Black & Decker’s CMM1200 electric mower gets Energy Star nod

Electric walk-behind mowers have become popular among homeowners who don’t want to set another gas-guzzling device loose on the planet. These mowers also eliminate tune-ups and trips to the gas station.

Generally, cordless electric mowers offer easy starting, though they’re suitable only if your lawn is on the small side and you don’t cut down too much grass at a time. A corded-electric model is another choice for a small property, though consider one only if you can deal with the inconvenience of a cord and won’t have to mow too far from an outlet.

Communities in California and Ohio are promoting electric mowers in a big way, with offers of heavy discounts on Neuton cordless mowers for residents who trade in a gas mower. And now the push mower that topped our Ratings of electric models (available to subscribers), the cordless Black & Decker CMM1200, $400, our top-rated electric mower, has picked up some federal bona fides.

The Energy Star program, administered by the U.S. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, has listed the charger the 24-volt, 19-inch CMM1200 (shown) as an Energy Star-qualified device. On average, qualified battery chargers use 35 percent less energy, the program claims, than conventional models. The charger for the CMM1200’s sealed-lead-acid battery joins a list of other Energy Star chargers for cordless power tools, handheld vacuums, and a few portable printers.

In our latest review of lawn mowers, the CMM1200 proved very good at side-discharge cutting, mulching, and handling, and its wheel-height adjustment uses a single lever. Black & Decker claims the mower can handle up to one third of an acre on a single charge, but that might be pushing it—our tests revealed a 40-minute cutting time for a nine-hour charge.—Ed Perratore

Essential information: Read our recent tip of the day to get your lawn mower in shape for spring and summer cutting. And use the expert yard-care advice in our Complete Lawn & Yard Guide to keep your lawn looking its best.

Comments

[Judy Filibeck]

I've had the Black & Decker 19" cordless mower for 6 years or so. During that time there have been 2 recalls with the repair done a long way from my home. I have now been told that it needs a new battery ($250) and that it should be charged for an hour or so prior to using. This should definitely be emphasized! I was told that most people do what I did, leave the charger on after using. The person I was talking to said that the mower battery should take 500 charges and that on-going charging cuts that number in half!

[James Cox]

I purchased this mower this spring from Lowe's. It runs great but it doesn't cut good. It will leave long blades of grass standing everywhere. This happens regardless of the legnth of the grass. It usually requires going over the lawn twice and requires the battery be recharged before being able to finish the job. I am very disappointed in the cutting ability. I'm having the old Toro repaired and retiring the new one.

[Trevor Whitehouse]

I have just purchased a CMM1200 to replace my 14 year-old CMM650 cordless. The old mower was comind due for a battery change and rather than invvest in the new battery at $125, I opted for a $300 purchase for the CMM1200.

As the old CMM650 was a 12 volt arrangement, it did have its limitations in my typical suburban yard (70' x 165') because to get a smooth mulch you have to mow twice. By the end of the second pass, the mower was staring to slow down. But, I never had a time in regular weekly mowing where one charge wouldn't get me through the yard twice in mulch mode. If you are coming back after vacation and the grass is really high, make the first pass on discharge (less battery consumption) and then second pass in mulch.

The CMM1200 is 24 volts and a 19" cut compared to a 18" cut on the CMM650. If it goes as well as the old CMM650, and I fully expect that it will do better, then 14 to 20 years on a lawnmower is just fine with me as I never had a gas mower that lasted more than 8 years or so.

[N. Paradise]

I used the CMM1000 for a full ten seasons on the original battery, simply plugging the mower in when I was done mowing. The first few years I could cut my lawn and the neighbor's on one charge. For many years it cut my normal-sized lawn just fine on one charge. The last season it ran out of juice after doing half the yard. The mower cut just fine so long as the grass wasn't wet. I'm now replacing it with the CMM1200 rather than shelling out the money for a new battery and charger (I dropped the charger from a high shelf!). You do NOT need a lawn on the smaller side to be happy with this mower. It's perfect for any normal sized suburban lawn.

[Leslie M. Ohmart III]

Beware getting a warranty repair. Service centers are few and far between. The nearest one to me is over 100 miles. Black and Decker suggested that I either ship it for repair, drive it there myself or fix it myself and void the warranty!

[Reuben Gathright]

We should all do our part to save the enviroment and encourage the growth of the solar and wind power industries. Cordless electric lawn mowers go a long ways towards these goals. I recently purchased the Black & Decker Cordless Electric Lawnmower the CMM1200. I hope my review will help you make a decision about our future.

http://www.epinions.com/review/Black_Decker_19_In_24_Volt_Cordless_Mulching_Mower/content_445899312772

[cheryl]

As for the environment, remember generating electricity impacts the environment by producing green house gases. In 2004, 40% of the US total emissions of greenhouse gases was from electricity generation. Most of our electric power still comes from the traditional burning of fossil fuels, with the largest amount coming from the dirtiest source, coal.

So while electric is a far better choice than gas (because the emissions are regulated and there is no gas transportation costs and spillage), manual reel mowers are still the best choice for the environment. http://peoplepoweredmachines.wordpress.com/2008/11/18/why-reel-mowers-are-still-best-for-the-environment/

[Bob Morrison]

Electric, cordless mowers will be very popular this Spring and Summer, 2009. Newer models should be available for this season. I am interested in finding a Black @ Decker cordless mower, self propelled with a 21" cut. If such a mower is available, does the 24 volt battery have the power for the mower to deliver a clean and thorough cut? I note some cordless mowers come with a 64 volt battery.
I am ready to purchase my first electric, cordless mower. Can B@L or anyone else have answers to the above questions.

