EcoMowers Helix Reel Mower

This is my first personal purchase of a mower. When I was a kid I had to use a variety of mowers-- riding mowers, push mowers, self-propelled mowers, and even a full-sized farm tractor with a mower attachment-- but those were all my dad's mowers. When I moved out as an adult, I lived in apartments and never needed to mow the lawn. Finally, I moved into a house and the first thing I realized is that I would need to cut my lawn and I had no tools to do so.I looked at electric mowers, which were nice but came in two varieties: inexpensive but corded, and pricey with a battery. Neither appealed to me. I considered a traditional push mower, but I didn't want to fuss with gas, oil, and engine troubles (I'd had my fill of that as a kid). I finally started looking at reel mowers and realized they'd be perfect for my small lawn.The mower arrived in a box in three pieces. You simply snap the lower part of the handle onto some pegs and insert some pins to hold it in place, then attach the top part of the handle with a couple screws, and you're done. It's ready to go! You can adjust it upward if you want, but it comes in the lowest position and I left it there.My family said I shouldn't get a reel mower because it would be "too hard to push", but you know what? This thing is easier to handle than most gas-powered push mowers I've used. It weighs less, and I can even push it one-handed. It's fairly agile on the lawn, and only cuts when going forward. If anything, this was better than a traditional lawnmower in terms of pushing it. Of course, the self-propelled type would be easier, but they're also really expensive and, frankly, overkill for my lawn. Either way, if you're hemming and hawing over buying this because you're afraid you can't handle pushing it, let me tell you that if Mr. Arthritic Knees here can push it, you can, too.The handle has a nice spongy grip, and the base of the unit has a handle on it as well allowing you to pick it up with ease. There's nothing to tune up, no fuel to add, no oil to measure, no fumes, no complicated mechanisms, and the noise is very low. Yes, it still makes noise but it's nothing compared to the sound of a traditional lawnmower's engine. You can still hear the world around you with this mower in use, and when you're done you don't have that droning in the back of your head from the constant hum and growl of a mower engine.It doesn't blow clippings out to the side like a traditional gas mower, instead just slicing the grass and leaving it behind. If you're like me you prefer to maintain the lawn regularly and leave the clippings. Raking grass is for suckers, and the folks at Helix have a nice section in their manual that explains the reasons why you should leave your clippings, and why they won't harm your lawn.And let's face it: At the end of the day, this is about the lowest-cost lawnmower you're going to find. Not just in the initial price, but in the upkeep.Finally, the lack of engine exhaust makes this much more pleasurable to use, and makes you feel like a decent person for not adding to the world's troubles. That's not the reason I bought it, but it's a nice bonus.Bottom line: This is an excellent reel mower that even your grandma can push around (probably). This isn't like the reel mowers from the early 20th century. This thing is cleverly designed and will make mowing your lawn a bit more pleasurable. Five stars. Very happy.

I bought an econline mower a few months ago and was initially quite happy with it. It took maybe a month for the blades to stop reliably engaging when I tried to use it. I ended up throwing it in a dumpster. Would not buy again

I only need to mow a narrow strip of grass between driveways, so I wasn't about to hire a lawn service to do this work, and it seemed crazy to spend hundreds of dollars on a gas or electric powered mower. This was the perfect solution to my problem. The mower is sturdy and well made, it pushes quite easily, and the height of the mowing is adjustable.The assembly was simple, but the instructions for assembly were confusing. I ended up just looking at the pieces and figuring out what went where. Overall, quite happy with the purchase, would recommend it if you don't have too large of a lawn to mow with it.

Very light weight and easy to handle.

It works great for small EVEN lawns. My lawn had more than a few dips in it and it was tough. However, it did the job and we a good deal for the price. I would probably purchase it again in a pinch.

I should have bought a Fiskars

what a great lawnmower. I totally love it. it is so easy to push.

I just bought the Helix Ecomower to compliment my Fiskars Momentum so my girlfriend can have some fun too. I am a bit disappointed as the Helix is not nearly the Machine that the Fiskars is. The Helix is light and appears well made but it cuts quite uneven and requires multiple passes in order to get a descent looking lawn. Retail pricing on the Fiskars and the Helix are very similar, but the Fiskars is 10 times the machine.