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Just wondering about that battery rebuild. I've had mine since I bought the mower over five years ago. I've read about rebuilding in a few places but the "screws" holding on the cover do not seem to be screws - not thread to be able to remove them. Has anyone else run into this?
I have had my 5.1 for a couple of years. I purchased it used. I used it every week but last week it stopped working. I assumed it was the battery. I measured 21 volts on the battery.
You can easily rebuild the battery for less than $50. Remove the front cover of the battery and pull out the (2) 12 volt batteries. The label on the side is a WP10-12se battery. look them up on line.
I took the mower apart. It is very cheap to build, I am surprised the mowers are so expensive. If anyone has had a similar problem please let me know how you fixed it.
We traded in our gas mower for a Neuton 5.3 battery-powered mower and have been very pleased with its ease of assembly, ease of use, nice cut. Powerful enough to tackle St. Augustine grass.
We also have a reel mower, which we think provides the prettiest cut, and alternate between the two. Depends on how hot it is, and how much of a workout I'm wanting!
We'd had no problems for over 2 years with the Neuton, and just recently had an intermittent problem with failure to start, despite charged battery and green lights. When I called, customer service answered promptly, & walked me through checking the switch. The customer service agent said he'd send a new switch, although I told him I thought one of the green wires connecting to the switch looked like the soldering had come loose or the insulation on the wire had separated.
I got the switch a week later, but it didn't fix the problem.
When I called back, they told me they'd already sent a new handlebar. Evidently, the customer service agent thought twice about that switch problem, decided it was the wiring in the handlebar, and sent that out as well.
The handlebars arrived the next day & fixed the problem.
So, I have had nothing but a positive experience with my Neuton 5.3 & the company has backed its product 100%.
I bought the smaller Neuton mower a little less than 4 years ago. It has worked very well and I had been very happy with it. Last fall it developed a few problems with the plastic casing cracking. I didn't think too much about it until this spring when I went to find my paperwork to call the company about getting it fixed. I realized that it was still under warranty and when I called and explained the problem they were EXTREMELY helpful and were willing to send me a new mower. Their customer service was excellent and I can't say enough about what a positive experience that this has been. Customer service like this is rare these days.
Positive
TomSCalif714 Fullerton, CA (1 review) October 19, 2011
My neighbor purchased a Neuton 5.2 about 3 years ago
after 2 years he hired a gardner and parked the mower.
in the backyard in the Southern California weather.
I saw it and asked if I could purchase the mower. He said,
yes and brought it over, he purchased a new battery and put it in the mower, but had not charged it for a year prior to
parking it in the backyard. After setting a year the battery cut my entire
yard" without charging the battery" !!!
Later charged the battery and the mower works great!
A good charge and sharp blade and is the key!
NEUTON SHOULD TEAM UP WITH "BATTERY TENDER"
I like charging lights to know when the battery is charging and
when the charge is comlplete, further more battery tender
shuts off automaticly.
Positive
electrofred Rochester, MN (1 review) October 10, 2011
After reading some of the negatives about the mower and company, I need to share this reply to an e-mail sent this morning after my handle cracked.
From: info@neutonpower.com
To: Subject: RE: Handlebar Housing (LTK52706051251X)
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:46:49 -0400
Subject: Handlebar Housing Dear Customer,
Thank you for contacting us.
I assume the plastic parts are broken. The individual parts for the handlebar are not available. The upper handlebar is only available as a complete unit. I have placed an order for a new set of handlebars for you under the extended warranty. They will ship UPS ground to your home address.
If you have more questions or require further technical assistance, please call our Technical Support Department directly TOLL FREE 1(800) 376-9637, Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, or Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Eastern Time.
We can also be reached at this email address or thru Live Chat on our website http://www.drpower.com during regular business hours.
Sincerely,
Jim O
That is pretty hard to beat for customer service. I have had no other problems and don't miss the smell of gas, oil or cost of tune ups. Sorry it hasn't been that good for everyone.
