Reel Mower vs. Rotary Mower ~ Which Is Better?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- We're all familiar with the good ole reel mower. It was one of the first lawnmowers ever made. Now it has a big brother, the rotary mower. Overall both are really good lawnmowers, but only in certain conditions. Watch the video to find out more.
Here a good brand of reel mowers... www.amazon.com...
Here's a good brand of rotary mowers... www.google.com...
Join in on the discussion::
Find me on Facebook... / jakethelawnkid
Add me on Instagram: / jakethelawn. .
Add me on Snapchat: jakethelawnkid
JTLK Merch:
T-shirts
Premium Short Sleeve Unisex... www.ebay.com/i...
V-Neck... www.ebay.com/i...
Fitted short sleeve... www.ebay.com/i...
Pop-sockets... www.amazon.com...
Here's my N-Ext Step Liquid Lawn Care playlist... • The N-Ext Step ALL Liq...
Here's my LCN Lawn Revival playlist... • LCN Lawn Revival 2019
Here's my JTLK/LCN Project Lawn 2019 playlist... • JTLK/LCN Project Lawn ...
Music:
Song 1: Hot salsa Hot Salsa by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommon...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
Song 2: Teach em by DJ Grumble
/ gbeats
Song 3: Strings N flutes by Dj Grumble
/ gbeats
THIS IS THE WORST VIDEO I'VE EVER MADE 🤣🤣🤣
Hello Friends and Newcomers! Welcome to my UA-cam Channel. Here, I teach DIY lawn tips to Homeowners and I also have my own lawn business that I like to document on here from time-to-time. I can ensure a couple of things right off the bat.
1) I made this video almost 5 years ago now and I happen to think it's the WORST VIDEO I've ever made. I'm sure most can agree. The content was not all that accurate nor was the comparison fair and true. But that's exactly why I left it out there. For me to look back and see my improvement.
2) It's been five years. I'm older, I'm wiser and I'm still crankin' out vids. The content I put out now is more structured, researched and geared toward having a beautiful lawn.
3) If you have subscribed and stuck with me as I developed out of this cringey stage of my UA-cam career 🤣🤣🤣, I appreciate you very much. I look to learning and growing with more of you Newcomers as the channel grows. Thank you all very much! -JTLK
Nah Jake, I'm in my 30s and I watched the whole thing. I was thinking how good your transitions and editing were for your age and for how long ago this video was made. We all look back at our teens and cringe. Don't sweat it man. But, hows that mustache coming? Lol, ;)
I was about to tell you to get rid of weeds and you'll get better results with the reel mower, but I'm sure you know that now.
Actually kid it's a pretty good vid. I was searching around to see if push reel mowers were any good & your video helped. So thank you.
never thought that i would watch a 8min long lawn mower review clip . Great job Kid keep up the good work
Exactly. And I never thought a kid today would do such a great review on mowers, especially a reel mower. Haven't seen a kid use one since I was a kid, and that was many moons ago. Very impressive Jake Lawn Mower Kid.
floyd harrison I started by watching the DNA. video and now I'm watching a lawn mower review
floyd harrison you're totally right. Not sure why this was on my feed anyway, but the quality of this video is awesome! I would watch more of this kids videos. Well done!
Mad
floyd harrison p
Reel is the way to go no gas no noise.
But slower cut
Reel mower never runs out of gas. Lol
Mr. Issac Hernandez I leave them but you can find reels that have a bag that clips to the back and collects he cut grass.
@@issachernandez1828 a rake if it bugs you too much.
And no pollution!
This kid is probably excited when he looks outside and the grass is too tall
He is a nerd.
Don't laugh too hard. Your kids will probably be working for this guy. Jk 😁
@@aubreyholman1951 i dont think this guy is planning to be a pimp. Lmao
How did this get 151 likes? Lmao your fat ass talking shit while this man Is making thousands on this video 😂
That’s me though
Why all the dislikes? this is a fantastic video ! he put alot of effort and time into this video and I find this very interesting and educational. keep it up bro.
