BLACK+DECKER 3-in-1 String Trimmer/Edger & Lawn Mower, 6.5-Amp, 12-Inch, Corded (MTE912)

Recently, a landscaping company charged me $135 for supposedly spending 3 hours mowing my lawn, weeding and trimming bushes. The attached first 2 pictures show weeds nearly 3 feet high growing in patches of the lawn 3-1/2 weeks later. Also I had to trim the bushes and weed myself because it looked like they hadn’t worked on the bushes at all, and the weed killer they sprayed was not effective. I was determined not to get ripped off again, and I knew I could do a better job myself. Because rock gardens cover my front yard and mulch covers the area against the house, the grassy area is small. I hoped there was a small mower out there that could do the job and was light enough for me to lift. After 2 days of searching, the Black & Decker MTE 912 was a natural choice for a few reasons. The main reason I chose it was for its 14-lb. weight, because power was less important than maneuverability in my small yard. Second, the weeder/trimmer is detachable so if there was some problem with the mower, I could still use the trimmer separately. Finally the price at the time I bought it was only $72 with an extra $22 for a power cord. This meant I would SAVE $30 after one session of using this device compared to the recent poorly-done landscaping job. This little device performed far beyond expectations and substantially improved the appearance of my yard in under 2 hours. It plowed through the dense patches of weeds without ever stalling, and I was easily able to push it with one hand in the normal parts of the yard while holding the cord away from the mower with my other hand. It was able to reach tight places that a regular mower would miss. It took me over an hour because of rough borders in the woods behind my house and a stream bank on the side; otherwise I could have finished in under 30 minutes. Warning about the cord gauge: p. 25 of the instructions specifies that a 14G 51-to-100-foot power cord should be used; a smaller gauge may lead to overheating for a cord that long. You can use 16G for a 26-50-foot cord, 18G for 0-25-foot cord or 12G for 101-150-foot cord. If you are in doubt, get at least the 100-foot cord because it will enable you to mow around almost half of a small house. Whatever gauge or length you choose, get a 3-prong cord. Minor warning: watch the plug-in area at the back of the handle carefully so the cord doesn’t dislodge. There is a small hook where you can loop the cord to try to keep things in place, but the power cord prongs can come loose as you twist and turn around the yard. A few minutes after I started, the device abruptly shut off and I was worried that I overtaxed it in the weeds or that the plug dislodged at the outlet on the house. Fortunately, the power cord had just come loose, and the device roared into action again after I pushed the prongs back in. The 2 after pictures show a respectable yard without the scary looking weeds. Thank you Black & Decker and Amazon for a great product that allowed me to do a better job than expensive landscapers.

This is great for what it is and I’m giving it 5 stars because it does what it does better than I’d ever expect. Having had cordless for a long time, the cord is the only thing that’s hard to get used to. But I knew it was plug in when I bought it so nothing against the product itself. It’s powerful and is better as a trimmer in my opinion and I really like the line feed system. The deck doesn’t stay on great but if you’re going in a straight line and can manage your cord, you shouldn’t have an issue. I like it for the small lawn at our camp and recommend it to people who need a small mower and don’t want to mess with gas.

Our house is sale pending, and I went ahead and ended the contract with our lawncare company. I needed a short term solution to keep the lawn tidy until we move, and this is an easy solution. To be effective, it's easiest just to move it as you would a vacuum cleaner vs. like a traditional mower. For any of you with VERY small lawns - this is truly a permanent, economical, compact solution. It's super easy to operate and very lightweight. For any of you needing a temporary solution on a relatively small lot (our entire lot is about 5500 sq feet, and not all of it is sodded), this works well. Remember to buy an extension cord! Pros 1. It is compact (and fits in our garage, which is currently packed-to-the-gills with moving paraphernalia) 2. Extremely lightweight 3. Powerful - this is why we chose the corded model Things to consider / possible cons: 1. Sometimes the edger disengages from the mower attachment, which is a pain, but easy enough to rectify by snapping it back together 2. Not ideal for cutting St. Augustine, because it cuts VERY low to the ground (this might also be a "pro" because I think we will need to mow less) 3. You can't expect mowing perfection - this is an edger with a mower attachment - you will have some unevenness in your mowing I would purchase this again.

