quick update/review: Fiskars Momentum reel mower

http://www2.fiskars.com/Products/Yard-and-Garden/Reel-Mowers

Thanks for telling me about this mower!  DH agreed to try it out since we could find it locally ($199 at Lowes) and could return it if necessary.  Turns out we're keeping it!

It was super-easy to assemble.  You can adjust the mowing height (1-4", the higher settings are great for our St. Augustine) and the handle as well to get better leverage.  It's very easy to push... certainly takes MUCH less effort to push the Fiskars than the gas self-propelled-but-not-working Honda mower that DH got from FIL.  The cut lawn really does look just as nice as our neighbor's professionally cut lawns.  Definitely didn't take any more time than a conventional lawn mower.  And it's so quiet!  DH and I can carry on a conversation while he's mowing.  Though if I'm also working in the yard pulling weeds or something, sometimes he sneaks up on me with it and then yells at me because I didn't get out of the way in time.  lol

It is a little different than you (or your DH) might be used to though.  You really do have to get a bit of momentum going in order for the blades to cut, which is why you get the best results when you go in long, continuous passes.  You want to keep the front wheels down to get an even cut.  It's not super easy to maneuver in corners (or curves as most of our flower beds are curved) but then most mowers aren't.  Not that you can't get those corners, but it might take a few more passes over those areas to get them cut.  It works great at all of the height settings, though it does not easily cut things that are too tall (6+") because there is a bar in the front that bends those things (taller weeds or tall patches of grass) and then the blades can't cut them but once we got rid of those areas the first time, the next week's mow was much easier.  You'll still have to hit the usual areas with a trimmer or edger like with a conventional gas mower.  Also, because of the momentum thing, this works best for flat lawns where you can do decent-length passes without stopping to turn. 

After mowing, you just brush off the grass on the blades with a broom or brush, make sure nothing is wet, and then it stores really easily w/o taking up much room at all.  It's got a 4-year warranty and the blades shouldn't need sharpening because they don't actually touch each other.  The manual tells you everything you need to know about maintenance so it's nice to know we don't have to haul anything to get serviced every year or so.

AND, of course, it's totally earth-friendly and pollution-free!  The average gas mower puts out as much pollution as 12 cars in one YEAR.  Insane, right?  I honestly thought it would be a much rougher transition for DH because he was extremely skeptical about this but now he's showing it off to everyone who comes over (which so far is just his dad, but still ).