How did you sharpen it? Also what height is the mower set at? Reels don't like tall grass. Especially when it's a manual drive one.

i sharpen it all the time with the provided sharpening tool. and i always have the same problem. it's at the max height for this mower.

I'm asking if anyone has a better experience with a reel mower... otherwise I'll just get a rotary

When I had a lawn to mow, I also used an American reel mower. And it worked better than any power mower I have had before or since!! But my lawn was also the standard cool season blend of ryes and fescues and not bermuda, so I have no idea if that lawn type is easier or harder to mow with a reel mower.

it definitely is harder with Bermuda. it's so resilient because it's super thick

I don't know what the cost is on a good rotary mower if you decide to go that way, but I'd love to have a battery operated one. I've read the the Ego brand is a good one. Anyone have experience with it?

I would buy a gas powered rotary mower. Reel mowers are a major pain to sharpen and they can't mow high grass.

rdaystrom are you speaking from experience? i keep reading good reviews about the fiskar reel mower. it supposedly can handle the taller bermuda. it also sells for $200, so its comparibly priced with rotary ones.

rotary also require maintenance and blade sharpening. never had a problem sharpening my little american reel mower...whole thing takes about 20 minute. its sharp enough to slice thru paper!

roselee... I've seen battery mowers sell much higher than reel mowers... starting at around $250.

I can honestly state that I have never had a good experience with a reel mower...but I also don't have an average lawn by any sense of the imagination.

I've borrowed several and every one has bogged down in my lawn even if I'm only trying to cut a few tenths of an inch, even using blades so sharp the air burns blue at the edges from losing electrons*. :-)

So it may not be you. If your lawn is of extraordinary density and richness, a reel mower may simply not be the best idea.

* Yes, that's a Discworld reference.

it sounds then like i just need to try the fiskar on my lawn. i may be able to return it if it doesn't work out. but yes, not really looking forward to a rotary

The problem, as I remember it, with a rotary on bermuda is the stems. Even a bermuda stem wants to jam up the reel blade. The higher you mow bermuda the more stems you're going to see. Any twig stops it and throws off your stride.

I have an EGO battery powered, self powered, mower. My yard is a little hilly, so the self powered has been surprisingly helpful. We just mulched the gardens and apparently dropped some in the grass along the way. It was wood, but it sounded like rocks when I went over it. Yesterday I noticed a lot of feathery, shattered, grass blades, so I need to look at the blade for dings.

Rotary is the only way to go unless as I mentioned previously you can ensure proper blade set point and sharpness . I have had numerous customers arrive at my door with reel mower complaints . The basic cause is owners who did not set up the mower properly for the grass task @ hand . Also homeowner (buget) reel mowers are best on small lawns with less dense grass species . They do provide a pristine quality cut , but that is the only asset that they provide in my opinion . Rotary mowers are the most simplistic mowers in today's market . The mode of propulsion is up for debate . I have most recently been swayed in favour of electric lawnmowers , due to the increase in elect mower battery design technology and more durable electric mower on the market recently . Other than larger , more dense grass plots , gas mowers really have numerous liabilities , in comparison to contend with . As dchall advised the biggest cut quality proponent is a properly maintained mower blade . Sharpening and balancing a blade goes a long way to blade efficiency and durability . A blade too sharp or dull will quickly reduce cut quality or blade durability .

I'm a golf course mechanic and deal with reels all day. Even these hydraulic drive ones won't cut longer grass. We recently had a lot of rain here and had to triple mow the fairways. Have you adjusted the reel and bedknife prior to back lapping it? Also, the reels get coned and need to be ground and sharpened. Last year I went to a reel mower science seminar at Toro headquarters and the head engineer said "back lapping is to maintain what's already there, not to sharpen it." As said above a rotary is the way to go.

That's right. The homeowner cannot sharpen a reel mower unless they have access to a $25,000 reel grinder. I have owned several push type reel mowers, a Jacobsen LF-128 five reel fairway mower, and a Toro reel greens mower. Maintenance and expense is ridiculous.

I have back lapped a few newer units , used 120 grit sharpening compound and finished with 180 grit . Once the knife / bed becomes corroded or the reel tweaked or worn a proper grinder is the only recourse as advised by Yt & RD .