When I was young, I went with my parents to buy one (to replace a really old gas mower). We tried out a few at the store on the patch of grass out front, and they were a lot of work. I could just barely push it. Then we pulled out the instruction manual and read how to adjust the blades, made one small adjustment, and it instantly became really easy. Even easier than our old gas mower.

I've heard TV stores intentionally adjust some TVs (which would otherwise all look virtually the same) to look worse, to convince you to buy one nicer than that. Could it be that lawnmower stores keep some push mowers sitting in the back, with the blades cranked all the way down to "impossible to push", to convince you to pay a lot more for a gas mower?

I'd never buy a gas mower again. They're bigger, more expensive to buy and operate, harder to clean, and loud and stinky to use. The push mower I've used was neither "inconsistent" nor "hard work".

> they're hard work.

Not my experience at all. Mine is barely harder to push than a gasoline mower.

There are two drawbacks: 1) To get an even cut you often have to go over an area twice at a right angle. 2) If you let the grass get too long it simply doesn't work: the reel will just push over the blades instead of cutting them.