Black and Decker CM640 16 inch Cordless Mower 40 volt Review
Until I found the best cordless electric lawn mower, I believed that cordless power tools were a good addition to any garden toolshed, but not worthy standalone devices. In my experience cordless units tend to lack the requisite power and distance to replace traditional large and noisy gas mowers. However, this Black Decker CM1640, 16 inch, cordless mower is an excellent standalone mower. With two 40V MAX Li-ion batteries, you get a total charge of around 30 minutes and the 16 inch deck, full body polycarbonate construction makes it extremely light and easy to maneuver. In other words, this cordless mower is probably the lightest that you will come across. Did you know that the batteries in this mower are interchangeable with any other cordless Black Decker garden tool?
Features:
Black and Decker 40V MAX Lithium 20 In. Mower (CM2040) Review
I’ve been working with computers for ages, starting with a multi-year stint in purchasing for a major IBM reseller in New York City before eventually landing at PCMag (back when it was still in print as PC Magazine). I spent more than 14 years on staff, most recently as the director of operations for PC Labs, before hitting the freelance circuit as a contributing editor.
Pros
Cordless electric lawn mowers offer a clean, quiet way to keep your lawn looking its best, but not all models are created equal. The 399.99 Black and Decker 40V MAX Lithium 20 In. Mower (CM2040) is a relatively affordable cordless mower that delivers enough power for small lawns of medium thickness, but it may not be the best choice for homeowners with big, thick yards. The CM2040 uses a 40-volt Lithium battery and is much lighter than a typical gas-powered mower, but the battery only gives you around 30 minutes of cutting time, and it takes hours to regain a full charge. On the plus side, the mower comes with two batteries. If you need more power with shorter charging times the EGO Power Mower (LM2001) (349.99 at Amazon) (Opens in a new window) is our Editors’ Choice.
Design and Features With its orange housing, black 20-inch cutting deck, and streamlined dimensions, the CM2040 (381.38 at Home Depot) (Opens in a new window) isn’t quite as eye-catching as the EGO Power LM2011, but it’s still a sharp-looking mower. At 43.5 pounds it’s around 13 pounds lighter than the EGO LM2001, and around 50 pounds lighter than most 20-inch gas-powered mowers.
The CM2040’s variable-speed electric motor uses Black and Decker’s AutoSense Technology to change speeds depending on grass thickness. It’s powered by a 40-volt Lithium battery rated for 2.5Ah (Amp hours). The battery measures 2.5 by 3.0 by 5.0 inches (HWD), weighs 1.6 pounds, and can be used with other Black and Decker cordless lawn and garden tools. Pressing a button at the top of the battery shows how much charge it is currently holding (25, 50, 75, or 100 percent). The mower comes with two batteries, a charger, and a three-year warranty (the EGO LM2001, by comparison, comes with a five-year warranty).
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In the center of the mower is a battery compartment shielded by a black cover, and behind that is a smaller, covered storage compartment that holds the second battery (you need to swap the second battery in when the first one dies). The handle has four quick release levers that allow you to fold it down to save space while in storage. It also has a removable safety key, a push-button starter, and a bail handle that shuts down the motor when released. To start the mower, simply press the button and pull back the bail handle. A height adjustment handle allows you to choose one of six settings ranging from 1.5 to 4 inches. There’s a side discharge chute for use with an included mulching attachment, and a rear chute that uses a 15-gallon clippings bag (also included).
Performance The CM2040 had no trouble handling my backyard lawn, which is fairly new and had grown to around three inches. It also handled my front lawn, which is moderately thick and around two inches in height, with relative ease. However, when I used it on my neighbor’s Zoysia grass lawn, which is very thick and straw-like, it seemed to struggle and stalled several times. This also happened with the EGO Power LM2001, but not as often. Additionally, the CM2040 left a fair amount of clippings on the ground while cutting the thicker lawn. That said, it was a bit quieter than the LM2001, and its lightweight frame made it easy to maneuver.
The batteries are rated for 30 minutes of power each, and that’s pretty much what I got out of them before having to recharge. One of my biggest gripes with this mower has to do with the charger; it takes two hours to recharge a completely drained battery. The LM2001 charger gets you back up to a full charge in around 30 minutes.
Conclusion If you’re a fan of electric lawn mowers but want to cut the cord, the Black and Decker 40V MAX Lithium 20 In. Mower (CM2040) is a solid choice. It’s quiet, lightweight, and powerful enough to handle most small lawns, but it struggles with the thick stuff. Although it comes with two batteries you’ll only get around half an hour of charge from each, and recharging takes quite a while. If battery life and charging time is a deal breaker, check out the EGO Power Mower LM2001, our Editors’ Choice. It costs 100 more than the CM2040 and only comes with one battery, but it’s a big 56-volt battery that provides 45 minutes of cutting time and even more cutting power. And if you just want to sit back and watch your lawn get mowed for you, the Robomow RS622 (450,799.00 at Robomow) (Opens in a new window) robotic mower will get the job done and automatically recharges itself, but it carries a hefty 450,600 price tag.
