Craftsman 18" Push Reel Mower Reviews

I was a bit skeptical about using a reel mower as I had heard they didn't cut well, and they had to be sharpened frequently as well as being heavy or hard to push.  The Craftsman 18" Quiet Cut Reel Mower is NONE of those things!  This mower is easy to push - and I have a joint disorder - it's quiet, and it cuts so well and so nicely that my yard looks better than my neighbors' who use gas powered mowers!  I save money by not having to buy gas, oil, and perform maintenance on it.  And, I have yet to need to have the blades changed or sharpened.  This mower is user, economically, and environmentally...

So far so good.  We have an average sized lawn and had a lawn service cutting it for the past 3 years.  This year we had a terrible weed problem and I theorized it was seed coming from the lawn care guys.  They cut the lawn fast, but they don't take care of it.  So we canceled the service and needed to buy a new mower.  I didn't want to spend $500 on a gas mower, and I wanted something that would be good for the lawn.  We are not "Green" people, but we do love the garden and keep compost for fertilizer so a Reel mower seemed like a good, economical choice.

It works great.  The grass is cut...

I had held off on purchasing a reel mower because people told me they were hard to push and wouldn't cut high grass.  They must have not been using this model from Craftsman!  I've cut my lawn with it four times so far and it's a pleasure to use. Without a heavy mower, it's extremely light and mobile; I'm beginning to wonder why I ever needed gas to power a mower!  This mower is quiet, and of course, it doesn't use gasoline, which is a major benefit for those of us concerned about the effect of fossil fuels on our environment. 

I have a large lawn (by city standards) and I was surprised at how quickly the reel mower finished the job and how much less effort it took than my old gas mower.  It cuts evenly, and the deck can be adjusted to cut quite low.  Sticks are an obstacle, but stepping down on the back of the reel frees them easily, and, unlike a gas mower, there's no risk of losing a foot.  The reel mower is safe, efficient, and free to operate!  It's also good, low-impact exercise!

Needs a bottom weight or an over-the-reel cover to encourage the reel to capture the blades of grass.  Too much time covering same area of grass - 1st one direction and then the opposite direction. Leaves taller, weedy grasses uncut.  Lawn looks choppy and uncut.  I wanted an environmental alternative, but I bought a mower that doesn't do the job.  

I bought this mower because I have a pretty small lawn in the backyard, and I didn't want to pony up for a gas mower.  It cuts the grass well, and is pretty easy to push.  It's also much quieter than a gas mower, so I don't have to worry about waking up my napping kids.  It also doesn't use gas, so it's good for the environment and gives me a workout as well.

I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, mainly because it doesn't come with a bag to catch the clippings.

There a few more drawbacks, but these are a consequence of it being a reel mower, and not a gas-powered rotary one.  If the grass it to tall,...

I was so tired of trying to start my gas mower and messing with the stinky gas and checking the oil.  Plus, even though I had a self propelled mower it was old, heavy and difficult to push.  The last time I tried to use it I could not keep it running and gave up.  My grass was getting longer and longer and I had to do something.  I decided I would try to go gas-less.

I considered a corded, cordless, and manual reel type.  Based on the cost differences I really wanted to try the reel, but was worried it would be too difficult to push.  I had looked at a vintage one at a garage...

I have owned gas powered push-mowers for years but have recently had an injury to my right shoulder which made starting a regular mower very painful. As pulling that string to start my mower became difficult I sought out other options. My father suggested I try a reel mower. I did and I love it! Not only are there no pull strings, but there's also no gas, oil or nasty fumes! I do however recommend keeping the blades sharp as the quality of the cut diminishes rapidly if the the blades are dull.

The Craftsman Reel Mower is easy to assemble and use.  The mower was fully assembled in 30 minutes and only a 7/16ths wrench was needed in addition to the nuts and bolts provided.  The mower or base comes assembled and the only thing that needs to be put together is the handle shaft.  As long as you tighten the bolts and ensure there is no wiggle, the mower is very durable.  While light, the mower does not feel cheap or shoddy. 

I used the mower for the first time yesterday and probably have a yard that is 1500 - 1800 square feet.  While I had never mowed this yard before, I did have to go...

I did not realize what a pleasure it would be when I bought this mower. It does take a little longer but it is much less stressfull than my old gas mower and you do not end up smelling like gasoline with little bits of grass stuck all over you. Now I can pop in my headphones and mow the yard barefoot and have some calm and relaxed time to myself.

purchased 3 years ago to replace an ancient heavy weight push mower that could no longer be repaired.  This one is light weight, easy to use, inexpensive, and cuts reasonably well. However, the handle is made of very cheap material and does not stand up to relatively light use.  After 3 1/2 mowing seasons (small lawn, level ground) I have had to replace three broken center handle pieces (piece extending downward from grip, halfway to mower).  None of the replacements were covered under warranty.

Craftsman has done it again. This product is green, quite and easy to use. As crazy as it sounds, it was fun to mow. I plan to use it every time. It took no longer than my self propelled Craftsman mower and my yard looks great.