This is the safest and easiest to use mower I have ever used. There is no gas engine to be hard to start, no extension cord to mow or to electrocute you if the grass is wet, and yet it powers through even thick grass without balking.
When my gas rotary mower died after 22 years I really didn't want another one. My yard has a lot of obstacles and a lot of debris which can get picked up and thrown dangerously by a mower. (I don't leave this stuff in the grass, but neighborhood cats knock stuff off of tables.) I used a manual reel mower for a bit but it wasn't very effective and was very hard to use if the grass got too high. I ordered the MJ420C on a lark to see if it would work better than the manual mower.
And does it! I waded into a lawn of six to eight inch St. Augustine grass and the MJ420C just devoured it. In such thick grass you just take it slowly, so that the motor doesn't strain too much; the option to take tall grass slowly doesn't exist with a manual reel mower because if you go too slow the reel doesn't turn.
It weighs about the same as a smaller gas rotary mower because it has the battery instead of the gas engine, but it's much easier to maneuver because of its short form factor. It actually takes me less time to mow my yard with this mower than it did with a 19 inch gas rotary mower. Since the reel needs much less power than a rotary blade the relatively modest battery lasts long enough to mow a typical overgrown suburban lawn. And because of the lower power and operating speeds it won't pick up a rock and fling it at you the way a rotary mower will. But unlike a manual reel mower it will mow tall thick grass and chew up smaller sticks and twigs that jam a manual reel fast. If you do hit something that jams it the reel just stops; release the handle, clear the jam, and keep mowing. No need to worry about getting killed or destroying your mower if you hit the wrong thing.
There were a couple of minor negatives. The handle was a bit tricky to assemble because the bolts were on the short side and I had to do it in a different order than the manual showed to get them to stick through the tubing far enough to get the nuts on. Someone who isn't physically strong might have trouble setting the handle on the studs that connect it to the mower. And the clippings bag is pretty useless; I didn't collect clippings from my old mower and I just leave it off and let the clippings go onto the lawn.
As another reviewer pointed out there is not in fact a backup mode where you can use it like a manual reel mower. Once you've used it a couple of times the way it's intended you will understand why. You can recharge the battery in about four hours, and it's worth the wait.
The cordless powered reel is a fairly new class of mower and so far only a few products like this one are available, but as long as they are I will never own another rotary mower again. Sun Joe MJ420C Mow Joe 16-Inch 24 Volt Cordless Electric Reel Lawn Mower With Grass Catcher
One of the features that attracted me to purchase this mower was,as stated in the description,that in the event that the battery lost its charge the unit could be used as a push mower.
After several attenpts to get this function to work I called the manufacturer. The representative asked me if I had tried to get it work on concrete to which I replied yes. Then after a couple of minutes on hold she came back with "Oh don't do anything". I responded "No It also states in the owners manual that it works as a push mower and that it was this funtion of being able to use as a push that I purchased this unit.
She then stated that they had one in the back and would try to get it to work as such and would call me back. After a couple of hours she caled me and informed me that it does not work as a push mower.
I immediately returned the mower to Amazon and I must say that I received my refund very promtly.
Thank you Amazon.
This mower is simply a cheaply made piece of junk. Listen to the my fellow unhappy reviewers and do not buy it. When folks say the bag doesn't stay on, let me explain what that means. It means that tiny bag, which only holds a small amount to begin with, bounces off every 4-5 feet even on a flat yard. It's not easy to re-rig it to say on, either, especially since you'll need to set it up so that you can also remove it very frequently for emptying. Mowing without the bag means the grass is spit all over your feet as you go - not safe, either. It's very hard to push, even over a relatively flat lawn. The safety turns the mower off very frequently for hitting a small bump, little twig, or thicker weed in the lawn. Although it does roll, it's so difficult to push that it feels like you're just shoving it around instead of rolling it. Although the fact that it is light weight and an affordable rechargeable is enticing, you will not get a mower that you can actually use. We will trying to return it immediately.
We just moved to a location that has a small yard. We are seniors and my husband is not well enough to perform yard work so I wanted a small light weight mower, did not want to worry about gas, oil, and pulling starter cords. I also didn't to worry about mowing over a cord.
This seemed to be a perfect solution. It is small and light weight. The battery is small and light weight, charges as stated and does last longer than I need it to mow my yard. My lawn is very uneven so I am glad it is light weight, but it does not seem to turn very easy.
The problems I have are: It does not seem to cut very well - I end up with grass pushed over and not cut - are the blades not sharp enough? Also, the catcher bag is poorly designed. Since the grass shoots out the back I cannot mow without the bag but the bag will not stay connected to mower and drags and the grass shoots out over the bag and I still get covered with grass and I worry about getting hit by flying objcets.
Would I purchase this again? Probably not, I think I would spend a little more money and get something that moves easier and mows better. - Cordless Lawn Mower - Cordless Mower'
Detail Products
Detail Reviews
Click here for more information
