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- height adjustment - design flawive been looking at electric mowers for a long time and it seemed the black and decker had everything i wanted so i finally took the plunge and gave away my gas mower that was in perfect condition to someone who really needed one. first impressions: the mower lived up to my expectations. the manual did state that taller grass will require you to make multiple passes so i took it slow. when getting into some tall stuff the mower sounds like its under load but it does continue to deliver. height adjustment seemed to be easy as pie and was actually set at the proper height out of the box. the battery lasts as long as i need it too - i would have to refill my gas mower half way through so thats a bonus. the manual also states there is no maintenance (i kept reading to find the small print) which is true and can be kept in sparkling shape by wiping it down which i typically do once a month. the down side: after a month the height adjustment broke leaving the back wheels all the way down and the front wheels all the way up. now i would hope something that costs this much wouldnt break on the 4th use. with it being a new product i figured i better call it in and not tamper with the mower. so i went to find all the needed info and found there isnt a serial number on them. i called black and decker who also only operate on normal business hours and definitely not on sunday when something would most likely go wrong. i sent a support email which went unanswered for two days and called back. i was told to call 2 places and verify with them to make sure they did "warranty work" and to call back if they didnt each time (something i definitely shouldnt need to do). before calling the second repair shop i asked what would happen if the 2 places within 300 miles couldnt do it and they gave no answer. none of these places could supply a schematic for the mower and all asked me to fix it myself. the second place agreed to pay shipping both ways since i was dumped off by poor support and even let me speak with one of their techs. when i got home i checked the mower and the spring was in place and it appears that the mower has a major design flaw as the height adjustment bar is only held to two wheels but a single press washer on each end (i was missing the back one and its directly behind the back wheel which is also held on with a press washer). now i would assume this problem will continue to happen. final thoughts: the mower lived up to my expectations and was a real pleasure to use that requires no maintenance and no chemicals or exhaust with plenty of battery power to run all day. sadly because of a design oversight im stuck with 3 options - ship it off for repair, fix it myself, or send the thing back because its most likely going to lose a washer once a month rendering the mower useless. this mower would definitely be a 4 or 4 1/2 had it not had this flaw and should probably be much lower as there is no documentation or support from the manufacturer. Rating: - Does the job quietly and easily.I was looking for a cordless electric mower for my new home, and this has not disappointed. I mow 1/3 or an acre with it, and it can do it on a single charge. The height is easily adjustable, it's very quiet (for a lawn mower) and there's no mess with oil/gas. The hand grips are a little uncomfortable, though (I need to wear gloves, or I get blisters due to the ridging). Also, I'm 6' tall, and it seems a little low for my height. Rating: - Absolutely no maintenance in 2 yearsI bought this mower 2 years ago and haven't spent a minute for maintenance. Pros 1. 100% dependable. Just charge and mow. 2. Very quite compared to gas mower. 3. A little contribution to enviroment. Cons 1. For a quarter acre lot I need atleast 3 charges for regular mowing, 4 for tall grass. [...] Rating: - Great product!I love my new lawn mower! It is easy to use and great for my small lawn. Rating: - Slick, but heavyI purchased my mower slightly used. I love the way it performs, especially how quiet it is. It has plenty of juice to handle my modest suburban lawn, and the mulching function is terrific-it's impossible to see the tiny shreds. Since I have photo-voltaic panels on my roof, I'm also generating the power to feed the battery pack, making the entire operation very clean and resource stingy. I have two small gripes, one of which I've heard from others: the machine is very heavy, and the fold-up handle mechanism is not nearly as sophisticated as the blade adjustment feature, which is a marvel of engineering. At least my lot is quite flat so there are no hills I have to push it up. However, I do have to fold the handle over to store the mower, and loosening the knobs each time is a bit of a hassle. I have a gardener who helps at my place, but I'm still enjoying the mower so much I won't let him use it!
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