Top 4 Expert Picks: Best Mower for St. Augustine Grass

Customer Review: As much as I love gardening, I hate mowing the lawn. I hate lugging my power mower out of the garage and maneuvering it around our cars and all my husband’s junk. I hate the noise it makes. It’s heavy to push and hard to get it into tight spaces. I thought I was at least avoiding the hassle and environmental issues of gasoline by buying an electric rechargeable one. But after a few years the battery stopped holding a charge and they discontinued the replacement batteries, so the whole thing is a giant piece of e-waste now. I didn’t want to buy another one, so I decided to try an old-fashioned reel mower instead. Some of the reviews on this product had me worried. Some people found them hard to push, some said they get caught up on every little tough weed and twig, etc. After using my new Scotts reel mower for the first time, I really don’t understand what those people were talking about. Maybe they were using it on super-high grass, or on wet grass. But the first time I used mine, I found it WAY easier to use than a power mower. It takes up much less space in the garage, and I can just pick it up with one arm and carry it outside. You walk up and down the yard with it, you’re done in a few minutes, and that’s it. I like that this particular model allows you to adjust the height to a maximum of 3 inches. (That’s the height that’s supposed to be healthier for your lawn and better for water conservation, but most reel mowers don’t adjust that high.) There are a few caveats. If you look at my picture where I’ve used the 3″ setting, you’ll see that it doesn’t chop every single blade of grass to a uniform height, like a carpet. Any grass or weeds that grow sideways, or that are tall and flimsy, don’t get trimmed. I did have to bend down to pick a few dandelions it didn’t get. But overall, considering it took me all of 10 minutes to cut it, and without breaking a sweat, I’m pretty thrilled with it. The other thing is that it does not eliminate the need for an edger/trimmer. You can see I had to leave some taller grass at the base of the trees. The one tree has a ring of rocks around it, and I was afraid of damaging the blades. I got closer to the other tree, but I’ll still have to go back and use the weedeater around the base. But then, you’d have the same issue with any other mower as well. Some people complained it gets stuck on sticks and rocks. We had a wind storm the day before I mowed, and I did take a couple of minutes to go out and pick up any sticks that were big enough to stick up out of the lawn. But I certainly didn’t pick up every little twig and seedpod. You can see quite a few of them still in the grass, and the mower didn’t get stuck on any of them. I did have to bend down to pluck up a few dandelions by hand, though, as the mower just bent them over and didn’t cut them. And there were a couple of little spots where I had to go over them a second time, because a few random blades were still sticking up. When I cut my lawn, it had only been about a week since the last trim, so I didn’t have to cut off a lot of length. But if you let your grass get high, the mower is going to be harder to push. And if your grass is REALLY high, the mower might just sort of push it all over instead of cutting it. But that was also true with my old power mower. If you let the grass get really long, you need to go over it with a weedeater, then mow at the highest setting, and then lower it and go over it again. Obviously, it’s better not to let your grass get that long in the first place. But the great thing about the reel mower is that it’s so much easier to use than my power mower, I won’t be nearly as lazy about pulling it out of the garage to use it more often. In fact, as much as cutting the grass can be fun, it was sort of fun. If you’re wondering whether the grass catcher attachment is worthwhile… not really. The trimmings just sort of fly up in the air, and the open-topped bag picks up whatever happens to land in it, but a lot of trimmings still end up in the grass. The trimmings will help mulch your lawn and keep it healthy anyway. I only bought the grass catcher because I was hoping I wouldn’t have to sweep the sidewalk. There was less to sweep up, but I still had to make a quick pass with a broom. I probably won’t return the grass catcher, but if I had it to do over I probably wouldn’t bother with it. Reel mowers are available in a lot of different widths, with this 20″ one being one of the widest available. If you’re wondering what width you should get, the wider they are, the more grass you can cut at once, which means they’re also harder to push because there’s more resistance. That said, I didn’t find the 20″ to be remotely hard to push. (The claims about it being a “good workout” are a bit overblown.) The only reason I could see for getting a narrower one is if you have a lot of really tight spaces in your yard that require some tricky maneuvering. The mower also works better if you are walking quickly, because that makes the blades turn faster. So you have strength or mobility issues that might make it harder for you to push it quickly, that might also be a reason to get one of the narrower models.

