Yardworks Reel Lawn Mower

by Erin English
(Quesnel, BC, Canada)


This year, in an effort to become environmentally friendly while still maintaining a beautiful lawn, I purchased a Yardworks Reel Lawn Mower from Canadian Tire. The great thing about the Yardworks mower is that it cuts as beautifully as a gas-powered mower, but without the gas and without the hassle of an extension cord. The Yardworks Reel Lawn Mower is completely human-powered, and it's very easy to use.


Just like the lawnmowers you may see on a rerun episode of "The Flintstones", the Yardworks mower has a spinning reel where the cutting blades are located. As you push it forward, the reel spins, cutting the grass smoothly and evenly. This hand-powered mower is lighter and more easily managed than the more typical motor-powered mower, and it's quiet! I can cut my lawn early in the morning or late into the evening without disturbing my neighbors.

The downside to the Yardworks Reel Lawn Mower (and there is only this one that I have found) is that it does not work well in long grass. Where a motor-powered power might need several passes to get over a section of long grass, the Yardworks mower will not cut it at all. However, a weekly mowing is generally frequent enough to keep the lawn manageable, and let's face it, if you want a nice lawn you have to keep on top of it - no matter what mower you use.

Overall, the benefits of the Yardworks mower far outweigh it's disadvantage. It's clean, quiet, easy to use, and affordable - and you can operate it even if you forgot to pick up a jerry can of gas before you came home from work!

Comments for Yardworks Reel Lawn Mower

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Mar 27, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Yardworks 20" reel mower
by: Anonymous

Handle comes off and bends so it can't be put back on. I would love to know how to contact the company! Waste of time and money
Mar 27, 2018
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Yardworks 20" reel mower
by: Anonymous

Handle comes off and bends so it can't be put back on. I would love to know how to contact the company! Waste of time and money
Oct 24, 2017
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Contact Free Reel Mower
by: Anonymous

I have a contact free reel mower. It works really well and I am very happy with it. The blades remain sharp for 4 years.

The person above said that the handle bar kept coming off. Remove the handle bar, open it wider and carefully re-install it. There is no need to use cotter pins.
Apr 28, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		modifying your reel to cut grass as hi as 1 foot
by: tomsherman906@yahoo.com

in response to those customers who can't call tall grass with reels and that is everyone i have found a solution in modifying my yardworks 20" reel



how to modify a reel mower (see patent # 2329383) to cut high grass by topping it

the mowers i modified for this purpose are yardworks 20" and sears
craftsman #291.376101. make sure you can lower the handle of the mower you
buy at least parallel to the ground (in the case of the yardworks i had to cut off
two projecting handle rests to do this).

1) remove the rollers or the wheels to free up holes.
2) what you need for each mower is 1/8 inch cord, 2 washers with 1/8" openings
,a small turnbuckle or a niteize "knot bone connector" for 1/8" cord,.

what you do: is cut two cords of each about 2', tie an overhand knot at the end of
the cord and slide a washer against the knot. put the cords open end through one of
the holes from the inside preferably, then wind the open end around the mower handle
2-3 times. do the same for the other cord on the other side of the mower. then
connect the two open ends with the knotbone or turnbuckle.

for high cuts one sets the handle via the connector parallel to the ground or maybe
5-10 degrees below that. for low cuts the handle should be set at about 40 degrees
the shorter the cord adjustment the higher the cut. the force of gravity will
cause the mower body and handle to move as one like a wheel barrow. this mower
can cut grass a foot high.

one may need to add weight. in the case of the craftsman mower one could
take the roller rod and/or roller and reattach it to the top hole of the three holes
if the cords use the middle hole.

a different way to do this would be to bend a piece of metal around the top of the
handle on each side where there are holes where it clears the handle. these holes
could be connected as before by a cord from the mower holes below. the difference
being a connector would not be used instead the overhand knot would be
retied in different positions. this means to change the cutting height one needs
to make two different adjustments.
Jun 19, 2012
Rating
starstarstar 		2 concerns
by: Anonymous

two problems with this mower:

the handle keeps coming off the pins! there should be a hole in the pin to insert a cotter pin to old the handle on!!!

i have tried to lube this mower a number of times but it still is noisy sand feels harder to push than it used to. how do i properly lube this reel mower???
Mar 30, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Ergonomics
by: Anonymous

I'd sure like to get one of these mowers but I'm tall and as of yet have been unable to find a handle extension to accommodate my height.
Aug 15, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		if it won't cut grass that's too long....
by: melmo

You can buy a mower that is made for "bent grass" that will cut grass that's long and therefore laying down. it has an extra cutting surface that gets down closer to the ground for grass that's more of the "crawling" variety but it just so happens that if you forget to cut your grass for a couple weeks (or more...) it works wonders at scooping it up and cutting it off. I think american lawn mower makes the one i'm thinking of.

aside from that little solution i thought i'd share from using someone elses mower... the yardworks is a stable reliable mower and its great to for kids to use because it isn't dangerous like the gas mower and it's easier to pack up and take with you if you need to cut someone elses lawn. :)

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