The Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower is an excellent choice if you’re someone who’s tired of using a loud lawn mower and inhaling the smell of gas when you cut your lawn. This reel mower is for someone who doesn’t mind a little exercise and prefers simplicity over power. As with all Fiskars products, the Fiskars Staysharp Max mower is engineered for the average homeowner who likes to take care of their grass on a regular basis — not for the lazy type who likes to mow when it’s overgrown.

Fiskars Staysharp Max

This isn’t your parents old reel mower so if you have any negative memories of your parents working hard to mow the lawn then think again. Technology has come a long way over the past few decades and Fiskars has put their own engineering know-how into the design of this mower.

This mower has an 18″ wide cutting capacity. It has a patented InteriaDrive reel that provides twice the cutting ability as a typical reel mower. Also, it has a cutting system that Fiskars calls “StaySharp” which maintains a very sharp blade for a long period of time, eliminating the need to have to continually sharpen your blade — although you will still have to do so, just not as often.

Easy to Use Height Adjustment | Fiskars Staysharp Max

One of the best features on the Fiskars StaySharp Max (Model: 6201) is the easy to use height adjustment which allows you set the cutting height of the mower between 1″ to 4-inches. You won’t find another reel mower that can be raised to cut grass 4-inches high. Being able to adjust the height allows you to cut your lawn in stages just in case you get lazy and let your lawn grow particularly long. You really don’t want to cut a super high lawn in one pass. It’s too much work on your part and completely unnecessary thanks to the Fiskars design team.

If you mow your lawn on a regular basis then you can easily cut it in one pass every time.

If you’re going to buy the Fiskars StaySharp Max mower then you should get into the habit of mowing your lawn on a regular basis because a reel mower isn’t meant to cut high grass and weeds – buy a gas mower for that, like the Husqvarna 5521P. Honestly, if you’re someone who tends to allow your lawn to overgrow and you don’t enjoy manicuring your lawn on a regular basis then this is not the mower for you.

The type of person who will benefit the most from the Fiskars StaySharp Max is someone who enjoys a nicely cut lawn and enjoys the extra exercise that it provides — not to mention that it’s good for the environment and a much more relaxing process because there’s no noise or fumes to annoy you. Using this mower is akin to meditation. Well, it’s as close as you can get to a zen-like state while mowing the lawn.

Fiskars StaySharp Max | Great Design Features

You’ll also notice that the Fiskars StaySharp Max has inset wheels that allows you to get super close to the edge of your lawn, leaving you with a nice clean cut that looks professional. It’s the little things that Fiskars does with their products that add up to great products. I’m a fan of Fiskars products because of their attention to detail on all of their products. You can learn a little more about the company by reading the first part of my article on Fiskars splitting and chopping axes or read about their long history – they’ve been around for over 365 years.

Another nice feature is that all the grass shoots forward as you mow — away from your feet and face.

This mower is designed to cut a wide variety of grasses, including the always challenging southern varieties. If you watch the videos that I’ve included in this review you can see how easy it is to push this lawn mower — up to 60% easier to push than other brands. It’s been designed to cut tough twigs and weeds because as we all know, a lawn is filled with much more than just grass. You don’t have to worry about this mower jamming on you, just don’t use it to cut an overgrown lawn.

I also want you to be aware of the fact that you have to buy the StaySharp Max Grass Catcher separately so if you don’t want to rake your grass make sure you purchase it when you buy the mower. You can read about the grass catcher for this mower later in this article.

See the Fiskars Staysharp Max in Action:

Fiskars is a company that stands behind their products and they consistently have one of the best warranties for consumer products. This mower comes with a 3 year warranty.

View or download the manual for the Fiskars StaySharp Max.