Customer Review: After cutting my lawn with a gas-powered mower last summer, I wanted to simplify things. I really don’t want to stress over spark plugs and oil and gasoline, and hoping that my engine will start when I pull the cord. All the maintenance. We already have a car for that. I wanted something I could understand, that worked well. This does the trick. I honestly look forward to cutting the lawn now. It’s a fun experience. I like the 20-in width because you tend to overlap as you travel back and forth across your lawn anyway, so it’s great that you don’t have to do as many passes as you would with a narrower mower. I like not having to make sure I have enough gasoline to cut my lawn, especially as gas has increased in recent months. The only fuel I need is in my body. Our lawn is mostly level, yet this does give me a bit of good exercise, though nothing too extreme at all. What I lose in machine-propelled front-wheel drive I make up for in a healthier heart. I’ll take it. This is much quieter than an electric or gas-powered mower, so I am able to cut grass at 7:00 a.m. before it gets very hot or the day gets busy, and not bother anyone. The first time I used it, my wife didn’t even know I was outside her window cutting grass. I’d been reading up before my purchase, and I learned that a reel mower is better for your grass due to its cutting method, working much more like scissors rather than a rotating horizontal blade that tends to leave the tips of grass brown and leaves behind a trail of “hay” unless you use a bagger on your mower. With several blade height settings that are as easy as popping a little handle out of a notch and then back in around the wheel, it’s also possible to cut the grass much shorter like golf course style than other styles of mowers, if that suits your needs. I share an unfenced lawn with my neighbors, so personally I use a higher blade height in order to match what they’ve cut already with their electric and gas mowers. Many people have said that you need to use a reel mower much more often than a gas-powered mower, but that hasn’t been my experience. If I cut any sooner than weekly (~30 minutes), I find that there’s very little that’s ready to be cut. I’m guessing amount of rain and sunshine and grass type are factors in this, though. All in all, I’m really digging this retro mower lifestyle. Stress-free. Yes, please!

Customer Review: Like others, I needed to know the lowest measurement setting from the ground to the operating button with the mower attachment and trimmer in place. For some unknown reason, the community answers seemed to avoid such an easy question for those who owned one?! With that said, I just purchased my own to get that exact answer with a measuring tape. The LOWEST MOWER HEIGHT (from ground to button pressed): 22-1/2 inches. The HIGHEST MOWER HEIGHT (from ground to button pressed): 31-1/2 inches. **Due to my very own physical needs, the lowest height works perfectly for me! Fortunately, I did not have any of the ‘troubles’ that some have reported with theirs. If it works as it all did with my first use on a small yard today for even a season or two, I would definitely purchase again! Although it does kind of sound like a small shop vac in use, it is absolutely adorable and FUN for me to use. I love it!! It does look like a toy and is nearly identical to vacuuming (with both physical motions & width). So those that are impatient, hate vacuuming or want to look ‘manly’, may not appreciate this trimmer/mower like I already do. Did I mention that I I love this thing! 🙂 However, as not to wear down the thin and very narrow plastic lip that holds the trimmer into the mower attachment, I personally won’t be pressing the trimmer into the mower attachment until it “clicks” per the instructions. Instead, I simply press on the pedal and gently seat the trimmer all the way in before releasing the pedal to lock it in place. Noting again, that’s just my own suggested solution to hopefully prevent that thin plastic ‘lock’ from wearing down so easily, or as I see that it probably could otherwise. Further, the trimmer seems to hold in place just fine when pressing the trimmer handle down to make turns (just like placing the weight on the back wheels to turn a vacuum). To ‘lift up’ on the trimmer handle when mowing, is when it wants to detach from the mower –so don’t do that people lol. Just like every electric tool that I’ve ever owned, it does NOT come with an extension cord (and it makes me laugh that anyone would expect it to). However, since I wanted an extension cord designated just for this unit, I also purchased what did NOT work –and that was a 50 ft 16AWG Yellow HUANCHAIN brand through Amazon at the same time as well. To my disappointment and even trying to force it further into the plug hole, that extension cord does NOT and will NOT make a tight enough contact to fit but for ‘brief’ contact spurts. At first, that was a big GRRR there for me because the mower kept cutting out before I realized it was that extension cord that was barely making contact. Okaaay…. **Instead though and most fortunate for me, I ended up using my older orange extension cord (that most of us have laying around) that has a slightly narrower plug encasement … which seats all the way into the plug for continuous contact well and fits perfectly tight! With my recent experience: If it feels slightly wobbly, kind of loose or pulls out too easily… just forget it and try another extension cord plug! You’re welcome. Lol Again, before getting super frustrated with the extension cord constantly coming loose from the plug (like I did with the brand new yellow one), you may want to try to find an older style or better fitting extension cord first (even if to take the trimmer to your local hardware store to try one there)! See my extension cord pics as example: Orange (narrower) = Perfect & Tight Fit! Yellow (chubbier) = Frustrating, Loose & Horrible Fit!! Lastly, my reason for purchase: Living in an apartment with a small yard has became just too ridiculous annoying every year to ‘wait’ for yard maintenance not even mowing until the weeds are almost 18″ high and allowing the clippings to just fall where they may for their tenants to just track long grass/weed clippings into our cars and apartments — I finally had ENOUGH when a thorn weed recently caught my pant leg causing me to trip and fall! With this fun to use, light and nifty little edger/mower that I can enjoy taking care of my yard weekly and all by myself… I won’t and NEVER will want such careless “yard maintenance” in or around my yard (or vehicle) again now anyway! I’m not done yet but just after mowing the whole yard once & quickly edging to ‘test’ it today, my yard already looks way better than it ever has before! I’m HAPPY and very pleased with this fun little B&D trimmer/mower being my new ‘toy’! The only reason I’m not including pics of the results with its use on my yard today is due to some privacy concerns but it already looks GREAT! Yet, I hope my lengthy review helps answer some of the questions that I had prior to my having to purchase it to find out for myself anyway. I’m sure glad I did though! I don’t enjoy raking so to prevent that, I will just be sure to mow weekly through the growing season because I CAN and will enjoy doing so, too. Just make sure you get a tight fitting extension cord and well then . . . Happy mowing the easy way!! 🙂

