The universe works in funny ways sometimes. Take a few weeks ago when we were lamenting the death of our lawn mower on Facebook and Twitter (though we later resuscitated it with some basic DIY maintenance). After we sounded the Twitter and Facebook alarm, not only did we get lots of suggestions from you guys, but our friends at Lowe’s noticed our online call for help. In fact, they – along with the kind folks at Fiskars – generously offered up one of their newest mowers: a Fiskars Momentum Reel Mower, which just happened to be one of the more frequent recommendations that we got via Twitter and Facebook. Coincidence? We thought not. So we gratefully took Lowe’s up on their generous offer. And they even agreed to extend the offer to one lucky reader- so stay tuned for that prize as part of our Lowe’s Fathers’ Day Freebie which we’ll be posting later today!
But back to the matter mower at hand. I’ll admit that I was a bit skeptical of a reel mower at first, since it seemed like such a low-tech, high-effort, and mixed-result way of mowing your lawn. Especially a pretty large front and back yard like ours. But all the online suggestions from helpful and enthusiastic readers (plus a bit of my own reasearch) proved to be very convincing. We soon realized that not only would a reel mower be a better option for the environment (no gas fumes) and for my wallet (no buying oil or gasoline – plus it’s only $199 itself at Lowe’s) but it also complies with my apparent aversion to mower maintenance (no more oil changes, filter changes, or spark plug replacements necessary). It’s even healthier for me (no fumes in my face, plus a bit of a workout thrown in there for good measure). Oh, and I loved how easily it fit into the back of our Altima for the ride home. Definite perk.
So here’s the play by play when it comes to my maiden voyage with our brandspankingnew Fiskars Momentum. Right off the bat I was immediately won over by how few parts it had and how easy it was to put together. This is what it looked like out of the box…
…and here’s what it looked like about 8 minutes, 4 screws and 2 cotter pins later. Ready to roll.
In case you’re still scratching your head at this thing, a reel mower is a human powered machine. You “walk briskly” with it (as the manual suggests) which spins the blades and cuts your grass. And this reel mower claims to have innovations that make it easier to push (bonus) but since I only have experience with self-propelled gas mowers I realistically knew that this guy was gonna be a bit more work than I was used to no matter what. But one of the other improvements that Fiskars talks about is that the blades never touch each other, meaning that they need to be sharpened far less often than the average reel mower (perhaps even never). Again, not a difference that I really have anything to compare it to, but it’s nice to know that it’s a top of the line contender in the category that’s both lower maintenance and easier to push.
One difference that I was able to immediately pick up on and enjoy was the ease of setting the cutting height. My Troy-Bilt mower required that I adjust each of the four wheels separately and the levers were getting so old that it was quite the chore to move them. The Fiskars only required that I shift one lever to change the cutting height anywhere from 1″ to 4″ (anything over 3″ is said to be the greenest option for your lawn since it allows the blades to soak up more sun and water than closely cropped lawns do). And this easy height change capability is yet another listed improvement over other reel mowers, which can be notorious for cutting grass to short.
But enough about features. What was the whole mowing experience actually like?
Well, it was kinda fun. For one, it was virtually silent compared to the engine roar that I was used to, meaning I didn’t have to crank my iPod up to deafening volumes just to rock my way across our yard. Plus, the way the mower stealthily sprayed grass clippings out the front was not only mesmerizing to watch, but I loved the fact that it wasn’t kicking them back at my feet or off to the side (like the ol’ gas mower did – meaning I often sprayed the driveway and patio with messy looking cuttings). I tried to capture the front-spewing feature on film several times for you guys, but I had limited success. I guess flying blades of grass on a background of more grass isn’t the most high contrast subject matter.
Here’s a close up so you can (hopefully) see those flying blades a bit better. And yes, I was totally mowing with one hand and snapping pictures with the other. I don’t even want to know what the neighbors were thinking. But that does go to show you that it’s not dauntingly heavy or super hard to push.
