Black & Decker Replacement Mower Blade

Why I tried this blade

I keep a compact electric push mower around for tight spaces and quick weekly trims, and it’s at its best with a sharp, well-balanced blade. My stock blade had lost its bite after a season, so I swapped in this Black & Decker replacement blade, a 15-inch class blade that actually measures about 14.75 inches tip to tip. It’s billed as an OEM fit for EM1500-series decks and tuned for bagging rather than mulching. I used it over the course of a few weeks on a small suburban lawn—mostly fescue and bluegrass—cutting both dry weekday lawns and a couple of damp weekend passes after rain. Here’s how it fared.

Installation and fit

Installation is straightforward if you’ve done a mower blade before:

• Disconnect power fully (remove battery or unplug and pull the safety key).
• Wedge a block of wood in the deck to immobilize the blade.
• Loosen the center bolt, note the orientation (lift wings face upward toward the deck), and swap blades.
• Torque the bolt firmly; check your mower’s spec if you have a torque wrench.

The center hub pattern matched cleanly and seated without fuss. The shorter 14.75-inch length offers a bit of extra deck clearance compared with longer “true” 15-inch generics, which helps avoid scuffs inside the deck shell and reduces the chance of contacting the housing if the mower flexes. On my deck there was no rubbing, and the blade spun freely.

Out of the box the balance was good. I always check with a simple cone balancer; this one didn’t need any correction.

Design choices you should know

This is a bagging blade, not a mulching profile. The lift wings are pronounced, with a relatively straight cutting edge ahead of the uplift area. That shape is optimized to move air and clippings up and back into a bag. On a small electric mower, the lift design matters because:

• Higher lift improves bag fill and reduces stray clippings.
• Higher lift also increases aerodynamic drag, which can draw a bit more current and, in turn, reduce runtime compared to a lower-lift or mulching blade.

The trade-off felt reasonable. My runtime per charge dipped slightly on heavy growth weeks, but bagging performance improved noticeably.

The blade is a lighter-gauge steel than what you’ll see on larger gas mowers. That’s normal for compact electrics, which have less torque and benefit from a lighter rotating mass. The upside is faster spin-up and reduced strain on the motor. The downside is that you need to treat it like a precision cutting tool: avoid rocks, roots, and hidden edging stakes.

Cut quality

With the blade fresh, the cut was clean at my usual 2.75–3 inches. On fescue, I saw crisp, even tips without white fraying, which is a good sign for edge geometry. In light to moderate growth, one pass left the lawn looking finished—no stragglers or torn blades of grass.

In damp conditions, performance was still solid, though any bagging blade will be tested by wet clippings. I had to walk a touch slower and keep the deck cleaned out between passes to maintain airflow, but the blade kept feeding the bag consistently. Side discharge was tidy when I ran without the bag; rows were even and dispersed.

If you’re switching from a tired blade, expect a noticeable improvement in how the mower sounds and how straight your cut lines look. The sound smooths out when a blade is balanced and sharp; that was the case here.

Bagging performance

This is where the blade shines. I was filling the bag more evenly and more fully than with the dulled blade I replaced. The lift pulled clippings off the deck floor and into the chute without the clumping that sometimes happens with lower-lift profiles. On overgrown patches, two slower passes were sufficient to prevent clogging—about what I’d expect for a small-format mower.

One tip: bagging blades work best with a clean deck. A quick scrape with a plastic putty knife after each mow keeps the airflow high and the bagging efficient.

Durability and edge life

Edge retention was decent for a couple of hours of mowing per week over a month. After about five full mows on a 0.2-acre lawn, I could feel a slight burr along the cutting edge. That’s common with thinner blades, especially if you nick sandy spots or the occasional twig. A quick touch-up with a mill file restored the bite.

As for impact resistance, this blade behaves like most OEM blades for small electrics: it prefers clean turf. I clipped a shallow, hidden root at low speed and it left a minor wave at the trailing edge of one wing. It didn’t throw the balance off enough to matter for that session, but I pulled the blade afterward and flattened the ripple with a few careful hammer taps on a flat anvil surface, then rebalanced and reinstalled. If your lawn hides a lot of debris, consider walking it once before mowing or switching to a thicker aftermarket blade if your deck allows it.

Vibration and noise

With a new, balanced blade the mower ran smoother and quieter than it had in months. The difference is noticeable at the handle. Hand fatigue drops when vibration is under control, and you’ll hear fewer “whaps” from torn grass. On high-lift bagging blades you might notice a bit more air whoosh, but in my case it was modest and worth the improved pickup.

Maintenance and sharpening

• Clean the deck underside regularly to keep airflow high.
• Inspect the edge after every two or three mows; a few strokes with a file often beats waiting until it’s blunt.
• Keep the edge profile consistent from side to side and always recheck balance. An unbalanced blade is hard on bearings and your hands.
• Replace rather than attempt to straighten if the blade has a severe bend or any crack. No cut is worth a safety risk.

Given the relatively light weight, I’d expect to sharpen this blade a couple of times through a season and replace it annually if you mow weekly and have sandy soil.

Compatibility and warranty

As an OEM-style replacement for the EM1500-series deck, fit and hub geometry were spot-on in my use. The nominal 15-inch class with an actual 14.75-inch length is appropriate for these compact decks. The stated two-year limited warranty is unusual for a consumable, but it’s best viewed as coverage against defects rather than normal wear or impact damage. Keep your receipt and inspect upon arrival; exchange any blade that shows shipping bends or warping.

What I liked

• Strong bagging lift that actually fills the bag
• Clean, even cut quality on cool-season grasses
• Light, well-balanced feel suited to small electric mowers
• Easy installation with proper hub alignment

What could be better

• Lighter gauge steel means you must avoid impacts; it can deform if it hits roots or rocks
• Slight runtime hit compared with lower-lift or mulching profiles
• Edge needs periodic touch-ups to stay razor-sharp

Who it’s for

If you run an EM1500-series compact electric and you primarily bag clippings, this replacement blade is a sensible, no-drama choice. It favors airflow and cleanliness over mulching finesse, and it’s tuned for the torque and deck geometry of these small mowers. Homeowners with tidy turf and the habit of checking the lawn for debris will get the most from it. If you regularly mow rough ground or want a dedicated mulching edge, you’ll want a different blade style.

Recommendation

I recommend this replacement blade for EM1500-style electric mowers if bagging is your priority. It installs easily, cuts cleanly, and moves clippings into the bag with consistency, all while keeping vibration low. The trade-offs—lighter steel that needs a bit more care and periodic touch-ups—are typical in this class and manageable with basic maintenance. Treat it like the precision part it is, and it will keep a small electric mower performing at its best.