Reel Mower vs. Rotary Mower ~ Which Is Better? 

THIS IS THE WORST VIDEO I'VE EVER MADE 🤣🤣🤣 Hello Friends and Newcomers! Welcome to my RU-vid 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 RU-vid 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

never thought that i would watch a 8min long lawn mower review clip . Great job Kid keep up the good work

This kid is probably excited when he looks outside and the grass is too tall

Reel Mowers are less probable to be borrowed by your Neighbor. :D #TeamReel Nice vids man! +1 sub for you!

why am I watching this, I live in a apartment

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.

Reel is the way to go no gas no noise.

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!

The reel mower that he uses is a rusty piece of junk. The power mower doesn't look any better. Comparison would only be valid if he used two mowers in very good condition. In evaluating a reel mower you need to take into consideration the needed exercise that you get, the relative lack of noise. lack of fumes, and no need to buy and store gas.

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.

how the duck did I end up on this channel?

I just bought a reel mower today. It's damn tough to use

I love my reel mower, nice and easy!

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") 💖

A reel mower for the environment is better :)

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 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.

When you're told to now the lawn and you think "How can I make this more fun"

I remember pushing a reel mower to mow neighbor's yards in around 1962. I made a few bucks but worked my tail off. I don't know how much easier the modern reel mowers are to use. I am sure they are lighter weight, and possibly there has been more improvements. I can definitely say they were heavy and difficult to push for even a big 10 year old. I think even the new ones might be difficult for a 67 year old. LOL

I live in the Chicago area and yes, grass needs to be cut higher to help keep it cool. You cut it too short and you'll leave room for weeds and crabgrass and dry yellow grass.

It depends on your desired grass height: if it needs to be more than 3 inches high, then yes a roatary is the bettter choice. But if you have zoysia and are willing and able to cut it 2x week during summer, hands down for me the choice is a push reel.

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!

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.

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.

Your hella cool but you look like steve from American Dad

I have used both. For a small yard , the reel mower is suitable . But when you have large area to mow and some tough terrain , the gas is more powerful

This kid's got a promising future.

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.

For being a video about cutting grass, this is really good. Keep up the good work kid!

Thanks for the video dude. Appreciate you taking the time to film, edit, and explain this. My only concern is that you should throw that stupid hat away. I know youre gonna be watching this 15 years ago laughing at that silly hat. Haha. Cheers, dude!

Rotary is heavier, but requires no extra spending on gas or oil. Clippings are good for the lawn. It's heavy as F.... though. The push mower isn't as heavy, it's a nicer cut, etc, but you spend more on Maintenance. It's worth it though. Unless you want sub workout sessions with mowing, or want to drop dead (for older folks)

ever looked at what golf course's use--gang reel mowers

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?

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

I have one of those "newer models" for reel mowers and I absolutely hate it compared to the older ones. The bagger (even if only lightly loaded) start deteriorating in a week, the lining wheels actually make the yard look uglier as they seriously bore down on the grass, and they constantly miss these little bits of grass everywhere! I prefered my rotary mower (as much as it tried to blow up on me) and miss using it. This is opinionated though, actual performance may vary by user.

I think rotary mowers also suck the blades up with a vacume like effect , if the grass is whispey like tall fesue , kinda sucks it up as it cuts it , what do you think Jake ? - Joel K

There's a good reason golf courses use reel mowers for their turf. It's because they offer the best cut, but a good reel mower requires investing potentially thousands of dollars. However they are reliable, easy to maintain (albeit a lot more work than rotary) and very durable. I'd only recommend them if you intend to offer a high end service accompanied with high end maintenance programs (chemical applications which means licensing which means $$$) or if you can snatch a decent one up for dirt cheap (assuming you can put it to use somewhere). You need healthy and smooth lawns with preferably no weeds as the machine may just want to push them over without cutting. If you want to keep it low key with a mow and go kind of service, don't bother with them.

In the side-by-side comparison, the lawn portion cut by the reel mower looked a lot better than the rotary mower, because it didn't have the ugly mowing-stripes on it.

Just to be reel quick : do you prefer a reel mower or the fake mower?

the reel mower makes the grass look more natural

I needed this review

how cute, he has started growing a moustache, lol

Good video, I bet you never expected it to get this many views! Looks like it's the most viewed reel vs. rotary video on RU-vid now. And man, there are way too many hateful and ignorant comments on this vid, but I guess that's what you always end up with when you get this number of views. Good job being able to handle it all, and don't ever let them discourage you. My channel has never blown up so I've never had to deal with that, but I don't think I'd be able to face it very well either. I'd be deleting comments left and right.

Clippings provide nutrients to the lawn

that time lapse ending bad ass

Dude the rotary mower was revving a little low which causes tears so you should adjust the governor speed behind the air filter slightly higher

I think if you had a newer reel mower it would stack up better to that rotary mower in the video. Reel mowers are pretty good. Nice video

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.

I live in FL. It's bout 100*. No I'm not excited about mowing my half acre lawn, in the rare chance this rain will stop for 45f-in min.

nice job! up here we only give the reel mowers to our kids when we want them to have to work harder haha

do a cylinder mower vs rotary

hey kid, did you finally get that booger out your nose 👃😂😂✌good video...

This is some fucking quality content

Commercial reel mowers give a much more precise cut than is possible with a blade. That's because the cutting deck does not rest on wheels, but on rollers. Golf courses use engine-driven, (both tractor-mounted and walk) reel mowers on their greens, to get a precise 3/16 inch cut. With a rotary (and a non-commercial reel) the blades follow the wheels, and the wheels hit all the bumps and holes.

