Customer Reviews

McCulloch MCM2013 20-Inch Push Reel Mower

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I can't believe how much bogus information is out there on reel mowers. Let me say that I read every single review on every single 20 inch reel mower on every site that sells them and one still finds it difficult to decide. Even the manufacturers' sites are horrible in terms of product information. Many of the retailers (not Amazon) push the Brill's and you have to question their advice when that's all they sell. The Brill's and other "high-end" no contact mowers are a lot more expensive, made of a lot of plastic, and are too small. Anyway, back to the McCulloch. First, I was attracted to reel mowers due to their simplicity, durability, and for some, their price. I'm not an enviro wheenie, just someone who appreciates a good, solid, product that works. Next, and after reading a ton of reviews, I decided I wanted a 20 inch mower. No matter what brand or model, most people complained that they which they bought a bigger model. Buying the 20" models limits your choices. The big seller is the Scotts and by most accounts it's a decent product. However, I was turned off by the fact that the gears in the wheels are made of plastic. To me, that was a deal breaker, especially after reading how some user's broke only after one season. Not a good design. The Gimour was next, but I've read a good bit of unfavorable reviews on it to. The big selling point is that it comes with a grass catcher that most users said was totally useless. So, the other choice I saw was the McCulloch. It had the 20" cut, all steel gears, and I read it was US made. I can vouch that it is 20", does have steel gears, but it is made in Taiwan, not the US. Also, that manufacturer site say it has 4 blades, nope - this has 5 blades. I got it today, put it together in 5 minutes, and then used it (it was real easy and the instructions were fine). I used to take me 30 to 45 minutes with my gas mower (I really move though) and it took me about the same time, maybe 5 minutes more. In terms of difficulty mowing, I just didn't see it. My gas mower was a 5.5hp, non self propelled Yardman (a Walmart special that ran fantastic I might add). It was different-I think this mower uses more arms, but less back (a good thing for me-I'm a fit 37 yo male). In terms of cut, I pulled it right outside of the box, attached the handle and mowed - no adjustments, and it mowed fine. I was preparing for the worst and was really surprised at how well it mowed and my yard is a mess of every crab grass, dandelion, chickweed, you name it, I have it. My yard is not flat either. Mowing was really easy and fun. I don't know if the fun will wear off, but it was. What kills me, is that I mowed in flip flops - something I never would have done with my gas mower. It was great, my 2 year old daughter was even out playing on the swing set. Overall, I'm happy with this purchase. When compared to the Scotts, it seems like a better deal - same cutting width, same 5 blades, all steel gears vs plastic on the Scotts, and this handle is quite sturdy - no flimsy at all. Even though it looks like a Scotts (made by American Lawn, but built in China), I called American Lawn Mower and asked their customer service and the girl said "No, it isn't made by us". If you are thinking about getting one of these, I wouldn't hesitate to make the jump - at this price and with Amazon's backing, this is a great mower I'm glad I bought. Sorry for the run on, but there is a lot of bad info out there and I want to help out. Good luck.

I have been using reel mowers now for about five years and this one works as well as or better than some I have tried. The Scotts reel mower did not cut nearly as well as this one. It arrived Friday afternoon and on Saturday morning I put it together, re-adjusted the wheels and had my yard cut in about an hour on its lowest setting. Sure, twigs do stop it, but they stop other reel-type mowers as well. As long as you know the limitations of the equipment it is a very economical and less polluting way to cut your yard. I don't see myself using anything else, since I don't plan on moving to an area where I have a bigger yard to cut.

I was really excited when this mower came but noticed some fishy things right away like the roller assembly was on the wrong bolt hole and the cutting blades were not properly adjusted the reasons for these quirks were that two of the blades were longer than the other three which would have been obvious if the blades had been adjusted from the factory and the other bolt holes were drilled to small for the specialized bolts that hold the roller assembly on which is why the roller was on the wrong hole and yes i checked for over spray so i figure the quality control guy was not there when this mower came of the line

I was unsure with all the reviews about reel mowers. But I have used it at least 5 times now and I can honestly say I love it. No gas, no noise(very little anyway), no "crap the mower won't start"; just get it out and go. It was easy to put together also, and I am in no way mechanically inclined. Every review I read was right about the draw backs but if you have a small lawn like mine, they are really minor. It does get caught up with sticks, it doesn't cut weeds unless they are short, and it is much harder if you let your lawn get too tall. But really no mower is perfect and these are pretty minor problems. I do not think that it is hard to push like some of the reviews said. My 6 year old daughter likes to help:) Anyway long story short, I would definitely recommend it.

McCulloch MCM2013 20-Inch Push Reel Mower as shown above is not what i received.

The one i got has been discontinues by McCulloch. I received the mower, but the top handle with the padding was missing from the box.
I called McCullock and they told me the picture was correct on Amazon, but the one i received was a three piecs handle top, that was more than 5 years old and they did not have the handle in stock any longer since it had been discontinued.