Actually, the neighbors were probably thinking: “Who is that weird kid trying to manually mow that big lawn with a reel mower?“
I can’t blame them. Between just the front and back yards (not including the wooded area out back) we have over a third of an acre of grass. And the neighbors on either side of us both use rider mowers, so you can probably guess what they thought of the sight of me and my new orange friend. Even Fiskars themselves admit that reel mowers aren’t typically a good fit for people with large yards, so off the bat I knew we weren’t prime candidates to fall in love with the Momentum. But the odd thing is that after mowing both the front and the back yard once, I found myself looking forward to the next trim session, which occurred just about a week later. And the second time was even more fun than the first since I knew what to expect and welcomed the fume free workout that it was sure to provide.
As for the overall experience with our new reel mower, I think the Momentum is great (especially in being a greener option), but I discovered a few things that made me realize that this mower isn’t for everyone (just as the fine Fiskars folks proclaim on their website). So in an attempt to share what I’ve learned and help people end up with a mower match made in heaven, here are a few points to consider when deciding if the Fiskars mower is just the ticket:
- The size of our front and back yards (plus the fact that both have a slight incline to them) meant that mowing took a bit longer and was more of a workout than using a self-propelled gas mower. However if you have the time and energy and welcome the exercise, it could be just what the doctor ordered (but it’s not the perfect tool to squeeze in a quick mow before the sun sets if you have a spacious lawn).
- It doesn’t seamlessly chop weeds or grass over 6″ (and we unfortunately get a smidge of both from time to time). Some weeds are just too tough for its blades and tall stalks get flattened instead of sliced (both things that Fiskars warns potential buyers about upfront). So I did find myself having to go back and pull a few weeds by hand afterwards. In a way, it may actually lead to a healthier lawn if I’m forced to deal with my dandelions instead of just mowing them over. But again, it’s not the easy or fast solution for those without time to tend to a few things that may be left behind.
- It doesn’t do sticks either, and with all of our trees we get our fair share of ’em. Again, Fiskars says upfront that you need to remove any large or medium sized sticks as not to jam the mower or damage the blades (and generally this is a good idea for regular mowers too) so I found myself stopping a few times because a few twigs momentarily stopped the blades. It wasn’t a bit deal to get them out, but it added a few seconds here and there to the project.
The verdict? I think moving forward I’ll probably go steady with our new Fiskars but occasionally date our old-but-revived gas mower. After all, we’re used to going a bit above and beyond to be greener, so I’ll put in the extra effort with the Fiskars whenever I can. But I do plan to rely on my gas-powered Troy Bilt on the rare occasions when I’m super short on time (and once or twice in the fall when I like to mulch leaves right into it). But if your yard doesn’t pose the same problems as ours (big and sometimes stick-riddled) then the Fiskars is probably a one-mower-fits-all option for you. After all, it still leaves a darn good looking lawn behind:
Do any other Fiskars Momentum (or other reel mower) owners want to weigh in on their experiences? Anyone else have a mower that makes their heart go pitter patter? Do tell. And don’t forget that you’ll have the chance to win a Fiskars Momentum for yourself as part of this afternoon’s giveaway from Lowe’s (along with another pretty sweet Dad’s Day prize) so stay tuned…
Jules says
We have a pretty small yard but the front is a steep incline. Would this work for our mini-hill?
Ashley E says
We LOVE our reel mower. I find it easier and lighter to use than a self propelled.
rdb66 says
I’ve had the Fiskar’s Momentum for about 6 weeks now and am VERY happy with it! I live in Chicago in a 5-building development with shared lawns, probably about a quarter acre of grass to cut. The lawns are interupted in LOTS of places by sidewalks, many with large grade changes from grass to the concrete such that you can’t just mow in a straight line. So that means lots of turns, for which a self-propelled gas mower is just more dead weight. The Momentum is small and compact enough that’s it’s an asset, not a liability, for dealing with many parts of the yard. I love that it is so quiet, I love that it takes up 1/2 the space of a gas mower, in my cramped city garage, I love that it cost only $199! And it really isn’t THAT much effort to push. If you are an able-bodied adult, the Momentum is no problem to propel.
Renae says
OMG! Can I just say how much I love the fact that you did a post on this!??!? We are settling on our first home on Thursday and have been looking into getting a manual mower! Since my parents live in the middle of Amish country they were going to pick one up for us. I didn’t realize that stores every where carried them. So awesome!!!
