In the United States, there are approximately 80 million lawns, most of which are mowed regularly. A few decades ago, the only options were a manual push lawn mower or a reel mower that needed human labor to run. Today, most people trim their lawns using electric or gas-powered mowers. It is interesting to see reel mowers returning.
What is a Reel Mower?
Your grandparents probably mowed the grass in the family yard using a reel mower. It is a lawn-cutting device that requires human (or female) power and has many blades that cut grass vertically rather than horizontally, as do contemporary gas and electric mowers.
When the machine is manually driven, these vertical blades cut grass blades in a scissor-like action. There would seem to be no advantage to switching over for individuals who dislike the effort needed in pulling a reel mower. Still, there are additional advantages of a reel mower than exercise.
Benefits of a Reel Mower for Your Body
Undoubtedly, a reel or push mower is propelled by your physical work. You may burn 400 and 500 calories per hour manually by pushing a mower.
Use your legs and hips to power the machine’s action to get the most out of your exercise while mowing the grass. While mowing, maintain a straight posture with your shoulders relaxed and your elbows slightly bent.
Using a reel mower can not only help you manage your weight, but it will also increase your daily amount of cardiovascular activity and support muscular growth.
Pros and Cons of Reel Mower
Do we know that using a push mower may benefit your health, but are there other advantages or disadvantages? A push mower is not for you if your health is poor. It does call for strength and endurance, and persons with certain medical conditions may be unable to accomplish it.
A push mower may not be the best option if you need to trim a large portion of your grass. Reel mowers need more time than riding, gas, or electric mowers. You may now have those bigger grass areas mowed with a gas-powered reel mower.
Reel mowers feature two blades that cut vertically, providing the lawn a cleaner cut than rotary mowers’ single blade that cuts horizontally does.
Reel mowers are also ecologically beneficial since they do not need any gas, oil, or electricity to move. There is no risk of fuel spillage since there is no gas or oil. Aside from minor grunts from people pushing them, they do not create much noise pollution.
Additionally, push mowers are safer than other types. There is no feasible method for the user to accidentally hurt a limb while using the machine since pushing is required for it to function. Additionally, unlike other mowers, the whirling of the blades does not promote projectiles like pebbles or trash. Last but not least, compared to gas or electric machines, push mower blades to move at a far slower pace, almost eliminating the possibility of machine-related accidents.
Reel Mower Maintainance
Steel, various metals, and plastic are the main materials of a manual push mower. Because it lacks rubber tubing, copper wire, and other minor components, this mower requires less maintenance.
The blades of reel mowers must sometimes be sharpened, and oil must occasionally be applied to the working components. Even recycled waste vegetable oil may be utilized, which is significantly less oil than is required to operate a gas-powered lawnmower.
The process of sharpening the blades is quite simple. Push the mower after applying an abrasive paste to the blades you may get in a package for sharpening reel mowers. As they rotate, the blades will hone themselves.
Final Thoughts on Reel Mowers
Four, five, and seven blades are available on new gas-powered variants. The number of blades required depends on the kind of grass cut and how short you want the grass trimmed. St. Augustine and Bermuda are heavier, bending grasses that need a seven-blade mower, but Kentucky bluegrass and fescue are fine, thin grasses that cut best with a four or five-blade mower.
They are available in several widths as well. The quicker the grass is mowed, the broader the mower.
Last, rotary mower blades may be readily removed and changed even though maintenance is a breeze. Unlike a reel mower, however. Even if this is unusual, fixing it will be more difficult and expensive.
