Fiskars 17" Push Mower, Manual Reel, No Motor Mower for Lawn Care

I had purchased a brill but had to send back due to defective handle. I researched all the newer type of reel mowers. First I should tell you we wanted a reel mower. We have a fairly small yard less than 500 ft/2 and the back is the same. Mostly landscape, flowers and various plants we really don't need the big gas mower. WE had a very good Neuton battery mower for several years but it too finally gave up. We wanted to leave a smaller carbon footprint hence the manual reel mower. And the extra exercise is good too. Since our mower went out and we had a bit of a struggle getting the right mower our grass had grown a bit high. This afternoon we received the Fiskars mower in great condition packaged very well. Put it together requiring only a couple of tools. The only fall back that we had experienced was the grass catcher, and the blade sharpener that was part of a multi order from the middle of the page that Amazon has for many products, had the wrong grass catcher bag and the wrong blade adjustment /sharpener tool.So beware when looking at the 3 pack order that is on the page. The items are wrong, you will need to order each item separately from the respective page. The Mower ran like glass, no sound other than the movement of the earth, the sky and the birds. Just kidding, but the mower is extremely quiet. Even the action of the no contact blades is unbelievably quiet. The mower due to the action of its wheels and the blade that spins quit fast compared to the motion of the wheels is really something to be experienced. I started to cut the front yard, then the wife took the mower and cut the rest of the yard and then went to the back yard. I got some sweet tea and sat down in the patio, work really fascinates me, I could watch it for hours. I took out the new Black and Decker cordless weed eater and had a blast with it. I am really sold on the new style reel mowers. This one is easy to push, quiet, cuts even over grown grass with just a bit more force, but if kept down , which we always do anyway, it will be an absolute joy to cut. One big difference I would like to mention here, is the reel mower actually cuts grass, like scissors at a much slower pace than rotary mowers. Lawn mowers beat the hell out of the grass bruising it and leaving frayed tips. This is an opening for disease and browning of the grass. I expect to have a greener lawn with less water usage, and less feeding. I will update this review as we use the mower and have more experience with the unit. Have had the mower for a bit now, and it is still going strong. We had quite a windy couple of months so there were lots of tree branches and stuff on the ground but it cut it all like it was nothing. The blades are still sharp, wheels are still firm and the blade rotates with little effort. I have cleaned the mower a bit taking the grass stain off the blade. I did not realize the blade is so sharp. Be aware that you can and will cut out a chunk of skin of you don't wear gloves. Had to have a few stitches. Of course my doctor laughed at me cause I am always hurting myself, and paying for his Cabo vacation. All in all the mower performed beyond expectations, will never go back to a power mower again. Many thanks to Fiskars for producing a mower that outperformed the German design. joe

