The most popular type of lawn mower across the world today, and very likely the type you would have watched your parents using while growing up, is the commercial rotary mower. That said, this has not always been the case.
The very first lawn mowers produced weren't rotary mowers, but in fact reel mowers, the reel mower being invented by Edwin Budding in the 1830's. Quite different to the rotary mowers you use regularly, reel mowers don't have an engine, instead relying on sharp blades and the strength of the user. The blades also spin a different way around than those of a rotary mower. Whilst a rotary mower's blades spin parallel to the ground, a reel mowers blades spin at adjacent angles to the ground, forming a different cutting technique (and very different end results) to that of a rotary mower.
The environmentally conscious place reel mowers as an environmentally friendly alternative to gas-powered rotary mowers. Reel lawn mowers offer many benefits in addition to being easy kind to the environment, including benefits in increased safety, a reduction in noise-pollution, and lowers maintenance fees and cost. Fans of reel mowers also cite the artisanal nature of getting back to basics and using a reel as opposed to an oversized pollutant machine as a huge benefit to going the reel route.
Reel lawn mowers sold nowadays are significantly easier to use than older models, mainly because lightweight plastics and alloys included into the body of the mowers have made them easier to move around your lawn.
Despite this, there are still some downsides to using reel mowers. For one, they don't slice up twigs, unlike rotary mowers. In fact, twigs will often get lodged into the blades and you will have to remove them by hand, a dangerous and time consuming task. You can also not use reels in the fall to shred leaves for compost, which is often a favourite by-produce of the rotary according to any seasoned gardener.
Rotary mowers are also significantly more effective at cutting long grass than reel mowers, a point you should take into high consideration if you do not mow your lawn often, possibly due to living in an area with an incredibly unpredictable climate. All of these limitations beg the suggestion that, apart from the most industrious and idealistic, reel mowers are probably only suitable for those with small urban lots, likely within a large city, because of the short-term time saving benefits of operating a reel on a small space, instead of the long-term considerations of using a rotary mower on a larger area.
The very first lawn mowers produced weren't rotary mowers, but in fact reel mowers, the reel mower being invented by Edwin Budding in the 1830's. Quite different to the rotary mowers you use regularly, reel mowers don't have an engine, instead relying on sharp blades and the strength of the user. The blades also spin a different way around than those of a rotary mower. Whilst a rotary mower's blades spin parallel to the ground, a reel mowers blades spin at adjacent angles to the ground, forming a different cutting technique (and very different end results) to that of a rotary mower.
The environmentally conscious place reel mowers as an environmentally friendly alternative to gas-powered rotary mowers. Reel lawn mowers offer many benefits in addition to being easy kind to the environment, including benefits in increased safety, a reduction in noise-pollution, and lowers maintenance fees and cost. Fans of reel mowers also cite the artisanal nature of getting back to basics and using a reel as opposed to an oversized pollutant machine as a huge benefit to going the reel route.
Reel lawn mowers sold nowadays are significantly easier to use than older models, mainly because lightweight plastics and alloys included into the body of the mowers have made them easier to move around your lawn.
Despite this, there are still some downsides to using reel mowers. For one, they don't slice up twigs, unlike rotary mowers. In fact, twigs will often get lodged into the blades and you will have to remove them by hand, a dangerous and time consuming task. You can also not use reels in the fall to shred leaves for compost, which is often a favourite by-produce of the rotary according to any seasoned gardener.
Rotary mowers are also significantly more effective at cutting long grass than reel mowers, a point you should take into high consideration if you do not mow your lawn often, possibly due to living in an area with an incredibly unpredictable climate. All of these limitations beg the suggestion that, apart from the most industrious and idealistic, reel mowers are probably only suitable for those with small urban lots, likely within a large city, because of the short-term time saving benefits of operating a reel on a small space, instead of the long-term considerations of using a rotary mower on a larger area.
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