I would not recommend reel mowers to the average guy. Unless your reelly,
D), looking for a striped, & manicured look, get a rotary mower.
No, you don't have to sharpen them a lot, mine go 50+ hrs without any attention, rotary blades can't go that long, and still have any kind of edge. Golf courses generally sharpen them weekly, because they put 40 hrs. on them in a week. They change the engine oil once a week too.
Reels are best for short, fine cutting, in thick healthy grass. They provide a scissor quality cut, that cannot be duplicated by a rotary mower.
You can do cool things like mow in, or immediately after, pouring rain, and even cut grass that is flooded, and under water. They really don't care. And they do not throw objects, like a rotary.
Finish cut reels do require mowing short, and more often, (i.e. daily in some cases). They will skip right over items too long to fit in the cutting gap.(i.e weeds). This means spending lots of money on fertilizer, chemicals, and water.
Rough cut reels (probably what your looking at), can handle the tall grass, and weeds better, but produce a less manicured look.
Both can also take considerable power to run, or pull.
Running over a stone, or metal stake, has the potential to do some very expensive damage.
Parts can be very expensive. Every time I call, It seems like it's over $100, no matter what it is I need.