Mama Lungo says
We have this mower and love it. We are previous reel mower owners and when ours was broken in our move, we weren’t sure what we were going to replace it with. Our new home is .4 acres with a slope. We looked at electric and battery mowers (definitely knew we weren’t going gas) and kept coming back to a reel. Hubby did a little research and this is what he wanted. It gives a beautiful cut and is easy enough for me to push, if I were so inclined to do so.
Stephanie S says
Have never owned anything but a reel mower and love it. It does tend to not cut what the boyfriend calls “tall field grass” in our small city yard, but we can get the majority of those with the weed wacker. Both he and I can use it and enjoy the exercise.
One problem is finding someone to sharpen it. It took a couple of phone calls and asking around. (I found a guy up in Ashland if you need his name!) That may be something to research before you realize it needs a sharpening.
And they don’t do well on wet grass.
Kim says
I work in air quality issues and thought you might like to put a number on how “green” this change is: operating an older gas-powered lawnmower for one hour emits the same amount of pollutants as a new car driven 340 miles. Crazy, huh? Good job on the change!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kim,
Wow, that is totally crazy! Thanks so much for sharing!
xo,
s
Kasey at Thrifty Little Blog says
I have a different reel mower as well as a gas powered one. I love the eco-friendly quiet reel version for most weekly mows, but I don’t think we’d be able to do without the gas one as well. Sometimes it just rains all week and the reel mower won’t cut the longer grass.
Katie says
I agree with Anon. It seems of late all you do is advertise for companies in order to get free stuff. The sad part is I’m sure you could afford the mower while some of us real stay at home bloggers can’t, but you still get it free. Must be nice.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
We’re sorry you feel that way! We definitely do our best to churn out over 45 posts a month with a newborn baby at home just to keep everyone entertained. And while we do have weekly giveaways (almost all of which we personally don’t accept the prize, even if a bonus one is offered to us because we’d rather pay it forward and reward a second lovely reader instead) along with the occasional write-up about a new product, if you scroll back through the posts from just last week alone, you’ll see that we covered a lot of bases! We wrote up a big house safety post, took on a DIY lampshade project, shared three ways for people to pin down their style, crashed an amazing casa in California, shared an awesome reader redesign, and wrote all about how we cleaned up and organized the cabinets in our kitchen. And as for our job as two full time bloggers, we actually took quite a pay cut to make that happen, so while it might seem like we’re rolling in dough, we can assure you we live quite a modest lifestyle here at Casa Petersik. But of course you’re entitled to your opinion and you definitely don’t need to read our blog if it bothers you! To each their own!
xo,
s
Michelle says
Thanks for sharing your experience! I debated over lawn mowers for quite awhile when I moved into my first house last year. I actually ended up with a reel mower (not a Fiskars) and quickly learned the same things you did. Mine actually gets stuck with bark quite often, but for the few seconds it takes to remove, it really isn’t a big problem. I think the pulling weeds left behind or living with the blades that flatten rather than cut are more of a pain. However, for a green option and much less hassle (oil, gas, maintenance) I’m pretty happy with my reel mower!
Lauryn says
Hey YHL!
I just wanted to encourage you guys and say that I think you are doing a great job here on your blog. Mean comments may not bother you guys, but I know sometimes they can. So- I think youre doing awesome!! :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Lauryn! We appreciate the kind words! We’ve learned that every post we write won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, so we just try to write about what seems interesting to us and hope that a few others like it too!
xo,
s
Julia says
We bought a reel mower when we bought our house a little over a year ago and have been very happy with it. My husband was convinced when he read more about the emissions from gas push mowers. We decided we just didn’t want to contribute to that or be around those emissions ourselves each week. For about $125 we bought a Scott’s reel mower at HD. We have a small front and backyard though, it takes maybe an hour to do both. After about 24 hours the clippings sink in with the other grass and you don’t see them anymore. The only downside is that you can’t let the grass get too tall, so if we were to leave town for 2 weeks, we’d need someone to mow for us, or we’d have to borrow a gas mower upon return as ours just couldn’t handle that kind of growth.
Julia says
oh and also, my husband spent a weekend outside digging up the dandelions back in late April/early May. Backbreaking work, but worth it for a weed free yard (well, we still have weeds but none as tall as those stinky flowers).
