Gardena 4023 Review

(Rated: 4 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Cut Quality
Check Price
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One of the great advantages to owning a yard with a fairly small lawn is the fact that you do not need a big power rotary mower to keep it looking and feeling its best. A manual reel mower will do the job just fine. That means you will enjoy considerable savings over the long term: you will never spend a dime on fuel or electric costs, and you won’t ever have to do the kind of serious maintenance, like swapping out spark plugs or cleaning air filters, that power lawn mowers need.

In addition, reel mowers are much quieter than power mowers, which has a number of advantages. Not only does it save your eardrums from a high decibel pounding every time you use it, it also keeps you from having to worry about disturbing your neighbors. That means you can get the job done early in the morning before they’re awake. And the Gardena 4023 is designed with a unique silent drive system so you will almost never hear it.

Review Summary

The Gardena 4023 is a manual reel mower with a fifteen inch wide cutting reel that has five durable steel blades. The blades on the cutting reel do not make contact with the rear cutting blade while you are using it. That has two advantages, the first being that the cutting reel blades stay sharp a lot longer than those on standard contact reel mowers do. Because of this you won’t have to sharpen them as often, which saves you even more time and money over the long run. The second advantage to this system is that the Gardena 4023 runs almost silently while you are cutting your lawn.

Unlike gas mowers, which are considerably loud, or even electric lawn mowers, which can also be a lot louder than reel mowers, the Gardena 4023 barely whispers as you use it to cut your lawn. As a result, you can cut your lawn whenever you like, even very early in the morning before your neighbors are up. I’ll discuss the advantages of the no contact cutting system, as well as a few other great features the Gardena 4023 offers, in the Pros section. I will also provide a summary of the areas where the lawn mower performs less than optimally in the Cons section.

Specifications

The Gardena 4023 is a manual push reel mower with a fifteen inch wide cutting reel. The cutting reel has five durable, hardened steel blades that have a non-stick coating as well as a ground bottom blade for a clean and even cut every time. It has a straight handle that is adjustable for the perfect height for any user.

Its cutting reel is designed to be no contact and run silently. It has a sliding height adjustment between one inch and 2 1/2 inches. The lawn mower weighs 20 pounds and is small enough that it will be very easy to find storage space for it in your garage or tool shed. A grass catcher is sold separately as an optional accessory. The mower comes with a one year consumer warranty.

Description

The Gardena 4023 is a manual push reel mower with a fifteen inch wide cutting reel that is designed to make no contact with the rear cutting blade while you are mowing your lawn. This not only ensures that the hardened steel blades on the cutting reel stay sharp longer, but also that the mower will not make any noise when you are using it. As a result, the primary maintenance associated with manual reel mowers – sharpening the blades – is considerably reduced. And because it is so quiet, you can use the Gardena 4023 whenever you want, regardless of how early in the morning it is, without worrying about disturbing sleeping neighbors. That means you can finish the job before the day is too hot and enjoy the rest of your weekend in the shade.

The Gardena 4023 weighs just 20 pounds, which means that just about anyone will find it is very easy to use. And it is small enough that you should not have any trouble finding storage space for it in your garage or tool shed. It will also be easy to maneuver into tight corners, and it has a sturdy shrub bar so you can get under and around bushes without damaging them or getting the cutting blade stuck on lower branches.

Like other manual reel mowers, the Gardena 4023 produces zero emissions when you are using it, which means it will be far more environmentally friendly than any power mowers. And you will not have to spend a dime on fuel costs or electricity to run it. You’ll get a great workout with a manual reel mower, and you will be able to keep a smaller lawn looking great with it. Overall this is a solid manual reel mower with a number of great features.

Pros

There are a number of excellent features on the Gardena 4023. It is designed with a no contact cutting system that keeps the blades sharp longer without needing maintenance. And the cutting system allows the mower to run silently, which is very advantageous. It’s lightweight and easy to maneuver, and it produces zero emissions. Let’s take a look at each of these pros in more detail.