Customer Review: UPDATE: May 17, 2024, after owning for one year This little lawn mower has been GREAT! Haven’t had ANY problems with it so far. I only cut my grass every 2 weeks or so. The original trimmer string lasted all that time. I just bought replacement string off a web site (rhymes with hay) super cheap. While my string was out and I waited on a replacement, the front and back grass was getting TALL. Easily 8-10 inches, thick, like a small jungle. I should have taken pictures but it never crossed my mind. It was much taller than the pictures submitted in my original review. I did have to go over most parts 2-3 times, but this little mower did the job just fine, never bogged down in HEAVY grass, just chopped it right up, and kept going. Honestly people, for a small to medium yard, this thing does a great job! ORIGINAL REVIEW MAY 2023: Pros: – Easy assembly. Just had to connect shield to weed wacker, lock it in the base, and attach the trimmer/edger handle. – Light weight, can pick it up with one hand. – Compact, can be tucked into a small corner. – Did exceptionally well on my tall grass! Many sections were well over 6 inches. It took a couple times going over, but this little unit worked great and never bogged down! I kept the wheels at the lowest setting the entire time. – I didn’t find it loud at all. Just a typical weed wacker. Definitely not as loud as a gas lawn mower. – Wheels adjust from about 1-2 inches high if you like your grass a little taller. – Handle telescopes out approximately 12 inches. If you are really tall this might not be adequate. – Briefly used the edger, the wheel was a big help, it did the job fine. Haven’t tried the trimmer yet. – Great for a small to medium size yard, limited space for storage, people with arthritis, seniors, disabled, those who can’t lift much weight, and want virtually maintenance free! Besides cleaning, you only need to replace the trimmer cord when it runs out. Cons: – Weed wacker locking mechanism into base is poorly designed. Mine popped out several times. It’s not a constant problem, but annoying (like the IRS or DMV). – Power cord came out of the loop in the handle numerous times. A spring loaded clamp would be much better. – Would be nice to have a grass discharge port in the side. – Sucks having to rake grass afterwards. Other: – Some reviewers said it doesn’t come with a power cord. My warehouse item said missing cord but I don’t recall the box or description saying it is included. You will need an extension cord regardless. Any standard cord plugs into the 2 prong handle fine. This doesn’t require an engineering degree folks. – I bought a warehouse return to save a little money. It was FILTHY! Previous owner did a bad job cleaning it. I’ve bought many warehouse items, but never had anything this dirty before. I did get a nice discount so I can’t complain too much. Also didn’t include owners manual. Maybe I can download a PDF from B&D? These are not product cons as none are B&D fault.

Customer Review: Ongoing Review: I’ve had good success with Atrazine in different products including Scott’s Bonus S and hose end sprayers. I bought this so that I could spot-spray weeds in the front yard without spraying the entire lawn with Atrazine with a hose end sprayer. I did that to my backyard and it worked pretty well, killing 50% of the weeds after two weeks but I noticed some st Augustine took a beating to so I didn’t want to risk the nicer front yard with the hose end sprayer. I purchased some surfactant to mix this with and poured 4oz in approx 1.25 gal pump sprayer. This is a slightly lighter application then recommended but I wanted to start light, and was hoping the surfactant would help its punch anyway. On April 6th I walked back and forth, almost like I was mowing and misted all the weeds I could spot in the front yard. The recommendation is to not water for 7-9 days and then water it in, but I think I’m going to water on 4/11. When I sprayed the backyard, I noticed the areas that did not get hit with sprinklers the following day were the most effective weed kill areas, so I’ll defer watering as long as I feel like my front lawn won’t suffer for. Atrazine takes a long time to show results. Think weeks. You also dont want it to rain or rinse off the applied plants to soon. I feel like these are things that a lot of people don’t realize. It’s great for St Augustine lawns when used correctly and carefully, you just have to find that window where you can spray weeds and hopefully not get rain for a week and also not kill your yard by not watering for a week. If I see results with the manual misting in the front I’ll upload pics but I’m not expecting to see weed death for at least a week or two.

