EcoMower Review: Is the Manual Lawn Mower Worth It?
The ecomower can be worth it — especially for a small, well-kept lawn — if you’re okay with doing
The ecomower can be worth it — especially for a small, well-kept lawn — if you’re okay with doing more physical work and don’t need heavy duty power.
What the ecomower is
The ecomower is a manual push-reel lawn mower. Instead of a gas or electric motor, you simply push it across your grass and it cuts the grass by blades rotating as you move. Because there’s no engine, it promises benefits like quiet operation, no fuel or battery cost and less maintenance.
Advantages
Low running cost
You don’t need petrol or electricity. That means no fuel tank to fill, no spark plug to check, and minimal mechanical upkeep.
Quiet & eco-friendly
Without a motor, it’s much quieter than powered mowers. You won’t have the engine roar, and you won’t have fuel fumes. This makes it more pleasant for you, and also less disturbing for neighbours.
Clean cut
Manual reel mowers like the ecomower often deliver a clean shearing cut, which is healthier for grass than some rotary mowers that chop or tear it. This can help the lawn look neater and possibly grow better.
Lightweight & simple design
Because the machine has fewer parts (no motor, no battery, no fuel system), you’ll likely get something that’s lighter, easier to maneuver, and easier to store. If your lawn is small and you want something simple, it’s a good match.
Important trade-offs & things to check
Physical effort required
Because you’re doing the work of pushing and cutting manually, you’ll need to apply more physical effort. If your lawn is large, very uneven, or full of long grass/weeds, the manual mower will make you work harder than a powered one.
Not ideal for long, rough or very thick grass
If you let your lawn grow too long, or if the grass is thick/weedy, manual mowers tend to struggle. They work best when the grass is mowed frequently and the terrain is smooth. If you wait too long between cuts, you might regret choosing a manual tool.
Maintenance still matters
Even though you don’t have an engine, you still have blades that need to be kept sharp, and the mower must be used at the correct height. Some users of manual reel mowers say that blades will eventually need sharpening and that the finish depends on how well the blades are maintained.
Support & availability may be limited
There is evidence that the company behind the ecomower is no longer active or widely supported, meaning spare parts, replacements or service may be harder to find. If you buy one, check whether parts/blades are available, or whether there are equivalent models from other brands with full support.
Best use case for the ecomower
- You have a small to medium sized lawn, flat and regularly maintained.
- You prefer silent mowing, minimal emissions, and simple equipment over speed or power.
- You don’t mind the extra physical input and are comfortable pushing a manual tool.
- You mow often enough so the grass isn’t too long, and you keep on top of trimming and lawn care.
- You can verify that blades or parts are accessible for that model (or you are prepared to buy a similar reel mower from a brand with good support).
When it might not be the right choice
- If your lawn is large, has steep slopes or rough patches — then a powered mower will save you time and effort.
- If you let the grass grow very long between mows, or if the grass type is tough or weedy — manual models will struggle.
- If you want features like bagging grass, self-propelling, mulching or cutting very wide swaths — these are often better handled by powered mowers.
- If you’re worried about parts/support being hard to find for this specific model — you might be better off with a current model from an active brand.
