Greenworks 25072 Review

(Rated: 4.1 / 5) Review by Frank Lowery
Noise
Ease of Assembly
Maneuverability
Balance And Handling
Cut Quality
Check Price
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One of the main reasons consumers are opting more and more for reel mowers these days is not because of any nostalgia for vintage machines. It is simply because they are becoming more aware of the impact their choices can have on the environment, and they want to reduce their carbon footprints. Just as hybrid cars and energy efficient appliances are becoming more popular, so too are zero emissions lawn care products.

The Greenworks line of lawn care products is dedicated to providing quality tools that have a zero carbon footprint. Their tools do not require any power whatsoever other than your own human power. And they back these tools up with a four year consumer warranty, which is considerably longer than the industry standard. That is because Greenworks is confident that the design and manufacturing of their lawn care products deliver reliable performance for the long term.

Review Summary

The Greenworks 25072 is a manual push reel mower designed to provide quality performance over the long term without needing gas or electricity, which means you will reduce your household’s carbon footprint significantly if you use it. These lawn mowers are designed for moderately sized yards, so I do not recommend purchasing one if you have a yard that is much larger than the typical lot. If you do have a smaller yard, you can save not only the environment but also a good deal of money with this mower. Not only is it affordable up front, it will also save you money related to fuel and maintenance costs.

I will not only provide a detailed description of the Greenworks 25072 in this review; I’ll also provide short descriptions of the pros and cons associated with the machine as well as an in depth product comparison. This way you will have a comprehensive picture of not only what the Greenworks 25072 offers, but also what drawbacks are associated with it and how it stacks up against its competition.

Specifications

The Greenworks 25072 is a manual push reel mower with a 20 inch cutting width. That size puts it at the high end of reel mowers, and it makes it comparable to many power mowers as well. It has a standard cutting system in which the blade reel makes contact with the cutting blade, which means the blades will have to be sharpened periodically. The blade reel has five durable cutting blades.

The mower’s handle is equipped with a cushion grip so that you can use it in greater comfort. It has several cutting height adjustments between 1.75 and 2.75 inches. The owner weighs only 39 pounds, which means just about anyone should be able to maneuver it without too much trouble. A rear grass catcher is included in the initial purchase price, so you can dispose of or compost your clippings easily.

Description

The Greenworks 25072 is a manual push reel mower that is designed to allow you to cut your lawn efficiently while maintaining a zero carbon footprint. It has a 20 inch wide cutting reel, which makes it one of the wider reel mowers available today, and puts it at a comparable width to many power mowers as well. The mower’s cutting system is a standard contact one, in which the five blades on the cutting reel make contact with the cutting blade to slice through grass. That means that it will be able to consistently deliver a quality cut. It also means that you will have to periodically sharpen the cutting reel as well as back-strap the cutting blade to keep it performing optimally.

In addition to being emissions free, the Greenworks 25072 has the extra advantage that it runs virtually silently. That means you will be able to use it to cut your lawn at any time of day without having to worry about whether you are disturbing your neighbors. You will be able to cut your lawn early in the day while they’re still in bed and before it gets too hot out. Then you can enjoy the rest of your weekend with your family.

The mower also not only helps you to save the environment, but also saves you a considerable amount of money as well. Not only does it have a competitive price tag, because you will not need to spend a penny on gas or using electric to charge any batteries, once you purchase the Greenworks 25072, you can operate it pretty much for free from then on. That means the mower basically pays for itself after only one summer of use.

The cutting reel has several height adjustments between 1.75 and 2.75 inches. While some users may find that the lowest height setting is a bit too low for their liking, it’s important to keep in mind that you should avoid cutting your grass any shorter than 1/3 its initial height.

The mower only weighs 39 pounds, which along with its large ten inch front and additional six inch rear wheels makes it easy for just about anyone to maneuver it, even over uneven ground. Overall this is a quality manual reel mower at a competitive price.

Pros

The GreenWorks 25072 has a number of great features that make it a quality option for manual push reel mowers. It is light and very maneuverable for just about anyone. Its cutting deck is twenty inches wide, so you will be able to cut your lawn more efficiently. It comes with a convenient grass catcher included in the initial price. It has multiple height adjustments that are easy to switch between. And it has a great price and a warranty that is double the industry standard. Let’s take a look at each of these pros in more detail.

