Like many I was sick of the noise, smell, pollution, and hassle of a gas mower, so I began researching alternatives. My first "green" mower purchase was a completely manual Scott's reel mower. Worked just fine but it had trouble with longer grass and weeds. (The reel mower is still a good option for smaller lawns, but you need to mow more often as it gets very hard to push through long grass, and unlike a powered mower it won't "chop down" longer weeds and dandelions - it tends to bend them over and roll right over them so they pop right back up.) ==> Read more Home Power Tools
So I turned to a battery-powered option and was left trying to decide between the Toro E-Cyler, and this Black and Decker model. Both had good reviews and both seemed like a good fit for my smaller lawn. I went with the B&D for the following reasons:
- Removable battery. This was a big plus for me, as I do not have a garage and wanted to be able to store the mower in a shed while charging the battery in my basement. The Toro does not have a removable battery.
- Height adjustment. Probably a minor factor, but the B&D height adjustment mechanism is pretty ingenious and easy to use. The entire carriage is spring-loaded, so simply by squeezing one handle you can raise and lower the entire mower with ease. The Toro requires multiple adjustments to raise/lower the cutting height.
Possible advantages to the Toro are a metal body (as opposed to the plastic on the B&D), and of course the Toro name, as they make very good gas-powered mowers.
The mower arrived yesterday and was practically ready to go out of the box. Flip up the handle, cut open the cardboard, roll out the mower, and you're ready to go. The battery must have been pre-charged at the factory because I only had to charge for about 30 minutes before the green light came on signaling a full charge.
I did not use the (rather small) grass catcher bag as I generally mulch. Mowed my entire lawn easily on a single charge with power to spare. Performance was very good - clean even cut and good mulching. All in all, very much like a gas mower (slightly less power but plenty for cutting standard grass), but with much less noise - and no gas fumes! When I was done I simply lifted out the battery and parked the mower in the shed. I am a big fan of this mower!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Surprisingly Good
I was a little skeptical about buying an electrical pushmower, but considering the cost of gas and the inconvenience to have to go get it, plus storage of gasoline in the garage is a little worrisome, I decided to go for it. I plugged the battery in to charge and as soon as it was green I tried it out. I agree with the other review that you have to make sure that you push the button all the way in before pulling on the bailer arm (the safety arm that you hold down to keep the mower on that they added in the 80's), but this only takes 1 time to figure it out. From the second time it's a piece of cake. The mower cut my whole yard on the first charge. I have less than a half acre, the grass was mostly dry and taller than 6". The mower was on the highest height setting. The battery was getting weak toward the end though. The second time I cut the grass the battery was still strong at the end and I tackled a hillside with a thick layer of iceplant. You can't just push over it like you can with grass because it will stop the mower, but you can still cut it. Incredible. Highly recommend this pushmower.
Very Happy
I've had the B&D MM875 corded electric mower for about four years, and I've always been skeptical about the battery operated models.
But after four years of feeling good about not polluting, I was tired of wrestling with 100' of extension cord...and tired of the backyard choreography required to avoid running over the line.
I'm glad I made the move.
Mowing is probably 30% faster without the cord drama, and the battery is just fine for our average-size yard...even when plowing through the long and wet spring grass. No sign of even slowing-down at the end of my job.
Only downside of the electrics is that in the long/wet stuff, they do not mulch quite as convincingly as my old Honda gas model. But for me, that's a small price to pay when I wait too long between cuttings.
The removable battery is a neat trick, and that (along with B&D's easily changeable blades) gives me confidence that in x years I'll be able to replace a part instead of the machine.
And, yes, it is just terrific not to be dealing with the traditional gas/oil/noise.
But after four years of feeling good about not polluting, I was tired of wrestling with 100' of extension cord...and tired of the backyard choreography required to avoid running over the line.
I'm glad I made the move.
Mowing is probably 30% faster without the cord drama, and the battery is just fine for our average-size yard...even when plowing through the long and wet spring grass. No sign of even slowing-down at the end of my job.
Only downside of the electrics is that in the long/wet stuff, they do not mulch quite as convincingly as my old Honda gas model. But for me, that's a small price to pay when I wait too long between cuttings.
The removable battery is a neat trick, and that (along with B&D's easily changeable blades) gives me confidence that in x years I'll be able to replace a part instead of the machine.
And, yes, it is just terrific not to be dealing with the traditional gas/oil/noise.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
How a Cordless Electric Mower Works
With a cordless electric mower, you want to know how it works. There are all kinds of great options out there for these cordless electric mower brands, and if you are looking for a great one and wanting to know how they work, check out the options that are available with Black and Decker. Black and Decker makes a great electric mower option that doesn't have a cord. The novelty of this is great because a cordless mower is such a convenient feature, so take a look and see what is going to work the best for you, make sure that you understand how this works.
