Reader's Responses:

1. Mike S says:

   May 23, 2010 at 2:24 am

   Review by Mike S for Haussmann CLM46NU 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower
   Rating:
   Had to re-assemble the item that was incorrectly assembled and obviously returned to Amazon multiple times. Had to straighten bent parts and replace snapped screws. Unfortunatley I am always up for a challenge and took this project on. The mower works ok but not as originally designed by the manufacturer, and not in new condition. Its not fair to customers that Amazon would send this to a customer in the poor used condition that I received it. And not fair to the manufacturer that although the product is probably excellent when received in new condition and assembled correctly, but I’m not able to rate it as such since it was received in such poor condition. All my other orders from Amazon were received new unopened; very disappointed that this was done to me on this one.
2. Christian Dysthe says:

   May 23, 2010 at 2:56 am

   Review by Christian Dysthe for Haussmann CLM46NU 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower
   Rating:
   We wanted a battery run electric lawn mower and did all the research. Most of the candidates were in the $350 area. Then I came across the Haussmann. Never heard of the brand and couldn’t find out much either. I saw some reviews where people complained about the manual and how hard it was to put it together. but I still chose to purchase one. It came in 24 hours. I opened the box and there it was not difficult to assemble at all. I think it was four screws involved and the tool needed was included. I then plugged it in, waited the required 16 hours and put it to the test. I mowed the front yard. Done. I mowed the back yard. Done. It still showed full charge, but I didn’t have anything else to mow. My yard is not big, about 1/4 acre, but the grass was really long since our old mower had been dead for a while. The Haussmann seems well built and looks like it may last for quite a while. One other thing I like (which someone else may dislike) is that the battery is built into the mower. It can’t (easily) be removed. That means you have to keep the mower connected to the charger at all times (the manual describes how you should take care of the battery charge wise). This works fine for me since I have an outlet close to where I stow the mower, but if you don’t it may be difficult to keep the mower charged. I used the grass collector when I mowed so I have not tried it’s mulching capabilities yet. The mower is very powerful and even in my dew wet long grass it ate it’s way through without problems. The grass collector bag is not very large, so I had to empty it quite often, but I was used to that from my old gas mower which also had a relatively small grass collection bag. And then there’s the greatest benefit of this thing: No fumes, less noise, almost non existent maintenace and no trip to the gas station before mowing. Just keep the blade sharp and battery charged and you’re good to go. Even the adjustment of height was very simple with one lever taking care of all wheel. Ingenious! I recommend this mower to everyone with a smaller lawn. Give this battery powered work horse a chance. It won’t dissapoint, and the price is just great!
3. Steven T. Fink says:

   May 23, 2010 at 3:27 am

   Review by Steven T. Fink for Haussmann CLM46NU 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower
   Rating:
   Haussmann CLM46NU 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower

   Like the previous reviewer, I had a problem assembling the product, although a minor problem.

   In my case, the screw that was intended to hold the starter switch in place on the handled would not reach to connect the starter to the handle. The thought of sending back a 100 pound item was not pleasing so I rigged it to work myself. I had to purposely break off the screws that were in the handle and replace with my own screws. This was after considerable time and effort to make it work the way I thought it was intended to work. Strange, because the rest of the assembly was quite simple.

   Once assembled and charged (24 hours) I took it out for a mowing. I’m not sure it charged properly as I believe I did something wrong by unplugging to early then plugging back in. The result, the indicator indicated that the charge was low. After using it and recharging the unit, the indicator displays a fully charged unit.

   That user error aside, the mowing seemed fine. Starting was a breeze! No yanking a pull cord anymore. I used the bag option instead of the mulching or side discharge (?) option. The bag is easy to install and remove when needing to be emptied. The only problem is that it is small and doesn’t hold much. It’s hard to determine when the bag needs to be emptied other then seeing clippings accumulating around the bag or feeling the bag to see if its full. I needed to empty it about 3 times on the quarter acre that I mowed. Of course, some of the mowing contained leaves that had fallen, so its hard to determine what summer time only mowing will be like.

