The Best Reel Mowers (2026): 6 Push Mowers for Small Lawns, Chosen by Job

The best reel mower for most small lawns is the Scotts 2000-20S 20-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Mower. It cuts a 20 inch path, the widest on this page, and sets from 1 to 3 inches with a lever on each wheel. Wirecutter has recommended it after testing since 2014 and still calls it "the reel mower to get"; Bob Vila names it for larger yards. If your grass is a low-cut warm-season type like Bermuda or zoysia, a 7-blade mower is the better tool, and if your lawn is a small patch or a set of garden paths, a 14 inch mower is enough.

A reel mower is not for every lawn: Wirecutter and Bob Vila both put the practical limit at about a quarter acre, and a reel mower struggles with long grass, twigs, bumps and roots, and with grass that needs a taller cut than most reel mowers reach. For every mower here we take the maker's cutting width and height range and work out two things no tester publishes: how many passes your lawn takes at a stated overlap, and how much of your grass's extension-recommended mowing height each mower can be set to.

One note on who is writing: we make digging spades, not mowers, so nothing on this list is ours and we did not mow with any of these. How we picked is below.

Disclosure: some links in this guide are affiliate links to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, Spear Head Spade earns from qualifying purchases. This is at no extra cost to you, and it never changes our honest, use-based recommendations.

The best reel mowers at a glance

How we chose these

We did not mow with any of these mowers. We compared each maker's specifications (American Lawn Mower Company, which makes the Scotts, Great States and Earthwise reel mowers, and Sun Joe) and the Amazon listings against what three named testers reported: Wirecutter, which tested four mowers with a golf course grounds crew, Bob Vila, which tested eleven in two Southern yards, and Family Handyman. We read Wirecutter's November 2025 update in an archived copy, and we use Family Handyman's verdicts but not its spec lines, which disagree with the makers' in places. Mowing heights come only from Ohio State University Extension, Clemson Cooperative Extension and University of Illinois Extension.

Every pick was in stock on Amazon when we checked on September 22, 2026, which is why the Fiskars StaySharp Max, the top pick of Bob Vila and Family Handyman and Wirecutter's runner-up, sits under Also considered. Where a tester's pick is sold on Amazon only in a bundle, we link the bundle and say so. Where a maker's page and its listing disagree, we use the maker's figure and say so.

The best reel mowers, by job

1. Scotts 2000-20S 20-Inch 5-Blade Push Reel Mower: the best reel mower for most small lawns

The Scotts 2000-20S (ASIN B00004RA3E) is built by American Lawn Mower Company under the Scotts name. The maker gives a 20 inch cutting width, five heat-treated steel blades on a ball bearing reel, 10 inch front wheels with 6 inch rear tracking wheels, and "9 grass heights to choose from (1-3 inches) controlled by quick-snap height adjusters".

With Wirecutter's golf course crew, the Scotts gave "the cleanest cut and the easiest adjustments", and "it was the only one that didn't jam". At 34 pounds it sits in the middle of Wirecutter's test group, light enough to turn at the end of a row but "heavy enough that it doesn't bounce around on slightly uneven turf". Its 1 to 3 inch range matters too; Wirecutter notes "the vast majority of reel mowers top out around 2 inches". Bob Vila liked the raised loop handle for changing grip on long sessions, saw less jamming than with most of its test group, and calls it "a good choice for those who care for midsize lawns up to a quarter acre or so".

Where it loses: Bob Vila's two cons are "Does not include a grass catcher" and "Wider mower requires more effort to push". One of Wirecutter's long-term owners found it squeaked "despite thorough maintenance", needed multiple passes, and was "much more laborious to use with a lush and dense lawn". Wirecutter's read of Amazon complaints names a breaking handle and a stripped plastic gear, and says owners mowing "tall or tough Southern grass had the most problems". And 3 inches is not the top of every range: Ohio State gives tall fescue 2.5 to 4.0 inches, and Clemson gives it 3 to 3.5 in summer, so a fescue lawn gets only the lower end of either range from this mower.

