I give this reel mower 8 out of 10 acorns. I got one last year, and I like that I can adjust the height of the handle. THis is wonderful, because it means my 4 year old son can push it around. He LOVES to push it around. I move move the blades up to 2-3 inches so it's easier for him to cut and he's less likely to destroy the blade on the rocks. He's been using it since he was three.
It does a great job of cutting normal grass, and I like that I can cut right up to the edges of garden beds with it. That's a big plus. BUT, it does not just "crab" grass. At all. I can mow over the grass multiple times, from multiple directions, and it just flattens it down. And, though it has a three inch high setting, I've found that it won't really cut grass that's much above 4 or 5 inches. It just flattens it...or stops and won't mow at all. That's rather a bummer, because it means that if I go more that 5 days in the spring without mowing, I
can't mow. My scythe comes in handy then, but a scythe isn't really good in small spaces.
This mower is also hard to get going. It's heavy, so pushing it up a hill is hard, and starting from a stop is hard. Once you get rolling, it's not too bad. I mean, like I said earlier, my 4 year old can push it around on flat grass, and my 1.5 year old can push it around on pavement. It's also hard to make tight corners. You have to stop, back up, and then go again in the new direction. I have a different reel mower that takes corners better, though it doesn't cut as evenly or well (I got this one because the other wan't that fantastic).
I love being able to mow my lawn without worrying about rocks or sticks flinging out and hitting my kids in the face. Here I am, pulling my daugher in a wagon, while pushing this mower. I couldn't do that with powered mower!
And I love that it is quite, and requires no power or gas. I just wish it cut that stinkin' crab grass better!