In glancing-angle scattering of keV-ions from a crystal surface, the ion reflection takes place in the eV-part of the interaction potentials. The elastic interactions are determined by the energy transverse to atomic rows, which can be of the order of 10 eV. A row-model using averaged potentials according to the Lindhard cylindrical potential has been developed using step-by-step integration of Newton's equations of motion. Previously [D. Danailov, K. Gärtner, A. Caro, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 153 (1999) 191; presented on COSIRES, Okayama, 1998] we reported that zig–zag trajectories within surface channels and the corresponding multimode azimuthal angular distributions of reflected ions are very sensitive to the interaction potential used in the simulation. Here we simulate the scattering of 15 keV He-atoms from Fe(1 0 0) surfaces at different angles of incidence comparable with previously published experimental results [D. Danailov, T. Igel, R. Pfandzelter, H. Winter, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 164–165 (2000) 583]. Our results show that for interaction energies below about 4 eV the well-known “universal” potential works well. However, for energies between 4 and 13 eV the “individual” He–Fe potential (D. Danailov, K. Gärtner, A. Caro, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. B 153 (1999) 191; presented on COSIRES, Okayama, 1998) gives a better agreement with the experimental data. For interaction energies above 13 eV both potentials are similar. We have constructed a mixed He–Fe potential, which describes the experimental observations well. The row-model enables us to deduce the He–Fe interaction potential in the eV-range. In addition, a shift in the experimental angular spectra compared with the calculated spectra indicates that the atomistic rows undergo an elastic horizontal bend due to the scattering and an order of magnitude smaller vertical displacement.