Black & Decker MTE912 Review
12-Inch 6.5 Amp Corded Electric 3-in-1 Trimmer, Edger and Mower
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4.1 / 5 from 4722 users
$107.53
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We spent 8.8 hours reading reviews from customers and experts. In summary, here's what users think:
11 reasons to buy
The MTE912 is light, so it's easy to move around. It's also great for hilly or uneven ground and for people who have trouble lifting heavy things. (37 reviews)
“It takes me no time at all and very little effort to complete the job with this. I now also use it to do the two 250 ft long strips along the sidewalk... The job goes very quickly with this little guy as it is so light weight and maneuverable.”
“Light weight, easy to push and maneuver.”
“I needed something lightweight and this does the job.”
“The main reason I chose it was for its 14-lb. weight, because power was less important than maneuverability in my small yard.”
“It's lighter to push around than my vacuum cleaner.”
“Light weight, strong and effective for small yards.”
“It is very lightweight and pretty easy to move.”
“Lightweight. Easy to snap out of the lawnmower attachment and just use it as an edger/trimmer.”
“This piece of equipment is light and easy to use!”
The Black and Decker mower offers three functions in one tool: serving as a mower, trimmer, and edger, providing versatility and saving space. (36 reviews)
“This Black and Decker 3 in one mower, trimmer and edger is the real deal.”
“It converts from mower to edger with no effort at all by stepping on a lever on the back that releases the string trimmer from the mower base, and it goes back in the mower base just as easily.”
“I was able to knock out several tiers in about 30 minutes and I loved that I could just snap it out of the base to use it as a regular trimmer around the flowers and tree trunks and just snap it back it in the base.”
“The weeder/trimmer is detachable so if there was some problem with the mower, I could still use the trimmer separately.”
“the ease of snapping the weed wacker in wheel base to mow and releasing the weed wacker to trim around and edge”
“Easy to use and change uses to suit need - mower, weed eater, trimmer/edger”
“I thought this was such a great deal being a 3 in 1 product.”
“I could be mowing along the edge of my fence, and when I get to a patch of grass, I just step on the lever to detach the mower attachment, pull out the trimmer, trim, and place it back”
“The mower attachment is the best invention since high speed Internet! It easily snaps in, and the whole thing is as light as.... a weed whacker!”
The product is designed for easy assembly, allowing quick setup with or without the need for instructions. (27 reviews)
“Easy to assemble with or without instructions”
“It was easy to assemble.”
“It was easy to set up”
“Set up out of the box took me around 2 mins”
“I was very impressed by how easy it was to put together and use.”
“It's easier to figure it out. It's literally 1 screw!”
“set this up and mowed our yard for the first time like a breeze.”
“It was SUPER EASY to setup; just snap on the guard and you're good to go whack weeds.”
“Got it today, assembled in about 5 min and 5 minutes reading time”
“Assembly is a piece of cake and didn't even use the manual.”
The corded version gives steady power, and you don't have to worry about the battery degrading over time. (24 reviews)
“You won't run out of juice because it's corded”
“Overall, I'm impressed with the power of the corded version”
“I chose the corded version because a constant source of 110VAC - 120VAC will be more stable and consistent than a battery, especially over time.”
“Plug it in and go, quiet, no smoke, easy.”
“It has about 2x to 3x the power of my B+D cordless trimmer, and of course, the power never dies out”
“Powerful - this is why we chose the corded model”
“We got the plug-in version and it's plenty powerful.”
“this mower had no problem keep running for 20 minutes without much stopping.”
“the fact that it takes an electrical cord means it's got a lot of power and it doesn't run out of batteries”
You can quickly change the tool from a mower to an edger and back by stepping on a lever. (18 reviews)
“It converts from mower to edger with no effort at all by stepping on a lever on the back that releases the string trimmer from the mower base, and it goes back in the mower base just as easily.”
“it was extremely quick and easy to disengage from mower attachment”
“I was able to knock out several tiers in about 30 minutes and I loved that I could just snap it out of the base to use it as a regular trimmer around the flowers and tree trunks and just snap it back it in the base.”
