Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This StaySharp mower is the budget option of the beautifully-designed Fiskars reel mowers, which aim to revamp and revitalize the old-skool push mowers our grandpas used. There are three options in this line, the StaySharp (cheapest), Staysharp Plus (mid-range), and the Staysharp Max (which has more premium features to handle tough situations). While the manufacturer's prices reflect these differences, retailers such as Amazon set their own prices, so it may behoove you to check the current pricing on all three to be sure you are making the right choice for your budget and needs. In this review I will discuss my experiences with the StaySharp Max first since I have owned it for some time, then share what differentiates the three mowers so you can make the best buying decision for your lawn. I've owned the StaySharp Max (which was previously called the Momentum but has been re-named to fit within this StaySharp line) for over a year now and it allowed me to get rid of my old gas mower, which I absolutely hated. The pull-cord, the noise, the smell, and the mess of dealing with gasoline made mowing an unpleasant task. Traditional reel mowers are hard to push, a bit on the noisy side, and get rusty and funky fast so need a lot of maintenance to stay in good shape. The Fiskars StaySharp Max, by contrast, is quiet enough that I can have a conversation while mowing. I have not had to sharpen it in the year I have used it. While it gets my heart pumping, it's more of an aerobic exercise than one that takes muscles or may cause injury. In fact, it's so fun to use that my other half was willing to take on the task of lawn care and mowing! He has neck and back issues but found this an easy and fun way of staying fit and helping around the house. The benefits of a reel mower are numerous - the blades get a cleaner cut than rotary (most gas) mowers, so no brown tips on your grass, they cut the clippings into much smaller pieces so you can leave the clippings without them chunking up on the lawn and looking messy (I can hardly see the clippings and they compost in very quickly), and you just get a finer look since there are more blades cutting. Now, the differences: StaySharp: The StaySharp is the budget option, and is also the most like a traditional reel mower. It has a rear grass discharge which does sprinkle grass clippings on your shoes. There is a grass catcher available to purchase. The shield covering the blades in front is good for people who might need to mow close to shrubs and don't want to catch the limbs on the front of the blades. It also prevents clippings from being thrown onto the sidewalk, flowerbeds, or buildings if you approach from the front. Since the grass catcher is behind the mower in this case, it does not obstruct your mowing view while using it. The downside is that this mower has less power in the gear system so may need a little more elbow grease on your part than with the other two, it does not have inset wheels for closer edging, and it does not cut as high as four inches like the other models do (it goes from 1.5 to 3.5 inches). Organic gardeners will know that 4 inches is truly an ideal length for preventing weeds and preserving water in the lawn, but 3.5 inches is still better than most mowers. The verdict: Use this if you have a flat lawn with few weeds (so you don't need power), if you want to use a grass catcher with every mow, or if you are on a budget. StaySharp Plus: The Plus has a forward discharge to keep clippings away from users' feet. It does not work with a grass catcher, which is fine for most organic gardeners because it is far better to leave the clippings, and these mowers cut the clippings into tiny pieces. The Plus has slightly larger wheels and slightly more power than the regular version, so can handle slightly more weeds or a mild slope. It cuts from 1.5" to 4". Verdict: This is the budget option for those who don't want a grass catching bag. It has slightly better features than the regular version but does eliminate the grass catching option. StaySharp Max (formerly the Momentum): The Max has an inset wheel design which gives it a closer cut along the edges of your lawn, and eliminates any areas of lawn that get flattened and then don't get cut. By the time your wheels run over the grass, you have trimmed it. This gives you a better result in the end and makes mowing cleaner and easier to control. It also has a LOT more power. While I liked using the StaySharp and found it a huge improvement over normal reel mowers, the StaySharp Max felt like a dream to run. It's downright airy! You get it going with a little push and the cutting reels turn and turn with little input after that. It does the work for you! It really feels like there is a lot of technological innovation here, between the chain drive mechanism which makes it easy to push and the way those blades keep cutting after only a quick push. The Max has a front-discharge, so does not spray grass on your shoes. However, used with the grass-catcher bag, it can obstruct your view of where you are mowing since the bag sits in the front. The Max is ten pounds heavier than the other two, which sounds bad but actually makes it easier to get momentum and power through tougher weeds. It cuts from 1-4", so it has the biggest range of cut heights. I used it on a slope and found it pretty easy to deal with. My home lawn is bumpy and somewhat weedy and this has no problem, except for very wiry weeds which I just cut with my hedgers or string-trimmer. The verdict: If you can afford it, this is the mower to get. It has WAY more power to it which makes it impressively easy to push, it has more options (grass catcher, cutting heights), and the features are ones that make mowing more fun. However, if you do plan to use the grass-catcher with every mow and you have a flat lawn with no weeds, the regular StaySharp may be better because the grass-catcher sits in back and doesn't obstruct your view as you mow. Otherwise, the Max is the best mower for eco-friendly lawns, with its ease of use and eco features. The one downside to every one of these mowers (and the old reel mowers too) is that they do not cut down tall grasses, particularly wiry ones. So you have to keep up with your lawn care and not let it get out of control. A gas mower can chew through some overgrowth, but these just knock it down if it gets really tall and won't do anything to it at all. So if you don't have super-regular habits, I'd pair any of these mowers with a string trimmer/ weed whacker which can double as an edger and be your backup in case you go away and forget to have your house-sitter mow. I hope this helps you decide which is best for you. While the mower on this page, the StaySharp, has some fantastic features for specific situations (perfect, flat lawns where a grass catcher is needed) and is a huge improvement over Grandpa's push mower, in the average, imperfect lawn, I'd choose the Max.