Customer Reviews

Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Mulching Lawn Mower

5 star:		(182)
4 star:		(117)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(35)
1 star:		(45)

 

 

I just purchased this mower and mowed my lawn today. First, the positives:

1. This thing is as-advertised. There's no assembly required other than arranging the mulching bag and removing the mulcher - if that's what you want to do.

2. It was incredibly easy to start this thing - insert key and lift lever.

3. No mess, no gas, no oil, no air filter. The only maintenance described in the service manual is blade sharpening (once to twice per year) and battery replacement. (Possible two years?).

4. Charging the unit is as easy as charging a cell phone and it charged up overnight. It had enough juice to mow my 1/3rd acre lot with heavy spring weeds that were also a little wet without running out of battery juice.

5. It was very easy to clean. Just disconnect the key and then you can turn it over to clean the blade and guard without worrying about oil or gas spilling.

6. It's easy to disconnect handle and mulch bag for storage.

Negatives:

1. Although it's not incredibly heavy, it's not as light as my 5HP gas Craftsman mower. Since there's no self-propelling feature, it can get heavy if you had to go up hills - my lawn is relatively flat so no problem there.

2. The unit is basically plastic. It has a cheap feel to it - although I'm sure it would be too heavy if it was metal.

3. There's really nothing protecting the battery underneath the top cover and it's barely held there with a nylon strap.

4. The paper instruction manual is worthless. It has very little information in it and it's hard to read because one section is written and you have to go to another part of the manual for the pictures.

5. The unit came with Styrofoam inserts that surrounded the battery. I had a very strong feeling that these inserts were for shipping only and must be removed before operating the unit. However, there is nothing in the manual that states this either way and I had to figure it out for myself.

6. There are no instructions for how to replace the battery - you are instructed to take it to a service dealer. Perhaps they could have put more effort into the documentation.

7. The mulching bag doesn't seem to hold much grass. I had to empty it three times before I was done mowing.

All and all, I love this mower. I hated having to jack with gas and oil and filters and maintenance of gas mowers. Plus, this thing is relatively quiet compared to my gas mower. I recommend it.

Like most of you, whenever I go to buy an appliance or tool on the internet I read the customer reviews to try to get a feel for the product's long term performance before I invest in it. Unfortunately, many of the reviews have been submitted by short term owners who are still jazzed over their purchase and haven't used it long enough to offer a comprehensive assessment of the product. That's why I decided to review this mower now after I've used it for a few seasons.

I've had my cordless mower since May of 2004. It is actually the CMM1000, the model previous to the CMM1200. I understand, based on the number of negative reviews, that the quality of design and manufacturing of this product could be considered suspect. Temper that with the reality that most satisfied customers remain mum while most dissatisfied customers howl to the heavens. I've owned several other Black and Decker products with mixed results. My drill? Awesome. My weed wacker? The first one was junk. The second one - a cordless model - worked out. My power washer? I've gone through two of them and I wouldn't wish one upon my worst enemy.

But even after a few years of service, I still love my mower.

At the end of the first season, something broke in the electronic guts under the cover that the switch was attached to. At first it wouldn't shut off until I removed the key, then after a while it wouldn't start. Since getting that fixed, I've had no problems.

It seems to operate just as long now as it did new. If there has been any falloff in performance, it hasn't been significant enough for me to complain about. Power is very good for the task of mowing and mulching but you have to keep in mind that it won't have the shear output oomph of a gas mower. If you keep the tasks tailored to the capabilities of battery power, you should be more than happy with the CMM1200. The mower is quieter than a gas powered model, but not as quiet as you might think. My neighbors love it, but standing right next to it you still have to raise your voice to be heard. It is also heavier than you expect and pushing it around gives a good workout. That can be considered a positive. But, though I'm over forty, I'm a reletively large and fit guy. Flinging it around the yard isn't a problem for me.

I have a medium sized lawn including ten trees and one steep side-hill section about ten feet wide and 150 feet long. The whole job is a little big for the mower to handle in one session, especially during those growth spurts in June. Usually, I do the front yard one day and the sides and smaller back yard the next. It mulches the grass really well so I don't have to bag or rake.

