MOWERBLOGGING! Reader Eugene Dillenburg writes: “I know you blog about reel mowers sometimes. I bought a 16″ Craftsman last week, and tried it out for the first time tonight. Wonderful! Lightweight, quiet, maneuverable, and cuts like a dream — even long grass. (Grass so long it has flopped over is still problematic, but that’s true for any reel mower. Incentive to mow more often / get more exercise!) Under $100. Construction is a little lightweight, but if it holds up, it will easily be the best mower I’ve ever used.”

I have the Scotts reel mower, which works great, and which even a 9-year-old InstaDaughter could use. I still think the robot lawn mower is cool, though.

UPDATE: Reader Chris Kobus writes:

Glenn – I love my reel mower! I didn’t get it to save the environment. I got it for the exercise, and excellent exercise it is. I also have a Scotts that I bout at Amazon. I have worked mowing the lawn into my cardio. I run over to the gym and ride the elliptical for 30 minutes at a pretty good clip, burning about 470 kcals, then mow the lawn with the push reel that takes about an hour. I end up burning through 1,300 calories in a little over an hour, and it feels great. My old gas-powered push mower did about the same as the bearings had gone bad, but now I get the benefit minus the noise.

And you don’t have to mess with buying and storing gasoline.