I love mowing my grass with my reel mower.
Peace and quiet
Just the sound of two-stroke engines makes me tense. When I mow, birds land a few feet away to look for treasures in the newly cut grass.
Less hassle
I love to loan my mower to neighbors when they can’t start their gasoline engines. All the prep time really adds up. I just pull the mower out of shed and start. Even an electric mower requires cords or charging.
Easier to maneuver
Once I borrowed a neighbor’s self-propelled mower. It did not require pushing, but it was heavy, so turning corners was difficult. For a small yard, I find it much easier to use a reel mower.
Safer
A reel mower will stop on a tiny stick, which means I have to pickup the sticks before I mow, but it also means that a finger in the blade would hurt, but not be serious.
Evenly distributes clippings
Rotary mowers tend to blow all the clippings into piles dictated by your mowing pattern. Then you have to rake those piles. A reel mower distributes the clippings evenly on the yard. The clippings fall back into the grass and become compost.
Better for the environment
The only power source I consume is food! However, this is not my prime motivation. I really do think it is easier and more fun.