I've used a reel mower. It would be fine, but the lawn is getting bigger with a move. And one needs a nice, flat lawn for them to work well. They also don't lift and cut, just cut, so the grass tends to be much less even unless one cuts it like a putting green.
Had an electric as a kid. The happiest day was when my parents finally stepped up to a gas mower. No more adjusting the cord to get around trees and to move over a row. If they didn't have trees everywhere, electric would have been fine, but I spent more time cord moving that mowing.
Alfredo doesn't work in my community. Although perhaps someone else with similar competency does.
The blade brake is definitely the way to go. Fortunately my parents knew to get one of those when they moved to gas.
I think the engines are all four stroke now, so the pollution is greatly reduced from the older two-stroke versions.
