Keeping your small lawn well-manicured is easier than you might think. In fact, a hand-push mower is more than enough for precise cutting.
And you can certainly skip the costlier battery, electric, gas, oil options. However, classic reel mowers are only for small to medium flat lawns.
But the problem arises with all the overwhelming models. You don’t have to waste your time, effort, money on low-quality mowers anymore.
We’ve managed to pick the absolute best manual lawn mowers for you. Also, there are additional facts to enlighten you on lawn maintenance.
In this content you’ll learn:
10 Best Manual Lawn Mower Reviews
Don’t you expect satisfaction from the old-fashioned lawnmowers? Well, our well-analyzed picks will outrun other similar-priced models. Either option should fulfill your demands while meeting the budget.
Better start scrolling to explore the top manual lawn mower reviews.
#1 Scotts 304-14S Push Reel Lawn Mower
Scotts have manual reel mowers featuring a 100-years old mechanism. And the 304-145 is indeed a great purchase for any small yard.
Its eco-friendly action leaves no polluting carbon footprints behind. It also incorporates maximized maneuverability for a uniform cut.
Features and Benefits
Premium Quality
Its featured high-quality materials are ready to stand the test of time. Each part is highly durable and retains full functionality. And the heat-treated alloy steel blade stays sharp for months.
Least Maintenance
You can skip worrying about costs on any oil, gas, filter, spark plug, or startup. Everything remains intact after years of application. The device only requires occasional maintenance of the blades.
Clean Kinetic Energy
You’ll have to invest in your energy to make the mower work. The walk-behind machine simply uses kinetic energy. And you should remain healthy while enjoying a weekend walk.
Simple Operability
The 14” sized 4-blade mower will only make cuts without shredding. You can adjust the cutting height from 1.0” up to 1.75”. Large 8.5” wheels should enable effortless movement across the lawn.
Easy to Maneuver
It takes mere 10 minutes to assemble all the parts by yourself. Compact and lightweight size means less storage space requirement. Meantime, you can engage the kids with no potential harm.
#2 Sun Joe MJ500M Manual Reel Mower
Not many lawnmowers can actually keep the year nice, clean, tidy. Meet the MJ500M from Sun Joe to achieve optimum mowing benefits.
The economical push reel mower is ready to handle tougher grasses. Its features offer everything to ensure quiet lawn management.
Features and Benefits
Built-In Catcher
Included grass catcher makes it stand out from other models. Its removable 6.6-gal catcher collects most of the cut-down clippings. Therefore, it can help with your after-mowing cleanup.
Quality Materials
The frame is lightweight yet sturdy enough to sustain its uses. Its rust-resistant deck ensures intactness all over. Even the grass-catching bag features a long-lasting material for repeated uses.
16” Wide Cutting
A total of five integrated blades make a wide 16” cut on every pass. The alloy steel blades hold razor-like sharpness for a long time. This means, fewer passes should cover your entire lawn.
Height Control
You can easily set the cutting to either of the four height settings. In fact, the adjustment ranges from 0.88” up to 1.81”. And the cutting adjustment suits almost any type of lawn grass.
Simple Usability
Large 8.8” wheels let you make passes over every grown grass. Foamed grip enables simple handling for your mowing. No maintenance is necessary to keep the blades running without clogs.
#3 Great States 815-18 Push Reel Lawn Mower
Forget about costly maintenance or many passes to make an even cut. Great States designed 815-18 mowers to resolve your lawn problems.
Unmatched quality stands to give durable cutting functionality. Enormous cutting width with extended height settings makes it more special.
Features and Benefits
Precise Cutting
A combination of five blades keeps one pass enough for the cut. The sharpness remains almost intact against frequent uses. Its 18” wide cutting path means fewer passes to cover the lawn.
Alloy Materials
Exterior parts feature high-quality alloy steel for extra durability. It even ensures maximum resilience to tougher grasses. And you won’t have to worry about clogging, backlash, or unevenness.
Height Settings
The motorless mower lets you adjust the cutting height with one touch. And the setting goes from 0.50” up to 2.75”. The intended range is satisfactory enough to handle all common grass types.
Easy Operability
Lightweight framing makes it easy for anyone to use the push reel mower. Large 10” sized composite wheels keep moving freely. And the looped bar’s grip helps with comfortable handling.