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2. American Lawn Mower 1815-18 18-Inch 5-Blade Reel Mower: the best for low cuts on a bigger lawn

The American Lawn Mower 1815-18 (ASIN B00004R9UK) is the pick for a warm-season lawn that is too big for a 14 or 16 inch mower and needs to go lower than pick 1 can. The maker describes a five blade reel that "can be adjusted for varying grass heights from 1/2 to 2-3/4 inches", 10 inch wheels with radial tires, a "2-inch welded shrub bar" and an "unbreakable steel side plate". The listing adds a 5-Year Manufacturer Protection Plan and says it suits dry grass under 4 inches.

That half inch minimum is the point. Clemson puts hybrid bermudagrass at 0.5 to 1.5 inches, and the Scotts above stops at 1 inch; this mower covers the whole range, and it still reaches 2.75 inches, into the bottom of the cool-season ranges. Bob Vila named it Best for Durable: at 25 pounds with 10 inch wheels it was "heavy enough to stay glued to the ground over more difficult terrain", two rear rollers kept it stable, the foam wraparound handle was easier to grip than the T-style handles it tried, and it has "a sturdier feel than most".

Where it loses: changing height. Bob Vila's one listed con is "Changing cutting height is tedious", because it meant removing two bolts to make adjustments. And 2.75 inches still sits at the bottom of Ohio State's tall fescue range.

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3. Great States 415-16 16-Inch 5-Blade Reel Mower: the best 16 inch mower for a small lawn

The Great States 415-16 (ASIN B00002N691) is the only pick that all three testers handled, and they do not agree about it. The maker gives a 16 inch cutting width, 10 inch ball bearing wheels, a tempered alloy steel reel and bed knife, and "Easy height adjust from 1/2-inch to 2-1/2-inch". The Amazon listing gives 1 to 2.5 inches instead; we use the maker's figure.

Bob Vila liked it as a "middle-of-the-road" mower: just under 25 pounds, with a cushioned T-style handle and back rollers, "narrow enough to move well through thick grass but still wide enough to get the job done quickly", and it "moved slightly easier through dense grass than the 18-inch model". It calls the range "optimal for mowing short grass species, such as buffalo or zoysia". Family Handyman praises it as quiet, easy to store and simple.

Where it loses: Wirecutter tested the same model and put it under The competition. It was "the only mower in our test group that requires unbolting to adjust the mowing height", the narrowest in the group, and "such a pain to adjust that the golf crew hated it before they mowed a single blade of grass with it". Bob Vila lists "Easy-to-use knob screw-style height adjustment" as a pro instead, and the maker says "the same adjustment must be performed on both sides of the mower", so expect a two-sided job, and not a lever. Bob Vila's cons: "Cuts too low for taller grasses like fescue", "Sticks, acorns, and pine cones stop the blades abruptly" and "Does not cut to the edge". Family Handyman adds "Limited cutting heights" and "Less ergonomic on the wrists".

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4. Earthwise 1715-16EW 16-Inch 7-Blade Reel Mower with Grass Catcher: the best 7-blade mower for Bermuda and zoysia

The Earthwise 1715-16EW (ASIN B0D2VWH3ST) is here for the lawn a 5-blade mower does not suit: fine, dense warm-season grass kept short. American Lawn Mower Company, which makes it, gives a 16 inch cutting width, a seven blade ball bearing reel and a 1/2 to 2 1/2 inch cutting height, and names Bermuda, zoysia, centipede, St. Augustine and seashore paspalum as its grasses. On Amazon it is in stock as a bundle with American Lawn Mower's 14 to 16 inch grass catcher; the mower on its own showed only a future availability date when we checked on September 22, 2026.

Bob Vila named it Best for Tough Grass. It gave "the cleanest, most consistent cut" of its group, and Bob Vila used it "to scalp a section of dormant centipede grass", leaving "a smooth, even finish". Its suggested routine for a 0.5 to 2.5 inch mower is to "mow regularly at 1 or 1.5 inches and leave a little room to move higher if the grass grows too long between cuts".

