Looks like a step forward in push type reel mower design. It has several new advances. The reel is much heavier and appears to have a relief grind on the blades.Should work great.

I purchased a Fiskars Momentum mower today at my neighborhood Lowes for $200+tx. It was a snap to assemble, taking all of ten minutes. It feels quite solid, nothing like my wobbly Task Force reel mower that the Momentum is supposed to replace.

After assembly, per the instructions I tested the blade clearance with strips of paper and found that there was too much space between the fixed blade and the moving blades (it would not slice the paper). So, I followed the instructions to adjust the blade clearance, and what should have been a five-minute job ended up taking the better part of an hour. The issue was that every time I got the blade clearance where I wanted it, I would re-tighten the four locking nuts (two per side) and the act of re-tightening those would somehow decrease the clearance to the point that the moving blades were sticking against the fixed blade. Not good. The manual sort of hints that this could be a problem by "suggesting" that after tightening the four nuts you re-check the blade clearance. I went through the untightening, adjusting, checking, retightening, rechecking process about ten times before I was able to achieve the clearance I wanted (no contact whatsoever between the moving and fixed blades, but still able to slice a sheet of paper all along the width of the blade).

Once I got the blades adjusted to my liking, I pushed the Momentum around on my driveway a bit just to get the feel of it. It feels very sturdy, and does take a good push to get moving, but once it is moving it has a reassuring amount of momentum (one of its advertised features, and obviously the source of its moniker). Also, it is WONDERFULLY QUIET. Like you can't even hear it.

Here in Houston the grass (predominantly St. Augstine) is really greening up. I mowed last Friday with my old gas mulching mower, mainly to even things out and mulch some leaves, so my lawn is not yet in need of another mow. I did push the Momentum around the lawn and it sliced right through a few tall weeds. It felt effortless, but like I said my grass is quite short as I just mowed it, so I can't really comment on its effectivess just yet.

So, so far I can really only offer my opinion on the following:

Ease of assembly: Very easy.

Ease of blade adjustment: Difficult, but only because of some sort of design flaw that causes one to lose one's carefully attained blade clearance when the four locking nuts are retightened.

Ease of use: Very easy on my driveway and recently mowed lawn. It feels remarkably solid and makes practically no noise whatsoever.

The real test will occur in a month or two. I've never found a reel mower that could cut the dense St. Augustine in my sunny front yard. I'm looking forward to seeing how the Fiskars Momentum handles it.

Be sure to report back!

I finally picked up one myself. I was choosing between this or a used power reel mower, but I think I would have had too much trouble as the front of my lawn is very sloped and uneven. Besides, I could always return the Fiskars back to LoweÂs if I didnÂt like it.

I have Bermuda and wanted to start cutting the yard low.
There are 7 notches on the mower (not counting starting at the 1" notch), so each notch is 3/7" as you move from 1" to 4".

The first cut was rough for me (set to 1" height). There was no way I could drop my rotary mower down far enough to give relive in all areas or I would have left circle cuts in the ground in some spots. After this, it was smooth sailing. I cut the yard again after 3 days and it was pretty easy. It only took me 10min longer than it normally does with the rotary, only because I had to navigate a few narrow areas.

Over all, IÂm pretty please. I know this is only the start and not the peak growing season for Bermuda, but I donÂt foresee an issue and long as I stay on top of cutting when IÂm supposed to.

I agree with the previous comments, that after the ease of assembly, it took awhile to finally get the blades adjusted to where it needed to be.

I read some very good reviews for the new Fiskars mower so I bought one several weeks ago. I am sorely disappointed and will probably try to return it. It is easy to assembly and pushes quite easily, but the real test is how does it cut? I have a typical Maine lawn which is a mixture of grasses, dandelions, and other weeds. It does fairly well on the flat bladed grasses and the broadleaved weeds, but it won't touch anything that's round. The flower stalks of the dandelions just bow down and let it pass then pop right up again. There is some sort of a round-bladed grass in my lawn that does the same thing. I did the paper cut test to make sure the cutting blades were adjusted correctly and they seemed fine, so I guess it's just the nature of the mower. Has anyone had good luck with another brand of mower?

All reel mowers operate on the same basic cutting principle. They only work well on a well manicured lawn that is mowed regularly. A lot of folks don't have a well manicured lawn and/or don't mow regularly. Those are the reasons that the rotary made them obsolete decades ago.

Yup reel mowers are meant for triming grass only, nothing else.

Thanks for the replies. There's a challenge for some mechanical engineer: make a people-powered mower that will cut dandelion stems. I'd buy that one in a minute!

I just finished my first outing with the Momentum. The $270 price tag put me off, but when I saw it for $199 at Lowe's I ran out and got one.

First off, many thanks to jffryhrrsn for his comments - they really helped me through the setup and adjustment process.

My thoughts:

1. Get comfortable with the adjustment procedure, because you WILL be spending time doing that. That's the downside of the StaySharp system: you have to keep it well tuned. I'd recommend keeping the handle off, putting the mower up on a work table and spending a good 20-30 minutes adjusting the blades. Also bear in mind that tightening the locking bolts will bring the reel blade closer to the stationary blade, so get them adjusted, then pull the blade away a bit before tightening.

2. It's not terribly maneuverable. I used a Great States 18" mower before this, and the Momentum compares unfavorably to that model in its cornering. So plan your path to maximize long straight runs and minimize turning.

3. It edges really well. The wheel width = the blade width, so I was able to really get up against fences and other obstacles that I used to leave a 1" fringe around. I like that a great deal.

