Those push reel type mowers are honestly more trouble than they're worth. I had a very similar situation as you at my first house years ago. Tried a push mower and it just disappointed at every level. Even the cheapest crappiest gas or electric powered mower will produce MUCH better results for close to the same money as a high quality reel mower. And forget the cheap reel mowers, they're total garbage. So I would get a small push gas or electric, whatever you like. Heck, in my case I cruised the neighborhoods around this time of year and found one somebody put out for the trash, cleaned and tuned the carb and had a free mower. It lasted me 8 years until the deck rusted out.

I tried mowing my grandparents’ yard with a push reel a couple of times when my grandfather was diagnosed with cancer in the early 70s. With all the roots from the big maples, it was a lost cause. I pushed our gas mower over from our house after that.

My grandmother used a push reel mower all her life. Think it helped her live so long.

Keeping it sharp is a skill that is almost lost. Figure that out before buying one. You will not find 1 in 1,000 people that know how to sharpen one.

In your position I would think more about a cheap, used electric (110v) push mower. Simple, quiet, light. Just don’t drive over the cord.

If you really want to try a push reel mower - put an ad in the paper/on the web. Likely that someone will give you one just to get rid of it without throwing it away.

When I lived in a town house with a very tiny front patch, I bought just a battery powered string trimmer.

Was pretty easy to do and I could edge up when I was done.

Not sure how small your patch of grass is but string trimmers can be handy to have in general. More so than a reel mower.

If you buy one make sure you leave room in the garage to store it somewhere out of the way for when you need to make room for your actual mower. I can show you where I keep mine.

Some years ago I earned my living maintaining a golf course. Reel mowers are what make those pretty stripes in the grass. And they were a pain to maintain. Backlapping to sharpen, adjusting the cut height, etc. A rotary will be so much easier to deal with. Sharpen with a file or grinder, balance the blade on a screwdriver shank.

If you want to be the cool guy on the block, you could always get an air cushion mower. It's like a cross between a weed whacker, and a hovercraft, in a package the size of a push mower.

you gotta remember , he's only mowing 200 sq ft of lawn.

its gonna take him longer to brush his teeth and wash his hands

My dad has this one.

I've used it when I'm visiting the folks. It works really well, but as others have stated, there is a learning curve on how to sharpen it.

I don’t know how far you are from me, but pay for shipping and I send you one like this.

Fiskars Reel Mower