When you wake up early in the morning and look at the messy, patchy green surface which is called a lawn and want to mow it without waking your neighbors up, the answer is obvious – push reel mower. Push reel mowers are environmentally friendly as they do not use any gas or electricity and you do not have to be a mechanic to handle them. It is a device with blades mounted on the reel. When you are pushing a mower, the reel rotates and cuts grass blades using the scissor principle.

The first step before you start to use a mower is to conduct a walk-through to check whether there are some debris on the ground which can jam your mower. A push reel mower is not a bulldozer. If you hit a rock, you can dull the blades easily. Furthermore, you should check the height of the grass. If it is higher than four inches, the mower will just push grass blades without cutting them. If you have a big lawn to cut, perhaps, it would be better for you to use a gas mower for the first pass or prepare yourself for the double cut.

Once you started using the mower, you should try to push the mower without activating its blades to feel how it is comfortable for you. While you are mowing, you should overlap your path for about one inch to avoid stripes in the middle of the lawn. The main thing that you should keep in mind during the process is to keep a moderate speed while walking as the mower’s blades cannot rotate if you move too slow. On the other hand, if you push it too quickly, you can miss some spots. This is a great physical exercise, so it can be considered as both cardio and leg day. You will hear the “scissors” noise coming from the mower – it means that it works.

There is a very important thing that you should know about push reel mowers. The grass cuttings can accumulate on the blades of the mower and the housing, so if you leave it like that, it will get rusted. That is why you should clean the blades after each use using a brush or an old rag. To make your job easier, you should lubricate the blades using WD-40 oil. Also, you have to monitor the grass cutting height using a lever or a knob next to the wheels. Usually, it should be two-three inches depending on the grass type.

Push reel mower is unique because it cuts grass tips perfectly, making the lawn healthier and greener than after using gas mower. And what is the best thing? You will not spend a night smelling exhaust fumes. It is amazing to see perfect lines in the grass knowing that you achieved it yourself. But still, try not to run over your feet with the mower since it will not cause serious injuries but still it has blades. Enjoy!