Dawn says
We have a reel mower, although not a Fiskar’s. Idon’t remember the model right now. It’s possible to use it on damp (wouldn’t recommend wet) grass, but it is much easier to use on dry grass. Since we live in SoCal, we don’t really have to worry about much wet grass, though. :)
Also, for grass clippings – we bought an attachment for ours that catches the clippings. You have to empty it quite a few times during mowing, so I can see that it would be a pain if your yard is large. But, ours is fairly small so it works well for us! We don’t always use it anyway, just when we want it for compost or when we want the yard to look a bit nicer.
Jennifer F says
I’m really interested in looking into the reel mower now. We hired a lawn guy because mowing the lawn messes with my husband’s allergies so much. Since these don’t really kick up a lot of grass, do you think it would be something he could use?
YoungHouseLove says
Hi Jennifer F,
I don’t have allergies so I can’t speak completely to how it would work for your husband, but I certainly felt like it was kicking up less than our gas mower so I bet it would definitely be an improvement (however, it obviously still does kick some clippings and whatever allergens might be on them into the air). Maybe a simple white mask would help?
-John
Carole says
we have a less high-tech reel mower, and it’s great unless a) the grass is too long, in which case it’s too hard to push, or (b) we have too many ‘sticks’ of grass or weeds, as you mentioned in your post. we also have a black and decker electric mower for those ‘waited too long to mow’ weeks! noise pollution is a concern for us, which is why we chose the electric back-up mower.
when we lived in australia, the neighbours used to come out (with their kids) to watch us mow the lawn with our reel mower. it was a good way to meet the neighbours, because they all came out to gawk at the crazy north americans with their reel mower! the grass we had there was very different, and it had a *lot* of sticks, so we used to go back with scissors and cut them by hand! now that was hard on the back!
julie says
We just moved into a new house on Memorial Day weekend and the thing my husband was looking forward to most was his new Fiskars Momentum Reel Mower. I actually posted a picture of him using it for the first time on our personal family blog. We decided to go the push-mower route for several reasons – the first of which being our major guilt about buying a new construction home. We like to think of ourselves as ‘green’ people – we buy produce at farmer’s markets, work from home a few days/week to cut back on gas, we don’t eat much meat…but, when it came to buying a home, we had our reasons for building new. So we did, rationalizing that we’d have to try even harder from now on to make ‘green’ choices so that our kids have a brighter, cleaner future.
So far, we LOVE the mower. We are the perfect yard candidates, living on a small (less than 1/4 acre) lot in NoVA. My husband mows the lawn 2x/week (replacing his workout on those nights) and says that because it is lightweight, he thinks it is no harder to push than even the heavier, self-propelled mowers. His rationale is that no matter the mower, mowing the lawn is a chore, so why not keep it ‘green’, get a good workout, and own a really cool-looking gadget. He did a ton of research before making this purchase, and I believe too, that a huge advantage is that the blades are friction-free (they float above the ground, kind of?) unlike other push-reel mowers, so the blade-sharpening should be less of an issue. Correct me if I’m wrong on that.
I’m so so glad you did a post on this mower – we’ll be telling our friends about it diligently, hoping to get more people thinking even a little ‘greener’!
Kristen says
I love your blog – it’s local (for me) and I enjoy reading about your projects and how you manage your household.
I won’t stop reading it just because you throw in some sponsor love from time to time, but I must say that the money management posts, while helpful, don’t mention that you’re making about $5k a month by simply selling sponsor space on the blog.
It’s great that you don’t buy food unless you know you’re going to eat it, you use cloth diapers because it will save money, and you only have 1 car, and we should all use those things as examples – but regardless of whether you’re both working outside the home, that’s a significant amount of money coming in every month that your readers can’t fathom. It’s more than most of us make in a month. Perhaps that’s why a few readers are frustrated.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kristen,
Good point! But there are actually a lot of behind the scenes expenses when it comes to keeping YHL up and running! We spend hundreds of dollars a month just hosting our site (with the traffic and all the photos we pay a pretty penny to keep it from crashing). We also pay quarterly taxes on every dollar that we make (so a good chunk goes right back to the government) and we also have had to hire an accountant to help us make those quarterly payments four times a year. Then there are the occasions when we have to pay programmers to fix any bugs or glitches that slow things down for our readers, and of course we have to pay for our own health insurance as opposed to having that covered by an employer. We also take on non-stop projects, just to keep the blog up and running! Even if we just tackle one project a week (this last week we took on two, organizing the cabinets and creating the light for the office) that’s still money that’s going out. We can definitely see how it looks glamorous from the outside, but it’s quite an operation going on here behind the scenes. But it’s absolutely worth it because we’re doing what we love. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tiffany says
I’m always surprised at how many readers of free blogs are willing to complain about the things that keep the blogs free. I especially find it odd to complain in a post that is hardly a rave for the free product. I’d much rather have the few posts a month that are sponsor-related than have to pay a subscription fee.