Hmm I was debating on what to buy this actually helped

Jake looks like a young Robert Downey Jr... He's "Jake the Lawn IRON MAN"

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 ]

I use a reel mower. and never have the probnlems you had kid. I crosscut, and take my time.

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.

The reel mower is a pleasant experience and an authentic workout. While the reel mower takes twice as long to do the job, ask yourself what you will be doing with the time you saved. Will you drive to the gym and run on the treadmill, or perhaps watch more TV? Using a reel mower feels good, it's quiet and meditative. Using a gas mower is loud and stinky. Maintaining a reel mower is thoughtlessly easy, do nothing. Maintaining a gas mower means changing oil, spark plugs, winterizing, buying gas, putting the gas can in your car, filling the tank, spilling the gas, etc. A gas can in your attached garage is a big deal, benzene etc from the gas gets in the air in your house. The gas is bad for you and the environment. Pushing a reel mower is good for you. Those old school reel mowers are the best, they have a strong chassis which makes a better cut.

I work for a business that makes petrol and electric reel mowers. my job is to assemble them

Thank you, great video, very helpful, I'm gonna try a reel! thanks for the insight,,

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.

Compare an electric or gas reel mover to a rotary mover

Excellent informative video!!

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.

Huh learn something new everyday thanks for the knowledge

Reel mowers are better for cutting because of the slicing it does, quieter, no fuel consumption other than your own energy, simple enough for a child to learn, no neighbor wants to borrow it. Rotary mower chops up grass(bad for it) effortlessly, leaves unnatural stripes, far more complex(meaning more components that can go wrong), neighbor will want to borrow it and possibly not return it. Get a goat

ya I agree the reel mower works better

Reel mower because it can't really break and it's free it doesn't take gas

lf you look at the leaf blade after cutting with a reel mower you will notice a clean cut which results in healthier turf . reel mower cuts like scissors vs rotary blade is like a sharp hammer and rips the leaf blade.

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 =)

A DIY on how to keep your virginity!

Standing back shot of the two the reel side looks greener/healthier. Rotary side looks pale/dry

This kid definitely gets bullied. He's wearing tinted glasses

I have the reel

dis dood off the xanz foreal

ótima explicação sobre os tempos dos cortadores, deve ganhar uma grana boa cortando este monte de grama da vizinhança, parabéns.

shit he's good. my Mexican friends we got a challenge

what does it do with dead leaves

You should do more research on reel mowers. Ultimately they are better for your turf.

bruh. take care of your tools, and they'll take care of you. maintain those blades!

Not exactly comparable when you have a $400 mower vs a $100 push cylinder mower. Try the same comparison with a powered Cylinder mower and you will be amazed at the difference in quality.

I love your video style, really great!!!

Just a bunch of Honda Civics, nothing to see here

Would like to see you go to any golf course and tell them their Reel mowers just don't cut it! And if you want fancy there are companies that make powered reel mowers so the blades turn at a constant speed no mater how slow you walk.

Can you use one of those mowers to cut your finger nails ? Also what did you do with that booger @ 5:12 . Fun vid thanks.

Good vid keep it up, u know ur stuff

I have a reel mower and I prefer it over a gas mower any day.

Bro you are a rock star, keep up the great work and monetize your page with lawn care ads. "Rake" it in :-)

Traditionally, reels have been more suited to the finer textured varieties of grass, such as Kentucky Bluegrass, while rotaries do better on the coarser varieties like Tall Fescue or Ryegrass. Another thing I've found about reel mowers is that the tend to scalp the grass on rougher lawns, while a rotary tends to span the low areas better. Especially prevalent on a newer, less established lawn, or one that has not been groomed as meticulously. Rotary mowers tend to perform much better on sloped areas as well.

The main thing I've heard about reel mowers is that you need to sharpen the blades of them. Yours also didn't seem like it had been sharpened in years. it looked rusty as hell, so the maintenance of the reel mower seems like it may have had an effect on your results.

Don't know why he calls the clippings crap because it's good fertilizer for the grass.

I pick the Riding mower

I guess that I am on that side of RU-vid again...

Recommended... where the hell are you getting these vids from

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.

Why the fuck is this in my recommended

Reel Mowers are better as the actually cut the grass vs whipping the grass. The grass clippings can be left as they will add mulch to the base and provide for a better, healthier lawn. I had an old reel mower the worked perfectly. Smooth and was adjustable. With reel mowers yo need to actually mow more often to stop the flyaway grass that might be too long. Keep up with the yard and you will love your reel mower. Rotary mowers are for the lazy. They do a great job if kept sharp but let’s face it, most never sharpen because they still knock down the grass even when dull. Bad for the grass. Lots of split ends. If you need to knock down tall out of control grass theuse the rotary. After, switch to the reel and keep up with it. A well groomed lawn will take little time to trim up with the reel a couple times per week. Your lawn will love you and you won’t need the catcher. Don’t cut too close to the dirt either, let the lawn thicken up and let it build a good deep base.

reel mowers are best suited for high end lawns with no weeds. zoysia yards as an example. nearly 20 years in landscaping. in fact 7 blade reel mowers are recommended for THAT type of grass. think of it like a surgical scalpel precision vs slinging a machete aimlessly. also to note gas rotary mowers kick up dust that lays it over the grass therefore not looking AS green as opposed to a real mower.