4. It is quiet, and it is easy to push. While it's heavier than my old model and difficult to lug, it's actually less effort to push it. Also unlike my old model, the blades have a lot of momentum and don't stop whenever I cross a sidewalk, hit a bump or whatever. That's very nice.

5. The handle is terrific - I prefer to keep my hands vertical, and this is the first mower I've had that is designed to let me do that. It also gives you the option to keep them vertical.

Overall, I'm pretty darned happy with this guy, and looking forward to many years of good use.

I have been eyeballing one of these reel mowers since December but had a hard time pulling the trigger to purchase one when my push mower still worked. Well, I just "happeend" to be walking through the Lowes lawnmower dept a week or two ago and spotted it sitting on display - at $190 how could I NOT buy it! :)

First of all, let me say that I only have approx 7000sqft of lawn to mow. The front yard is full KBG and the back is a mix of KBG and Tall Fescue. I love having a nice lawn and mowing my yard, but have always had a hard time telling my children "I can't play tonight, daddy has to cut the lawn again and you can't be in the yard when I'm doing it", so this was one of the main reasons I purchased the Fiskars. Here are my bullet points on likes/dislikes so far:

LIKES

1. It is very quiet! I goofed around and talked with my children as I mowed the lawn right next to them last night. I now can also cut my lawn when my children are asleep or taking naps.

2. It is no more difficult to push than my "non self propelled" craftsman mower, and may possibly be easier.

3. It cut right through my 4-4.5" high KBG down to 3" without breaking a sweat, and the fine clippings it kicks out just drop into my lawn, unlike my old gas mulcher which tended to clump. The grass in my back yard is extremely dense and thick and really should be mowed every 2-3 days as fast as it grows. The Fiskars cut right through it with only a little more effort than the front lawn.

4. It gives a very nicely groomed and level cut. This style of cutting is also healthier for my grass

5. It is so easy to just brush off and roll into the garage when i am done. Less space needed to store it as well.

6. No gas fumes or exhaust!

7. Love that it cut's up to 4" high.

8. It is fun (at least right now)! I enjoy the looks I am getting from neighbors and cars driving by :)

DISLIKES

1. I am 6'5" tall and have had a little bit of trouble getting used to the height/angle of the handle. But, I have this trouble with all sorts of things, so it's just a matter of getting my back and muscles used to the new positioning compared to my old mower.

2. I miss not being able to cut the grass on the "pull back" of the mower. it obviously only cuts when being pushed forward, but this is a small complaint.

That's it - I love everything else about it!

I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have them.

I purchased one and I am pleased.
Shame they did not have a bag yet. In the instructions it should tell you the height for the areas not marked, 1 to 4 inches is marked but not the other notches.
The plastic cover should have been made to remove easier for cleaning.
Otherwise, the best reel push on the market for the price.
Lowes had the best price and I bought a 10% off coupon on ebay for $.050. So I saved $19.50.

I'm researching this myself to see how well it would cut Bermuda. Everything I've read says you need 7 blade reel mowers for Bermuda and I think this only has five. However, many people seem to mow that type of grass just fine. Someone spoke about a grass-catcher in the post. Fiskar is coming out with a grass-catcher attachment for Spring 2011.

Can someone confirm or even speculate if the Fiskar's flywheel design is any different than McLane's manual front throw reel mowers? By the pics of both mower and the fact that the McLane is chain driven, seems to me they work the same way. If that's the case, the McLane may be the way to go if you want more blades and a grass catcher option.

Here is a link that might be useful: McLane reel mower

Having 7 blades like the McLanes is designed for short fine grass like a putting green. 5 and 6 blades are for heave thick grasses. I own 3 reel mowers. Fiskar's Momentum, Brill Razor 38 and the Mascot Silent Cut 18. I considered the 7 blade McLane, but read that its was designed for short putting surface style grass.

Yes there are both chain driven. But the McLane is heavier and does not come with a catcher either. I prefer the handle of the Fiskars any day of the week over the McLane

FWIW, Amazon list the shipping weight of the McLane push reel at 57lbs and the Fiskars at 55lbs...so pretty negligible. And yes the McLane doesn't come w/ a grass catcher, but it's available to purchase whereas, at the time of this post, there's no grass catcher option for the Fiskars. And if you want more blades, then the Fiskars is not an option at all.

I just registered here after reading all the posts regarding the fiskars and bermuda at the lower settings. I purchased a fiskars a couple of weeks ago and noticed the chopping look and the grabbing of the grass at the lower settings. I laid my bermuda 419 in my front yard a couple of months ago and have been trying to keep it at the lowest setting like it was from the sod farm. When the mower does not jam up and stop dead it its tracks I get a rippled look like someone else mentioned on another thread (setting at second notch). I was going to post a couple of pics but can't seem to figure out how. I have sent an email with pics to fiskars explaining the difficulty with my bermuda and will post a follow up if they can offer a fix. I don't want to have to send it back since I ordered it online and I think it is a nice mower, but if it won't glide through my bermuda, what's the use?

Someone mentioned that it needs a roller on the front instead of the two little wheels, what do you mean by that? I also have scott's classic 20" but didn't notice a roller on the front. I have read this explanation somewhere else too, but would like some clarification.

Thanks, so far I love the advice given here.

My lot is 7500 sq ft. I have carpal tunnel. The lawn is very established, thick grass with very few dandelions. Wild onions and crab grass are more of a problem. Would this lawnmower do well for me? I currently have a 21" non-self propelled mower. I want something that won't bother my neighbors and is good for the environment. The time cutting the grass isn't an issue with this lawn since it presently takes me about 45 minutes. (my last lawn took 3-4 hours).

How often do you have to sharpen these blades? How do you sharpen these blades?