Customer Reviews

Mantis 811103 15-Inch 24 Volt Cordless Electric Reel Mower with Folding Handle And Grass Catcher

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The product arrived with the hub cab fell off, it is a piece of plastic held on by a bead of silicone.

After mowing my 800 sq ft lawn twice I have noticed one of the wheels binds at every revolution, pushing the mower pass this bind would cause the blade to scrape the cutting bar, enough that the paint would chip off. This defect very much made the manual push mowing not possible because that wheel would lock up.

This product is not very well built at all, a lot of low quality plastic with poor tolerances, for example I was not able to get both sides height to point to the same millimeter, there is a bit of play in the casing. It did cut the grass decently when it worked. I love reel mowers but for the premium price, and getting a very filmsy product prone to breaking, I would suggest looking else where; I bought a heavy duty steel, manual reel mower and it cuts better.

The product works fine. It was easy to put together. Not sure it is made for the long run as many of the parts are plastic. However, it does a pretty good job. The gauge is a little too low even when you put it at it's highest. Other than that I think you are paying a lot of money because it is new technology. If you can, wait until the price comes down. If you can't, I highly recommend this for a single woman because it is the lightest of all the electric lawn mowers.

I read all the reviews about this product (Mantis #811103) and I still purchased it. FIRST, I have no idea why some people have reported that the battery life was poor. Based on that review I purchased an extra battery just in case I ran into a similar trouble. MY spot of Lawn measures about 400 sq ft. I have a terraced yard and the Lawn care guys were either scalping my lawn or chopping into my beloved rose bushes. ENOUGH. I was drawn to the design of this machine and the fact that it is quiet and weighs @24lbs. The storage of this machine was also very key. It does cut beautifully, but pay attention to the blade setting! The first time I mowed was with the factory setting which is WAY TOO short. Now I keep my machine set at 40mm. (It can go as high as 45mm). That is perfect. It allows me to mow every 3 weeks. The battery has lasted two mowing cycles before needing a re-charge. BUT I should tell you that my Neighbor mowed HIS lawn (500 sq ft) with my mower on the same battery charge for 2 cycles as well.! Again, I really have no idea why some people had a 'battery' issue... unless their lawn is way larger than what is recommended. If you're a 'Green Person' or just hate the idea of LOUD noises and yucky GAS smells.. This is the machine for you. I am very neat, and tend to take care of my things. So the comment about the 'plastic' components? The Blade isn't Plastic. The outer components are. Just take care of things using common sense. The harder you are on things the less likely they will last.
After mowing my lawn, I used the garden hose on a gentle spray to clean the grass cuttings off. I let it dry in the sun. Not sure if this was OK.. but It worked for my Neighbor later in the day. So, no damage.
Buy this machine. Its a very cool machine. I've yet to use the 'Extra Battery'. Peace.

First, so far as the battery life, it's fine. My cutting area is over 2000 sf and I have yet to run out of battery. And it's really not too poorly made. Everything fits, even though the manual stinks, and things seem to roll along nicely. And it is lightweight and pretty agile .... but.

The cutting blade may be 15 inches wide, but the actual effective cutting width is about 12 inches, so be prepared for a dizzying experience.

The machine itself is about 24 inches wide, so with the 12 inches of effective cutting, that leaves 6 inches around the edges that you have to weed wack.

The cutting results are akin to a shag rug. You'll have to cut the lawn twice to get the same results as with a conventional style mower.

And most important, your lawn must be pristine clean. A twig, a rock or a piece of mulch will bind it instantly.

Very disappointed in the battery life .
I have a very tiny lawn and have to recharge 1 time to finish it.
Don't know if the battery was old or what !!!!!!!
Oter than that it is great I have severe back problems and am still able to mow myself.

I use this mower primarily on hilly areas of my lawn. Because it is so lightweight my back doesn't complain very much. Battery doesn't last very long, however. I bought a second battery and that works well. And yes, you can use it as a regular reel mower if the battery dies but if you have a large lawn, get the second battery.

August 2008 (3 stars)
The reel mower does a beautiful job cutting my tough Florida Zoysia grass evenly and smoothly. It performs as expected and as advertised except for the battery life. It takes me about 25 minutes to mow my 2000 sq. ft. lawn. The mower battery life is advertised for "up to" 30 minutes and "up to" 2500 sq.ft.... so I thought the product would be a good match for my needs. However, I can get no more than 20 minutes of run time. A Mantis customer service rep. emphasized the "up to" part of the 30 minute run time expectation and further told me that most customers are getting about 20 to 25 minutes of run time on a charge. I think the ads should state a 20 minute run time. Guess I'll need to shell out another $100 (one third the cost of the whole system) for a second battery! (I sure wish I had the battery that some other reviewer claimed which "lasts a good hour or more".) If the battery lasted 30 minutes, I would rate this product 5 stars.

Update July 2010 (1 star)
I'm having a love / hate relationship with this mower. I absolutely love the quality of cut and the way my lawn looks. But I hate the plastic parts and wimpy battery. (1) The green (plastic)cover that cradles the battery is mounted with 4 screws... 2 on each (plastic) side plate. The screw inserts all broke. I asked Mantis for new side plates, but they said these were not field replaceable, so they sent me a new mower. Now a year later, the same problem has occurred on the replacement mower (after warranty expiration!!) (2) Battery problem was noted previously. Currently the cheapest replacement battery I can find is $139... way too much! So, here's my solution... buy 20 new sub-C batteries (about $30) and rebuild the pack. My new battery seems to have more capacity than any of the other 3 batteries I've gone through.
Also....I've noted that Brill has a new lithium-ion battery pack, but can't find a U.S. supplier. (Brill did not respond to my e-mail request for information. And, of course Mantis gave up on this mower.)

The mower is a really nice choice. I purchased this mower because I am out of town more than I am in town. My fiancé is as mechanically adept as a tree shrew. The gas mower was beginning to cause some problems so it was time to get a new one. The electric mowers are nice but cord management can be a hassle. That is why I shopped for a cordless electric mower. I like the cut of the reel mower so that is the direction I decided to shop.

This mower does a very nice job, is light and easy to use. The battery lasts for the front yard (1000 sf) and a third or so of the back (1200 sf). This type of battery develops a longer charge after a dozen or so charges I am told. My only concern is that it seems fragile but it hasn't broken yet. It may be that I am used to the gas mowers that have to be stiffer to carry the engine. It is only this last item that kept me from giving it 5 stars. After a season I may change my mind and give it 5 or 3. Time will tell.

Bought this Lawn Mower mainly for my parents are who love to take care of the garden, which includes cutting the grass! They are getting on in age, but still insist to get their "exercise".

This was a perfect gift for them, it is light, easy to start, quiet, and cuts the lawn beautifully, as if it was done with a pair of hand held scissors. The battery life is fine, I purchased an extra one just in case. I have personally used it to cut the lawn many times now, and can say it is so easy to use, I actually enjoy cutting the lawn. :o) It is a pleasure to look back at the immaculately cut lawn.

We did have the loose hub cap as in another reiview, but it is purely cosmetic, I'm sure I will get around someday to put it back on, but for now too busy cutting the lawn with the Mantis.

Mantis does not honor their often advertised one year warranty if you purchase from any source other than them. Amazon wants to charge me a restocking fee because I bought the thing early the year and didn't try it out till recently.

Now I'm stuck with a $300.00 cheap piece of crap that is only good for tiny lawns.

From an e-mail from Mantis.......

Thank you for your email. The one year return policy is not in effect for items purchased online through other establishments.

Sincerely,

Customer Service Representative
Mantis, LITTLE WONDER, and Classen
1-800-366-6268