--04/19/2017 (5 stars) Review: It does what it supposed to do, here is my review: Installed the guard, it slide and snaps and it has a small screw to lock it, so you need a Phillips screwdriver, also need to install the lower handle, no need for tools, there is an idle pin in one side and the adjustment pin at the other side, both are spring loaded, as soon as you push both pins and install the handle, the adjustment pin becomes a button to adjust the angle of the handle, very easy. The string that comes with it is OK, but if you need replacement you can buy a more efficient string, like the twisted, the size of the string is 0.065", this weed eater will not accept any other size, also if you plan to feed a different string you need to save the spool that comes with it, I bought the one in the picture and it works way better, but you need to take your time and roll it yourself . As a regular hand held weed eater works well, if you have a small yard it will do great, I think is very strong for the size. As a mower it has two heights on each side and you need to pull back the wheel bar to switch, to my surprise, it does what I thought it was not going to do, it can much leaves, any wood stick thicker than 1/2" will break the string. As and Edger works great, I did all edges very fast, make sure the string is full size, I think the automatic feed kicks when the string is very short. Pros: Light weight, strong and effective for small yards. Easy and fast to switch from weed eater to mower and to edger. Low cost. Easy to clean. just use water from a garden hose. Cons: The engagement of the rear guard and the mower accessory is too weak, it disconnected at least three times in one hour of work. No speed adjustment, I think it will be nice to have speed control on the trigger. Mower accessory is a little flimsy, at least this part would have had a better stronger material. Overall, I am happy. --05/20/2018 (lowered to 3 stars) Update: After few months I decided to buy a real lawn mower, this is very flimsy and weak, even for a small yard. The line spool mechanism broke and the replacement costs $12, the weed eater is worth the investment but after I wrote down some numbers, the weed eater cost is $70, 50ft Extension cord (needed) $25, Spool kit $12 (repairing it myself) total cost is $107, so I am going to buy a real gas weed eater for $69

I bought this little machine because I have been looking and looking (and looking) for something to mow my tiers with. I purchased a home in April that would have had a monstrous hill, but the previous owner tiered out the backyard instead. I mean there are a lot of tiers. The ones at the top of the hill are generally about 6x30 feet and there are 5 of those with a foot difference in height on each one then there the tiers cut into the hill and those are sectioned in about 5x7 little plots and about a foot difference between them going east and west but there are also 3 foot walls sectioning them off going up the hill. Then there are all of the little tiers that maybe just didn't quite fit or maybe they had some specific purpose 30 years ago, I don't know. There are stairs but they are in pretty bad shape and not really any flat surfaces to get on the smaller tiers.... I'm sure you can't imagine it except to think 'wow, that's a mess'. Yes, yes it is. To make matters worse, there are little patches of flowers everywhere. Oh, and did I mention a few tree trunks and pretty darn big rocks here and there too? I have arthritis in my hands and wrists and cannot hold a heavy duty trimmer for long periods of time. I did buy a smaller, battery operated trimmer but that only got one tier done after about 45 minutes and then ran out of battery - and even then, I didn't have any strength in my hands for quite some time after. So, I've had a friend come and weed wack it all down a few times (not the flowers, of course) but I needed a more permanent solution. All the mowers I found were too heavy to bang up the steps and try to get into the smaller tiers and I wasn't sure how long a mower might last being abused like that. I ran across an advertisement for a little machine much like this one but it was manufactured by a company I wasn't familiar with and it didn't get very good reviews. After some renewed internet searches, I found this one and decided on purchasing it. I have only used it once as I just got it yesterday, but I was extremely impressed with it. It is almost like vacuuming when you use it with the base. 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. I'd like to say that where there aren't tree trunks or flowers, that it is just one bed of beautiful grass, but alas, that is not the case. It is a weedy area with a few pretty fat, ugly weeds. This little machine didn't even really hiccup or balk at the challenge. It worked like a charm. I hit a few tree trunks, a few rocks, a few holes and found a few weeds that I was sure would just wind up a tangled mess... Nope, it plowed right thru and I think it enjoyed the task. All in all, I'm very pleased with this trimmer. It was easy to set up, it has enough power to get the job done and yet I still feel comfortable using it as both a mower and a trimmer. I will try to remember to update this review at the end of the season, but truth be told, I'll probably forget unless the quality is poor and something goes wrong. If you don't hear from me, you can assume that I still love it!

