The traditional reel mower will give you the finest of finishes on a quality
lawn, these are what are used at professionally maintained sports grounds
and bowling greens. The height is adjustable (within fairly narrow limits) though
they are not suitable for long, rough or wet grass.
A reel mower does the job
it is designed for very well. That job is the neat trimming of a well-maintained
lawn at frequent intervals.
The reason that the reel
mower gives such a good result is of course because of the cutting system.
There is a horizontally mounted fixed blade that skims across the surface of
the grass. As this happens, so the 5 or 6 (usually) rotary blades move across
this fixed blade acting like a pair of scissors and snipping off any grass that
is trapped in-between. The grass is therefore severed with a clean and neat
cut rather than the somewhat jagged edge that can be left with a rotary mower
blade.
The following roller neatly arranges the grass blades
in the same direction, so giving a
velvety smooth finish with
the all important sharply defined striped finish.
It should be acknowledged
that a high quality lawn is not simply the result of the correct mower.
The highest quality of finish is the result of thorough soil preparation, levelling
and firming followed by a programme of ongoing seasonal maintenance. The mower
and cutting the grass are simply elements of that ongoing maintenance.
Reel mowers, particularly
push ones are staging a very successful comeback in recent years. Many people
have a child-hood memory of a large, heavy and cumbersome reel mower that was
difficult to push around the yard.
Modern push reel mowers
are about half the weight of older models and are much easier to use. Instead
of using power, electricity or gas and disturbing the whole neighborhood. They
make the gentle rhythmic sound of a lawn being lovingly tended and allow you
to appreciate being in the garden. You can still hear the bird-song with a push-reel
mower!
Follow the links for the
mowers below to read some almost evangelical views about how people's perceptions
of cutting their lawn has become.