I have been cutting my 1/2 acre lawn (19000 ft2 of actual grass) with reel mowers for 7 years now. Reel mowers make for a healthier lawn since the blades of grass are sheared off rather than bludgeoned off like with a standard gas powered rotorary mower. This results in thicker grass, fewer weeds and fewer bugs. This is why golf courses use reel mowers almost exclusively. I started with the standard Scott's 20" mower from the local hardware store. It worked OK, but it was hard to push because the blades are in contact resulting in a lot of drag even when not cutting grass. And it didn't cut very evenly with lots of little tufts of grass left uncut. The result is that I had to often cross-cut the yard if I wanted it to look good. With this big a yard, even with 20" width that was just not practical. Next I tried 16" Brill mowers from Germany. These used a non-contact cutting system that greatly reduced the resistance, one because there was no friction with the blades since they don't contact each other but two because the blades are made of harder material and stayed sharp longer. The Brills had two problems. One there were too narrow. They did cut well in one pass, but there were just a lot of passes. And two they didn't cut tall enough. If you have very rich deep soil with frequent rain or where you can water often, then the grass can do very well when cut to the 1"-1.5" height that the Brill can cut. My yard has neither of these things. Then Fiskar came out with the Momentum mowers (now StaySharp Max) and we got two (my wife and I mow together, which is how we manage such a large yard with push mowers, though I have done it myself on occasion, so it is possible for one person to do it all). These mowers are unique in that they throw the grass clipping forward where they were cut and recut until they were cut into very fine pieces and fall below the level of the cut grass. The Momentum has a non-contact cutting system like the Brill, but it had a much heavier reel which resulted in higher momentum in the reel (hence the original name). This allowed more energy to be stored in the reel which keeps the mower from bogging down in a spot of heavy grass or stalling on a tiny twig. Also this mower adjusted for cutting heights up to 4"! Finally I could cut my grass at the 2" - 2 1/2" it does best at. But, and sadly there is a but, I came to not like the fact that the clippings were being thrown forward. First it tended to mat down the uncut grass resulting is some unevenness in the resulting cut, and two in thick grass it could be very hard to push since you were cutting new grass and recutting previously cut grass several more times. I think that all the recutting of clippings as well as the very large size of my yard resulted in the blades of these mowers becoming dull after just two years. When they first came out Fiskar didn't make a grass catcher for this mower, though there is one now. I am sure that with a smaller yard and the use of the catcher when the grass is very tall or especially thick that the mowers would have gone more than two seasons before becoming dull. So finally at the start of last year we bought two of these 17" StaySharp mowers. They use the same high momentum reel of the original Momentum, but these discharge the clippings to the rear. The maximum cutting height is 3 1/2" rather than 4", but truth be told I never cut at 4" with the Momentum because the clippings pushed the uncut grass down below the 4" cutting height resulting in many places not getting cut! The 3 1/2" maximum cutting height on the StaySharp should be just fine. I find the mowing effort to be much lower than the Momentum because the clippings are only being cut once and then discharged. Plus the clippings are falling on already cut grass so there is no matting down of uncut grass. The result is more visible clippings on the surface of the grass as one would expect. My solution if the clippings are too thick for my tastes is to take an electric leaf blower and just sweep the airstream over the surface of the lawn. This causes the little clumps of clippings to be broken up and *all* of the clippings magically disappear below the surface of the lawn. I can sweep in 10' - 12' wide swaths, so this doesn't take very long. But I only do this because I am fussy. The clippings for the most part dry up and then disappear below the surface in no more than a day on their own. And lastly if the trick with the leaf blower doesn't work I have a 36" manual yard sweeper that has rotating bristles that sweep the recalcitrant clippings off the lawn and into a catcher. This also fluffs up the wheel marks so I can catch them when I cross-cut if I want a perfectly manicured lawn. Based on all of this experience, I very highly recommend the StaySharp reel mower. One last word on reel mowers, I think that anybody without a clear physical disability or more than a 1/2 acre of grass (and really do you need to keep so much in grass? let some of it become meadow) should be cutting their lawn with a reel mower. We all need more exercise. My wife and I try to mow a 1/3 of the yard at a time (about 5000 ft2). For our sized yard and with two of us doing it only takes 20-30 minutes for each 1/3. So at a minimum we get 3 really good aerobic workouts a week. Since there is no fueling or starting, we can just come home from work, jump into our lawn clothes and grab a mower and go. So it isn't hard at all to get in a little mowing each day. In the spring when the grass "explodes" out of the ground, we often need to cut each section twice a week, so our workouts increase to 6 a week. But this is just in time to blow off the rust that has accumulated all winter and lets us get our "beach bodies" back. The best thing is that at the end of our workout we also have our yard cut. If instead we went to the gym and made a treadmill go round and round 3-4 times a week, we would still need to spend 3+ hours on the weekend guiding a hugely noisy gas mower over the yard. So with reel mowers you get the exercise we all really need more of and you don't "harsh the calm" of your neighbors. Viewed as a piece of exercise equipment, the $150 StaySharp is a very cheap investment in your health.

This is a very good product. The reason that I'm giving it four out of five stars is that I'm going to have to use it for a year at least to see if it maintains its settings. The idea behind this mower is that the bar does not touch the blade, as in other push reel mowers. If you look at other push reel mowers, you'll see and hear that the spiral blades touch the bar down near the grass: not so on this one. This is a very good concept, namely that the blade does not touch the bar and thus remains sharp for a long time, or as the company claims, the life of the mower. Let's hope. My mower cut a piece of paper on the left, but not on the right. The whole notion is that you must check that the mower cuts paper on both the right and the left side of the reel and doesn't touch the bar. A piece of normal printer paper is about 0.004 inches thick. That is where you must set the blade. Probably a lot of people will not be comfortable with that idea, but it does work out if you follow the instructions. I'm one of those people who make settings like this go to their total extent and then back again, so I had to find out the hard way, that the process is doable and repeatable. Once set, there is a lock mechanism that is supposed to keep the nuts you adjusted from moving. We'll see. Also, once it is set, the mower does a very good job and is very easy to work with, almost invitingly so. So, in sum, a very good idea, well made and a pleasure to use. If the mechanism stays set over time, and there is good reason to think that it will, then I'll give it the extra star. If you'd rather pay money every year or so to have your mower sharpened, and don't want to mess with adjusting it, that is your choice. But thus far, I'm happy with mine.

