Fiskars 6207 Review

(Rated: 4.1 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
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Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Cut Quality
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If you have a fairly small lawn on your property, you have a much wider range of options as to which kind of lawn mower you need to keep it looking its best. You do not need to spend a lot of money on a power rotary mower – instead you can opt for a manual reel mower. These machines are cheaper up front, and also provide considerable savings over the long term, since you will never have to spend a dime on gas or electricity in order to use them. And they are the only lawn mowers that are truly zero emissions, which makes them much better for the environment.

The Fiskars 6207 has a number of great features that make it a standout among manual reel mowers. Design considerations such as the Stay Sharp cutting reel and the Inertia Drive System are unique to this lawn mower, and they both improve its performance considerably. While this lawn mower is on the pricier side, it will provide quality performance over the long term.

Review Summary

The Fiskars 6207 is a manual reel mower with a seventeen inch wide cutting reel that has five precision ground, hardened steel blades that will remain durable over repeated use. The cutting reel has unique Stay Sharp design, in which the cutting reel does not have to make contact with a rear cutting blade. That feature greatly reduces the wear and tear on the blades and means they will stay sharper for much longer. The mower also has an innovative Inertia Drive System, which is designed to provide more power to the cutting reel, so it spins faster and stays spinning longer so you get a great looking cut for your lawn every time.

There are a few minor areas where the Fiskars 6207 is less than perfect: the mower may struggle with taller grass, tougher varieties of grass, and thicker weeds. It can also be a bit difficult to turn, and it takes some effort to get the Inertia Drive System going. But overall I don’t think that any of these drawbacks take away too much from the performance of the mower. I will cover all the drawbacks and areas where the Fiskars 6207 performs well in the Pros & Cons section. I’ll also provide a product comparison table so you can see how it stacks up to the competition, and discuss pricing.

Specifications

The Fiskars 6207 is a manual reel mower with overall dimensions of 23.5 x 18 x 13.8 inches and a five blade cutting reel that is 17 inches wide. The cutting reel does not make contact with the rear blade as it cuts the grass. The mower is manually operated and has an Inertia Drive System.

The Fiskars 6207 has an ergonomic handle that is padded for greater comfort. It has several cutting height options between 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 inches that are easy to switch between using a single lever. The mower weighs 41 pounds. A grass catcher is optional and may be purchased separately. There is a 3 year limited consumer warranty.

Description

The Fiskars 6207 is a manual reel mower with a 17 inch wide, five blade cutting reel. The mower has overall dimensions of just 23.5 x 18 x 13.8 inches, which means it will not be difficult to find adequate storage space for it. It weighs 41 pounds, which is on the heavier side for a manual reel mower, but is still light enough that just about anyone should be able to use it without difficulty, regardless of their age or strength level.

The cutting reel on the Fiskars 6207 has a unique Stay Sharp design in which its blades do not make contact with the rear cutting blade. That means the blades will not be subjected to the same kind of wear and tear that blades on standard contact lawn mowers get, so they will need to be sharpened less often. This feature all but eliminates the number one maintenance chore associated with most manual reel mowers.

The Fiskars 6207 also has an innovative Inertia Drive System, in which a drive wheel attached to the ten inch outer wheels delivers more power to the cutting reel. Although it takes a bit more effort to get the Inertia Drive System going, once it is engaged it will keep the cutting reel spinning faster for a longer time. That allows you to power through denser patches of the lawn without slowing down or losing performance.

The price tag on the Fiskars 6207 puts it toward the higher side of pricing for manual reel mowers, which may dissuade some consumers. But it’s important to bear in mind that the mower is more expensive in part because it has so many unique features that set it apart from other reel mowers. In addition to this, it has a three year warranty, which is considerably longer than industry standards.

Pros

There are a number of features on the Fiskars 6207 that make it fairly unique among manual reel mowers. It has Stay Sharp technology that is designed to keep the blades on the cutting reel sharp longer. And it has an Inertia Drive System that uses an innovative drive wheel to get the cutting reel spinning faster and keep it doing so more easily. Let’s take a closer look at the areas where the Fiskars 6207 really shines.