$5K gross a month from ads on the blog–minus taxes, insurance, and expenses–does not seem like an “unfathomable” salary for two young professionals working full time.
I say congratulations on your success.
Kevin M says
C’mon people, this is their job, so they get some free stuff to review. It’s not like they are hiding the fact it was free! Plus, they give away more stuff than any blog I’ve ever read.
Personally, I wish this review had been put up a couple months earlier (free mower or not). I considered buying a reel mower, but we have 1/3 acre lawn and that was the cutoff Lowe’s recommended going to gas, so I went with a new Troy-Bilt push mower. I did get the greener Honda engine, but this clearly one-ups the gas powered mower. Oh well, maybe next time.
Perhaps it is a sad commentary on America that anyone with a 1/3 acre yard is encouraged to get a self-propelled mower rather than actually pushing something around and getting exercise!
Lauren McW says
Thanks for the great post! A week ago, my husband came to me with the crazy idea of cancelling our lawn service, and purchasing a reel mower to use himself! It’s the greenest option, saves money in the long run, and no smelly fumes, or noise pollution!
I personally love the product reviews you give. I appreciate the info, and base my purchasing decisions on personal recommendations from friends and bloggers. When I looked for cloth diapers, none of my personal friends used them, so I went to some of my favorite bloggers who used them and bought according to their reviews. Now I will take your helpful mower review to my husband for him to read. We may not pruchase this specific mower, but your review is very helpful as we research.
I love your blog! Keep up the great work!!
Sparrow says
You guys are way more patient than I would be with the snarky complainers. I love every post, and I’m sure thousands of other people do as well. I also appreciate the product reviews – I was just pricing out reel mowers a few weeks ago. I’d tell the haters to shove off. ;-) Keep the Casa Petersik posts coming!!
candace says
When I have my own little bitty yard to mow (right now I am in a townhome) – I am totally all in with this mower. Yay for going green! Thanks for reviewing the product – it’s appreciated!
The Virginia House says
My brother has one of those and I got to use it when I was visiting. (he lives not far from you all) I loved it!!! It game me such a feeling of satisfaction when I finished. I would love to have one for our current yard since we have a lot of small spots of grass and an inground pool that is not fun to get a push mower around. Thanks for the review. Loved it. As I’m sure you’ve figured out, when the grass is really long then it is quite a challenge to use this, but if you don’t let it get up there then…no problem! Thanks again!
Jamie B says
The man of our house takes his lawn extremely seriously. He used to sell equipment for golf course maintenance, so as far as he’s concerned our (very large) lawn should be as pristine as a fairway. I can’t even convince him to get an electric/battery mower as he thinks they’re too “wimpy” compared to his gas mower, so I had to laugh when I imagined the look on his face if I tried to sell him on a push mower, as we call them. Sorry, environment, I’ve tried!
Lindsey R says
Thanks for the awesome giveaway and chance to score a great father’s day gift! We just added a stone patio and a playset in our backyard….so the mowing space has been cut down and I think we could really LOVE a reel mower!
Jamie B says
Also, I appreciate the fact that you’re always upfront about which posts are “ads” for your sponsors or when you’ve received something for free. Nothing wrong with that, imo. :)
CarMaj says
Hey Youngsters!
I wish I had a yard because this reel mower is fantastic and definitely saves on cash in the long run!!! SCORE!
I feel so bad that you have to justify yourselves and the way you make your living… You both are examples of how we all should be living our lives in this world today. I want to THANK YOU for always having great, informative posts, many of which have helped me change my ways, and to also THANK YOU for changeling your readers to save a buck or 2 by realizing their own DIY potential!!