Friendly Power
You just have to use your physical strength to slice the grown grasses. No oil, gas, battery, electricity makes it subtle for the environment. It even requires no special tools for the assembly.
#4 American Lawn Mower Company 1304-14 Push Mower
Standard manual mowers can’t be any better than the featured 1304-14. American Lawn Mower Company lets you invest in a ready-to-cut machine.
Simple mechanism, yet the practical outcome is guaranteed with its operation. Even the blades require the least maintenance, making it a desirable option.
Features and Benefits
Top-Quality Frame
Likewise, alloy steel covers the majority of the simple machine. Kinetic powering means no extra elements for its functionality. You should expect great longevity over proper applications.
Sharpened Blades
Heat-treated steel blades are ready to make precise cuts on dry grasses. There are five blades in total to ensure even slicing. And the cutting width measures a reasonable 10” for any lawn.
Height Adjustment
Of course, you’ll have to adjust the height for a preferable cut. And it features a range of 1.0” to 1.75” cutting height. Setting the right height will let you handle thick 4” sized overgrown grasses.
Easy Maneuverability
Built-in 10” sized polymer wheels are enough to deal with the turfs. The wheels let you roam free across the entire lawn. Transportation is easy, helping further with its space-saving storage.
Simple to Operate
Included T-handle with a comforting grip that lets you push without strains. Simple pushing will power up the blades to size your tall turfs. The handle is perfectly sized for anyone measuring 6’ or so.
#5 Fiskars StaySharp Push Reel Lawn Mower
Standard push reel mowers are barely stylish or feature any advanced tech. But you can save the thought with the Fiskars 6208 model.
Several top-gear techs make it an enthusiastic purchase. Its 17” width with an extended height always gives you the perfect cut on the grass.
Features and Benefits
Smart Design
Its eve-catching design holds a combo of advanced tech for the classic mechanism. And it significantly pushes the overall efficiency. And the hooded part still remains compact for easy storage.
Inertia Drive
Integrated InertiaDrive guarantees additional cutting power. It actually defines the superiority of other manual mowers. You can achieve nearly 50% extra slicing workload with the featured tech.
StaySharp Cut
Meantime, the high-quality steel blades barely need any sharpening. The standard five-blade combo makes the cuts with uniformity. Built-in StaySharp retains the edge sharpness over years of use.
Adjusted Height
A single touch will let you adjust the cutting at seven different heights. And the maximum height is 3.5” against the minimum of 1.5”. Therefore, you can handle almost any type of lawn grass easily.
Easy Operation
The front wheels are noticeably larger than the rear wheels. However, it’ll lessen your struggle on stubborn grasses while cutting. And the narrow, looped bar holds your hand with a comforting grip.
#6 Greenworks Reel Lawn Mower RM1400
Greenworks isn’t exactly a brand to specialize in making manual mowers. Still, it managed to develop one compact, functional, stylish reel mower.
Standard features within a simple framework make it rather unique. And you better get yourself ready to achieve the maximum mowing outcome.
Features and Benefits
Green Action
It takes no sticky oil, emitting gas, corded plugins, or battery recharge. Minimal blade maintenance is enough to keep it running. And you don’t have to tolerate any noise, vibration, fume.
Sharp Blades
The featured ball bearing holds five blades in a combination. And you should expect the best cuts from the revolving steel. Exclusive steel composition even retains the sharpness for years.
Precise Cuts
Always achieve a scissor-like cut for the overgrown turfs. Extremely fine slicing means no forced ripping or tear while in operation. And the 14” deck should cover your lawn with fewer passes.
2-in-1 Feature
A detachable collection bag lets you accumulate all the clippings. Or, you can leave the bag to distribute the residuals. So RM1400 allows you to decide on what to do with the cut-down grasses.
Easy Mowing
Two large wheels will get the blades moved over the grown grasses. Don’t forget to adjust the cutting height of your preference. It features a sufficient 1.06” to 2.00” range for the adjustment.
#7 Great States 304-14 Push Reel Lawn Mower
Still looking for a convenient, quiet, effective way to maintain the lawn? You should check out the ultra-compact 304-14 design from the Great States.
