Black Max lawnmower - any good?

14 years ago

While shopping at Sams Club, I came across a Black Max push mower (powered by Honda) GV160 engine. Anyone have any experience with those? They look like this...

Made by "HOP" not familiar with that company...

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doo_hauler

14 years ago

My concern would be, If you need service where do you go? What about warranty issues? Who is building this for Sams Club? Department store mowers are a crap shoot, roll the dice and hope all goes well.

I would rather purchase from an actual dealer of a specific brand knowing that I can obtain service from them.

My .02

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Comments (22)

rdaystrom
14 years ago
It may an be OK mower but it's front wheel drive. Not something I'd opt for but people use them. It's equipped with a Honda.... good engine.
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wilburludd_hughes_net
11 years ago
The Engine is good. The rest of it is of very poor Quality. First time I used it the discharge deflector broke off. The second time i used it the rear skirt broke off and got caught in the blades and chewed it up. The third time i used the the control bar to engage the self-propeled function keeps coming out of the handle. Today the fourth time i used it one of the rear wheels broke off at the bolt that hold it on. Also one of the handle knobs is stripped out and will not stay tight. Also you might want to look real close at the repair parts manuel, there is no phone number or web site to contact anyboby. Just a mailing address. As if they do not want anybody to be able to contact them in regards to any problems the be having with their product.
SkaTroma
10 years ago
Wow, I just used it for the 3rd time ever and the rear wheel broke off. The plastic around the wheel completely broke in half as I was walking along. I was on flat ground and the grass was fairly short, I was just topping it off really and the friggin' wheel broke off. I havent tried to take it back to Sams yet, Im sure that will be a treat.
sherridhunt_yahoo_com
10 years ago
parts diagram and listing---http://www.oscar-wilson.com/MANUALS/AYP/96144000500.PDF

a place to buy the parts-----http://www.doitbestparts.com/default.asp
SkaTroma
10 years ago
FOLLOW-UP POST:

I took my blackmax back to Sams and they gave me no hassle about returning my money, and the best part was, the sales associate said mine was the 3rd Blackmax to come in with a broken wheel. Sounds like a recurring issue!
dicklott2-temp_yahoo_com
10 years ago
One of the rear wheels fell off (plastic wheel) the 4th time I used the mower. I returned it to SAM's club with no problems...other than the standard lines and waiting at SAM's.
rrochester
8 years ago
I also have had problems with the rear wheel breaking at the axle hole. Mine has broken when the mower is used on a bank where weight is put on one wheel or the other. I've replaced one wheel (after warranty of course) already. I've had the mower about three years now and the other wheel has broken. This is definitely poor engineering. There's just not enough material on the wheel at the axle interface. They need to design a more robust rear wheel. I haven't had any other problems other than this. The engine is very reliable but I expected no less from Honda.
mor1234
7 years ago
No much mystery about this mower. HOP is Husqavarma Outdoor Products. THey get sold under thier own name at Home Depot and other places and by Sears as Craftsman. HOP is a division of Electrolux who makes lots of things including Fridgaire. At Sears and Home Depot the mower comes with a Briges engine And for more money the Honda. Decent mid level mower. Likely 1/2 you block using it under different names. Parts are easy once you know it is a craftsman.
rrochester
7 years ago
I purchased my mower about 4 years ago. I too had one of the rear wheels crack where it goes on the axle. The plastic hubs are a poor design to handle the weight of the mower, especially when you mow horizontally on a bank. Rather than pay nearly $50 for a replacement wheel (my model had larger rear wheels than the ones in your photo), I bought a third party replacement with a metal hub for about the same money. Other than that, the Honda engine is very reliable. Documentation for the mower is not par with high quality organizations. The handle bar could use a re-design to ergonomically accommodate the safety bar which you have to hold to the handle to keep the engine running. Some padding on the handle where your hands go would also be an improvement.
Marvin Haendler Sr.
7 years ago
After A season and a half, the front wheel drive went out of my Black max.I stilll had 5 months left on the warranty, but black max would not make that good. They claimed it to be wear and tear. So I bought a new mower this season, but I it sure as H---l ain`t a Black Max.
Clive Riddle
4 years ago
I have had a Black Max for 5 years with no problems. It still starts on second pull. The first year my son (17) somehow got a steel spike jammed in the blades. I thought bent shaft and would have to replace this new mower. Once in a while I hear a little rattle of the blades from a slightly bent shaft but she is still cutting.
Dale K.
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
Leaked Gas from the Tank right after assembled. One hose appears to be connected right. there must be another. Sending it back to Sams. Who messed this up, Honda or MTD? Wasted a lot of time and made a mess.

