American Lawn Mower 1304-14 Push Reel Mower Review
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Last updated October 31, 2026
The American Lawn Mower 1304-14 is a good buy for a small, flat lawn that gets mowed often, and for anyone who wants a quiet, fuel-free cut with almost no upkeep. It is a 14-inch, 5-blade manual push reel mower: no engine, no battery, no cord. It suits compact yards, a teenager over 13, and anyone who wants to mow early without waking the street. It is the wrong tool for a large, bumpy, sloped or overgrown lawn, or for coarse warm-season turf. The heat-treated alloy steel reel and bed knife, the ball-bearing reel and the 10-inch rubber-tired wheels are what make a precise scissor cut possible without power, and that is what you are paying for.
What the 1304-14 does well
The mower's strength is the way it cuts. A 5-blade heat-treated alloy steel reel turns against a stationary bed knife and shears the grass in a precise scissor-like motion that the manufacturer says will not shred your grass. A clean shear leaves a straight tip on the blade; a torn tip browns at the edge and stresses the plant, so a reel cut is gentler on turf that is kept short.
Light enough to carry and hang
At 21 lb, with a body 23 inches deep, 13 inches wide and 8 inches high, the 1304-14 lifts over a step, hangs on a wall hook and stores in a corner of a shed. Buyers on Amazon most often praise the weight, and they say it is easy to maneuver and push.
Simple to put together and to run
Assembly is required out of the box, and buyers on Amazon report that it goes together easily. They also find it easier to use than a gas mower, which is the point of a manual reel: you walk, the wheels turn the reel, and the grass gets cut.
Quiet, fume-free and cheap to keep
There is no fuel, no oil, no spark plug and no cord, so you can mow at any hour without noise or exhaust.
Good on small patches, and safe for older kids
It is built for compact yards and works best on small patches. Because nothing spins under power, it is rated for youths over the age of 13, so it works as a first mower for a teenager.
Where it falls short
Cutting performance is the one point where buyers on Amazon are divided. Many say it cuts grass nicely, while a substantial share report problems with the cut. The usual causes are practical rather than a defect: grass left too tall between mows, grass that is wet, a reel that needs its bed knife adjusted, or twigs and debris in the path. A reel mower has no power to fall back on, so it rewards a lawn that is mowed on schedule and kept clear.
A narrow swath and uncut edges
The cutting width is 14 inches, so a lawn takes more passes and more walking than a wider mower would need. The 10-inch wheels also sit wider than the reel, which leaves a strip along fences and walls that the blades never reach and that you finish with a trimmer.
A 2.25-inch ceiling on height
The cutting height tops out at 2.25 inches. That is fine for a lawn kept short and mowed often, but it is not for anyone who lets the grass grow long between cuts. Reel power comes from the wheels, so dense, tall or wet grass raises the resistance you feel at the handle.
No catcher, and some assembly
No grass catcher is included, so clippings stay on the lawn. That is fine as mulch, but it is a consideration if you like a raked finish. The mower also arrives unassembled, and the warranty is a 90-day limited one, which is short.
The product in this review
American Lawn Mower 1304-14
See on AmazonWhat the 14-Inch Cut, Five-Blade Reel and Handle Height Tell You Before You Buy
The headline figure is the cutting height range. It sets how short you can cut and, by extension, how often you have to mow.
| Specification | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Manual push reel mower | No engine, battery or cord |
| Cutting width | 14 inches | More passes on a wide lawn |
| Blades | 5, heat-treated alloy steel reel and bed knife | The scissor cut |
| Reel | 3-spider, 5-blade, ball-bearing | Turns freely as the wheels roll |
| Cutting height | 1 inch to 2.25 inches, 5 positions | Sets how short you cut and how often you mow |
| Wheels | 10-inch composite with radial rubber tires | Grip that drives the reel |
| Weight | 21 lb | Easy to carry and hang |
| Dimensions | 23 inches deep, 13 inches wide, 8 inches high | Compact storage footprint |
| Handle | T-style | Two-handed push |
| Operation | Manual | No fuel, oil or charging |
| Maintenance | Sharpen at least once every 3 to 5 years | Very little upkeep |
| Warranty | 90-day limited | Short coverage |
| Advertised use | Youths over 13 and compact yards | Who the mower is built for |
| Color | Red | Easy to spot in the shed |
The 1 inch to 2.25 inch range is the number to think about before buying. Cutting at 2.25 inches means mowing when the grass reaches roughly 3 inches. That is a weekly job in spring. The 5 positions give a usable spread for a lawn you keep on a schedule.
The American Lawn Mower 1304-14 is a well-built, light, quiet 14-inch reel mower that gives a clean scissor cut and needs almost no upkeep. It is the right tool for a small, flat, regularly mowed lawn and for a younger or casual user who wants to mow without noise or fuel. It is the wrong tool for big, rough or overgrown ground, where the narrow cut and the manual drive turn mowing into a workout.
Buy it if your lawn is small, flat and mowed often, and you want a quiet, fuel-free cut. Skip it if your ground is large, bumpy, sloped or overgrown, or your grass is a coarse warm-season type.
Frequently asked questions
Most of the doubt around this mower comes down to the cut, and the answer usually sits in the grass height, the moisture and the reel-to-bed-knife setting rather than in the machine.
How short can the American Lawn Mower 1304-14 cut grass?
The American Lawn Mower 1304-14 adjusts across five positions between 1 inch and 2.25 inches, so the shortest setting leaves roughly an inch of blade. A lawn held at the 2.25-inch top setting should be mowed once the grass nears 3 inches.
Why does the American Lawn Mower 1304-14 leave grass standing next to fences and walls?
The 10-inch wheels on the American Lawn Mower 1304-14 ride wider than the reel, so the blades cannot reach the strip that runs along a fence line or a wall. That leftover band has to be finished with a trimmer after the pass.
Does the American Lawn Mower 1304-14 collect the clippings?
No catcher ships with the American Lawn Mower 1304-14, so cut grass stays where it falls. Clippings left on the lawn break down as mulch, which suits some owners and not those who want a raked, clean finish.
Can a young teenager run the American Lawn Mower 1304-14?
Yes, as long as the user is at least 13 years old. Nothing on the machine spins under power, so the only real demands are the 21 lb weight to push and steer and the reach to the T-style handle. A younger user can also hang it on a wall hook between mows.
How often does the reel on the American Lawn Mower 1304-14 need sharpening?
Less often than you might expect: sharpen the reel and bed knife at least once every 3 to 5 years, and they hold an edge for years on a lawn that you keep clear of grit, twigs and debris. Buyers on Amazon generally report the mower works well out of the box, but a share of them run into a ragged cut when the bed knife needs adjusting or the grass is left too tall or wet.