In the fall, I pulverize the leaves in place and this has contributed to my lawn improving each spring. Trust me, it is just as much work as raking but with the added benefit of fertilizing the lawn.

During the fall of 2007, the trees in our region held on to their leaves until the last minute. In early December, it all came down at once. The mower was a bit overwhelmed and it couldn't keep up as quickly as I would have liked. So I bought the MM875, which is the corded version of the same mower, to use as a supplement for next year. It uses the same blades as the CMM1200 and operates similarly.

So when the grass is too thick or the leaves too numerous for the battery mower to handle entirely, I'll switch to the MM875 to finish up. This is not to say the CMM1200 isn't good enough. The mower is more than capable, downright impressive, as long as you don't expect perfection when you push beyond the envelope.

Am I happy I bought this product? If the switch hadn't malfunctioned that first year I'd be giving this mower five stars. I'd buy it again, even if the thing died tomorrow!

First, I would like to thank those who posted comments previously. They were very helpful in knowing what to expect when my new B&D lawn mower arrived. I had also previously purchased similar cordless rechargeable lawn and garden tools (a small hedge trimmer and blower) which had reassured me that this electric lawn mower would be a good fit. These items were also manufactured by B&D, so I was familiar with their instructions and packaging - which I have come to interpret as 'the simpler the better'.

Let me clarify something - I don't believe that I would be classified as the typical B&D demographic. I am a 44 year old female office worker, with a passion for weekend gardening. I do my own yard work and really appreciate discovering these new tools that make the job easier and faster. I also love the fact that I can retire my old touchy pull-start machines and leaky gas cans.

The purchase experience from Amazon was wonderful. I ordered this lawn mower on a Tuesday and received an email on Wednesday stating that it would be delivered on Friday. Sure enough, a driver appeared on the appointed day, just three days after placing the order, while I was home for lunch. I had the box dropped off directly into my garage without me having to lift an ounce. I opened the end of the box and rolled out my new mower. Fifteen minutes later it was set up and charging, and I was headed back to work.

TIP - bookmark the illustration pages so that after reading the instructions you can quickly flip to the corresponding picture. Also, don't over-think it - it really is unbelievably simple.

I used it the next morning. I still can't get over how quick and easy it is to start this lawn mower! No bending, no cord pulling, no coughing and sputtering engine. My only concern going into this purchase was that my previous gas-guzzling machine was self-propelled, and this new electric was not. On a smaller lot this would not be an issue, however I have a 1/4 acre with some slight, but definately noticable, grade changes. My concerns were laid to rest quickly as this lighter and more maneuverable machine did the job without adding additional strain on the operator.

I live in an area where smog is an issue. When I first learned how much pollution a gas powered mower generates, I was shocked. Now I don't have to feel like I am giving the neighborhood kids asthma so that I can have a nicely groomed lawn.

One final TIP - as you accumulate more recharging products, it is a good idea to label your rechargers with their corresponding equipment, especially the ones that you don't use on a regular basis, such as the hedge trimmer.

Happy gardening!

A Technician's Analysis and Opinion - CMM1200

Summer is over and our mower purring. Cuts grass fine and mulches leaves great.

Now . . . Except for the price difference, I feel my choice would be the CMM1000-5 (the 1-4 models had recalls). If you can find the parts diagrams on the web you will see that the 1000 and 1200 are similar except for the arrangement of the wiring for control and battery charging.
The 1000 has a remaining power gauge and an adequate size "safety key". The 1200 has an external box with the battery charging circuitry. Concerning the run time issue: the cause is not the battery, which produces 17 Amps for one hour, but the motor, which uses 15 Amps at idle, according to my ammeter. These figures suggest that you have one hour mowing time, but with a veritable powerhouse, so move out. Our older Toro cordless has a similar battery but a 6 Amp motor, and it runs about 3 hours.

