Black and Decker Rechargeable Lawn Mower Review - CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Mulching Lawn Mower
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Are we ready for electric lawn equipment?
About 7 years ago, I purchased my first Black and Decker Rechargeable Lawn Mower - the CMM1000.
I had a small lot, back in those days - about 1/4 of an acre. My first Black and Decker Rechargeable Lawn Mower was awesome.
The mower was quiet, it started without pulling (or throwing my back out), it never needed gas, or oil, and was also very effective as long as I kept the blade sharp.
I kept up with the lawn, so it rarely got very tall. If for some odd reason I happened to skip a week (or if we received a large amount of rain) the mower would bog down a little, but nothing bad.
Later, on the mower's second season, the battery was a little weaker. When the grass got a little taller, I would have mow only the front yard on Saturday, then mow the backyard on Sunday after it had spent a night on the charger. But, once again, this ONLY happened when I skipped a week.
On the mower's third season, I usually had to hurry to get done before the mower needed recharging. Sometimes, I would cut some corners with the mower and "clean up" the rest with the hand-held grass trimmer/edger.
About halfway through this third season, I knew that my beloved Black and Decker Rechargeable Lawn Mower was going to need a new battery. So, I dropped about $120 for a new battery, and my little CMM1000 ran like new again.
The same cycle repeated itself, and I concluded that my little Black and Decker Rechargeable Lawn Mower needed a new battery about every 2.5 years. Hey, that's fine by me! It's a small price to pay for it not using any gas or oil, not polluting the environment, and being extremely quiet compared to all the loud gas guzzlers out there.
I calculated that I had spent roughly about $600 on the mower, the battery, the blade sharpening (and the minimal amount of electricity), and therefore over a 5-year period had spent about $10 per month. Not too shabby.
However, after my 5 season with the Black and Decker Rechargeable Lawn Mower, I was itching for a new one. Then, the next gen Black and Decker Rechargeable Lawn Mower caught my eye: The Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric.
The Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric
I can honestly say, after owning both the CM1000, and the Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric that I love the new one even better than the first.
The The Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric seems to be a bit lighter than the first (although it's still a little heavy).
There are a couple of design changes, but nothing to write home about.
My biggest surprise was finding that Black & Decker had either improved the batteries or the mower. After finishing my 2nd season of mowing last October with the Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric, the mower was just as powerful as the first season of mowing.
As long as I don't go over a 1/2 acre lot, I will ALWAYS own a battery powered mower. The joy I feel not having to mess with gas, oil and air filters is indescribable.
If you are on the fence about the The Black & Decker CMM1200 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric, don't be. This model is cheaper than the one I purchased almost 8 years ago, and it's even better.
Happy mowing.
Dave B 6 months ago
This cordless one is a good bet - but our lawn is a little bigger so we have opted to go with the MM875 version. Check it out: http://www.biggranite.com/going-green-with-a-new-b