REEL Mowing Right for YOU? Mowing Low / Cylinder Lawn Mowing - How to Get Started

[@brettvukovich6220]

Used to work at some exclusive country clubs, and loved every second of mowing with a professional reel mower. I'm looking forward to investing in one, myself.

[@andrewp.619]

Great info for people looking into reel mowing. It seems to be a huge thing now. Out here in Southern California, reel mowers have been the standard for as long as I remember. At least 30 years.

[@PeachBeef]

Dude... I feel like when I watch your videos I am just getting the best advice from my dad or something. Love your stuff man. My wife and I just moved into our new house and I've become the lawn guy. Saturday and Sunday, she can't get me inside. Just bought my reel mower and I absolutely love it!

[@SilverCymbal]

That a really nice comment, thank you so much and I a glad the videos are helping. Thats awesome to hear.

[@PeachBeef]

@@SilverCymbal in your videos you've shown what your lot looked like 3 or so years ago. Almost exactly what our back/side yard looks like right now. Since I started watching your stuff about a month ago I've done some basics (detaching and moderate aeration) and its shocking how much better it looks already. Based on your videos I just keep telling my wife, "Give me 3 years". Your videos give me a lot of confidence as I get started on my Yard-of-the-Month quest. Thanks for sharing your down to earth, real world tips.

[@SilverCymbal]

@@PeachBeef Thank you. Remember too the 3 years is to get really great Even after just one year it looked about 20x better and I think you will have the same results too. Lots of videos lie to people and say 2 weeks to a perfect lawn, then it doesn't happen and people give up. I cut out all the fake steps that you don't need and barely do anything to help you get there.

[@TheAMVDJ]

Reel mowing is a giant headache if you don't know what to do. I bought a Tr-cut, used it 3 times, then I had to do the song and dance of realigning the bedknife to get the proper cut. Then you got to grease the thing in like 8 different spots. Very frustrating to learn because there isn't much info out there on how to do a bunch of the maintenance these things need to operate at a high level. That's the price you have to pay though if you want the best lawn possible, and it's worth it :)

[@artmanjamin]

It's good to mow low if you have a flat lawn. I've learned to make my lawn healthy and thick by watching youtube videos. But i have a bumpy lawn so it'll be my project next spring.

[@knav6680]

One of the biggest things not mentioned is the extra time you need to put in for reel mowing. Mowing that low and maintaining in the growing season can mean daily or even second day mowing

[@kittyhawk7060]

Yes, and gas can be really expensive mowing every few days with a reel mower as compared to rotary mowing once a week.

[@ldware9]

I recently bought a reel mower. Makes the yawn look great, just I have 2 caster wheels on the front and looking to replace them with a roller. But comparably the rotary to reel, like you said the yawn looks healthier after a reel mowing compared to rotary

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

Whow expensive

[@mkarias11]

You don't need to buy those expensive reel mowers. You can get a regular reel mower. I bought one for $90 new and works great! It is lightweight and relaxing.

[@juliusdexter8159]

Instablaster.

[@jimccc9467]

You could if you have a small yard or lots of time and energy.

[@Mudcat3434]

@@jimccc9467 Yeah such a huge energy expenditure. Jesus Christ man. Shows how fat and out of shape America is that they can't push a manual reel mower without bitching about energy expenditure. And if you can't mow your lawn with a reel manual mower in an hour you either have a very large yard and in which case you are correct or you are once again a fat out of shape human being. All the more reason to get off your fat ass and move. What you going to miss one of the hundreds of bullshit shows we watch every night?

[@mantha2shashank]

Lol. Try doing that in a big yard. Nothing comes close to a self propelled reel mower.

[@rbruce63]

Outstanding! I am so relieved that I will not be buying a motorized reel mower as my lawn is hilly. However, I do own a Scott’s 16” and it serves me well for cutting my lawn and trimming some calories as a workout! Cheers from Costa Rica!

[@RADVIX313]

good vid. tbh the biggest reason is cutting it really low to get that golf course look. the difference between how "clean" the mowers cut grass is a very miniscule point, both are healthy. cutting low is the reason.

[@jjcastleberry3662]

I have both Reel and Rotary mowers. I use my 7.5 Hp Husqvarna 21" cut/clean up first, then my manual Fiskars Reel mower at a 1-inch height cut. I only dislike my Fiskars it doesn't leave strips.

[@Cdrop20]

I would like to see a more detailed video on the pros and cons of the California reel mower.

