Sun Joe 20 Inch Reel Review
The Only One With a Grass Catcher
The Sun Joe 20 inch manual push reel mower is the only mower in our lineup that ships with a grass catcher, an 8.5 gallon bag, on a 20 inch 5-blade reel. Worth being straight about the trade, because 6,020 owners average it 3.7 stars and wheels are the recurring complaint.
The verdict
One search term keeps coming up when people shop for reel mowers, which is a reel mower with a grass catcher. The answer is almost always that reel mowers do not bag, and the clippings fall where they are cut.
Sun Joe is the exception. The 20 inch manual push reel mower ships with an 8.5 gallon grass catcher, and across all the reel mowers we researched it is the only one that collects anything. So it earns a place here on that basis alone, and it earns an honest warning with it.
What the numbers say
Twenty inches of cutting width, five hardened steel blades, a dual wheel design and nine height positions reaching up to 2.44 inches. Weight is 30 lbs. Price is $125.99.
The rating is 3.7 stars from 6,020 ratings. Every other mower in our lineup sits between 4.1 and 4.3 stars, so the Sun Joe is a clear outlier at the bottom. And the 6,020 ratings behind it are the second biggest sample in the whole category, which means the 3.7 is well evidenced rather than noisy.
The wheels are the problem
Amazon’s own review summary is unusually blunt about this mower. Owners report the front wheel coming off after four uses, wheels falling off after two months, and the wheels locking up during use. Wheel stability shows up in 133 reviews and durability in 163.
Wheels matter more on a reel mower than on any other kind. The wheels are the engine. Every turn drives the reel, so a wheel that locks up or falls off is a mower that stops cutting. A rotary mower with a wobbly wheel still cuts grass.
The same summary says the mower is difficult to push, especially on uneven ground, and that it frequently gets stuck on twigs, with jamming cited 156 times.
Whether you need a catcher at all
Reel mowers slice grass into small pieces rather than tearing it, so clippings are fine and break down fast. Most owners in our research treat leaving them on the lawn as a plus, not a chore.
DTB, writing about a different mower in August 2026, gave the clearest account of why. Dry patches that had persisted in her lawn while she paid crews with gas mowers filled in over time once the clippings were left where they fell.
Three situations do call for collecting. Weeds that are seeding, where you do not want to spread them. An HOA or local rule that requires it. And a lawn with a fungal problem you are trying not to move around. Outside those, the catcher is a bag you have to keep emptying.
What owners like
Amazon’s summary credits easy assembly and splits on cutting performance, with some owners saying it cuts great and others saying it does not.
One owner writing in April 2022, who had not had a lawn in over 20 years, explains the appeal of manual mowing well. Gas came off his list immediately because he did not want to have to remember to buy fuel. He works remote, does not get out much, and chose a push reel mower partly to make himself exercise. For that buyer the 20 inch width and the catcher are both bonuses.
Who should buy it
Anyone who genuinely has to collect clippings and wants to do it without an engine. Nothing else on this page offers that, and 8.5 gallons is a usable bag on a 20 inch deck.
Everyone else should buy a better built mower and leave the clippings on the lawn. The Scotts 2000-20S cuts the same 20 inch width, weighs 3 lbs less, reaches 3 inches instead of 2.44, and sits at 4.1 stars with a parts warranty an owner puts at three years.
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
- The only reel mower in our research that includes a grass catcher
- An 8.5 gallon bag, big enough to matter on a 20 inch deck
- Nine height positions, matching the most adjustable mower here
- Twenty inches of cutting width at $125.99
- 6,020 ratings, the second deepest review base in the category
What to watch
- 3.7 stars, the lowest rating of any mower in our lineup
- Owners report the front wheel coming off after four uses and wheels falling off after two months
- Wheels locking up is a named complaint, with wheel stability cited 133 times
- Amazon's summary calls it difficult to push, especially on uneven ground
- Jams on twigs, cited in 156 reviews
Full specification
| Cutting width, inches | 20 |
|---|---|
| Cutting heights | Up to 2.44 inches, 9 positions |
| Drive | Push |
| Grass bag capacity | 8.5 gallon grass catcher included |
| Mulching | No mulching mode. Remove the catcher and clippings fall back onto the lawn |
| Weight, lbs | 30 |
| Suits lawns up to | Up to about 5,000 sq ft |
| Warranty | Not stated on the listing |
Buy it if
You genuinely need the clippings collected, your lawn is flat, and you accept that this is the weakest built mower on this page.
Skip it if
You can leave clippings on the lawn. Every other mower here is better made, and most are easier to push.
Questions people ask
What is the best reel mower with a grass catcher?
Honestly, this one, because it is the only reel mower with a catcher included that has enough reviews to judge. The bag holds 8.5 gallons. Worth knowing before you buy that it is also the lowest rated mower in our lineup at 3.7 stars from 6,020 ratings, and the complaints cluster on the wheels.
Do I actually need a grass catcher?
Usually not. Reel mowers cut rather than tear, so clippings are small and break down quickly, and several owners in our research treat leaving them as a benefit. DTB, in August 2026, reports dry patches filling in over time once clippings stayed on the lawn. Collect clippings if you have a lot of weeds seeding, if your HOA requires it, or if the lawn has a disease you do not want spread.
What goes wrong with it?
Wheels, according to Amazon's own review summary. Owners report the front wheel coming off after four uses, wheels falling off after two months, and wheels locking up during use. Wheel stability is cited in 133 reviews and durability in 163. On a reel mower the wheels drive the blades, so a wheel problem is a cutting problem.
Is 3.7 stars bad for a reel mower?
Below par for this category. Every other mower we researched sits between 4.1 and 4.3 stars. What makes the 3.7 worth taking seriously is the sample size, because 6,020 ratings is the second largest in the category and far too many to dismiss as bad luck.
How high does it cut?
Up to 2.44 inches across nine positions, per the listing. Sun Joe does not publish a minimum height, which is unusual, so treat 2.44 inches as the only verified figure on this mower.
