Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

****Added June 15, 2014**** I have removed 2 stars today due to my battery lasting just over 3 years. I no longer believe this model is a good option to buy, based on the cost of a battery (batteries, see the June 15 2014 addendum at the bottom) assuming replacements every 3 years. My mower is always plugged into the charger when not in use, as instructed in the owners manual. I can only assume that my battery life is representative of this model. Pros: Lightweight and ergonomiclly designed. Quiet and extremely easy to use. The highth adjustment is rediculously easy to use as is the self propelled function. Easy to clean and cuts a standard lawn well. Mulches, bags, and rear discharges equally well. Cons: Lacking in brute power. The self propulsion doesn't go slow enough for certain circumstances and it lags a bit. It takes a few seconds to get up to full speed. The safety button that allows you to engage the cutting function isn't easy to find without looking for it. It could use being raised slightly or textured to be found by feel. The cutting function bale has a very light spring and the blade can stay cutting once you let go. The charging port is in an akward area to use and you must bend over to insert the charging cord. While these are concerns, there is nothing glaringly bad about the mower. The mower comes almost completely built and 5 minutes is all that's needed to unpack the mower from the box, assemble it, and plug it in. My battery was also almost completely charged and was showing a green light (Ready for use) in about 8 minutes of charging. My first use was after a brutal rain storm. I had given the lawn about 6 hours to dry out and it had been growing for 2 weeks. It was 6 inches high in several patches and the grass was very wet. I was curious as to how well the mower would cut though. I was, in a word, impressed. The mower cuts quietly and rolls easily along with either the power propulsion or just a push. I ran into the taller sections where I had to back up and go over the same area twice but that was to be expected, even with a gas mower. It would have helped had I raised the mower to it's full highth but I kept it at level 3 (Out of 7, 7 being the highest). I was bagging here and the mower picked up all of the trimmings. I was able to finish my larger than standard tract home lawn in one charge, even with the wet grass. The mower bogs down just like a gas mower will however it will bog easier. I was cutting bermuda grass/clover. My second use was today, 6 days later and the lawn was still in good shape from the last mowing. Plus, it was much drier. I started out bagging and this time, the mower breezed through everything with no problems. I was able to mow with one pass over everything and the motor barely struggled through the highest areas. Halfway through, I emptied the bag and switched to the mulch function (Just the turn of a nob). The mower functioned better than I expected, leaving no clumps of clippings yet not bogging down either. I finally went after some foot tall weeds with the rear discharge function. The motor, as expected, bogged down and I had to back off and make several passes to get a clean cut. I ended up with a cleanly mowed area with clumps of clippings, expected with such tall weeds. I noticed several things: The charging connectors, while fragile looking, are actually quite stout. I use these same connectors in an industrial application and have no worries about them. I don't expect them to fail for a very long time, if ever. The mower can be hard to turn or pull back unless you push the mower forward several inches to allow the self propulsion to dissengage. Once dissengaged, the mower is easy to manuver and actually, lighter than my old snapper. It only took me a few turns before I figured this out and now, it's easy to release the self propulsion bale and let the mower travel several inches before trying to turn or reverse. Wet soggy grass will build up on the underside of the mower and also in the discharge chute if the bag is too full for the clippings to be expelled into it. I ended up flipping the mower on its side and scraping the buildup off with a piece of scrap wood, then continuing with my mowing. You shouldn't have this problem with a properly dry lawn. Rinsing the underside of the mower before you put it away is advised because the buildup will come off much easier if it is fresh, verses dried and stuck on. In closing, I am happy with this mower and the job it has done so far on my lawn. People who have St. Augustine type lawns or larger than a normal tract home lawn will probobly be better suited with a gasoline engined mower. These battery powered mowers are getting much closer in performance to their gas engined cousins but still have a long way to go. For those that have a hard time starting a gasoline mower, who dislike the fumes and maintainance, or (like me) am interested in a newer technology, then the battery powered black and decker may be the mower for you. The only reason I felt this mower deserved 4 stars instead of 5 was the lack of power for thick st. augustine type lawns. ****One year update, March 06, 2012**** No failures to report, no strange noises or hiccups. I've sharpened the blade exactly once for the beginning of this season and the mower continues to cut as it did