After unpacking, I proceeded to disassemble and examine. Good design on the mowing body. I don't see a problem with the height adjuster - give the body a whump to make sure the links are engaged. Minor: 8 screws (Torx, by the way) hold the top shells on; 1 was missing, 1 was oversize. After summer, I wanted to get all debris out, so I take off the two shells.

Clamshell Problems: the switch circuitry, which was in the mower body of the 1000's, is at the top of the handle on the 1200 in a "clamshell" assembly. I feel this is lacking in design, durability, and manufacture, and will be grief for both owners and B&D who will have to fix it.
First is the "safety key", which is vital for disconnecting the power to the motor when you need to clean underneath and to store the mower. The key is more appropriate for a small suitcase. It is a small plastic tab with a "T" shape made of plated copper and bends with little effort. If it is twisted more than 15°, it may not connect the circuit and the mower won't run. B&D has even inserted a separate small instruction sheet on the key's use, and I will elaborate further:
The key inserts with the tab at a 9 o'clock position. Push in straight and firmly with a (4 pound) force, turn 90° to upright 12 o'clock and then release. To remove, again push in with a firm (4 pound) force, turn back to the 9 o'clock position and then remove. Do not turn the key without pushing in, or it will twist the "T" and also injure its plastic retaining slot inside.
Also, I add that the "T" makes contact between two thin plated copper strips, which I don't feel are robust for long-term use and amount of current. Finally, when I folded the handle for storage, it neatly clipped the hanging cord, dropping the key into the grass! B&D graciously sent a replacement (under warranty).

The red main "switch-lever" starts and stops the mower. After some weeks it seemed not to work. Got out the screwdriver. The internal switching box has three double pairs of contacts; one had pitted. Scraped clean and applied lubricant to all - which should have been done at manufacture.

I think it would help if the "clamshell assembly" were a separate (modular) unit, which could be easily replaced. As it is, the wiring harness is variously connected in the mower housing and would take some confidence and labor to replace.

I have tried to relate the above to B&D, but only got on a standard "survey" list.

I'm very pleased so far. Of course, it's been just a couple of cuts to date, of a yard large enough to be at the estimated limit of this mower's charge. But it handled the chore easily. This is a great tool, in my opinion.

Here's what I like. No assembly. Charges up in a few hours. Quiet as a blender, yet plenty of power (you can tell; it feels muscular). Stops instantly (leaping toad in grass). Mulches. Cordless, so you can take it far and wide (our driveway is one-tenth of a mile long through a field; it looks nice to keep the edge trimmed). No gasoline. No fumes. No roar. No pollution (at my end; can't speak for the power plants at the other end).

Plus it gives me some of my daily workout (trying to lose a few pounds this summer): it's not self-propelled, so you push a bit.

My only wish: a place to plunk my drink.

POSTSCRIPT: Months later I can now report that this mower is everything it promised to be the first few times out. It's fun to use. And I abuse it freely, pushing into fields of high grass sometimes to make trails. Still a very satisfied customer.

PPS: Two years later I'm cruising over rocks and roots in the woods behind my house and drove the blade up into the cowling. No problem: cut it away with shears, and I'm ready to mow again. So, yes, durable. Won't quit.

Like many here, I bought the CMM1200 to do my part in the greening of the US. And for the first 3 weeks, I loved it. It worked great, mowed my whole lawn (approx 5000 sq ft), and was relatively quiet.

But then the charger died, and the nightmare began. B&D may have customer service rivaling that of Dell. It has a two-year warranty, and since from my description it seemed that the charger had for some reason shorted (after 3 weeks! - of course it is made in China, like all the rest of the junk in the US), they said they would send one out right away. It would take 7-10 business days (no idea why it should take that long), but at least I'd be back up and running before the end of May.

After two weeks I called to see what the status was, since the charger still hadn't arrived. The rep was so stunned that she laughed at first, apologized, then said it was on backorder until July (gotta love Chinese efficiency!). By then my lawn would have been the Serengeti, so I asked for a manager. After protesting that I had just blown $400 on this piece of junk, he finally said he could forward this to "corporate" to see what they could do. What a confidence builder. And my grass continued to grow...

