Until I found the best cordless electric lawn mower, I believed that cordless power tools were a good addition to any garden toolshed, but not worthy standalone devices. In my experience cordless units tend to lack the requisite power and distance to replace traditional large and noisy gas mowers. However, this Black & Decker CM1640, 16 inch, cordless mower is an excellent standalone mower. With two 40V MAX Li-ion batteries, you get a total charge of around 30 minutes and the 16 inch deck, full body polycarbonate construction makes it extremely light and easy to maneuver. In other words, this cordless mower is probably the lightest that you will come across. Did you know that the batteries in this mower are interchangeable with any other cordless Black & Decker garden tool?
Product Info:
- Walk Behind Lawn Mower
- Cordless Electric Mower
- 40V Lithium Battery
Features:
- 16 inch cutting deck
- 6 Height Settings
- Foldable handle
- Hard top grass box
- Weight: 48 lbs.
- 2-years limited warranty
BLACK+DECKER CM2043C Cordless Mower, 20"
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Amazon.com - CORDLESS FREEDOM – Battery-powered lawn mower delivers cord-free convenience.
- TOOL-FREE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT – A single lever adjusts the mower deck’s cutting height anywhere from 1-1/2 in. to 4 in.
- EDGEMAX DECK – Deck design allows precise cutting close to fences and landscape borders, reducing the need for trimming.
- 3IN1 VERSATILITY – Choose from 3 mowing modes: mulching, bagging, or discharging grass clippings from the side.
In-Depth Review of the Black & Decker CM1640 Cordless Lawn Mower
Ease Of Use
The Black & Decker CM1640 cordless electric mower comes pretty much pre-assembled with the handles neatly packaged alongside and being the only components that need your LEGO expertise. No need for directions really when trying to bolt them straight up although, the picture steps do help in this process.The first thing you will notice is that this mower comes with 2 batteries, each 40 Volt Lithium Ion but a single charger. The idea is to always keep both charged and to use one while charging the other. Each battery lasts about 20-25 minutes, making this the best electric lawn mower for small yards. After inserting one of the batteries, starting the mower is really easy and done with just a push of a button.Adjusting the height is a matter of locking the selection lever to the left side of the mower in an appropriate gear. This simultaneously raises all the wheels and the same goes for the handles that fold down on the mower with two joint breaks helping store this mower much simpler. Besides, being a cordless electric mower, it can stand straight with the handles tucked in and still come out all guns blazing when needed, unlike gas mowers that can’t be stored in any orientation that may risk flooding of the engines. To start it, there is a big red button that powers up the blades and you are good to go.
Cut Quality
Torque is plentiful with the Black & Decker CM1640, 16 inch, cordless mower (40 volt) and because it remains constant with a 16 inch deck, it tackles all types of grass just the same. Dandelions, weed and grass – nothing can stand in its way!Just remember, this being an electric mower, will not be able to handle really tall grass so don’t leave your lawn unattended for more than 2 weeks. As for the ability to do more than just mow and discharge in the rear bag, you will be disappointed to know that this mower does not have the mechanism to mulch or side-discharge.
Height Adjustment
Height adjustment options range from 1 inch to 3.5 inch in increments of 0.5 inch per gear. A single lever somewhat magically raises and lowers the entire mower off the ground. I personally don’t feel the need to mower under 1.5 inch ever but for certain grass types to promote better growth and reduce the chance of browning the edges, a height setting of more than 3 inches helps. This mower can’t mow higher than 3.5 inches which means you will always get a close shave at the very least.
Motor Power
40 Volt MAX Lithium ion batteries are state of the art and they also happen to be used by a host of other Black & Decker garden/power tools. As for motor power, the torque remains near constant from full charge to complete discharge and the batteries charge quicker than anticipated. However, being lithium ion, these batteries will eventually die rather than gradually decreasing in their performance. I would have appreciated it if the deck size was slightly larger and the mower used both the batteries together rather than one. This would give it a more powerful punch while allowing it to do more than just mow such as mulch or side-discharge.
Maintenance
Everything in this Black & Decker electric mower happens to be made from high quality plastic, even the wheels. This isn’t the plastic that many cheaper manufacturers use to cut costs. So expect a long life from the mower itself making the blade and batteries, the only two maintenance prone components. Batteries ought to last over 2 years easy while the blades are best kept oiled, sharp and ready at all times.
Cost Effectiveness
At over $200, I usually feel a mower ought to be large, have a decent power output and be capable of mulching as well. However, I feel I must make an allowance for this cordless electric mower since in my humble opinion, this Black & Decker CM1640 does everything it is designed for perfect and does nothing extra. By the way, cordless mowers tend to cost a lot more than your average electric mower!If you have a small yard, this is the only mowing unit you will ever need and if you have a large yard, this is an excellent backup tool to your larger gas or even ride-on mower.
- Light, yet sturby design
- perfect for small yards
- 2 batteries included
- No mulch or side-discharge options
- Cut quality of taller grass could be improved
