Overview
Engineered for eco-friendly trimming, the American Lawn Mower Company 1204-14 delivers a precise 4-blade reel cut—no gas, no noise, no emissions. At only 20 lb (9.1 kg), this push mower is perfect for small to medium yards and requires minimal maintenance.
Key Features
- 4-Blade Reel System: Scissor-action cutting promotes healthier, shinier grass.
- 14″ (35.6 cm) Cutting Width: Covers more ground efficiently with each pass.
- 5-Position Height Adjustment: Customize grass length from 0.5″–1.75″ (1.3–4.4 cm).
- Lightweight Design: Weighs just 20 lb (9.1 kg) for effortless pushing and storage.
- Durable Construction: Alloy steel blades and 8.5″ polymer wheels for long-lasting performance.
Technical Specifications
| Brand | American Lawn Mower Company |
|---|---|
| Cutting Width | 14″ (35.6 cm) |
| Number of Blades | 4 hardened steel |
| Height Adjustment | 5 positions: 0.5″–1.75″ (1.3–4.4 cm) |
| Weight | 20 lb (9.1 kg) |
| Dimensions | 24″ D × 20″ W × 42.5″ H (61.0 × 50.8 × 108.0 cm) |
| Operation Mode | Manual push |
| Material | Alloy steel & polymer wheels |
| UPC | 026479120445 |
What’s in the Box
- 1204-14 push reel mower
- Assembly tool & operator’s manual
Choose precision and sustainability—mow greener with the American Lawn Mower Company 14″ push reel mower.
I live in South Carolina, so I’ve mowed my lawn 10+ times already.
I have a total of 2,300 ft^2, so a small lawn. Takes me 15-20 minutes to cut it.
Mine came with the bag, which, although it works, could be better. I cut my lawn every 3-4 days to avoid it getting too high.
I bought the seven-blade model because I felt it would be better than the five-blade. More blades have less chance of pushing the grass before the next blade cuts it. Kinda like a six-blade razor vs a one-blade.
Once I’m done mowing, I spray the blades with a dry lube or WD-40 and put it away.
What is different is that with this mower, you can’t get as close to a wall or edge due to the wheel as you can with a rotary mower. Here, the blades are inboard of the wheels vs a rotary that has the deck/blade wider than the wheels.
Enter this excellent "old-fashioned" tool. I love being able to find tools like this that are well-made with attention to quality and last-ability, if I may coin a word. My kiddo is steeped in the electronic, tech age and to see the ingenuity and resourcefulness of times past really thrills him. Every time he uses it, he gets great exercise, learns attention to detail in the way he has to manipulate it to get every last blade of grass, and afterwards, he has such a sense of accomplishment! He repeatedly tells me, 'I am IN LOVE with this machine!' Also, I have to say, it handles longer weeds or overgrowth pretty darn well, with a bit of effort and elbow grease! Wouldn't recommend it for cutting that all the time, but in spurts it works really well on taller grass. Just be patient and go at it in sections and it will handle the cut quite well.
Couldn't ask for better craftsmanship. Heavy and substantial materials that appear to be made to last. The cut is crisp, clean, and precise. The only thing I could wish was that the rollers were made of heavy duty rubber rather than thick plastic. I think they might hold up better over time that way. Love the adjustability of the height of the cut! A bit of work to rig it the first time, but super steady afterward.
Also, putting it together wasn't too tough, but the little locks that hold the base of the handle to the actual machine were just adequate, however. I'm afraid they might wear down rather quicker than I'd like. Also, if I may be so bold as to suggest it, including four of them might be a great customer service perk. Just in case one gets bent or lost, or one wears out faster than the other. I don't really want to place an order for two measley locks, y'know what I'm sayin'? I suppose I could run to Home Depot or our local hardware store to get something I could rig to work, but including a couple sets would just be nicer all 'round.
In conclusion, BUY THIS if you've been wanting/needing a really efficient, cost-effective, non-fossil-fuel, non-electric, well-built and sturdy mower for your yard. Do be very cautious about twigs and stones or rocks, though. You wouldn't want to muck up these blades, and if anything will do that, it would be those two things. But if you set your cutting height to the highest cut (which is really best for your grass), twigs, etc., aren't really much of an issue unless you never rake your grass or have a plethora of older trees that drop lots of stuff into your yard.