It assures you of eco-friendly lawn maintenance with the features. And the superior cutting action seems a cheaper alternative to gas mowers.
Features and Benefits
Durable Design
Again, the entire structure features high-quality alloy steel parts. And it imparts excellent durability, strength & resilience. The mower will remain intact against damages for years.
Precise Cutting
Meantime, heat-treated steel-made blades slice the overgrown turfs. There are five integrated blades with prolonged sharpness. And the 14” sized deck is enough to cover your entire lawn.
Simple Settings
Pushing the mower can make short to medium cuts to the grasses. Its one-touch setting lets you set the height from 0.5” to 1.75”. A clean, even, precise cut is guaranteed every time.
Easy Operation
The featured T-style handlebar comes with a cushioned grip. Therefore, your palm won’t get tired of making continuous pushes. Its compact frame even enables simple space-saving storage.
Rubber Wheels
Two sufficiently large 8.5” sized wheels can easily move over the grown manicures. Also, the wheel exterior is perfectly rubberized to ensure smooth movements.
#8 Fiskars Max Reel Push Lawn Mower
Fiskars has another versatile mower to deliver unparalleled performance. The 362050-1001 appears slightly simpler than Fiskar’s previous option.
However, it still blends an elegant design for scientific action. Integration of smart technologies enables precise cuts for smaller lawns anytime.
Features and Benefits
Advanced Techs
It features an InertiaDrive technology to maximize the cutting power. You should expect about 50% extra cutting power. And the action simply blasts through any stubborn twigs, leaves, and turfs.
StaySharp Blades
A total of five blades inside the 18” wide deck will slice the overgrown grasses. Built-in StaySharp steel effectively retains the edge sharpness. A wider deck can relieve you from additional cutting passes.
Reversible Chute
Included reversible chute directs the clippings away from your path. You can even adjust the chute as well as the cutting height. Single touch lets you set the slicing height between 1.0” to 4.0”.
Absolute Cutting
Its eco-friendly cuts can handle almost any grass type. You can take the tough southern varieties into account. No need to worry about varieties like St. Augustine, Zoysia, Bahia, Bermuda anymore.
Moveable Wheels
There are two inset front wheels against two large-sized rear wheels. The wheel combo allows you to have full control over its movement. It allows you to make moves in tougher spots easily.
#9 Earthwise 1715-16EW Push Reel Lawn Mower
The precise scissor-like cut is ready to help with your lawn maintenance. The mighty 1715-16EW designed by Earthwise is loaded with modern features.
That’s where it becomes the perfect alternative to gasoline lawnmowers. Its classic mechanism aims at reducing carbon footprint with every cut.
Features and Benefits
Versatile Power
The planet-conscious mower doesn’t need any gas/oil to function. Still, excellent cutting precision is ready to maintain your lawn. Even the grasses can enjoy healthier growth over time.
Extra Two Blades
There are a total of seven blades instead of the standard five-blade combo. It encourages the cutting power without any ripping/tearing. And the alloy steel remains sharp for a longer period.
Wide Usability
You can take care of almost any kind of grasses. The smooth spinning assures you of an effortless cut. It can handle tougher varieties like Bermuda, Centipede, Seashore paspalum, St. Augustine, Zoysia.
Height Settings
The featured 16” deck lets you make the cuts within fewer passes. Of course, you can set the cutting height to your preference. A single touch adjusts the height between 0.5” up to 2.5”.
Lightweight Frame
Noticeably compact yet highly durable frame stands the test of time. High-quality steel side plates ensure a clean cut every time. Built-in wheels enable easy rolling to cut every grown turf.
#10 Scotts 716-18S Push Manual Reel Lawn Mower
We started with Scotts, and we would like to close with Scotts. The featured 716-18S is another great planet-conscious purchase for your lawn.
The mechanical push mower has almost everything you’ll need. Excellent cutting power ensures the good health of the turfs and the open space.
Features and Benefits
Alloy Steel
Every integrated part features high-quality alloy steel from the inside. Meantime, the blades are made of heat-treated alloy steel. So, you should expect maximum durability over its years of application.
Cutting Height
It only takes one touch to set the five blades at a specific height. The height settings range from 1.0” up to 3.0”. Therefore, you’re free to choose the preferred grass length after making the cuts.
