Customer Reviews

Black & Decker CMM1000 19-Inch 5 HP Cordless Mulching Mower with Rear Bag

5 star:		(92)
4 star:		(51)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(25)

 

 

I've had this mower for one season. I got it after my old gas-powered mower gave up the ghost (even then, we called it the Frankenstein, because it was cobled together from many spare parts and cannibalized mowers to keep it running). I thought that I would look into doing my part to lower pollution, but I didnt want to lug around an extension cord. I've found this tool to be just the solution.

I've found that it works just as well as any of the less-expensive consumer grade gas mowers. Yes, it will bog down in very thick or wet grass, but so did my 4 HP B&S driven mower. The solution is the same: take a smaller pass or lighter cut. AS far as extra weight, I haven't noticed any appreciable difference. The battery certainly adds to the weight, but because it runs so much cooler, much of the body is polymer, which is very light. I have no problems moving it around. It's wonderfully simple to use, with easy switches and levers.

I have a 6000 sq ft lot. I've found I can get 3-4 mows out of a single charge, which seems like plenty of endurance for me. I just remember to plug it in, once an evening every few times. There's even a handy gauge that shows the status of the battery charge to help remind you.

One of the best things I like is the noise level, or lack thereof. Like many of you, I'm sure, I juggle my chores around work and home life. A great frustration was trying to find time to mow. I try to get house work accomplished when my kid is napping, but the bloody gas mower was so loud, I didn't want to wake him up. This B&D cordless runs at a mere whisper, so no worries at working it any time of day/night (no more feeling guilty at waking up my neighbor who works swing shift). You can truly carry on a conversation with someone even while running this tool.

All in all, I'm totally satisfied with this machine and would recommend it to anyone looking for a home-maintenance mower.

I have an early version of this model and made the mistake of leaving it out in an unheated, very cold garage during the winters. The low charge and cold weather seemed to have killed the batteries, or maybe it was just their time (about 4 years old).

Regardless, I found "official" replacement batteries to be very expensive, but then came across a perfect substitute: a universal 12180 battery. The 12 refers to the voltage and the 180 part is the amp-hour rating (18.0). This is identical to what the original batteries were - sealed lead-acid, vibration-resistant and all. Even the physical dimensions are precisely the same, which makes changing the battery easy.

Always replace both batteries at the same time, pay attention to how the old ones were connected, and you'll be mowing again for half the price of the official batteries.

I've owned this product for going on 8 years now. It's been by far the best mower I've ever owned. It's a breeze to start and use, and not worry about keeping oil and gas around. (The environmental advantages are nothing to sneeze at--small cycle engines account for a massively disproportionate level of air pollution.) Having previously owned a gas mower that was at times hard to start a a real pain to adjust heights at all 4 wheels, I couldn't believe how easy this one is. One-finger start, one-hand hgt. adjust. AT ALL 4 WHEELS TOGETER (not one wheel at a time).

A couple of minor cautions: if you frequently mow your grass wet or damp, or let it go for weeks, this one might not be for you. It WILL handle those conditions as well as the equiv.-powered gas mower, but will have to be recharged more frequently. Suffice to say: Mowing grass wet and going weeks between mows IS BAD FOR YOUR GRASS, so it's not a good idea regardless of the mower type.

As for the 24-hr recharge one reviewer complained about (it's actually just 16 hrs), it WILL regain 60% of full charge in 4 hrs., so for all but the most impatient, the recharge cycle shouldn't be a problem.

I've found this mower to be quite capable of holding up well to normal use--in fact, holding up better than most gas/push mowers. Too bad, most people won't consider these at all!

(I notice the Canadian govt. is offering rebates for people purchasing this mower or a "people-powered" reel mower--great idea! I bet George Bush will pick up on this any day now!)

I have used the Black & Decker CMM1000 19" Cordless mower for a month now. Love it so far, cuts my 1/3 acre lot (probably more like 1/5 acre of grass) with no appreciable dip in the battery meter. The one lever height adjustment is a great idea when my neighbor borrows it. No exhaust to breath and no cord to yank which is great when your kids or wife cut the grass. It is relatively quiet, but far from silent, maybe 1/4 or so of the noise of a gas mower. At ($) delivered...from Amazon, it was cheaper and more convenient than my local...store...Amazon was the only store I found that carried a satisfaction guarantee, which is actually the primary reason I bought it from them, because I was worried it would not cut all my lawn on one charge, and ($) is a lot of money to gamble.
You can now buy gas mowers that meet a California lawnmower emission standard for $150 or so, but you still have the exhaust, noise, cord yanking, refueling vapors and spills, and the grimy yearly maintenance of oil changing and air filter cleaning to deal with. So far the CMM1000 has been hassle free - push the start lever and go. I expect some maintenance - Black and Decker recommends you keep the blade sharp, and the batteries are only supposed to last 5 years or so, although the ($) replacement cost might be less than the total 5 year maintenance cost on a gas mower...