I did not dislike it but maybe others did because he did not cut very high grass. if he had shown the difference between cutting taller grass with a rotary mower vs reel it would have been more helpful
borderex Because effort is not everything.
borderex I disliked cause the videos is just an excuse to mow his lawn
My thoughts exactly. I don't understand why anyone would take 2 seconds out of their life to click dislike t such great work. I'm on the fence on buying a reel vs rotary. This kid helped me. I clicked like. If he hadn't, I would've kept on searching. But if you clicked dislike to someone working hard on trying to help and inform others, you're one of the reasons our brave new world sucks.
@@CarlosCastillo-zf5fb It's better than your negativity. Of that, I'm damn sure !
I finally bought a reel mower after almost a year of debating whether or not to. And this is the video that made me want to so I want to thank you Jake
Excellent video! I'm late to the comments but I bought my reel mower in 2012. With a lot of care I brought the yard from a yellowing patch to a beautiful crop of grass. My neighbor spent 12 years on her yard and was baffled by how mine was greener in 2. The difference is the reel CUTS the grass, whereas a gas/electric powered one, sharp or not, BREAKS the grass, causing it to actually go into shock. Now, you should've shown the cut on the grass blades between the two tests.
Also, my reel went up to 4", was great exercise and gave me a reason to hit my yard twice. The weeds that got missed? Yeah I used to have those, till my grass chocked them out =)
I know nothing about lawns; yet, I watched this entire video because I have to start cutting my own grass. good video...thanks!
dude you pushed that thing through that grass like butter. I would have broken my back with it. And I'm surprised the reel didn't stripe better.
especially with the built-in rollers.
Jake The Lawn Kid kkjjj
That's a big garden! (Compared to here in England)
I use a 21 inch hayterette rotary with a 5hp Briggs and then an Allen scavenger leaf collector with 3.5 Briggs to suck up the clippings.
Both machines are more than 35 years old... and work very well.
The Lawn Care Nut it looked like the rillers were bent up in the middle on the reel mower. it wod have striped better with the roller making good contact with the ground
His blades are sharpened its alot easier
I just found this channel. I love Jake. he commands attention and is clearly passionate about what he does. Keep on cuttin' Jake. Your'e a good kid.
Thank you very much!
I come here with a "a this guy some kind of joke" but legit haven't got anything other than what a great video 😂😂 I just watched an 8 minute video on cutting grass...and you made it enjoyable
why am I watching this, I live in a apartment
Hahaha
I just bought a reel mower today. It's damn tough to use
What kinda grass and cutting height? You only wanna cut about 1/4 to 1/2 at a time. So you probably need your lawn mowed about 2 or 3 times a week. Only if you want a Golf Course lawn.
Reel Mowers are less probable to be borrowed by your Neighbor. :D
#TeamReel
Nice vids man! +1 sub for you!
LOL..best comment ever!
FrostMonolith very true... I love my Fiskar
That's why I bought a pink camera here at work. :)
Who the fuck would ask a neighbor to borrow a mower?
brent56and1 someone that doesn't have a mower???
The take-away I got from this with both mowers, is that reels are cheaper, they dont consume gas, they are quieter but you need to take 2 passes on your lawn. Rotary are expensive, consume gas, are loud but they are more efficient and you only need to take one pass on your yards, depending on your situation, one or the other might work best for you.
No clue why I'm watching an 8 minute video on lawn mower superiority at 3 am.... But this kid def got a new sub
I think Rotary Push Lawn Mowers are the best in my opinion.
I just listened to your podcast on average Joe lawn care. This is hilarious. You’ve definitely came a long way! Happy to hear you never let the negative people discourage you. They’re just a bunch of Mondays anyway.
Nice to see a younger man that is making his work fun. Heck nice to see a younger man actually working now day. You rule!
I don't know if I'm as passionate about anything as this kid is about mowing lawns, nice vid man
When you're told to now the lawn and you think
"How can I make this more fun"
Mow*
Caleb Leonard tweezers
Short shorts an a halter top
I was standing in the lawn mower aisle on Loews when I saw the reel mower. Not sure if it was a good piece of equipment, I opened your video. Thank you so much. I bought the reel.