I bought this mower because we have a very small front yard. I don't want to pay someone to cut it and I don't want to buy gas. I hate the noise of gas mowers and starting them is sometimes difficult. After researching a LOT I decided to purchase the Fiskars 6208. I have had it stored all winter and anxiously wondered if it would work with my lawn. My lawn is not perfectly flat. Part of it is a hill overlooking a road so it is steep and I worried the weight of the mower would pull me over the the edge. I have weeds and several kinds of demon grasses that grow different thicknesses and rates. There were a few stragglers that grew after the last time we did the lawn last spring. I decided I couldn't wait any longer and tried to even up the lawn. This mower worked like a dream! It cut well. I am small woman but the mower was easy to push and maneuver. I had to go back over a few spots but that's alright. It's good exercise and it's a quiet, pleasant experience. I can do this in the middle of the night if I wanted to and it would bother no one. There were a few high spots but the mover shaved those down the first pass so that won't be a problem anymore. I would recommend this mower. I will make back the cost of the mower by not buying gas or paying someone to cut my lawn. The price is reasonable.

As a 28-year-old renter with a tiny patch of grass behind my apartment, this Fiskars push mower mostly does what i need. I wanted something cheap, quiet, and not gas powered, so this fit the budget and my neighbors don’t hear a thing when I’m out there on Sunday mornings 😊. The cut is nice when the grass is short. I really like that I just push and it feels more like a walk than a chore. The annoying part is taller grass. If I let it go more than two weeks, it starts to jam and I have to back up and go over the same spot a few times. My thighs get a workout but my arms are tired.

This push reel mower is very well built and cuts extremely well. I laid new sod a few weeks ago for a small area and let the grass grow a bit before cutting it down. I therefore thought I might have to cut the grass twice but when I saw how easily the mower cut the taller grass in a test area, I just kept on going. I had purchased this brand because of the Fiskars name and the advertising regarding the blades proved true. I have had both manual reel and gas mowers previously but this might be the best mower I have ever had. It was super easy to assemble - basically 4 nuts and bolts on the handle and two screws for the wheels. The handle height is adjustable with three holes and is secured with pins so it can be changed if you have different people using the mower. I can see the mower working well for both large areas as well as smaller ones. My only comment - which is really both a positive and a negative - is that the mower is heavier than I had expected and since I have to lift it over two raised grassed beds, it takes a little effort. But, those blades and the solid construction are worth the heavier weight. Glad I purchased it.

My particular Fiskars mower came defective. The threaded insert in which the wheel bolt/axle is supposed to attach was damaged and would strip either of the wheel bolts during assembly. It's worth noting that it was not the bolt or angle of installation that was the issue and if you even have a slight understanding of which component I'm describing above, you are MILES ahead of Fiskars Customer Service. Ok, no problem, I've had defective products before and know that it typically gets addressed by the manufacturer quickly. After registering and filing the online warranty claim, I received an automated response about how “you will receive the replacement part in 7-10 business days”. After that… nothing. No confirmation or clarification about the component in question or even acknowledgement of movement on Fiskar’s part. I called after a week and sat on hold for 20 minutes to find out that the part was still being prepared for shipment. They sent… a new wheel. "Sure!", I’ll give it a shot and stripped the new bolt. It was early Friday afternoon so I called Fiskars to address the issue but they clock out at noon (way to strive for mediocrity, guys!) I sent an email to Fiskars Customer Service with the provided claim reference number and outlining the misunderstanding but that was well over a week ago and there has been no response. In summary, I KNOW I would have enjoyed this product. The three feet of mowing before the wheel falls out are an absolute dream! But who wants to be ignored by a company that can’t fix a simple problem on a simple product and leaves you mower-less for a month?

