Electric Lawn Mowers

Cordless electric lawn mowers

For smaller lawns of less than one third of an acre, cordless electric lawn mowers are eco-friendly and quiet, and you don't have buy gas and oil for them.

Among self-propelled cordless mowers, the highest marks clearly go to the new 36-volt Black & Decker SPCM1936 (*Est. $450), based on reviewer feedback. This 19-inch cordless mower earns top ranking in comparison tests for performance, especially with regard to its mulching and side-discharge performance. It can also bag clippings as well as most cordless mowers, and outperforms other cordless mowers, both self-propelled and push -- as well as most gas push mowers and a number of self-propelled gas mowers.

Recommended for lawns up to a third of an acre, Black & Decker SPCM1936's battery takes 12 hours to recharge completely, but recharges to 60 percent in just four hours. It also lifts out so you can swap in a freshly charged battery if desired. Cutting height adjusts from 1.5 inches up to a maximum of 3.5 inches with just one lever. You can switch among cutting modes (mulching, bagging or side-discharging) by pushing a button. Finally, the SPCM1936 cordless mower also has push-button start. The mower carries a two-year warranty, and there's lifetime coverage on its polymer deck.

Black & Decker cordless electric mower has been run through objective comparison tests, but at the time of our report, has accumulated only a handful of reviews from owners at Amazon.com -- all enthusiastic. These detailed reviews note that the slowest speed can still be too fast for some lawns, requiring a second pass at a different cutting height -- though one owner reports the speeds range nicely "from turtle to rabbit." No major drawbacks are noted, except for the relatively heavy weight (92 pounds).

As a budget push cordless mower, the 18-inch, 36-volt Black & Decker CM1836 (*Est. $320) doesn't perform as well as the self-propelled Black & Decker SPCM1936, but it weighs 30 pounds less and earns high marks for its ease of handling. The battery isn't removable, and switching among modes isn't as convenient -- but height adjustment is the same as on the more expensive mower.

Corded mowers are efficient, but only for very small lawns

The 19-inch Black & Decker MM875 (*Est. $240) earns an Energy Star rating and continues to hold top ranking in reviews of corded electric mowers. Comparison tests show that it bags and mulches clippings better than most electric mowers, though we found some owner-written reviews that say it mulches better than it bags. An optional attachment also lets you side-discharge clippings.

Other Black & Decker corded electric mowers -- as well as models by other brands -- earn mostly positive reviews from owners, but don't fare nearly as well in objective comparison tests. Despite this, you might want to consider the less expensive 18-inch Black & Decker MM1800 (*Est. $200), simply because at 42 pounds, it weighs 10 pounds less than the top-rated MM875. If your lawn has lots of obstacles, the narrower width can also be a plus.