Black Max 21" 160cc Front Wheel Drive Mower Powered by Honda
ssewalk1
4 years ago
Sorry Junk ! Return it and get a Refund !
Don Ford
4 years ago
I had mine for about 3 years. I think it's great. It is front wheel drive which has its own problems (debree getting wrapped around front axle). I use it to mulch up my bush and tree trimmings and often leave it out in rain storms. Currently I'm looking for front tire replacements because I've spun the bald. Yep, I abuse this machine and it has taken it well.
300ft_anin
4 years ago
hi don, check you tube. there are videos showing how to retread lawn mower tires. unless you know who made the mower, finding the correct replacement could be a challenge? and no, you can't borrow 1 of mine lol.
HU-526598956
2 years ago
second year and by far the best mower I have ever had. It’s stored outside with a nice cover on it. Pulled the cover off and it started on the second pull! It always starts on first or second pull unlike the Craftmans I’ve had over the years. No problems and the Honda engine is why I bought it! It’s a beast and will never let you down
HU-443214983
last year
Don't buy Black Max!! I did and self propel doesn't work. The height tabs let the back wheel drop to lowest setting. They want me to pay for shipping to send back or drive 100 miles for service. I have owned it for 2 weeks. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY
1saxman
last year
Seems to me the best features of it were a stainless steel deck and the Honda engine. It was a different mower for sure but a rather short-lived one.
HU-655892484
last year
Brand new out box

Ms wont start
Dayna Grant
last year
I only used mines twice and it stopped working. Walmart acting like they do not want to replace the lawn mower. I will never buy anything else like this from there.
PRO
Kevins Small Engine and Tractor Service
12 months ago
last modified: 12 months ago
Hi, Black Max power equipment is engineered, warrantied, and sold by;

HART CONSUMER PRODUCTS, INC. P.O. Box 1348 Anderson, SC 29622, USA 1-800-726-5760 Blackmaxtools.com

I believe one poster may have misread the manufacturers' tag as HOP (Husqvarna) rather than H.C.P. RANT; I see several mentions of the Honda GCV engines as "excellent. good" when I can assure you they are not nearly the quality of a Briggs EXI or platinum nor the Kohler XT series engines. I see it in the shop day in and day out; Bent crankshafts from striking objects as the crank is just cold rolled steel and a small 5/8" diameter shaft VS. the forged 3/4" crank used on the Briggs. Constant carburation issues causing surging that in many cases cannot be corrected except by putting a 190cc carburetor on the 160cc., Plastic overhead camshaft operated with very thin but strong nylon toothed "belt", Recoil starters fail far more frequently than Briggs, Kohler's, and even Lifan's. Just a short three or four weeks ago a gentleman brought in a $600 plus dollar Honda plastic-bodied twin-bladed walk behind purchased in six weeks prior with which he struck a piece of wood and sure enough...bent crank and very nasty vibration. I simply ordered a replacement engine from SmallEngineWarhouse and swapped it out for roughly $300. END RANT; That said, I have had several black max machines in for service and they seemed to be well constructed. Their walk behind mowers resembles many manufacturers depending on the model, such as Husqvarna, Honda plastic bodies, and basic Murray push mowers. I have not seen any broken or worn wheels so I cannot judge that and these machines are fairly new on the market and I have not had very many come through the shop. Maybe ten walk-behinds and one Leaf Blower, which looked a lot like a Poulan Pro unit. Regarding their brand name, I believe they are playing off the Red Max name which is good quality throughout their line. I do not believe they have a dealer network, they are sold mainly through Walmart. Here are a couple of links for more information. I notice that most, if not all of the walk-behinds now have Briggs engines. I cannot find any information regarding the manufacturer of the actual Generator nor the invertor used, which is the most important part of the units so they produce good, clean electricity and the bearings and windings are high quality. For example, Briggs & Stratton Brand name gensets use a General electric generator and inverter, Generac manufactures their own generator and invertors, all the "box store" no-name brands use no-name Chinese generators and inverters...not that automatically makes them bad. One thing to look for is the difference between rated watts and peak watts. The bigger the headroom, the better the genset, generally.

Mower line up

Full Product Line up...no more ride on machines?

Their Higher-end walk behind (looks a lot like Honda influence here)

This product has a Three-year Limited Warranty for personal, family, or household use (30 days for business or commercial use). For warranty details, visit www.blackmaxtools.com or call (toll-free) 1-800-726-5760.

BY PHONE:

Monday – Friday, 9 am – 6 pm (EST)
1.800.726.5760

BY MAIL:

BLACKMAX Tools
P.O. Box 1207
Anderson, SC 29621

Black Max lawnmower - any good?

doo_hauler

Comments (22)

rdaystrom

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