1. Lightweight and easy to maneuver : At just 39 pounds, the Greenworks 25072 is a rather lightweight reel mower for its size. Along with its large ten inch front wheels and additional 6 inch rear wheels, this mower is light enough that almost anyone will find it is very easy to maneuver around the yard, even if you have rough terrain in your yard.
2. Wide 20 inch cutting deck for more efficiency : The cutting deck is a full 20 inches wide, which makes it one of the wider manual reel mowers available today, and comparable to even large power mower’s cutting decks as well. A wider cutting deck allows you to finish the job in fewer passes, and fewer passes means you will be done more quickly and back to enjoying your weekend.
3. Grass catcher included in initial purchase : Many lawn mowers, reel or otherwise, that are affordably priced often do not include additional options like a grass catcher in the initial price, but on the 25072, Greenworks does. That means you will be able to collect clippings for later disposal or composting without having to worry about spending extra money for the privilege.
4. Nine height adjustment positions for healthier cuts : The Greenworks 25072 comes with nine height options between 1.75 and 2.75 inches, and they are easy to switch between using a single lever on the side of the cutting reel. That means you will have more control over the cutting height that you use on the mower, which will allow you to always keep your lawn looking and feeling its best.
5. Affordable price and excellent warranty : The Greenworks 25072 is one of the more competitively priced manual reel mowers in its size class, so you can save the environment as well as your home and garden budget when you buy it. And it has a consumer warranty that is double the industry standard, so you can be assured that the manufacturer has confidence in the mower’s ability to perform for the long term.

Any one of these features would be great to have on a manual reel mower, but on the Greenworks 25072 you get all of them. And combined, they make for an excellent machine at a really competitive price. Overall this is a good manual reel mower for the household that has a smaller yard and wants to save money and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.

Cons

While all of the pros the Greenworks 25072 offers are quite impressive, there are also a few areas where it does not deliver as well as it could, and it is important to understand the mower’s drawbacks before you make a final decision about whether to purchase it. The mower has trouble with taller grass and weeds, which can be frustrating. The highest sitting for the cutting reel is a bit lower than one would like. The handle is somewhat flimsy. It is difficult to keep the cutting reel spinning on uneven terrain. And the wide space between the wheels and the cutting reel makes it difficult to edge with this mower.

1. The mower does not perform well in tall grass or weeds : This is a problem that is somewhat chronic with reel mowers. They do not tend to have the kind of power necessary to cut tall grass or weeds on a single pass. The Greenworks 25072 is no exception to this, so if your lawn tends to get taller than six or eight inches in between cuts, be prepared to make multiple passes to get the job done.
2. The highest setting for the cutting reel is only 2.75 inches : This may be a problem for users who do not like to cut their grass very short, and it also compounds the issue of the mower’s ability to handle taller grass. If you do not mind cutting your grass fairly short, this won’t be an issue. But if you do prefer a more generous cut, you may want to look at other models.
3. The handle is rather flimsy : While the Greenworks 25072 is a sturdy, well made reel mower, and it has a durable cutting reel and wheels, there is a problem with the quality of the handle. Simply put, it isn’t durable. This is problematic for a mower that relies on push power to get it cutting and keep it going.
4. The cutting reel does not work well on uneven ground : If you have uneven terrain in your yard, you may find that you have some difficult with keeping the cutting reel spinning. If the wheels are bouncing over the ground (which they tend to do on rough ground), they can’t transfer torque to the gears, and the cutting reel will slow down. That will force you to make more passes than should be necessary.
5. The cutting reel does not edge along walls or fences easily : The wheels on the mower are set considerably wider than the cutting reel, which means that you will not be able to use the mower against walls or fences easily. Because of this, you will have to do more edging and trimming in these areas after you are finished mowing the lawn, which will take more time and may require additional tools.

I do not think that any one of these drawbacks is serious enough to warrant not recommending this mower for smaller yards, but I do think it’s important that you take them into consideration before you make a purchase. While none of them are indictments of the mower’s design or construction – with the exception of the handle – they may mean that the Greenworks 25072 is not quite right for your needs.

