If your lawn is small, your neighbours are early risers, or you’d simply rather not listen to an engine on a Sunday morning, a push reel mower (sometimes called a manual cylinder mower) is an underrated bit of kit. No petrol, no battery, no cord — just a lightweight frame, a spinning cylinder of sharp steel blades and a pair of willing arms.
We’ve spent a lot of time looking at what’s actually available in the UK right now — what you can pick up from Amazon UK, B&Q and the usual garden retailers — and pulled together six models that cover every budget.
Quick Comparison
|
Product |
Best For |
Cutting Width |
Price Range |
|
Webb WEH30 Autoset Sidewheel |
Best budget/value pick |
30cm |
Around £85–£100 |
|
Einhell GC-HM 400 |
Small-to-medium lawns on a budget |
40cm |
Around £75–£100 |
|
Bosch AHM 38 G |
Neat cut on small, flat lawns |
38cm |
Around £80–£120 |
|
Webb WEH18 Contact Free |
Solid all-rounder for regular mowing |
46cm |
Around £140–£180 |
|
Gardena Comfort 400 C |
Precision cut and build quality |
40cm |
Around £100–£140 |
|
Fiskars StaySharp Plus 43cm |
Premium pick for larger lawns |
43cm |
Around £300–£400 |
Prices move around on Amazon — check each product card below for the current price at time of viewing.
Our Top Picks
1. Webb WEH30 Autoset Sidewheel Cylinder Lawnmower
Best for: gardeners who want a dependable manual mower without spending a fortune.
Our previous budget pick in this slot isn’t genuinely available through Amazon UK, so we’ve replaced it with the Webb WEH30 — a compact 30cm sidewheel cylinder mower that picked up a “Best Buy” award from BBC Gardeners’ World magazine, which tells you most of what you need to know. Its Autoset system self-adjusts the cylinder against the bed knife, so there’s none of the fiddly setting-up that puts a lot of people off manual mowers, and the plastic rear roller adds a light stripe as you go.
Key specs: 30cm cutting width, Autoset self-adjusting cylinder, 4 cutting heights (10–40mm), 18-litre front grass box, plastic rear roller, 9.1kg, 2-year guarantee.
Pros: – Genuine “Best Buy” pedigree from BBC Gardeners’ World – Self-adjusting Autoset cylinder — no fiddly bed knife setup – Light and easy to manoeuvre at 9.1kg – Affordable entry point into cylinder mowing
Cons: – 30cm width means more passes on a medium lawn – Plastic roller gives a lighter stripe than a metal one – 2-year guarantee rather than 3
2. Einhell GC-HM 400
Best for: small-to-medium lawns up to 250m² on a tight budget.
The Einhell GC-HM 400 remains one of the widest-cutting budget push mowers you can buy, with a 40cm cylinder and a generously sized 27-litre grass box that means fewer trips to empty it. It’s built down to a price, but Einhell’s reputation for solid, no-nonsense DIY kit holds up here — it’s light, straightforward to push, and copes fine with the up-to-250m² lawns it’s designed for.
Key specs: 40cm cutting width, 4 cutting heights (13–37mm), 27-litre detachable grass box, 5-blade cylinder, plastic 50mm roller, 7.5kg.
Pros: – Wide 40cm cut for a genuinely budget mower – Large 27L grass box needs emptying less often – Very light at 7.5kg – Well-known, reliable DIY brand
Cons: – Build quality reflects the entry-level price – Fewer height settings than some rivals here – Plastic construction throughout
3. Bosch AHM 38 G
Best for: smaller, flat lawns where a neat finish matters.
At 6.7kg the Bosch AHM 38 G is one of the lightest mowers on this list, and its 38cm cylinder is a good match for smaller, tidy gardens where manoeuvrability matters more than raw width. The cutting height adjusts across a wide 15–50mm range, so it copes with grass that’s grown a little longer than you’d normally leave a reel mower to tackle. Availability has become patchy across UK retailers recently, so it’s worth double-checking current stock before you commit.
Key specs: 38cm cutting width, 15–50mm adjustable cutting height, 6.7kg.
Pros: – Genuinely lightweight at 6.7kg – Wide height adjustment range for a manual mower – Compact size suits small gardens – Trusted Bosch build quality
Cons: – Stock has become inconsistent across UK retailers – Narrower 38cm cut than some rivals here – Basic grass collection compared with pricier options
4. Webb WEH18 Contact Free Cylinder Lawnmower
Best for: keen gardeners who want a traditional British-style cylinder mower.
Webb’s WEH18 is the widest true hand-push mower on this list at 46cm, and its “Contact Free” cylinder design — where the blades run fractionally clear of the bed knife rather than scraping against it — means less friction to push through and less maintenance over time. A two-piece rear roller lays down proper stripes, and the 22-litre collection bag keeps up with the wider cut.