It was extremely easy to assemble. The manual was not all that useful / a little aggravating, but assembly manuals tend to be. There are three screws you use to assemble the handle -- make sure to use the shortest one for the single hole (towards the top of handle assembly), not that it's a big deal if you accidentally put it in the wrong place. I finger-tightened the plastic knobs... no tools required for that. I was a little confused by the e-clips so I looked at a very short video on Youtube to see how they might be put on. I used needlenose pliars for that. I was careful doing that because, as many people have pointed out, the blades are very sharp. You put the handle on the metal orange nibs (I also was a little unclear on where to attach the handle, though a glance at a different Youtube video helped me see that clearly).
Normally at this stage in my life, I'm not a big procrastinator. But I have to admit that I had been procrastinating doing anything about the back yard here, where I moved in late November (about four and a half months ago). I moved from a 99 year old house where we had landscaped our tiny yard to have no lawn, into a newer structure built on red clay. Never understimate what can grow in red clay! It might not be what you want, but plants will grow. Through late fall and winter, and really until fairly recently, the back yard was largely mud -- It's been another rainy year. Then things started growing, and I was curious to see what would emerge. Also, the pollen has been noxious, so I've not wanted to spend a lot of time out there (used a bandana over mouth and nose to reduce breathing pollen). I knew eventually I was going to have to figure out what to do back there. It isn't a large yard but is at least twice the size of my previous yard. Still not sure what all I will do, but now I have a way to keep grass and weeds at bay.
I feel like it works pretty well on weeds. There are both weeds and grass in the back yard. I'm not looking for a manicured lawn back there, I just want to keep growth somewhat in check. There's a quite small area that had gotten very dense and long, and the mower actually did a good job cutting that long grass and weeds, though after I raked it (for 'fun'), I did notice I'll need to go back over some of it again in a couple of days. With long stuff, it wraps around the axles (?), so I had to pull grass / weeds out a couple of times (it's a good idea to wear work gloves for that, and even be careful wearing the work gloves... and I used the needle nose pliars again, to do that, before storing the mower in a shed that I now see is kind of damp and probably not the best place to store it).
Definitely keep pets and children away from it. My dog would have followed me around the yard with it but I made her stay in. Again, the blades are sharp.
If everyone would use mowers like this, we wouldn't have such anal lawn maintenance to compete with ;) Not that it doesn't so a great job of mowing. It does. I'm just not very picky about things sticking up here and there. Also, we'd have less noise and fumes from mowers (though of course I realize there is environmental impact in its production).
I was so anxious before mowing ... Had let things get a little beyond where I would have liked. Was actually excited about this mower when I ordered it, and I rarely allow myself to feel excited. Now that I've used it and gotten the back yard somewhat in check, I feel relief!
Strongly recommend!
So I finally decided to see if any old-fashioned mowers still existed, because I would much rather deal with something slower and time-consuming if it meant I wouldn't have to deal with using a normal lawn mower.
Imagine my surprise when I found that there are /new/ manual lawnmowers, and I can just order them from Amazon!
So I decided I had nothing left to lose, and I would give it a try.
Best. Decision. EVER.
NOTE OF ADVICE: If you have difficulty putting it together (specifically, attaching the handle to the blade part), find someone with more upper-body strength to help you. They'll get it done in two seconds. (it took me half an hour of attempting to do so before I gave up and waited for my sister to get home so she could help me)
Also: it only cuts while you're pushing it forward, so all you have to do to move it when you're not cutting is to pull it along behind you.
As for cutting grass? I love it. It works perfectly, aside from a few snags on branches that I didn't notice. If you move it forward and back a few times, you can cut even tall weeds! Much easier than pulling them out by hand in the areas that the normal gas mower can't reach.
It's not silent, but it's also not the deafening roar of a gas mower. If I had to describe the sound, I'd say it's a whooshing sound, and much much quieter than a gas mower. Plus, you don't have to deal with your arms vibrating or constantly having to turn the mower back on!
No more buying gas, no more struggling to pull on the cord hard enough to turn the mower on, and no more complicated wire-pulling to turn it off.
All I have to do is push forward, and the grass gets cut. Stop walking, and it stops cutting. It's easy to maneuver, and it's not so heavy that I can't pick it up and carry it up a flight of stairs to my porch if I need to.
I'm never using a gas mower again.