Great States 705-16 16-Inch 7-Blade Specialty Push Reel Lawn Mower for Low Growing Creeping Grasses with T-Style Handle

Overall:Gets the job done well! A 4' 10" kid mowed the lawn with it with relative ease, although someone taller/stronger has an easier time. Tall grass required multiple passes. For the first cut it was set to the highest height. For the second cut, I moved to the factory set height where all three holes lined up.Actual Field Conditions:Desert SW, bermuda grass from seed, first cut after growing for 7 wks from seed, patches of very tall grass (up to 7in tall) next to low patchy spots next to normal areas. Cutting every 5 -7 days during summer. The kids like the taller grass height. Tiny 532sf lawn, so a gas or electric mower doesn't make sense for such a small lawn.Pros:Decent price, easy assembly, not too heavy while being heavy enough to mow, able to cut slightly wet lawn, quiet, takes little storage space, green (environmentally speaking)Cons:Height adjustment requires two wrenches, plastic parts for height adjustment, plastic height adjustment rollers, does not turn 180 degrees easily (not willing to risk resting entire weight of the mower on the plastic components), rubbery foam handle covers do not inspire confidence they will hold up for long.Notes: (not necessarily cons or pros but more so related to the general nature and expectations for this tool)Requires multiple passes for tall grass (possibly from different directions), requires 6-8 inch overlap on rows to avoid skinny strips of uncut grass, does not cut up to the edge, may need trimmer to cut lawn borders depending on what you have adjacent to your lawn. Cannot speak to longevity of blade sharpness yet. Does not cut going backwards. Will not cut tall weeds.Tips:Use a dollar store broom or brush to brush out grass cuttings when they stop up the mower.Bottom Line:I like it and would buy it again and recommend it.

I bought this in the spring of 2012 and it worked great through three summers, then in late spring 2015 I started having a problem with the gears only intermittently engaging the rotating cage when it was pushed. By early summer it became unusable. I assumed that the PLASTIC pinion gears had become stripped out and bought replacement ones, and sure enough that was the problem, now it works fine with the new gears (the inside part that engages the "pawls" stripped on both left and right gears -- the teeth on the gears that engage the wheels were just fine) .The only complaint I have is that two gears that cost $1.80 each from the Great States website cost $6.00 to ship UPS Ground. So now I'm out $9.60 to pay to replace a part that should not fail after only 3 years of moderate use. When I first bought it I assumed it would pay for itself in the savings from not having to buy gas in just a few years, but since it looks like I'll be buying new pinion gears every three or so years it won't be quite the bargain that I had hoped for.As far as the cutting ability on a bermuda grass lawn goes, it works just fine so long as the grass is no taller than a couple of inches, no complaints there (esp after sharpening the blades by "back lapping" them, which was much easier than I had expected it would be). Now if they could just equip it with proper metal pinion gears that won't strip out so easily it would be a 5-star reel mower (or Great States could at least not charge outrageous shipping charges for two very light plastic parts) -- or they could at least ship it with a set of replacement gears for when the first ones fail.

Love not having to buy gas. Love not having to worry about waking the neighbors, but what a serious workout! I found it necessary to mow twice a week to keep the grass VERY short all the time. If I waited till the weekend, it was much more work and often had to run the mower over the same spot of grass twice or more to cut evenly. If I mowed twice a week, it was much easier to push and took far less time. I suggest you wear garden gloves while pushing the mower, it is really pretty hard work and easy to develop blisters on your hands from repeated pressure. The mower is well built, reliable and provides a SERIOUS UPPER BODY WORKOUT!I found the grass catcher (purchased with the mower) did not work well at all. I suggest you save your $20.00 on that part.

Does not cut grass, that is if you can even get it moving.

Very tough to push. Doesn't work all that well in Florida, bermuda grass even though I got the recommended 7 blades. I use it in between professional grass mowings when the grass grows a little quicker. It's ok for this kind of brief, part time use. If you are looking for a every week type mower and this will be your main grass mower, I would not recommend, at least not in Florida

I was excited at the idea of trying a reel mower. No oil no gas and low maintenance. Upon receiving the mower it was easy to put together and quickly take out into the yard for a spin. Initial impression was good. I wasn't sure what to think as this is my first reel mower. After using for a couple months I've decided to dispatch with this eco friendly option. I really liked that it was quiet and gave me a bit of exercise. However for the amount of work involved I did not get the results I wanted. My yard is a little bumpy granted, but even after several passes in alternating directions I could still not get the even professional cut I desired. The quality of cut just isn't there for me. On a 1-10 scale, my yard looks like a 7 or 8. Again, this was after multiple passes. Oh, and grass is Bermuda by the way.

easy to set up, works very well