Black & Decker CM1936 Review

Black & Decker CM1936 Review – Key Features

• Construction – You might be pretty wary about things made from plastic. We all want value for money and something that lasts don’t we. Well Black & Decker have done well here. The plastic they have used is thick and durable so you should get your money’s worth. We also like the fact that the dead-mans bar runs all the way across the handle so it doesn’t matter which hand you hold the mower with. On other mowers there is sometimes a lever in the right hand corner which has to be held down, meaning your right hand always has to be on the handle.
• 19” Cutting deck – Compared to other cordless mowers this is one of the widest cutting decks out there. The larger deck will allow you to cut your lawn quicker, as you will be cutting more grass on each pass.
• 3-in-1 cutting system – It’s always good to have options and with the CM1936 you can choose to bag, mulch or discharge your clippings. Although do be aware that in order to use the discharge feature you will have to purchase the additional attachment.
• Removable Battery – This is the main advantage with the CM1936. The fact that you are able to remove the battery means that, if you wanted to, you could purchase another battery and have it fully charged so when one battery ran out of charge you could swap them over. This means you can mow larger areas of grass. It also makes life easier when coming to clean this mower. The battery is actually fairly heavy and when you remove it the whole mower becomes a lot lighter, so it’s easier to turn over and clean. The battery is easy to remove and you can re-charge it either in or outside of the mower which is definitely a plus when it comes to winter storage. Another good thing is that these batteries are actually widely available should you need a replacement or perhaps a spare. The 36V battery also provides enough power so that it’s more than up to the task of cutting your lawn. That isn’t to say it hasn’t got its limitations, everything has limitations. But it you take care of your yard and don’t let it grow out of control then this mower has the power to do the job and provide you with a good even cut.
• Good safety features – You get a key with the mower. In order to start this machine up you have to insert the key, pull back the dead-mans bar and press the start button. This is ideal if you have kids, as they won’t be able to accidentally start it up. Neither will you for that matter. You’ve also got a rubber flap at the back of the mower to stop stones being thrown out from underneath the mower. It’s also hard to get your hand or foot anywhere near the blade when you’re mowing – so accidents are not likely to happen with the CM1936. When you release the dead-mans bar the blade stops almost instantly which is another plus point on the safety front.
• Cheap to run – It literally only takes a few cents worth of electricity to charge the battery on this mower up. In fact you’ll probably only spend a few dollars on electricity in an entire season.
• Easy to use height adjustment – There’s a little meter and a squeeze handle. All you do is squeeze this handle and then pull it up or down to the desired height setting and then release it. All four wheels will then click into place. Easy peasy!
• Minimal maintenance required – The main thing is to look after the battery well. When not in use the battery should ALWAYS be on charge. This might seem a little strange but it is the best way to get the longest battery life possible. Don’t worry about that costing a bomb as once the battery is charged it hardly draws any electricity and costs hardly anything to keep on charge. Other than this all you will need to do is keep the blade sharp and keep the underside of the mower clear.
• Easy to use grass bag – Black and Decker seem to have done well in this department. Don’t you just hate it when you get a good mower but the grass bag is an absolute pain to take off and put back on? Well B & D have done us proud here because the grass bag is super easy to detach and then re-attach.
• Environmentally friendly – Are you doing everything you can to protect our planet from pollution and sustain it for future generations? This mower will go some way to achieving that goal. It produces zero harmful emissions which protects not only the planet but your health too. Breathing in toxic gas fumes definitely isn’t healthy!

Black & Decker CM1936 Review – Assembly

If you’re not a techno wiz and don’t particularly enjoy setting things up then this point should bring a little smile to your face. All you have to do is attach the handle and it’s ready to mow. Couldn’t get much better than that.

Black & Decker CM1936 Review – Performance

• Cutting ability – As long as you mow regularly, you won’t be disappointed by this model. When the battery is fully charged it provides more than enough power for the mower to do a good job and it leaves a nice even finish, just as you’d expect.
• Grass Collection – It doesn’t do a bad job, but it could be a lot better. Doesn’t perform great if there’s any moisture in the grass, but you do have two other cutting options you could use.
• Maneuverability – It’s pretty heavy and we’d only really recommend you using it on flat lawns. Pushing this mower uphill can be extremely tiring unless you’re a gym rat. On flat lawns it does roll along nicely though.

Black & Decker CM1936 Review – Pros

• Quality construction
• Good safety features
• Good quality of cut
• Very cheap to power
• Can remove the battery – ideal for larger lawns
• Cutting heights easy to adjust
• Various cutting options
• Quiet when running
• Very reliable
• Decent amount of power
• Environmentally friendly
• No real assembly required

Black & Decker CM1936 Review – Cons

• Replacement batteries are expensive – This is the first thing we need to point out to you. Once you have bought the mower that’s not the end of it. At some point you will need to buy a replacement battery and it will set you back over $100. However, if you maintain the original ones well (this means always keeping them on charge between uses) then you should get a good 5 years of use before they need replacing. But this future cost is definitely something to keep in mind.
• Will not cut close to walls and fences – This is because of the thick plastic deck (which in terms of durability is a plus!). It extends a couple of inches past the blade path so the blade won’t be able to get right up close to a solid obstruction such as a wall or fence.
• Heavy – We have got to be honest here, it’s not one of the lighter options out there at 72lbs. This is mainly due to the weight of the battery (nearly half of the weight is in fact the battery!). If you are planning to use this mower on flat surfaces then maneuverability is not an issue as in those circumstances it’s easy to push. If you want a mower to handle hills and slopes then you need to think “can I push a 72lb mower up hill/up a slope?” and be honest because there’s no self propel feature here.