   As expected, the unit did slow a bit when it hit the very dense Zoysia grass on my lawn. Even my 6.0 HP Craftsmen push mower slowed a bit through it. Certainly, it’s not as easy to push as a gas lawn mower but it’s not that much different.

   I love the longer handle for folks like myself who at 6′6″ always seem to have to adjust to things made for a shorter world.

   Likes:

   1) Easy start!
   
   2) Longer handle for taller folks
   
   3) No trips to gas station or re-fueling during mowing
   
   4) Charge seems to hold for a long time, probably easily doing half an acre.

   Dislikes:

   1) Poor written instruction manual, especially for the starter piece. I didn’t even see a user help number, although I bet it is in there, perhaps the French portion of the manual.
   
   2) A little heavy
   
   3) Tethered charging which always has to be connected. Only in winter months can you disconnect.
   
   4) Difficult starter assembly

   I may try the mulching device later on.

   If you can put up with the negatives, you will overall like this device. I can recommend it.
4. Michael Ogara says:

   May 23, 2010 at 3:47 am

   Review by Michael Ogara for Haussmann CLM46NU 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower
   Rating:
   As with the other reviews, mine is mixed.

   The unit arrived in a box that had been crudely resealed with one 3″ wide strip of tape used on each seam. ALL of the top tape had failed and the top flaps were loose and could be opened by hand. Two of the corner vertical seams were ruptured at least halfway down. I’ve never gotten a package so messed up via UPS before.

   It appeared everything was there, however, so I accepted it.

   The unit had a bent height-adjustment bracket (sheet metal) that I straightened with a crowbar so it would work. Then I noticed what smelled like battery electrolyte that had run out from underneath the motor/battery cover. I removed the cover (you’ll need a LONG Phillips screwdriver bit or a bunch of magnetic extensions) and saw some more electrolyte inside, and that some of the battery hold-down clamps were badly corroded. The batteries on this are “sealed” lead-acid batteries, two 12V at 17 amp-hour capacity for 24V total. One of them had clearly been dripping a bit, probably because the box had been stored on its end during shipping or in storage.

   I snapped off the cover on that battery to find loose rubber caps on some of the cells. The electrolyte levels were pretty good, with just one cell having it down to the tops of the electrodes, so I just topped off the batteries with distilled water, cleaned up the corroded battery clamps, and closed everything back up. I’d say you can turn this mower on its side for a short time to sharpen the blade, etc., but don’t leave it anything but upright for long.

   The motor is a DC, brush-type motor. Simple and reliable.

   In use, it works fine. I have two lawns, front and back, each about 25 X 35 feet. With the unit showing full charge I did both lawns and it still showed full charge. One lawn was already short, the other medium high. So it’s clear this mower has a lot of mowing capacity.

   It’s about as heavy as my old gas mower, because the batteries being lead-acid are just plain heavy. The old battery technology is probably why this unit is both kinda heavy and so cheap.

   The mulching attachment works very well, I don’t know where all the grass cuttings went, they just disappeared. I haven’t tried it with the bag on the back yet.

   I’d say if you’re prepared to have to do a little tinkering with the mower once you get it, and don’t mind that it’s not as light as units with expensive Lithium batteries, it’s a good value for the money. Since the batteries are normal lead-acid batteries, they could be replaced in years to come if they develop problems.

   My mower appeared to have been in storage for awhile — the corrosion on the battery clamps wouldn’t have happened quickly — and then crudely resealed. But all the parts were in the box, and it works.

   Bottom line: I didn’t appreciate the amount of fiddling it took to get it to be “right” — and maybe you won’t have to, but maybe it could be worse too — but for the price I’m happy with it.

   – Mike
5. Y. R. Wu says:

   May 23, 2010 at 4:19 am

   Review by Y. R. Wu for Haussmann CLM46NU 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower
   Rating:
   I have not used this mower, but after 12 years with the B&D CMM1000 and a few weeks with the Toro, I thought I’d add some info to help buyers.

