- Quality Yardcare Tools: Designed to help you take back your yard, Fiskars lawn and gardening tools are...
- Advanced Technology for best-in-class cutting performance: The InertiaDrive Reel boasts twice the cutting...
- Superior Ergonomics: Reversible grass chute can direct clippings away from your feet making it easier to mow...
- Ideal for eco-friendly cutting of all grass types: Can even cut tough southern varieties like St. Augustine,...
- Includes 1 Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower with 18” cutting width. VersaCut technology offers cut height...
Reel mowers are one of the toughest and reliable garden tools in the market. They not only come with self-sharpening blades, but they also have a better gear ratio to allow the cutting of thick grass patches. One of the best reel mowers is the Fiskars reel mower. This mower can last longer than electric and gas types.
Unlike other reel mowers, the Fiskars reel push mower boasts excellent cutting power and incredible performance. To learn more about this mower, we have created a comprehensive Fiskars reel mower review. After going through this review, you will be in a position to comfortably decide if the reel mower is best for you.
Fiskars' StaySharp Max Reel Mower Specs
- Cutting width- 18 inches
- Cutting height- 1 to 4 inches
- Weight- 52lbs
- Dimensions- 24 x 23.5 x 14.2 inches
- Blades- StaySharp Cutting system
- Five blades on the reel
- VersaCut design
- Optional grass catcher: Heavy-duty steel, 18 inches
- Warranty- Three years limited warranty
Fiskars Reel Mower Review
1. Cutting Ability and Quality
This is a well-designed reel mower that comes with sharp blades and offers a cut that stands out from any electric or gas mower. In addition, with the StaySharp cutting system, these blades can stay for much longer than other reel mowers, even if you stop sharpening them.
While a single spinning blade can rip off the grass and cause its tip to turn brown, a scissor cut from this amazing push reel mower gives a clean cut and recovers fast. As long as you ensure your lawn is at a decent length, this mower will perform great.
The problem comes when you expect it to cut very long grass. Remember, this reel mower is not designed for such jobs. Instead, it works better on thick grass. However, you can always play around with the height settings to achieve the best cutting height for you.
2. Ease Of Operation
When it comes to the operation of reel mowers, it is essential to consider how hard pushing will be. Pushing is all you have to do since there is no changing fuel, emptying your grass clippings, or starting it up. You need to have the ability to push the mower forward in a straight line.
Furthermore, this Fiskars reel mower is relatively quiet, too, unlike traditional reel mowers. Adjusting the cutting height is also easy to adjust and is quite an easy machine to work with.
3. Maintenance
Like most reel mowers, the Fiskars StaySharp max mower also needs a little maintenance between jobs. However, blade wear is prevented with its stay sharp cutting system, promoting a long-lasting and dependable performance. In addition, since it limits the contact between the deck and the cutting surfaces, it ensures cleanliness with every single cut and reduces the blades' sharpening needs.
4. Size and Build
The Fiskars lawn mower has not been cheaply made, as the quality of the components used in the construction is quite impressive. It is not the biggest lawn mower out there, but with a cutting width of 18 inches, this reel mower can cut a good amount of grass with every pass.
It features an advanced design that is much easier to push than other reel mowers. It is also an eco-friendly reel mower and can be used for tough spots or grass in the southern region, including Bermuda, Bahia, and Zoysia grass.
5. StaySharp Cutting System
A problem that most reel mowers face is that the blades tend to touch the reel assembly causing friction and the spinning blades become dull faster. However, in this reel mower, the blades won't come into contact with the assembly, thereby eliminating the amount of friction the blades have, which in turn prolongs their life.
6. InertiaDrive Reel
Unlike the traditional mowers, the Fiskars StaySharp reel mower has more power because of the large diameter InertiaDrive reel. With reel mowers in the past, you needed to bend and take it out every time you went over a twig because the mower didn't have enough power to cut through it. However, the InertiaDrive reel feature on this mower provides you with enough power to cut through it.
7. Cutting Heights
This mower provides a wide range of cutting heights from as low as one inch to as high as four inches. Versacut Technology is the one responsible for these height settings as well as the one-touch height adjustment. This helps you stay prepared for the majority of the situations. Another outstanding advantage of this model is the fact that you will be able to control these cutting heights using a single lever, making it very easy to use.
It allows you to change the heights faster, without washing time. Although this feature is available in electric and gas-powered mowers, finding it on a reel mower is quite difficult. Fortunately, this mower has it.
8. Inset Wheels
Many mowers have big chunky wheels that won't allow the mower to cut grass near the edges of your lawn. However, with this push mower, the design has been well thought out. Its large rear back wheels are inset to allow the 18-inch blades to get very close to the edge. It comes in handy for those people who need to mow grass along wall lines and fence lines.
