Best Reel and Battery Lawn Mowers – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

If you want to keep your lawn healthy and beautiful, you must mow it with regularity. Unfortunately, however, traditional lawnmowers that run on gas have enough disadvantages to make most people groan every time it’s time to go outside and cut the grass.

Apart from being loud, they emit plenty of toxic fumes. Even more than that, they require constant maintenance, and the fuel they run on can get very expensive.

Thankfully, though, there is a great alternative to gas-fueled mowers. Electric and reel mowers can be as effective as their gas-fueled counterparts without pollution, noise, and hassle. Interested? Keep on reading to find out what the best non-gas lawn mowers on the market are.

Reel Mower Vs. Rotary Mower – What Should I choose?

There are several points you should consider before choosing between two types. Let’s go!

1. Price. For a good quality reel mower, you could get away with a fine one for $100-$130. When it comes to gas or electric mowers, especially if you want a quality one, those mowers are in more of the $400-$500 range. So huge cost difference!
2. Cutting height and mulching. The rotary mower is the best option if you live up in the north. In the north, grass types up here are supposed to be mowed at three and a half to four inches, and reel mowers just not going to be able to provide that high of a cut. In fact, the real mower only goes up to about two points to two and a half inches; that’s the max height that it’ll get to. But if you were to go with the quality gas-powered rotary mower, you actually have the option to go a lot higher than that. In fact, up to the three and a half to even four inches range. So you’re probably gonna be paying a little bit more, but you’re gonna be getting a lot better quality in the cup for your returns.
3. Lawn stripes. You will do the best stripes with the rotary mower; with the reel mower, they will be not so nice as you think.

Best Non-Gas Lawn Mowers – Comparison Table

Featuring a 14-inch, the 4-blade cutting deck that’s shockingly effective, this non-gas lawn mower is a fantastic option for lovers of practicality. Made of high-quality plastic and featuring stainless steel blades, this mower is very durable.

Compact and lightweight, the American Lawn Mower Company Push Reel Lawn Mower is amazingly easy to maneuver. It’s also very user-friendly: Set it up, stand behind it and begin pushing through your lawn.

Material Quality

As I mentioned earlier, the American Lawn Mower Company Push Reel Lawn Mower is made of high-quality materials, including stainless steel blades that only require sharpening once every three to five years.

Meanwhile, the frame is made of tough and durable industrial-quality plastic that perfectly guards its internal mechanism. Speaking of the internal mechanism, this machine requires little to no maintenance.

No Pollution

Without a doubt, one of the best things about the American Lawn Mower Company Push Reel Lawn Mower is that it produces no fumes at all. That is not all, though: It’s also tranquil. You won’t even need to oil its mechanism for it to run smoothly and quietly at all times. In fact, when you use this product, you will only hear the sound of the grass blades being cut. So if you are a lover of quiet, this may be the best reel mower on the market for you.

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2. Greenworks 20-Inch Reel Lawn Mower with Grass Catcher – Best Non Gas Lawn Mower with Mulching Bag

Without a doubt, this product will appeal to those looking for a non-gas lawn mower that offers a healthy balance between practicality and efficiency.

Featuring a 20-inch deck, this walk-behind lawnmower by Greenworks is capable of getting the job done quickly and effectively. In fact, this may be the best reel mower for homeowners with a small or medium-sized lawn.

Expert Construction

Despite being compact and lightweight, the Greenworks 20-Inch Reel Lawn Mower with Grass Catcher is a competent product. Without a doubt, this has a lot to do with its expert construction. Its reel mechanism is flawless, allowing for smooth and uninterrupted cutting action at all times.

Manage Grass Clippings

To make it more convenient, the manufacturers of the Greenworks 16-Inch Reel Lawn Mower with Grass Catcher decided to include an effective mulching bag capable of capturing grass clippings. This is wonderfully helpful as it prevents you from having to sweep up said clippings after mowing your lawn. Even though it’s somewhat difficult to attach and detach, this mulching bag is very functional and durable. If that wasn’t enough, the product includes a blower that can help you eliminate any leftover grass clippings and traces.

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3. Greenworks G-MAX 40V Cordless Lawn Mower – Best Cordless Electric Lawn Mower

If you are looking for a walk-behind mower that doesn’t require you to push it, look no further. Using a powerful and long-lasting lithium-ion battery, the Greenworks G-MAX 40V Cordless Lawn Mower is capable of going through the grass of any type and thickness with barely any effort from you.

Fantastic Durability

The Greenworks G-MAX 40V Cordless Lawn Mower stands out due to its fantastic material quality. The mower’s frame is made of high-quality plastic that’s amazingly tough and durable. In addition, the machine features guards that prevent rocks or other types of debris from reaching its internal mechanism.

Doyle Mathews Lawn Expert

Pro Tip: This said mechanism is also worth noting: Efficient and well-built, it never gets stuck. Meanwhile, the mower's durable, resistant metal blades can cut through the thickest grass blades with no problems whatsoever.

