Gardena 4022 Silent Cylinder Manual Push Reel Mower Review
The Gardena 4022 Silent Cylinder Manual Push Reel Mower is quiet and is as environmentally friendly as a grass-cutting machine can be. It’s advertised as being “optimal for the perfectionist that dreams of that perfectly kept English lawn.” Well, perfectionism isn’t the best trait to have, and not everybody lives in England. But what most summertime mowers have in common is they want a machine that delivers a precise cut every time. The Gardena 4022 does a decent job with that objective thanks to its cutting cylinder that cuts upward like scissors, leaving grass with a full look. This cylinder, as well as the bottom cutting blade, don’t touch, making the mowing experience with 4022 a pleasant chore.
The mower is easy to push and is designed with comfort in mind. Its large wheels make steering easy and provide great grip. It has four easy-to-read cutting heights and, when you’re done mowing, the foldable handle means you can transport it to a storage area with ease, and it won’t take up much space at all.
This is an ideal mower for urban, small-plot yards that may have a garden. Operators won’t have to worry about plugging anything in, using gas, a loud noise, or dealing with technical maintenance issues. It’s a great mower for city folks on the go, and its low cutting heights will keep lawns looking pristine!
Key Features
- Innovative contact-free cutting for low-noise, precise cut
- Equipped deflector provides controlled grass ejection
- Four cutting heights from approximately half of an inch to an inch and a half
- Comfortable, ergonomically shaped handle and large wheels for good grip on grass and maneuverability
- Lightweight and easy to push
- 16-inch cutting path
- Four cutting heights that keep grass low to the ground and looking pristine
Performance
Here’s the deal: It’s no secret that reels can sometimes be delicate machines and are best used on flat yards that don’t contain debris that can entangle, bump, puncture, or break the parts or areas of a mower. Upon first use, you’ll likely observe that the 4022 is pretty effortless to use as it rolls over grass. You’ll hold it with one hand as you push, marveling at its lightness and the clippings being sliced beneath you. It can cut grass short, too, making you feel like this is the perfect landscaping machine.
But give it a few months, because sometimes reels can disappoint. Chances are good that they’re going to knock against tree roots, get caught up in twigs, and have to church through thick leaves. Once the real world of mowing sets in, you may not love your reel as much as you did when you first bought it.
Still, it’s hard not to get excited about the eco-friendliness of a mower like this one, and when they’re firing on all cylinders, they really do provide a precise cut that leaves lawns looking lush and very natural looking. From environmentally conscious 20-somethings to middle-aged and elderly folks who may not be able to deal as well with heavyweight mowers, there’s an appealing element to reels due to their light weight and low-maintenance needs.
Ease of Use
An ergonomically shaped handle makes this lightweight mower a joy to push, and the large wheels make steering easy and provide solid maneuverability. With the 4022, there’s no need to fill anything up with gas, plug anything into a wall socket, charge any batteries, or deal with pesky technical and electronic maintenance issues. It’s ready to mow when you are, and when you’re finished, fold the handle over and transport it to any space you happen to have on hand–it won’t need much storage room at all.
Keep in mind too that although the 4022 is specially designed to move with quiet ease over flat terrain, sometimes reels can struggle on hardened, rocky land. So yes, it’s lightweight, but treels sometimes require that extra push to keep them going, which builds muscles and provides great exercise.
Cut Quality & Options
This hand cylinder reel has a deflector on it that suitably controls how grass is ejected. And if you’re a neat freak, feel free to purchase the available grass catcher that can be used with this machine.
This mower has an innovative cutting system that slices blades like scissors, which ultimately prevents grass disease and can offer a lush, full look. The cylinder and bottom blade never touch, meaning the mowing experience will be super quiet, and the steel cylinder has a non-stick coat for less mess when it comes to debris.
Overall, there’s just a gentleness to this mower that will give your lawn a green and cared-for look, provided you don’t let the grass get too long. Then you may have some issues and have to make a few passes to get the job done right.
Maintenance
You’ll need to make sure on a reel that all nuts and bolts are fully secure and tight as can be. Sometimes the jolt of everyday terrain can make a perfectly operating reel suddenly feel like a loose-bolted machine that can’t hang on to all of its parts. Keep the parts, especially the moving parts, clean of debris. Fold in the handle when you’re finished with the job to keep it tucked in. Doing so will make it less likely that the machine will fall over and break. Store it in a dry place; the storage temperature for a reel doesn’t matter like it does for other mowers.
Safety Features
Grass churns out of the 4022 in an upward manner that resembles a fountain in a lake. This is mentioned because this form of ejection means mowers won’t get grass clippings all over their shoes, and debris won’t eject directly into the shins to cause bodily harm.
The blade is protected by a deflector from the front, though operators can reach in to the back opening to clean the blade. The blade itself is not overly sharp, but always use caution when cleaning it of debris and follow the safety manual for cleaning instructions.
Special Features
It may be a non-electric, non-gas-powered machine, but that doesn’t mean the 4022 isn’t innovative in its own specialized way. The contact-free cutting design of the mower–meaning the cutting cylinder and bottom blade don’t ever touch–allows for a low-noise, precise-cutting job.
Cost Effectiveness
There are certainly cheaper reels on the market than this one. What makes the 4022 pretty special is its ability to cut precisely via innovative no-touch technology. In addition, it’s an environmentally friendly mower that does not require much in the way of maintenance. It runs on operators’ willpower rather than gas, oil, sparkplugs, batteries, filters, and vents that need to remain unobstructed for optimal performance. In short, the Gardena 4022 won’t break the bank after you purchase it. The key is to use it gently to keep it going for as many seasons as possible. Reels can start durably and reliably but don’t always last for the long haul.
