American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14 14-Inch Deluxe Hand Reel Mower

Other products by American Lawn Mower

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
The Great States 14-inch deluxe hand-reel mower provides a clean, precise, scissor-like cut for most turf grasses -- especially for cool-season grasses such as bluegrass, fescue and rye. With a cutting width of 14 inches and a a cutting height of 1/2- to 1-1/2 inches, the mower has 8-1/2-inch diameter high impact, polymer wheels with integral molded tread. It includes a three-spider one-blade reel, an alloy steel reel, a bed knife blade, and an adjustable, three-section roller. The zinc-plated handle has plastic grips for greater comfort. Assembly is required for this unit. To assure a precise, fine cut, each American/Great States feel mower must pass inspection by cutting paper 1/3000-inch thick -- much thinner than a blade of grass. The mower weighs 19 pounds and comes with a limited 90-day warranty.

Amazon.com Buying Guide
Five Tips for Buying a Mower
Choosing a lawn mower is a matter of sifting through a bewildering array of types, power ratings, and fuel sources. Let’s break it down a little to make the process easier.

What types of walk-behind mowers are there?
There are four basic choices: push reel, electric, cordless, and gas. All have strengths and weaknesses.

• Push reel mowers are powered by you. They’re quiet, they don’t need cords or recharging, and they don’t pollute. But on large lawns, you might not want the workout you get when using a push reel mower. They also tend to be less effective on grass taller than two inches.
• Electric mowers need to be plugged into an outlet to power them, which means you’re constrained by the location of power outlets, the length of your power cord, and any obstacles that may snag the cord. If you have a small yard but don’t want the forced exercise of using a push reel mower, an electric mower may be for you.
• Cordless mowers are powered by a rechargeable battery. You don’t have to deal with the hassles of keeping a cord plugged in, but battery life becomes a constraint. Depending on the battery capacity, the size of your yard, and the height of your grass, you may not be able to complete your mowing job on one charge.
• Gas mowers offer the most power, which is best if you’ll be mowing tall, dense grass or if your yard is larger than 2,000 square feet. But you will have to keep gas and oil on hand as well as keep the engine serviced.

What do all the power measurements mean?
All that matters to you is whether the lawn mower’s blade will spin fast enough to cut your grass. Unfortunately, mowers are rated in far more technical terms.

For gas mowers, there are three power measurements you may see:

• horsepower (hp) refers to the amount of power the engine can produce;
• torque is the amount of horsepower that is transferred to the blade;
• cc (cubic centimeters) is another to measure an engine’s power based on the displacement volume of its cylinders.

There also are two types of engines: two-stroke (also referred to as two-cycle) and four-stroke (or four-cycle). Conventional wisdom is that two-stroke engines offer more power but also more pollution.
For electric and cordless mowers, power often is measured in volts, amps, or watts. To satisfy your inner techie, here’s how to calculate the horsepower:
23. Multiply the volts by the amps to get the wattage.
24. Divide the wattage by 746 to get the horsepower.

More horsepower doesn’t always mean more cutting power. That’s why, starting in 2007, most lawnmower manufacturers began rating walk-behind lawn mowers in torque power or cc’s--not horsepower. If torque isn’t available for a gas mower, higher cc figures usually mean higher torque (and more fuel used per stroke, incidentally).

However, you don’t want to buy a mower based on the power measurement alone. Make sure it has the features, warranty, and quality of reviews you’re seeking.

What features should I look for?

• Cutting Deck
  This refers to the blade housing. The wider the cutting deck, the fewer passes it will take to mow a given area. However, consider how many obstacles there are in your yard. The wider the deck, the tougher it may be to fit the mower into tight spaces.
  

• Mulching and Bagging
  Want to collect your clippings? Choose a mower with a rear- or side-bag option. Want to leave clippings on the lawn as fertilizer? Get a mower that mulches. A "3-in-1" mower will mulch, bag, or side-discharge.
  

• Wheels
  Larger wheels mean easier handling, especially over rough terrain. If you can, go with at least 7-inch-diameter wheels in the rear--larger if your yard is hilly or uneven. Some higher-end mowers have front wheels on casters, which gives you an extremely tight turning radius.
  

• Height Adjustment
  Most mowers allow you to adjust the distance between the blade and the ground. Think about how much range you really need.
  

• Safety
  Many newer rotary machines are available with a lever or bar that must be depressed to keep the mower running (some models include a handy blade-brake that lets you release the lever without killing the engine).
  Also, look for models with a rubber flap at the back to block objects thrown from the blades. You should always wear safety goggles when mowing and follow all the manufacturer’s safety instructions regardless of the mower you’re using.
  

