Is a reel mower worth it?

How low are you cutting now? How low do you want to cut?

There's no doubt that reel mowed Bermuda is tough to beat from an anesthetic standpoint - just know it takes a lot of time and commitment. And the lower you cut, the more often you have to cut...even when using plant growth regulator (PGR).

It depends on a lot of different things.

How big of a yard do you have?
Do you have the ability to cut 2-3 times a week?
How flat is the yard?
Do you have debris you'll have to pick up frequently (pine cones, limbs, etc.)?

A reel mower isn't really something you can pick up and choose to mow with when you feel like it. The grass needs to be pretty close to the cut height already for it not to get bound up.

I purchased a reel mower but I just don't have the time to do it. I honestly could squeeze it in after work throughout the week but I think it would become a chore instead of something I enjoy. As it stands, I haven't been able to dedicate the time needed so far this year just to combat the weeds. I'm hoping to change that here very soon.

In a perfect world, I would have everything else under control and just pick it up in the evenings to use as a small workout instead of sitting my butt on the couch.

What you may be able to do is just get a self-propel as a happy medium. Much quicker and I find it mows much better than my ztr.

Depends on the size of your lawn and how often you can mow to keep up with it. Should mow every other day, but if we’re being reel, it will probably be every third day. Longer you wait, harder it is to cut.

Anything over 2,000 sq ft will eventually become a chore mowing every 3 days, especially as it warms up.

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Should mow every other day, but if we’re being reel, it will probably be every third day.

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Should mow every other day, but if we’re being reel, it will probably be every third day. Longer you wait, harder it is to cut.

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It blows my mind that people voluntarily have Bermuda lawns.

Found the Bermuda haters...

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you guys are planting Bermuda lawns then adding chemicals to make it not grow?

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It still grows but typically will spread more horizontally than vertically when using PGR. It also helps reduce seed heads (can be unsightly).

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It blows my mind that people voluntarily have Bermuda lawns.

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Why's that?

I've had St. Aug, Centipede, and Bermuda at different points. By far my favorite is bermuda. It requires more cutting and fertilizing, but it's tough as nails, recovers from damage quickly (thanks to 4 kids and a dog who could burn a hole through concrete with his pee), and provides an amazing turf for my kids to run barefoot on.

IMO, the biggest reasons to not have bermuda is if you have a lot of shade or just don't have the time/want to cut frequently. Both of which are very valid.

My experience with St. Aug was that there were disease issues and the large blades always stuck to feet and didn't feel as good to walk on. Centipede just couldn't keep up being constantly damaged from dogs alone.

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There may be some internal bias as well from missing fairways and having to hit out of Bermuda rough.

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I preferred St. Aug too at first because that's all I had growing up. When I moved into my current house, it was a new build that I had to add a lot of dirt so that the backyard didn't stay wet. I seeded with a hybrid bermuda after doing a lot of research stemming from fighting the slow recovery of centipede in an almost pure sand yard in coastal Florida. 8 years later I wouldn't dream of going back.

Cutting can be a pain, especially during busy times (tax season) or weeks of a lot of rain, but for me personally it's worth it. I know it isn't for everyone though.