I decided the only way this would be fixed is if I made a pain of myself. I called each day for three days until they finally gave me the number of the corporate office. I called there (they close at 4:30 pm - nice banker's hours, eh? - which would be bad enough, but they don't have any service centers open after 5 pm or on weekends), and fortunately one of their decent employees gave me names and numbers to call after being appalled at my story (he's also a shareholder). After leaving messages, I finally found a live person, who was equally appalled. She connected me to the exec assist of the corporate secretary - I didn't reach her, but left a message.

Finally reaching this level at B&D, someone finally found a replacement charger and sent it to me. It arrived just in time for rain, and since it takes a good 12 hours to charge the mower, I've been stuck mowing small patches of my 16+ inch grass.

I've never been so completely frustrated with the incompetence of an organization. B&D shareholders should be worried, because while I'd recommend the product, I can't recommend buying it because B&D may actually be worse than Dell when it comes to customer service. I'm stuck with the mower, and I just hope these chintzy chargers hold out because I never want to have to endure B&D customer service hell again. I think it will be the last B&D product I ever buy. Wish it weren't so.

Some of the reviews almost caused me not to buy this mower. But I just liked the technological concept and I bought it anyway. Glad I did. It works great. I have some comments about the negative comments in some of the other reviews: 1. read & follow the manual & charge the battery over night before using it. Not a big deal. It worked great the first time. 2. I have a quarter acre and had no problem with the battery dying on me. I did set it at the lowest multch position which is about midway on the height scale. The height adjustment mechanism was amazingly simple to use compared to the old way of adjusting each wheel. The multch setting works well. I hated the whole bag routine. No lumps of grass, in fact the cut grass just seemed to disappear. 3. I haven't even seen the battery, no need to. The guy who took the styrofoam out of the battery pack should put it back, it likely holds the battery in place. 4. Nothing flimsy about it. It's plastic and it's well put together. If anything's loose, tighten it. Mine was solid. 5. Right or left handed? If you can use both hands on your steering wheel to drive your car, you can cope with the lever on the right side of the handle. 6. It's not light but neither was my stink-pot mower. I find it just as easy to push around and manoever as my old put-put mower, including on small hills. The manual is quite clear and helpful on how to do slopes.

That's it. I really like it. Buy it, if you can afford it.

I've had this mower a year and I would buy it again. It's so convenient not to have to mess with gas and oil. It starts easily. It cuts everything from grass to light brush -- it does bog down a bit in really thick, wet grass. Mowing when the grass is dry is best. I have an acre yard and it takes me 2-3 charges to mow the whole thing. However by the time the mower has run out of charge I'm ready for a break.

However, I did have a problem on first using the mower. Something went wrong with the starter the second or third time I went to use it, and it wouldn't start. This is apparently a common problem. I ended up having to take it in for a repair. I was very unhappy as this is a big heavy mower, inconvenient to ship and the service center was over an hour away. Therefore, DONT buy this mower without first checking out where the service center is relative to you.

Aside from that, I'm very happy with the mower, and glad i purchased it. No more running for gas or checking oil. No more pulling on a cord to get a mower to start. The mower is relatively quiet, compared to gas mowers, and it works well. If the grass is very heavy and/or wet, it can stop the mower and you might have to clear the blade and restart it. When I started in the spring though, my yard was a bit overgrown, and it did very well in cutting it back down to the ground, provided I didn't overload it, particularly with understanding that if the grass is wet, it is harder to cut. I'd buy it again. The only thing I wonder about is why they didn't make this with a removable, separately rechargable battery - that way, you could buy more than one, and alwyas have one charged. But that's a minor thing. Between this and a reel mower, I haven't needed to break out my John Deere lawn tractor this year.