I may be the only one that loves using all of the lawn care tools available: Reel, corded, cordless and gas. It's funny in my childhood I learned to use an OLD long handle grass scythe that my grandparents have in Mexico and it's something I'll never forget.
nice job! up here we only give the reel mowers to our kids when we want them to have to work harder haha
where are you located?
I'm in the smallest state, RI. It was more of a joke though, you could use a reel mower if you wanted to but I only have seen one guy using one up in the city where his lawn was a tiny strip ;-)
I didn't ask related to your comment with Jake. I asked because I am also following your channel on your renovation.
ah ok ;-)
I think you've provided some good info on rotary vs. reel, but I would add a few other points. I have both a reel and rotary and have used them on various grass types. I've had a full Bermuda lawn at one property and now a fescue mix at my current property. I'd say the quality of the cut you'll get with a reel mower depends on your grass type and weeds. My Bermuda lawn didn't have any weeds and I could get nice, clean, low cuts. In my fescue lawn I've inherited some weed issues like dallisgrass and crabgrass. If those weed stalks pop up, the reel mower doesn't always do the best job getting those. As many have stated, I've found the reel mower gives the cleanest, scissor like cut, but mostly if you have a healthy and mostly weed free lawn that is uniform. Added bonus: you get a nice workout with the reel mower, so a few less minutes as the gym perhaps!
My south Texas Bermuda grass tends to get pushed and laid down by the reel mower which misses a lot of grass. Also my yard is very bumpy (about to rent a roller).
was legit just looking up reel mowers but the comedic timing in this video is too good lmao
This is the most pumped up lawn care video I've ever seen. Now I really want to do some lawn work.
I have a 2 Mclane reel mower. Both the manual and the 26inch gas. I like them both because I cut the grass low and I leave the cuttings at the end some times for mulching. A good gas reel mower like mclane or tru cut with nice front roller bar is always recommended. Been in the landscaping business for over 10 years. Even the biggest lawn tractors I used on commercial farms and sports arenas use some type of reel mower.
I prefer my reel mower!!!! Love it....
You're great at explaining everything. Very comprehensive. Jake The Lawn Kid. I see great things in your future. Thanks!
There's a few things you're missing here. First of all you're comparing a gas powered mower to a manual mower. If you had a gas powered reel mower the cut would be much better. Secondly your reel mower is rear eject. If it were front eject it would mulch those clippings much better. Thirdly a properly adjusted reel mower gives a much better quality of cut and is much more precise. It is better for the turf because the reel and bed knife act like scissors when cutting the grass and the cut is much cleaner with less ripping of the blades. This will mean the grass will heal from the cut quicker and require less water and fertilizer. There's a reason that golf courses use reel mowers
A little tardy to the party, but another good part about reel vs rotary, because it is a cleaner cut, the clippings break down with more nutrients for your lawn, which will lead to a much more lush yard that is greener and uses less water.
Fuck you guys are weird!
SOUNDS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT SIR....WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON MCLANE ?
But gold courses use zero turns mowers lol
I have no idea how I got here but I'm here now and it's pretty good.
I like the video. Dude has passion!
I'm supposed to be up in an hour for work. Yet here I am watching some mid review lawn mowers..
Great video. Glad to see our youth posting an educational video on youtube.
Dean Lindsey I do it for the love of the game! thank you!
Fun reply.
My strange addiction: my mum slapped me and said I need to mow the lawn and my addiction sky rocketed from there.
Great job explaining the two. I prefer the gas mower. Faster, less maintenance, better job, which means more money in your pocket if it's your job. You sir, seem to take it serious, which I wish my neighbors did. If you start a business, I wish you the best. Very knowledgeable. Take care.
great video, since i had tried both the reel mower and gas lawnmower, here's my opinion on what's good and bad about it.