9. Forward Discharge
It is very hard to find a hand-powered mower that discharges the clippings forwards. This Fiskars mower features a unique grass discharge chute, so you won't have to worry about your feet or legs being caked in grass clippings, as it happens in other mowers. The reversible grass chute directs the clippings forward, which is away from your feet, making it much easier to mow different grass types.
10. Grass Collection
With the Fiskars' StaySharp Max Reel Mower, you can buy the optional grass catcher. However, it has a front discharge feature that works great as long you don't remove too much grass at a time. For example, if the grass is 5 or 6 inches long, you should never try and take it to 1 inch in one move. This will make the mower quite difficult to move, and the discharged clipping might prevent the lawn mower from doing an efficient job.
11. Maneuverability
The maneuverability of this lawn mower is quite impressive and is comparable with some of the best electric-powered mowers. Mowing should be comfortable as long as you set the handle height right.
12. Warranty
This model comes with a three-year limited warranty.
Pros and Cons of the Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mowers
Tips to Use Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Lawn Mower
To effectively use this machine for your lawn care, here are some tips you should consider;
- Remove any sticks or much in your yard before mowing, as it will make mowing much more manageable.
- Consider using a catcher since catching grass that is thick makes it easier to cut grass.
- Adjust the handle depending on the height you're using, as it gives you the best forward movement ratio.
- Spray the grass blades with a bicycle chain lubricant or WD-40 after use, especially if you live in areas where stainless steel metals don't thrive well.
Who Should Buy This Mower?
While this mower might not be a great option for everyone, it is an amazing choice for the following;
- For people who can put some extra effort and time into mowing the yard, this mower can be used for any lawn size. However, with an 18-inch cutting width, it is most suitable for people with small and medium-sized lawns
- If you're looking for an eco-friendly mower, then you should consider this mower as it doesn't pollute the environment in any way.
- If you're looking to trim the edges of the lawn, for example, along the fences, walls, or obstacles. This mower boasts large rear back wheels that are inset to allow the 18-inch blades to get very close to the edge.
- For people who want to cut their lawn regularly. Regular cuts ensure optimum performance with this reel mower.
- This mower also works great if you have well-leveled ground.
Who Shouldn't Buy This Mower?
Here are some people for whom this mower is not the best option;
- If you don't mow frequently and let the lawn get out of control, then this mower is not a great option for you. Although it provides more cutting power than any other reel mower, it might be hard to cut through very long grass. A gas-powered mower is recommended for extremely overgrown grass.
- If you have a very large lawn and do not have a lot of time to invest in mowing the grass, then a gas-powered lawn mower or a battery-powered mower is a better choice. This is because it is a non-self-propelled mower and requires lots of effort, which might be challenging to achieve a well-cut lawn on a large lawn.
- If you have a lot of uneven ground on your lawn, then you should consider a motorized mower.
- If your lawn is mainly populated by the thin grass type, then this mower might be unable to do the job.
One thing you should bear in mind while looking for a mower to replace your old reel mower is that any good mower can perform great if they are only used in the right conditions and maintained adequately. If they are used in the wrong job, it will only cause frustrations and unhealthy lawn.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Fiskars' Reel Mowers
1. Is a Fiskars reel mower worth it?
A Fiskars reel mower is definitely worth it, especially for people with a small yard. Instead of using too much money on a self-propelled gas mower, riding mower, or electric-powered mower, you can purchase this mower. It will not only help you save money but also come in handy for years of usage as it doesn't use gas. Furthermore, it is efficient with amazing features like height adjustment for ease of use, a unique five-blade reel with a VersaCut design as well as an ergonomic grip for comfort.
2. How low will a Fiskars reel mower cut?
A Fiskars mower has a cutting height of between 1 to 4 inches. This means if the grass is not too thick, this mower can comfortably cut the grass down to 1 inch. Reel mowers should and can mow relatively low. With this mower, you can be able to cut at the lowest recommended height and be confident that your lawn will remain naturally healthy.
3. How do you maintain a Fiskars reel mower?
Maintenance of this reel push mower as the blade sharpening needs are reduced with the StaySharp cutting system. The only maintenance you will need is to clean the tool, remove any grass stuck in the mower and wash off the excess clippings after every use. Also, keep the mower out of the rain or wet grass to prevent rusting.
4. How do you sharpen a Fiskars reel mower blade?
For Fiskars products, using a sharpening kit or many professional sharpeners is not recommended, as you will most likely not be able to achieve the tolerance required for maintaining the non-contact nature of a cutting system. Instead, backslapping is recommended to sharpen the blades. This is where an abrasive lapping compound is applied to the cutting blades, and then the reel is spun backward using a special hand crank until the blades become smoother and their sharpness is restored.
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