All moto mowers have curved type cylinder blades that create a cutting action against a fixed plate. The blades make a spiral around the reel axis, and as they spin, the spiral of blades forces grass past the stationary plate.

Contact mowers are the older, and more conventional form of cutting method. The cylinder blades are in direct contact with the bed knife and scrape across each other very similar to scissors shearing together. There is generally more friction which causes these mowers to be slightly more difficult to push. The friction also causes noise which can vary depending on each model. Some are quieter than others. Friction mowers generally need to be sharpened every 2 to 3 seasons. If you have a yard full of weeds then a friction mower is the best choice.

Contact free mowers are the newer more modern reel mowers which use a contact-free or frictionless cutting system. The term contact-free is used to describe a small gap between the reel mower blades and the bed knife. The gap is roughly the width of a human hair and small enough to cut grass, yet big enough to eliminate all friction and noise caused by friction. Contact-free moto mower rotary tillers are easier to push then the older style making them more fun to use and less tiring. Contact-free mowers cut best when used on healthy turf with minimal weeds. These mowers also cut best when used at lower cutting heights. There are some models available today that claim to be used on cutting range, however, much of the grass is left behind. Contact-free reel mowers usually do not need to be sharpened for at least 5-10 years depending on use.

Most mowers stay sharp between 2-4 years depending on use. This can vary from lawn to lawn and manufacturer to manufacturer. You can tell when your moto mower fertilizer spreader needs to be sharpened when much of the grass passes by the reel and is left uncut. Contact mowers require sharpening on the average of every 2 years. You can purchase do-it-yourself sharpening kit and sharpen your own moto mower.