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Black Decker EM1500 Review: 10 Amp Electric Lawn Mower

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If you're looking for an electric lawn mower, you've probably noticed that there are quite a few choices available. The Black + Decker EM1500 is one of the mowers on the market, and it's a popular corded mower that can fit nearly every homeowners budget.

Selecting the right lawn mower for you, doesn't need to be an overwhelming experience. Our review of the Black + Decker EM1500 will take you through the strengths and weakness of this mower and help you determine if it's worth a second look.


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Specifications

Technical Specifications

Model:                                 Black Decker EM1500

Motor Rating:                       120V 10 Amp (Corded Electric)

Special Functions:                 Grass catch.

Cutting Path Size:                 15 inches.

Height Range:                      1-1/10inches to 3-3/10inches.

Weight:                               31 lbs.

 

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Who has the Black Decker EM1500 Been Designed For?

Not suitable for professional use, this is a lawn mower aimed squarely at home owners who are looking for an economical mower that is lightweight and easy to use and maintain.

Being electrically powered, many of the drawbacks of a gas tool are eliminated, although, this also means that the mower can be limited in overall power.

The difference in power between this mower and a gas mower will not be a major concern for home use, and the Black Decker EM1500 will easily take care of a lawn that is up to 3,750 square feet in size.

What is the Power Source of This Electric Mower?

This electric lawn mower can be run from the mains power of your home, and has a total draw of 10 Amps.

This means that all of your home outlets should be suitable, as long as you’re not powering other large appliances from the same circuit while the mower is running.

The mower itself does not come with an extension cord, so you’ll need to buy something suitable for use on your property.

A 100ft cord will be able to provide versatility for most owners, and you’ll need a 16-gauge cord to ensure that the motor runs efficiently.

Make sure the cord is a high quality outdoor extension cord, such as this which has been rated for 10 Amp power tools.

Is it an Easy Mower to Use and Maneuver?

One of the key advantages to an electric lawn mower is that it will be lighter and easier to use than a gas model.

If this is your first lawn mower, or even if you’ve become tired of using a difficult gas mower, then you’ll find that the EM1500 is almost effortless in operation.

It weighs just 31 pounds, and weight is kept down by using plastic construction wherever possible. The plastic is of a high grade, and while it will never be as long lasting as steel, it’s appropriate for the price range and the target market for this lawn mower.

The wheels have been designed to help prevent bogging down, and provided your lawn is not heavily overgrown, you won’t have difficulty using this at home.

The functional controls are basic and intuitive, and the user manual explains all of the features of the mower.

You’ll essentially only need to attach the catch bag, plug it in, and switch it on.

Height is adjusted by a simple lever on the rear wheels, and you’ll operate the power from a convenient trigger on the handle assembly.

Credit has to be given to Black Decker for designing a lawn mower that is incredibly simple to use.

Is There Maintenance Required for the Black Decker EM1500?

Here’s where we come to some of the most important advantages with a corded electric lawn mower.

You don’t have to worry about oil or topping up gas, and you’ll always be able to run your mower as long as you have a stable power supply. The only real maintenance required is that you keep your mower clean.

Dirt and grass can build up on the underside of the mower, so make sure you always keep this clean by wiping away any debris after use (ensure the mower is not connected to a power source).

An air compressor could also be used to make cleaning fast and easy, and you could even take a look at some of our smaller air compressor reviews to find a model that would be able to clean this mower and your other outdoor appliances.

The blade can also be sharpened when it becomes dull, and you can do this easily with a fine tooth file and a vice grip. Complete sharpening instructions are included in the user manual.

What Kind of Special Features Does the Mower Have?

If you’ve been looking at some of our other reviews, such as for the Greenworks 25322 electric lawn mower, you may have seen that some mowers include mulching features for composting or for aiding in healthy lawn growth.

Unfortunately, in our Black Decker EM1500 review, we found that there are no additional features on this mower. It’s simply a good performer for cutting lawns, but doesn’t have any other tricks or special features to add value.

However, some of the basic features will be useful to most owners.

This mower is designed to achieve a close edge cut around garden planting beds, raised retaining walls or similar features, or around trees.

Other simple features like cord wrapping posts on the handle mean that it’s easy to store this mower with your extension cord of choice.

How Good is the Performance?