“really nice to just un-click this thing from the base and start weed eating and edge trimming and then snap it back in and continue mowing”
“Easy and fast to switch from weed eater to mower and to edger.”
“the ease of snapping the weed wacker in wheel base to mow and releasing the weed wacker to trim around and edge”
“It has a cool release button you use with your foot to take it off off the base.”
“when I get to a patch of grass, I just step on the lever to detach the mower attachment, pull out the trimmer, trim, and place it back (all within about 5-10 seconds, depending on how much I need to cut)”
“it was easy to snap the whacker out of the base and do corners and edging, so no extra step to do!”
“The edger pops out like a breeze, one foot click”
Due to its compact size, the tool requires minimal storage space, making it a practical option for those with limited space. (15 reviews)
“It is so little it takes up no storage space.”
“without taking up too much of our limited storage space”
“Takes up very little space.”
“It is also easy to store as I can hang up the Weed eater and I put the deck upright against the wall under it.”
“easy to clean and store in my garage”
“And, very small to store.”
“this will do the trick and take up very little room in storage.”
“very easy to store when broken apart”
“It is compact (and fits in our garage, which is currently packed-to-the-gills with moving paraphernalia)”
“It also doesn't take up a lot of storage space in the garage.”
“It is so light and compact”
“Takes up little storage space.”
“I don't have much storage space, and had been dying for a wheeled base for my string trimmer and luckily stumbled upon this one.”
“This unit is also easy to store. It collapses enough so that it fits inside of a sitting/storage bench.”
The equipment is made to be cleaned easily after you use it, which keeps it working well. (14 reviews)
“Important to clean equipment afterwards to keep things functioning”
“I take very good care of it and always clean it well after use”
“After use I wash it out with the hose and it is good as new.”
“The other nice feature is because it separates into two pieces it is easy to wipe out the grass buildup inside.”
“My experience with weed eaters is if you keep them clean by rinsing them off after you use them they last along time”
“Easy to clean. just use water from a garden hose.”
“A quick rinse with the hose, and she was good as new!”
“Once detached from the trimmer, the mower deck can be washed off with a hose”
“Keeping the base clean of grass clippings will help it stay locked in.”
“easy clean too, because the parts attach and it's plastic”
“from time to time, stop and clean the clipping built ups from underneath the trimmer and cart, it would make it less messy clippings afterwards.”
“It does collect a lot of gunk on the inside but a couple of scoops of the hand and you are back in business.”
“cleans quickly”
The mower offers height adjustment for the wheels to control the cutting height. (8 reviews)
“A slight problem is that the wheel height which is held by a spring pops back to the lower height easily so I have to be careful that doesn't happen when I bump it up and down over the tree roots and higher sidewalks or curbs.”
“One restriction is the adjustment of the unit only gives you 2 level choices, low or lower.”
“It was a bit mis leading when the description stated it could cut from 1.x to 2.x as I expected that to be a range just like my tractor mower. However, all you can do is move the wheels from a low position to a higher position.”
“There are 2 settings for closeness, which are ok, but an additional lower setting would be useful for me.”
“Raising the wheels.. no good explanation.. pull on the front and back underneath axels and the spring loaded thing will go to the slightly higher or lower setting near the wheels.”
“how do you change the height of the blade cut? answer, you use your hands to pull the little springs next to the wheels.”
“It also has two settings for grass height (added bonus but I didn't really care about that).”
“the cutting heights of 1.6" and 2.4" are too short”
The string system is automatic, which means you don't have to adjust it by hand as much. (6 reviews)
“The string setup seems self-maintaining”
“I'm happy with the auto line feed and it is not using as much as I expected”
“The string feeds flawlessly and I've had no issues with it.”
“you can tell when the string gets a little short and then a bit more comes out of the spool”
“As a weedwhaker, it advanced the string perfectly. After doing my entire yard, the string was the same length, and I didn't have to mess with it once.”
