Are Push Lawn Mowers A Good Choice For Your Lawn?

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I can remember when I was kid, we had a manual push mower - also known as a reel mower - in our basement and I loved to watch my Dad take it out and cut the lawn with it. But it wasn't long before he switched to an electric mower and I never really thought about push lawn mowers again until I saw one at the local home center recently.

It seems these mowers are making a bit of a comeback, for several reasons. For one thing, they're a lot more environmentally friendly than either electric or gas powered mowers. Since they don't use any energy (other than the person pushing them!) and no fuel to operate, they're virtually 100% efficient.

Another good reason to use a push mower is the exercise you'll get. Because all the power is supplied by you - not by some self-propelled mower that you only really need to steer - you're going to get a better workout that you will with the typical powered lawn mower.

And the other benefit of a push lawn mower is that they can actually provide a better cut for your lawn. Because they're not so hard on the grass as a blade that's spinning at several hundred RPM, they won't cause as much damage to the lawn as you cut.

Probably the biggest drawback to a reel mower is that you'll need to get the blades sharpened (or do it yourself if you're comfortable with the task) a little more often than the typical electric or gas mower. Because gas and electric mowers spin the blades so much faster, they can get away with a duller blade while still chopping the grass. With a push mower, you'll find they get harder to push and less effective when the blade starts to lose its edge.

But if you're considering a push mower anyway, you've already decided to take on some extra work so the additional sharpening shouldn't add too much to the task.

And there's nothing quite as satisfying as doing some good manual labor to get a job done, the way your parents or grandparents used to do it. A push lawn mower will let you relive the good old days of lawn cutting.