[@jimccc9467]

Big con of CT is only one clutch, so if you have the blade spinning fast as possible for a good cut the mower is moving fast and basically drags you around. The Tru Cut has two separate clutches so you can have blade spinning max and mower creeping along or fast.

[@henrent]

Another thing to mention is that the ground needs to be much more level to use a reel mower than a traditional rotary mower.

[@realistreset8336]

Manual reel mowers are way cheaper than rotary mowers. Some let you go down to half an inch or less, too. It's a bit more time-consuming than with push-power mowers, but it's more pleasant, too. Almost no maintenance, virtually no compaction concerns, you can mow in the middle of a storm if you felt like it, and your neighbors will think you're driving around an RC car. Just my two cents, unless you want a golf course quality lawn, manual reels get you almost all the benefits of a power reel. You can't get a putting green out of it, but you can still get a baseball field. I still agree that you need something else for leaves, twigs, acorns, etc. I use an actual gas-powered vacuum, though, instead of a rotary mower. I'm simply done with rotary mowers. Also, if you're lazy like me, not having to always sharpen and change rotary blades means the reel mower will not just improve your lawn; it'll transform it into something else. You lawn nuts go the extra miles with equipment maintenance and general lawn/yard care, so your lawn already looks great even with a rotary mower. But average jagoffs like me can just get pushing and have a sports field for a lawn compared to something that was just meh.

[@benvoliothefirst]

THANK YOU! Kind of amazing to do a reel mower vid without showcasing the benefits of a manual.

[@drive-byguitarlessons1858]

I love my Reel mower. I have the old school style.

[@SilverCymbal]

Very cool! They are a lot of fun. If you watch me other videos I use a fast commercial walker normally and I am having a blast using this California Trimmer. The thing is quiet, easy and reminds me of being a kid with a mower. Lots of fun and a great result.

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

Whow

[@wingstop5541]

impressive vid. The gloves is a nice touch...especially if I schedule a prostate exam.

[@scottmUTCS]

Great info. Thank you. Waiting to see the price on the Electric California Trimmer. They call it a Crossover.

[@dna60103]

I like your videos and learn a lot from it. You put jonathan green grass seed which has Tall Fescue (3 inch below is BAD for fescue). Not sure why you cutting 2 inch or below.

[@Jasonf79]

What's the difference between a Reel mower and a Fake mower?

[@jeremyking7790]

Jason F is it a real mower or a reel mower ? Maybe it was a joke it just a oversight but the spelling is different . That’s all brother .

[@Jasonf79]

@@jeremyking7790 I know that... thanks for clearing that up for me. I should have put quotations around REEL

[@AwesomeMan2696]

No more making jokes for you

[@Stoven591]

One is reel and the other is fake

[@Lawngenuity]

My man. Another great video.

[@SilverCymbal]

Much appreciated

[@garythorington1600]

I hate the California Dreamer's catcher and I despise the grease fittings. I have an Allett now

[@iamnickmartin]

That’s a nice sized garden.

[@chevyvega6622]

although i do like the removable tires if you have to travel over rock chip to get to other parts of ones property

[@barryon8706]

Hi from 2022. I started using a reel mower because gas and electricity are both crazy expensive.

[@khogan16]

What height are you cutting your grass with the cal trimmer? Is it a High cut cal trimmer? I have ttf and want to use a reel mower at around 3” to 2.75” and was hoping that would work.

[@BrendanSmith-adad24]

Can i use both a rotary mower for my initial cut and then a manual reel mower with a stripping attachment to top-dress? I have searched and have not seen any similar questions. I am invested in my Ego LM2135SP but I do not want to scalp the lawn. I would like to use a reel mower after to get the Irish cottage garden look.

[@DIYDad1]

Man, I want to love real mowing but finding one of these machines used for a good deal is hard, with my budget its next to impossible. You can get a manual push reel mower but I've seen more if these on craigslist or the trash than anything else because people buy them and find out they hate it because of how hard it is to use. Let's not forget that you also have to have an extremely flat and level lawn in order to really utilize a mower like this especially at the sub 2 inch cut height or scaling occurs easily. But you cant beat that striping and cut quality. Great overview!

[@MW-qv5ox]

yes it depends on size of your lot and how level it is. I have a cookie cutter property and using one of these high end reel machines would make me look like complete OCD nutjob. If you have a fairly substantial flat property with ideal conditions and a lot of time on your hands this would be the way to go.