Where it loses: the push, and taller grass; the maker's own rule for 7-blade reels is in the 5-blade or 7-blade section below. Bob Vila's cons are "Harder to push than 5-blade models", "Does not work as well on extra-long grass" and "Not suitable for taller grasses like fescue". It has no sharpener in the box; pick 7 is the kit for it.

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5. American Lawn Mower 1204-14 14-Inch 4-Blade Reel Mower: the narrowest pick for a tiny lawn or garden paths

The American Lawn Mower 1204-14 (ASIN B00004RA3F) is the small one. The maker gives a 14 inch cutting width, four blades, 8-1/2 inch polymer wheels, a "1/2- to 1-3/4-inch cutting height" and "Lightweight at only 19 pounds". (The same maker page also says 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches in its description, as does Bob Vila; the listing agrees with 1.75, so we use that.) At 14 inches it is the narrowest mower on this page.

Bob Vila named it Best Lightweight and found that with only four blades against the bed knife it "offered the least resistance of all the mowers we tested, making it the easiest mower to push". Bob Vila says its low weight makes it "light enough to hang on wall hooks in a garage or storage shed", its T-style handle folds down for storage, and it suggests it for "pathways in the vegetable garden or other secondary grassy areas". Family Handyman named it Best Reel Mower for Small Lawns, for people with very small lawns who have no space for a bigger mower.

Where it loses: height and finish. Its 1.75 inch top setting falls short of every cool-season range we cite (Ohio State starts Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass at 2.0 inches), even though the maker's description says it suits "cool-season grasses such as bluegrass, fescue and rye". Bob Vila's cons: "Fewer blades produce a less thorough cut", "Requires a wrench for height adjustments" and "8.5-inch wheels do not roll as well over rough ground"; it needed "a second pass to clean up some of the more difficult areas". Family Handyman's cons are "Fewer blades" and "Requires more frequent mowing".

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6. Sun Joe MJ500M 16-Inch Reel Mower with Grass Catcher: the best 5-blade with a catcher in the box

The Sun Joe MJ500M (ASIN B0072CTQYU) is the pick if you want clippings off the lawn without buying a catcher separately. Sun Joe gives five steel blades, a 16 inch cutting width, a 4-position height adjustment, a "6.6-gallon rear collection bag", 9 inch front wheels, a 15.6 inch rear roller bar and a 2 year warranty. Its heights need care: Sun Joe's spec table says 0.59 to 1.57 inches, the same page's description says 0.47 to 1.57, and the Amazon listing says 0.88 to 1.81. We use Sun Joe's 1.57 inch maximum.

Family Handyman named it Best Reel Mower for Seniors: its padded grip "requires less hand strength to operate", and its wheels let it stand upright, so it "stores similarly to a vacuum" with no bending to lift it. Bob Vila tested the 18 inch sibling, the MJ501M, which was out of stock when we checked, and found its rear bag did "an effective job of catching most clippings and is easy to remove and empty".

Where it loses: height. A 1.57 inch maximum reaches no cool-season range in our table and only the lower part of the zoysia and common bermudagrass ranges. Bob Vila's con for the 18 inch sibling is "Low max cutting height suitable for warm-season grasses only", and that mower "immediately came to a halt" in "thicker, slightly taller grass". Family Handyman's cons are "Heavier" and "Plastic wheels". Sun Joe's product guide also says to clean it with a soft brush and cloth, not water.

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7. American Lawn Mower SK-1 Sharpening Kit: the backlapping kit to add

The American Lawn Mower SK-1 (ASIN B00004R9UM) is how you sharpen a reel mower at home. The maker says the kit contains "a detailed instruction manual, grinding compound, application brush, and a special back-lapping crank", with 4 oz of 120 grit compound, and is designed for its Earthwise, Great States, American Lawn Mower and Scotts reel mowers; the model list on its page includes the Scotts 20 inch and the Great States 16 inch, and the Amazon listing adds the 1815-18. Wirecutter, in its care section, says "the blades will need sharpening after a few seasons" and points to American Lawn Mower's kit.

