Five benefits of a manual push mower aka reel mower

Reel mowers are as green as it gets. (public domain photo)

There are a lot of good reasons to own a manual push mower. It isn't just about saving the earth, but that is a big part of it. Right now, we have both a gas and a reel mower. That's because our fixer upper backyard is full of nasty weeds. We use the reel mower in front. That's good enough greening under the circumstances. Of course, once the back lawn is tamed, we'll use it for both. Here's why.

Reel mowers don't pollute.

That fact alone would have made our decision easy. Protecting the environment is very important to both of us. Neither of us are city people. We're not impressed with fancy gadgets and noise. We like the simple life. We're both happiest when puttering around the yard. Somehow the idea of polluting our little paradise just doesn't suit our style.

Manual push mowers are cheap.

I would say inexpensive, but I'm not that fancy. I tell it like it is. In fact, you can buy a reel mower for under $100. Even the deluxe model comes in under $200. While it's true, a cheap gas mower can be under $200. as well, it won't be as reliable as the push mower and requires a lot of maintenance.

There's very little maintenance involved with a reel mower.

There aren't a lot of moving parts to replace. You don't need oil, gas or electricity to run them. You do have to lubricate the parts occasionally. You have to keep the blades sharp. They don't break down very much. In fact, my Dad had one that he had since he was a kid. He was in his fifties when I left home. It still hadn't broken down.

A manual push mower is good exercise, but lightweight.

They are admittedly, a little harder to push than a self propelled mower. They're definitely harder than a riding mower. Still, I like them just for those reasons. I think we need a little more exercise in our day anyway. Why not get it through a little good honest work? The newer reel mowers aren't quite the struggle the old ones were. I think I can handle it.

Manual push mowers are quiet and don't bruise the grass.

You can mow at midnight (without disturbing the neighbors). What's more, they're actually better for your lawn. They don't rip and tear at the grass the way motorized mowers do. So all that sodding, seeding and weeding you did won't go to waste. Keep the blades sharp and you get a nice clean cut.

You can buy a bag for your reel mower if you like, but it's not necessary. They spread cut grass evenly to give your lawn a fertilizer boost.

Portions of this post were previously published on Yahoo! by this author.