Mowing your lawn is never fun but having the right equipment will help. There are many options available to homeowners these days. There are the traditional gasoline mowers, electric mowers and even robotic lawn mowers now. However, there’s a less glorified option that can also get the job done in a much simpler way. Yes, we’re talking about the manual lawn mower.
In this article, we’ll talk about what makes this lawn mower type special. The disadvantages of this tool is often what comes to mind first. Although, when we tested out several of these manual lawn mowers, we were impressed.
Best Manual Lawn Mower: Great States Push Lawn Mower
- Small push lawn mower with 4-blade reel and 14″ cutting width; 8.5″ polymer wheels provide optimal maneuverability
- Manual push reel mower with an adjustable blade height of 0.5”-1.75” with scissor-action cut
- 14-in lawn mower blades made of heat-treated alloy steel that stays sharp for years and can be sharpened when necessary
Manual Lawn Mower Advantages
Yes, you’re probably already thinking that manual lawn mowers sound less convenient than gasoline, electric or robotic versions. For gasoline and electric, there is a fair argument to be made against the manual lawn mower. However, due to problems we found when testing robotic lawn mowers, manual is far better overall. That may sound crazy, but lets recap some of the pros with manual lawn mowers.
The first major advantage of a push or manual lawn mower is the power source. These mowers do not rely on you charging a battery or picking up gasoline. You can use a manual lawn mower whenever you want without any preparation.
The next thing we love about manual lawn mowers is the price tag. Electric and gasoline lawn mowers can easily cost $400 and above. nearly every manual lawn mower on the market is under $100. In fact, some manual lawn mowers are even priced around $50.
Another great benefit of a manual lawn mower is the lack of maintenance. With gasoline or electric mowers, you need to replace small bolts and the battery packs often. Our favorite manual mower, the Great States model, came with only 5 parts in total, 4 of them being metal poles. It’s safe to say these will not break down any time soon.
Manual Lawn Mower Disadvantages
Now let’s focus in on the disadvantages. The first and most obvious con of manual lawn mowers is the amount of effort you need to put forth. If you have a large lawn, you will get tired using a manual lawn mower. However, if you have a small lawn or enjoy a light workout, a manual lawn mower will do just fine.
Next, you cannot easily control the length of your mowed grass. Most mowers like the Ryobi electric lawn mower have a setting on the side where you can control the grass length. I could set the length anywhere from 1.5 to 4 inches. With a manual lawn mower, you only cut one length which is around 1 – 1.5 inches tall.
What To Look For In A Manual Lawn Mower
Normally when we test a group of products we have a list of criteria to rate each model on. However, manual lawn mowers are extremely simple. There aren’t a lot of flashy features that stand out from one model to another. Here are a few basic things to help you narrow down your search.
- Price: Due to the simplicity of these tools, you should select one at a lower price. A big reason why we enjoyed the Great States mower is because it operates the same way as the other models but costs far less.
- Weight: The heaviness of a manual lawn mower makes a big difference. After all, you’re pushing this mower up and down your lawn. Therefore, elect for a lighter weight model – there’s no correlation with better performance and heavier weight.
- Reviews: As you’ll see from the reviews for the models below, you cannot go wrong. All of these manual lawn mower models are very similar and do a great job. If you happen to find an alternative on your own search, be sure is stacks up both in quantity and quality of reviews.
Best Manual Lawn Mowers 2023 Review
How Much Do Manual Lawn Mowers Cost?
As we mentioned, manual lawn mowers are terribly expensive. You should expect to spend $60 – $90 on a manual lawn mower. After all, these tools aren’t entirely complex, so the cost of materials is low. If you find yourself looking at manual mowers over $100, consider an affordable electric or gasoline lawn mower instead.
How To Use A Manual Lawn Mower
Due to only a handful of parts, the manual lawn mowers we tested were set up within 30 minutes. The set up process for most of the models we tested involved a few steps. First, connecting together the 2 – 4 handles, which are just metal poles. Next, fitting the handles into two sockets, one on each side, of the blade with wheels.
If you would like to see the Great States manual lawn mower in action, we took a short video. The way you should use a manual lawn mower is to stand directly behind the blades and push the mower forward. The wheels turn and grass is cut as you walk through your backyard.
How To Sharpen Manual Lawn Mower Blades
The only true maintenance with a manual lawn mower is the blades. Eventually, after some good use, you will have dull blades. Therefore, you have two options to re-sharpen your blades. First, you can visit a landscape professional store that sells lawn mowers. They will likely charge you a small fee to sharpen or replace your blades.
Alternatively, you can purchase an inexpensive blade sharpener. Over time, this will save you a lot of money. You can also use the sharpener on other tools such as axes, pruners or hedge shears.
Best Manual Lawn Mowers Summary
Overall, it’s tough to go wrong with the Great States manual lawn mower. As long as you understand the pros and cons, we think you’ll enjoy it. For homeowners with a small backyard, it’s the perfect solution. For under $100 and with no impact on your electricity or gasoline consumption, it will mow your lawn really well.
