The Black and Decker CM1640 is a sturdy looking electric cordless lawnmower. The lightweight mower is environment-friendly and can be your ideal mowing companion. It is powerful enough to do your mowing jobs with ease and is best suited for small yards up to 1/8th acre in size.
Black and Decker CM1640 Review
Design
This sturdy looking cordless electric lawn mower has the typical black and orange color scheme that is almost a trademark of the Black and Decker models.
The lightweight lawnmower weighs around 38lbs and is one of the most lightweight mowers available. The mower is compact and measures 21”x30”x18”.
The Black and Decker CM1640 has a 16” wide compact deck. There is a deck height adjustment lever on the left side of the deck. It can be set to six different positions between 1-1/10” and 3-1/10”.
The lawnmower unit comes with two rechargeable LBXR 2040 batteries and a fast charger that charges most Black and Decker Lithium-ion batteries.
The battery indicator will tell you the exact amount of charge remaining and indicates when the batteries need to be charged again.
It has a height-adjustable ergonomic handle. The controls on the handle can be collapsed on the deck for easy storage. There is also an easy carry-on handle on the top of the deck.
It has large plastic rear wheels and slightly smaller ones in the front. There is a large 9.5 gallons grass collection bag with a soft fabric and a hardtop for easy viewing.
The Black and Decker CM1640 comes with a two-year warranty from the manufacturer.
Ease of Use And Performance
The maneuverability of the Black and Decker CM1640 is brought about by the ergonomically designed handle and the wheels. The wheels are made of plastic but they do not pose a problem even while navigating the lawnmower through thick and tough grass.
The ergonomically designed handle provides the utmost comfort and takes off any strain from the muscles. The height of this handle is adjustable and can be fixed by the height and the convenience of the operator.
When not in use the handle can be folded and easily collapses on the deck for a compact storage. The additional carry-on handle on the top of the deck allows you to lift this lightweight lawnmower and carry it down for storage. This aids in the easy transport of the mower.
The start button or the starter kit along with the key insertion space is located on the handle. The key insert acts as a safety measure and you will not be able to start the otherwise cordless mower without the key, hence eliminating any risk of accidental starting of the engine.
The lawnmower can be easily started by inserting the key, pressing the start button and engaging the handlebar situated in the front of the handle.
The Black and Decker CM1640 is powered by a 40V max lithium-ion battery. Lithium-ion batteries are lighter and can pack in more charge in a smaller compact space, have no residual memory and charge faster.
The unit comes with two rechargeable batteries. The 2Ah battery pack provides 30% more charge than standard LBXR36.
Each battery has a power gauge that indicates how much power is still there in the battery and if it needs immediate charging.
The batteries can be removed easily from the mower unit and charged elsewhere using the fast charger that comes along with the unit. The fast charger is capable of charging a fully drained battery in two hours.
The charger has an automatic Hot/Cold delay that suspends the charging if the battery is too hot and aids in enhancing the battery life. Each battery gives you a mowing time of thirty minutes. The two batteries give you the advantage of cutting with one while the other is being charged.
The 16” cutting deck is compact enough for small-sized yards and you can easily whiz past your flowering beds or narrow spaces with ease.
The height of the deck can be easily adjusted with the help of a single lever that allows you to set the height at six different positions between 1-1/10” and 3-1/10”.
The Black and Decker CM1640 comes with an Auto Sense technology that senses the thickness of the grass and draws in power in accordance with that so that no extra power is wasted and hence conserves energy and increases the battery life. It also extends the run time of the batteries.
The grass clippings that are so easily and precisely cut by the blade in the cutting deck are collected in a 9.5-gallon grass collection box. The box may not be large but is large enough to suffice small-sized yards.
There is an indicator that raises when the bag is empty and closes when the bag is full due to restricted airflow. The bag can be easily removed from the mower unit and emptied. The mower does not offer any other clippings management options viz. Mulching and side discharge.