Foley, which makes reel grinding machines for golf courses, defines backlapping as "sharpening reel mower blades by spinning the reel in reverse while applying an abrasive compound", which "hones the cutting edges of both the reel and the bed knife". Sun Joe's product guide gives the same idea for its own mower in one line: "Use lapping compound on the front edge of the reel blades and adjust the cutting bar so the blades have light but firm contact across the full width."

Where it loses: Clemson says "Sharpening reel mowers is difficult and can be left to a professional mower repair service." Sun Joe is not on the SK-1's model list, so check your mower's manual first.

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Also considered: models that missed the list and why

Fiskars StaySharp Max (18 in). Bob Vila's Best Overall and Family Handyman's "best overall reel mower recommendation"; Wirecutter ranks it runner-up behind pick 1, saying it "doesn't cut as nicely". Its listing gives an 18 inch cut and settings from 1 to 4 inches, the only 4 inch top on this page, and Bob Vila found it "the only manual reel mower we tested that could mow effectively with sticks and other debris lying on the grass", cutting "within an inch of the edge". It is not a pick because neither Fiskars listing we checked was in stock on September 22 (one out of stock, one on lead time), so we do not link it. Its cons: Bob Vila gives its weight as 52 pounds; Wirecutter found it "heavier and harder to turn around", and at lower heights it "sometimes choked on the grass"; and Bob Vila's own review says it "May struggle to maintain dense lawn grass species at a low height".

Fiskars 17" Push Mower. The smaller StaySharp, 1.5 to 3.5 inches on its listing. It missed because no tester tested it, its listing showed only scarce stock, and a 1.5 inch minimum rules out most of hybrid bermudagrass's 0.5 to 1.5 inch range.

American Lawn Mower 2607-16 16-Inch 7-Blade. The same 16 inch width, seven blades and 1/2 to 2-1/2 inch range on its listing, with American Lawn Mower's SK-2 hand sharpener in the box. It missed because no tester named it, and the 7-blade Bob Vila tested is in stock in pick 4's bundle. A Scotts-branded version, the 2607-16S, is also sold; its listing does not mention the sharpener, and it calls a 7-blade reel ideal for "ryegrass, and fescue", which American Lawn Mower's own rule below advises against.

Scotts 716-18S 18-Inch 7-Blade. A 7-blade mower with pick 1's 1 to 3 inch range, dual tracking wheels and a loop handle, per its maker page. It missed because no tester named it, and its 1 inch minimum covers only the top of hybrid bermudagrass's range, the lowest-cut grass in our table.

American Lawn Mower 1604-16 with Grass Catcher. A 16 inch, 5-blade mower with a catcher included and a 1/2 to 2-1/2 inch range, taller than pick 6's. Its listing says the catcher "collects a portion of the clippings". It missed because no tester named it; it is the catcher alternative with a taller cut than the Sun Joe.

GARDENA Classic 16 in Reel Lawn Mower. Bob Vila's Best Ease of Use: 19.6 lbs on its listing, a folding handle and a ten-year manufacturer's warranty. It missed on height: its range stops at 1.65 inches, and Bob Vila found "Taller, thicker grass stopped the Gardena reel mower in its tracks" and its wheels "tended to slide over wet grass".

Sun Joe 24V-CRLM15 Cordless Push Reel Mower. A battery reel mower with a 360-watt motor, a 15 inch 5-blade reel, four heights from 0.6 to 2.0 inches and an 11.9 gallon bag. It missed because it is sold as the tool only, with the battery and charger not included, its range tops out at 2.0 inches, and the one cordless reel mower Bob Vila tested, a Pulsar, turned out "excessively noisy at 96 decibels", which Bob Vila says was "not at all what we expected or wanted in a reel mower".

How many passes will your lawn take?

