Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower

We used the reel mower for the first time today and we were pleased with the results. The overall built feels sturdy and assembly was surprisingly easy. It might be more expensive than other brands but it does feel like this will last for a while.

Bought this a little more than a month ago. The blades required adjustment right out of the box with no adjustment needed, since. I've cut the front and back yards at least 4 or 5 times each. The front looks better than ever. The back, which is ALL crabgrass, looks great, but requires extra cutting (the dogs take priority so we don't use any chemicals back there). You won’t believe how this gobbles up the thickest, squirreliest, grass. BUT, you’re the engine; the thick crabgrass will slow you down. However, typical grass is no problem. The chain driven blades are remarkable. This week we had rain from Saturday to Wednesday; heavy downpours. I cut the backyard yesterday, Thursday, and although it was very wet, it looks great. I love this machine. I grew up working on golf courses. We cut everything with reel mowers, which is why I wanted to try this mower. It exceeds all expectations. There are things it has a slightly hard time with, i.e., tall blades, especially the harder, brittle ones that have gone to seed. But, if you run the mower to those and stop above them, the blades continue to spin and with a little experience and finesse, it will eat these up easily. What I find works best is cutting twice, in 2 directions; perpendicular cuts. The 2nd gets what the 1st didn't. I know what you're thinking, "TWICE?" You don't have to cut everything twice; only where it counts, high visibility areas. Trust me, your neighbors will be jealous. What I like best about this mower: NO gas, NO oil, NO stink, NO noise. With my battery powered weed eater, I'm the greenest guy on the street. And, I'm happier for it. FYI: I spray everything, as recommended, with SILICON lubricant before and after each cut. When I finish cutting I put the mower on the deck. in the sun. It dries out in no time. I clean off the cuttings and put it in the shed. Deficiencies: It really has none, but one design flaw is: the height adjustment knob is detached when you receive your mower. It screws onto the adjustment lever. BUT, if you have a yard like mine, i.e., bumpy and large, it will vibrate off, which is what happened to mine. I've walked the yard half a dozen times and can't find it. This morning I called Fiskars Cust. Svc. and they immediately finished my sentence for me, followed by: "give me your name and address and I'll send one out." When the new one arrives, I'll put some plumbers tape on the shaft before installing it. Conclusion: You can't get a better mower for under $200, anywhere. Weird as it sounds, I look forward to cutting the grass. That never happened, before... Update: Got the replacement knob this morning, 8/3. Great product, great company... Update 2.0 (4/28/19): Second season cutting with this mower. Got it out, cleaned and lub'd the whole mower about 2 weeks ago. 2nd cut of the season this morning @7am; it's so quiet nobody in the neighborhood knew I was out there.. The grass looks so nice that I actually stop and look at it every time I walk thru the living room. I believe the grass has changed since I got this; the grass stands up now, and the texture has changed (it's softer and seems to have adjusted to the mower), even the mess in the backyard. I'm sure if/when the rain decreases the grass'll get more brittle, but because this mower throws the moist cuttings back into the lawn that should be minimal. After reading some of the other reviews, I can understand why some have had a less-than-positive experience with this mower. First, the front wheels don't pivot. If you wanna turn, YOU have to turn the mower. It's not hard. I go around the beds and trees with no problem. And, as long as you cut regularly and don't let the grass get too long, this'll cut it, nicely. As I said in my original review, I cut the front yard in both directions. Even then there are some irregular cuts, but unless you look for it, you'll never notice or care. For those who might worry about the blades getting dull, don't. They kinda take care of themselves. You might have to adjust the blades, but sharpening should only be done when/if the mower is not cutting. That said, you need to take care of the blades. Any branches or twigs that fall into the yard should be picked up. They'll dull your blades if you keep cutting them; you'll know when you've cut one because you'll hear the blade kind of ring each time you do. If anything big enough to stop the reel from spinning, that's bad, too. Leaves aren't as bad, but you should avoid cutting anything that isn't grass. For what it's worth, mine sat in the shed all winter and it got pretty cold. I removed the orange top shield and chain guard, cleaned everything, including the blades and lub'd all the bearings and chain. There's no difference in cutting from last year. I've pretty much decided that if/when this mower wears out, I'm buyin' another one. I still think it's the best mower you can buy for under $200.

Buenas tardes, mi producto llego golpeado, llego con esta pieza rota, me pueden mandar la pieza? Nunca me dieron respuesta y no hay dónde reportar el problema.

This is my second hand reel mower. The first mower I purchased was a cheap, lightweight reel mower. I bought it to see if I would like it. I did, even though it took me two passes to get a clean cut and wasn't very wide. After one season of mowing lawns with the cheap mower, I decided it was worth the investment to purchase a quality mower. After considerable research, I decided on this mower. It was a good choice. This mower is considerably heavier than my first. This has its downsides, because I mow a couple of small lawns with it and it was less trouble to throw the lighter mower into my car than this one. However, the heavier weight is primarily a benefit because it keeps the mower from bouncing and skipping on an uneven lawn the way the lighter model did. The blades are sharp and were perfectly aligned when I purchased it, I haven't had to make any adjustments, other than a minor fix after I struck a piece of gravel. I keep my lawn clear of sticks, but this mower cuts right through small twigs and I haven't had any issues with it jamming or getting nicks or burs. The mower pushes easy and makes a clean cut on one pass, although there are always a few blades that escape the mower by bending over, so I sometimes make two passes at different angles. The mower does a beautiful job and the lawns I mow with it look three times as nice as lawns mowed with a gas mower. At the end of the season, I used the Fiskar maintenance kit to sharpen the blades, but this was probably unnecessary because it still worked great. I cleaned it carefully at the end of the season and sprayed it with a silicon lubricant, looking at it now you can hardly tell it has been used. I love this mower.

Just push, so easy to use. Well made. Very happy with it.