[@Mudcat3434]

Manual reel mowers are literally the easiest mower to use. You push it. That's it.

[@jjl1115]

I just bought a reel mower, which cut in 1.75". I thought it was nice to cut below 2". However, several friends told me do not cut below 2", because the grass may not have enough energy to grow, and it will be less green. I'm confused now.

[@jimccc9467]

Do you have Bermuda? If so your friends are confused, I’m in NC cutting .75-1.0” all the time. Feed your grass the right stuff and it’s all good.

[@richardwalters9249]

If I want to cut my grass 4 to 5 inches high (which is the best height for Saint Augustine grass) is reel mowing a good option?

[@shion_lwn]

Great tips!! I am trying to transition to reel low. I was hesitating for a long time because of my lawn mixed with different grass types. I know that eventually I will have to do a reno to have 100% KBG or KBG&PRG mix only.. otherwise it ll take a few years by overseeding KBG only. Anyways, I have manual reel mowers and their lowest height of cut are a little bit below 2". Then recently I purchased Allett Liberty43 and tried the highest cut setting (1 1/4"). as for striping, what a difference from rotary mowing! I wanted to ask, how did you transition to reel low? Did you always cut very short ? My grass is not really recovering well after short cut n some N & P application. yukes.

[@imcarlvideos]

We call them Fred Flinstone mowers. No copyright infringement intended.

[@nj2mddude205]

Hi SC, I have 3 questions: (1) Can you dethatch with the California reel mower? (2) Is it made in the USA? (3) Is an electric model available? Thanks!

[@SilverCymbal]

It is made in the USA, but no to the other questions. This is the one you want to get. Made in UK but does everything else. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3jdpaeoo56DZsU

[@jamaliahmohammed5526]

Hi, pls give some opinion of robotic lawn mowers.

[@sheamileto6473]

Silver Cymbal Walker review please after this one What tractor was too heavy for your yard?

[@SilverCymbal]

Hi Shea. It won't be my next one but it's in the works. The tractor was John Deere 1025R, great machine but just too much for fine mowing for my smaller space.

[@chrisdeuel2802]

What were you using to sharpen the blades?

[@rebeccamachado5449]

can you do a video on back lapping?had a reel mower a couple years ago and gave up on it.bad reel mower service in my area,but maybe in the future I might give it another try.thank you

[@SilverCymbal]

Yes, in fact you will be seeing one very soon. It's easy to do once you see it. I had never done it before and it was a total mystery to me but but the performance after was so worth it. Thanks for watching.

[@richardjimenez6855]

I live in NC.. I Kentucky Blue and Red Fescue I can't cut lower that 4 inches or I get weeds.. and it doesn't handle the heat very well super short. can reel mowers run at 4 inches? I would prefer the cut that the reel mower has than traditional blad mower as it pulls and splits the grass blades regardless if its new

[@ericromin]

Fiskars makes a reel mower that has height adjustments up to 4". It's not powered, but users say it is easy to push.

[@abrothersworld8843]

Cool vid. We made a one as well. Your yard looks great! Keep up the good work.

[@stevenandcherycampos]

Very informative. Thanks

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you

[@COLINJELY]

Buy a Allett. Replaceable cartridges

[@chevyvega6622]

allen is about tops for reel mowers

[@SilverCymbal]

They make some of the nicest equipment in the world

[@icemantopgun8135]

Great video. Quick Question: how does the roller in the front not impact the actual cutting of the grass? Wouldn't the grass be bent before the reel has a chance to cut it?

[@SilverCymbal]

That is a great question, overall it's not a huge problem. But one company Allett had a better soltution for this and I think it's patented. You can see this built in lawn comb in this vide here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3jdpaeoo56DZsU

[@icemantopgun8135]

Silver Cymbal That may be a record for the fastest reply time ever! Thanks very much.

[@SilverCymbal]

@@icemantopgun8135 Thank you. unlike a lot of other channels I try to read and respond to all my comments.

[@smetljesm2276]

I don't really understand how it can reliably mow that low if the front roller rolls the grass down... You would think it would use a device/comb to raise the grass up

[@CCCC-tq8yo]

I reel mowed it the real way... The Greener Lawn mader green

[@EricInTampaAcoustic]

hi, great video and channel. I was wondering if the cali trimmer you demo in this video could work on St Augustine. I currently have my Fiskars at around 3.5 and it's been thriving. I have zoysia in the back of the house and am getting an allett mower for that

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you very much for the nice comment. Those Allett mowers look VERY nice I think you will have a great time with that. Unfortunately being in Massachusetts I can't grow St Augustine and Zoysia very well but I may have some additional mowers coming up shortly that may interest you. Thanks for the comment and for watching.