Customer Review: I had a patch of clover about 20’ square in my St Augustine that i had not been able to get rid of for several years. I tried this product using a pump up sprayer with some surfactant added. No results for a couple of weeks so i thought it was a waste if money but a couple of weeks later all the clover was gone. I am a believer from now on.

Customer Review: I live in Phoenix on an acre parcel and most of it is in desert landscape. Therefore no formal lawn to mow. Yaaa. However when it rains here the weeds grow, well like weeds. Fast and furious. This year we had lots of rain and lots of weeds. I’ve been running a battery powered weed eater every day for a week or so. My back is aching from twisting sideways back and forth so it was time to look for a better solution. I figured how about a small battery powered lawn mower and then I found this thing at about half the cost. So figuring I’d probably junk it after a couple tries I decided to give it a try. Really glad I did. Soon as it arrived I put it together and out I went. It had just rained again and everything was wet but I had to try it. Worked perfectly. Knocked down and chewed up everything I ran it over and no extra back pain as a bonus. I charged up the batteries( comes with 2) overnight and set out to do a good cleanup the next day. This thing is a real delight. It runs about 20 minutes on each battery and since the batteries are fairly small you can carry the spare one in your pocket. another thing about the batteries is the way they eject from the tool. Push the button on the battery and it pops out of the tool’s battery compartment. I mention this because removing the battery from my other “green” weed eater is a real chore You have to push in 2 tabs, one on each side of the battery, and forcibly pull it from the tool. My wife can’t even manage doing it and I barely can, often resorting to prying it loose with a screwdriver while pushing the tabs with both hands. The black and decker baterries just eject with 1 hand by pushing the button, I love it. When you get close to a fence or wall and the platform won’t get close enough, the weed wacker removes from the deck instantly by stepping on a lever on the deck and lifting the handle of the weed wacker forward and up. To return it back in the deck reverse the process, simple and easy. Keep in mind this is a regular string trimmer. It is not a bladed lawn mower and does not do the job of a bladed lawn mower It is a string trimmer on wheels. because you push it similar to vacuming a carpet , front and back, front and back, instead of constantly twisting sideways it doesn’t put the strain on your arms and back liike a regular string trimmer does. It does not mulch as fine as a mower would and if you have tall weeds or grass as I did you will need to make several passes, as you would with any string trimmer except you don’t have to hold it up, just push it back and forth. I have not had to replace the line yet so I cannot comment on that, except to say looking at it, it looks like the exact same process as the other 2 trimmers I have. To clear the bottom of the deck I simply remove the trimmer and wash out the deck with a hose. its been coated with wet grass almost every time I finish. I’m sure dry shorter vegetation will cut much easier. I’m cutting damp weeds and bermuda grass about knee high. The deck is light weight plastic but seems durable enough. If the deck should deteriorate and I have to replace it, the replacement cost of the set is about the same as a different manufacture’s string trimmer alone. but I’ll worry about that if it happens. so far I have no regrets whatsoever.

Customer Review: The 3-in-1 Black + Decker lawn mower, trimmer is tops in my book! Let me tell you I sure wish I had this gem of a tool years ago and not when I’m 71. I just happened to see this when I was looking at yard tools on Amazon. When I saw it was Black + Decker I knew it was worth a try. And it’s a game changer. The kids that used to do lawns in my area don’t want to do it now. And that’s okay now that I found what I call my “Barbie doll mower” 😆 When I picked up the box it came in my thought was there is just no way there is a lawn mower in this box. But Black + Decker did not disappoint! It works like a charm. I can mow my own lawn often to keep up on it and keep it looking nice without paying someone. And at the very low cost I could buy one of these every other month and be at the cost I was paying. So no more weed whacking for me like I had to do recently after the weeds got out of control while I was trying to find somebody to do my lawn. I was not able to upload a video so I will tell you instead. I can mow and turn the mower to an angle with ease. I can stop mowing if I see a spot that needs the trimmer, remove the handle and trim the spot, then reattach and continue mowing. The mower also gets into tight spots and goes on an incline easily to mow in front of plants. It is light to life and carry. Color me happy! The only reason that it looked like I was having trouble is because I was taking the video with one of my hands. Lift out the trimmer which is also the edger. The battery life may not be as long as I would like but the two charged batters are enough to do the mowing. After recharge I can do the edging.