Understanding the Charging System with a Cordless Electric Mower
With the cordless electric mower, you actually get a machine that has a charging system, this way, you don't have to worry about finding your own charger. With theBlack and Decker Cordless Mower, they want to make it as easy as possible for you to use and that is why they have given you a charging system with it. This makes it easy to get charged and start using it. What you will do is actually take the battery, it is a 36 volt, and pull it out, you will then place it on the charger and in just a few hours, you will have a charged battery that is ready to go for your electric mower. This charging system should be utilized every time that you mow your lawn.
Understanding the Mowing Portion of the Cordless Electric Mower
This lawn mower is so easy to use because it is propelled for you, so you really won't have to push that much to get this cordless electric mower moving. You will also get a lot of features that will be able to help you mow your lawn better. This is a great idea because you can get a mower that will use a mulching bag to put fertilized clippings on your lawn. This is a great feature of this mower and something that you should understand because you want a mower that doesn't harm the grass and is going to actually help your grass grow greener and grow thicker. If you don't want to mulch the grass, you can actually use the mower and just attach the bag to it that will collect the clippings and you can dispose of them someplace else.
It is up to you and you'll have to determine what works the best. If you are looking at one of these cordless mowers, you want to make sure that you know how they work. There are a lot of different kinds out there, but for the most part, if you are looking at a cordless electric mower, you want to make sure that you have a Black and Decker brand. These mowers are great and work great. Make sure that you understand how these great mowers work and get out and cut your lawn with the Black and Decker Electric Mower.
At The Gardener Product Reviews we only review Quality Garden Products we feel people would be interested. Our in depth reviews have proved very popular and we would like you to consider us a reliable and trustworthy service, and for that reason, we take our product research very seriously. To ensure we don't cloud your judgement with false information, we look towards the experiences of real customers that have purchased this item. Please have a read at our latest review I am sure you will not be disappointed. Black and Decker Electric Cordless Lawnmower
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6024859
Understanding the Charging System with a Cordless Electric Mower
With the cordless electric mower, you actually get a machine that has a charging system, this way, you don't have to worry about finding your own charger. With theBlack and Decker Cordless Mower, they want to make it as easy as possible for you to use and that is why they have given you a charging system with it. This makes it easy to get charged and start using it. What you will do is actually take the battery, it is a 36 volt, and pull it out, you will then place it on the charger and in just a few hours, you will have a charged battery that is ready to go for your electric mower. This charging system should be utilized every time that you mow your lawn.
Understanding the Mowing Portion of the Cordless Electric Mower
This lawn mower is so easy to use because it is propelled for you, so you really won't have to push that much to get this cordless electric mower moving. You will also get a lot of features that will be able to help you mow your lawn better. This is a great idea because you can get a mower that will use a mulching bag to put fertilized clippings on your lawn. This is a great feature of this mower and something that you should understand because you want a mower that doesn't harm the grass and is going to actually help your grass grow greener and grow thicker. If you don't want to mulch the grass, you can actually use the mower and just attach the bag to it that will collect the clippings and you can dispose of them someplace else.
It is up to you and you'll have to determine what works the best. If you are looking at one of these cordless mowers, you want to make sure that you know how they work. There are a lot of different kinds out there, but for the most part, if you are looking at a cordless electric mower, you want to make sure that you have a Black and Decker brand. These mowers are great and work great. Make sure that you understand how these great mowers work and get out and cut your lawn with the Black and Decker Electric Mower.
At The Gardener Product Reviews we only review Quality Garden Products we feel people would be interested. Our in depth reviews have proved very popular and we would like you to consider us a reliable and trustworthy service, and for that reason, we take our product research very seriously. To ensure we don't cloud your judgement with false information, we look towards the experiences of real customers that have purchased this item. Please have a read at our latest review I am sure you will not be disappointed. Black and Decker Electric Cordless Lawnmower
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6024859
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Love Going "Green" On Our Green Lawn
I'll admit it - we've gotten lazy over the last few years and had been using a gardening service for our lawn care. But after getting this mower we've cancelled the service and my husband is back to mowing the lawn (and enjoying doing it).
In the past, he's hated the odor when using a gas mower, but obviously this is not a problem with the Black & Decker battery-powered CM1936. Combine the easy startup, quiet operation, and "green" performance of this mower, and it's a winner.
We have an average size yard and one battery charge handles both the front and back with ease. The battery removes easily for charging, and I like the fact that our daughter can't accidently start the mower while it's stored in the garage between uses.
