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Black and Decker Lawn Hog 12 Amp 19-Inch Electric Mulching Mower with Rear Bag #MM875
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Tools & Hardware > Black And Decker > Item 15
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Black and Decker Lawn Hog 12 Amp 19-Inch Electric Mulching Mower with Rear Bag #MM875
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by Black & Decker
Sales Rank: 57
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List Price: $299.99
$239.99
At Amazon
on 7-28-2008.
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Features
19-inch electric mowing mulcher with rear bag; mulch, side-discharge, and rear-bag options
12 amp motor; one-touch deck adjustment offers 1-1/4 to 3-1/2-inch clearance 7 steps
Cutting deck made of super-tough polymer
No assembly required; rear bag and mulching insert included; chute for side discharging sold separately
36 by 22.5 by 17.6 inches; 61 pounds; lifetime guarantee on mower deck; 2-year guarantee on mower
Amazon.com Buying Guide
Five Tips for Buying a Mower
Choosing a lawn mower is a matter of sifting through a bewildering array of types, power ratings, and fuel sources. Lets break it down a little to make the process easier.
What types of walk-behind mowers are there?
There are four basic choices: push reel, electric, cordless, and gas. All have strengths and weaknesses.
- Push reel mowers are powered by you. Theyre quiet, they dont need cords or recharging, and they dont pollute. But on large lawns, you might not want the workout you get when using a push reel mower. They also tend to be less effective on grass taller than two inches.
- Electric mowers need to be plugged into an outlet to power them, which means youre constrained by the location of power outlets, the length of your power cord, and any obstacles that may snag the cord. If you have a small yard but dont want the forced exercise of using a push reel mower, an electric mower may be for you.
- Cordless mowers are powered by a rechargeable battery. You dont have to deal with the hassles of keeping a cord plugged in, but battery life becomes a constraint. Depending on the battery capacity, the size of your yard, and the height of your grass, you may not be able to complete your mowing job on one charge.
- Gas mowers offer the most power, which is best if youll be mowing tall, dense grass or if your yard is larger than 2,000 square feet. But you will have to keep gas and oil on hand as well as keep the engine serviced.
What do all the power measurements mean?
All that matters to you is whether the lawn mowers blade will spin fast enough to cut your grass. Unfortunately, mowers are rated in far more technical terms.
For gas mowers, there are three power measurements you may see:- horsepower (hp) refers to the amount of power the engine can produce;
- torque is the amount of horsepower that is transferred to the blade;
- cc (cubic centimeters) is another to measure an engines power based on the displacement volume of its cylinders.
There also are two types of engines: two-stroke (also referred to as two-cycle) and four-stroke (or four-cycle). Conventional wisdom is that two-stroke engines offer more power but also more pollution.
For electric and cordless mowers, power often is measured in volts, amps, or watts. To satisfy your inner techie, heres how to calculate the horsepower: 7. Multiply the volts by the amps to get the wattage.
8. Divide the wattage by 746 to get the horsepower.
More horsepower doesnt always mean more cutting power. Thats why, starting in 2007, most lawnmower manufacturers began rating walk-behind lawn mowers in torque power or ccs--not horsepower. If torque isnt available for a gas mower, higher cc figures usually mean higher torque (and more fuel used per stroke, incidentally).
However, you dont want to buy a mower based on the power measurement alone. Make sure it has the features, warranty, and quality of reviews youre seeking.
What features should I look for?
- Cutting Deck
This refers to the blade housing. The wider the cutting deck, the fewer passes it will take to mow a given area. However, consider how many obstacles there are in your yard. The wider the deck, the tougher it may be to fit the mower into tight spaces.
- Mulching and Bagging
Want to collect your clippings? Choose a mower with a rear- or side-bag option. Want to leave clippings on the lawn as fertilizer? Get a mower that mulches. A "3-in-1" mower will mulch, bag, or side-discharge.
- Wheels
Larger wheels mean easier handling, especially over rough terrain. If you can, go with at least 7-inch-diameter wheels in the rear--larger if your yard is hilly or uneven. Some higher-end mowers have front wheels on casters, which gives you an extremely tight turning radius.
- Height Adjustment
Most mowers allow you to adjust the distance between the blade and the ground. Think about how much range you really need.
- Safety
Many newer rotary machines are available with a lever or bar that must be depressed to keep the mower running (some models include a handy blade-brake that lets you release the lever without killing the engine).
