Sun Joe MJ1800M 18″ Quad-Wheel, Silent Push Reel Mower Review
Twenty or thirty years ago manual push mowers were thought of as being an antique Grandpa was forced to use in the olden days before the conveniences of electricity and gas-powered engines. Chances are if Grandpa encouraged you to give it a push you were accosted by a back-breaking level of effort accompanied by the grinding whine of rusty wheels and blades. This cliché experience was part of the process that pushed the manual push mower out of popularity.
Yet modern-day manufacturing precision, materials, and refreshed engineering have given the concept of the manual push mower a resurgence of popularity. This is further boosted by the zero carbon footprint that comes with using them. You see these principles at play in the Sun Joe MJ1800M 18-Inch Quad-Wheel, Silent Push Reel Mower.
It’s designed to be lightweight and easy to push, ringing in at only 34.6 pounds. It has four all-terrain wheels. The two in the front measure in at 10-inches, the two in the back are 6-inches in diameter.
It has an 18-inch cutting path with Sun Joe’s 5-blade RazorReel system, which is designed for precision cutting even thick bladed grass. The cutting profile has five different settings and can be set as low as 1.1 inches above the turf level up to 3.2-inches.
This mower was also designed to be easy to assemble and maintain. Straight out of the box, it shouldn’t take you more than 15-minutes to put it together. Sun Joe also backs the MJ1800M with a two-year warranty against manufacturer defects. This is on par with many of the competing manual push mowers.
Key Features
- Push Reel Manual Mower
- Zero Carbon Footprint
- 5 Blade RazorReel Cutting System
- Four All-Terrain Wheels
- 18-Inch Cutting Path
- 5 Height Settings From 1.1-Inches to 3.2-Inches
- Backed By A Two Year Manufacturer’s Warranty
Performance
As you can imagine, you are the driving engine of the Sun Joe MJ1800M 18-Inch Quad-Wheel, Silent Push Reel Mower. Though the overall effort it takes to move it across even slightly rough turf is much easier than you see than in the previous generation lawnmowers. This is thanks in part to the four all-terrain wheels and the precision 5-blade RazorReel cutting system.
Ease of Use
If there is a minor knock on this push mower it’s in the shape of the handle itself. For the average person, it isn’t an issue, and the way they are configured makes it easier to lean-in and drive the mower forward. For a broad-shouldered individual might wish that the handles had some type of flare to them.
Beyond that, this push reel manual mower is very smooth and easy to maintain.
Cut Quality & Options
The five-blade RazorReel system does a great job of cutting through even thick bladed grasses like Bermuda. The five adjustable height settings let you adjust the cutting profile as low as 1.1 inches for times when the local weather has been wet and sunny, promoting rapid growth. Yet you can also set it as high as 3.2 inches for dry times when you want to leave the grass long.
The Sun Joe MJ1800M shares a common foible with many manual reel push mowers in that it doesn’t have any sort of bagger or grass collection system. This is only really an issue during times when the length of your lawn gets away from you, which can leave long clippings that turn into suffocating thatch. The best way to avoid this is to mow your lawn regularly. This will make tiny grass clippings that decompose quickly to feed and fertilize the layers of the turf to promote new, vigorous growth.
Maintenance
For the most part, manual push reel mowers like the Sun Joe MJ1800M require very little maintenance. Occasionally you will need to lubricate the wheels and perhaps spray some penetrating lubricant on other moving parts.
The biggest maintenance thing that comes up with this type of lawnmower is the need to adjust the blades to make sure they are making proper contact with the strike plate. In this regard, the RazorReel cutting system is relatively easy. Though from time to time you will also need to sharpen the blades. This is par for the course with any manual push reel mower, and something that you would also need to do with a gas-powered lawnmower.
If you live somewhere that you have to put the lawnmower away in the winter, you might want to consider some rust prevention methods for the blade. This typically calls for giving the blades a thorough sharpening, and adjustment. Then lightly glaze it with a layer of penetrating oil. This helps hedge your bets against the chance of rust developing during the winter months. Especially if you live near the sea.
Safety Features
There aren’t any specific safety features with the Sun Joe MJ1800M. As a manual push mower, it stops when you stop.
Special Features
The 10-inch and 6-inch all-terrain wheels might not seem like all that special of a feature when you are reading them on the screen. They do however give it extra traction, which can be handy for times when you are mowing slightly damp grass.
The height adjustment system is also very easy to use, which lets you set it to just the right height for your grass.
Cost Effectiveness
Manual push reel mowers are essentially the height of cost-effectiveness. They have a zero-carbon footprint, there is no fuel cost beyond what it takes you to cook breakfast, you don’t have to buy filters spark plugs or pay for oil changes.
In time you will likely find yourself getting better at sharpening and adjusting the blades.
