Scotts Outdoor Power Tools 2000-20S 20-Inch 5-Blade Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower, Green

If, like me, you're tempted to make the change from a gas mower to a reel mower, keep reading. While most of the reviews on Amazon are positive for this mower, the one-star reviews made me nervous, especially since I have a fairly large lawn to mow. After my experience with the first mow last night, I can tell you not to worry. Performance: My lawn was a little higher than normal, so it was a good test for mower. The cut was clean and efficient. It took a couple of passes to realize I was leaving a strip of unmowed grass if I tracked my progress from wheel indention to wheel indention in the grass. The blades stop an inch or so short of the wheel, so you will need to overlap somewhat. I experienced very few problem areas that required multiple passes. A real plus was there were no clumps of grass left behind the mower. With my gas mower, I would typically need to go deal with a couple of grass clumps with the lawn as high as it was. Sticks were a minor problem: most of them went under the reel but the few that stuck up, did get caught and stopped the mower in it's tracks -- even very small sticks. If you have a wooded area to mow with lots of branches, think twice about a manual mower. On the other hand, you don't have to worry about one being launched as a projectile! Comfort: Don't be fooled by it not having a motor: it is noisy and you will have a difficult time hearing anyone while you are pushing it. That said, it doesn't hold a candle to the noise of a gas mower. With the high gear ratio of the blades to the wheels, it takes an intial umph to get the reel moving (I couldn't do it very well one-handed) but momentum is on your side once you're on your way. While it is much lighter weight, I think it is a tie with my gas mower on ease of pushing. The mower will throw cut grass all over your feet. Since it is thrown with so little force, you don't feel it and I noticed the wind was blowing much of it to the side before it even reached me. Intangibles: It felt good to mow the lawn completely under my own muscle power. There was much less noise, the noise stops as you turn around to start the next row, and you don't smell like exhaust when the mowing is done. While I worked up a good sweat (about the same as with the gas mower) it was a very different feeling (and smell) than you get with a gas mower. Overall: I would highly recommend. This model with a 20" swath, is larger than most of the ones I've seen around town. It probably makes it more difficult to push than a narrower one but I would only see that as a factor if you were quite petite. Oh, don't bother ordering the sharpener that Amazon tries to pair with the mower...it cuts perfectly out of the box and the manual states it shouldn't need to be sharpened for a number of years with normal use. ****UPDATE***** After using the reel mower for the remainder of the summer, I have a few additional points to add. Pro 1) Mower continues to cut well and I have not been tempted to switch back to my gas mower. 2) I will mow a small patch if I only have a few minutes because there is so little hassle in using the mower. Con 1) It helps to have a weedeater for the taller weeds that will never cut, no matter how many times you make a pass. 2) The foam handle has basically disintegrated. I wrapped it with duct tape before it completely fell apart and it everything is OK. 3) I've had some problems with the mower engaging with the wheel. Some times the wheel will rotate but the mower will not engage. Doesn't happen often and usually happens when starting out. I've not tried to investigate the problem or contact Scotts for support. Overall, I would lower my rating to 3 stars for the product for the handle and blade engagement issues. However, I don't see myself ever going back to gas.

After cutting my lawn with a gas-powered mower last summer, I wanted to simplify things. I really don't want to stress over spark plugs and oil and gasoline, and hoping that my engine will start when I pull the cord. All the maintenance. We already have a car for that. I wanted something I could understand, that worked well. This does the trick. I honestly look forward to cutting the lawn now. It's a fun experience. I like the 20-in width because you tend to overlap as you travel back and forth across your lawn anyway, so it's great that you don't have to do as many passes as you would with a narrower mower. I like not having to make sure I have enough gasoline to cut my lawn, especially as gas has increased in recent months. The only fuel I need is in my body. Our lawn is mostly level, yet this does give me a bit of good exercise, though nothing too extreme at all. What I lose in machine-propelled front-wheel drive I make up for in a healthier heart. I'll take it. This is much quieter than an electric or gas-powered mower, so I am able to cut grass at 7:00 a.m. before it gets very hot or the day gets busy, and not bother anyone. The first time I used it, my wife didn't even know I was outside her window cutting grass. I'd been reading up before my purchase, and I learned that a reel mower is better for your grass due to its cutting method, working much more like scissors rather than a rotating horizontal blade that tends to leave the tips of grass brown and leaves behind a trail of “hay” unless you use a bagger on your mower. With several blade height settings that are as easy as popping a little handle out of a notch and then back in around the wheel, it's also possible to cut the grass much shorter like golf course style than other styles of mowers, if that suits your needs. I share an unfenced lawn with my neighbors, so personally I use a higher blade height in order to match what they've cut already with their electric and gas mowers. Many people have said that you need to use a reel mower much more often than a gas-powered mower, but that hasn't been my experience. If I cut any sooner than weekly (~30 minutes), I find that there's very little that's ready to be cut. I'm guessing amount of rain and sunshine and grass type are factors in this, though. All in all, I'm really digging this retro mower lifestyle. Stress-free. Yes, please!