Also, look for models with a rubber flap at the back to block objects thrown from the blades. You should always wear safety goggles when mowing and follow all the manufacturers safety instructions regardless of the mower youre using.
- Batteries
If youre buying a cordless mower, think about how long it will run on a single charge. Most batteries take several hours to recharge, so you want to make sure its going to get the job done before it runs out of juice. As a rule of thumb, a typical 24-volt mower will run up to one-and-a-half hours and cut up to a third of an acre; a 36-volt mower will go for three hours and cut up to a half an acre.
- Cord holder
A cord holder is useful for keeping the cord of your electric mower out of the way when you make turns.
- Starters
Gas mowers are available either with recoil (pull-cord) or electric starters. Newer recoil motors start much quicker than those you remember from summers past. However, go with electric if you can afford it: your mower will start with the push of a button or the turn of a key.
- Self-propelled or push?
A self-propelled mower moves forward without you having to push it. All you have to do is steer. If you have a relatively flat lawn, save a few bucks by skipping this feature. However, if your landscape has a slope or an irregular contour, a self-propelled model may be the best choice. Rear-wheel drive tends to offer better traction.
- Variable Speed
If you want a self-propelled mower, look for models with variable speed. This feature allows you to make adjustments within a continuous range so you can find the exact speed thats comfortable for you.
What servicing and maintenance is necessary?
Always buy a mower that comes with a manufacturers warranty and follow the manufacturers routine maintenance instructions for- Cleaning the mower after usage;
- Keeping the blade sharp;
- Keeping the engine tuned up (gas mowers); and
- Keeping the battery charged (cordless mowers).
While Amazon.com does not accept returns on gas-powered mowers, the manufacturers Website or product manual will list the nearest service center.
What does CARB-compliant mean?
CARB is an acronym for California Air Resource Board, whose stringent air-quality standards have been adopted by many states. If your state requires compliance for gas mowers, confirm that your model is CARB-certified before you buy. While CARB-compliant mowers run cleaner than noncompliant models, they still emit pollutants. If you want to go green, an electric or push reel mower is the way to go.
Product Review
If you think electric mowers are designed for the meek, you've never tried the Black & Decker MM875 Lawn Hog. A high-efficiency 12 amp motor provides all the power you need to tackle even the toughest lawn. Best of all, you never have to hassle with oil, gas, or spark plugs again! The mower comes fully assembled in the box. No tools, no worries--you'll be up and mowing in no time. And best of all, no pull starts! Adjusting the wheel height is quick and easy thanks to a simple one-touch system that raises and lowers all four wheels to any of eight preset heights in one operation. Whether you love yard work or consider it a chore, Black & Decker's MM875 Lawn Hog will have you looking forward to your weekly appointment with the lawn. --Carl Thress
Owner Reviews, Ratings, Comments and Criticism
I purchased the Lawn Hog 12amp 19" from Amazon.com in April/2005. I have a large yard area. My front and back yards combined equal, at least, approximately 8,000sq. ft. Over the years, I have had numerous different gas mowers. My last gas mower was a Sears 6.5HP 22" Self-Propelled with a Briggs&Stratton engine. Pulling 15-20 times to start it (sometimes it took even more pulls) gets very tiring and frustrating! Don't they all claim a "3-push 1-Pull Start"? I decided to search online at Amazon.com for reviews of electric mowers. I hate having to mess with gas, oil, tune-ups, noise, shaking that made my hands numb during mowing (which I finally mitigated by wearing gel-padded cycling gloves). My grass is "tall fescue" - it grows very thick - I live in the high desert in the Antelope Valley, CA (elev. 2346 ft.). As you can probably guess, it gets quite hot here during mid-to-late summer (105-115+). Even when I start mowing early (9-11am) it is already near 100 degrees so, I searched for the most powerful electric mower I could find. I wanted to make sure my time spent under the sun would not exceed that of a gas powered unit of equal power. Just as other reviewers have stated it arrived in a big box on my front porch. Assembling the handle and attaching the bagger was a snap. It IS a two-prong input into the handle of the Lawn Hog - I already had that type of cord. I plugged it in, pulled up the orange handle up and WHAMO! It roared to power! In my opinion, this mower is comparable to a 6.5HP gas mower - others may disagree but I will tell you, this thing is POWERFUL. It cuts the grass with the cleanest cut out of any mower I have ever owned and does no damage