Cutting width decides how long mowing takes, so we turned it into passes and walking distance. This table is computed by us from each maker's or listing's stated cutting width, for both tiers (ALM is American Lawn Mower). The rules:

• Overlap. We assume each pass overlaps the last by 2 inches, so a 20 inch mower moves the line 18 inches a pass. That 2 inches is our assumption, not a maker figure; Sun Joe's product guide says only to align the cutting path arrow with the previous cut, and American Lawn Mower's 1204-14 listing says to increase the overlap if the grass reaches 4 inches.
• Passes are for a square lawn: the side in inches divided by the effective width, rounded up. A 1,000 sq ft square is 31.62 ft on a side (379.5 in), so the Scotts takes 379.5 / 18 = 21.1, which rounds up to 22 passes.
• Mowing path is the area divided by the effective width in feet, so it holds for any lawn shape. It does not count turns or trimming: 1,000 sq ft / 1.5 ft = 667 ft for the Scotts.

How to read it. At 5,000 sq ft, the 14 inch mower walks 5,000 ft of mowing path and the 20 inch mower 3,333 ft, so the narrow mower adds half again as much walking. The catch, per Bob Vila: a wider swath "makes the mower more challenging to push because more grass means more resistance". Wirecutter's line is that anyone with "more than a quarter acre (roughly 10,000 square feet) will find weekly mowing with a reel mower exhausting". One of its long-term testers mows about 1,000 sq ft in about 20 minutes.

Which reel mower reaches your grass's mowing height?

Height is where many reel mowers fall short. The University of Florida turfgrass scientist Jason Kruse told Wirecutter that "Most residential grasses (both cool- and warm-season) have recommended heights of cut that are at the upper limit or even exceed the height of cut that is possible with some of the mowers", and Ohio State Extension says reel mowers "struggle with today's recommended higher mowing heights". So we checked it. The ranges below are Ohio State's for cool-season grasses, zoysiagrass and common bermudagrass, and Clemson's for hybrid bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass. Each cell is computed by us: the part of that range the mower can be set to, from the maker's height range.

How to read it. Every mower here can be set somewhere inside both bermudagrass ranges, and Clemson says "Bermudagrass and zoysiagrass are best cut with a reel mower." The cool-season columns are where the list splits. Only the Fiskars StaySharp Max reaches the top of the tall fescue and bluegrass ranges, and it was not in stock. If your tall fescue lawn is kept above 3 inches, no pick reaches it (the scarce Fiskars 17 in goes to 3.5); Kruse told Wirecutter that mowing lower than recommended is possible but "the long-term health of the turf could suffer significantly". Of the picks, the Scotts 2000-20S reaches furthest, to 3 inches; the Great States and the Earthwise reach only the 2.5 inch floor of tall fescue; and picks 5 and 6 cannot be set inside any cool-season range. Illinois Extension suggests "a mowing height between 2½ to three inches" for most lawns, and pick 1 is the only pick that covers that whole band.

Is a reel mower right for you?

A reel mower suits you if most of these are true:

• Your lawn is small. Wirecutter's cutoff is a quarter acre; Bob Vila recommends its bigger picks for lawns up to a quarter acre.
• You mow often. Wirecutter says a reel mower "works best with a strict adherence to a regular cutting schedule", and that overgrown grass just gets pushed down and rolled over. Sun Joe's product guide says to mow at least once a week in the growing season.
• Your grass suits the height range. Check the table above. Bermudagrass fits every mower here; tall fescue fits very few.
• Your ground is fairly flat and smooth. Clemson says reel mowers "require a relatively smooth surface to obtain a quality cut" and that very uneven ground gets scalped.

It is probably the wrong tool if your lawn is bumpy or full of surface roots, or sloped: Wirecutter finds reel mowers "troublesome on sloped or bumpy lawns", though Family Handyman recommends a light one for a small, steep lawn; if trees drop twigs and leaves you will not clear first, since Wirecutter notes reel mowers "can't mow over twigs and leaves as gas mowers can"; if you often let the grass go long; or if you need to cut right up to a fence, since on most reel mowers the blades sit inboard of the wheels. As Wirecutter puts it, "a reel mower is not a direct replacement for a regular mower".

