Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

First, I'll start by saying that I purchased this mower in 2015, right before the start of spring, to mow the 0.22 acre lot at my new house. This is the smallest yard I've ever mowed. I also had not (at that time) mowed a yard in over 6 years, the result of living in an apartment with a parking lot for a front yard. That being said, first time around the yard beat me up something bad. I was super out of shape, and even though this is a 30-35 lb mower, on such a small lot, it took me over an hour. I should be clear on that point: that was on me, not the mower. It performed perfectly, right out of the box. Knowing that a mower of this style require more frequent mowing when the grass is at shorter lengths, I spent the whole summer keeping the lawn looking pristine by mowing twice a week, mowing every 10 days at the very most. The blades cut evenly and smooth, and did not leave white tips on the grass after a session, indicating a very sharp, quick cut. You have a 20" advertised cutting width, but you're better off trying to cut around 15" wide, and overlapping a bit to make sure you don't leave strips. Over the summer, just from the effort of pushing this mower, I probably lost about 5-7 pounds, and was able to cut my yard work down from over an hour, to just under 45 minutes! The yard always looked better than the neighbor's too, but that might be biased :) Now, fast forward to this year. I've cut my grass twice thus far. And I'm shopping for gas-powered mowers at my local hardware store. Don't get me wrong, I've loved this mower, and I'll definitely keep it around and in working order. But a mower like this require constant vigilance on your part. If you're not pushing this thing around your yard a couple times a week, you're going to have a bad time. Simply put, life gets in the way. Busy with work, busy with family, busy with all the joys of home ownership. Next thing you know, the grass is 6", and you're about to have a bad time. Even with the deck cranked all the way up, you're going to have an incredibly difficult mowing session in front of you. I just recently mowed for the first time this year, after neglecting the yard at least a week longer than I should have. Took over 3 hours, with two passes over the entire yard at two different deck heights. And now, the wild and wonderful Virginia springtime has bestowed upon us 15 straight days of rain. On that note, don't even THINK of pushing this thing around in the rain. Forget it. I wouldn't even try mowing the morning dew. Seriously. But you know what? I still love this mower. Even if I go the petrol powered route, I'll keep this thing for lite duty in between. It's a quality instrument, and has yet to need sharpening or oiling in the two years I've had it. Never bothered with the sharpening kit sold her, most reviewers stated the blades have never needed sharpening, and the manufacturer touts a 10-year lifespan on the blade's edge. The bagger attachment American Lawn Mower 1ST-SP Reel Mower Grass Catcher has it's uses, but it's quite flimsy. good for getting a few passes-worth of clippings to mulch your raised beds. Boosted my tomatoes with that technique last year. But I digress. Cliffs: It's a damn good mower, IF you can keep up with your yard. 0.50+ acre lots need not apply.