Earthwise 1715-16EW Review
The 7-Blade Reel Mower That Beat a Fiskars
The Earthwise 1715-16EW is a 16 inch push reel mower with a 7-blade reel that cuts from half an inch to 2.5 inches. More blades mean more cuts per step, which is why it suits fine warm season turf, and the catch is a height adjustment owners find fiddly.
The verdict
Blade count is the spec reel mower listings shout about and nobody explains. Four blades, five blades, seven blades, with no word on what the difference buys you.
Here is the short version. A reel mower cuts by pressing grass against a fixed bar, so the number of cuts you make per step depends on how many blades sweep past that bar while you walk. Seven blades sweep more often than four. More cuts per step means a cleaner finish at a shorter height, and that is the only reason to pay for them.
What the Earthwise is built for
Earthwise names the grasses on the listing itself: bent grass, Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede, St Augustine and Seashore Paspalum. Every one of those is a fine turf grass that gets kept short. The 1715-16EW cuts down to half an inch, which no 4-blade mower in our set will do.
Specs are a 16 inch width, a 7-blade ball bearing reel, 10 inch composite wheels, steel side plates and rear rollers. Weight is 21.8 lbs, within a pound of our 16 inch top pick.
The Fiskars comparison nobody else has
Fiskars StaySharp Max is the most searched reel mower in America and it is not sold on Amazon US, so affiliate roundups skip it. One owner did the comparison for us anyway.
BSD owned a Fiskars 18 inch StaySharp Max for a year before buying this Earthwise in July 2017, and his review is worth reading in full. Three findings stand out.
First, geometry. On the Fiskars the front wheels sit well ahead of the cutting bed and the rear wheels well behind it, and in his words, on even a gentle hill “the bed drags on the ground and the mower scalps”. On the Earthwise the bed sits centered under the wheels and he reports no contact anywhere in his yard.
Second, the contactless claim. Fiskars builds the reel so the blades do not touch the cutter bar, which is sold as never needing sharpening. BSD ended up backlapping and resharpening those blades himself, and only managed it after stripping a set screw and drilling and tapping the other end of the shaft to fit a nut driver. Contactless does not mean maintenance free.
Third, speed. The Earthwise reel turns faster for the same walking pace, and between that and the seven blades he went from two passes per lane down to one.
Worth saying plainly that BSD paid $87 on sale and reviewed it nine years ago. Both numbers have moved. His mechanical points have not.
What owners complain about
Two things, and Amazon’s review summary names both. Height adjustment is called complex by enough owners for Amazon to flag it. And the mower does not perform well in tall grass, which is true of every reel mower here and more true of one designed for half inch turf.
The rest of the summary is positive. Great quality, easy to assemble, good value, saves on gas, relatively light, and no noticeable noise.
Who should buy it
Anyone who keeps a lawn under about 1.5 inches, and anyone growing warm season turf. At that height the seven blades earn the extra $14 over our top pick and the cut is the best in this lineup.
Mow at 2 inches or more and the maths changes. The extra blades stop mattering, the fiddly height adjustment still annoys you, and the Great States 415-16 does the same width for less.
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What stands out
- Seven blades, the most in our lineup, for more cuts per step
- Cuts down to half an inch, so it suits Bermuda and Zoysia
- Rear rollers keep the cutting bed level over uneven ground
- An owner picked it over a Fiskars StaySharp Max at half the price
- Steel side plates and 10 inch composite wheels
What to watch
- Height adjustment is complex, per Amazon's review summary
- Poor in tall grass, which owners say directly
- Costs $14 more than our top pick for the same 16 inch width
- No grass catcher and no stated warranty
- 1,559 ratings, the smallest review base among our top seven
Full specification
| Cutting width, inches | 16 |
|---|---|
| Cutting heights | 0.5 to 2.5 inches |
| Drive | Push |
| Grass bag capacity | None included |
| Mulching | No mode to set. Clippings drop back onto the lawn where they fall |
| Weight, lbs | 21.8 |
| Suits lawns up to | Up to about 5,000 sq ft |
| Warranty | Not stated on the listing |
Buy it if
You keep your lawn under about 1.5 inches, or you grow Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede or St Augustine and want the cut a reel mower gives.
Skip it if
You mow at 2 inches or higher. The extra blades do nothing for you there and the Great States 415-16 is cheaper and easier to adjust.
Questions people ask
Why does a reel mower need seven blades?
More blades mean more cuts for every turn of the reel, so you get a finer cut at a shorter height. Earthwise names the grasses on the listing: bent grass, Bermuda, Zoysia, Centipede, St Augustine and Seashore Paspalum. All of those are kept short, and all of them reward a finer cut.
Is the Earthwise better than a Fiskars StaySharp Max?
One owner says yes. BSD owned a Fiskars 18 inch StaySharp Max for a year, then bought this Earthwise in July 2017 and titled his review "superior to my Fiskars 18in reel max at less than half the price". His reasons were the reel turning faster at the same walking pace, seven blades letting him do one pass where the Fiskars needed two, and the cutting bed sitting centered under the wheels instead of slung between them.
Who makes Earthwise mowers?
American Lawn Mower Company. The listing says "Earthwise Power Tools by ALM" in its own bullets. The same company makes the Great States and Scotts reel mowers.
How low will it cut?
Half an inch at the lowest setting, up to 2.5 inches at the highest. BSD mows his lawn at 1.5 inches with it.
What is the catch?
The height adjustment. Amazon's review summary says owners find the adjustment process complex, and the same summary notes it does not perform well in tall grass. Neither is a surprise on a mower built for short turf.
