Reel Mower Maintenance and Selection Considerations

For many homeowners seeking a quiet, low-impact way to manage their lawn, a reel mower is an excellent choice. Its scissor-like cut is gentle on grass and supports a healthier turf, which is a cornerstone of a bee-friendly yard. However, to get that pristine cut, understanding reel mower maintenance and how to choose the right one from the start is essential. This guide will walk you through the core upkeep tasks and the key selection considerations to ensure your mower serves your lawn well for years.

Essential Reel Mower Maintenance

Unlike rotary mowers that tear grass, reel mowers shear it cleanly between a spinning cylinder of blades (the reel) and a fixed bottom blade (the bedknife). This precision demands proper alignment and sharpness. A well-maintained reel mower promotes healthier grass that can better withstand drought and pests, reducing the need for interventions.

Cleaning and Basic Care

After each use, especially in damp conditions, take a few minutes to clean your mower. Use a brush or putty knife to remove caked-on grass clippings from the reel and underside. Wipe the blades and frame with a dry cloth. This prevents rust and ensures grass clippings don’t interfere with the cutting action. For stubborn debris, a damp cloth is fine, but dry the mower thoroughly afterward. A light coating of a protectant on the blades after cleaning can help prevent corrosion.

Sharpening the Blades

Sharp blades are non-negotiable for a clean cut. Dull blades will bruise and shred grass tips, leaving a white, ragged appearance that stresses the plant. Sharpening a reel mower is more involved than sharpening a rotary blade and often requires a special grinding stone or a professional service.

• Backlapping: This is a common at-home method. You apply a fine abrasive compound to the blades and run the reel backwards, allowing the bedknife to hone the reel blades. Follow your mower’s manual for the specific procedure.
• Professional Grinding: For significant nicks, uneven wear, or if you’re not comfortable with backlapping, taking the mower to a shop for professional grinding is the best option. They have the tools to precisely regrind both the reel and bedknife.

Frequency depends on use, but if you see frayed grass tips or need to push harder, it’s likely time to sharpen.

Adjusting the Blades and Cutting Height

Proper adjustment is as critical as sharpness. The goal is to have the reel blades just barely touch the bedknife along its entire length.

1. Bedknife Adjustment: Most mowers have adjustment screws at the ends of the bedknife. Using the method outlined in your manual (often involving a strip of paper), you adjust so the reel blades lightly shear the paper along the entire bedknife.
2. Cutting Height Adjustment: This is usually done by raising or lowering the roller or wheels at the front and rear. Cutting height is a key factor in lawn health. For most cool-season grasses, a height of 2.5 to 3.5 inches is recommended to encourage deep roots and shade out weeds. Always adjust on a flat, hard surface for accuracy.

How to Choose a Reel Mower

Selecting the right reel mower involves more than just picking one off the shelf. Your choice should be guided by your specific lawn conditions and your maintenance commitment. Understanding reel mower maintenance and how to choose a compatible model will lead to a much more satisfying experience.

For Your Lawn Size and Layout

The cutting width of the mower is the primary factor for efficiency. A wider cut covers more ground per pass.

Also consider the layout. A lawn with many trees, flower beds, and tight spaces will be easier to manage with a narrower, more maneuverable mower, regardless of total square footage. For a broader look at tool types, see our Lawn Tool Buying Guides.

For Your Grass Type and Condition

Reel mowers excel on certain grasses and struggle with others.

• Best For: Fine-bladed, dense grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescues, perennial ryegrass, and Bermudagrass. These grasses tolerate lower cutting heights and respond beautifully to a reel cut.
• Challenging For: Coarse, broad-leaf grasses like tall fescue, and lawns with many weeds, sticks, or uneven terrain. Thatch buildup can also hinder performance.

If your lawn is lush and well-tended, a reel mower is ideal. If it’s more rugged, you might need to dethatch or level areas first, or consider if a reel mower is the best primary tool. The health of your lawn directly impacts local pollinators, so choosing a mowing strategy that fosters healthy grass is a great step. Learn more about fostering a resilient lawn at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Construction and Power Type

Build quality affects durability and ease of use.

For a comparison of electric power options, our article on Corded vs. Cordless Electric Lawn Tools can be helpful. Your choice here directly influences the long-term reel mower maintenance routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I sharpen my reel mower blades?

There’s no fixed schedule, as it depends on how often you mow, the abrasiveness of your soil, and if you hit debris. Check the cut quality regularly, and adjust the reel when grass blades look torn. If the grass tips look torn or ragged instead of cleanly sliced, it’s time to sharpen. For a typical homeowner mowing weekly, a professional sharpening once a season is often sufficient.

Can a reel mower handle a lawn that isn’t perfectly flat?

Reel mowers perform best on level terrain. They can handle gentle slopes, but significant bumps, dips, or a very uneven surface will cause the mower to scalp (cut too low) in high spots and miss grass in low spots. For uneven lawns, you may need to spend time leveling the turf or consider a rotary mower with larger wheels that can better follow contours.

Is a reel mower safe for bees and other pollinators?

A reel mower itself, as a mechanical device, does not directly harm pollinators through chemical means. In fact, its quiet operation and lack of exhaust can be less disruptive. The greater benefit comes from the healthier lawn it can promote and the avoidance of routine broad-spectrum pesticides. Always follow EPA pollinator protection guidance and read the product label of any lawn treatment. A healthy, mowed lawn with areas of clover or other low-growing flowers can provide valuable foraging habitat.

Should I buy a manual or a powered reel mower?

This depends on your lawn size, your physical ability, and your grass type. A manual mower is a fantastic, quiet option for a small (under 1,000 sq ft), flat lawn with fine grass. If your lawn is larger, has thicker grass, or you simply want an easier push, a battery-powered or electric reel mower is a worthwhile investment. It provides the clean reel cut with less physical effort. Our dedicated Reel Mower Buying Guide delves deeper into this decision.

What’s the most common mistake people make with reel mower maintenance?

The most common mistake is neglecting the blade adjustment. Even with sharp blades, if the reel is not properly adjusted to the bedknife, the cut will be poor. People often assume a poor cut means the blades are dull, when a simple adjustment might be all that’s needed. Always check and adjust the blade alignment according to the manual before assuming sharpening is required.