I’ve used this lawnmower for a year and a half now. We have tall fescue grass, and our yard is about 1000 sq ft. I am somewhat new at maintaining a yard and still learning. Ideally I’d probably be cutting every 5-6 days, but with rain and work it doesn’t always work out and is sometimes closer to 7-10 days. Pros - I like the cover around the reel. It’s metal and feels sturdy. - The mower pushes forward with minimal effort. - It cuts grass well enough. - This lawnmower stows nicely inside a garage and doesn’t take up much space. The handle rotates forward far enough that I can rest it up against a wall with the reel cover facing outward, so the blades aren’t really exposed. - I saw the other Fiskars reel mower in person (StaySharp Max) and thought this one was better and quieter. I don’t think the additional features of the Max would make much difference, for example the slightly wider blade and the distance from the blade to the edge is probably isn’t the biggest factor in cutting time. Especially since this one is less expensive, if you’re looking for a manual reel mower, I would recommend this one. Cons - I often have to go over grass several times to cut most of the blades, which takes time, especially on the higher length settings. Even then, there are still some blades that get missed. The grass blades have to make their way into the reel, so if any are growing tangential to the ground, or in some cases may be too long, the blades may not get cut. I haven’t tried cutting my grass with a rotary mower yet to get an apples to apples comparison, and see if the suction generated by the rotary mower helps cut the blades this mower misses, but I suspect it would help. - Related to the first item, it seems like the reel doesn’t spin fast enough, and as a result I need to make additional passes. The lawnmower is pretty easy to push, I would rather push a little harder if it meant the reel would spin faster. - I wish there was a quick release pin where I could lock the reel in place after I’m done with it. As far as I can tell, there is no way to lock the reel when not in use, which isn’t ideal. I’ve had to lift the mower (using the handle) off the ground to get around items in my garage, and having the exposed blades makes me nervous. That said, I don’t know if any reel mowers have this feature, not just this one, and this one does have the cover which helps. - The reel mower doesn’t really mulch blades after being cut. I don’t think it’s very noticeable aesthetically, but it may lead to a thicker layer of thatch. I don’t know whether rotary mowers do a better job at mulching the cut blades. - The wheels are hard and there isn’t any sort of suspension, so you feel and hear even the tiniest bumps constantly. - None of the four wheels swivel, so the mower doesn’t turn right or left easily. I think this is an issue with a lot of mowers, not just this one, but in a smaller yard like mine, I have to make a lot of turns so it’s an annoyance. I can hear grass being ripped if I try to turn without lifting the front two wheels off the ground. - I had heard an advantage to reel mowers vs rotary mowers is a cleaner cut of the blade. Right next to my yard, landscapers cut community grass with ride-on gas mowers. To me it’s hard to tell a difference between the two methods of cutting. I’d say that maybe the grass I cut with this mower looks better, but it’s only slightly. It also may not be due to the rotary vs. reel mower differences. In summary, as far as reel mowers go, this one is pretty good. However if I was doing it again, I would consider a battery powered rotary mower. They’re more expensive, require a little more storage space, and aren’t manually powered (for better or worse), but if I can cut the grass faster and do a better job at cutting all the grass blades in fewer passes, it’s probably worth the savings in time over the life of the mower. And if it leads me to cut grass more frequently, that may be overall healthier for the lawn than any reel vs. rotary mower cutting differences. There don’t seem to be a great selection of powered reel mowers, so I didn’t consider them. If you are ok with the drawbacks and/or want to save money, then this seems to be a pretty solid manual reel mower.

Muy buena podadora, silenciosa y corta césped un poco más alto. Se le soltó una rueda de las preinstaladas pero lo solucione en 5 minutos con herramienta.

I love this reel mower. It has great instruction and many setting adjustments for cut heights and operator. I am 5’2” and often need to go on my tippy toes to push other mowers especially if the grass is tall. This one allows me to adjust the handle to my height. It adjust to taller grass 3 1/2”. Its a bit heavier than many newer reel mowers but similar in weight of older styles which I needed as my new turf was very tall and very thick. To push it is easy but if you need to pack it around a yard with stairs and so forth it may be a bit cumbersome. It’s more quite than previous ones and does a great job.

Encantado, muy contento con la compra, corta el pasto como las tijeras al papel, ni bien llego la probé cortando mi pasto y funciona genial. Su sistema de Cuchillas de corte sin contacto hace que sea realmente silenciosa y no me cuesta casi nada de trabajo empujarla, cualquier persona podría hacerlo. Después de cada uso la limpio con una brocha sin poner mucho empeño y le pongo silicona en spray para evitar corrosión y que quede lista para el siguiente uso. Hay que armarla y ajustar un poco pero no es nada del otro mundo. El único pero que le pongo es el plástico de las llantas de atrás, siento están algo débiles, ojalá me equivoque. Fuera de eso, LA RECOMIENDO 100%, hay una versión un poco más grande y el pasto lo tira hacia enfrente, creo que es mejor modelo, pero bueno esta que compré cumple con creces.

It was pretty easy to put together. My hubby had it together in about 10 mins. It's not the lightest but I feel it's better quality than other push mowers on the market. It's fairly easy to use as long as you don't let your grass grow out of control. Otherwise, you'll have a hard time getting though the grass.

ME AGRADA MUCHO LA FACULIDAD CON LA QUE SE CORTA EL PASTO. GENIAL.