Black + Decker dominated the electric lawn mower market at one point not too long ago, but with increasing competition in the last few years, they’ve had to keep innovating to retain market share. The Black + Decker BEMW472BH features a quite unique bike handlebar design as opposed to the regular straight handlebar you usually see. It's one of their entry-level mowers, and with a 15-inch cutting width, it is aimed at the smaller lawn. In our Black + Decker BEMW472BH review, we're going to outline to main pros and cons we came across during our research, in addition to pointing out who we think it's best suited to.
Black + Decker BEMW472BH Review - Specifications |
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|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Black + Decker |
| Model Name | BEMW472BH |
| Motor | 10 Amp |
| Cutting Width | 15 inches |
| Cutting Options | Rear Bag Collection |
| Cutting Heights | 1 - 3 inches (6 Settings) |
| Self Propel | No |
| Weight | 38.9 lbs |
| Dimensions | 31 x 18 x 15.6 in |
Black + Decker BEMW472BH Pros: What Consumers Like About This Mower?
- Cuts Well in Most Conditions – The word on the street certainly seems to be that this mower does what it’s supposed to. It packs enough power to take care of regular yard maintenance no problem, and if you do let it overgrow a little it should have enough guts to get you through no problem. Just don’t expect miracles on very long grass, as you have to remember that this is a 10 AMP motor after all.
- No Issues in Assembling It – Most lawn mowers are pretty easy to assemble these days, with just the handles needing to be connected, and that’s the case here. It appears that most folks have it set up and ready to go within 10-15 minutes. Quite a few also mentioned that they found the instructions particularly easy to follow.
- Lightweight + Easy to Push – It’s heavier than some mowers in this category, but at just under 40 lbs, we found that most people say it’s lightweight and easy to maneuver, whether you’re going around things like tree stumps and flowerbeds, or need to turn it around in tight spots. The rugged wheel tread helps if you need to go over an area that’s slightly rougher or more uneven, although the wheels are plastic and don't feel super high quality. The last thing you want to be doing when mowing is constantly battling to move it where you want it to go. Not an issue here!
- Bike Style Handlebars are Comfortable – This feature is the main differentiator for the Black + Decker BEMW472BH, and we found a number of people say that the bike style drips that the handle is designed with are a great deal comfier to hold onto than the regular straight handlebar that you see on most electric mowers. In particular, we came across several taller people that said this kind of setup is more ergonomic than other mowers they’ve used. At the end of the day though, this is going to be personal preference. As it’s a mower that’s designed for use on smaller lawns, it’s not like you’ll be using it for hours at a time.
- Super Easy to Start + Use – Overall the Black + Decker BEMW472BH is extremely simple to use. It starts up with the push of a button (no more waiting around to get started), and all you need to do once it’s up and running is walk it in the right direction. If you’ve never used a corded model, it will take a while to get used to keeping the cable under control, but that’s probably the only learning curve there is to using this mower. Literally anyone could learn to use it very quickly, even if you’ve never mowed before.
- Folds Neatly for Storage – You can loosen the fasteners halfway down the handle, and then it folds over and takes up less space in your shed or garage. This is obviously a convenient feature, but I have to say that it doesn’t fold over quite as well as some other models we’ve looked at. Anyway, it still stores well.
- Great Customer Service – It’s when things go wrong that you get to see if the warranty is actually worth the paper it’s written on. Some companies rarely honor it, others prioritize customer service above virtually everything else, and Black + Decker seems to be one of the latter companies. We came across numerous examples where consumers had a broken or defective unit, missing pieces, and even one case where the product was actually slightly out of warranty, and B + D went ahead and sent them a replacement. This gets them a big thumbs up from us.
Black + Decker BEMW472BH Cons: What People Complain About
- Grass Catcher Issues – The grass catcher gets criticized a fair bit. At least that's what we found when researching the Black + Decker BEMW472BH, and there seems to be a few different complaints that are often aimed at it. Firstly, it's rather small, but as the mower is aimed at small lawns, that's not exactly a surprise. The two more concerning criticisms are that the catcher doesn't stay on all that well, with several users saying that it's difficult to get it properly seated. And lastly, a few people mentioned the discharge chute getting clogged, which prevents the mower from bagging the clippings effectively. We'd recommend you avoid mowing when the grass is wet, as this will greatly reduce the likelihood of the grass clumping and blocking the discharge chute.
- Underpowered for Weeds + Thicker Grass – We touched on this a little earlier. This is a 10 amp motor and while it will handle regular conditions just fine, if you run it through an area of long, thick grass, expect it to bog down. The same thing with weeds – quite a few consumers said it just doesn’t have the power to deal with them.
- Doesn’t Come with Extension Cord – You might already have an appropriate extension cord. But if you don’t, you’ll have to buy one in addition to the mower. This is the case with a lot of electric mowers that we review. Companies will often do this to keep the listing price of the mower down, as they know that many consumers are initially attracted by price.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Black + Decker BEMW472BH
How does the BEMW472BH differ to the BEMW472ES model?
They are the same mower, but they have different handle designs. The Black + Decker BEMW472BH (the model we’re reviewing in this article) has the bike handle type grips, but the BEMW472ES has the “Pivot Control” handle.
Do you have to bag the clippings?
Yes. It’s recommended that you use the B + D BEMW472ES with the grass catcher attached. It doesn’t have the ability to mulch your clippings.
What material is the grass catcher made out of?
It’s a cloth grass bag.
Does it have a self-propel feature?
No. This is a push mower, so you have to move it around your yard using your own force.
What warranty does it come with?
This mower has a 2-year limited warranty that protects you against any defects in material or workmanship.
The Bottom Line
It's time to sum things up and bring our Black + Decker BEMW472BH review to a close. Here are a few final thoughts on who should and shouldn't purchase this mower.
Ideal Match
Leave It on the Shelf
Black + Decker BEMW472BH Review Conclusion:
The Black + Decker BEMW472BH more or less does the job it was intended for. It takes care of basic lawn maintenance and comes with a few nice features, such as the rather innovative bike style handles. The issues with the grass catcher are a concern though and prevent us from recommending this mower as much as other models in this category.
Our Rating
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