“The automatic feed cord was wonderfully convenient”
The shaft is height adjustable, so it works for people of different heights and makes the tool more ergonomic. (5 reviews)
“Adding to the ease of use is the height adjustable shaft that makes it easier for both of us to comfortably use it even with our 11 inch height difference”
“the ability to shorten (I'm 5'1" tall) the shaft and adjust the handle takes the strain off my back and arms”
“Luckily I am a tall guy and could adjust the height of the pole, not the angle.”
“Both of us are of different heights and the ability to adjust the handle for this difference as well as our grips was great.”
“At first I was a little peeved because I thought it was to be used only by short people and then I noticed that it could be extended.”
The 20 V lithium battery has a good lifespan, allowing for extended use before needing a recharge. (1 review)
“The 20 V lithium battery actually last quite long. I purchased a quick charger and have 3 batteries that I rotate as I work.”
5 reasons not to buy
The mower attachment is made of plastic, which has made some people worried about how long it will last. Users are being careful with it to prevent potential damage and make it last longer. (16 reviews)
“Due to the mower attachment's plastic construction, I plan to be careful with it in order to prolong durability.”
“You cannot bang this unit around too much, it is only plastic.”
“I had my doubts and thought it would be flimsy and cheap.”
“Some people also mentioned that it felt flimsy in the mower deck.”
“Mower accessory is a little flimsy, at least this part would have had a better stronger material”
“could be a little more durable.”
“It's just a weedeater in a plastic form with wheels”
“In two years I've gone through two of these because the motor burns out. If you're doing more than really small jobs the motor gets hot and melts the plastic that holds the magnets that drive the motor.”
At least one user said the mower didn't last very long, mentioning it stopped working after a few months of light use. This raises concerns about how long the product will last and how reliable it is. (12 reviews)
“The mower of the season has DIED. Unbelievable. I've only been using it 1-2x a month.”
“But it died so I bought another B & D”
“After few months I decided to buy a real lawn mower, this is very flimsy and weak, even for a small yard”
“In two years I've gone through two of these because the motor burns out.”
“My trimmer broke about two months after purchase.”
“I found that it stopped working once when I had the platform on it -- I think it overheated.”
“Lasted 3 months.”
“after 6.5 yrs it died. Motor seized. It suddenly sparked, smoked and chocked on it's last blade of grass unexpectedly, shockingly fast yet peacefully... Wish it lasted longer.”
Users have mentioned that the highest setting for cutting grass isn't as tall as they'd like. This is a problem for people who want to keep their grass longer. (10 reviews)
“It also would be nice if the height were a little higher as I like to keep my grass higher than this allows. My slope looks like a perfect golf green, but I may need to water it more often.”
“One restriction is the adjustment of the unit only gives you 2 level choices, low or lower.”
“The base also only offers two height settings though the trimmer can power through nearly any grass height.”
“height adjustment goes from a little too short to “golfing green” short”
“It's pretty poor at cutting tall grass.”
“Not ideal for cutting St. Augustine, because it cuts VERY low to the ground”
“Would be nice to have one that cuts 4inches which is the optimum height for tall rescue grasses in my area.”
“I wish the cutting platform could be raised higher - there are only 2 settings, and they are both very low.”
“The highest setting on the trimmer mower is a little shorter than my highest setting on my regular mower.”
“The one criticism I have is that I wish there was more clearance, the cutting heights of 1.6" and 2.4" are too short, especially in the fall.”
For thicker types of grass, users might need to go over it a few times with the mower. This suggests that the mower might not be strong enough for tougher lawn care jobs. (10 reviews)
“A more powerful/faster motor would cut better when line is under load from thick grass or weeds, again an exit port would help this as well.”
“It doesn't like thick green weeds and takes some concentration to cut through those.”
“If your grass is very long, it will take a couple of passes to get a nice clean cut”
“After few months I decided to buy a real lawn mower, this is very flimsy and weak, even for a small yard”
“Going back and forth over the spot from two directions will get it done but it's not pretty and it's adding a lot of passes to the already large number of required passes since the 'mower' width is only 12".”
“Some difficulties with larger, thicker weeds, but was able to cut through it”
“The first pass would leave chunks of uncut grass because the cut grass was getting caught under the mower deck preventing the line from cutting.”