Wider Path
The Built-in 18” deck lets you slice more grasses with one cutting pass. It even enables you to cover thick, stubborn, tall grasses. So, you won’t have to waste extra time covering a slightly larger lawn.
Easy Usage
Large 10” front wheels help with the movements across the year. And there are two small rear wheels to ensure smooth rolling. A looped handle with a comforting grip further eases your operation.
No Maintenance
It only takes about 10 minutes to assemble without any special hardware. And you don’t have to worry about its maintenance anymore. Even the steel blades don’t require frequent sharpening at all.
How to Choose the Best Manual Lawn Mower
Cheap purchases barely meet the satisfaction or efficiency. And it’s quite true for the traditional push mowers. Look at the important facts to ensure your investment gets you the best manual lawnmower.
Frame Material
High-quality mowers have solid alloy steel construction. It incorporates strength while keeping the frame compact. And the material can easily withstand years of use without getting damaged.
Check the handlebar type and its integrated grip. You can choose from a T-type or looped handle based on your preference. A T-type handle is better for push mowers to utilize your physical strength.
Blade Specifications
Push mowers can have four, five, or seven blades in the deck. The majority of the reel lawnmowers feature either four or five blades. Only a limited number of options include seven blades.
Extra blades mean additional cutting precision. Thicker grasses stand no chance with seven blades. Still, five-blade options are preferable to avoid forced ripping or tearing of the turfs.
Height Adjustments
You can’t think of any usable mower without height adjustment settings. And all the options will have at least three adjustment options. However, the range is always different from one mower to another.
Not many mowers offer to start the cutting height within 0.5” to 0.75”. It makes the grass notably shorter. The standard range should cover 0.75” to 2.5” to slice common lawn turfs. Some even offer up to 3.0”.
A noticeably shorter or taller height won’t do your cut-down grasses any good. Inappropriate turf height makes your lawn look bad. You better keep the cutting height within 1.0” – 2.0” for healthy growth.
Catching Bag
Not everyone wants the cut-down pieces to create a mess. In fact, distributing the residuals is difficult with hand-push mowers. It doesn’t provide enough power to maintain clean, patterned mulching.
That’s why you can opt for a catching bag. Keeping it attached to the mower can collect the clippings for later distribution. But the lack of power is still going to leave some clippings on the lawn anyway.
A built-in chute may come in handy to put the cut-down residuals out of your way. It’s a system where the clippings get thrown sidewise. Unfortunately, not many high-quality manual mowers have chutes.
Wheel Type
The number of wheels is another feature to differ among the options. There are two wheels, four wheels of the same size, or four wheels of different sizes. However, it’s all about smooth rolling across the lawn.
Classic two-wheelers are suitable for any kind of lawn. But the same-sized four-wheelers work well on rougher terrains. Meantime, different-sized four-wheelers are suitable for every type of lawn & grass.
You can also check for modern technology embedded in the mechanism. The fundamental process is always the same. You can just expect slightly higher efficiency or precision with the advancements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
FAQ #1 – Are manual mowers worth it?
Manual mowers are the best option for smaller lawns. It requires almost no maintenance/cost.
FAQ #2 – Can a manual mower handle tough, tall, thick grasses?
Of course. But the blades may require slightly more pushing.
FAQ #3 – How long should a manual lawnmower last?
A high-quality mower should continue for 10 years. But the blades may last up to eight years.
FAQ #4 – Do manual mowers make too short cuts?
Reel mowers are good at making cuts at shorter heights.
FAQ #5 – Should I leave the clippings on my lawn?
Leaving the clippings can make the soil fertile. You can even collect the residuals with a catcher.
FAQ #6 – How often do I need to sharpen manual mower blades?
The blades need sharpening every 20 to 25 hours of application.
FAQ #7 – How can a push mower benefit my health?
Movements across the lawn offer continued pushing and walking. And it means physical labor.
Wrapping Up
Absolute eco-friendly operation is the best part about manual reel mowers. You can work your body while taking care of the grasses as well. Even the price is notably low with minimal maintenance/cost.
It’s difficult to pick one particular option without knowing the facts. But we would suggest you the Sun Joe MJ500M first. Its wider cuts, sharp blades, collecting bag, height control can definitely satisfy you.