Black and Decker Battery Lawn Mower Review CM2060C
We like this model for budget-conscious homeowners with lots up to 1/2 an acre (including the house, driveway, and landscaping) looking for a lightweight battery-powered lawn mower.
60V Black and Decker Battery Lawn Mower Shows Significant Improvement Over 40V Predecessor
When we tested 24 different mower models to see how the gas and battery-powered sectors of the market currently stand, we looked at a landscape that covers commercial durability and power all the way to DIY capability and affordability. Perennially popular as an entry-level option, Black and Decker entered their 60V cordless mower, and we were excited to see how this reasonably priced model stacked up against other cordless models in our push mower division.
Pros
- Lightweight option
- Easy, single-point cut height adjustment
- 2 batteries onboard with switch
- Visual LED battery charge indicator
- Excellent value score
Shootout Results
How well you like this Black and Decker battery lawn mower definitely comes down to your perspective. If you’re coming from corded electric mowers, you’ll really enjoy the convenience of using batteries and there’s comparable power, perhaps even a bit more. On the other hand, if you’re coming from gas mowers, you’ll notice the difference in power immediately.
We like this model for budget-conscious homeowners with lots up to 1/2 an acre (including the house, driveway, and landscaping) looking for a lightweight battery-powered lawn mower.
Battery-Powered Push Mower Ranking: 5th Place
Cutting Performance
Want the low-down on how we tested? Check out our cordless mower shootout!
Power Source
Before we jump into the performance testing, I want to hit on Black and Decker’s power source for a minute. They’re going with a 60V max battery system and that seems to be the sweet spot for battery-powered OPE. It seems to have more muscle than 36V/40V max and moving beyond it can have diminishing returns.
Cutting Power
Check the no-load speed as a baseline to start from, Black and Decker’s blades move at a class-leading 2937 RPM. However, its actual tip speed of 165.9 MPH was only the 3rd fastest since a couple of competitors use larger blades than this model’s 19″.
No-load speed provides a good baseline for measuring performance, but it doesn’t tell us what to expect when we actually put the mower into grass. We measured the Black and Decker battery lawn mower under a maintenance-sized load, simulating the light pressure of a regular weekly cut.
Its brushed motor dropped the blade to 2493 RPM and the blade tips to 140.8 MPH; 4th place out of the 5 push mowers.
When you apply a heavier load – like when you’re mowing thicker, more overgrown grass – most brushless motors use their electronics to tell the system to increase power. While not all brushed motor options do this, Black and Decker includes electronic communication and we saw an increase of 5.8 MPH with the heavier load.
We really like to see blade RPMs stay around 3000 (~160 – 190 MPH) to cover the most cutting conditions. While this Black and Decker battery lawn mower doesn’t reach that high, it’s cutting power is absolutely adequate for regular maintenance cuts. If you’re currently using a corded electric mower, this is an easy upgrade to cordless cutting.
Cutting Area
The Black and Decker CM2060C cuts with a 19″ blade, which is the smaller side of average for a push mower (most are 18″ – 21″). However, the difference in cutting area between this and the slightly larger 20″ is only about 5% gain.
During a normal maintenance cut, we were able to get a 31-minute runtime out of 1 battery. Walking at a consistent 2.5 MPH, that’s 10,798 square feet of mowing, or about a 1/4 acre. Assuming that your lawn stays consistent and manageable (your runtime and area will drop significantly under heavier loads), you can double that total when using both kitted batteries.
Interested in battery efficiency? At 60V and 2.5 Ah, you’re looking at 135 watt-hours per battery. If you can cut 10,798 square feet per battery, this breaks down to 80 sq. ft. per watt-hour. In terms of efficiency, this was our third-best performer, bested by the Makita and the Worx models.
Black and Decker recommends this mower for properties up to 1/3 of an acre. We’re a bit more generous and think you can cover 1/2 and acre, assuming you have a house, driveway, and landscaping on your lot.
Noise Level
The Black and Decker battery lawn mower was one of the noisier cordless models. We measured it producing a no-load sound pressure level of 84 dB(A). While that’s the loudest of the battery push mowers we tested, let’s keep it in perspective. Our quietest and most expensive gas mower hit 86 dB(A) and most of the gas models were 90 decibels or more.
PowerSwap Battery Switching
The 60V Black and Decker battery lawn mower comes with two 2.5Ah batteries in its kit, both of which fit into the mower when it’s go time. The mower doesn’t actually run itself on both batteries at once, but depletes one at a time. You’ll be able to see your battery charge levels clearly on the back of the motor base.
When the first battery drains, you don’t need to swap batteries out from one bay to the other, you simply press the PowerSwap button. The mower will start drawing power from the other battery, and you continue on without having to slow down.