I have owned the CMM1000 mower for four years. Use it to mow about a quarter of an acre. It mows well and is very convenient to use. It comes with a bag which works reasonably well but I use the mulching option and avoid collecting the clippings. I like not having to fuss with gas, oil, winterization, starting problems etc associated with gasoline powered mowers. It is much quieter as well. That said, the CMM1000 does require recharging after about 1/3 acre. The reason I am writing the review right now is that after 4 full seasons of use it was time to replace the battery. That was a bit more of a challenge than it should be. The mower uses two Panasonic LC-X1220AP batteries. It does not state that anywhere in the owners manual. Black and Decker parts dept will ship you a new set for about $120. You can get the batteries via discount internet sites for about $100/pair plus shipping so B+D does not exactly gouge you on the batteries. There are no instructions for replacing the batteries. There are no instructions for how to remove the top cover to get access. Silly. It is not that difficult but you'd think they would provide the instructions. You do need to remove about six or eight screws to get at the battery. Some of the electronics are in the top cover so you need to unscrew those as well to get the cover out of the way to get proper access. Disconnect the built in battery meter by puling two clips and you can finally get the top cover out of the way. After that it is pretty easy. It would be silly to send the mower to a repair facility to replace the batteries but it does take about half an hour start to finish. Doing that once every four years is still easier than the maintenance for a gas mower each year. The cost averages out to $30/year of mowing which is clearly more than the fuel cost for a gas mower but not so bad if you include the other costs of maintaining a gas mower especially if you don't do it yourself.

All in all I have been very happy with the mower. It is very easy to use and I love not having to deal with either the noise or starting issues with a gas mower. Just make sure you keep the battery charged and the mower will do its job well.

I have had this mower for three seasons. Like all rechargeable products, the battery has worn out. I don't mind replacing batteries - it is just a fact of life. Unfortunately, Black & Decker has chosen to charge $100 for the new battery plus a small service charge to have it put in the unit. If anyone knows a less expensive replacement let me know.

So, essentially you have to pay the purchase price of this mower over again every 8 years. By that I mean you need a new battery every 2 years - or 4 batteries in 8 years for a total of over $400. Remember, my battery died on my third year mowing a 1/3 acre lot (in Minnesota, so a short summer followed by harsh winter). By last year the battery was nearly useless - two charges was necessary to do the whole yard even with short, dry grass (read: entire weekend of mowing).

One could also think of this as buying a new mower every 4-5 years, which is silly. Older gas mowers lasted 20+ years. New ones with good motors last just as long. A mower should be a minor investment of money, time, and energy.

One additional problem was dealing with wet or long grass - this is true even with a perfect battery. It is just a fact of life that everyone has a busy month now and then and can't mow any other time than when it is either wet or after the grass has gotten too long. A good gas mower just uses more gas but can take the job. This mower can't do the job. Even if you get the mower to cut the wet or long grass for a time, you'll run out of power before you are done and need to charge the thing back up to finish the job.

Oh, and this last summer I often found myself double-cutting the grass to get a clean cut. This is because the mower just wasn't delivering the same power to the blade (yes, I did replace the blade this spring). In other words, you can't just live with the lower power given off by a dying battery.

Two additional problems that exist with even a new battery - the rear bagger is fairly useless. Of course, I hate rear baggers, especially when you don't have a self-propelled unit. Ever drag around a heavy bag of grass on a hot day? Not fun. In addition, this mower is useless on leaves with or without the bag. It doesn't have the power to mulch them into the grass or bag them if you've grown addicted to that that tactic as a way to avoid raking.

Now, having said all that, I simply loved using this mower when it worked well. It is very quiet, not at all smelly, and very easy to use. I could literally mow in dress clothes. Don't laugh - sometimes you're in a hurry.

Now, if Black & Decker would lower the cost of the battery or better yet replace it with a Li-ion battery, I'd keep using the unit. As it is, right now I'm considering buying a gas mower.

UPDATE: I took the mower in under the recall on this unit (trouble with a board not being properly weather sealed) and complained about the battery issue. I made clear that I would not pay for any work done on the mower or a new battery, but that if they could supply one on B&D's tab I'd take it. They noted I was at least close to the 2 year warranty on the mower and gave me a new battery for no cost. Now the mower is back working wonderfully (for how long is anyone's guess). The repair center said the battery should have lasted between 5 and 7 years. We'll see. Moral: If you buy one of these units and have battery trouble take it in to the repair center and pressure for a new battery under the warranty.