PS: Not sure if you are aware but your DIY lamshade in the “new” office was featured on Apartment Therapy
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/hot-posts/template-chicago-hot-posts-119326
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much for kind words everyone! And for the link CarMaj! Off to check it out…
xo,
s
Teresa T. says
Love your blog! Readers need to remember “if you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all!” Also, “what you put out to the universe will come back to you”. So with that said, please keep up the great work and I know it is work. Thank you for sharing what you have learned with me. I appreciate all that you do!
Sara says
Keep up the good work guys! I love love your blog and am so impressed that you have been able to keep up two posts a day (not to mention working on house projects) even with a newborn! You guys are great!
Can I afford this mower? No. But I enjoyed reading about it in this post, and now I know that if I can afford it one day when I need a new mower, I’ll probably buy it.
I love getting ideas from you and how you keep things simple and inexpensive. I guess what I’m trying to say is…I don’t usually comment but reading some of the comments today made me want to thank you for your blog! Keep up the good work!
amy says
I don’t have the exact model you have, but we’ve been using a reel mower on our lawn and I think it’s awesome!
I’ve used it a few times and agree with a lot of your comments as far as what it can and can’t do. Our neighbors lawn was covered with tall dandelion stems and my husband tried to cut them down, but it really just pushes them forward.
Our lawn is newly seeded this season, so it is flat and all grass – no weeds. The best part about it is that I can use it myself and I don’t have to nag my hubby about cutting the lawn. I have really flimsy arms so it helps me get a bit of a workout when I use it! Our lawn is pretty small in comparison to yours. So it’s not too bad. And I’m scared of machinery so even better.
On a side note, do you have any tips on fertilizer, and how to keep squirrels from digging little holes all over the place?
I think you guys do a great job with the blog. I always get the feeling that you’re trying to do right by your audience. And hey, we all have to make a living, right? I’d rather read your blog than most magazines. Keep up the good work :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amy,
We actually used starter fertilizer to get our lawn going a few years back, but haven’t used any since. Much to our surprise, the lawn looks pretty good for just mowing and weeding for the last two years. I was actually just reading up on organic fertilizing recently and may do a post about it once I feel like I grasp the subject better. But unfortunately it didn’t offer any tips about those pesky squirrels. :) Stay tuned for more discussion on this hopefully!
-John
Celeste says
Maybe it’s because I grew up in an urban area with a smaller yard but we’ve always used a push mower. I wonder how different this new “reel mower” would be from the old push mower we use?
Also, my parents stored it upright in the corner of the garage and my and brother and I never went poking around the blades. Even if we had, I don’t recall them being sharp enough to accidentally cut yourself on unless you were really trying.
Safety is always important to keep in mind but I wouldn’t fret too much unless you plan on regularly leaving little Clara unattended in the garage! :)
Jami says
We also use a reel mower… and while it does require you to really stay on top of your lawn, we definitely think it’s worth it!
Kyle V. Jimenez says
Some friends of ours have this mower and they (and we) love it! No gas, no noise, happy neighbors.
Enjoy!
Julie says
I love my reel mower! It’s the perfect option for a single gal with a small yard.
Also love your blog and I’m so happy that you are able to make a living doing what you love – keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve consistently been classy, conscientious, and upfront about sponsors.
Somanna says
Hello,
My wife and I enjoy your blog, it’s been very inspiring and motivational for us as we try our luck on doing some DIY’ing. This post connects with me because I went through the same thing. I had a hand me down mower which I felt “guilty” about using, and it wasn’t about the gas usage (technically they are high mpg engines) but the noxious emissions. Just running my mower was equivalent to a number of cars idling. That, and the fact I did smell of gas and fumes.
I tried my luck with a Sears reel mower, and it’s pretty much in line with the mower you got, except for price. I enjoyed the workout from it, and loved the amount of clean grass clippings it spewed and the peace and quiet. However, I could not use it in the back yard because the grass was much thinner there plus there were plenty of twigs and leaves from our trees. My compromise was to use the gas at the back and the reel in the front. Then I realized come fall, the reel mower really couldn’t cut the grass as well when they were leaves all over it.
