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

I am a renter with a small lawn. I dislike the noise of the gas powered mowers and the fight to start them. I didn't want to use the awful one that the landlord left me and didn't want to sink money into something that I didn't want. This reel mower was the perfect answer. Under $100!!! It was delivered, I put the handle on and did a test run. It worked but needed to be raised because my lawn has some divots and tree roots to get around here and there. I watched a video on how to raise it, did that and then it worked absolutely like a dream. It makes a scraping noise that is just the mower metal working, but that is it for noise. Sure beats needing to wear ear plugs. It cut my grass just like I was behind a gas mower, but just far more pleasant an experience. I followed up with my weed eater, no biggie. I am going to purchase the blade sharpener, too, eventually so it can keep working its best. Really pleased....another thing, if you have a bad time with grass and pollen allergies this mower also helps. It doesn't kick up everything into the air so that you are breathing all the grass,etc. Another helpful hint that I follow, don't go out to mow with your harmless reel mower while your neighbors are flinging about the grass and such with their gas powered mowers. Enjoy your peaceful mowing experience to the fullest!

I was a bit skeptical after reading reviews and information on reel mowers in general but this little mower was perfect! I do have a fair size backyard that is mixed with many weeds and grass and this went right through everything in no time. It is a push mower so it doesn't stroll along on its own for sure but I am definitely pleased in the purchase. If I ever buy another one, I will get the wider one. Easy to put together. One note, the newer models do not have the notch for the ering on the stubs for the handle. You don't need them and they are not in the instructions but they are on all the the online videos so follow your instructions.

Bought this in a pinch after riding lawn mower needed repair and didn’t want to spend $500 on a push mower. Gotta say the Amish are really onto something. Cuts grass great, won’t cut tall weeds or anything like that. So if your yard is primarily grass it’ll work fine. If it’s a collection of everything green don’t waste your money. Another added plus is no gas, no motor, no headache. Just start pushing and it cuts. A lot of reviews have said don’t use for big yards. It will work fine on a larger yard you just need to walk further, which for a lot of you high calorie humans is probably for the best. Overall great product for the price. Make Mowing Great Again!

I am so happy with this mower. I'm 68 years old and can push and handle this mower without problem. I understand that the blade must be kept sharp and maintained to push easily. The sound and feel of it mowing is somehow pleasing. I feel safer with it going back and forth across my hill than with my heavy gas mower. This was a great choice.

Easy to put together, easier to use.If your grass is under 6" tall, this things works like a dream. However, it will NOT cut weeds, not very tall grass.I bought this because my electric mower quit working. And because of that my grass was WAY over grown. Unfortunately, my yard has a lot of thicker stalked, high growing weeds as well. The mower would not cut the tall grass or weeds. Weeds even stopped the blades from turning. If there are ANY sticks in the way, those will also stop the blades from turning.3 stars because it cuts normally growing grass beautifully. (They tell you it won't cut super high grass)-1 star for the sticks-1 star for not cutting weedsSo if you have good grass and want to go green, this is the right mower for you.However if you have tall weeds and/ or small sticks in the grass from your trees, it's not a good fit.Hope this helps.

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.