It’s more convenient to have a mower that automatically switches. That said, this is a very convenient feature and one you don’t normally find on other battery-powered lawn mowers in this price range.
Deck Material
Black and Decker opts for a plastic deck for this mower. It’s both a pro and a con. The downside is that’s it won’t hold up as long as steel. However, plastic is a lot lighter, and for a push mower model, the lighter weight might make for a more advantageous setup. In fact, the mower is well under 50 pounds without batteries and just over it with both in place.
Height Adjustment and Range
The Black and Decker cordless lawn mower takes it easy on you when it comes to adjusting the cut height. It features a single-point height adjustment that is really simple to use one-handed. It has 7 height levels to choose from, all between 1.25″ to 4″.
Handle Positions
The Black and Decker battery lawn mower gives you two handle positions to choose from, and it even folds over for compact. It’s all incredibly easy to adjust. The difference between “compact storage” and “vertical storage” is hardware that stabilizes the mower if you stand it up against a wall.
If you’re enterprising, there are ways to lifehack your way to vertical storage on this model. In its unmodified form, folding the handle forward is as good as it gets.
Discharge Options
Black and Decker includes everything you need for mulching, bagging, and side discharge. It doesn’t have the cut quality that higher-end mowers have. Part of that boils down to its lower blade speeds that result in a lower vacuum effect on the grass. Still, it gets the job done.
Value
This probably comes as no surprise to anyone familar with the brand these days, but the 60V Black and Decker cordless lawn mower did really well in the Value portion of our shootout. The kit, which comes with two 60V 2.5Ah batteries, a charger, and a 3-year warranty, has a retail price of 399.
This performance in the value category was bested only by the Worx 40V mower, which has a similar warranty, but comes in around 50 cheaper.
Black and Decker’s 60V PowerSwap line is pretty limited right now, though it does cover the basics. Along with this lawn mower, there’s a blower, hedge trimmer, and string trimmer. While you have what you need to keep the lawn in shape, if you’re hoping for an edger, pole saw, chainsaw, or other lawn care tools, you’ll need to look at other brands.
As the mowing season comes to an end, there are some pretty smoking deals on self-propelled models right around, and even under, the same price. So do yourself and favor a do a little shopping around. You might even find this one on sale before too long.
The Bottom Line
How well you like this Black and Decker battery lawn mower definitely comes down to your perspective. If you’re coming from corded electric mowers, you’ll really enjoy the convenience of using batteries and there’s comparable power, perhaps even a bit more. On the other hand, if you’re coming from gas mowers, you’ll notice the difference in power immediately.
We like this model for budget-conscious homeowners with lots up to 1/2 an acre (including the house, driveway, and landscaping) looking for a lightweight battery-powered lawn mower.
Black and Decker Cordless Mower
Black and Decker 60V POWERSWAP 20 in Cordless Mower CM2060C
Manufacturer: Black and Decker Model number: CM2060C Price: 339.00 Power source: 60 Voly Weight: 47.6 lbs
We recently had the opportunity to run the Black and Decker 60V POWERSWAP 20 in Cordless Mower through the paces.
First Impression
My first impression was how light this mower was, it weights 47.6 lbs. Its lightweight also made this mower a breeze to maneuver. The second thing I noticed was how well this mower cut. The quality of the cut was excellent. In fact of the 12 mowers, we tested it came in third place for quality of cut.
If you’d like to see how we reviewed these 12 mowers check out our Best Cordless Lawn Mower Head-to-Head test.
Features
The Black and Decker mower has what’s called a POWERSWAP feature. This feature lets you quickly Swap Batteries with the Push of a Button.
Power and Runtime
The mower is powered by two 2.5 Ah – 60V Lithium batteries which give you a respectable runtime. This mower was able to cut 18,383 sq. feet of grass which equates to 2 miles. The mower has advanced electronics that will lower the rpm of the motor to conserve energy when not needed. A battery gauge indicator shows remaining battery power at all times
Black and Decker recommend this mower for properties up to 1/3 acre.
Bagging and Mulching
This Black and Decker Cordless Mower lets you choose how you want to treat your grass by allowing three methods of Cutting and collecting:
Setting the height of cut is easy and the Black and Decker Mower has 6-settings from:
Storage
The Black and Decker Cordless Mower handles have two clams that engage to fold the handles for storage. The handles easily fold for compact storage and can store horizontally or vertically. Its light enough to hang on a wall.
Cost
The Black and Decker Cordless Mower costs 339.00 and comes with a charger and two batteries. In our evaluation of the 12 mowers, this mower came in third for cost and tied for 4 th best mower.
Final Thoughts
The Black and Decker mower is perfect for small-sized yards. PLUS you can enjoy Today’s lack of noise, smell, and maintenance issues that are the hallmarks of gas mower ownership.