American Lawn Mower 1204-14 Review
15,000 Ratings and the Cheapest Way In
The American Lawn Mower 1204-14 is a 14 inch 4-blade push reel mower that weighs 19 lbs and costs $82.21. Rated 4.3 stars from 15,153 owners, it is the obvious starting point for a small lawn, and the compromise is a cutting range that stops at 1.75 inches.
The verdict
Fifteen thousand ratings is not a normal number. The next most reviewed reel mower in our set has 6,020, and that one averages 3.7 stars. The American Lawn Mower 1204-14 holds 4.3 stars across 15,153 ratings, which makes it the single best documented reel mower on Amazon.
Worth knowing what you are buying for $82.21. Fourteen inches of cutting width, four blades, 8.5 inch polymer wheels, and a cutting height range of half an inch to 1.75 inches.
The listing contradicts itself on weight
Amazon’s structured spec block says the item weighs 2.2 pounds. The listing bullets on the same page say 19 pounds. Both cannot be true, and a 14 inch steel mower is obviously not 2.2 lbs.
Nineteen pounds is the number to plan around, and owner reports support it. One reviewer describes carrying it up a flight of stairs. Another says to just pick it up and carry it to the front yard. Kinzie, reviewing the 5-blade sibling, independently guessed 15 to 20 lbs. Nothing in the reviews suggests a mower anywhere near 2 lbs.
The same wrong 2.2 pound figure appears on the Great States 204-14 listing, which is the same mower under another badge. Spec errors travel with copy and paste.
What 4 blades costs you
Four blades sweep the cutter bar less often than five or seven, so each step produces fewer cuts. On a short, even lawn you will not notice. On anything taller or patchier you get stragglers, and Amazon’s review summary names exactly that, saying some owners report it does not cut evenly and needs real strength to operate.
The height range is the sharper limit. Half an inch to 1.75 inches is short. Most cool season lawns in the US are kept at 2.5 to 3.5 inches, and this mower will not reach that. Buy it for a close kept lawn or do not buy it at all.
What owners love about it
Neal Stone replaced a dead gas mower with one in July 2026 and his review is the most balanced in the set. Assembly took about five minutes. The mower goes over tree roots and bumps where his gas mower could not, and he drove it over a garden hose with no damage. He rates it for edging and tight spaces.
His three complaints are a smaller cut area, no cutting on the backstroke, and jamming. On jamming he says it takes very little to stop the blades, and the fix is to tip the mower onto its left wheel and shake.
Amazon’s review summary adds one detail we have not seen elsewhere. One owner reports the mower performs well on rocky ground without flinging rocks, which is a genuine safety point for anyone with gravel near the lawn.
And then there is Micah, who in August 2017 wrote the review that explains half of this category. Autistic, and wanting out of gas mowing because the mower was too loud, the handle vibration made his arms go numb, the pull cord was beyond him alone, and the gasoline smell gave him headaches. A reel mower solved all four.
Who should buy it
Small flat lawns up to about 3,000 sq ft, kept under 1.75 inches, clear of sticks. At $82.21 the 1204-14 is also the cheapest way to find out whether reel mowing suits you before committing more money.
Step up if you need height. The 1304-14 adds a fifth blade, bigger 10 inch wheels and a 1 to 2.25 inch range for $17.78 more. Step up again to 16 inches if your lawn is over about 3,000 sq ft, because narrow decks turn into a lot of passes quickly.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are accurate as of the date shown and change often.
What stands out
- 15,153 ratings at 4.3 stars, the deepest evidence base in the category
- The lightest mower here at 19 lbs, and owners carry it up stairs
- Cheapest in our lineup at $82.21
- Goes over tree roots, bumps and garden hose without damage
- Assembly takes about 5 minutes, per one owner
What to watch
- Four blades, so the cut is coarser than the 5 and 7-blade mowers
- Tops out at 1.75 inches, too short for most cool season lawns
- Amazon's review summary flags uneven cutting and needing real strength
- Jams easily on sticks, with a "Stick resistance" attribute cited 329 times
- Only a 90 day warranty, the shortest here
Full specification
| Cutting width, inches | 14 |
|---|---|
| Cutting heights | 0.5 to 1.75 inches |
| Drive | Push |
| Grass bag capacity | None included |
| Mulching | No mode to set. Clippings drop back onto the lawn where they fall |
| Weight, lbs | 19 |
| Suits lawns up to | Up to about 3,000 sq ft |
| Warranty | Limited 90 day, per the listing |
Buy it if
Your lawn is small and flat, you keep it short, and you want to find out whether reel mowing suits you without spending much.
Skip it if
You mow above 1.75 inches or your lawn is over about 3,000 sq ft. The 5-blade 1304-14 reaches 2.25 inches, and the 16 inch mowers cover ground faster.
Questions people ask
Is the American Lawn Mower 1204-14 any good for the price?
For a small, flat, short kept lawn, yes, and 15,153 ratings at 4.3 stars is the strongest evidence in this category by a wide margin. The limits are real though. Four blades cut coarser than five or seven, and the highest setting is 1.75 inches.
How heavy is it really?
19 lbs, per the listing bullets. Amazon's structured spec block on the same page says 2.2 pounds, which is wrong, and the mower cannot be either number by accident. Two owners independently describe carrying it one handed, and one carries it up a flight of stairs.
Why does it jam on sticks?
A reel mower only cuts what fits between the reel and the fixed cutter bar, so anything that will not cut gets wedged there and stops the reel. Neal Stone, in July 2026, calls it his only major concern and gives the fix, which is to tip the mower onto its left wheel and shake the stick out.
Does it cut going backward?
No. Neal Stone again: "It only cuts pushing forward and just rolls the wheels walking backward." Every reel mower here works the same way.
Should I buy the Great States 204-14 instead?
They are the same mower. Identical 14 inch 4-blade reel, identical 8.5 inch polymer wheels, identical 0.5 to 1.75 inch range, even the same incorrect 2.2 pound weight in the spec block. The Great States badge costs $4.84 more and carries 13,000 fewer ratings.