Are reel lawn mowers any good?

For the right lawn, yes, and the reason is the cut. A reel mower snips each blade between the spinning reel and a fixed bed knife, like scissors; Clemson says rotary mowers cut on impact, causing "a degree of mutilation and injury to the leaf blade", while reel mowers "cut with a scissor-like action to produce a very clean, even cut". Kruse told Wirecutter the scissor action "results in less damage to the leaf tissue", and that grass cut this way loses less water and is less susceptible to disease.

The limits are just as real. Clemson says reel mowers "are used at cutting heights of 2 inches or less", and Ohio State lists the drawbacks: "Certain models lack flexible height adjustments, sharpening can be trickier, and they struggle with today's recommended higher mowing heights."

5-blade or 7-blade reel mower: which is better?

Neither is better everywhere; the answer is your grass and how short you cut it. Clemson puts the rule simply: "as the height is lowered, the greater the number of blades is required on the reel." Bob Vila says more blades give a cleaner cut "because the grass blade doesn't bend as far before it's severed", that four or five blades "work well" for most lawns, and that six or seven make a mower "ideal for achieving a uniform cut on dense grass".

The maker's own rule for its 7-blade reel is the most specific we found. American Lawn Mower says seven blades are "Most efficient on bent grass" and names Bermuda, zoysia, centipede, St. Augustine and seashore paspalum, and that for "taller, wetter upright grasses like fescue, bluegrass, rye grass and mixed weed/crab grass it is recommended to use a 4 or 5 blade reel mower". The trade-off is effort: Bob Vila found its 7-blade mower "more difficult to push than the five-blade models".

So, how many blades are best? Four or five for a cool-season lawn or a mixed, weedy one (picks 1, 2, 3 and 5); seven for Bermuda or zoysia you keep around an inch (pick 4).

What cutting width and height range do you need?

Width sets how long mowing takes and how hard the push is. Bob Vila says the easy-to-cut grasses (perennial rye, Kentucky bluegrass, fescue) suit wider mowers, while thick Bermuda, St. Augustine and zoysia suit narrower ones. The passes table above shows what each width buys.

Height range matters more than width, and the top of the range matters most: Wirecutter used maximum cutting height as its "primary factor in eliminating mowers from contention", since the minimum setting is one you will rarely use. Ohio State's one-third rule shows why the top setting matters: "if a lawn is kept at 3 inches, leaf blades shouldn't exceed 4.5 inches before mowing." Find your grass in the table above, keep the mowers whose range covers it, then choose a width for your lawn size.

Do you need a grass catcher?

Usually not. Illinois Extension says that if you mow as needed and follow the one-third rule, clippings "will readily filter back down into the lawn, and need not to be collected", that they "do not cause thatch", and that they return nitrogen so less fertilizer is needed. Ohio State says collecting them may be advisable when weeds are in bloom or disease is active. Sun Joe's product guide adds the practical case: do not smother the grass under a heavy layer of clippings.

If you do want one, picks 4 and 6 include one. American Lawn Mower sells catchers by size: the American Lawn Mower GC91416 14"/16" Grass Catcher lists the 1204-14, the 415-16 and the Earthwise 1715-16EW among its models, and says it "may not capture every clipping"; the American Lawn Mower GC91820 18"/20" Grass Catcher names the 1815-18. Neither listing names the Scotts 2000-20S or the 2607-16, so match your model number before you buy. For a matted layer at the soil line, our dethatcher guide covers what thatch is and whether you have it.

How do you sharpen a reel mower? Backlapping, explained

A reel mower cuts where the spinning blades pass the bed knife, so two things keep it cutting: the gap between them, and the edges themselves. Wirecutter explains the gap: if the blades sit too far from the bed knife they will not cut, and too close makes the mower hard to push and dulls the blades fast. Sun Joe's product guide gives the paper test: every blade should slice the strip evenly across the whole bar while the reel turns smoothly, and if the wheel gets hard to turn by hand, back the adjustment off.