1. Stay Sharp technology keeps the blades sharper longer : The cutting reel has precision ground, hardened steel blades that are more durable than those on other reel mowers. And the reel is designed with Stay Sharp technology that cuts the grass without having the cutting reel touch the rear blade. This reduces friction considerably and lowers the wear and tear on the blades, keeping them sharp for much longer than the blades on other manual reel mowers with standard cutting systems. As a result the only maintenance the mower would need – sharpening the blades – is virtually eliminated.
2. Unique Inertia Drive System delivers more power to the cutting reel : The Fiskars 6207 has a uniquely designed drive system, called the Inertia Drive System. It has an innovative drive wheel that uses the lawn mower’s inertia -as the name suggests – to deliver more power to the cutting reel. This not only keeps the cutting reel spinning longer, even after you have stopped pushing the mower forward, but it also gets the cutting reel spinning much faster. As a result, the Fiskars 6207 is able to negotiate denser patches of grass that would cause other manual reel mowers to get bogged down or even stop the cutting reel altogether.
3. Big front wheels and extra rear wheels help stabilize the mower : The front wheels of the Fiskars 6207 are ten inches tall, which is fairly big for a manual reel mower. In addition, the mower has another set of rear wheels that are designed to help stabilize it. That keeps it running very smoothly even if you are cutting grass on uneven or bumpy terrain. Stability is key on manual reel mowers, which rely on it to keep the cutting reel fairly level so that you get an even cut on the grass.
4. Discharge chute throws clippings forward : The Fiskars 6207 has a convenient discharge chute that throws grass clippings over the top of the cutting reel and out the front of the mower. This is different than most manual reel mowers, which discharge the grass clippings out the rear of the mower, covering your shoes in a light rain of grass. With this mower, that is no longer an issue, and you do not have to worry about ruining your shoes or pants with grass stains.
5. Lightweight with a compact footprint : The Fiskars 6207 weighs 41 pounds, which means it will be easy for just about anyone to maneuver it around their yard, regardless of their age or strength level. And its overall dimensions are just 23.5 x 18 x 13.8 inches, even though its cutting reel is 17 inches wide. That means you will not have any difficulty finding storage space for it in your garage or tool shed, and you won’t have any trouble getting it into tight corners on your lawn.

These features make the Fiskars 6207 a very convenient manual reel mower that is fairly easy to use and maintain. Because of the Stay Sharp design, you will rarely have to sharpen the blades on the mower’s cutting reel. That eliminates most of the maintenance work associated with a manual reel mower. And the unique Inertia Drive System means that the Fiskars 6207 will deliver high performance cuts to your lawn every time.

Cons

Even with all of these great features, there are a few areas in which the Fiskars 6207 is not quite perfect. The large front wheels and rear stabilization wheels make it a bit difficult to turn. And the Inertia Drive System can be somewhat difficult to get going at first. Like many manual reel mowers, the Fiskars 6207 may struggle to cut taller grass, and it may also have trouble with thick weeds and tougher varieties of grass such as St. Augustine. Let’s look at each one of these in turn.

1. The mower is a bit difficult to turn : While the ten inch tall front wheels and extra rear wheels make the Fiskars 6207 much more stable, especially on uneven terrain, they can make it a bit difficult to turn the lawn mower. It is especially difficult to turn the mower very sharply, which can make it harder to maneuver at the edges of the lawn or in tight spaces. As a result, you will have to make wider turns, which may require you to use another tool to finish the edges of the lawn.
2. It may struggle with taller grass : This is not an uncommon problem for manual reel mowers. Because of their design, they often have difficulty getting taller grass cut; and this can be the case for the Fiskars 6207 as well. Because of that, you may have to mow your lawn more often than you like to keep it from getting so tall that the Fiskars 6207 will not be able to take care of it.
3. It can be a bit difficult to get the mower going at first : While the Inertia Drive System is very convenient once you have gotten the Fiskars 6207 going, it can be somewhat difficult to get it started. This is especially true for senior citizens or anyone else who has a body type that limits their strength level. Even so, once you do get the Inertia Drive System going, it does most of the work for you, so the trade off may well be worth it.
4. The mower can miss thicker weeds : If your lawn is not treated for weeds, and you tend to collect a lot of them, you may find that the Fiskars 6207 has trouble cutting them. Of course, this is also not uncommon for manual reel mowers, but it is definitely something to consider. You may find that you have to pull or spray weeds separately before you mow the lawn – but then again, that is the best way to keep them from coming back.
5. May not handle tougher varieties of grass well : If you live in the Southern United States or the Southwest, you probably have a variety of grass like St. Augustine or Bermuda grass that is better equipped to deal with the heat. But these varieties are fairly tough, and the Fiskars 6207 may have trouble getting through them. Of course, there are not a lot of manual reel mowers that can cut these varieties easily, but it is something to keep in mind.