This mower has worked exactly as advertised and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to lawnmower that doesn't rely on gas for operation.
In the past, he's hated the odor when using a gas mower, but obviously this is not a problem with the Black & Decker battery-powered CM1936. Combine the easy startup, quiet operation, and "green" performance of this mower, and it's a winner.
We have an average size yard and one battery charge handles both the front and back with ease. The battery removes easily for charging, and I like the fact that our daughter can't accidently start the mower while it's stored in the garage between uses.
This mower has worked exactly as advertised and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who wants to lawnmower that doesn't rely on gas for operation.
A Cordless mower that is superior
I bought the cordless electric on the feature that it had an easy removable battery that I could charge in the garage while storing the mower in the outdoor shed. And this mower has that option or you can also charge it directly without removing the battery.
Another advantage is the mower handle easily collapses and folds up allowing the mower to be vertically flipped and stored simply on the garage floor in a minimum of space.
The rear grass catcher is removed by simply lifting the spring door and lifting up and then replacing is also that simple.
The mowing height adjustment was the simplest encountered, squeeze the release lever on the rear wheel while observing the height gauge on the front wheel for the desired height. Could not be easier or more simple.
Here's the clincher. The easy out of the carton instructions had you raising and locking the handles, cutting the front part of the carton open and wheeling the mower straight out. The grass catcher assembly was straight forward and simple - absolutely no tools required. Someone in Black and Decker wants to make friends with the customer and they emphasized this again with great features and simple out of the box usage.
And guess what - they said to fully charge the battery before using, so I hooked up the charger and the fully charged green light happened in less than two minutes - the battery was fully charged before leaving the factory and the mower was ready to take over where your old failed mower left off.
Another advantage is the mower handle easily collapses and folds up allowing the mower to be vertically flipped and stored simply on the garage floor in a minimum of space.
The rear grass catcher is removed by simply lifting the spring door and lifting up and then replacing is also that simple.
The mowing height adjustment was the simplest encountered, squeeze the release lever on the rear wheel while observing the height gauge on the front wheel for the desired height. Could not be easier or more simple.
Here's the clincher. The easy out of the carton instructions had you raising and locking the handles, cutting the front part of the carton open and wheeling the mower straight out. The grass catcher assembly was straight forward and simple - absolutely no tools required. Someone in Black and Decker wants to make friends with the customer and they emphasized this again with great features and simple out of the box usage.
And guess what - they said to fully charge the battery before using, so I hooked up the charger and the fully charged green light happened in less than two minutes - the battery was fully charged before leaving the factory and the mower was ready to take over where your old failed mower left off.
EXCELLENT MOWER
This is the first major redesign of the Black & Decker 19" Cordless Mower since its introduction. I bought one of the first CMM1000's shortly after it was introduced in 1996. It worked great for 14 years, with only two battery replacements in that time. I gave it to a friend who is using it and it continues to give great performance.
The CM1936 has a customer removable battery allowing easy battery interchange for large yards with long grass. My yard is about 12000 square feet and can normally be mowed with one charge. The blade has been redesigned for longer run time. The charger recharges the battery a useable amount in 4 hours.
The height of all four wheels can be readjusted in less than 1 second. The run interlock is now a bail bar (like the original CMM1000) which is nicer than the lever on the CMM1200. I wish the new mower had the battery indicator that was provided on the original CMM1000. Perhaps it can be added as a special accessory key assembly. It is not really necessary, but is a nice feature.
Once you experience not having gasoline smell on your hands and quiet operation with no starting hassles, you won't mind having to push this mower. If you keep it connected to the charger continuously when not in use, it will give the best battery life. The battery can be charged when removed from the mower if you keep the mower in a shed without power. The CM1936 is highly recommended.
The CM1936 has a customer removable battery allowing easy battery interchange for large yards with long grass. My yard is about 12000 square feet and can normally be mowed with one charge. The blade has been redesigned for longer run time. The charger recharges the battery a useable amount in 4 hours.
The height of all four wheels can be readjusted in less than 1 second. The run interlock is now a bail bar (like the original CMM1000) which is nicer than the lever on the CMM1200. I wish the new mower had the battery indicator that was provided on the original CMM1000. Perhaps it can be added as a special accessory key assembly. It is not really necessary, but is a nice feature.
Once you experience not having gasoline smell on your hands and quiet operation with no starting hassles, you won't mind having to push this mower. If you keep it connected to the charger continuously when not in use, it will give the best battery life. The battery can be charged when removed from the mower if you keep the mower in a shed without power. The CM1936 is highly recommended.
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