Neutral
drichard58 Houston, TX (Zone 9b) (1 review) September 23, 2011
Like some others have said, I have had a bit of a love/hate relationship with my Neuton. I am on my second one in 12 years (I got rid of the first one, a 14" cut, only because I wanted the wider cut). My dad still uses it to cut inside the ditch in front of his house because it's too steep for a gas mower. (BTW - I thought you were always supposed to cut across a slope, never up & down. If so, why would this one be so difficult to push?)
In some ways I think the older model was better (back before Neuton was part of DR?). It seemed to be built of better quality materials.
However, the new one does cut a larger swath, and, as noted by others, I did have some issues with inconsistant cutting (leaving long blades of grass uncut). I found that keeping the blade extremely sharp, cutting when the grass was dry, and cutting often (which may mean more than once a week here in Houston), it did well.
I like the way the newer mower's trimmer functioned better than the earlier model and, yes, the batteries do wear out but Batteries Plus had the cells for much less than I could order a new battery and only took 10 minutes to replace. When I sat and thought about
1. How I had to struggle getting my gas mower started
2. Cutting the grass with the heavy clunker wore me out (self-propelled and I don't get along. It always stops working for me)
3. Having to take it in for a "tune-up" almost every spring
4. Seemed to always be out of gas in the gas can when I needed to cut the gras
I realized that this mower is not so bad.
I have had very good customer service from Neuton. When I had a broken front wheel (my son liked to see how hard he could ram it against the house), they sent a new wheel - no charge, no questions, even though it was nearly 4 years old.
Lately, the new mower (now about 5 years old) has been having problems. The handle (made of not-so-high-quality plastic) has cracked in multiple places and a replacement handle is a little more than I really want to spend.
If asked 5 years ago, I would have definitely recommended buying one. Now I think there may be others out there that are just as good.
Positive
jim_in_texas New Braunfels, TX (1 review) July 16, 2011
Just brought home my Neutron5.2 from the resale store. Battery was dead, and didn't take a charge after about 5 hours (nothing, not even a click when put into the mower).
I took the black battery cover off, and found one of the spade lug terminals on one of the batteries was loose, and was not making a connection. I squeezed it slightly with some pliars, and put it back on the battery- Voila! new life for this battery. Of course it still needs more charge, but making this fix saved me from having to buy another battery (for now).
Please be cautious, as the battery can put out a lot of current if you short out the terminals. Only take off one terminal at a time, and make sure the wire doesn't drop onto the other wires or battery terminals, but if you are the least bit handy, you might be able to breathe new life into your otherwise dead Neutron.
BEWARE - NEUTON DOES NOT STAND BEHIND PRODUCT WARRANTY!
I purchased a Neuton CE5 lawn mower, which Neuton's own website say comes with an express two-year manufacturer's warranty. However, before the end of the warranty period, my battery stopped holding a charge (kind of a critical component to an electric, environmentally-friendly product!). When I contacted Neuton, they claimed there was only a ONE year warranty on the battery AND any other "wearable" lawn mower components -- despite the fact that no such limited warranty is disclosed to customers at the time of purchase! BUYER BEWARE that the battery may not be of sufficient quality to warrant your investment in this product AND that Neuton does not stand behind its product or live up to the terms of the express warranty provided to customers!
See Neuton's product description and express warranty here ("The regular Limited Warranty that comes with your Neuton Mower covers defects in materials and workmanship for 2 years"):
P.S. You should also note that, even if you try to order a replacement battery from Neuton, when you place that item in Neuton's online shopping cart, it says Neuton will not be able to ship the battery for at least 5-6 WEEKS. Enjoy your summer with no ability to mow your lawn!
I have an old 4.1 which I have had for about 10 years now.
Still using the original battery, blade and everything. I had gotten the trimmer/edger attachment a while back and while it works, I would not recommend it. Too bulky and it no longer stays locked into place. I use a bungee cord to keep the contacts in place.
Other than that, it was the best $100 I ever spent... got it in a trade when the Air Board out here was offering to turn in your old gas mower for one of these.
I can't speak for the others, but I really love mine.
I have a DR Whisper Lite (predecessor to the Neuton). Despite the mower being 12 years old, the company still has, and is willing to sell, spare parts. I replaced the battery pack and blade a few years ago. The mower quit working last week, and after an email exchange with Karen, in customer service, I found that the motor control board was badly corroded, due to high humidity and lots of salt spray on the grass in my coastal location. The new control board was shipped promptly and easy to install. (Only tool required was a screwdriver). I am looking forward to many more years of excellent service.
