In May’s recap post, I mentioned reviewing products we buy and use. We try to be savvy, educated and price-conscious consumers. WE’RE JUST LIKE YOU! In these reviews, I’ll share the product, the research leading up to the purchase and a review product performance. These aren’t affiliated products provided by a company for review. This is home-related stuff we buy and we want to tell you about it.

First up, a reel mower review!

Fiskars StaySharp Push Reel Mower Review

(photo via Amazon)

In spite of our push mower only being two years old, it pooped out on us. My poor husband suffered through repair attempts for weeks, replacing and cleaning parts, tightening this and that – pretty much everything the Internet suggested to get the mower running again. No luck.

While he didn’t go totally Angry Panda, he did declare he’d had it with small engine repair and didn’t want to be using fossil fuels anyway. He wanted a reel mower. I believe my first reaction was, “Are you for reel real?” (<– you knew that was coming) Indeed, he was for real.

The purchase came down to a few simple questions. Does it have good (and quality) reviews online? Do we need one with a bag to catch clippings? Is there a warranty? How much does it cost? Is it available right now?

We ended up with the Fiskars StaySharp Max 18 inch Push Reel Lawn Mower.

Fiskars StaySharp Push Reel Mower Review

Does it have good (and quality) reviews online?

Yes. It’s the most reviewed reel mower on blue, orange and yellow’s websites.

Some highlights:

Assembly super simple. I am a 62 year old woman in average physical condition. My lawn was overgrown and uneven. Goes over bumpy ground fine. I was able to mow it with no problems. Yes, it is a bit of exercise, but that is a good thing! I love love love that it is quiet and I don’t have to deal with engines, oil mixtures, extension cord or batteries.

If a 62-year-old could do it, surely we can…

Returned it within the hour…..My lawn was a little high when I purchased it. It only cut about half of the grass and It didn’t cut some of the weeds no matter how many times I went over them.

Oof.

It is expensive for a reel mower, but I read the great reviews and figured it would be worth it. It is a well-made item, but we haven’t had the great experience some others had. The mower pushes easily and cuts lower grass well, but even set high it doesn’t do higher grass and it just pushes down the tall weeds like dandelions.

Ultimately, the good reviews outweighed the bad/mixed reviews. More on the complaints in a bit.

Do we need a bag to catch clippings?

No. Most reviews bagged the bags for being expensive, ineffective and a cumbersome addition. This mower flings the blades to the side and front.

Fiskars StaySharp Push Reel Mower Review

Photo via Amazon

Is there a warranty?

Fiskars offers a lifetime product warranty. Some retailers also offer extended protection plans. The lifetime warranty was enough for us.

How much does it cost?

From various retailers: $199, $199, $249.99, $199, $299.95 (whaaaat). We went with a $199 retailer, obviously. That happened to be Lowe’s. We also had some gift cards and our 5% off. The purchase was ultimately a bit over $100.

Is it available right now?

We’re all about picking out a product and waiting for it to go on sale. But here’s the thing about grass: it keeps growing, even when you don’t want it to. Booo. So we needed to have our hands on it quickly. It wasn’t in stock at our usual Lowe’s, but it was in a town over.

So, how was it?

Pros:

Easy to assemble. Cut the grass easy peasy. Comfortable grip. Doesn’t take up as much space as the gas mower. Doesn’t require gas or oil. Since it doesn’t use gas (which makes me lightheaded and queasy), I was able to mow the lawn in no time. Doesn’t fling rocks or sticks at 100 mph if you run over them.

Cons:

Totally skips dandelions and higher weeds. In thick (and I mean THICK) grass (okay mostly weeds), I had to build up momentum to push it through. Exerted more energy mowing the lawn (I personally like the exercise). Took slightly longer. Pine cones jam it up. You’ve got to clean it well after each use.

So about the negative reviews: The “won’t cut weeds” was a common critique across the board for reel mowers. Weeds tend to be thicker and higher, but it’s mostly the height that causes the reel mower to pass right over them. That issue is not exclusive to this reel mower.

Now for pictures!

Here’s Lucy, sitting in too-high grass.

The Fiskars StaySharp Reel Mower has several blade height settings, ranging from 1″ to 4″. I cut the grass pretty low in the back yard but keep it higher in the front (an attempt at choking out weeds).

Before and after the lawn trim. Allegedly, the reel mowers shear the grass cleaner than gas mowers, which supposedly improve the grass’s health. We’ll see.

Weed aftermath. The good part about this? Because they’re so obvious and they don’t get cut, it’s very easy to walk over and pop them out of the ground. Not that I would know, I’m too lazy for that business.

Ahhh. Much better. Lucy approves.

Wait, what’s that?

GEESE.

Mmm, dinner.

I should probably start a spin off blog that details my dog’s thoughts, right?

Anyway, final thoughts on the Fiskars StaySharp reel mower?

A+++ WOULD BUY AGAIN. (But hopefully just this once. And when we eventually sharpen the blades, I’ll tell you all about it.)

Do you use a reel mower? Would you consider it?

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