big one?). But we have a tiny suburban yard (1/10 of an acre), so the reel mower still makes quick work of it. The tiny backyard took me maybe 20 minutes.

Here's why I love the reel mower.

• It's quiet
• I can mow when the kids are asleep. More of an issue when they were smaller. 
• I can mow with them in the yard.  Here's what they did today while I worked:



"No, we're not getting muddy!"

• I can mow when the neighbors are asleep.  
• I don't have to worry about gas or much maintenance.  
• I don't have to worry about the exhaust.  See here for information about emissions from lawn equipment (PDF).
• I can hear my music (if I want any) and our kids while I mow. May seem small, but makes a difference!

I really do love it.  I run out of excuses to skip mowing, because I don't need gas, it's not loud, it's not breaking...it's great.

After a year or so of owning my mower, here's what I've learned.  Some tricks to getting the best usage out of it.

• Don't mow wet (especially wet + thick) grass.
• I know you aren't supposed to mow after the rain.  I really do.  I thought maybe the reel mower was different.  Not so much.  Hard work - it slips to a stop frequently.
• Don't go too quickly
• You don't really finish earlier.  You end up having to redo areas you sped through.
• Use it as a way to relax.  It's not that hard to push, and I find it stress relieving. No one bugs me when I mow.
• You can't effectively mow tall, thick, overgrown grass.  
•  Run multiple passes, and there will probably still be some grass too tall that the weed eater (string trimmer) will have to get.



See the tall stuff still hanging out?  Not around the bed, but in the yard?

• Still looks better than before, and when you keep it up (mow regularly), you won't have that problem.
• Oil the blades after each use to keep them from rusting.  You can use WD-40 or similar.
• Keep it protected when you aren't using it - we stick ours in the garage where the rain can't get at it. No rusting!
• Pick up sticks, rocks, and pinecones before you mow. Anything that would catch in the blades and stop them.
• They can bend and chip the sharp surface of your blade if you try to chop through them.



Here's a small stick that got caught. It wedges between the blades and base.

• And from experience (of accidentally hitting a hidden metal tent stake), when the blade gets injured, it bends just a little, they get out of alignment, and you'll hear the blade scrape. You can try and file it down, or send the blades in to get professionally sharpened and repaired.

I love my mower.  If you have a small yard, it's great.  Especially if you a girl who just didn't grow up with annual mower maintenance training. It's decent exercise too, and a good way just to be outside and get some fresh air.That, and it's nice not to have to rely on someone else to fix stuff for you.

Look how pretty it looks now!

Spring is here!