Customer Reviews

Black & Decker MM675 Lawn Hog 18-Inch 12 Amp Electric Mulching Mower, Flip-Handle

5 star:		(117)
4 star:		(73)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

buying on the internet is always scary. So far, I've relyied on other peoples review on Amazon. This time, I feel like I must to help a few people out.

First, my co-workers were skeptical about an electric mower, but I've had the experience in the past.

Here are some of the benefits:
- you can look under your mower by flipping it over and not worry about gaz or oil leaks.
- grass is cut from end to end of a yard easier with the flip handle than those that don't. (that should include all gaz mowers) Instead of closing in on the middle of your lawn, you start on one end and finish at the other end. (I like it)
- this mower doesn't retain anything underneath. I didn't know that some mowers would do that. From my previous experiences, you had to clean up the mower every couple of use.
- height adjustment is super simple.
- electronic brake. If you release the power (bar!), the blade stops in a micro second. This is great for safety.
- no smells of any sort (except first few minutes being a new electrical product)

I wouldn't trade it, and my yard is not small.

The MM675 Lawn Hog is my first electric lawn mower. All comparisons are therefore with my previous gasoline lawn mowers. My lawn is less than 3500 square feet. It was very easy to assemble. The first thing after assembling was a very simple pull of one lever to adjust cutting height. I followed the instructions for starting to mow closest to the outlet while leaving enough slack cord to extend to the furthest distance to be mowed to. Attention had to be paid to the cord, so as not to run the mower over it. Unlike my gasoline mower it started quietly and easily at the simple pull of a lever. I started in the first lane and upon reaching the end of this lane I easily maneuved to the second lane while flipping the handle. I proceeded to complete the entire lawn in this manner. Because it was so easy to start the mower and switch to the next lane, I was not as tired when I finished as when I used a gasoline mower. The trade off is paying attention to an extension cord vs. easy start, no gasoline, no oil, low noise and less stress on my body. Only because I have not had it that long did I fail to give it five stars. I don't know how much maintenance it will require nor how much power it will have to mow heavily growing grass later in the season. But, because of previous pleasent experiences with other Black and Decker products I expect both of these questions to be answered positively and this to be a five star product.

The Lawn Hog has been an absolute revelation! I've never had a better mowing experience. I've been using it for about six weeks and thought I'd share my insights.

What I love about this mower:
1. I can stand up straight when I use it. I'm 6'2", and many power tools seem to be designed for someone shorter -- I always have to bend over when using them: e.g., my rototiller and string trimmer. Not the Lawn Hog -- the handle is adjustable so that even someone as tall as me can walk straight while operating it.
2. It's quiet.
3. It's electric -- no more exhaust fumes.
4. Last, but not least -- the quality of the cut is superb! Very even, the grass looks the best it ever has. The wheel marks left by the mower are minimal, and usually disappear completely withing a day or two, because the Lawn Hog is so lightweight.

I have a big yard, and prior to purchasing this mower I owned a good quality lawn tractor. My yard is hilly, and in places the lawn tractor was very difficult to use -- the front wheels would slide, I would have to back up, change my angle, try again... it was very frustrating. The lawn tractor had a 32" cutting swath.

The Lawn Hog, even with only an 18" cutting swath, is a vast improvement.

The flip-handle works perfectly, and is very easy to use. It makes dealing with electric extension cords a breeze. I bought 2 100' 12 gauge extension cords due to the size of my yard. 12 gauge costs a little more than 14 gauge, but it will result in longer electric motor life, so it's worth it.

The key points about using this mower are as follows:
1. Keep the cutting blade sharp. I sharpen it after every three or four uses.
2. Don't try to cut off too much grass! Expert lawn caretakers will all tell you not to cut off more than the top third of the grass. If you want to end up with a lawn that's 2 inches tall, you'll have to cut it when it's no longer than 3 inches. As long as you stick to this rule of thumb, the Lawn Hog works great! If your grass is taller and you want it shorter, start by cutting off the top third, then mow again a few days later, and work your way down to the desired final length. The Lawn Hog will work effectively, and your grass will love you for it.
3. Don't try to cut wet grass! All mowers bog down when cutting wet grass. Mulching mowers have an even more difficult time. If you must cut the grass when it's wet, don't try to mulch it -- open the discharge chute.

