The 'reel' problem with these mowers is cutting height. The normal 3" height is way out of range for a reel. When people were maintaining lawns like putting greens at 3/4" height, the reel was king. Reels scissor-cut the grass, which is great, but the grass just lies there unless you use a grass catcher. Those of us with a few years behind us can remember well the raking and sweeping that followed using the reel mower whether push or power. So, since you probably want to cut at 3" or higher and make the clippings go away by mulching, I'd say the reel is out. Plus, the gum balls will jam it every time. BTW, come to the 24th St. stage (on Atlantic) on May 26 and see me back up the Platter/Coasters/Drifters Memorial Day show. I'll be the one with the sax.

There is no problem composting the leaves or wood chips from the Sweetgum, "Liquidambar styraciflua", tree. Handling the leaves and wood can, often, give that turpentine odor but it will dissipate over time.

Sunny, I can only mention that these grow all over the place down here and the natural litter (leaves, twigs, gumballs) doesn't seem to slow the weeds down one bit!

Unlike conifer cones, sweetgum balls contain very little wood and their walls are rather thin, so they decompose in a compost pile under two years - especially if supplemented with nitrogen. We have a cycle of two compost piles, one of which is replaced every year so the decomposition time for the material in a pile is between one and two years. The mature pile is distributed in the spring and a fresh one is started in its place and the first waste loaded on it are the gumballs from the previous winter. There are only minor remnants of the balls after one year, when the pile is 'closed' and no new material is being added to it any more and not even any traces of them after two years when the pile is distributed.