Mantis - Cordless reel mower

When I recently visited the Mantis site, I discovered their cordless reel mower. It's not often that I get excited about a tool, but I couldn't wait to test this unit. It looks so cute with the Mantis green and orange colors—but "battery powered" definitely got my attention. I just had to see a push mower powered by a 24-volt NiCad battery.

When it arrived, I was amazed to receive only a single box. As with any product, you can expect that some assembly will be required, and this is no exception. It appeared that this would be a quick unit to assemble, but I didn't find that to be true, primarily due to the instruction manual and the nature of a push mower's design. The power cord and node also contributed to the difficulty of the handle assembly.

The manual is a little unorganized and the line art is somewhat hard to follow because there's no text under the drawings. The text begins in the middle of the manual and runs to the end. A reorganization of the manual into a more useful step-by-step layout would be helpful, especially if appropriate text followed each drawing.

One area that requires careful attention is the assembly of the 3-piece handle, power cord placement, and node. The instructions are laid out so the lower portion of the handle is attached first to the mower assembly, followed by the node and the middle portion of the handle. Unfortunately, it's a bit cumbersome to place the power cord in the specially designed channel in the node, assemble the two halves around the lower and middle portion of the handles at the same time, and deal with the weight of the mower assembly. I found during this exercise that if the power cord is not directly in the channel, it can easily be pinched when the two halves of the node are fastened together with the four fasteners. The node is really a support saddle that holds the power cord and two sections of the handle securely together.

I found it easier to not to worry about the power cord at this time; instead, I assembled the lower and middle section of the handle together with the node flat on the floor and not attached to the mower assembly. Then I attached it to the mower assembly followed by the final upper section of the handle that houses the power switch. Once completed, I loosened the two fasteners on the side of the node where the power cord would be placed. I then removed the fasteners which allowed the two halves of the node to open a bit so I could insert the power cord in the channel and secure it by reassembling the two fasteners.

After charging the battery for 24 hours, I was eager to see what this puppy could do. The manufacturer claims that the battery will cut up to 2,500 sq. ft. of lawn, which is about 30 minutes on the battery. I found this do-able, but it depended on the length of the grass being cut and whether the lawn was wet or dry.

I have roughly 1,200 sq. ft. of lawn. My grass is very thick and is hard to cut with a standard push mower because the lawn holds a lot of moisture, so I was amazed that I was able to make that first cut of the season.

Since that time I have made several cuts and I found it to be most effective in our so-called "lap pool" lawn (14'x29') where the surface is completely flat. This particular lawn is too small for me to use a power mower but just right for the Mantis cordless reel mower.

The main problem with push mowers is that they can't handle tall grass or cut through any twigs or foreign material, otherwise the blade goes ka-chunk and freezes. This can be frustrating. Push mowers function worse on wet lawns than power mowers; push mowers do better when the grass is completely dry and there is no exception with this mower.

Push reel mowers provide the clean, precise cut preferred by many lawn care professionals. Low maintenance, they are designed to provide years of dependable service. No engine means fewer headaches and no trips to the gas station and hardware store for gas, oil, and spark plugs.

Push reel mowers appeal to both environmentalists and the frugal. They are less expensive than motorized mowers, both to purchase as well as to maintain. You are the motor so there's no engine noise—unless you tend to whine about lawn care—and no pollution. Another advantage to reel mowers is that their blades won't shatter if they hit rocks, pipes, or other objects hidden in the grass. A disadvantage of manual push reel mowers is that they are more work. However, for many people, a little exercise while mowing is actually a good thing.

Push mowers take longer to do the job and you have to mow more frequently since using a push mower to mow tall grass is not a good idea. Also, a push reel mower is best for smaller, flatter yards (some folks say yards need to be 2,000 square feet or less to be suitable) that don't have a lot of brush or thick weeds.

Having said all that, I found the Mantis cordless reel mower worth considering if you are the type of person who likes a manicured lawn, as I do with my lap pool lawn.

The unit is lightweight: just 23 pounds plus 3 pounds for the battery. One thing I didn't like about the unit being so light was that the mower's handle fell to the ground when I let go of it. The battery in its saddle adds weight to the front end of the unit, but not quite enough to keep the handle upright. Essentially, the battery plays a balancing act with the roller: sometimes the handle fell, sometimes it didn't. If the 7-section roller extended outward about 2 inches, it could help keep the handle upward, with or without the weight of the battery.

Another area that needs improvement is the battery area itself. While there is a carrying strap on the battery and place to store the strap while the battery is in place, I found the battery somewhat difficult to remove because of the battery's smooth surface. Because the battery is so large and tight in its saddle, it would have been nice if there was a built-in handle at the other end of the battery to make it easier to remove.

If the battery should die while mowing, it's not a problem—you become the power and can still push the mower.

The battery only powers the 15" reel blade. While it's not actually a mulching mower, the blade does deliver very fine cuts. Since I starting using my Mantis mower, I have not used the grass catcher, something I would not consider doing with my power mower.

Another area needing improvement is the on/off switch handle. Now, when the handle is pulled back, it doesn't rest up against the inside of the main push handle, so it's uncomfortable to hang on to with one hand when operating the unit. Also, the switch handle is too short. If they raised the entire switch a bit, the switch handle would be closer to the main handle. Also, a longer switch handle would allow the user to place both hands on the switch handle to help even out the pressure being applied.

There's about 3 inches of space from the end of the blade to the outside of the tire where there is no cutting. The concrete edging around my lawn accommodates the mower's wheel so the mower can cut the lawn right up to the edging. Unfortunately, the 3-inch space built into this unit on both sides doesn't allow me to get close enough to cut the lawn in this area. A redesign of this area to cut the space down to 2 inches would save me from hand trimming this area.

Overall, this is a great unit for manicuring the lawn. It used to take me 30 minutes to get the power mower out of storage and gas up and then to clean the unit after use and allow it to dry, not to mention the noise and gas smell. Mowing was easily a two-hour project. Now I find myself cutting my lap pool lawn three times a week and only spending about 15 minutes from start to finish. And I enjoy doing it. Now I just have to work on using the Mantis cordless reel mower on our older and thicker lawns. It's really just a training process—I have to let go of the power mower and convert to the cordless reel mower. I'll get there.

One thing I have discovered since I received this unit is that my wife enjoys cutting the lap pool lawn. Cutting the front yard is another story, but on a scale of 10, I give this unit an 8 and I totally recommend it. If you are looking for a little exercise, don't want to deal with gas fumes and noise, and want to manicure your lawn, then this mower is for you. You'll soon discover how enjoyable it is to use a push mower. An investment in this unit will help the environment every time you use it—and that's a good thing!

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To learn how you can purchase the Mantis Cordless Reel Mower with Free Grass Catcher, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's page. If you prefer, call them directly at 1-800-366-6268 and mention Key Code 085017 so your order will be properly credited; if you want information to be sent to you, use Dept. RM088028.

Copyright © 05/20/07 LAF/C.R.S., Inc. All rights reserved.

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