In spite of the potential difficulties the Fiskars 6207 may present, overall it is still a very good manual reel mower. It has several unique design features that make it stand out among its competitors, and I tend to think they more than outweigh the mower’s drawbacks. While the mower is a bit difficult to get going at first, and it can be hard to turn, it nonetheless delivers an excellent cut and requires minimal maintenance.

Product Comparison

I always think it is a good idea to do some comparison shopping when you are looking for a new garden tool or yard machine, and a lawn mower is certainly no exception to that. In fact because a lawn mower is one of the more major purchases you will make for your yard, it’s especially important to shop around to make sure you are getting the best one. The following table compares the product specs of the Fiskars 6207 with those of the American Lawn Mower 1705-16 and the Great States 415-16.

	Fiskars 6207	American Lawn Mower 1705-16	Great States 415-16
Cutting Width	17-inch	16-inch	16-inch
Mower Type	Manual Push	Manual Push	Manual Push
Handle	Ergonomic Handle	T-handle	T-handle
Cutting System	Contact-free	Standard (contact)	Standard (contact)
Blades	5 blades	4-spider 7-blade	4-spider 5-blade
Cutting Height	1-1/2- to 3-1/2-inch	1/2- to 2-1/4-inch	1/2- to 2-3/4-inch
Weight	41 pounds	28 pounds	26 pounds
Grass Catcher	Optional	Optional	Optional
Warranty	3 years	90 days	90 days

As you can see, the Fiskars 6207 is the widest of the three lawn mowers, and it is the only one with a no contact cutting system. That means it will get the lawn cut more quickly and require less maintenance than the others. The American Lawn Mower has the most blades of the three mowers, and it and the Great States mower are also much lighter than the Fiskars 6207. The Fiskars 6207 has a warranty that is considerably longer than either of the other mowers.

Conclusion

There are a few features that are very important when you are buying a manual reel mower. You want a wide enough cutting reel that you can get the job finished quickly. You want the mower to have blades that will hold up to wear and tear without becoming dull too quickly. And you want the mower to be easy to use. Let’s review the pros and cons before we wrap up this review.

Conclusion Pros

1. Stay Sharp technology keeps the blades sharper longer.
2. Unique Inertia Drive system delivers more power to the cutting reel.
3. Big front wheels and extra rear wheels help stabilize the mower.
4. Discharge chute throws clippings forward.
5. Lightweight with a compact footprint.

The blades on the Fiskars 6207 will stay sharper much longer than those on reel mowers that have standard contact cutting systems, which eliminates much of the maintenance needed to keep it running smoothly. And it has a unique drive system that delivers more power to the cutting reel. The mower is designed to be more stable on uneven ground, and it has convenient features like the forward discharge chute.

Conclusion Cons

1. The mower is a bit difficult to turn.
2. It may struggle with taller grass.
3. It can be a bit difficult to get the mower going at first.
4. The mower can miss thicker weeds.
5. May not handle tougher varieties of grass well.

In part because of the stabilization wheels, the Fiskars 6207 may be difficult to turn, and the drive system takes a bit of work to get it going. Like many manual reel mowers, it may struggle with tall grass, thick weeds, and tougher varieties of grass such as St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. But overall I do not think any of these cons takes away from the pros too much.

Final Word

When you have a smaller yard, you have the advantage of being able to choose a manual reel mower, which can offer a number of benefits. Not only are these machines more inexpensive than rotary power mowers, they also offer a lot of savings over the long term, since you don’t have to pay for gas or electricity to run them. And because they are the only lawn mowers that are completely emissions free, they are the best bet for the environment.

The Fiskars 6207 has a number of unique design features that make it a more sophisticated manual reel mower for the 21st century. It has a Stay Sharp cutting system that keeps the blades sharper for much longer, which all but eliminates the need for maintenance. And its Inertia Drive System delivers more power to the cutting reel. This is a well designed manual reel mower that provides excellent performance.

Best Price

The Fiskars 6207 falls in the mid- to higher range of pricing for manual reel mowers. Of course, you could always save a bit of money by purchasing a cheaper reel mower, but you may wind up losing performance and durability over the long term. The Fiskars 6207 is more expensive in part because it has additional design features that make it a better lawn mower, such as the Stay Sharp cutting system and the Inertia Drive System. That means that in a number of areas it will outperform similar manual reel mowers, even if they are less expensive up front.