   Our CMM1000 struggled in tall or wet grass, but most of the time was adequate on power. It also had 24V with a 19″ blade. Our 36V 20″ Toro has so far cut everything we’ve thrown at it, but lacks some of the nicer features the WORX or Black & Decker mowers.

   With a 24V/19″ combination this clearly lacks the power of the Toro. Lacking the nicer features of the Worx or B&D mowers – this clearly leads on price. My main concern with this mower would be quality and support. It also weighs a good 15-20 lbs more than comparable 19″ mowers,

   I’ve put a quick guide of the most popular models on Amazon. All info reported by manufacturer. Amazon won’t let me put prices in my review, sorry!

   MOWER…………Path/Volt/Watt-hr……WT…………COMMENTS
   
   Neuton CE5.3…………14″/24V/240……48#….Plastic deck, Removable batt.
   
   B&D CM1836…………..18″/36V/NA…….64#….Plastic deck
   
   Greenworks 25092……18″/24V/480……95#….Self Propel, Removable Batt
   
   Worx ECO WG780…….19″/24V/408……80#….Removable Battery
   
   Haussmann CLM46NU…19″/24V/NA……..94#….Haussmann who?? Metal deck
   
   B&D CMM1200………….19″/24V/432……76#….Update to our old CM1000
   
   B&D CM1936……………19″/36V/360…….72#….Plastic deck, Removable Batt
   
   Neuton CE6…………….19″/36V/360…….88#….Plastic deck, Removable Batt
   
   Earthwise 60120……….20″/24V/480……92#….Metal deck, Removable Batt
   
   Toro 20360……………..20″/36V/432……77#….Metal deck

   >>Why SHOULD I get a cordless electric mower? They are super quiet, clean, and convenient. They aren’t necessarily cheaper than a gas mower since they cost more up front but there is almost NO maintenance. (We spent $80 over 10 years for a set of replacement batteries.) Corded electric mowers are a lot cheaper but then you have a cord.

   >>Why SHOULDN’T I get a cordless mower? They weigh a LOT more than gas mowers so if you have a hilly lot or have difficulty with physical exertion, forget it. They don’t have as much power as gas and re-fueling means charging for a few hours so if your lot is over ½ acre you may want to reconsider.

   >>Why do they all come with mulching PLUS bagging? Electric powered mowers have come a long ways but mulching still takes a LOT more power than discharging, so bagging is pretty much a standard feature.

   >>What is a watt-hour? It’s basically how big your gas tank is – the more watt-hours, the longer you can mow before you have to recharge.

   >>Is the cutting path a big deal? Yes – for two reasons. 1) The first thing manufacturers do when power is marginal is reduce the blade size, so I tend to see the smaller mowers as more likely to be underpowered. Second, when you consider that you have to overlap each pass by ~3″, a 20″ blade now effectively cuts 13% more on each pass. If you have a larger yard, you definitely do NOT want anything under 18″ Also, my measurements show most mowers overstate their blade size by 1/2″ (Our 20″ measures 19-5/8, our 19 measures 18-1/2)

   >>Why might I want a removable battery? If you have a large yard, this means you can have a second battery charging while you are using the first. A second battery typically costs $100-$150 but it can make the difference between going electric or not. Finally, if you keep the mower in a shed that doesn’t have power, a removable battery will let you bring it in for charging.

   >>How long will my batteries last? That depends on your climate and usage. We had a small lot for many years and were religious about recharging right after use. We also live in a cooler climate (Michigan) so the mowing season is shorter. Our batteries lasted about 7 years. Most people should get 3-4 years easily but if you’re careless and live in Arizona, you could probably kill the batteries in a year or two.

   >>Why should I care about higher voltage? Higher voltage = more power, PLUS you can recharge the mower faster. With the same chemistry and current, a 36V mower will charge 50% faster than a 24V mower.

   >>Metal deck or plastic? Metal rusts but with minimal care it’s not an issue. Plastic ends up giving you a more stuff to trim since you can’t cut as close to fences, etc.

   If you’ve found this review helpful or have questions/comments, please let me know!