Amazon HAS OLD STOCK of this mower. I called amazon and they shipped me another one. Same problem, the old mower style with three sections for a handle, which when i put it together and tried it for the first time, the handle buckled under the very light push i gave it. The reason they discontined this modfel with three pieces for the handle was the three piece handle was not strong enough to push it, without bending it.

they would not take it, and suggested i return the second mower back to Amazon and they would contact Amazon about the "Old StocK" which with her tone of voice , i don't think that will happen. I've put a video of the handle with this review, so look at the picture above and note that the handle is a TWO PIECE HANDLE, and then look and my three piece mess of a handle. Since there are 8 orange nuts to connect to the handle, it severely weakens the handle, and wads up like a pretzel when you start to push. In Amazons picture there are only SIX orange nuts, and a two piece handle, the new design keeps the handle stable, not bending as you push the mower.

I would not buy this mower again. It good looking, but VERY cheaply made and the handle attaches the the mower blades with only teo little cotter keys into the bottom assembly's 1/4 inch stud, very small for a mower to handle. Once that breaks off, you're out a mower.

NOTE: I TRIED TO UPLOAD THE VIDEO, BUT IT WAS NOT LOADED BY AMAZON'S UPLOAD PAGE???

Just purchased this mower and recieved it yesterday, easy assembly, no tools required, functions as it should, and "I" recieved a great deal. Purchased 04/21/11 for $69 w/ free shipp and recieved 04/27/11 on 04/28/11 while leaving review I see the price has doubled, what?. Mower looks good and works fine, however had it been at $115 as is now i'm not sure I would have gone with this mower, or even any reel mower for that. I felt much more comfortable in the $60- $80 range for this type of mower. Reel mowers work well if you have the perfect lawn, any tall thistal grass can be difficult to cut and since 50% of my double lot lawn has this type of grass I'm not sure if I'll be able to use regularly as my main mower. However, it makes a great back up if my main mower goes down and in the area where it is just bladded grass it works great. I'm not saying you can't cut that type of grass with a reel mower but it is more difficult at least doubling your mowing time and effort . Maybe if I can get rid of that type of grass this mower will become my work horse till then it's primarily suplimental.

I ordered this one over the Scotts mower based on the reviews here. Guess mine was made on a Monday or a Friday...the center piece was missing, and the two pieces for the lower half were completely different from one another. Now I have to repackage the thing for UPS to pick up. Not happy.

I have had this for around a month, and have used it a total of four times. In my experience, I have found it to be a solid performer, with only a few problems. Since I have never owned a push-reel, I do not know if this is due this particular mower, or simply indicative to the push-reel design.

1. Tiny bits of hard material can clog this sucker up quick as a git. The mower is designed to cut grass, not wood, so it is not a deal breaker for me. Furthermore, this is detritus that would have been kicked out by a traditional motor based mower. Considering that, it is not a problem. All it takes is a few seconds for me to find the stick bit and remove it.

2. Balance issues. The height adjustment is individual for each tire, meaning you could have it at the max height on one end, and on the lowest possible on the other wheel. Not something I care for, as they can become loose and move down during mowing. This has started to happen as of my last mow, and it seems to lack balance when on the highest level.

3. Weeds. Specifically, weeds that are not similar to blades of grass. The mower will basically just ride over them. I can live with this, as all I have to do is pull them out.

4. Cut grass removal. This does not come with a grass catcher, which is fine. What is not fine is the way the grass builds up behind the blades and is a pain to remove.

All in all, I like this. It is an excellent green solution, and it allows you to get some exercise as well. While it is not ideal for little old ladies, anyone young or in good health will find good use. I see myself using a push reel until I can afford a hovering lawn mower.

This is the fourth reel-type push mower I've owned. Whether the mower's any good or not, I can't really say because I never got it in working condition. When it arrived, I had to assemble and attach the handle (which I had to do with the other mowers as well). However, it is supposed to be factory adjusted so you can start off mowing right away. Well, I found it to be incredibly difficult to push and it made more noise than my previous mowers had. But the most troubling thing is that the rear wheel assembly came loose after I had pushed the mower about 60 feet. So I stopped to reassemble it (something I never had to do with my previous mowers). I then started to mow again, but it was still hard to push and left a very ragged-looking lawn in its wake. I used another mower to finish mowing because I didn't want to bother adjusting the cutter bar.

The next week, I started mowing again and decided to take a stab at adjusting the cutter bar. The directions caution you not to turn the set screws very far at all, so I was very cautious. However, it was clear that modest adjustments weren't going to do it. Consequently, I called the 800 number to find out where to take it to be serviced. As it so happened, I was directed to a lawn mower repair shop about half a mile away. I loaded up the mower, took it to the shop, and could see as soon as I wheeled it in that there was going to be a problem. It turned out that they don't service McCulloch mowers and never had. Furthermore, they said they thought the company was out of business.

As soon as I got home, I began emailing McCulloch. Through a series of emails I learned that 1) yes, they had gone out of business about 8 weeks earlier, 2) they didn't think the problems I had experienced fell under the warranty, and 3) I should expect to have to push the mower harder because of the type of grass we have in "Florida" (I live in Ohio and told them so three times!). Fed up with McCulloch, I contacted Amazon.com, explained why I wanted to return the mower, obtained a mailing label, and sent it back. They acknowledged receipt the very next day and credited my account within 10 days.

So, I have nothing but good things to say about Amazon.com, but I certainly can't recommend the McCulloch mower.

This "McCulloch MCM2013 20-Inch Push Reel Mower" is built well, but if you have weeds on your lawn, you do not want to buy this push mower. Why? Because it doesn't cut them.