I've never used an old reel mower for comparison, but last year I bought a Fiskars reel mower for my smallish townhouse yard and am quite pleased with it. I ha

I've never used an old reel mower for comparison, but last year I bought a Fiskars reel mower for my smallish townhouse yard and am quite pleased with it. I haven't had to sharpen the blades yet, though I might at the end of this year's mowing season. And it could be an interesting task, given their helical structure. You're definitely right about the tall grass; thankfully this mower's height is easily adjustable so I can make two passes if need be. The cut is much nicer than a regular lawn mower, I get a little extra exercise a few times a week, and I find that it actually takes me less time to finish--reel mowers work best at a faster pace than a gas-powered push mower. I have only my very limited experience, but I think some of the reputation of reel mowers being inconvenient may be undeserved when looking at the ones made in the past decade.