to the lawn sprouts (as long as you do not set the height adjustment to scalp your lawn). The height adjustment is fingertip easy. TIP#1: To assure the bag fills evenly With the bag empty - cut for about 2-3 minutes, stop the mower, take off the bag, shake the accumulated contents to the rear of the bag and put the bag back on the Lawn Hog. Now you should be able to cut until the bagger reaches capacity and it will fill evenly. TIP#2 KEEPING THE CORD OUT OF THE CUTTING PATH Say, for instance, you want to mow your lawn up and down in an East-to-West pattern moving north as you mow. Uncoil your cord and accumulate it 5-10 feet away from you to the South - now, you will always be mowing and moving away from the cord location and, as long as you do not jerk a lot with your turns, the cord will not get in the way. You may also want to consider purchasing a few plastic/steel spikes and situate them at strategic points on your lawn perimeter. Place the cord appropriately behind the spikes - this will stop the cord from following you and getting in your path - it takes experimentation but eventually you will get to know the perfect points to place them allowing you to mow nearly as effortlessly as with a free reign mower. TIP#3 KEEPING THE UNDERCARRIAGE FREE OF DEBRIS BUILDUP It is important to keep the undercarriage of the mower free and clear of debris, ESPECIALLY THE BLADE - a dull blade will make a dull cut and will start damaging your grass sprouts. This will cause browning and leave the lawn shoots exposed to disease, rot, insects etc. At lawncare.scotts.com website (by the way, a WEALTH of everyday practical information is located there about everything regarding lawn care, flowers, shrubs etc.) I came across a tip that suggested: COATING THE BOTTOM OF YOUR MOWER WITH A NON-STICK SPRAY - they suggested any Non-Stick Oven/Pan Food spray would do. I purchased a can of PAM spray. The next time I cut the lawn, I first cleaned the undercarriage as well as I could by scraping it with a 3-inch plastic paint scraper. I was careful not to push on the blade too much for fear of throwing it out of balance. I then turned the Lawn Hog upside down and leaned it up against my garage wall (can't do this with a gas mower, can ya?!) and sprayed the inside with a thin coating of PAM (including the blade). I set the Lawn Hog down, right side up, and waited about 5 minutes to allow the spray to adhere. (The undercarriage of the Lawn Hog, which houses the blade, is plastic so be careful if you use any metallic scraping tools - you can easily put gouge marks into the undercarriage causing even worse accumulation of dirt, grass, unbalancing the blade etc. making it harder to clean up). I then cut my entire lawn. When I was done, I propped the Lawn Hog up against my fence and was happy to find minimal grass/dirt accumulation. I got busy with my 3-inch plastic paint scraper and the scrapings came off with nominal effort. Even the residue on the blade came off easily. THIS REALLY WORKS and it is relatively inexpensive too! NOTE: SPRAY COAT THE BOTTOM BEFORE YOUR FIRST USE! It will make subsequent cleaning a breeze (I wish I had read about this tip before my first mow). The Lawn Hog is very light and easy to push. As the bag accumulates, it takes a tiny bit more effort to push, but for me, it is negligible. I used the Lawn Hog from April to June when I decided that a riding mower might prove better in reducing my physical exertion. I purchased a Sears 13.5HP Riding mower. All the headaches associated with gas, oil etc. started coming back to haunt me but I figured I owed it to myself to try. The first mow was a breeze. The next week I went out to start it and it was dead. I waited two weeks for replacement parts. After repairs, during which time I used the dependable Lawn Hog, the Riding mower ran fine but then, one of the front tires went flat and would not reseat itself properly. Another repair call, another delay. I noticed that no matter how I used the 6-position height adjustments the riding mower sometimes scalped areas of my grass and sometimes left other areas too long in length. I then attempted to change the riding mowers oil - WHAT A MISTAKE! The oil outlet valve did not protrude past the side edge of the riding mower and the oil spilled all over my garage floor and the mower housing itself. I decided, "THAT'S IT"! I returned it to Sears. I am now happily mowing my lawn with the Lawn Hog and I cannot even imagine, in my wildest dreams, ever going back to an environmentally insane, stinky, oily, noisy, shaking gas mower of any kind. By the way, the mulching function works fantastic and I now mulch much more than I bag, just remember to keep the blade clean. I AM VERY HAPPY AND PLEASED WITH THIS MOWER. I hope this has helped.
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Black and Decker Lawn Hog 12 Amp 19-Inch Electric Mulching Mower with Rear Bag #MM875
Available from Amazon
Price: $239.99
Updated on 7-28-2008.
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