Sorry is this is redundant. The only real hits I got on a search we're the big lawn striper thread.

Storage is somewhat at a premium in my garage, and I've been thinking of getting a push reel mower anyway because my Toro just seems like overkill. My lot is not big, ~1/3 acre, and we have a circle drive with landscaping in front, so I'm not mowing more than 3500 sf.

The grass is St Augustine that I already try to keep on a six-day mowing schedule, and there are a few bumps in the back yard.

Any recommendations or efforts to talk me out of it?

You might check the forums on around the yard for this question. I did a search there and found some hits. Those people are serious about their lawns over there.

http://aroundtheyard.com/forums2/search.php?keywords=manual+reel+mower&sid=1cfc0b3c5026fc142ef677fa877fdf7c

Also, at my old house all I had were strips in front of circle drive and along sides. Back was synthetic and big pond. I bought a craftsman manual reel and it was very difficult to near impossible to push through thick St Augustine. I wound up buying a cheap power mower on craigslist.

Your going to want to find a reel mower that can mow high enough for St Augustine grass. Most only go up to 2.5 inches if that. The only one I know of off the top of my head is the fiskars. But it is almost as expensive as a regular lawn mower. I personally use an american 7 blade for my Bermuda lawn. I cut at 3/4 of an inch at beginning of Summer and raise it up to 1-1.25 inches by end of growing season. It is quite a bit of work. I will be moving to a powered reel at some point soon. A reel is not really for St Augustine. Just find a regular lawn mower and cut 3-3.5 inches high.

Thanks for the feedback. Looks like I'm sticking with the Toro.

I had a fiskars and it was fine if you have the energy to cut the grass more than once a week and lap the blade a couple times a year. The cut was nice.

They can't handle sticks or anything, so you have to cleanup before mowing and it cost as much as a gas mower.

Ultimately, I got tired of it after two seasons.

Used mine for about five years before it got damaged. It is fine if your St A is not thick. With all of our trees, my grass never gets thick.

Sticks are an issue, and you sometimes have to build momentum if the grass is high.

My son mows now, but I would get another one again. I used a pretty cheap one from Home Depot. If the grass ever got real high, I would just cut it down with the weedeater.

This is my fifth year using my Fiskars on our palisades zoysia. It's a love/hate relationship. I have literally flipped it numerous times out of anger. I do have to sharpen blades a couple of times a season. I noticed how much thatch I have built up and finally got a grass catcher. Much easier to mow now.

If i were you, I would not use a manual reel mower on St Augustine.

I spent last year using a manual reel mower with celebration Bermuda and a 4-3-3-4 mowing schedule. If I stuck to that I was good, I could now front and back in about 90 minutes (about 8000 sq ft of grass). if I got behind by 2-3 days I either killed my self trying to cut it at current height or I would have to raise the mower up. Needless to say by end of summer The mower was as high as it could go and I could only mow the front or back before I was exhausted. I could not Imagine mowing st Augustine after 5 days.

I broke down and found a used Tru-cut - I enjoy mowing now

I have one and mow 2x per week during the summer. I use it as my workout instead of running/gym. So if that tells you anything about how difficult it can be. Also, I have Bermuda which is easier to cut than St. A with a reel.