Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ Cordless Lawn Mower review: Keeping small lawns cropped in style

The Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ is a compact and lightweight cordless mower for small gardens that uses two of the brand’s PowerConnect 18V batteries to power an energy-efficient motor and a 33cm blade.

Competition is fierce in this area of the mower market, with mowers like the Husqvarna Aspire LC34-P4A (£349) pushing convenience, comfort and easy storage, while the Bosch CityMower 18 (£239) gives you high performance and fantastic ergonomics. Does the Black + Decker have what it takes to stand out from the crowd? I’ve been trying it out in my own garden to uncover its weaknesses and strengths.

Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ Cordless Lawn Mower review: What do you get for the money? 

A 36W mower based on dual 18V PowerConnect Li-ion batteries, with a choice of five cutting heights from 25 to 65mm and a 33cm cutting width. It’s supplied with a collapsible 35l collection box and a mulching plug, and you can either buy it solo (£150) or with a pair of 2A batteries and charger. Bought separately, two 2A batteries and a basic charger will cost you roughly £70.

The mower needs some assembly before use, with the handle section needing to be mounted on two tubular steel arms, which plug into sockets on the mower itself. The handle is held in place by two bolts and easily grippable wingnuts, and when these are released the handle can collapse over the body for easier storage.

The actual body is fairly small, measuring 82 x 37cm, so while it doesn’t fold up as neatly as the Aspire LC34-P4A, it’s not going to occupy too much space in the average garden shed or garage. At 13.6kg without batteries installed, it’s also reasonably easy to carry around between patches of grass. I had to lug it up and down a set of steps, and for once I didn’t feel like I’d already had a workout while I was mowing.

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Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ Cordless Lawn Mower review: How easy is it to use?

With its small frame and chunky wheels, I found the BCMW3318N-XJ very easy to manoeuvre, especially when I was trying to turn around at the end of a line on my lawn where space was tight. It helps that the handle height is adjustable, with around 3cm of height variation when you press in the handle release buttons and move the two arms up or down. The combination of a safety lock button and trigger bar make it easy to start or stop the motor, while the batteries slide into position beneath a semi-transparent plastic cover near the front.

The design isn’t flawless. I found the lack of any battery indicator annoying – you’ve just got to hope that you have enough juice to finish the job – and the height-adjustment lever is stiff and hard to unlock then lock back in place, not to mention work out the current height. I’d also recommend investing in one of Black + Decker’s faster 18V chargers, as the basic charger is slow, taking nearly five hours to charge a single 2A battery. The BDC1A fast charger will do the job in under two.

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Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ Cordless Lawn Mower review: How well does it mow? 

The BCMW3318N is great on a small to medium-sized flat lawn; the manufacturer recommends it for lawns of up to 200m² in size, though you’re going to find the 33cm cutting width will turn a task that size into a slog. The cut is nice and crisp, it will happily chop quite short, and grass feeds into the collection box without any problems. If you like to mow frequently, it’s an excellent choice.

It’s not so capable on longer grass or untidy patches, with the blade and the feed into the bag sometimes choking on long or wet grass, though the motor always seems to find a little extra power to push through it. If you have a garden with some rough or semi-meadow areas – or you’re just a bit lazy with your mowing – you might want something with a bit more beef.

I was a bit concerned that the two 2A batteries would translate to a lack of stamina, but in fact the batteries consistently lasted through between 23 and 25 minutes of mowing, which is fairly standard for a mower of this size. It’s just a shame that there’s so little warning before they conk out, and that they take such a long time to recharge.

If you like to keep things quiet, this might be the mower for you. I measured noise levels while mowing at just 74.7dB, which is one of the lowest outputs I’ve had from a cordless mower.

Black + Decker BCMW3318N-XJ Cordless Lawn Mower review: Should you buy it? 

Maybe. With this one it depends on the price. If you have existing 2A batteries or you can pick up the mower, charger and batteries for around £200 to £220, then I’d say it’s worth a look. It’s a light but capable mower that does a great job of keeping your grass cropped short.

However, I wouldn’t put it up there with the more adjustable and feature-rich Gardena mower or the more powerful CityMower 18, and the design could do with a little more finesse. Bag it at the right price and you’ve got yourself a bargain, but there are better small garden mowers out there if you’re prepared to pay more.