I LOVE IT!!! If it died tomorrow, I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. I had my doubts and thought it would be flimsy and cheap. I'm a 63 year old woman who has a lot of weed cutting to do annually for a fire break. I was tired of heavy string trimmers to haul around but afraid electric would be a pain in the tush. When I opened the box, at first I questioned the purchase but I can honestly tell you, I've done more with this product than Black and Decker expected of the average purchaser. I'm cutting weeds on the hill and on the flat land. Some are up to my waist. On the shorter stuff (about knee high) I put it in the mower with wheels holder. It's lighter to push around than my vacuum cleaner. When it's in the string trimmer mode, the ability to shorten (I'm 5'1" tall) the shaft and adjust the handle takes the strain off my back and arms. Well done B&D! The string feeds flawlessly and I've had no issues with it. I've gone through 2 1/4 reels doing about 1 2/3 acres with no mishaps. It doesn't like thick green weeds and takes some concentration to cut through those. Remember, this is supposed to do sissy stuff like lawn trimming, lawns. light short weeds, etc., so I'm really working the poor little thing to death. I have no problem adding extension cords in order to get the job done because it's so darned easy and light to use. Also, I've hit the industrial extension cord twice with the string and it hasn't put a dent in the outer casing. What would I like to see in an updated version? When you plug the cord into the handle, I'd like to see a snap, toggle, something to cover where you slip the cord in the slot so it doesn't come undone. The plug has loosened on a few occasions. I told you I'm not gentle with it. I'd kill to be able to swap out the string with a blade. I'd even buy a second B&D electric trimmer that had a blade if it worked like this one does. Heck, I'd put it through the ringer as a real life tester if you wanted. Hint hint B&D. LOL!

I love this mower/edger! I've just bought a home with a small yard and was paying $30 to the yard man for each mow (my home is 1300 sq ft. sitting on at 4650 sq ft lot....including a nice sized concrete patio in back). I have friends that have way bigger lawns (1300 sq ft home sitting on a 7000+ sq ft lot) and they're paying the same thing. I'm no garden lady and was intimidated by gas mowers (upkeep, pulling that dreaded string to start, etc) so I decided to try this one. I got the corded type because I wanted to have strong, consistent power without having to worry about power degredation if I take longer than 20 minutes. (As long as you get a bright orange power cable, you should be ok with not running over the cord LOL) I watched a few Youtube videos to get an idea of how it works, and started in the backyard. I also wanted to start back there so I could fumble around with it without being embarassed on the front lawn haha but it was pretty easy, just like vaccuuming. I was so impressed with the mowing/edging quickness and results that I decided to continue on with the yard maintenance, and I trimmed up my trees and hedges a bit. I didn't use this machine for those tasks, but I had expected to be frustrated and out of breath by the time I was done with the mower and in no mood to do any tree/hedge shaping. I plan on doing the front space this weekend and i'm actually a little excited about it. I sure can use that $60 a month saved on some extra air conditioning since it's going to be hot and humid here as usual (Houston Tx) For anyone who is intimidated with mowing tasks try this out. If my no-gardening-experience-living-in-apartments-for-the-last-couple-decades self can do it so can you!! :) UPDATE: 4/27/14: I mowed the front lawn and it went just fine. I'm glad I got the corded version as the power stays constant. So far, i've mowed the back lawn once, the front lawn once, and the side walkway area once and the reel is finished, so i'm on here to order more. My property is only 4650 sq. ft.,with the home and garage taking up about 1750 sq. ft. UPDATE: 9/25/14: The mower of the season has DIED. Unbelieveable. I've only been using it 1-2x a month. I went outside this morning to mow. It mowed for about 2 minutes,then it wound down, sounded almost like when power dies out in the house. I plugged it into other outlets, used different power cords, etc.....this baby is dead and gone. I'm just about sick of homeownership anyway (probably because my AC died last Saturday, and didn't get fixed until 2 days ago), now this. I'm selling next year and plan to move into a condo/townhome so i'm not even going to bother with replacing or spending all day troubleshooting this issue. I'll put this puppy out on heavy trash day, call in the good ol' yard guys and keep it movin'.