• Batteries
  If you’re buying a cordless mower, think about how long it will run on a single charge. Most batteries take several hours to recharge, so you want to make sure it’s going to get the job done before it runs out of juice. As a rule of thumb, a typical 24-volt mower will run up to one-and-a-half hours and cut up to a third of an acre; a 36-volt mower will go for three hours and cut up to a half an acre.
  

• Cord holder
  A cord holder is useful for keeping the cord of your electric mower out of the way when you make turns.
  

• Starters
  Gas mowers are available either with recoil (pull-cord) or electric starters. Newer recoil motors start much quicker than those you remember from summers past. However, go with electric if you can afford it: your mower will start with the push of a button or the turn of a key.
  

• Self-propelled or push?
  A self-propelled mower moves forward without you having to push it. All you have to do is steer. If you have a relatively flat lawn, save a few bucks by skipping this feature. However, if your landscape has a slope or an irregular contour, a self-propelled model may be the best choice. Rear-wheel drive tends to offer better traction.
  

• Variable Speed
  If you want a self-propelled mower, look for models with variable speed. This feature allows you to make adjustments within a continuous range so you can find the exact speed that’s comfortable for you.

What servicing and maintenance is necessary?
Always buy a mower that comes with a manufacturer’s warranty and follow the manufacturer’s routine maintenance instructions for

• Cleaning the mower after usage;
• Keeping the blade sharp;
• Keeping the engine tuned up (gas mowers); and
• Keeping the battery charged (cordless mowers).

While Amazon.com does not accept returns on gas-powered mowers, the manufacturer’s Website or product manual will list the nearest service center.

What does CARB-compliant mean?
CARB is an acronym for California Air Resource Board, whose stringent air-quality standards have been adopted by many states. If your state requires compliance for gas mowers, confirm that your model is CARB-certified before you buy. While CARB-compliant mowers run cleaner than noncompliant models, they still emit pollutants. If you want to go green, an electric or push reel mower is the way to go.

See all Product Description

Product Details

• Item Weight: 32.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 19.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00004RA3F
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 1204-14
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #419 in Home Improvement (See Bestsellers in Home Improvement)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #4 in	Home Improvement > Outdoor Power & Lawn Equipment > Mowers & Tractors > Push Mowers
  #4 in	Home Improvement > Outdoor Power & Lawn Equipment > Mowers & Tractors > Push Reel Mowers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Please temper your expectations, July 29, 2006

By	Harvey Ramos "Geek" (Springfield, VA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Keep in mind that this mower is 14" wide. Which is not much more than one foot wide. So if you have a "real" lawn just imagine how many trips back and forth you will have to do across your lawn. If you live in anything larger than a townhouse this is too small. If you really do not want to purchase a gas or electric mower, look at the larger push mowers (18 or 20in) but not this one.

If you have a small area to mow, this is a great option. I bought this for my 110lb girlfriend who has no trouble pushing this around her tiny fenced in yard which is probably 15ft by 15ft. It is easy to manuever around and only takes a few minutes to mow the grass. She has an electric trimmer which she uses along the fence.

As others have mentioned, it doesn't cut through twigs and branches very well unless you get some momentum going. And it does tend to leave random blades of grass sticking up that it doesn't like to cut. These blades are usually longer than the rest of the grass or are a different type of grass. But once you have the lawn a fairly uniform length it does a good job of maintaining it.

So if you have tiny yard, this is a very good choice for you. If you have a medium or large yard, this is not a good choice.

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Inexpensive Way to Workout, June 27, 2000

By A Customer

This was one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. It was easy to put together, just make sure that if you have small hands like me you get someone to really tighten the bolts good though. It's light, cuts grass like a dream, however it doesn't edge. Also it's a nice little workout, and it's easy to store. I'm diabetic and since using this. I've had to lower my insulin intake. So I highly reccomend this to anyone who wants a little cardio workout.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good, Dependable Reel Mower, November 27, 2001

By	"willi1mm" (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews

We've gone through one season of lawn mowing and our "reel mower" has been great. The mower cuts the grass, easily corners, and works exactly as the writeup said it would. My 10 and 13 year old sons can push it, they've had NO PROBLEMS with it flipping or sliding on the grass - even when we came back from vacation to find VERY tall grass to cut. Next spring I will buy a grass catcher to go with our mower.