since day one. I have managed to wear down the battery during one cutting session. The grass had gotten extremely tall over 3 weeks last summer and as soon as I noticed the mower losing performance, I rolled it back in the garage and charged it up overnight. The next morning, I finished the lawn with no problems. It picks up the clippings very well while bagging, even when cutting mildly wet lawn. The self propulsion works as well as it ever has and I love it. I only bag now, forgoing the mulching or rear discharge for the ease of emptying the bag in my green waste trashcan. I occasionally will flip the lever to mulch, just to make sure it still works. It has gotten stiff over the year of use and could probobly use some lubricant like WD40, etc. on the hinge. I can use my hand to help the flap into place though (Carefull to disconnect the power as you must reach in near the blade). I added a braided wire lanyard as some other reviewers have posted about. The key on the end of the lanyard is convenient and I don't have to search for it. I'm still very happy with my purchase and still recommend this lawn mower to anyone looking for a mower for small to average lots. I have no regrets about buying this mower over a gasoline powered mower **** First repair, April 12, 2012*** The clip that holds the front left wheel on cracked and allowed the wheel to come off when I smacked up against a block wall. Upon further inspection, I found the clip was heavily rusted and weakened. When I am finished mowing, I flip the mower on its side and rinse off the deck which allowed water to enter the axle area. It can't readily get out so that clip sits in water and rusts. My solution is easy, just stop washing the mower. Who knows what else is rusting. Black and Decker sent me out 2 new clips at my request and my mower has been repaired and working properly for several weeks now. To install the new clip, place the wheel over the axle with the plastic wheel cap off. Place the push clip on top of the axle and a 3/4" socket over the push clip to evenly distribute the force needed to seat it. Give that socket a smack with a rubber mallet and the push clip will be fully seated. In the event that you need this part and don't want to wait for shipping, your local hardware store will carry it as it is commonly used for holding wheels onto barbeques. Just bring your old clip in to compare sizes. **** 2 year update, March 30, 2013**** Still chugging along just fine with no discernible decrease in battery life. I found that squirting some silicone spray lubricant on the hinge of the mulch/bag flap greatly decreases the strength needed to turn the selection knob. It was pretty stiff as mentioned. A quick squirt and a couple of turns back and forth of the knob and it's as easy to turn as new. I can hear a noise coming from the transmission when the self propel function is engaged. It's not a bad noise and I suspect it's just from the gears wearing in to each other and is normal. I will keep an eye on it though and update should any repairs be required. To date, the only repair was in the above paragraph. Even the blade is still original, though it has been sharpened. **** 3 year update, March 22, 2014 **** I installed a new blade this spring. I had been hand sharpening the old blade with a file and must have taken off too much metal on one side as the mower developed a slight vibration. The old blade cut just as well however the new blade brought the smoothness back to the mower. When replacing the blade, don't forget to purchase a new plastic insulator. I purchased the blade and insulator both through amazon. The insulator was available in a 3 pack which I ordered. I had to lubricate the mulch flap hinge again. This will become part of my yearly spring "tune up". The noise in the transmission is still there but hasn't gotten any worse. Self propel still works just fine. No other problems or issues to report. The mower still cuts well and the battery life shows no degradation as far as I can tell. **** Battery degradation first noticeable, June 5th 2014*** I have just started noticing the battery isn't lasting as long as it has been. I still have enough power to finish my entire lawn however the motor starts to labor noticeably sooner and the last section takes quite a bit longer to complete than it has in the past. Lawn conditions are normal. **** Battery lasts for half the yard June 15th, 2014**** The battery is actually a case that holds 3 individual sealed 12V batteries. A reasonably handy person can order just the individual batteries (Kung Long WP12-12 X3)and replace them. I ordered the batteries today for $84 delivered. They are held in with double sided tape and the wires attach with spade connectors. Just undo the 5 standard screws, finagle the batteries out, and replace with new batteries. The batteries were purchased through amazon here Kung Long WP12-12E - 12.00 Volt 12.00 AmpH SLA Replacement Battery. Mower performance is back to what it was when new. The original batteries are double sided taped together. I didn't have any double sides tape but I had a tube of exterior caulking so I just put a dollop between each battery and installed. ****4 year update April 16th 2015. The mower with the new batteries is working great. No failures to report. ****5 year update April 29th 2016. Mower working great with no failures to report.