In the summer of 2006, my Toro mower was not doing so well so I started looking for a replacement. I went online and read reviews of various mowers including cordless mowers. I opted to purchase another Toro. A couple of months ago, someone went into my backyard and walked off with my mower so there I was spending another afternoon online shopping for mowers. After researching for hours, I decided to go ahead, throw caution to the wind, and purchase the Black & Decker Cordless 24-Volt Mulching Mower #CMM1200. I wasn't disappointed. My yard is approximately one third the size of the recommended cutting area of one third acre. I estimate my yard to be a typical size (not including a house located on a corner). The mower has plenty of power to complete the job. One reviewer complained about the plastic which I found to be solid on the mower. I'd rather have plastic since the bottom inside of steel decked mowers always loose their paint. Another reviewer complained about the CMM1200 missing sections of the lawn. On first try, I had the same experience. What you have to do is overshoot the end of your row a little, pull pack, then change your direction. Since this is a mulching mower, keep in mind that your grass needs to be free of moisture when you cut. Also, keep the width of your rows the width of the front your mower (do not include the wheels!). I now have a beautifully manicured lawn that could be on the cover of "American Beautiful Lawn". My lawn is relatively flat but has a few inclines and I found it very easy to push. The noise level is quite a bit lower than a gas powered mower which is a big plus. A few people complained about removing the CMM1200 from the box. All you have to do is open the top, cut the backside of the box, remove the cardboard pieces holding the wheels in place, then move it out backwards. It started up right from the box but you need to give it a full charge before use. I wished I had purchased this last year (not sure if it was available then). My mower now stays in the basement until I need it. Best of all, I do not stink after cutting the grass! One possible negative is that I don't believe the CMM1200 to be as powerful as a gas powered mower but to me, the difference is minimal. Hopefully this purchase will help combat the environmental problems we are now facing. If you were on the fence considering purchasing this item, don't wait any longer it great!

Update 10/21/2008 Still working like a champ!!! Sometimes I still get "pop-up" of grass between rows which you can see a couple days after mowing but come to think of it, the same happened when using a gas powered mower. I am very happy I changed over from a gas powered mower to a battery powered mower. The benefits greatly outweigh any negative aspects, at least at this point in the mower's career.

Uodate 10/13/2009 I love this mower. It is still working great. No issue with battery degradation. Blade still sharp!

Update 08/31/2010 Still going strong. I am cutting my house (front and back) and the front lawns of two neighbor's abandoned homes. Sometimes all on the same day! The only problem I had was with the handle covers falling apart by the curve so I just cut the frayed edges off. They're fine now and so is the mower.

I was optimistic having read the reviews here on Amazon and I liked the idea of not having to mess with a smelly gas mower or pay for gas at the prices the oil companies are bending us over for. so, I ordered and it arrived quickly as everything does from Amazon (I am also an Amazon Prime customer). I let it charge overnight and in the morning I went out to mow the yard.. It was very easy to start, just pull the lever and it is started. It was very easy to adjust the height, I adjusted it to its highest setting since this was the first mow of the spring.. Most of the lawn is still dormant here in Texas and it is St. Augustine grass so in the areas where it was growing it was dense and thick. The cutting power of the mower is acceptable it was able to cut through even the dense areas of grass, it did bog down the mower but I would expect even a gas mower to bog down in the high dense parts that I went through. Everything sounds good so far the problem is that this thing weighs way too much to not be self propelled. I have only a slight incline at it was taking all my strength to push this up the slope. I am a 6'3" 225 pound man who is more than capable of pushing any mower (this is what I thought before I met the Black & Decker 24 volt Anvil). The mower weights 80+ pounds and the weight of it causes it to sink into the turf which causes resistance, too much resistance. maybe it was just my yard but I am sure there are others out there that have think plush turf for yard rather than just grass poking up out of hard dirt. I know my lawn in Nebraska was like that felt more like hard dirt under your feet rather than a plush cushion of grass. so if your yard is hard then you may be okay but if it is soft, plush and gives when you walk on it you are going to need something else. pushing this mower on the sidewalk is no problem so if you want to mow your sidewalk then this is the mower for you. As for me I just submitted my return request and got a return authorization from Amazon and UPS will be picking it up on my doorstep tomorrow. Just to praise Amazon some more I would like to add that their return process is awesome I have never had a problem return a product that didn't work out for me.