Key specs: 46cm cutting width, 5-blade contact-free cylinder, tool-free height adjustment (25–76mm), 22-litre grass collector, 2-piece rear roller, 21kg, 2-year warranty.
Pros: – Wide 46cm cut covers ground faster – Contact-free blade design needs less maintenance – Split rear roller gives crisp lawn stripes – Large 22L collection bag
Cons: – At 21kg it’s the heaviest mower here — hard work on anything but flat ground – Height adjustment starts relatively high at 25mm – Noticeably pricier than the budget options
5. Gardena Comfort 400 C
Best for: gardeners who appreciate German engineering and a precise finish.
The Gardena Comfort 400 C brings the build quality you’d expect from Gardena to a 40cm cylinder mower, with a smooth, fume-free cutting action and four cutting heights to dial in the finish you want. It’s a step up in feel from the budget options here without pushing into premium territory, and Gardena’s wide UK stockist network makes it easy to buy with confidence.
Key specs: 40cm cutting width, 4 cutting heights (12–42mm), 9.4kg.
Pros: – Precise German engineering and solid build quality – Quiet, fume-free cutting action – Decent 40cm width for the price – Widely available from official Gardena stockists
Cons: – Heavier than some 40cm rivals at 9.4kg – No rear roller, so no lawn stripes – Costs more than the Einhell at the same cutting width
6. Fiskars StaySharp Plus 43cm Reel Mower
Best for: gardeners who want a premium push mower that can tackle bigger lawns.
The Fiskars StaySharp Plus sits in a class of its own here. Its blade-free InertiaDrive cutting system replaces the traditional steel-on-steel cylinder with a design that stays effectively sharp indefinitely and needs noticeably less effort to push, according to Fiskars. At 43cm it’s also the widest true reel mower on this list, and the build quality is a world away from the budget end of the market — this is the one to buy if you want a manual mower that’s still cutting beautifully in a decade.
Key specs: 43cm cutting width, blade-free InertiaDrive cutting system, adjustable cutting height (4–10cm), 18.6kg.
Pros: – Patented blade-free system stays sharp far longer than steel blades – Widest cutting width on this list at 43cm – Genuinely premium build quality – Easier to push than a standard reel mower thanks to InertiaDrive
Cons: – A significant investment for a manual mower – Heaviest model here at 18.6kg – Overkill for a small courtyard lawn
Buying Guide: How to Choose a Push Reel Mower
What to Look For
The two things that matter most on a push reel mower are cut quality and ease of push. Cut quality comes from the number of blades on the cylinder (five is standard, six is better), the sharpness of the bed knife, and how accurately the two are set against each other.
Which Lawn Sizes Suit a Push Reel Mower?
As a rough rule of thumb, push reel mowers are happiest on lawns up to about 250 m² — roughly the size of a standard semi-detached back garden. Beyond that, the lack of power starts to feel like a chore.
How Much Should You Spend?
- Under £100: the Webb WEH30 and Einhell GC-HM 400 both sit here as solid entry points.
- £100–£150: the Bosch AHM 38 G and Gardena Comfort 400 C — a step up in finish and build quality.
- £150–£200: the Webb WEH18, for a wider cut and a more traditional feel.
- Above £300: the premium Fiskars StaySharp Plus.
Check each product’s card above for the current price, as prices move on Amazon regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are push reel mowers better for the lawn?
Generally, yes. A cylinder mower slices grass cleanly like a pair of scissors, while a rotary mower tears it. That clean cut means faster recovery, healthier grass, and less browning at the blade tips.
Can you use a push reel mower on long grass?
Not really. Push reel mowers work best on grass under about 7–8cm. If your lawn has got away from you, top it first with a rotary mower (or strimmer), then use the reel mower to maintain it.
How often do the blades need sharpening?
Most traditional cylinder mowers benefit from a sharpen every one to three years depending on use.
Do I still need a strimmer with a reel mower?
Yes — or a pair of edging shears at minimum. Cylinder mowers can’t cut right up against walls, borders or obstacles, so you’ll want something for the edges.
Final Verdict
For most UK gardeners we’d reach for the Webb WEH30 as the best value push reel mower — it’s affordable, light, carries a genuine BBC Gardeners’ World “Best Buy” award, and its self-adjusting Autoset cylinder takes the fiddliness out of manual mowing. If you want something noticeably more refined, the Gardena Comfort 400 C is a lovely machine to use, and the Fiskars StaySharp Plus is the one to buy if you want a premium manual mower that will still be cutting beautifully a decade from now.
Whichever you pick, a push reel mower is the quietest, cleanest and most satisfying way to mow a small-to-medium UK lawn — and your neighbours on a Sunday morning will thank you.
