BLACK+DECKER Electric Lawn Mower, 13-Amp, Corded (BEMW213)

PROS: The large rear wheel makes the mower easier to push and maneuver than the smaller B&D electric mulcher I owned previously. The mower’s weight is balanced so it doesn’t require much force on the handle to raise the front and turn the mower. The winged cutting blade lifts grass well to cut it, produces an even cut on my yard with multiple grass types; something my mulching mower wouldn’t do, which is why I bought the BEMW213. The plastic body makes the mower light enough to handle easily; my previous B&D mower has a plastic body which is still strong and looks good after 8 years. CONS: The bail (on/off) handle requires constant, firm grip to keep the motor running; it sometimes shuts off unexpectedly. The power cord retainer on the on/off switch box is too small to hold a 12-ga cord recommended for 100 ft length; had to improvise. The side discharge chute falls off if bumped; a nuisance. The owner’s manual needs to be updated. Despite these quirks, I’m pleased with the mower’s performance.

This is the third generation of Black & Decker corded mowers that I have used. Love them all.

I’ve been a home owner for a few years now and I’ve gone through a few electrical weed whackers and mowers. I’ve had corded and I’ve also had battery operated ones. Out of them all, I’ve had the best luck with corded mowers and weed whackers. Out of those, I’ve had the best luck with Black+Decker. The corded devices delivered more consistent power when compared to battery operated ones. The cords were annoying until you got used to them and I’ve found that starting on the yard that’s closest to the the power outlet worked the best. As you move further away from the outlet and the cord “spools” out, it doesn’t tend to be in the way as much. I occasionally have to move the cord out of the way, but it’s not that bad. Also, when I’m mowing or weed whacking, I find that using a steady and “easy” motion the best. ie. Not faster than a slow walk. For the mowers, going down a line and then backing the mower up along it’s path worked the best. Kind of like when you use a vacuum cleaner. You’ll get the cleanest cutting path and will be less likely to have rough patches.
My yard is a hodge podge of different types of grass from years of me experimenting to see which types of grass I liked better, weeds that grew in between and into the different patches, and finally from me giving up on trying to find the “perfect” type of grass to have. So it’s quite “cosmopolitan” if you get my meaning. So all the mowers and whackers I’ve used over the years have gotten quite a workout.

Having said all that, here is my review on this mower.

Pros – Love the power and compactness of it. The design of the blade is a joy and I like how it whips up the grass/weeds into itself for a more even cut. The power of the motor is very much in evidence. My last mower was the smaller version. It had a less powerful motor and smaller AoE. Folded up, this new mower folded up smaller than my older mower!

Cons – The mower is light. I’d have to say too light even. Some types of grass are very compact and can hold up quite a bit of weight. My last mower I ended up having to put about 30lbs of weights onto it to help make sure it sank down far enough so that it could get a good cut on some of the more dense patches of grass I have like emerald zoysia. Sadly, that led to “bad” spots on those patches that took time to grow over. Once it greened over and I got it used to being that short, everything was fine as long as I maintained my regularly scheduled mowing.
The blade isn’t replaceable? This one I’m not 100% sure on as I thought I remembered seeing a posting saying that it wasn’t? I don’t recall seeing a replacement blade for sale anywhere though when I looked. I like to have a few replacement parts on hand for stuff that I think might need it down the line. Like the blade itself.
The mower is not really “to the edge”. The wheel base is wide. It almost looks like a go-cart. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it’s actually a better idea to use an edger to get tight spots and the edges of the yard. Some folks might be disappointed though that the mower can’t cut all the way to the edge of their yards.

Suggestions – Either make the mower heavier and/or make the wheels have a smaller “profile”. Almost the entire body of the mower is a hard plastic. Makes it light as heck, but is actually bad for denser grasses. The mower “rides” on top of the grass instead of sinking down far enough to get a good cut. If the body was heavier that’d help. The wheels are a little wide and also made of plastic (again, super light). If the wheels had a smaller profile, they’d sink into denser grass more. Maybe a combination of the two would work best?
Also, I recall a comment made that this mower doesn’t roll well across mud because it’s so light? I’d like to kindly remind that soul that, after all is said and done, it’s a corded electrical device!!! What the heck are you doing trying to use a corded electrical device in mud!!! Let me guess, you’re also the type of person that thinks it’s ok to use a hair dryer while in the bath/shower?!?

Not a power house but a light ,easy to push grass mower.grass bag easy to get off and on. Had my 14 yr old son mow the lawn .no problem except you have to watch cord . If the could get a retractable cord on it might be perfect