If you’re cutting a lawn that is below 4” in length, then you’re not going to have any trouble with the performance of the EM1500 lawn mower.

One thing that you need to keep in mind is that this mower will struggle with overgrown lawns, and can’t run in damp conditions.

If your lawn has been neglected for some time, then you’ll need to get the length down by using a weed whacker (or trimmer/edger as they are called) first.

If you are interested in getting more information, .

For normal conditions and regular mowing, it produces a sharp cut and you’ll be able to get through your yard work with little effort.

The motor produces a high amount of torque which helps to ensure that the cut is even.

You can watch this neat little lawn mower in action in the video below!

[tube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g76wbLBOnvU [/tube]

Are There Accessories Included?

As mentioned earlier in our Black Decker EM1500 review, you’ll need to supply your own extension cable to use with this mower. Aside from that, everything that you need is included in the package.

The mower, handle, and catch bag are included.

Note that the catch bag may differ from the official product image. Actual catch bag may be a mesh bag or a bag made with a plastic material, depending on availability.

Where is This Corded Electric Lawn mower Made?

Black & Decker has these lawn mowers manufactured and assembled in Indonesia, before shipping them to distributors around the world.

How Good is the Warranty and Customer Service?

The standard warranty covers two years of defects in design and construction.

This is a fairly standard warranty period but doesn’t compare to the four-year warranty that covers some of the GreenWorks models that we’ve reviewed in the past.

Customer feedback for the Black Decker support line has been negative at times, indicating long wait times and mixed responses from staff.

While this won’t be the most important consideration when buying this mower, it’s worth noting that warranty claims and assistance may take longer than with some competing manufacturers.

Should You Buy This Mower Online?

This mower is available in stores and online, and we do recommend ordering it from a trusted online retailer.

Online prices are competitive with in-store prices and are in many cases lower, plus you’ll have the advantage of shopping from the comfort of your home.

Consumer feedback for packaging and delivery has been positive, and there’s minimal assembly required for this lawn mower.

What do Owners Say About the Black Decker EM1500?

Despite some negative feedback regarding the Black Decker help desk, overall impressions of the Black Decker EM1500 have been positive.

Customers like the fact that the mower is lightweight and easy to use. Cutting performance has been praised, along with the ease of assembly.

Overall, the general consensus is that this is a quality electric lawn mower that is well suited to smaller lawns.

There have been feedback examples of customers who have received defective units, which is absolutely expected across a large product line. Even with high standards of quality control, not every mower that leaves the factory will be perfect.

It’s good to see that the negative reviews for this mower are the minority, suggesting no major issues on Black Decker’s side.

How Much Does It Cost?

You’ll often find this online for prices ranging from $100 – $200. Even if you’re paying full retail, you’ll be getting a great deal that is competitive with other mowers of this size and quality.

Click here to check the latest price and offers on Amazon.

Comparison to the Black Decker EM1700 Model

You can take many of the points from this review and consider them to be relevant to a Black Decker EM1700 review.

The motors are almost identical in design, they are operated in exactly the same way, and the only real difference is the larger size and larger power figure that comes with the Black Decker EM1700.

The larger model has the exact same cutting height settings, and at first glance you wouldn’t even notice a difference between the two.

Having a larger 17 inch cutting area does mean that you could use the EM1700 on a slightly larger lawn, and the 12 Amp motor ensures that there’s enough power to drive the larger blade.

If you like what you’ve read in our Black Decker EM1500 review, but you feel like you want something that is a slight step up in terms of performance, then the EM1700 is a great option that only comes in with a slight price premium.

Our Final Thoughts on the Black Decker EM1500 Review

If you don’t require a gas lawn mower and you want something in the middle of the $100 – $200 price range, then this would be a good option for you. Cutting performance is good, and even without any special features, it can get the job done well on smaller lawns.

It’s easy to use and maneuver, and there’s even a helpful instruction manual that explains all of the core functions of the lawn mower.

If you want something that doesn’t leave you tethered to a power cable, then you could consider a battery powered electric lawn mower, but you will pay a premium for the convenience. Check out all of our electric lawn mower reviews to compare some of the corded and cordless options.

Overall, you get good performance, high quality, and a competitive price from the Black Decker EM1500 review.

If you’re in the market for a lawn mower of this size, then we can recommend it based on performance and the other considerations in this review.

Click Here To Read What Customers are Saying

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