The final straw.. er, grass blade, was that my lawn started becoming a mixture of different types of grass, coming from the lawns of my neighbors. As it is, the cutting of these reel mowers is uneven (to the eye), and I really didn’t care, but it became a bit too much after all this cross pollination.
So, long story short, I’ve had to resort back to the gas mower for everything. Ultimately I would either like to go back to reel if I can completely replant my lawn (not happening, because it’s just grass and I refuse to invest that much into it) or an electric mower. The only “green” satisfaction I get from the gas mower is that I leave the clippings on the lawn!
Also, I must implore you to shy away from the headphone usage and volume if you do go back to the gas mower. I work in manufacturing, and we take hearing loss very seriously. I have seen (and currently feeling) the long term damage caused by exposure to continuous loud noises. Please think about getting ear muffs (not plugs!) and not to “cancel” out the noise with loud music.
I mean, you’re gonna want to hear your daughter say her vows, right?! :)
Thanks for reading.
(ps- try taking a shot of the mower from the side. Lie down and have the mower pushed into view, and make sure you have a fast shutter speed to capture it. Your camera should have a “sports” mode, so just use that. Then again, you’ve already done and gone posted this, so kinda late here with the tip… )
Faith says
Perfect timing for this post! I really want to get a reel mower, but needed more info and research. Thanks! Hopefully you two will feel the love from your readers…the last thing any of us should be doing is judging how another lives! It is none of our business what you make or how you make it! Last thing you, especially Sherry, need right now is negativity. Good on you for realizing that there will always be snarky people out there and to not let them rent space in your head. I am not always crazy about the product stuff on blogs either, but I realize that what I DO love about YHL is worth a product post or two every once in a while. Don’t like it? Don’t read it. Way to go Petersiks, on making the best choices for your family!
Ashlee says
I cannot believe some of the Snarky McSnarkerpants posts that I am reading! Someone is “faulting” you for bringing in $5k a month on sponsored ads (before blog expenses and taxes no less)?? Last time I checked, nobody is exactly living large on $60k a year–and a couple with an infant, no less!
What a bunch of yuckballs.
Perhaps you should offer those people a non-sponsored site, and charge them a membership fee? Nothing in life is free!
((…stepping off of soap box, and resuming regularly scheduled programming…))
Joanne says
One reader had it right – those that are jealous of your JOB and your success at it should just stop reading! Of course there will always be people who are jealous of others’ success (no matter how large or small).
Anyhoo, I had a reel mower in my old house and really did like the quiet. I did have to borrow a neighbor’s mower occasionally to even things out, but the reel worked most of the time. I would use one again, with the electric I have as back up. I have purchased mostly Fiskar’s yard tools and I find them a cut above others – just like their scissors! No pun intended.
Ros says
LOL, Carole actually brings up a good point about the reel mower and meeting your neighbors. We’ve lived in this house for over a year, and never spoke to our across-the-street neighbors until the first day we brought out our reel mower. I could feel the eyes on me as people stood inside and laughed at us pushing this clunker in the hot Texas sun. One family sent their youngest over to offer us the use of their gas mower… “It’ll be MUCH quicker my mom said!” haha
We gratefully declined and went back to work… interest has (thankfully) died down now..
Rachel says
We purchased a reel mower when we bought our house a year and a half ago. We do have a much smaller yard than you do, but we love it. Its easy enough that I could, theoretically, use it, if I was so inclined. Also, we do not currently have outdoor storage and its the perfect size to fit in our laundry room without being too much of a nusiance. Its quiet, so we can mow at time without bothering the neighbors and their young kids. (My parents have a neighbor who mowes using a gas mower at 6:30 AM!)
Sarah S says
We bought the basic Scott’s reel mower several years ago, but unfortunately it wasn’t a good fit for our lawn. Our yard is small, but the grass is poor quality (many blades grow sideways and we have yet to win the war on crabgrass). However, the two biggest obstacles for us were our very steep hill (about 45* and 13 steps up) and the bumpy, uneven ground. We really wanted to like it, but ended up buying an electric mower instead.
We love our electric mower! The cord looks funny, but it’s not as big of a nuisance as our neighbors think, even with the hill out front. We use two big extension cords (no outdoor plug… we have to connect from inside the house). It’s not as green as a reel mower, but it’s better than a gas mower and works for us. It also has a bag attachment (which we rarely use) if you’re into bagging clippings. Hope this helps someone!