Reel Mower Perks And Penalties
(Perk)
"budget saver" [ affordable mower ]
"money saver" [ gas money spent disabled ]
"calorie burner" [ loose weight by mowing ]
"light weight" [ move quicker while mowing which also requires taking breaks less often ]
"clean air" [ carbon monoxide disabled ]
(Penalty)
"tedious mowing" [ depending on the height of the grass or wear to the blade ]
"crooked cut" [ uneven mowing in straight line]
"skip mowing" [ some grass miss cuts ]
"kernel in the rotor" [ require maintenance clean if build up grass gets stuck between the wheel and rotor blade ]
"grass chunker" [ left over of chunk grass is left behind ]
Gas Lawnmower Perks And Penalties
(Perk)
"grass muncher" [ cuts grass rapidly into tiny bits ]
"stable cut" [ mowing evenly and decent straight line]
"leave no grass unturned" [ grass cuts completely without a miss ]
"calorie burner" [ loose weight by mowing ]
(Penalty)
"budget burner" [ unaffordable mower ]
"fuel burner" [ gas money spent enable ]
"heavy weight" [ move slower while mowing which also requires taking breaks more often ]
"maintenance spender" [ parts and oil wears over time and requires replacement with purchase ]
"pull cord strain fatigue" [ depending how worn the lawn mower is, the pull cord can cause fatigue and strain to your arm ]
"poison fumes" [ carbon monoxide enable ]
Thank you very much your video was very helpful and I must say creative..I Found a Reel mower at Goodwill today for $19.99 thanks for making this video.
I have to say, man, this is an excellent and fair review of both mowing options. Thank you for posting it!
We live down in the south (Texas,) and unless it's tornado season or an active hurricane season in the Gulf, we often experience droughts during the summer months. Our sprinkler system gets a good workout. We also have a company come out regularly for lawn fertilization /chemical testing of the front and back yard to make sure it's in the best shape possible.
We cut loose our lawn mowing service last year to save some money, and bought a Kobalt battery operated lawn mower (with an extra battery.) It works really well. I had been thinking about picking up a reel mower for quick in-between maintenance cuts, but I've never used one before. This video was helpful.
I love my reel mower, nice and easy!
I work on a golf course and we primarily use reels to cut most things, only to cut the rough do we use rotary.
Now, I understand that the equipment we use is different than what someone would use on their lawn lol, but we can adjust the reel height, reel speed and speed of the mower. ( Also we have a machine that sharpens/grinds the reels weekly). Just a different perspective on the matter, we still make striped patterns just fine :p I'm in the south and deal with mostly bremuda.
You should do more research on reel mowers. Ultimately they are better for your turf.
older push mowers are fun to toy around with good testing grounds for different automotive products.
Nice to see you back with another vid Jake. Must have been a busy summer for you. There are a lot of mowers at your grandma's place. Isn't that where you did the review on the John Deere rider?
yes it has been a busy summer, and yes I shot the John Deere review here to.
This was a surprisingly enjoyable video! Not relevant to me at all because I have a robotic Husqvarna lawnmower that rolls around my yard like a Roomba cutting my grass for me :P But, despite that, it was a fun video and very informative, even if I'll never actually use the information 😂
I think this was a great video, I don’t get why anyone would dislike it.
Also I learned to sharpen that reel mower. when sharp cuts a lot quick.
Awesome video! I just just bought my first reel mower today and you seem to know your stuff! Keep up the awesome videos!
You seem to love your perfect lawns in the US; billions are spent on keeping them green and pristeen. Here in the UK there's a growing trend towards sowing meadow mixes to make our gardens into wildlife havens. I see it in my own street. It's been going either way; some people pave over their lawns to park more cars but others have dedicated parts or sometimes all of their lawn to encourage wildflowers. Done well it looks amazing! I use the fiskars staysharp plus reel mower which lifts to 4" and allows me to mow low flowering areas of grass without damaging the flowers. Sitting in my garden it literally dances with life; butterflies, bees, dragonflies and other pollinators. These in turn have brought in more insectivorous birds and even toads and hedgehogs; my former lawn now teems with biodiversity! My cats love exploring and snoozing among the long grasses and flowers too. It used to be just a lifeless monoculture of green before. When I see a pristine lawn now it looks like a desert to me.
ever looked at what golf course's use--gang reel mowers
Good presentation. Reel= green/ eco, cost effective and $$$saver. Rotary= ⛽ consumung, expensive and time saver.
