| If you're in the market for a solid, economical electric mower, the Black & Decker 18-inch electric mower is worth a look. Powered by a high-efficiency, 6.5 amp, Black & Decker motor, this mower offers quiet, hassle-free operation, without the mess and expense of gas-and-oil models. No need for tune-ups and pull starts, either. This mower weighs just 36 pounds, making it easy to push and maneuver in the lawn. It features an 18-inch cutting blade; side discharge (optional Black & Decker side bag assembly #BA-075 sold separately); a rust-proof, polymer deck; and one-touch height adjustment (from 1 to 3-1/2 inches). Tool-free assembly means you'll be up and mowing quickly, while a lifetime deck warranty and two-year warranty on the mower itself provide added peace of mind. --Carl Thress |
|
 6 reasons to get this mower, and 2 reasons not to |
| Review Date: April 22, 2005 |
| Reviewer: J. Seifert, Indianapolis, IN USA |
I've had this mower since the previous Spring, and every time I'm out mowing, I'm thinking about the review that I planned to write here about it. So needless to say, I've thought a lot about this. Here are 6 reasons to get this lawnmower:
1. It's cheap, about half the price that an equivalent gas mower would set you back. It's probably also a little bit cheaper to keep running, too.
2. It's light. A lot of gas mowers are self-propelled because they're so heavy to push around, but at 36 pounds, this mower doesn't need to be self-propelled. You can move it back and forth with relative ease, much like a heavy vacuum cleaner.
3. It's easy to start. No yanking the cord to get it going; just turn it on and start. Of course, you can get self-starting gas mowers these days as well, but they will set you back even more money.
4. It's quiet. Well, okay, it's not THAT quiet. But it's quieter than most.
5. It doesn't smell. The lawn doesn't smell like gas fumes after you're all done.
6. It's better for the environment. Gas lawnmower engines expel 10 times the amount of pollution per gallon of gas than your automobile does.
Sounds great so far, right? Well, before you click that "Add to Shopping Cart" button, let me give you two thoughts that might have you think otherwise:
1. The cord. Yep, there's no battery here, so you're attached to your house's electricity the entire time. In practice, I haven't found this too difficult to deal with; by starting near the outlet and snaking back and forth away from it, it's easy to manage. But, when I have to mow around my trees, it gets to be a bit of a chore. If I had a lot of tricky landscaping, or a particularly large yard, this would be enough to kill the deal.
(You can get electrical mowers with batteries, but they tend to be even more expensive than the gas mowers, and if you're choosing electric for environmental reasons, the lead in that battery is going to steer you even further away from that option.)
2. The optional mulching bag is small. If I'm collecting my grass clippings, I'll often need to empty the bag 8-10 times during a typical run. It gets to be pretty annoying. As a result, I usually just let the clippings return to the lawn, which is better for the lawn anyway, even if it doesn't look as pretty.
And there you have it. Six reasons to buy it, and two not to. You'll have to make your own decision. As for myself, I've been very happy with my purchase thus far, and will probably make my next mower a Black and Decker electric model as well. |
Single mom mows lawn with one hand!
|
| Review Date: March 29, 2004 |
| Reviewer: M. Cheung, Alabama, USA |
| Seriously, I recently purchased my first home with a kind of small front, side, and back lawn and I'm very happy with this mower. It was as easy as vacuuming! No kidding! I purchased this mower because I really don't want the hassle of gas powered tools, the smell, the noise. The price was reasonable as well. My lawn isn't one nice big rectangle either. I have trees and other landscaping features to mow around. It was easy to maneuver and didn't get caught on anything. Although the cord is not the most fun to deal with, I was able to push the mower with one hand and guide the cord with the other. It really wasn't bothersome at all. Another great feature is the SO EASY on and off lever. It doubles as a good safety feature as well. If your hand isn't on the mower lever, it turns off. And to turn it on, there's no pull cord or anything like that. You just easily pull a lever! The height adjustment is also a one hand lever that moves with ease. And it turns around easily as well.
I highly recommend this mower! |
Terrific Product @ a Great Price
|
| Review Date: April 10, 2002 |
| Reviewer: , |
I bought this little lawnmower to replace my manual rotary
mower while recovering from a broken wrist. You can use this
lawnmower quite successfully with one hand. It is very light
weight and easy to maneuver and cuts great. |
Really happy with this mower
|
| Review Date: January 27, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Home enthusiast, Murray, Utah |
My gas mower died and I was without a mower for a couple of summers. I finally had to buy one, but didn't want another gas mower because I don't believe they are safe enough. I was going to buy the B & D Lawn Hog, which is a bit larger and costs more, when I happened to find the 175 here at Amazon. It has lower amps than the Lawn Hog, but is perfect for my needs. I was surprised at the power it delivers but is easily kept under control. And while lightweight, it doesn't bounce around during mowing. Another nice feature is the start lever in the handle. You just pull it toward you and it starts as easily as any other electric appliance. Remove your hand, and the lever falls back and the machine immediatly shuts off. Also, you don't have the smell of gasoline coming back up in your face. I really like this machine.
|
Very cool, easy to use.
|
| Review Date: May 13, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Pistol Pete, Houston, TX United States |
I grew up with a gas mower. It was big and smelly but did the job. I actually ordered a gas mower from Amazon but it took forever to come, so I switched to this mower since my lawn needed cutting. This mower works great, and you never smell like gasoline! Very easy to start and stop, and super easy to put together. It is also very lightweight - anyone can push it around. The toughest part is the electric cord, which you get used to pretty quickly - it's just like a vacuum. So any lawn with a lot of trees or anything above .25 acres is not going to be very workable. But for small lawns with few obstacles, it is pretty easy to use.
The bag is also very helpful and handy. |
|