I'm really pleased with this trimmer and I'm not sure why more companies don't offer a small mower attachment like this?! Black & Decker could offer a bladed small mower with similar measurements and I'd buy it immediately. Overall, I'm impressed with the power of the corded version, the automatic line feed, and the versatility. You simply can't beat having the option of a push trimmer. I've been using it for a month now and no longer use the trimmer I bought last year which has a lithium battery and was far more expensive than this trimmer. The other trimmer is great, but I appreciate how much more powerful the B&D corded version is, and the mower attachment wins every time. It sounds like there are many women out there who tackle this chore and weedwackers take a toll on almost everyone, especially if you are shorter and smaller. I believe this trimmer is as close as you can get to a manageable weedwacker that also happens to work really well. I've put it through some difficult paces and I'm happy with the auto line feed and it is not using as much as I expected, even though I have trimmed patches of thick grass and expected the line to run out. There was no need to rush and buy more line as I did it turns out. The area I care for is very uneven, so I have found that after using this trimmer with the mower attachment, I do not get a reliable, even cut, but I expect that is not the case if you have a more even terrain. It can be a little tricky because it will look as though it has cut everything, and then longer pieces that it simply pushed down will pop up a few days later - but would I trade that for my other trimmer or my electric mower? Nope. I'm hoping once I do most of the difficult areas with the trimmer alone, it will be maintainable with the mower attachment. I have conflicted feelings about Black & Decker in that I used to love their products and my grandfather used them exclusively, but times have changed. So far though, I find nothing obviously problematic about this trimmer and the true test of any device is which do you pick up and use each time, and for me it's this trimmer. I take very good care of it and always clean it well after use, but I don't know what the future holds as far as how the engine will hold up. If you are fortunate enough to have a flat lot to mow or trim, this is an absolute no brainer, but also worth a try if your yard is more complicated. Once you've used this design, you'll probably wonder why on earth most trimmers don't have this mower attachment option!

I was hesitant, but worked a treat. I have about 800 sq ft of grass to cut. First spring and long grass to tackle. Did the job perfectly. It's basically a good quality whipper snipper that slots into a flat 4 wheel roller base to get an even/flat cut. You get about 16 inches of cut width. It was exactly what I needed and does the job well. As with any whipper-snippers, you occasionally have to extend the string, and there is a ample (and replaceable) spool that comes with it. On this first cut, I got th rough to the end of the grass, and only needed to extend the string a bit, as I went over a rock. Nice and lightweight, hangs up on a hook in the garage.

Excelente producto...dura entre 3 y 4 años según el uso...es la 2da vez que la compro.

It does the job (i.e edging and mowing of grass). Super simple to put together and use. Lightweight when used as a trimmer and easy to maneuver with the wheel attachment when used to mow. I bought it to cut grass growing between my fence and the edge of my patio (i needed a mower that could be used in this tight area). My only complaint when used as an edger, is the guide (there is a horizontal wheel which acts as a guide). Would be nice if the guide represented the true distance from the end of the cutting wire. Example...you need to trim grass close to a wooden fence, and not hit the fence with the cutting wire. For tight small grassy areas, this is the tool to use. For a regular lawn, you need a more traditional gas or electric mower.

Es una podadora muy práctica y sencilla, no pesa mucho y eso nos ayuda a las mujeres. Excelente máquinita. Me encantó

Es un gran producto, como podadora y como bordeadora cumple excelente con su trabajo y el hilo dura bastante también!