Skeptical, I read all of the reviews here and made the decision to purchase this mower. I liked the fact that this mower is cheaper than some of the competition but also had a higher mowing height that others can't claim. Changing the height from out-of-the-box is easy via the arm adjustment arm on the rear weels. But getting it really low takes a bit more work. You must remove the wheels and change the front axle height. Some quick background: I've never owned a mower before but have used gas and electric mowers from others. I've never used another reel mower so consider this review more of a comparison of reel vs gas/electric mowers. I'm a fit younger guy so I went into this with no real concerns about the challenge (or burden) of pushing a mower around. One of the pieces of info I didn't get a good sense of from other reviews is how hard the mower must be pushed for it to function properly. I've found you must push the mower HARDER than a gas or electric mower. That's not to say it's a lot harder, but it's definitely more than an equivalent mower. The mower weight is definitely much lighter than other non-reel mowers, but with the energy needed to spin the wheels and blades it effectively makes it feel heavier than a much heavier gas mower. Another tidbit that I didn't get is how well it cuts grass. I started with a very thick grass that was in dire need of mowing. Some recommend using a gas/electric mower first, but I was brave and plowed over my grass at the highest setting first, and then took subsequent passes at lower heights. Worked like a charm. That's not to say it wasn't a workout! But it was an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Especially when the neighbors would look over and wonder what I'm doing. The cutting effectiveness of the mower is average. I would expect it to cut MORE than it does. In other words, I need to pass over the same spot twice about 20% of the time because the grass wasn't fully cut. This is probably due to the unevenness of the ground where the wheels are bouncing over and, as a result, not getting a consistently even flat cut. A last point to offer: the grass does look HEALTHIER and has a better cut than my neighbors. In fact, if you have an ailing lawn reel mowers are, in my opinion, better remedies than electric/gas powered mowers. I've mowed about 5 times since I've received the mower, and the only maintenance I've done is hosed down the mower after use and sprayed WD-40 across the cutting blades and axle near the wheels. It's a great feeling to not need to buy gas, tune the carb, or do any kind of maintenance for nearly 10 years. :)

I bought this mower, the grass catcher for it and the sharpening kit(which I haven't tried yet as it is my first season). Though i have used many a gas mower for my parent's yard and other folks in the past(long past) and H.S., I have never used one for my own lot as I have no way to transport myself and a can of gas to/fro the station(it is illegal to carry gas around on foot) I am not too much of an environmentalist pertaining to mowing grass, I just need a practical way of doing it w/o a car. I find it easier than some reviewers are crediting. It must be cleaned and probably oiled with WD-40 on the bare metal blades to work like "clockwork". Mine is easy to push and I have a hilly front lot with a maple and some confounded rooting that a rotory gas mnower would have trouble around. The tree and it's roots dominate my front lawn of maybe 1500 square ft.(a guess it is the same as my house sf) the rear lot is larger(unusually so for a city0 and also has no trees(of yet) so the sun shines alot and it grows thick and quick. I actually mowed a day after we had a week of rain(2") and it worked fine, just remember to clean the blades. The catcher can be used on those "monsoon" rainy days when you can't mow for weeks on end to take up those long grass stems so you don't choke out the cut lawn with 9"+ clippings. then remove the back to mulche.(1/3 the remainder of the cut). I cut mine down to 1.5" but it was 9" becasue of the rediculously long May rain! I used the catcher then just removed it and cut from a 3" to a 1.5(leaving the clippings on the ground). The first bag I dumped into my garden and front window bush/iris beds. It is easy and you do not need to "Run" with it to get a good clipping, infact, unless your grass is some weird variety other than barmuda it runs better at low RPM.(a steady striding pace faster than a walk but not a run). I absolutely do NOT recommend for an acherage, whatevery you think of the environment your going to get sick and tired of mowing a 2.5a lot of crabs, Bermudas, and johnson grass. suicide! Get a power mower(preferrably gas 5 hp0 for yards larger than 1/2 acher. For my parent's 2.5+ I will refuse any less than a tractor with a 12 HP Briggs+Stratton(becasue techumseh sux wad) and lots of cutting action. For city lots, I see no reason for everyone not to get this wonderful Scott's Reel classic easy on the gas money, maintainence, noise level to your neighbors(like me!) and the envrinonment too.