When adjustment no longer gives a clean cut, the edges need work. Backlapping is the home method: the SK-1 kit supplies the compound, a brush to apply it, and a back-lapping crank, and Foley's definition above is what they do together. Foley also draws the line: unlike grinding, which "re-establishes the proper angle and removes material", backlapping maintains an edge, and on golf course reels it treats more than 5 to 7 minutes of lapping with no improvement as "a strong indicator that grinding is needed". How often: Bob Vila says after 20 to 25 hours of use, Wirecutter "after a few seasons", Family Handyman every year. Follow the kit's manual and your mower's; Sun Joe's product guide says "Wrap the blades or wear gloves when handling near the reel." If that sounds like more than you want to do, Clemson's advice is that sharpening "can be left to a professional mower repair service".

Between sharpenings, Wirecutter's advice is to hose off grass and grime after each mow and to wipe the blades with an oiled rag once a season to prevent rust; our garden hose guide has the hose for that job. Sun Joe's product guide says the opposite for its own mower: clean the exterior with a soft brush and cloth, and no water. Your mower's manual wins.

How to mow with a reel mower

• Clear the lawn first. Sticks, acorns and pine cones stopped Bob Vila's Great States "abruptly", and Sun Joe's product guide says to clear rocks, sticks and toys before mowing. In fall, that means raking first; our leaf rake guide matches a rake to the job.
• Take a third at most. Illinois Extension says never remove more than one-third of the grass leaf in a single cutting, and that in spring this "will likely mean more than once a week". Sun Joe's product guide adds never more than 1 inch at a time.
• Mow dry grass. Illinois Extension: "It is never advisable to mow when the grass is wet." Bob Vila adds that wet clippings stick to the mower and speed rust.
• Smooth the bumps. One of Wirecutter's long-term owners goes over bumpy spots one or two extra times, because on uneven ground the wheels, which drive the reel, lose contact as they bounce. Our guide to leveling a yard covers filling low spots and lowering high ones.
• Mind slopes. Sun Joe's product guide says to mow across the face of a slope, never up and down, and to stay off steep slopes and wet grass.

The rest of the lawn season

When the leaves start to drop, our fall yard cleanup checklist covers the order of the jobs and the tools for each. If a bump turns out to be a root or a buried rock, that is a digging job, and our spade finder matches a Spear Head spade to your ground.

Common questions

What is the best reel mower?

For most small lawns, the Scotts 2000-20S: a 20 inch, 5-blade push reel mower with a 1 to 3 inch range. Wirecutter found it gave the cleanest cut of its test group and was the only one that did not jam, and Bob Vila recommends it for midsize lawns up to about a quarter acre. For Bermuda or zoysia kept short, a 7-blade mower like the Earthwise 1715-16EW is the better fit.

Which is better, a 5-blade or 7-blade reel mower?

It depends on your grass. American Lawn Mower says 7-blade reels are most efficient on Bermuda, zoysia, centipede and St. Augustine, and recommends a 4 or 5 blade reel for taller upright grasses like fescue, bluegrass and rye. Bob Vila found its 7-blade mower cut the most consistently but was harder to push than the 5-blade models.

How many blades are best for a reel mower?

Four or five for most home lawns, especially cool-season and mixed lawns; seven for fine warm-season grass kept short.

Are reel lawn mowers any good?

Yes, on the right lawn. They cut with a scissor action that Clemson says gives a very clean, even cut, and Wirecutter calls them much quieter than regular mowers. They suit small, fairly flat lawns mowed often, and they struggle with tall grass, twigs, bumps and the higher mowing heights most cool-season lawns want.

How big a lawn can you mow with a reel mower?

Up to about a quarter acre. Wirecutter says anyone with more than a quarter acre, roughly 10,000 square feet, will find weekly mowing with a reel mower exhausting.

Do reel mowers need sharpening?

Yes, eventually. Wirecutter says the blades will need sharpening after a few seasons, and Bob Vila suggests after 20 to 25 hours of use. Backlapping with a compound kit like the American Lawn Mower SK-1 is the home method.