This mower is quiet, relatively light, and a great value. If you've been thinking about going electric, this could be the one.

This is the first electric mower I have owned and I have found it to be easier to use than a gas powered mower. It is lighter than a gas mower and is less tiring to use in spite of not being self propelled. The flip over handle is a must have feature to prevent cord tangles and is the reason that I purchased the MM675 rather than one of the other models. All in all it is an excellent mower and allows me to finish the yard (front and back) in less time than did the self propelled mower that it replaced. I have not owned it long enough to comment on reliability but if it is the same quality as past Black & Decker products I have owned it should hold up very well. I would highly recommend this mower to anyone who is considering an electric lawn mower.

My first time with an electric mower. I have a fairly small yard in the city. The mower has worked to my full satisfaction and I am pleased. By learning to mow away from the electric outlet the cord has never gotten in my way. I am very impressed with the mulching function. Never leaves clumps like I had with a gas mower. Very easy to use and I love the flip handle feature. No hassles like a gas mower, plug it in, pull the handle and away we go! Seems to be a very strong motor and cuts very nicely. I would strongly recommend this mower for anyone considering an electric mower.

I purchased this because I needed to do the lawn when my husband was out of town. He actually prefers one of those manual ones rather than our old gas mower. I can't use either, and to tell you the truth, I've never mown a lawn before!

Anyways, this came, and it was very easy to assemble. The instructions were clear and no tools were needed. Additionally, you can adjust the wheel/mowing height with one hand. . . that's easy, too.

After I figured out I should hold the cord as I hold the handle, I had no trouble at all. And, the grass was LONG! I bought a 12 gauge extension cord that worked very well and had no problems.

Almost immediately, I went over a rock. And, the mower didn't have any trouble. Soon I was getting the hang of the thing. I really LIKED how the handle flipped over to the other side. With the cord, that was very helpful.

I never thought mowing the lawn could be so quick and easy, but it was. I do not regret this purchase at all. As a matter of fact, I can see mowing the lawn again even though my husband is home now. But, maybe not.

You do not want this model - you want the Black and Decker MM575. Here's why: The "flip handle" on the MM675 is a disaster for two reasons. First, no electric lawnmower is powerful enough to 'mulch' - it will just bog down (unless you cut your grass every other day, and you live where it never rains). So you need to be using it in the 'discharge' mode. If you try to use the 'flip' handle at the end of each pass, the discharged grass always goes in the same direction, and the mower will again bog down as it tries to recut ever more grass with each pass. (Take a minute to visualize the geometry and you'll see what I mean). Secondly and even more important, to make the handle 'flip', it attaches to the mower in the MIDDLE of the mower instead of near the rear wheels. This is critical because it means the force of your pushing goes half to pushing the mower forward, and half to pushing the wheels into the ground ! I've cut my grass with an electric mower for over 20 years, and my arms were screaming after only 10 minutes of pushing the MM675. I traded it in for the MM575 (no 'flip' handle: it attaches next to the rear wheels, and you pivot the whole mower at the end of each row, just like with a gas mower) and I can mow for 45 minutes to an hour without arm fatigue.

On the plus side, both these models are well balanced (no vibration), relatively quiet, and cut great. Best of all, the underside is one molded plastic piece - no nooks or crannies for cut grass to build up. My old mower had all sorts of screwheads and spots where different pieces of metal adjoined that jammed up with cut grass. I would spend 5 minutes with a putty knife scraping the underside of the mower clean after each use. After cutting with this mower the first time, I flipped it over to scrape out the grass, and it was spotless ! B + D, wake up and market that great feature !!!