“You have to go back and forth to get a uniform cut on thick grass/weeds.”
“I had weeds (some grass) 2 feet high and THICK.”
“It is fine if you maintain your lawn, but I have a habit of cutting it when it looks like the amazon jungle. It still cuts, but it takes several passes.”
Multiple reviews said that the wheel height adjustment, which is held by a spring, can easily go back to the lower height if it gets bumped. This means users have to be careful and often fix the height, which can be annoying and interrupt the mowing. (5 reviews)
“A slight problem is that the wheel height which is held by a spring pops back to the lower height easily so I have to be careful that doesn't happen when I bump it up and down over the tree roots and higher sidewalks or curbs.”
“The issue with this is that the low position actually drags the device on the ground making it difficult for the wheels to even roll thus the adjustment is completely pointless.”
“Raising the wheels.. no good explanation.. pull on the front and back underneath axels and the spring loaded thing will go to the slightly higher or lower setting near the wheels.”
“This requires users to be cautious and often to correct the height, which can be a nuisance and disrupts the mowing process.”
“Also, the wheels will often reset to the shorter 1.6" during mid mow, which caused some damage to my lawn at times.”
Bottom Line
The Black & Decker MTE912 is a versatile 3-in-1 tool perfect for small yards, combining a mower, trimmer, and edger to save space and effort. Lightweight and easy to maneuver, it's ideal for uneven ground and those with lifting limitations. It has a corded design for constant power, is easy to assemble, and requires minimal storage space. The height-adjustable shaft and wheel cutting height make it ergonomic and adaptable. However, its plastic build and limited cutting height may not suit all, and its durability has been questioned by some users.
Facts
| Brand | BLACK+DECKER |
|---|---|
| Cutting Width (in) | 12 inch |
| Features | Electric Start, Rear Discharge, Side Discharge |
| Max Cutting Height | 2-2/5" |
| Min Cutting Height | 1-2/3" |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Category | Push Mowers |
| Warranty | 2 Years |
| Weight | 13.1 lbs |
| Additional Info | Automatic Feed System (AFS), Gear Drive Transmission, Foot Pedal Release |
Tips for Black & Decker MTE912
- When cleaning the mower, detach the trimmer from the base and wash off the deck with a hose.
- Do not use the Black & Decker MTE912 like a vacuum cleaner when mowing. It is recommended to mow in one direction at a steady pace without stopping for a clean and even cut.
- The mower does not include an extension cord. It is advisable to purchase an orange extension cord to avoid going over it when mowing.
Special Features
- 3-in-1 design: It's like having three tools in one - a lawn mower, a string trimmer, and an edger all in a single machine
- Powerful 6.5 amp motor: The motor has enough oomph to handle cutting thick grass and weeds without slowing down
- Gear drive transmission: The transmission helps in powering through tough and thick grass without getting stuck
- AFS automatic feed spool: The trimmer line feeds automatically, so you don't have to stop and bump it to release more line
- Adjustable mower deck and trimmer handle: You can easily change the cutting height and make it more comfortable to use
- Corded design: It's got unlimited power because it's plugged in – no need to stop to recharge or fill up with gas
- Compact and versatile design: It's small and does a lot, perfect for small yards and gardens
- Convenient integrated foot pedal: You can easily switch from mowing to trimming or edging with your foot
FAQ
- Q:
Can the Black & Decker MTE912 cut grass evenly and without visible tracks?
- A:
The mower can cut grass evenly if used as a mower and if you mow in a row. It does not leave any tracks behind.
- Q:
Where can I purchase extra sting?
- A:
You can purchase a 3 pack replacement line string trimmer spool here.
- Q:
Does the mower come with a power cord?
- A:
No. A power cord is not included.
- Q:
Does the MTE912 work well as an edger?
- A:
Yes. The MTE912 can trim and edge very well.
- Q:
Is the mower waterproof? Can it be left outside in the rain?
- A:
No, the mower is not waterproof.
- Q:
What are the handle height and its shortest setting?
- A:
The handle’s overall height is 43” and its shortest setting is 33”.
- Q:
Can the handle be disassembled?
- A:
Yes it can.
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