Good one kid. Not sure with so many thumbs down. This video shed some light on genuine problem.
You are a gentleman and a scholar.
Can’t hate on this kid. Video editing is 🔥
how the duck did I end up on this channel?
same thing I said yesterday, yet I'm buying a reel mower bc of him
m z productions Me too
You quacked on it
man......i just subscribed to a channel about lawn mowers. lol. good video.
Was thinking about getting a reel mower. Great video Jake.
Hey Jake,
I have a reel mower and the cut quality is exceptional. I used to use my rotary mower but noticed a major difference between the cuts. The day after a cut with a rotary mower, the lawn would have a brownish tinge since the grass is being ripped with a rotary mower (yes the blade is very sharp on the rotary). With the reel mower, the grass remains green all the time even after the cut. I have no problem getting my reel mower to cut in the 3" range for the grass.
I do agree that I wish it did a better job striping though.
I love it lol. Your enthusiasm is awesome . Good video and effort young man !
i love this. i will get a reel pushmover for my dad.
first time I saw one of your younger videos. It was quite good. is this when alynn hane was still your nieghbor in Indiana?
Thanks for your video. I own a small row home with a small yard. I’m locked in by my neighbors, meaning I have to go through my house to get to the yard. I think a reel mower is better for my situation. I appreciate your research.
I got from watching car videos to a kid mowing lawn I actually liked it
Bro you are a rock star, keep up the great work and monetize your page with lawn care ads. "Rake" it in :-)
Thank you very much!
Nice video. I do not get the... Up north here we "have" to mow at 3.5-4 inch business. I mow with a gas powered reel at .75 inch (Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass) and when I use my rotary I mow at the lowest setting of about 1 and 1/8 inch. I have no weeds and the grass is so thick I can not see soil. Cool season grass handles it just fine. Good video though.. Good shots and editing.
Correction.... I have few weeds.
I was able to find the Fiskars "Stay Sharp" reel mowers on clearance for $60 (marked down from almost $200) at Walmart. Had it all adjusted by the manual to where it could cut paper. Used it twice, hit something in the lawn and now although there is no visible damage I can't get the adjustment back like before so the cut quality suffers. I guess backlapping is the solution?
Big problem was the weeds would always grow so quickly past the 6" this reel mower could handle I now just cut the lawn with a weed whacker in about the same time as making multiple passes with the reel job.
*Wow Im excited to mow the lawn. Cough*
Cool thing about the old school reel mower is that even though the clippings are left on the grass, gets who gets the large clippings. The birds. They sometimes likes to use them to repair their nests.
Rotary is all right, but man I love my reel lawn mower. So satisfying. It's rather therapeutic for me, hehe.
For being a video about cutting grass, this is really good. Keep up the good work kid!
Which one is easier? I wouldn't mind mowing every few days with a reel mower if it was easier to push and I didn't have to deal with all the bagging and crap, putting in gas, dealing with clogged carbs. If you cut the grass often enough, the clippings will be small and you won't have to rake and it just goes back into the lawn as compost
Good work man. You seem to know yer stuff. I use a fiskars 17” reel on my lawn. The “stay sharp” system keeps those blades razor sharp if you maintain the proper distance between reel and bed knife. My lawn isn’t very big though and, I don’t let it get overgrown.
We use both. Cool vid. We just made one as well. Keep up the good work.
Good job kid. Ur gonna make it out here.
it also depends on the type of grass being cut. the reel type is best when used for fine blade grasses like fescue. and rotory is best when used for course blade grasses like Bermuda. most golf courses use the reel type in a huge riding type. esp. the greens where a really close cut is required.
When parents ask you to mown the lawn, but you still want to make a video
Has anybody ever told you, you are a mix between Ralph Macchio ( He played Johnny Cade in "The Outsiders", and "The Karate Kid") and Scott Baio ( He played Chachi Arcola in "Happy Days", and Charles in "Charles in Charge") 💖
I'm so excited to watch These lawn mowers
I don't understand the dislikes. Kids a class act and he actually managed to make this fun to watch. Fuck off with that negativity! Great video bud.