[@jpalmz]

Do people call them "Cali" trimmers? If I had one, I'd call it EXACTLY that! What am I doing this weekend, you ask? I plan on hittin' the front and back yard with the Cali.😎❤️

[@bosjsalami5038]

I dont even have a yard its 1am what am I doing

[@theeapco]

Great info! What grass type do you have?

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you. This area has been a bit of a mongrel as I have improved it over the past 2 years but it has been overseeded wit Lescos 50/50 Mix of Kentucky Bluegrass and then their assortment of others I will try to get the label posted on my Instagram to share. My other label on there is from my "waterless lawn" project area..

[@luckyb3859]

The leaf blades shown in the cut comparison appeared to be a Fescue since they were veined or ribbed, and will be coarse feeling when rubbed. Judging by the width, a Tall Fescue, as opposed to a Hard Fescue. KYB has a center rib surrounded on each side by a lighter colored stripe, which looks like a racing stripe when held up to a light. Fescue, by nature, is difficult to get a lone cut edge even with a sharp blade due to the ribs.

[@jimccc9467]

Is there really a benefit to mowing your cool season “mongrel” with a reel mower?

[@ryandelk04]

Really great video!

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you kindly I appreciate that.

[@throwingsparks]

ryandelk04 ....Reel(ly) great video😂

[@michaelbradley8508]

Great educational video. Do you know if there are other companies that sell reel mowers? Many years ago Sears sold one. Michael from Canada

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you very much,. A lot of the companies have gone out of business and there are a few that are VERY expensive. I would see if Calfornia Trimmer sells in Canada or if there might be a way to get one up there. I just bought this one in the video used and they also make a 25". I expected these to not be very good since the price is very good for what they are. They are MUCH better than I thought and very precise. I hope this helps but even old machines can be good so look on your local gumtree or craigslist. Best wishes and thanks for watching.

[@hgone7221]

Michael Bradley try Allet or Swardman.

[@MJorgy5]

McClane

[@margarita0422]

Hello I’d like to ask you a few questions, I’m a single female, just bought a home, I want to buy a lawn mower but I want it to be only electric and have even looked into push reel lawn mower. Point is, what mower do you suggest to get a nice golf course grass with easy to maneuver machine for a female. A good quality mower. Please help

[@loktom4068]

Get the cordless model.

[@CP-rm7rz]

depends on budget . Cant go wrong with Ego. Reel mowers are more difficult to use , cost more and maintenance may be an issue

[@chevyvega6622]

have you any experience with the mclain line of reel mowers?

[@SilverCymbal]

Not personally. But it seems like a lot of people start with them and quickly change. Take a look at the new Allett models here in the USA. I am very excited that they are so feature packed, more affordable than others and actually have dealers across the US too for help. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3jdpaeoo56DZsU

[@timboles8330]

How do you like the Briggs motor on the California trimmer? Would you pay the extra $200 for the Honda?

[@SilverCymbal]

Not on that machine. The briggs is fine, you won't put enough hours on a mower like that to matter. I really liked the California trimmer. much better than you would think and built much sturdier than other reel mowers.

[@timboles8330]

Thanks! For the price I don’t think you can beat it. I just can’t justify the price for the swardman especially to start out with.

[@SilverCymbal]

@@timboles8330 If you are just mowing the california trimmer is really unbeatable and built like a tank.

[@timboles8330]

Silver Cymbal Thanks for the input. I’ve been watching you for awhile and your videos are a big help.

[@SilverCymbal]

@@timboles8330 Very nice of you to say thank you for watching

[@L3ON360Z]

You could have mentioned push reel mowers which are considerably cheap. Also reel mowers are not good for cutting very tall grass.

[@kove]

Which reel mower do you use most? Great vid!

[@SilverCymbal]

I really like the California trimmer much more than I expected. Easy to use and simple to run.The versatility of the California Trimmer reel mower is a great fit when I want stripes and a clean cut. It's fun just using it and i like how it looks a lot. My only complaint is that I wish I had found a 25" version for my lot since I got this one used.

[@stevehiggins1263]

If you want a cylinder mower buy an allett or your missing out.

[@chevyvega6622]

which deere model is that?

