Don't know why I waited so long to get one of these
Pros:
No gas/oil, no cord, plastic deck = no rust, decent power.
Cons:
Heavy, old-school lead-acid batteries.
The Bottom Line:
If you're satisfied with corded electric performance and are considering cordless, don't wait, buy it!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I have been waiting for cordless mowers with better batteries (Firefly batteries, lithium ion, etc.) to come out but it seems like they never release anything even though the technology continues to be "1-2 years out". Better batteries would allow more powerful mowers, longer runtime, and longer battery replacement intervals. I have been frustrated by dragging around an extension cord with my corded B&D unit and didn't want to switch to gas... I dealt with that for 4 years, and now I realize there was no good reason to wait.
I finally bought a CMM1200 and I actually am satisfied with the power level it provides (it seems just about as powerful as the corded unit - at least while the batteries are new). The only real differences I notice are that it is a lot more convenient not having a cord, and it is heavier by a healthy margin... you do notice it pushing around the yard (even on flat ground) but it's not overly laborious (definitely not as much work as a manual reel mower).
Other than the excess weight and ancient battery tech issue, the only other thing I would want in a mower like this is some sort of throttle lever (more precisely: a lever that lets you select a balance between maximum runtime and maximum power).
For reference, my lawn is small, about 1500 sq ft, and this mower has PLENTY of runtime to handle it. For those of you with 1/2+ acres of grass, why would you even consider using a push mower for a lawn that big (let alone a battery powered unit), get a tractor!