I've had this mower for 3 years now and I mostly love it. If it stopped working I would immediately order another electric mower, probably this same model.

First of all, to address the other reviewers complaints that the flip-handle is a poor design because he's discharging the grass over to where he hasn't mowed yet. Well, TURN THE MOWER AROUND! He was mowing the wrong direction! One of the best features of the flip handle is that the discharge always points towards the right, where you've already cut! Notice that this is also where the mower attaches to the power cord so the cord stays on the side where you've already cut the grass. Now, you may have to change your thinking about where you start and finish mowing so that the discharge is on the correct side, but this is no big deal.

His other complaint about the flip handle is false. The amount of force on the handle that pushes the mower down vs. pushes the mower forward is dependent on the ANGLE of the handle and has pretty much nothing to do with where it attaches to the mower.

I find that the mower has plenty of power, and it mulches okay. In fact, i've never had to use the side discharge setting, although occasionally I have to adjust the mower height up a notch if I let the lawn grow to high (like missing a week). And adjusting the height of the mower up and down is really easy and takes about 2 seconds.

The last two mowing seasons I started bagging my clippings with the accessory bag that is available for this unit. It's workable, but it's by far the worst thing about this mower. The bagging chute is a bit difficult to snap onto the mower, and the end of the bag is supported by a metal post that goes in a slot on the corner of the mower deck. Unfortunately, the plastic slot becomes deformed over time and sometimes allows the bag to twist slightly and clog.

Oh, and make sure you buy a high quality 100' extension cord with 16ga conductors. Many of the cheaper cables have smaller 18ga conductors and are not rated for the amount of electricity the mower draws.

I have a quarter acre with a bunch of gardens and mowing was always a dreaded task. I used a 5.5 H.P. gas self propelled mower. It took about an hour and a half to mow the yard. And when I was done I was always covered in grass clippings and smelled of gas and exhaust. Not to mention that nice 'tingly' feeling in my hands. While I was mowing the other day I ran into something in the yard and killed my gas mower dead. It was damaged beyond repair so I needed a new mower.
At my wife's insistence I looked at electric mowers (less noise, pollution, etc.) I ended up getting the MM675. I couldn't be happier. It weighs about a third of what the old gas mower weighed, is very easy to move around, the flip handle makes cord management a no brainer and best of all I don't smell of gas and exhaust anymore.
This is also the first mulching mower that I have seen that actually mulches. With my gas mower (which was supposed to be a mulching mower) I would either have to rake up the clippings when I was done or go through the yard and break apart the "trail of mulch" that was left behind. With this mower I run over the yard once and it is all done. The mulched clippings are so fine and driven so far into the grass that I don't even get clippings all over myself and my shoes like with the gas mower.
It still takes about the same amount of time to mow, but it is a much quieter, cleaner, nicer experience now. I would highly recommend this mower. It is worlds better than my old smelly gas mower.

Oh yeah, the mower is also so light that there are no trails left in your yard when you are done. Your yard has a very clean manicured look to it, not the old visible mow lines that the heavy gas mowers wheels would leave behind. Very nice.

I love the Black and Decker 18" lawn hog --it's wonderful.
Most of all I don't have to rip my arm out of socket to start a mower!!! Just pull the lever.The height adjustment is a dream to work especially since you don't have to adjust each wheel seperately. And the flip handle makes tight areas easy to manage.
I told a few friends I bought this item and everyone told me I'd be sorry--well I'M ONLY SORRY I WAITED SO LONG TO BUY IT.
And this so called cord dance everyone is afraid of--well us woman have been doing it for years with the vacuum cleaner and carpet scrubbers!!!!!!!! No big deal. Just use some common sense.
The mower mulches and cuts very well--and believe me my yard isn't flat and smooth. And its so quiet your ears aren't ringing when you finish. Good work Black & Decker--finally a product that works as advertised!!!!!!!!