Thank you.

[Dnard]

I've had my Black and Decker CMM1000 for 3 years now. The batteries won't hold a charge so I purchased two new ones from www.Buy.com, UB12180 Sealed Lead Acid Battery - D5745 for $31.99 a piece plus shipping. Cheapest price I could find. Easy to replace, pop the black top (6 screws) pull out and over deck raising lever on side.
Great mower but I have a small inclined yard which is best to cut at an angle otherwise you get quite a workout.

[Kathy B]

I have had my Black and Decker cordless (and I love it!) for five years and keep it plugged in all the time between cuttings. Has anyone else heard that doing this will reduce the life of the battery?

[Johnny J]

I bought the B&D CMM1200 late last summer from Amazon,and it's been great. This is my second battery mower. My first was a Ryobi, purchased in 1997. The B&D is more powerful and has a longer charge life. One secret to battery mowers is frequent and complete charging, especially after use and over the winter months. Never let a battery mower sit partly charged or discharged, or the battery will lose its ability to hold a charge in the future.

[Robert J]

After researching Consumer Reports and other online sources I recently bought the CMM1200 at Lowes for $399 (and received a $30 gift card from them). I was intrigued with CR’s rating as the performance measured up with the top rated gas-powered mowers. And avoiding gas, oil, filters and all other maintenance was a real plus.

Having used the mower now 5 times I am quite happy with it, and eagerly recommend it. I agree with a few others that the cut has on occasion been a little inconsistent where the grass is significantly taller or thicker. For example, random blades may be left untouched, or small streaks of grass that were flattened where the wheels roll over them turn out to require a second pass. But this is not much of an issue with regular mowing - the results are very good and the lawn looks. Handling is easy and the simple operation, height adjustment and charging make for a real pleasure when compared to a gas-powered machine. It's also less noisy to operate - sounds like a room fan on high - and I've never had a problem completing my lawn - a 40 minute job (about 7000' lot) - with one charge, including a few second passes where the grass was overgrown. The only maintenance is wiping off the few clumps of grass from under the deck after mulching, a piece of cake when you remove the simple mulching insert. Otherwise, plug in and leave if next time.

My neighbor borrowed it recently and was so impressed that he returned his gas-powered mower and bought the B&D cordless. How's that for a vote of confidence!

[Michael Trace]

I have had a CMM1200 for 2 mowing seasons now. I moved last September, so I've used it exclusively on 2 different yards now. The first yard was pretty small, just less than 1/3 acre, and it would finish it on one charge, but it was spinning the blades slowly toward the end. My current home has about 1.5 acres of lawn, so it will cut for around an hour and 15 minutes before it needs to be charged again. So, it takes about 3 days to completely mow this yard, but thankfully, with all of the trees, the grass doesn't grow that fast, so it doesn't require weekly cutting like the other yard did. During the winter, I would top it off every few weeks, but it sure beats draining oil and gas and cleaning air filters and spark plugs. I put it on the charger just before the first cut of the season, and it turned green after just a few minutes, so the AGM batteries in it hold a charge quite well. I have a 55 watt solar panel that I use to charge a couple of set of 12V deep-cycle batteries, and then charge my cellphones, laptop computers, rechargeable AAA, AA, and D-cell batteries, as well as can charge or run other loads using a 300W inverter. During the mowing season, I can charge the mower up and keep almost everything else charged with that one panel, which saves quite a bit of coal having to be burned to charge everything. Even if you have to charge using household outlets, the difference in pollution emissions is staggering, so anyone who cares about those emissions would be served well to get one of these, or even one of the corded models, if you're lawn would allow for the length of cord. Like the others have noted above, there are some stray blades left behind sometimes. I don't know whether its a function of the mulching deck or the blade, but I doubt it's because of the electric motor as it spins pretty much as fast as a gas mower. Just need to keep the blade sharp.

[Gordon Ranum]

I purchased a CMM1200 in the spring of 2008 from someone who used it twice but found it was too small for their huge lawn. I noticed the mower missed a few blades here and there but I wasn't seeking perfection. I have about 1/3 acre to mow and never had a problem with finishing mowing my lawn. The unit is light and easy to maneuver. Unfortunately the plastic handle on this CMM1200 just broke. No easy fix. I removed one phillips head and four torx head screws. Inside the control housing the plastic spindle that the orange handle rotates on broke. They should have used something like a metal roll pin for the spindle. I enjoyed using this mower to mow two properties and used the mulcher and side discharge this autumn, the bagger worked great for leaves. I felt so good about the CMM1200's easy, reliable, starting and also about myself, feeling like I was being a better environmentally conscious consumer by giving up on smelly, loud, troublesome, gas motors and all the messy required maintenance. I really liked the easy deck height adjustment too. Other than for the weak control handle mechanism I could recommend this unit highly. For $399.00 I would hope they could have built something more durable in a handle mechanism. Maybe now that Black and Decker was sold today for $4.5 Billion to Stanley Works the new company will change that. This mower just left me dead on the lawn (or at least Blue and Depressed) without controls.