If you have a small or medium graded yard, without stumps or saplings, and you are in good shape, and your yard has is no more than 3 inches high maximum growth, this is an awesome lawnmower.  On level ground with just grass, real grass, it's a dream.  Fescue, weeds, clover...real clover not the tiny kind but the big stuff...it's more difficult but can be done with determination and persistence. My yard is large. The walkable part is an acre plus with two acres left to bush-hog by tractor twice a year.  I bought this for fun, not seriously, as I just moved in and the yard was a field being converted to grass, and I hired a guy to cut this first summer.  He's not prompt for twice a month, and I'm a smartass so I wanted to show him I work faster with a reel mower than he does on a riding mower twice a month.  I'm spending an hour or two a day in the evening.  I have to say this does a good job.  The only things I can fault are the rubber grips which split in the first hour.  I bought duck tape to wrap them.  And a piece called the e-clip which the directions are not clear how to apply.  The directions show the item and a line to where they go and that's it.  Fortunately, I've used this for hours without and it works great.