The Environment

• Those who consider themselves environmentally conscience should invest in a reel mower as opposed to a gas powered mower. Reel mowers do not require an engine in order to operate. Since reel mowers lack an engine, they do not produce emissions, which may be harmful to the environment. Reel mowers utilize blades to trim the grass. Although the size of these blades can vary, on average they are 20 to 24 inches in length. However, only 3 inches of blade are actually used for cutting. These blades should be sharpened once every two years to achieve the best grass cutting results.
  
  

Maintenance

• A major benefit of owning a reel mower is the lack of maintenance needed to keep them operational. The absence of an engine eliminates the need for oil changes, spark plug changes and more. You must, however, clean the blades of a reel mower to prevent rusting. Use WD-40, or a similar products. Outside of cleaning and sharpening the reel mower blades, no other maintenance is required.
  
  

The Cut

• The blades of a reel mower trim grass much like scissors would, providing a clean and precise cut. Rotary mower blades only cut the top portion of a blade of grass off, leaving the grass prone to disease. The grass clippings from a reel mower can be left in the lawn. These clippings will act as a mulch and decompose overtime. The clippings will also release nitrogen into the lawn, keeping the lawn healthy and green. These mulch clippings can save you money on fertilizer in the long run.
  
  

Other Benefits

• Unlike reel lawn mowers of the past, which were often quite heavy, modern day reel mowers are reasonably light, which reduces the amount of manual labor needed to operate one. Reel lawn mowers are also quieter than engine powered mowers. Reel mowers are inexpensive compared to other types of mowers. For example, the Fiskars Momentum 317736 reel lawn mower was rated as one of the best lawn mowers on the market as of 2011 by Consumer Search and has a starting price of only $250. The highest rated self-propelled gas lawn mower has a starting price of $800 as of 2011.