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Features

• Eco-friendly reel mower creates a super clean cut without the hassles of gas, oil, battery life, electrical cords or annoying engine noise.
• Popular Mechanics awarded this mower the 2010 Green Design Award. Recommended by Consumer Reports year after year.
• 60% easier to push than other reel mowers.
• InertiaDrive reel delivers optimal cutting power to easily cut through twigs and weeds.
• Precision hardened steel blades don’t touch. Reduced friction allows for longer blade life.
• Change the cutting height from 1″ to 4-inches.
• Inset wheel design allows you to edge close to foundations, fences and borders.
• Unique grass discharge chute throws clippings forward cleanly, away from your feet.
• Capable of cutting all grass types, even tough varieties.
• 18″ cutting width.
• Limited three-year warranty.

The combination of all of these technologies makes the StaySharp Max Reel Mower far easier push and maneuver than other reel mowers, helping you get more done with less energy.

Fiskars StaySharp Max Grass Catcher (18″)

Unfortunately Fiskars doesn’t include the 18″ Fiskars grass catcher when you buy the StaySharp Max reel mower. I still remember the old days when you would get everything you need when you bought a lawn mower (or any product). Unfortunately these days companies are selling accessories as optional that should be included as part of the mower. But I digress.

Either way, unless you want to rake your lawn then you’ll probably want the StaySharp Max Grass Catcher. It has a built-in handle and a polyester screen. It’s not a complicated accessory but I think it’s a necessary one.

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Features:

• Easily hooks onto the front of the Fiskars StaySharp Max mower (model 6201).
• Built-in handle allows you to easily attach and empty your grass catcher.
• Heavy-duty steel frame made with UV and mildew-resistant polyester screen.
• Fast and easy to assemble.
• Limited one-year warranty.

If you want an alternative to Fiskars StaySharp Max lawnmower then a popular choice would be the Scotts 2000-20. But I will say, it’s not as good. It’s cheaper but not as effective at cutting your lawn.

Scotts 2000-20 20-Inch Classic Push Reel Lawn Mower

Features:

• 20-inch reel mower with 10-inch dual tracking wheels and rugged radial tires.
• 9 different heights to choose from (1-3 inches).
• 5 heat-treated, steel blades;
• 2-year warranty.

I think it’s important to give readers options. Scotts is a good brand and I’m always happy to show you that you have cheaper options if you’re on a budget, and let’s face it, in this day and age most people are conscious about how they spend their money, which is a good thing to do for everybody.

Okay, let’s get back to Fiskars reel mowers.

Fiskars Blade Maintenance Kit

Although the blades on Fiskars lawn reel mowers will stay sharp for a long time you still need to sharpen them, depending on how much you use the mower. Luckily, Fiskars has created a convenient blade maintenance kit for their reel mowers so you can sharpen the blades and make them as sharp as they were when they were new.

All you do is apply the lapping compound to the cutting blades with the included brush then use the hand crank to spin the reel backward until the blades are sharp.

Designed specifically for Fiskars reel mowers but this kit can be used for other reel mowers as well. But you do have options if you want a cheaper sharpening kit that will work just as well: American Lawn Mower SK-1 Reel Mower Sharpening Kit.

The Fiskars kit includes the following: Lapping compound, application brush, two fittings, hand crank and a step-by-step instruction booklet. Limited one-year warranty

A Quick look at Two more Fiskars Reel Mowers

Before I end this review I want to make you aware of the fact that Fiskars has a couple other reel mowers that aren’t quite as full-featured as the Fiskars StaySharp Max Reel Mower but they’re still excellent mowers. I reviewed the best of the group but you can compare the Reel Mower Models on the Fiskars website.

For now, here are the other two Fiskars models:

Fiskars StaySharp Plus Reel Mower (6207)

Features:

• A combination of advanced technologies make the StaySharp Plus Reel Mower 40% easier to push than other reel mowers
• Patent-pending InertiaDrive Reel delivers 75% more cutting power to blast through twigs, weeds and tough spots that would jam other reel mowers.
• 17″ cut width.
• Limited two-year warranty.

Fiskars StaySharp Reel Mower (6208)

Features:

• A combination of advanced technologies make the StaySharp Reel Mower 30% easier to push than other reel mowers.
• Patent-pending InertiaDrive Reel delivers 50% more cutting power to blast through twigs, weeds and tough spots that would jam other reel mowers.
• 17″ cut width.
• Limited two-year warranty.