1. No contact cutting system : Because the Gardena 4023 is designed with a cutting system in which the cutting reel does not make contact with the rear cutting blade, the blades will need sharpening less often than on standard models. This feature will save you a lot of effort and money in the long run, since sharpening the blades is the only upkeep reel mowers need. The mower will also be considerably easier to push through dense grass as a result.
2. Five durable cutting blades : The Gardena 4023 has five cutting blades made of hardened steel with a non-stick coating so it will stay clean even while you are mowing damp grass. There is also a convenient ground bottom blade on the cutting reel that helps to provide a clean and precise cut every time. The mower won’t chew through grass the way machines with fewer blades have to; it will slice right through grass evenly every time.
3. Lightweight and maneuverable : At just 20 pounds, the Gardena 4023 is one of the most lightweight manual reel mowers out there – which also means it is simply one of the most lightweight lawn mowers, period. Its size and weight make it very maneuverable, and it is easy to use for just about anyone, regardless of age or physical ability. And it has a small enough footprint that it will be a piece of cake to find storage space for it in your garage.
4. Mower is very quiet to use : The Gardena 4023 is specifically designed to run silently, and it is probably the quietest manual reel mower I’ve ever reviewed. It is considerably quieter than gas or electric lawn mowers, which will be good news for readers with neighbors. You can mow your lawn at any time of the day without worrying about disturbing them, regardless of how early in the morning it is. That way you can get your lawn chores finished before the summer sun gets too hot.
5. Zero emissions or fuel use : One reason so many consumers are turning back to manual reel mowers is because of the environmental and savings factors. These mowers are the only ones on the market that produce zero emissions, which can help you reduce your carbon footprint significantly, and they also save you a lot of money on fuel costs over the long run. And who can argue with saving yourself money along with saving the environment?

The main advantage the Gardena 4023 offers its owner is the fact that the no contact blades not only need less maintenance but also run virtually silent. That means you have the freedom to cut your grass whenever you want, regardless of how early in the morning it is. Then you can get back to enjoying the rest of the weekend before it’s even time for lunch.

Cons

The pros aside, there are a few areas where the Gardena 4023 does not perform as well as it could, and its design does limit it somewhat in terms of what it is capable of doing. Like many other manual reel mowers, the Gardena 4023 may struggle with tall grass and tougher varieties of grass. It is designed so that it will not edge the lawn close to walls or other obstacles. Its cutting range is also somewhat limited, and its price is somewhat high.

1. The mower may have trouble with tall grass : This, of course, is a problem that many of us often encounter in manual reel mowers, and so far it just seems to be the price we have to pay if we want to own one. The Gardena 4023 is no exception in this case. If the grass is taller than about four or five inches, it may struggle with it, and simply roll over it without cutting it. As a result you can’t let your lawn get too shaggy between cuts.
2. It also can struggle with tougher varieties of grass : Again, this is a problem that a lot of manual reel mowers seem to have. They just do not seem to have the power necessary to plough through tougher varieties of grass like St. Augustine or Bermuda grass. As a result, if you have these varieties in your yard, you may have trouble cutting them on the first pass with the Gardena 4023, and have to go over the lawn several times to get the job done.
3. The cutting range is only 1 1/2 inches in height : The cutting range on the Gardena 4023 extends from one to 2 1/2 inches in height, which is not very wide. While the manufacturer boasts that the cutting height adjustment is “infinitely variable,” this isn’t exactly true: you can adjust among any number of heights within that range, but that’s it. As a result, you may have to keep your lawn cut a bit shorter than you typically like to with this lawn mower.
4. It won’t get close to walls or other obstacles : The cutting reel on the Gardena 4023 is fifteen inches wide, and the wheels extend about three inches on either side of it. That means if you have a lawn that comes right up against walls, trees, or other obstacles, you will not be able to finish the job with just the lawn mower. You’ll have to break out the edger after you are done to trim around the sides of the lawn.
5. It is a bit expensive for a manual reel mower : The Gardena 4023 is priced a bit higher than most manual reel mowers, which some users may find off-putting. It actually approaches many power rotary lawn mowers in terms of price, but at the same time it does not offer the kind of wide cutting swaths that those lawn mowers do. While it is well designed and has durable parts, the price still strikes me as a bit high for a manual reel lawn mower.