I like the reel mowers, good workout
I have done this job as a kid. We had BERMUDA GRASS. Nice and thick. 1/2 acre of it. Take about 6 hrs pushing. y dad brought a used gas mower, self propelled. I only took 1 hr to do half acre of thick grass. You can decide what you want to do.
Standing back shot of the two the reel side looks greener/healthier. Rotary side looks pale/dry
Get a Fiskars reel mower. You may find yourself taking another look. Adjustable, cuts up to 4" grass, reels are wider than the wheel path. If you let your grass go to the point it gets pushed down before the reels can cut, sure, use a rotary.
I honestly think my Fiskars reel mower does a better job, easier. It is also whisper quiet and throws the clippings forward. I can mow any time of day, not wake up the neighbors, and not even get clippings on my feet (inevitable with most rotaries). Check it out. Love mine.
Anyway, great video.
Oooh I'm so exited to see u mow a lawn...why is this on my recommended
Stop clicking on it and commenting.
Congrats on 1 Million views brah!
Nice dude! Thanks, i will cut my gym fees by using the reel mower. 👌
Good information...great job on the video.
sharpen the blades on the reel and walk slower.. reel mower is better. You have an old reel. You miss weeds because you walk too fast with dull reel blades so you run them over.. The other thing is even with a rotary, you have to go over the edges of the last path from the last push.. overlap the edges. So you recut the edge an inch or 2 on each pass... you can see where you last cut.. even a rotary misses things. If there are twigs and sticks and rocks, use a rotory.. but the blade needs sharpening on a rotary too. You are comparing an old dull reel walking too fast with a rotary. The clippings should be small on a reel if you mow more frequently. A rotary cut is for taller grass and weeds and sticks, a bushwacker.. but then you use the reel a lot like 1 or 2 times a week.... its lighter and like taking a walk and just mow and trim. The scissor cut is better and does not leave the grass tips ragged and turning brown like a rotary.. You also have to consider the grass type.
Jake is very talented!
no matter what you do be passionate about it. wise young man.
01:48am, watching kid do a review on lawn mowers, quite entertained to be honest
Great production from a hands-on perspective. As mentioned, the reel mower is used for low cut lawns (such as golf courses) typically in the southern regions. For courser Bermuda grass, definitely use the rotary mower, while your putting green gets that low and tight scissor cut from the reel deal. Remember to file your blades on both mowers, stay sharp!
Nice comparison vid. Your lawn is looking great! 👍🏼
Clear concept and perfect editing
I think you are missing the point of the benefits of a real mower; it clips the grass like a scissor unlike the rotary mower which damages the grass as it thrashes and damages the grass as it cuts and could potentially cause disease. I actually have a healthier lawn when I use my real mower. But that is my experience.
Absolutely. They are also best for cutting really low to the ground like on a golf course.
*reel
yes, a rotary gives a jagged cut, especially to those who never clean under their push mower and clean the caked on grass and inspect the blade for damage or dullness and chips from rocks or replace awork out blade? The jagged cuts can invite disease and bacteria and look crappy too.
Bryan Brooks it all depends on how sharp the tool is kept
Bryan Brooks also I gave th m and hook then on the front of my tractor and put suitcase wights on then and gust push it
ok kid. I'd like to say u go. this vid and all of your other ones are really funny, but also this video was very educational. Great tunes, and great advise.
Cassandra Meyers thank you very much!
Hmm I was debating on what to buy this actually helped
2016 was a truly facinating time
I like most of your videos, and am a subscriber. And please don't take this the wrong way, but you're almost exactly wrong. A cylinder or "reel" type mower provides a much, much higher quality of cut if maintained and used properly.Missing pieces of grass like that means your blades aren't sharp or your bed-knife needs to be adjusted.If you're leaving clippings that long behind then you've waited to long to cut and should double cut. And the Scott's reel mower at Home Depot will cut up to 3.5", the Phiskars reel mower will cut up to 4". And as far as stripes, just take a look at any golf coarse or baseball field and you'll see the results. A rotary mower is much more efficient and easier for the average home owner.