Customer Reviews

Black & Decker MM275 18-Inch 9 amp Electric Mulching Mower

5 star:		(45)
4 star:		(20)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Before I bought my mm275 mower I was unsure whether I would want to put up with yet another electric mower. In particular, would it be able to hack through the thick grass better than our old tired mower? The answer is, yes, it does, even though it has the lower power 9 amp motor. It is quiet, it starts with no effort (well, mostly, more on this later) and it doesn't stink. And it cuts the grass at a pretty capable rate. I can walk at almost normal speed when the grass is 2-3 inches above the blade.

To use an electric mower you have to have electrical outlets that are not much more than 100 feet from every part of your lawn. You have to mow in dry grass only. And you have to not mind doing the cord dance, which doesn't bother me.

This mower has one problem, which is the switch. After half a summer of operation, the on-off switch on our mower is almost worn out. Pretty soon it isn't going to turn on anymore. This may be due to the "revving-up games" that my kids played before we became wise to the situation. Black and Decker have a replacement switch back-orderered for me, and I have reason to believe that with more judicious use of the switch (and a 12 gauge extension cord rather than 14 gauge) this next switch will probably last a lot longer. If it doesn't, you'll see a much less positive review here next year, and I'll be turning my mower off by unplugging the cord.

I rate this as one of the best purchases I ever made. It cuts quite well and has never bogged down in any grass. My wife loves it because starting the mower is simply a matter of turning on the switch. Our neighbors look on the whole thing as kind of weird since it looks so odd and doesn't have the roar of a gas engine. We look at our neighbors and feel sorry for them as they billow smoke, noise and as they wrestle their gas monsters. We especially feel sorry for them when they have to shut down the mower, go do something else, and then yank their hearts out on the starting rope.

It takes a while to develop a technique for dealing with the extension cord but, once developed, it becomes second nature. It can't be used when the grass is wet. I have had it now for three years and have no complaints. The blade is quite easy to remove and sharpen. It mulches quite nicely and I have never attached the bag that came with it. When and if it wears out I will replace it with another similar type.

This mower is fantastic! Compared to our old mower, it is very easy to push. It starts just by holding up a handle and is much quieter than a gas mower. It mulches the grass so well that you can't even see it on the grass, only on the walkway. We wish we had this mower years ago. I highly recommend this.

After my husband's death, I moved into a small house, but there was still minimal yard to keep mowed. I had to rely on family or pay to have my yard mowed. I am still able to walk and get around and felt I could still mow. My biggest problem was starting the mower. When I saw this mower I felt it was the answer. Sure enough when it arrived I took it out of the box , read the directions and in a short time I was mowing the mower is light and easy to push. No more gas cans or oil etc. I mow at my pace and can stop at anytime to rest or move something and then with a simple squeeze of the handle I am off again. The electric cord is not a problem I followed the suggestion in the guide and found it is simple to mow and not get tangled up in the cord. Another feature I love is the adjusting wheels some of my lawn is heavier than others. With a simple flip of the leaver and I can adjust the height of the blade. I am saving at least $25.00 a week , and no longer have to depend on others to mow, Not to mention getting some much needed excercise.

I purchased this because I was fed up with gas mowers. It seems the newer ones, in an effort to be more "environmentally friendly" (not to mention requiring more frequent service and care, which means more $$$$ for all concerned) are quite finnicky if not properly maintained. Maybe I'm old fashioned (I'm 26), but I should not have to take care of a lawnmower the way I take care of a car. I bought a $200, 6.5 HP gas mower for my mom at the end of last summer. OK, so she didn't drain the oil and gas out at the end of the season after using it maybe twice. Now that spring is here, we try to start it and nothing. I had to take off the carb and clean it thoroughly to continue. Boo to the direction gas mowers are going. Luckily their plan to cash in on traditionalists has led a group of people towards a more durable alternative.

This mower works great. I have used the mulch setting on it, and it does an excellent job. I bought a 16 guage 100' cord for ~$5.50, and it works fine. (The mower box and instructions say you need a 14 guage cord if you want 100', but 16 guage works if the amp rating matches).

