American Lawn Mower 1204-14 Review
Pros: Minimal storage footprint, maneuverable
Cons: Loud, hard to adjust cutting height, no bagging option
Manufacturer: American Lawn Mower Co.
Our Verdict
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 This Product
American Lawn Mower 1204-14 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  | ||
| Price | $100 List $96.09 at Amazon | $549 List | $400 List | $90 List | $300 List $267.88 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Minimal storage footprint, maneuverable | Extensive runtime, rapid recharge, massive cutting deck width | Great handling, good at edging, broad cutting deck | Inexpensive, simple, minimal maintenance | Above average runtime, descent power, quiet |
| Cons | Loud, hard to adjust cutting height, no bagging option | Fairly expensive, more mower than some may need | Limited runtime, prolonged recharging | Limited cutting heights, manual powered, relatively loud | Narrow cutting deck, not self-propelled, relatively hard to push |
| Bottom Line | A low maintenance manual mower suited to small, tidy lawns | This long-lasting mower can tackle the biggest jobs without breaking a sweat | An inexpensive mower that delivers above average performance in every category except battery life | This compact, manually powered mower is simple and easy to use on even turf | This low-cost, manually-propelled lawn mower has an above average runtime |
| Rating Categories | American Lawn Mower... | Ego LM2102SP | Ryobi RY40190-Y | Greenworks 25052 | Greenworks 25322 |
| Mowing (35%) | |||||
| Battery (25%) | |||||
| Handling (25%) | |||||
| Ease of Use (15%) | |||||
| Specs | American Lawn Mower... | Ego LM2102SP | Ryobi RY40190-Y | Greenworks 25052 | Greenworks 25322 |
| Self-Propelled | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Estimated Cutting Area | N/A | 14,275 ft² | 7,031 ft² | N/A | 9,196 ft² |
| Measured Recharge Time | N/A | 57 min | 250 min | N/A | 60 min |
| Cutting Deck Width | 14" | 18 1/8" | 17" | 16" | 13 3/4" |
| Measured Cutting Gap | N/A | 3/4" | 1/2" | N/A | 1" |
| Measured Noise | 86 dBa | 71 dBa | 71 dBa | 86 dBa | 72.8 dBa |
| Power (1 - 10) | Manual powered | 7 | 7 | Manual powered | 5 |
| Folding/Unfolding Ease (1 - 10) | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
Our Analysis and Test Results
This mower is not for everyone. It has limited cutting heights that favor short grass, making adjustments is difficult and you have to keep up the pace to get it to cut effectively. That said, if you have a small patch of turf to maintain and not much storage space, this machine could be just the ticket. The savings, both in the long and short term, this machine will afford you will be just the motivation needed to host the next garden party in your neighborhood.
Performance Comparison
Likes
What we like about the American Lawn Mower 1204-14 is that it's simple, inexpensive and effective. Simply put, it is one of the easiest to operate machines that we've tested. The mower is always ready to go as it needs neither gas nor a battery. There are very few moving parts, so maintenance will be minimal as well. Finally, this model is relatively compact, so it will easily fit in the corner of even the most cluttered garages and sheds.
Dislikes
What we don't like about the American Lawn Mower is that it has very limited cutting heights (1/2" to 1 3/4") that are on the shorter side and not good for many grass varieties. These cutting heights are relatively hard to adjust as the mower requires that bolts be loosened to do so. Additionally, the model does not come with a bag so you'll be left to leave the clippings or rake them up. Finally, it is pretty loud at 86 dBa though taller grass has a dampening effect of the noise.
Value
By comparison to other models and their performance in out evaluation, we think that the American Lawn Mower is appropriately priced and thus offers consumers a fair value.
Conclusion
If you have a low-maintenance lawn and you don't want to fuss with batteries or gas to power your mower, this affordable machine is worth a look. It's not for everyone, but if you don't mind working up a bit of a sweet in the yard, you might find the American Lawn Mower to be a good fit for your garage, lawn and pocket book.
— Nick Miley and Austin Palmer
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