Btw, great work on the blog, John and Sherry! I’ve been reading for a couple years now, watching as your little blog project has grown up. You work really hard to provide your readers with such great ideas and inspiration. Thanks so much for all you do!
Kristen Plumer says
Hey Guys,
I just want to say that your blog is really awesome and it’s on my “must read” list EVERY SINGLE DAY. I can’t believe people would step as low to comment on what they THINK you earn and whether that is appropriate or not. Here’s an idea…let’s have everyone comment in with HOW MUCH EVERYONE MAKES PER YEAR and then we can all discuss! Sound incomfortable? Yeah, that’s what I thought. None of that is ANYONE’S business! You guys are great and in my mind SET THE STANDARD for how this type of blog should be. Don’t let the turkeys get you down! :-)
XO Kristen P
Heather says
I wanted to send a quick note to you guys telling you how much I enjoy your blog. Not content with being just another DIY site, you really have more of a lifestyle space, heavy on the home improvement. And I love every bit of it. Your honest, fun, creative, light-hearted approach mirrors your personalities (I’m guessing) and that’s why you have such a loyal readership. I think most of us don’t really appreciate what your “job” entails. But we can clearly see that you put your heart and many many hours into keeping it fresh and real and engaging. I hope you are developing a thick skin, being sort of blog-land celebrities, but I still wanted to offer my support and encouragement, because I like what you are putting out there, and I hope you always feel comfortable doing it. Thanks for making a positive contribution to the world. Best wishes!!!
Maggie Rose says
We lucked out in that our landlord hires out our lawn care, but I think if we owned this place, this little mower would be just right for us. It’s a small yard, doesn’t get a lot of sticks (does have some rocks, which makes me nervous for a “regular” mower anyway!) and only has a gentle incline.
And I appreciate that you offered some is-this-right-for-you tips! Keep up the good work!
rdb66 says
Another comment — both your post on the reel mower and the discussion in the comments is really helpful. I took the leap on a reel mower purchase 2 months ago, and despite a lot of research, I felt like it was a leap of faith into the unknown. I had never used anything but a gas-powered, self-propelled mower in my life. I hope this post and the discussion get more people to try something like a reel mower. They may not be the right choice for EVERY yard, but there are LOTS of yards out there that they work just fine for. Keep up the great work introducing people to practical, workable alternatives for living!
Kelly says
Just wanted to send some encouragement your way. I know it’s easy to focus on the negative comments, but please know that there are so many more of us who support you. I would argue that your take away after fees, hosting and taxes is far too low for the amount of effort and detail that you two put into entertaining the blogosphere. Thank you for what you do!
joni says
to those few jealous negative commentors:
YHL does a blog and we get to read it for FREE. i would hate the day we’d ever have to pay for subscription to read blogs. I am so happy they are blessed because they give out so many FREE great ideas to us twice a day with nothing really in return.
Stacy says
I wish something like this would work for us! I hate using the riding lawnmower because of the noise and dust, but we have 4 acres to mow, so…yeah. ;)
I also wanted to take a second and say how much I like your blog and how great I think it is that you’ve had so much success with it. We recently bought a new house so I’ve been perusing decorating blogs in pretty much all of my free time, and yours is still my hands-down favorite. I think that people fail to realize how much time and work goes into creating each post. And I think a lot of the negativity is just sour grapes. ;)
Katelyn says
We love our reel mower for our small backyard. I love that it’s not noisy and smelly and very little maintenance. I feel comfortable using it although hubby does most of the cutting. (I’ve never felt comfortable using a gas mower – especially self propelled. I’m a fairly small person and always feel a little out of control with the gas mowers.) Our reel mower is a Scotts and cost us about $85.
I will say reel mowers aren’t for everyone. I would hesitate to mow a large yard with a reel mower or one full of rocks, sticks, and uneven terrain, but I’d hesitate with a gas powered mower too. They also aren’t good for very tall grass/weeds (IMO just encourages regular yard maintenance.)
I’ve also read that reel mowers are actually better for your lawn because they cut the grass instead of tearing it like a gas mower.