Maneuverability and Precision

Being made of plastic instead of metal makes this non-gas lawn mower very lightweight. But, at the same time, it provides great maneuverability. Cordless, the machine can be effectively guided through lawns and yards full of obstacles, resulting in fantastic precision and high-quality results.

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The Best Non-Gas Lawn Mower – Buyer’s Guide

Types of Non-Gas Lawn Mowers

Before going more in-depth into the different characteristics of electric lawnmowers can help divide them into categories. They are as follows:

Walk-Behind Mowers

The most traditional lawnmower, a walk-behind mower, requires the user to walk behind it and direct it. They can be electric, gas-powered, or reel-based. By and large, walk-behind mowers are the most practical, budget-friendly, and environmentally conscious type of mower out there. They also tend to be very compact and lightweight, particularly compared to the various gas-powered models out there. However, walk-behind lawn mowers are slower and less efficient than other types of mowers.

Riding Mowers

People who have large lawns may not have the time and energy to take care of them using a walk-behind mower. If that’s the case with you, it may be a good idea to get a riding mower. Apart from preventing you from walking from start to finish, this type of mower tends to be larger, faster, and more powerful than walk-behind ones. However, it would help if you kept in mind that, in essence, they are small vehicles. For that reason, you will have to provide regular maintenance to them.

Corded vs. Cordless Lawn Mowers

When you go for an electric lawnmower, two options are immediately presented to you: corded or cordless. Let’s go over each option:

Corded Lawn Mowers

As the name clearly indicates, corded lawn mowers are powered using an extension cord. That makes them very practical: To use a corded lawn mower, all you have to do is plug the cord into an electrical socket, and you are ready to go. Normally, this type of mower ranges between 14 and 20 inches in deck width. Without a doubt, they are efficient.

However, there is one major inconvenience: Having an extension cord behind you at all times makes it difficult to move through yards with a lot of obstacles. However, if you own a small lawn with few trees or bushes, a corded mower can be a great choice.

Cordless Lawn Mowers

If the idea of an electric mower appeals to you but a cord does not, you can get a cordless device. Cordless mowers use a rechargeable battery and provide the practicality and mobility of a gas-powered mower without noise or fumes. This type of mower comes in a variety of voltages. Typically, the higher the voltage, the greater the torque is. The higher the torque, the cleaner and more precise the cut will be.

What to Look for in a Non-Gas Lawn Mower

The next time you are in the market for a new non-gas lawn mower, take into account the following aspects:

Deck Size and Cutting Swath

The first thing you should consider before buying a new lawnmower is its deck size. The wider the deck is, the longer the cutting swath of the device will be. Of course, a large cutting swath can do the job faster (in fewer passes) and more efficiently than a short one.

Apart from saving you time, a wider deck reduces the amount of energy consumed to mow your entire lawn. There are also downsides to having a wider deck, though. For one, a mower with a wide deck can be more difficult to maneuver.

Grass Management

When you mow your lawn, a lot of grass clippings are produced. Therefore, it’s important to look for a mower that helps you deal with these clippings in an efficient, clean, and practical manner. It should be noted, though, that some models are better at this than others.

Some lawn mower models shoot the grass clippings from the side. Of course, this means you will have to sweep up the clipping yourself after mowing the lawn. Clearly, this is not the most convenient and practical option. On the other hand, you have mowers that collect the clippings in a mulching bag.

Height Adjustment

Another important feature that you should take into account before buying a lawnmower is height adjustment. This feature allows you to easily and quickly control the height that you will cut the grass. At this point, I should note that grass experts say that you should never cut the grass to less than thirty percent of its overall height. Doing this will weaken the grass, causing it to become more susceptible to disease.

Starting Mechanism

One of the greatest advantages of non-gas lawn mowers is that their starting mechanism is quick and simple. Normally, you only need to push a button to get the device going. However, some are started with a key or by pulling a starter handle.

Safety Features

Many electric lawnmowers include safety features that help prevent accidents. For example, some require the user to pull an activation handle while using the device actively. If the handle stops being pulled, the mower automatically stops. Other safety features include shields or guards that prevent rocks from reaching the user or the machine’s internal mechanism.

Alternatives

Tow-Behind Mowers

If you need to mow large grass extensions (like the fairways of a golf course), nothing beats a tow-behind mower. As the name implies, these mowers are towed by an ATV or tractor. They are mighty but require gas, so this option is for large yards.

Do you need a push reel lawnmower?

A great way to improve the appearance of your lawn is through real mowing. It’s also known as cutting short, mowing low, or even cylinder mowing. But whatever the name of it, it involves changing how you cut your lawn. So first, I will cover how you get started, the equipment you need, and the major pitfalls of real moaning that you need to know before starting. And lastly, we’re even going to visit the grass lab to take a closer look at the lawn to see if it actually makes a difference using a real mower and if it’s worth the effort.

Why do we want to use a real mower?