Assembly was straightforward, with the exception of some funky tabs that go where the mower handle fits into the mower body. I do not see the need for these tabs personally, as the grass does not have an opportunity to go through them. But I suppose they are included for a reason, it took me a few minutes to figure out how they went in there- based on the instructions.

The small handle you use to start the mower feels a tad on the flimsy side. But the mower is so simple (being little more than a motor and a switch) that repacing that, should it be necessary, should be easy.

It's pretty light weight, and I can operate it with one hand while holding the cord in the other, a-la vacuuming. It's noiser than I expected having not heard one before. It makes a whirring sound, which I admit is more pleasant than the sound of a gas mower (when they're running).

Overall I'm quite happy with it.

First of all, the mower was delivered faster than I had expected, especially since I used Super Saver Shipping. It was easy to assemble...took me about 10 minutes tops. I have an upward slope in my backyard, and even with tall unmown grass, the mower was up to the task. I figured it would be a good mower under regular conditions, but it exceeded expectations by handling the hill. In fact, its lack of a gas engine made it lighter and easier to maneuver. At the end of the afternoon, I was pleased with the look of my yard. Make sure you have an ample amount of extension cord and all is well!

I generally knew what I was looking for when I stumbled upon this deal on Amazon. I knew I didn't want the hassle of a gas-powered lawn mower. I couldn't imagine toting gas around to power the thing, spilling it all over myself and my garage, then trying feebly to start the darned thing with a rope starter. My parents had that kind of mower when I was a kid, and it was always dirty, smelly, and impossible for me to start. So I decided on an electric mower. As long as you don't mow over the cord, it's a hassle-free way to get the job done.

I went to the local home stores shopping for an electric mower, but found that not only did they not have very many models on display, they had even fewer in stock, and the prices were astronomical. This mower was a great deal on Amazon for half the price. It's not exactly feature rich, but what kind of features do you need in an electric lawnmower? Easy electric start and height adjustment were all I was looking for, and I found both on this model at a very decent price.

Setup was a little complicated, there were clips to install and safety gizmos to put on. Once I figured out the drawings, I was able to get it together without calling Black and Decker's toll-free helpline. It has always mowed my lawn perfectly, even in fairly high grass. I get quite a workout pushing it up hills, but it's far lighter than gas-powered lawn mowers so I can't complain! Great deal...

After a little over 10 years, my MTD electric mower motor went bad. This MM275 mower is so much lighter because it doesn't have a metal frame. I was surprised to see how simple it was to attached the lower and upper bar then simply snap the bar to the mower. No tools needed! The lever on one of the wheels easily adjusts ALL the wheels off the ground (6 positions - 1", 1.5",...,3.5"). I was also shocked on how quiet it was when I turned it on compared to my previous electric mower. No need to attach the discharge chute that can have a bag attached to it the mulching does a great job and it makes it easier to hug the sides of a fence without the chute. Main reason I like electric mowers is that there is no gas, oil, constantly having to pull start it, having to sometimes smell fumes or having a fire hazard if you keep it in a garage. Oh...and most of all...it costs much less then a gas mower. The instruction manual is well written with pictures having sections in english, french, and spanish. The blade can also be easily replaced. It's well worth the little inconvience of using a cord.

One of the problems we've found with this mower is that the height adjustment lever will rachet down to the lowest setting half way through cutting the lawn. This happens in a faster timeframe if you have an uneven back lawn that's slightly hilly. Unless you like your grass closely cropped if may be worth checking out other mowers that have better height adjustment levers (for example something that is easy to lock in and not slide out, as what happens with this model). Apart from that its easy to clean although I thought the diagrams in the manual were pretty misleading on the first glance at them.

This mower has a few significant design flaws. The on-switch is a pinch hazzard. When my old electric mower died after 20 years, I ordered this one. In the MM275's first use, my right palm was pinched at least 4 or 5 times by the dead-man's switch lever (and I was never pinched by my old one). The lever is just too small and cheap, but is the perfect size to provide pretty healthy pinches. The handle doesn't fold, so moving it in and out of the basement is cumbersome. And, the front edge of the mower is at least 6 inches away from the blade, making it impossible to cut close to anything in front of the mower.