What are the best reel mowers under $200?

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Nov 5, 2017

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Here’s the Deal

3 Options Considered

Best reel mowers under $200	Price	Weight	Warranty
-- Great States 304-14	$75.80	21 lbs	One-year warranty
-- Scotts 2000-20	$136.49	34 lbs	Two-year warranty
-- Remington RM3100	$87.80	34.1 lbs	Two-year warranty

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score 3 · Answer 1

Great States 304-14

Top Pro

Perfect for small jobs

This 14" reel mower works best for those who have small properties, up to 0.2 acres as it will take you around an hour to cover such area with this tool. However, larger areas will require you to do more passes. Therefore it might make sense to buy a wider lawn mower. See More

Top Con

Small height adjustment range

Contrarily to many other reel mowers, this unit has a very narrow height adjustment range. You can choose anything between 1" and 1-3/4". Multiple mowers feature broader height adjustment range. See More

Specs

Weight:21 lbs

Warranty:One-year warranty

Height adjustments:1” - 1-3/4”

Cutting width:24”

See All Specs

Top Pro

Easy to maneuver

With this 14" reel mower you'll have absolutely no problems maneuvering between trees, lawn figures, and flowers. Due to its small footprints and lightweight design, this lawn mower is very simple when it comes to controls, in fact, it will not require you any substantial physical power to control this unit. See More

Top Con

Struggles in overgrown grass

Like many other reel mowers, this unit is not suitable for working with high, non-maintained lawn. Whenever you encounter grass longer than 5", you'll stop enjoying your work, as the mower will continuously get jammed. See More

Top Pro

Suitable for a well-maintained lawn

This reel mower does its job very well on a well-maintained lawn, with grass not higher than 5". In these conditions, you'll receive a nice-looking lawn that will look like it was cut with scissors. See More

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score 2 · Answer 2

Scotts 2000-20

Top Pro

Excellent for large jobs

This 20" wide reel mower is, in fact, one of the widest units currently available on the market. Large width makes this mower perfect for large jobs as, compared to smaller units, this mower will require fewer passes to get the job done. This reel mower is suitable for large backyards, between 0.2 and 0.5 acres. See More

Top Con

Hard to carry around

As this reel mower weighs more than 34 pounds, it might be problematic for some people to work with it. The job might get too heavy for some seniors and kids. See More

Specs

Weight:34 lbs

Warranty:Two-year warranty

Height adjustments:1” - 3”

Cutting width:20”

See All Specs

Top Pro

Makes clean cuts

Five razor-sharp blades allow this reel mower to cut through thick and long grass. It's perfectly suitable even for cutting old and poorly maintained lawns. Additionally, you can sharpen the blades yourself once in a while, all you need for that is a simple $15 blade sharpening kit. See More

Top Con

Large profile

Being both wide and tall, this reel mower has quite large footprints. That might introduce storage-related problems, as it will require more storage space than the regular, smaller reel mowers. See More

Top Pro

Height adjustment is simple

With this reel mower, you can cut your lawn right to the height you desire. The unit has nine different height adjustments, ranging between 1" and 3". Moreover, it is straightforward to adjust the height, all you need is to set the height adjustment lever to the corresponding position. See More

Top Pro

The wheels are nice

This reel mower has quite large 10" wheels equipped with radial tires. As the tires feel rubbery, they provide very nice traction, that results in faster and cleaner cutting experience. See More

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score 1 · Answer 3

Remington RM3100

Top Pro

Excellent for mulching

On average, this reel mower can collect around 50% - 70% of total clippings, which makes it ideal for those who need to manage grass clippings afterward. This is especially useful for those who want to use the clippings for mulching or feeding animals. See More

Top Con

Bag fills up quickly

As the clipping collection bag works reasonably efficient, you'll need to empty it is very frequently. Some user reports say that it takes around 3 minutes of active work to get the bag full. See More

Specs

Weight:34.1 lbs

Warranty:Two-year warranty

Height adjustments:¾” - 2-½”

Cutting width:18”

See All Specs

Top Pro

Ideal for medium-sized lawns

With 18" wide cutting pattern, this reel mower is an excellent tool for those who have to mow medium-sized properties, between 0.1 and 0.3 acres. See More

Top Con

Bad for overgrown lawn

Just as many other reel mowers, this unit is simply horrible when it comes to mowing long, overgrown grass that is longer than 5". The collection bag makes this process even worst as it gets caught in the tall grass and prevents the mower from moving backward. See More

Top Pro

Decent height adjustment capabilities

You can adjust the cutting height of this unit within the range of ¾” to 2-½”. There are nine height options to choose from. See More

Top Con

Not efficient on uneven terrain

Many customer reports state that it is very complicated to use this reel mower on inclined and uneven grounds as then the collection bag tends to detach from the unit. See More

Top Pro

Handle feels nice

The handle of this reel mower is covered in fabric which highly improves your comfort especially when it's very cold or hot outside. Additionally, the fabric cover provides extra tight grip. See More

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What are the best reel mowers under $200?

3 Options Considered

Great States 304-14

My Recommendation for Great States 304-14

My Recommendation for Great States 304-14

Perfect for small jobs

Small height adjustment range

Easy to maneuver

Struggles in overgrown grass

Suitable for a well-maintained lawn

Scotts 2000-20

My Recommendation for Scotts 2000-20

My Recommendation for Scotts 2000-20

Excellent for large jobs

Hard to carry around

Makes clean cuts

Large profile

Height adjustment is simple

The wheels are nice

Remington RM3100

My Recommendation for Remington RM3100

My Recommendation for Remington RM3100

Excellent for mulching

Bag fills up quickly

Ideal for medium-sized lawns

Bad for overgrown lawn

Decent height adjustment capabilities

Not efficient on uneven terrain

Handle feels nice

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