On March 11, 2009, I purchased the Scotts 2000-20 10-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower based on the reviews on Amazon at the time. Previously I bought and returned a Brill Razorcut because of its limited cutting height. This review is based on my experience of having used both the Brill and the Scotts push reel mower. Although the Brill was constructed mainly from plastic materials it seemed to hold together fine and maneuvering was quite stable and light. On the other hand, the Scotts reel mower is constructed with a metal (steel?) material. One could probably conclude that the Scotts to be more sturdy but I find it isn't the case. The way the handle is designed and assembled makes it harder to push to move the mower forward. It seems like a lot of my energy is directed in a downward motion unless I extend my arms out and give more space between me and the mower. Doing so would put my body in a position where my upper back would be facing up to the sky and my chest facing the ground. At some point I had to push at the handle's mid-point to move it forward. I'm about 5'6" tall. About a a couple of months into the mower the foam cushion starts to peel and break off. The joints on the handle started to loosen and the handle became more unstable as I constantly tried to tighten the screws where the parts of the handle join together. This is due to the way the upper and lower handle is assembled together. If you have even ground and grass that isn't too thick this the Scotts mower would be inexpensive and great. Depending on how fast your grass grows, it best to cut frequently before the grass gets too tall. If it does the reel mower will go right over the grass without cutting it. If it the grass gets too tall, it's best to cut first with a regular gas mower and then maintain your lawn with the push reel mower. As of writing this review over almost 16 months later, my Scotts reel mower is partially rusted in the storage. I need to sharpen and realign the blades. It probably got rusted because of the washings. I also need to put a new foam covering on the handle. I wish Brill would make a reel mower that has a higher height and a wider cut. To me the Scotts mower gives you the same workout as a gas push (non self-propelled) mower. Cutting with a push reel mower is great because you don't have to deal with dust and grass flying all over your body and breathing the gas fumes as with the gas push mowers. It's also quiet enough to cut anytime of the day or night.

I'm just a regular dude, leaving this review because of how impressed I am. I would recommend this mower to almost anybody. Unless you have a physical disability, an enormous yard, or lots of obstacles that will make this more difficult than reasonable, then this is a no-brainer for you. Pros: No gasoline/electricity. You get your steps and some upper body workout (just because you're pushing an object with your arms.) Lightweight/lighter than a gas/electric mower. Relatively inexpensive: both upfront and in the lack of needing fuel (it's good to keep the moving parts lubricated periodically but that's normal; WD40.) Easy to maintain/assemble; Simple mechanics Well made *The main wheels spin INDEPENDENTLY from one another*: this means that you can go up on one wheel and still engage the blades, even if the other main wheel is not spinning. Note that it will be slightly more difficult, and not the most even cut, as you might imagine, but you can use it on slightly uneven ground. I wouldn't recommend it for an entire yard of uneven ground though. Slopes and Hills that have gradual inclines and declines are not an issue. 9 different heights that span 1"-3" I've actually cut 6" tall grass, but it was a workout that I kind of had to muscle through... but I also didn't need to hit the gym later either. It was only the first time though; now I just bring it out every Sunday and it's a breeze since I don't let it grow that high. Cons: can't cut tall weeds; gotta figure out another solution there Sticks that come above the grass line will jam it; but leaning over and pushing/rotating the blades in the opposite direction easily dislodged any jam (never a big deal, though a brief interruption. Also may dull the blades if you keep hitting sticks over time?) Best on relatively flat ground: while the main Wheels spin independently of one another, and while you can hypothetically engage the blades with one wheel, though harder, you're not going to get as even of a cut. If you have a lot of jutting roots, bumps, or any kind of widespread interruptions that stick out like that, over the course of your entire yard, this might not be a good experience for you.

Four star mower for sixteen months. Then a major frame weld and screw point failed. It was a nice mower when it worked, but on closer examination, the frame is somewhat 'minimally' assembled. The failure point was bright and shiny metal, with no obvious corrosion damage (I oiled the important bits fairly frequently), so it didn't rust out. It just BROKE. I have a small residential lot that is almost completely flat, so there was no heavy lifting to be done. It's literally the ideal lawn for this product. In fairness, it's still barely under warranty, technically. But I'm not inclined to bother. I know we live in a post-quality consumer environment, but if it won't stand up to two seasons of light, level mowing, why would I cant another one? I used to sell lawnmowers for a company that rhymes with 'Shears'. I had to sell extended warranties, and I always agreed with my customer's responses: "If I need the service plan because this won't last three years, then I'm not buying it." The same logic applies here. For folks so inclined, here's my appreciation of the mower when it worked: I really liked it. Kina finicky on adjustment, and I had to tighten the nuts and bolts at intervals, but mostly it was fine. Cut will not be as even as a gas mower, but it's loads quieter, much lower maintenance, and environmentally friendly. Good exercise too, which I need. You have to mow more often as it handles long grass poorly, but that didn't bother me, as it got me out of doors. Since the grass has to be bent down and pop back up between the blades to get cut, longer grass or longer cut lengths may not be as even. If the grass is limp or floppy (less springy) or wet (heavier), the cut may not be as even. To get a fairly even cut, you almost have to go over the lawn again at right angles. I had to adjust the out-of-the-box cut on mine -- many folks say to adjust the blade so the reel will cut a piece of magazine or newsprint. That's a good starting point, though slightly tighter or looser may suit your preferences or lawn better. If you think of it more as a 'lawn averager' and less precision cutting equipment, it works well. I hope you have better luck than I did, but I found the frame to be nowhere as robust as it could be, probably should be. Other folks have noticed the lightness of construction is a problem (also plastic wheels and nylon drive gears), so you were warned. Good tool while it worked.

