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Black & Decker CMM1200 Review

Black & Decker CMM1200 Review

The CMM1200 is one of Black & Decker’s older cordless models, but because it has been so popular it is still on sale. It is powered by a 24 volt battery and this should be able to mow up to a 1/3 of an acre if you use it in the right conditions. It’s also got the one touch height adjustment system that you are probably familiar with now if you have read any of our other Black & Decker reviews. You get a 19 inch cutting deck, which is an inch bigger than a lot of other cordless models. This means you’ll be able to cut more grass on each pass and you’ll get your yard done slightly quicker. This deck is made from a durable polymer, so you don’t have to worry about rusting any more. This is a good choice for someone wanting to get away from the noise/mess/pollution of a gas mower, but isn’t too keen on corded electric mowers. If that sounds like you then this model is definitely worth looking at and we’d recommend you read our findings below.

Black & Decker CMM1200 Review

ManufacturerBlack & Decker
ModelCMM1200
Battery24V Integrated Battery
Deck Size19 inches
Cutting Modes3-in-1, Rear Bagging, Mulching & Discharge
Cutting Heights1.5 - 3.5 inches
Weight76 lbs
No Longer Available - Check Similar Models

Black & Decker CMM1200 Review – Key Features

  • Easy To Operate – You won’t need a PHD in technology in order to work this mower. Just put the key in, pull the lever, and then push the mower wherever you want it to go.
  • 3-in-1 function – What do you prefer? Mulching your clippings, bagging your clippings or discharging your clippings? Wait! You don’t need to decide because you can do all three with this mower.(discharge insert needs to be purchased as an extra though)
  • Instant starts – No yanking on a cord and praying it will start. With the pull of a lever you’re up and running. This switch is definitely the main issue with this mower though. It definitely should have been made more solid. It feels a bit flimsy and not as durable as the rest of the mower.
  • 24 Volt Integrated Battery – This mower is powered by a 24 Volt battery which unfortunately you can’t remove, so once it’s out of juice you’ll have to wheel the whole mower to the garage to put it on charge.
  • Easy to change cutting height – One lever controls the height of all four wheels which is quick and convenient.
  • Easy to maintain – There’s not much to the maintenance here really. You will need to keep the blade sharp, so keep an eye on that because a blunt blade with run down your battery life. Also you need to maintain the batteries properly in order to get the maximum life possible. So what you have to do is leave the mower on charge when you’re not using it. Yes, that means all the time it’s not in use. Don’t worry; it doesn’t cost a bomb because once the battery is fully charged it takes very little electricity to maintain it.
  • Compact storage – This mower folds right up and stores vertically so it takes very little space up in your shed or garage.
  • Good safety features – You get a removable safety key with the mower and this is a great feature to prevent any accidental start ups – a great asset if you have kids that like to mess around with things. This key has to be inserted for the mower to start.
  • Easy to charge – The battery you get will re-charge to 70% in just 3 – 4 hours and will recharge to full capacity over night. So there’s never long to wait if you want to get out mowing again.
  • Environmentally friendly – The CMM1200 is a zero emissions mower which is great news for our planet.

Black & Decker CMM1200 Review – Assembly

Literally all you have to do is put the grass catcher together and that’s it. This is brilliant if you’re not good at putting things together or don’t have much technical know how. You couldn’t get much more convenient than that could you?!

Black & Decker CMM1200 Review – Performance

  • Cutting Ability – The CMM1200 requires that you keep your grass to a decent length by cutting it regularly. Do that and you won’t be disappointed by what it does for you. The cut is nice and even and looks very neat. If you are planning to use this mower on long grass or in wet conditions, then don’t. This will severely cut both the battery run time and life and you will just end up getting frustrated. It also just doesn’t have the power to scythe through really long grass.
  • Mulching Ability – If you are looking for a mower that does a good job at producing ultra-fine, nutrient rich mulch, then look no further. This one does a great job.
  • Manoeuvrability -There’s no getting away from the fact that this mower, along with all other battery powered mowers, is pretty heavy and obviously that makes it slightly harder to push. It pushes well on flat lawns, but is a little more taxing when used on uneven surfaces. Until the battery technology improves this will remain a problem for battery mowers.

The Bo​​​​​ttom Line

It's time to pull this review together and now we're going to lay out what we consider to be the key information for this mower.

Pros

  • Hardly any assembly required
  • Really easy to use
  • Easy to clean and maintain
  • Multiple cutting modes - rear bag, mulch or discharge
  • Nice and compact for storage purposes
  • Easy to start up
  • Cutting height easy to change
  • Quiet when you're using it
  • Cuts and mulches well (if used correctly)
  • Eco-friendly
  • Easy to charge up
  • Array of safety features

Cons

  • Construction of starter lever is pretty flimsy
  • It's pretty heavy
  • Battery not removable and requires a professional to change it when it needs replacing

Conclusion:

This mower is great for small to medium sized yards that have a flat surface. If you maintain the batteries properly you should be able to mow up to 12,000 square feet on one charge. Obviously you could use this mower on yards that are bigger than this guide figure, but you would have to be prepared to do it over 2 or more charges. It has been and continues to be very popular. It is a good choice as long as you are aware of its limitations. If the conditions we described as suitable for this mower sound like your situation then we would definitely recommend it. With the battery, it will have to go through 3-5 full charge cycles before it develops its full run-time capacity so don’t get too frustrated if it’s shorter than you’d expected the first couple of times. Also we will mention this as there’s no reference to it in the user manual – the battery will have Styrofoam inserts around it and these should remain in place. Don’t remove them. That’s all there is to say really. It’s an environmentally friendly, quiet, clean mower that gives a decent quality of cut.

Our Rating

No Longer Available - Check Similar Models
Tom Greene Author Lawnmowerguru

About Tom Greene

I've always had a keen interest in lawn care as long as I can remember. Friends used to call me the "lawn mower guru" (hence the site name), but I'm anything but. I just enjoy cutting my lawn and spending time outdoors. I also love the well-deserved doughnuts and coffee afterward!

Comments

  1. Faye says

    August 11, 2018 at 12:07 pm

    I purchased my CMM 1200 Electric Mower about 5 years ago and only used it twice; however, it will not start now and the battery is fully charged.

    Reply

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