[@CP-rm7rz]

looks like 220a

[@94Sadek]

Works great! kzbin.infoUgkxprGGPRQoChQaA8u58dt7miEpxQBKiWeJ More difficult with longer grass, though, but I was expecting that. I have a small back yard, it seemed like overkill to buy a lawnmower with an engine. This is easy to carry in and out of the basement through the bulkhead. Very sharp (be careful). At the back of the mower are little wheels, which I use when pulling the mower backwards, so it's easy to readjust direction. I'm including a photo which shows the before and after for my lawn when it was at its longest. For long grass like that you really have to put some muscle into it, and I needed to go into a new section of grass with some momentum, but when the grass is only an inch or two higher than regular cut height it's quite easy. The lawn is still patchy and full of weeds, but at least it's a good height! A step in the right direction.

[@07SATS]

You forgot another important downside of Reel mower is you need to do lawn mowing frequently! Really literally you have to spend 4-5 times time in the yard ! See people who are doing lawn mowing on KZbin they are 24x7 in their yard doing lawn mowing! Nothing wrong but it’s not possible if you have full time job etc. it’s time that takes to do reel mowing !!!!!!

[@SilverCymbal]

You can reel mow less frequently provided the reel mower can cut at higher heights like the California trimmer and Swardman units but for those cutting very low, yes you can be mowing 3--5 times a week. Great point, thank you for mentioning this.

[@benvoliothefirst]

Frequency has everything to do with height and how quickly your grass grows, and exactly nothing to do with reel vs rotary mowers.

[@Purge_v3]

Why would I need to buy a secondary mower just buy a rake

[@consanna]

What grass is cut less than 2 inches?

[@zachreese6540]

Bermuda

[@Brettsgrasscapades]

You can cut lots of different grasses at low heights it really just depends on the amount of time you are willing to put in. I keep me Kentucky Bluegrass at .6" year round and it handles it great!

[@SilverCymbal]

Almost every grass can be cut that short with the right care, some need more than others but it can easily be done at home.

[@tynkuspliff891]

How its named this decoration grass (this tall one )

[@SilverCymbal]

A whole video on it here" kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaHXfKyir7CiZpI

[@loktom4068]

Sooner or later your pride reel mower is going to hit a rock .

[@petey611]

Why would you want to cut it short? I was under the impression that the longer the better

[@SilverCymbal]

I made a video to help decide what height is best, this might be helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYiZZmeJmtOGpck

[@rusty358]

Collecting weed seeds is better with a reel mower.

[@SilverCymbal]

That is true but most often if you are reel mowing you are probably keeping up with other controls for that but if you are just starting out and have heavy weeds collection will be a better choice. I have a mulching ha bagging video that covers this further.

[@colinpearson2255]

The facts you make about real mowers maybe true about the 2 you tested but not about all, Alletts Lawn Mowers, 🇬🇧 from the nation that has banned all the chemicals you put on your lawns, 1 mower all the jobs, easy/fast cartridge change = 1½ ish min depending on which model and the world class lawn care and cut to. 😃😃

[@andrewsnow1933]

I thought you're supposed to cut grass long??

[@BRETangoTango]

It depends on the kind of grass mainly

[@SilverCymbal]

Its true that it helps conserve water and grass of course naturally would grow to 6" and beyond but you can cut it almost as short as you want given the proper water and treatment.

[@JohnDought]

In the Netherlands reel mowers cost under the 100 Euro's ;)

[@SilverCymbal]

Wow! You definitely don't find anything like that here for that price.

[@timothyheil7510]

A super cheep manual push reel mower YES. Any powered one? No

[@PatrickByas]

👍🏿🔥

[@peterrayner3707]

Cylinder lawnmower is the traditional one then came rotary. Look up history of lawnmowers if you don't believe me.

[@LoLo-dh9pi]

Mürdered my lawn by cutting low. Shit. Be careful.

[@SilverCymbal]

I know JUST what you mean I did the same thing. It's a new world but can be exciting and you don't have to go to 1/4" there are a lot of options. Keep an eye on my channel for some new videos on this that will show you a lot of good info to help.

[@SOLDOZER]

Your reel mower cutting does not look any better than your rotary.

[@jessewilloughby4333]

The stripes in this video are crooked and amateur.

[@SilverCymbal]

I don't like at the royal palace. With kids and a job I am thrilled to have my lawn where it's at.

[@amircehaja7800]

More of a promotional than informational but ok.

[@beowolf19751]

Great informative video!

[@SilverCymbal]

Thank you