The first reason is if you want to cut your lawn below two inches, a real mower is the only way to get a good cut and deliver one of the cleanest cuts you can get in your lawn, which is actually healthier for your turf. Now more to come on this when we visit the grass lab. If you like lawn striping, reel mowers can deliver much better stripes than most conventional mowers. And that’s because they typically have rollers built in that are going to give very pronounced stripes. And cutting with a real mower can be one of the healthiest things you can do for your lawn by giving it a nice clean cut. And as you’ll see, using a reel mower has a lot more benefits than just cutting your grass short.

What do you need to start?

You are going to need a special lawnmower if you want to get into reel mowing. And that brings us to our first choice. This is a john deere greens mower used on golf courses to cut grass very short. And by that, I mean below one inch. These are very expensive new and most people will buy these on the used market. Now our second choice is made by a company called California trimmer. This is a real mower as well, and it’s much more flexible for a homeowner because this model will allow you to cut from very short heights all the way up to three inches. Take a closer look at using each of these mowers by starting with the john deere greens mower.

Now, this is a cool little kickstand in the back, which is really handy, and you need it because this mower is a little bit different than anything you’ve probably ever used before.
It starts with a regular pole start, and this model has a Honda engine. But here, what’s unique is these wheels do not stay on the machine when your mind; they’re called transport wheels, and you have to take them off before you mow the lawn because when it most, it rests on that rear roller. And here’s a close-up of the front of the john deere; it’s got an excellent blade system. It’s also got that front roller to help a balance, and in the middle there, that piece with the stars is used to break up grass thatch or split up the roots to help promote growth and give a better appearance. Now here’s a quick demo of using this machine. My lawn is not caught ultra short. So I’m just using this at the highest one-inch setting. Now here’s our second option. This one is made by a US company called California tremor. It’s a full reel mower, but this is a lot more flexibility. Here is a grass box on the front, and that’s to catch the clippings when your mind. Now I often mow without this box and let a little bit of mulching action happen with the blades.

Please take a closer look at the front of the machine; you can see why it leaves such great stripes. And that’s due to this solid steel roller in the front. And above it is the reel that does all the work. This is also made of steel, it’s got seven blades, and it really does a great job cutting the lawn. And here is a pretty clever design for adjusting the machine’s cutting height from this one spot. All I have to do is move this lever, and the whole machine will adjust to the height I want. I don’t need to turn any screws or anything else. It just lifts that roller up and down to get it to where I want it.
What drives this machine is this rubber roller in the back. This is simple, but it does an outstanding job of my lot for getting this more around, and I never lose traction.

Now let’s take a quick look at the California trimmer doing some lawn mowing.

We finish the demos. Now we’re going to go into the grass lab and take a closer look at the actual blades of grass. We’re looking at the blades cut by the real mower, and you don’t need to be a scientist to see that these are very sharply cut. This is better for the grass, making it less susceptible to disease, insects, and other kinds of problems. So this is an excellent result that you want to see when you’re cutting your lawn.

We’re going to look at some grass blades cut with a regular mower or rotary mower. Now what you’re looking at here is very typical. In fact, these aren’t even that bad. My blades are very sharp on my rotary mower, and they’re pretty high quality, but you can still see a huge difference in how they look. The edges are torn, and they’re rough. This is a very average hyper cut, but it’s still not optimal for the lawn; many people get into real mowing, and then they find out that there are serious problems or expenses they never expected. And the first one, of course, is, in fact, money; the cost of a real mower can be a lot more money than a traditional mower upfront. The other bad news about real mowing is that you’re not going to get away with that one expensive mower.

In fact, you’re going to need a second mower like this because real mowers don’t allow much cleanup. So if you’ve got leaves or twigs, you’re going to need some mower with a bag to get some vacuum ability so that you can clean up your yard. So that adds another expense and a second piece of machinery. So on a regular more, they use blades like this, which you can easily swap out; you can change them every year and resharpen them. But the biggest consideration is if you hit a rock or a big stick that causes damage, the blades and a regular mower can be changed pretty easily. But when we switch over to a real mower, this is very different.

These reels are generally not easily removable, and most people will do what I’m doing here, which is called back lapping. Now, this is nice because you can sharpen these blades pretty easily. But if you hit a rock, you’re going to have a big expense on your hands. And it’s quite a hassle that you don’t have with your rotary mower.

Reel mowing your lawn can set it apart from others. This example here was done with the California trimmer. It was adorable. And you can see the stripes how good they look. And it just gives a great overall appearance. But getting into real mowing is no small feat. And you’ve got to understand what you’re faced with, including the cost of maintenance and things that are just different than a regular mower. And you can see right here that there’s nothing wrong with rotary mowers; this area still looks great. But when you real mall, you can get that extra edge that sets it apart. Or you can cut ultra-low. So whatever your choice is, mowing your lawn, in general, is always a good thing. But you can make your own call that works for you.

In Conclusion

With everything on the table, it’s easy to see how products like those featured in this guide change people’s preconceptions about electric lawnmowers. Using advanced technologies, new products like these can be as effective and useful as gas-powered ones. Yet, amazingly, they can achieve this without making noise or releasing toxic fumes. Hopefully, this buyer’s guide will help you decide whether a non-gas lawnmower is right for you.