I had the same question lol but i just purchased a Mclane 20inch 3.5hp 10 blade one from home depot for $599 and its listed on the mclane website for 1000 dollars!!!!! i just bought it yesterday and omg i love it lol The mower isnt listed on the website at home depot.com and only random stores have it u have to call around and ask them if they carry the mclane reel mower 10 blade. IMO u pay an extra 80 bucks and u get a beast 10 blade machine.

I am surprised at the pricing differential as well. Whether 7 blade or 10 blade, a price from $550 to $600 is very good given that McLane wants $950 to $1000 on their website. The Amazon price of $730 sounds about right, which would be a $200 discount from McLane list price.

Keep in mind that the Sears mower is some kind of "Sears Only" model, which has probably been "dumbed-down" to lower the price point. The Sears engine has the older "Pulsa-Jet" carburetor with tank below the carb. The Amazon, as well as current Mclane production, now uses a Briggs with a float-feed carb, and the gas tank is above (gravity feed) the carb. That may result in the difference in torque ratings, although torque and horsepower ratings are subject to all kinds of manufacturer's manipulation. I suspect the $599 Home Depot model is also the older pulsa-jet as it is rated 3.5hp vs. 4hp with the Walbro float carb.

Internet pricing can be crazy, so it pays to shop around. On the Tool Shed Forum a few days ago, a post had questions about McLane Edger pricing. Amazon had a 101 for $300 ($430 list) and an 801 for $330 ($525 list), yet wanted $650 for the 4G7P Honda Engine, which is full list price. Go figure.

I was wondering if anyone could help me with a recommendation. I just replaced my Centipede with Zoysia. I was looking to purchase a McLane reel mower as well. I have looked all over the internet and the prices are widely varying. I wasn't sure which would be my best bet for a yard 0.5 -1 acre. I was guessing 20" but I had no idea which engine/mower. ANy help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Regarding Amazon's pricing: I always buy an unrelated product for $2.30 each, but saw Amazon come up in Google, so I took a look. They wanted about $6 each for the same thing.

Is your square footage for the entire lot, or for the net lawn area?

If you are talking about a 1/2 acre lot (20,000sf) with 10,000 - 12,000 sf of lawn, the 20" machine is probably adequate. However, If you are talking about an acre lot with 25,000 sf of lawn, or worse yet 40,000 sf of lawn, even a 25" mower will be a back breaker. Keep in mind that even though self-propelled, a reel lawnmower is slower than equivalent size rotary and generally requires more effort.

That said, for non-commercial homeowner use the Briggs and Stratton OHV engine is a good one. The Honda GX140/GX160 is a "Cadillac" but is significantly more expensive and is meant for commercial usage.

Lastly, if your lawn requires a 25" or 27" mower, I'd strongly suggest you look past the McLane and consider either Tru-Cut or Trimmer front throw machines.

Thank you so much for your help. My yard is about 12,000 sq ft of lawn. I took your advice and ordered a 20". I went with Tru-Cut and I should have it Monday. Thanks for taking the time to help me. I owe you one. Andy

Sears is offering the McLane 20 in. Cut Path Reel Mower for $599.99. Does anyone know if this is a manual push mower or is it propelled by it's engine? I like the price but I don't want to push.

The mower is self propelled, using a roller drive.

However, I Googled Sears/McLane and came up with the listing, which is dated 2010. That Sears ad is older than the original posting here on Garden Web. Sears does let me order the mower and have delivered for free to the Quakerbridge (Lawrenceville, NJ) store.

Keep in mind that the picture shows the older Briggs Pulsa-Jet engine, which has been out of production for several years. Still, at $599 it would be a good deal.

Thanks for the info. I'll still wait to see the mower when I pick it up at Sears. If it has no roller, I will refuse the order. I don't want to pay $650 and have to push the mower.

I usaed both links and I saw the same price. The Amazon offered free shipping.

I have one for sale