American Lawn Mower Company 1815-18 18-Inch Reel Mower

American Lawn Mower Company 1815-18 18-Inch Reel Mower Review

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The handle requires about 15 minutes of tool-free assembly and is not difficult. The hardest part was attaching the two circlips that secure the handle to the mower; they cannot be pressed into their grooves by hand but must be pressed hard with something (I used the tip of pliers to apply the needed pressure, I didn't think to use the included blade adjustment wrench). Amazon's product description states you will need a wrench to assemble, but that is not true, the only tool you will need is 'something' to push those circlips into place. The padding on the handle was already installed, but it is foam rubber and probably will not last long. Once the padding shreds, I won't worry about it, it really isn't needed.br /br /I made a couple test swaths through the grass and found the cutting blade factory adjustments to be perfect. It cuts fairly well across the entire 18 inches, but requires a second pass to get some blades of grass that didn't get cut, and even then a few blades of grass will still stick up. I have bent grass and a bent reel mower might work better than this, I don't know. I found that it cuts through leaves and thin twigs easily, but someone who doesn't rake up a trashy lawn will have problems with trash jamming the reel. It won't chop up paper, cardboard and other garbage, then spit it all over the place like a power mower will.br /br /This mower is noticeably easier to push than my gas mower! The silence is 'golden', just a gentle whirring sound. I can listen to my music while using this mower. NO smelly exhaust; NO hard starting; NO air filter cleaning; NO going to buy gas; NO engine maintenance or repair every 2 or 3 years! One thing I didn't think about when I made this purchase is 'IT DOES NOT KICK UP ANY DUST'! I used to wear a face mask when mowing with gas to keep me from coughing badly from inhaling the dust and shredded grass; but no mask is needed with this mower!br /br /The build quality seems pretty good, but there is some plastic: The wheels, the rear rollers and the roller height adjustment mechanism are the plastic "weak points" of this mower. I am guessing one of the roller height adjusters will break eventually. The rubber tires have a shallow tread that may wear down after much use. The handle has some flex; not the stiff steel shafts I remember from years ago. No, this is not my father's very high quality reel mower that had stiff handles and NO plastic. But it is good enough.br /br / The instruction sheet has a breakdown of ALL parts with part numbers so replacement parts can be ordered from the factory. There is a small wrench included to make cutting blade adjustments. Cutting heighth adjustment is made by wingnuts, no tools needed. The instructions show how to make even finer heighth adjustments (requires removing the wheels), but that won't apply to most of us.br /br /Overall, I like this mower, but I think those plastic heighth adjusters should be made of sturdy metal. If you think you need a more robust reel mower than this, do a search: 'prison lawn mower'. I was tempted to buy one!br /br /ADDED THE SAME DAY: I just noticed the price jumped by more than 11 dollars over what just I paid. If the price keeps going up the higher priced prison lawn mower might not be such a bad deal!

American Lawn Mower Company 1815-18 18-Inch Reel Mower Feature

• Hand pushed reel lawn mower is solid, sharp, and easy to use
• Cutting heights adjust from 1/2 to 2-1/4 inches
• 5 tempered alloy steel blades with ball bearing reel design; 2-inch welded shrub bar frame; assembly required
• 10-inch wheels and radial tires handle any terrain; cushion-grip handles for comfort
• 18-inch cutting width; 2-year limited warranty

The business end of this hand pushed reel mower is solid, sharp, and easy to use, with five heat-treated, knife-sharp tempered alloy steel blades that can be adjusted for varying grass heights from 1/2 to 2-1/4 inches. With its 10-inch wheels, radial tires, 18-inch cutting width, and 2-inch welded shrub bar, this mower should enable you to cross whatever terrain and reach whatever hard-to-access rogue patches of grass you desire. Plus, the soft foam cushion on the handlebar is a nice -- and much appreciated -- touch. However, assembly can be a headache, even though the only tool you need is a wrench. The instructions could be clearer, and the handle parts could fit together better. This product is backed by a limited 2-year warranty.

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Customer Reviews

Made in China - GEORGE K. FLOOD - California
I googled lawnmowers made in the USA and came up with a site that said that this brand and model is made in the USA. So I got it. The box clearly says "Made in China." Oh well. Hard to find anything made in the USA anymore. It cuts the lawn OK, though. I'm glad I got this type of non-motorized lawnmower.


Apr 05, 2010 20:58:13