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

Nickname:
Rating:	5 (Excellent) 4 (Good) 3 (Average) 2 (Poor) 1 (Very Poor)
Summary:
Review:

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. 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 is a great mower. If used properly, it will make your lawn look like a golf course fairway. This mower is so much better for the environment than conventional mowers and you get a good workout while using it as well.

The reel mower is easy to use, quite simple actually. Setup was easy, it took me about 10 minutes to assemble it from the box. My first mowing with it was the day that my lawn turned 95% green from the winter. (Likely too soon to really cut, but I was excited.) The mower was easy to push, of course in most places I was taking off about a quarter of an inch. A week later I took the mower out again to cut off about 1/2 an inch. It was slightly harder to push than the first cutting, but not a considerable challenge. The only major difficulty is that I have bark wood chips in some of my landscaping which the squirrels and birds love to kick around onto the lawn. Plan on picking these pieces up prior to mowing, or you will be stopping, pushing the reel back and picking up the pieces as you mow.

Pros: Easy to use, no dealing with an engine, cuts an 18" swath, easy assembly, extremely quiet operation.

Cons: Handle requires re-tightening the first few times of usage. There is about at 3" gap between the wheels and the cutting area (be prepared to do some work along fence lines with some other form of cutter). Does not work well with sticks or bark bedding.

General comments:
My lawn is fairly flat, with a small slope in one area. With taller grass, it is difficult to start going up-hill, but sideways or down is still fairly easy. Lot size is about a quarter acre.
My first impression of the product is that I'm glad that I purchased it. I would walk over the same area with a rotary mower, making the same number of passes, and this way I'm getting to enjoy the job without extra noise, and the smell of gas burning. If you have a relatively flat yard, don't worry, the reel mower isn't too difficult to push, as long as you cut regularly and often.

I had a Sears Craftsman reel mower that I was given 10 years ago, it had seen heavy service as it was used commercially. Four years ago it broke down and after fabricating the worn out part a couple times I decided to do on-line research and purchase a new reel mower. The reviews for the 1815-16 and 1815-18 where good and I saw it was manufactured in the USA so I bought the 18.
Upon receiving the mower I was VERY DISSAPPOINTED to see it was now manufactured in "China" of all places. The manufacturers website states: "American Lawn Mower Company, the largest producer of push reel mowers operating in the United States, is a family-owned business with manufacturing facilities in Shelbyville, In. and administrative offices in Muncie, In." This is misleading to say the least, it should say "manufacturing facilities in China".
That being said, the mower is easy to push and will cut taller grass than the Craftsman did. Also the grass on the street side on my house was seeded and was so thick the Craftsman would bog down in it, the 1815-18 will go right throuh it and cut it smootly. It is lighter by a couple of pounds than the Craftsman.
The only thing I have found defective is the plastic wingnuts on the handle assembly and the rear roller hight adjustment work loose occasionally which I intend to replace them with self locking nuts.

This is the perfect mower for the perfect lawn. Unfortunately, mine isn't the perfect lawn (yet). I was looking for a quiet and clean mower without the hassle of extension cords or the price of a cordless and this fit the bill perfectly. So, after reading the reviews, I bought it, use it, and like it. However, having recently moved into town from out in the sticks, I find I need to re-adjust my `mowers are a great way to deal with anything in the yard under three feet tall' attitude. When the previous reviewer said the tiniest twig stops it he wasn't exaggerating, no matter how fast you get it moving it's just NOT gonna cut wood. Also, it does a fine job of decapitating dandelions but tends to leave the stems standing. Again, I like this mower and am glad I bought it (it's just fun to mow with), but be aware that this mower is for grass only (the old lawnboy did equally well on grass, fern, pine or madrona...) If your lawn tends more toward the rough than the green, you might want to look elseware. It may sound like I'm complaining but in truth it's my yard, not the mower that needs fixing. I plan to get our new yard into shape fast so I can enjoy this cool little mower.

This cuts grass, but doesn't cut every blade of grass especially when you have a lawn composed of different types of grass/weeds. It also doesn't cut things that have grown over a certain length (about 6 inches). It also doesn't cut sticks.

For most people, this will be unacceptable. For me it is acceptable for the following reasons:

1) It was cheap.
2) It is quiet. I can mow at dusk or dark, without worrying about bothering the neighbors. I can also talk to kids and neighbors without shouting over an engine.
3) It is quick. I can get it out of the shed and start cutting in less than a minute. I can then lean it against a tree, do something else that has gotten my attention. And then, in 2 seconds, I can be cutting again.
4) I plan to get a weed whacker to perform a touch up every couple weeks, to get those few blades this misses. I figure, time wise, this will just be like mowing my lawn twice on those occasions.
5) Gas lawn mowers are dirty. This is as clean as you can imagine. Nothing but the smell of grass. I am not really a sensitive guy, but this is still a plus. I can only imagine if you are a sensitive to fumes person. This would have to be a HUGE plus.
6) I also get satisfaction from the little pieces of grass popping out the back like so much confetti. Try it on a bed of clover and you will love it.
7) I kind of like the natural pastoral look it gives the lawn. It doesn't have the stripes that a machine mower would give. I know that there are books written on how to get those stripes, but if what you want is a little hunk of real nature in your backyard, this gets you closer.
8) Smaller footprint in my little shed.
9) In my opinion, this is easier to push and use. I am coming off of years of trouble with my feet. I am also a pretty tense guy. This is therapeutic on both counts.

Push, whirrr, cut...

and worry about those other stray bits later.