Of course, while the price is high, you are still getting a quality lawn mower that has the ability to run virtually silently when you use it. A lot of consumers will find this advantage alone to be reason enough to shell out a little extra money on this lawn mower. And if you are comfortable with the cutting height range and the width of the cutting reel, and feel that this will take care of your small lawn well, then I can’t see any of these cons being reason enough to recommend against buying this model.

Product Comparison

It is important to get a good idea of how a particular lawn mower compares to similar models. That way you can understand not only how that model stacks up against its competition, but also a better picture of what the market as a whole has to offer. In the following table, I compare the product specifications of the Gardena 4023 with those of the Great States 815-18 and the American Lawn Mower 1304-14.

	Gardena 4023	Great States 815-18	American Lawn Mower 1304-14
Cutting Width	15-inch	18-inch	14-inch
Mower Type	Manual Push	Manual Push	Manual Push
Handle	Straight Handle	Cushion Grip	T-handle
Cutting System	Silent (no contact)	Standard (contact)	Standard (contact)
Blades	5 blades	4-spider 5-blade	3-spider 5-blade
Cutting Height	1- to 2-1/2-inch	1/2- to 2-3/4-inch	1- to 1-3/4-inch
Weight	20 pounds	27 pounds	21 pounds
Grass Catcher	Optional	Optional	Optional
Warranty	1 year	2 years	90 days

As you can see, The Great States mower has the widest cutting deck of the three. While all three mowers have a five blade cutting reel, the Great States is also the only one on a four spider ball bearing system for smoother use. The Gardena 4023 is the only one with a silent, no contact cutting system, which is its major advantage. It’s also a bit lighter than either of the other two lawn mowers.

Conclusion

All things considered, I think that the Gardena 4023 has a lot to offer the right kind of lawn. Chief among its advantages is the no contact cutting system that keeps the blades sharp longer and allows the mower to run virtually silent while you are cutting your lawn. Before we close, let’s take another look at both the pros and the cons this lawn mower offers.

Conclusion Pros

1. No contact cutting system.
2. Five durable cutting blades.
3. Lightweight and maneuverable.
4. Mower is very quiet to use.
5. Zero emissions or fuel use.

The no contact system that allows the Gardena 4023 to run silently is a real advantage. This means you can get out there and mow your lawn while the birds are still chirping and before your neighbors are out of bed without having to worry about disturbing them. The mower has five durable cutting blades and is easy to use. It also produces zero emissions.

Conclusion Cons

1. The mower may have trouble with tall grass.
2. It also can struggle with tougher varieties of grass.
3. The cutting range is only 1 1/2 inches in height.
4. It won’t get close to walls or other obstacles.
5. It is a bit expensive for a manual reel mower.

The first two drawbacks are often found in reel lawn mowers, and if you have a lawn with finer grass that you don’t let get too long, they shouldn’t present too much of a problem for you. The cutting range is a bit limited, and the mower will not cut close to edges that abut walls or trees. And the mower is a bit pricier than similar models.

Final Word

If you have a fairly small lawn, a manual reel mower is definitely the way to go. These machines save you a lot of money over the long term on maintenance and fuel costs. And they are great for the environment, since they produce absolutely zero emissions. But you want to make sure you are getting a reel mower that will provide the kind of quality performance and efficiency that will keep you from doing too much work to keep your lawn looking its best.

The main advantage the Gardena 4023 provides its owner is the fact that the no contact cutting blade will stay sharp a lot longer than those on reel mowers with standard, contact systems will. In addition to that, the no contact system runs almost completely silently, which means you won’t ever have to worry about disturbing your neighbors when you mow your lawn. Overall this is a well designed, durable lawn mower.

Best Price

As I have mentioned above, the Gardena 4023 is a bit more expensive than other manual reel mowers – in fact, its price tag is not too much lower than those on many power rotary lawn mowers. And because it has such a narrow cutting reel, the only advantage you are getting from the expense is the fact that the mower runs silently and needs sharpening less often. If you have a small enough yard, the expense could be warranted, since you can mow it whenever you want. Also, the Gardena 4023 will last for many years, and the savings on maintenance and fuel costs will eventually recoup much of the initial purchase price.