I purchased this model about 5 Yrs. ago and it has performed excellently. I have 3 small lawns that I mow about once a week all year. I'm still using the original battery and it still seems to hold a full charge. After about 2 or 3 years I thought I needed to replace the battery as the mower was running out of charge by the end of the job. With a tip from the store I bought it from, I discharged it all the way and the recharged it again. This rejunivated it and it is working fine 2 or 3 Yrs. hence. Now once a year I don't recharge it for 2 or 3 weeks in a row to exercise the battery and prevent this possible battery memory effect. My Neighbor is so impressed with this mower that he wants to buy one also.

My wife and her father recently refurbished our front yard with sod (Marathon II), so I felt guilty in hiring a gardener to continue to do our yardwork. I contemplated buying a medium-sized gas powered lawnmower, but like many reviewers, didn't want to put up with the hassle of the fumes, storing the gas, etc. My dad had a corded electric lawnmower when I was a teenager, but that was a pain, having to watch out for the cord (or intentionally running over it when I didn't want to mow the lawn -- hee-hee). So, when I saw this, I gave it some serious consideration. After reading most (but not all reviews), the biggest setback were the batteries (or high replacement cost). Then I read a review on Epinions [http://www.epinions.com/content_195613658756] that alleviated a lot of my fears. I purchased mine through another web retailer, and it came without the owner's manual. The merchant told me to contact B&D and, though they came through, it took almost three weeks to get it. In the meantime, I found the link here at Amazon.com for an electronic (pdf) copy. Eureka!

In the ensuing six weeks, I've followed the manufacturer's recommendations and have been delighted with the performance. I keep the mower plugged in 24/7 and have never found a drop-off in performance or even dipping into the yellow area after an hour of continued use. The one-hand adjustment works like a dream and, while not perfect, the rear-bagger actually does a passable job on leaves (though, admittedly, we don't have a lot right now in California). I've been careful to try and mow in the early afternoon after most of the dew has worked itself out, and empty the bag pretty often (whenever I see stragglers left in the cut area).

I'm a believer! It's quiet, EXTREMELY easy to use, and while you won't recover the cost of gas anytime soon, you're contributing to the "greening" of the environment. And not feel TOO guilty about the "gas hog" that you DRIVE!

We bought our B&D CMM1000 in mid-2000, and have used it these six years to mow a quarter-acre lot, perhaps 4000 to 5000 square-feet of grass, in the Willamette Valley. In the early spring when the grass is growing fast, we bag; the rest of the time, we mulch. We're still using the original battery pack, and have noticed no reduction in charging life. I'll note the following points:
(1) The reduced noise and especially vibration are real pluses. I have a hand condition, and this is the only push mower I've been able to use without having my hands trembling afterward.
(2) The height adjustment and plastic deck are really good design, and really appreciated.
(3) The mower demands a sharp blade. I bought two, sharpen the blade not in use, and swap blades even 2-3 uses.
(4) Wet grass, or thick grass (mid-spring growth here in rainy Oregon) can be a problem. For the latter, you have to mow twice a week to keep up. But then that's needed with gas mowers, too.
(5) We were warned by other CMM1000 owners the secret to good battery life is keeping the battery charged. Let the battery discharge over the winter, and you'll need to replace the battery. I keep the charger plugged in, and the battery charging year-round when the mower is not in use.
(6) The bagging is not with the best of gas mowers, but it's been satisfactory. Same with the mulching. And yes, in heavy grass you may have to run the mower through some sections twice.

If we had to replace our CMM1000, it would be with another CMM1000. If that weren't available, I'm not sure what we'd do. When we bought ours, Makita had just discontinued their cordless (a great one while on the market, I understand), and Ryobi had earlier done the same. Toro had 24 and 36-volt mowers but I believe they discontinued them a few years back, too. I no longer see the CMM1000 displayed at the local Home Depot either. So I was surprised to see Amazon had them for sale. You'd think a cordless electric mower would suit a lot of householders. Too bad there doesn't seem to have been real market interest.

I wanted this lawn mower to:

- Not have to deal with gas and oil
- Be able to mow without feeling like I need a shower due to exhaust fumes
- Save my hearing
- Keep me from re-injuring my right shoulder by not having to pull the cord to start
- Mulch

This mower did all of these fantastically.

In addition, one thing I was very pleasantly surprised with was the one touch wheel height adjustment. It works like a charm.

My only real complaint is that it does a crummy job on long grass. I have to go slowly over the grass in one direction and go back over it a second time from the opposite direction.

My nit picks aren't serious.

- Although it is light enough for me to not worry about not being powered, it is too heavy for my wife to do more than a portion of the yard.

- I am concerned about everyone saying that the battery only lasts a couple years.

- The mowing deck is deceptive. It has a wide side area embedded within the deck that prevents the blade from going out as far as the edge of the deck. You have to have more overlap between strips of grass when mowing. (I think that the frame of the mower with the wheel height adjustment is hidden in the mowing deck.)

BOTTOM LINE: It isn't perfect, but it met my goals and I would purchase again.