Product Comparison

A great way to get an idea of whether a product is right for you is by comparing it to similar products made by its competitors. This way, you can get a complete picture not only of how an individual machine like the Greenworks 25072 stacks up against other mowers in its class, but you will also be better informed about the industry as a whole. In order to help you do this, I have provided a comparison table that evaluates the specs of the Greenworks 25072 with those of two other manual push reel mowers, the Scotts 2000-20 and the Fiskars 6201.

	Greenworks 25072	Scotts 2000-20	Fiskars 6201
Cutting Width	20-inch	20-inch	18-inch
Mower Type	Manual Push	Manual Push	Manual Push
Handle	Cushion Grip	Cushion Grip	Ergonomic Handle
Cutting System	Standard (contact)	Standard (contact)	Contact-free
Blades	5 blades	5 blades	5 blades
Cutting Height	1-3/4- to 2-3/4-inch	1- to 3-inch	1- to 4-inch
Weight	39 pounds	34 pounds	52 pounds
Grass Catcher	Included	Optional	Optional
Warranty	4 years	1 year	3 years

As you can see, the Greenworks and Scotts mowers have the widest cutting reels of the three mowers, at twenty inches. The Fiskars has a slightly smaller cutting reel, but it is also the only one of the three that offers contact free cutting, which greatly reduces the amount of sharpening the blades need. The Fiskars also has an ergonomic handle, while the Greenworks and Scotts mowers are both simply padded. The Greenworks falls on the lower end of the weight for the three mowers, at 39 pounds. It is the only one that includes a grass catcher.

Conclusion

When you have a small enough yard that you do not need to use a power mower to get the job done, a manual reel mower is a great option. Not only do these mowers reduce your overall carbon footprint considerably, they also save you a lot of money in the long run on fuel and maintenance costs. There are a number of reasons why the Greenworks 25072 is a great manual push reel mower at a great price. Let’s reevaluate both the pros and cons of this machine before we wrap up.

Conclusion Pros

1. Lightweight and easy to maneuver.
2. Wide 20 inch cutting deck for more efficiency.
3. Grass catcher included in initial purchase.
4. Nine height adjustment positions for healthier cuts.
5. Affordable price and excellent warranty.

Because it is so lightweight, the Greenworks 25072 will be easy for just about anyone to maneuver around the yard. It also has a twenty inch wide cutting deck, which makes it one of the widest reel mowers available today, and allows you to finish cutting your lawn in fewer passes and less time. It comes with a convenient grass catcher included in the initial purchase price, and it has nine height adjustment options so you can always be giving your lawn the best cut. And it provides all of these features at a great price with an excellent warranty.

Conclusion Cons

1. The mower does not perform well in tall grass or weeds.
2. The highest setting for the cutting reel is only 2.75 inches.
3. The handle is rather flimsy.
4. The cutting reel does not work well on uneven ground.
5. The cutting reel does not edge along walls or fences easily.

Like many reel mowers, the Greenworks 25072 does not perform well in taller grass, and you may find yourself making multiple passes to get the job done in such cases. It does not have a very high range of cutting height options, which can be problematic for some owners. The flimsy handle is concerning, because in a manual push mower, you want to be able to lean your weight into it. You may have problems if you are using the mower on uneven ground, and if your lawn abuts fences or walls, you will have to edge these areas separately.

Final Word

Reducing our carbon footprints is becoming increasingly important these days, and there are a number of ways homeowners can go about doing this. We can buy expensive hybrid cars or fancy high-efficiency appliances. One of the simplest and most affordable ways a homeowner can reduce their carbon footprint is by switching to a manual reel mower. If you have a small enough yard, these machines can help you save the environment along with saving money on fuel and maintenance costs.

The Greenworks 25072 has all of the advantages a manual push reel mower could offer at a very affordable price. It has a super wide cutting deck that at twenty inches is comparable to even many power mowers. It has a convenient grass catcher included in the initial purchase price. And it is lightweight and easy to use. Overall this is a great reel mower at a very affordable price.

Best Price

Even though they are fairly simple machines, manual reel mowers can tend to get rather expensive in spite of the fact that beyond blade count and cutting reel width, there aren’t many areas where they are all that different. Because of this, you should shop for a reel mower that offers a wide cutting reel and good blade count at an affordable price. The Greenworks 25072 is just such a mower, and it is one of the more affordable reel mowers available on the market today. This mower will not only help you save the environment, it will help you save your home budget as well.