NaturCut Push Reel Mowers
I have used a variety of push reel mowers over the past two decades and can easily say that the NaturCut Classic HD is the best overall machine for cutting many lawn types under difficult conditions ....
.... so I took my Naturcut Classic HD mower up to the bog in Muskoka, put it through the "torture test" and it out-performed other brands for durability and ease of use.
In the Summertime the yard in the photos (above and to right) will become the "primrose garden" that is shown on my home page, basically an acre or so of wildflowers in a treed lawn. In the Springtime I trim all the grasses to avoid choking off shorter flowering species later on. This yard will eventually become a "tamed meadow" that is an absolute haven for a wide variety of desirable wildlife including many song birds and pollinator species (please click "Pollinators" button for more information).
As can be seen from the photos (taken in late April, 2010), the ground and grasses are quite irregular in this yard. As Spring progresses, the grasses become thicker and will eventually grow to a height of over 5 feet if they are not trimmed in the early season.
At one time I used gas mowers to do all this cutting, but they would frequently "bottom out" in difficult places, struggling in the pot-holes and thicker spots while emitting unpleasantly dense exhaust fumes. Inevitably they would stall and need to be restarted. In addition, these gas lawn mowers can be heavy and tough to manoeuvre in really challenging terrain -- hence the risk of "bottoming out" or even personal injury in steep, slippery or rocky areas.
I actually ruined two blades and broke a shaft over the course of two years in my attempts to create my ideal "Muskoka lawn" using a gas-powered machine. Understand that these are extreme conditions for the typical residential-grade lawn mower!
I am not recommending that you put your NaturCut through this torture test (at the extreme, you could find yourself outside of the warranty conditions :) but for me it was a carbon-neutral way of selectively trimming a challenging yard and reducing my carbon footprint to an environmentally friendly tip-toe...
I was delighted that my NaturCut was able to cut these dense Springtime grasses in a safer, cleaner and quieter manner. The unit is light-weight compared to an engine-powered mower, a design feature which offers great agility on bumps and slopes. The "touchless" blade system makes it easy to push. Cutting clumps of thick Muskoka grasses in a bumpy yard is admittedly more difficult than the average city lawn, but the work-out was enjoyable without the odour of gas fumes.
I compared the Naturcut to the "contact blade" push reel mowers of competitors and found the NaturCut to be much easier to operate under these conditions -- and therefore equal to the task of cutting all the wild grass in an environmentally friendly way.
Gas lawn mower emissions are among the most harmful to you and our environment. Why mess with oil and gas, or electricity, when people-power will cut your grass? Let me care for your lawn the environmentally friendly way or, better still, purchase your own top quality NaturCut Push Reel Mower. Together we can work towards a healthy and sustainable future.
I will personally deliver, set up and demonstrate your mower (East Toronto and surrounding area) or you can arrange for prompt delivery anywhere in Canada: frogbogalley@live.com
Easy blade height and cutting gap adjustments allow the NaturCut to handle a variety of lawn conditions. The NaturCut Classic HD has heavy duty adjustable rear wheels (instead of a roller) for more effective use on bumpy or difficult terrain.
Mind Blowing!!!
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, operating a typical gas lawn mower can be as polluting as running 11 automobiles for the same length of time! They have actually set up an on-line calculator to estimate these emissions:
http://www.epa.gov/air/community
/mowerexchange_calculator.html
--- "Reelistic” Expectations for Push Reel Mowers ---
As a NaturCut dealer, I answer a lot of questions about the performance of these people-powered lawn cutting machines. It is not unusual for someone to ask “Will they cut just like a power mower?”
The answer is that they cut differently. The push reel mower is a gentler option that cuts grass at a rate dictated by the operator’s gait with very little risk of personal injury or property damage. On the other hand, the power mower utilizes an engine and a predetermined force to literally tear the blades of grass... and anything else in its path. While power mowers obviously deliver a lot of rotary energy to the cutting action, this excessive force is usually unnecessary and is always noisy and environmentally undesirable.
In general, reel mowers are better for lawns than rotary-blade power mowers --- that is why large-scale lawn care operations such as golf courses use large reel-type machines pulled by tractors. Rotary power mowers tear the grass and moisten a lawn with the juices. In long or heavy grass they will leave behind a residue of moist grass clumps and trailings. This will never happen with a push reel mower. Instead, the grass clippings are evenly distributed by a reel mower and therefore easier for your lawn to absorb.
For the homeowner, it is important to realize that the combination of a cheap or worn out push reel mower and an over-grown lawn will almost always result in disappointment. It is unlikely that the used push mower you paid $50 for at a garage sale will cut your over-grown grass very well at all. If you expect that type of performance, you need a NaturCut Classic HD and must still be prepared for a bit of a work-out if the grass is quite long.
As someone who has practiced green lawn care for decades, I have developed realistic expectations of the process, the equipment involved and the results. If a lawn has been ignored for months and is full of weeds and horribly over-grown, the best green lawn care practice is to first prepare the yard for easier mowing. In thick and high “field-like” conditions, this might involve first using a small scythe as a “weed wacker” (this works much like a golf swing!) and then raking off these heavy top clippings to make the mower’s job much easier.
Once a lawn is being regularly maintained and cut to a proper and consistent length, using a good push reel mower becomes easy. One thing I love about the NaturCut Classic HD is that, compared to other push reel mowers, it allows the operator to handle less friendly lawn conditions and still produce good results. It can be set to cut higher than most push reel mowers (up to 3.5 inches), which is an essential feature when mowing thick and long grasses. The independent rear wheels allow the Classic to handle uneven terrain much better than competition models. The “touchless” blades can also be adjusted for different grasses and weeds, and it is possible to reduce the cutting gap to zero -- the reel blades gently kiss the stationary blade -- which is useful for cutting dandelions and stems.
The NaturCut Ideal 40 features the same fully tempered blades as the Classic HD and differs mainly in it’s rear wheel assembly -- it has a "segmented roller" there (similar to most brands of push mowers on the market) -- as compared to the heavy duty wheels of the Classic. The Ideal also has a less robust height adjustment system that can be set very low (0.6 inches) or up to a height of 2.75 inches. If you like a tightly manicured "golf green" look and have a thick and even turf the Ideal is a good model choice. Also, the Ideal's lower cutting height makes it great for lawns that have long stringy grasses that tend to lie down flat and close to the ground. All in all, the Ideal is a fine mower that retails at a lower cost than the Classic and is suited to lawns which are relatively smooth and flat.
Cleaner, safer, quieter.... in this changing age of energy uncertainty, it is my sincere belief that we should not squander our fossil fuel resources on lawn care in the face of greener and more enjoyable options.
Reduce your carbon footprint to an Earth-friendly tip-toe !
The Classic HD (above) and the Ideal 40 (below) showing the differences in rear wheel and height adjustment assemblies..
.... and finally, if we have somehow failed to convince you that NaturCuts are the best push reel mowers that money can buy, we do have a small selection of used models and brands from lawn care days gone by!
Left: "American" brand contact blade mower from the 1990's.
Right: Antique push reel mower of yesterday, brand name unknown.
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