Earthwise 1715-16EW 16 in 7-Blade Push Reel Mower Review

Our Verdict

Right for a narrow case and frustrating outside it, so the honest work is defining the case. The cut quality is real: a reel shears the blade between two edges instead of tearing it with impact, and a clean cut loses less moisture and heals faster. Seven blades is a fine-cut configuration, which suits grasses mown short. Where it works: small, level, cool-season or fine-bladed lawns kept on a regular schedule. Where it does not: let the grass get tall and it will ride over rather than cut, so a fortnight away means renting something else. Tall fescue's coarse blades and Bermuda's wiry stolons both resist a reel. And 16 inches means many passes on anything large. Four stars minus a little for the honest limits — buy it because you want silence, no fuel and a better cut on a small lawn, not because you want to replace a rotary mower.