As much as I love gardening, I hate mowing the lawn. I hate lugging my power mower out of the garage and maneuvering it around our cars and all my husband's junk. I hate the noise it makes. It's heavy to push and hard to get it into tight spaces. I thought I was at least avoiding the hassle and environmental issues of gasoline by buying an electric rechargeable one. But after a few years the battery stopped holding a charge and they discontinued the replacement batteries, so the whole thing is a giant piece of e-waste now. I didn't want to buy another one, so I decided to try an old-fashioned reel mower instead. Some of the reviews on this product had me worried. Some people found them hard to push, some said they get caught up on every little tough weed and twig, etc. After using my new Scotts reel mower for the first time, I really don't understand what those people were talking about. Maybe they were using it on super-high grass, or on wet grass. But the first time I used mine, I found it WAY easier to use than a power mower. It takes up much less space in the garage, and I can just pick it up with one arm and carry it outside. You walk up and down the yard with it, you're done in a few minutes, and that's it. I like that this particular model allows you to adjust the height to a maximum of 3 inches. (That's the height that's supposed to be healthier for your lawn and better for water conservation, but most reel mowers don't adjust that high.) There are a few caveats. If you look at my picture where I've used the 3" setting, you'll see that it doesn't chop every single blade of grass to a uniform height, like a carpet. Any grass or weeds that grow sideways, or that are tall and flimsy, don't get trimmed. I did have to bend down to pick a few dandelions it didn't get. But overall, considering it took me all of 10 minutes to cut it, and without breaking a sweat, I'm pretty thrilled with it. The other thing is that it does not eliminate the need for an edger/trimmer. You can see I had to leave some taller grass at the base of the trees. The one tree has a ring of rocks around it, and I was afraid of damaging the blades. I got closer to the other tree, but I'll still have to go back and use the weedeater around the base. But then, you'd have the same issue with any other mower as well. Some people complained it gets stuck on sticks and rocks. We had a wind storm the day before I mowed, and I did take a couple of minutes to go out and pick up any sticks that were big enough to stick up out of the lawn. But I certainly didn't pick up every little twig and seedpod. You can see quite a few of them still in the grass, and the mower didn't get stuck on any of them. I did have to bend down to pluck up a few dandelions by hand, though, as the mower just bent them over and didn't cut them. And there were a couple of little spots where I had to go over them a second time, because a few random blades were still sticking up. When I cut my lawn, it had only been about a week since the last trim, so I didn't have to cut off a lot of length. But if you let your grass get high, the mower is going to be harder to push. And if your grass is REALLY high, the mower might just sort of push it all over instead of cutting it. But that was also true with my old power mower. If you let the grass get really long, you need to go over it with a weedeater, then mow at the highest setting, and then lower it and go over it again. Obviously, it's better not to let your grass get that long in the first place. But the great thing about the reel mower is that it's so much easier to use than my power mower, I won't be nearly as lazy about pulling it out of the garage to use it more often. In fact, as much as cutting the grass can be fun, it was sort of fun. If you're wondering whether the grass catcher attachment is worthwhile... not really. The trimmings just sort of fly up in the air, and the open-topped bag picks up whatever happens to land in it, but a lot of trimmings still end up in the grass. The trimmings will help mulch your lawn and keep it healthy anyway. I only bought the grass catcher because I was hoping I wouldn't have to sweep the sidewalk. There was less to sweep up, but I still had to make a quick pass with a broom. I probably won't return the grass catcher, but if I had it to do over I probably wouldn't bother with it. Reel mowers are available in a lot of different widths, with this 20" one being one of the widest available. If you're wondering what width you should get, the wider they are, the more grass you can cut at once, which means they're also harder to push because there's more resistance. That said, I didn't find the 20" to be remotely hard to push. (The claims about it being a "good workout" are a bit overblown.) The only reason I could see for getting a narrower one is if you have a lot of really tight spaces in your yard that require some tricky maneuvering. The mower also works better if you are walking quickly, because that makes the blades turn faster. So you have strength or mobility issues that might make it harder for you to push it quickly, that might also be a reason to get one of the narrower models.