Negative
jimyten Los Angeles, CA (1 review) December 7, 2010
I didn't like the Neuton, just the packaing seemed well packaged until I took it out of the box, I had no idea it was made in Tawian but the box says from Vermont as I thought I was buying an American made mower was not. I didn't care for the charging method - should of been made right to the mower not outside of the mower. Among grass the cutting it is loud and very uneven with large tire tire tracks on the grass. I know the idea behind it but I like my gas mower a lot more than this thing and was a lot cheaper to stay with my gas mower. I just thats why some still perfer gas, consistant and no hassle.
Positive
Wrightman900 Cheshire, CT (1 review) September 13, 2010
Posted on August 8, 2010, updated September 13, 2010
I have owned a Neuton mower for over 5 years. Recently i have had problems with my batteries. I bought two at the beginning of ownership and they are now unusable. I bought another about 4 weeks ago and now that one will not charge.
With all my problems, I regret buying this mower. It seemed like a good idea but the cost on buying the batteries make it too expensive to operate. Customer service is bad and not responsive. It is always the customer's fault that the mower is not working properly. I will either buy a gas mower or another electric mower but never from this company.On September 13th, 2010, Wrightman900 changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:
We received the new battery charger and now i am happy again.
The new charger charges the battery faster and has the light indicator to show that the battery is charged. I would recommend this mower to all now.
Posted on August 11, 2010, updated August 12, 2010
This is my third summer with a Neuton 5.1. The narrow cut took some getting used to, but the extra walking is good for me anyway. I have just under 10,000 sq ft of lawn; that takes a little over two hours with the stops to empty the bag, etc, and I estimate that it's about a 3-mile walk. I keep a wheel barrow close by to empty the bag quickly and then it all goes into the compost bin. Two batteries are usually plenty... if I've let it go too long then I either have to raise the height or do it in two days; but letting it go too long is bad for the lawn in any case so I try not to.
My trimmer/edger attachment broke during the warranty period. I notified the company by email and they ordered a replacement sent without requiring a return... no questions asked.
A battery connection proved to be unreliable but it was past the warranty... they told me what likely was wrong and how to have it fixed in a local repair shop. I like that.
In summary, I love the fact that it costs me about ten cents worth of eletricity to mow the lawn, I am not polluting when I do it, I no longer struggle with gas engines that operate reliably for a very short life, and while it's about as loud as a shop vac it's far quieter than any gas mower. I've read a number of negative reviews, but my experience has been very positive. My next mower will be a Neuton 6.x and I'll pass the 5.1 on to someone else because I espect it to last for years.On August 12th, 2010, jimmym added the following:
Follow-up to post on Aug 11: (1) new trimmer arrived today (24 hours; I'm only about 150 miles away but that's still pretty darned good). (2) I looked at the suggested battery problem and diagnosed & fixed it myself in about 15 minutes. All good.
Positive
captiveinfla West Palm Beach, FL (1 review) August 7, 2010
We bought a 2 yr old used Neuton C6. We looooooooooove it. Can't tell you enough how "pleasing" it is to go out and mow with no gas fumes nor having to fill it with gas, no excessive noise, no cord, no pain in the arm, literally, to start it and no spraying it with fluid to start it. So easy to use and adjustable handle lets my hubby and I switch for our convenience in a second. We can mow our front and back lawn usually all at once, unless we let it go too long and then only the front and half of the back - but that is not often. We sometimes switch off and mow the front one day and the back the next day. Our whole yard (front and back) is about 13,500 sq ft. We researched for many days all different mowers. A friend suggested we buy his mom's because he and she liked it but she is getting old and hired a lawn service. We got a great deal on it used. Just ordered a spare blade and am going to buy a spare battery soon. The first day we cut our front lawn with it all the neighbors came over. We are the envy of the neighborhood, and expect to see more around soon. Again I must say we looooooooove it.
Positive
st_bernard St_Bernard de Lacolle Canada (1 review) August 7, 2010
I read all negative input and I can tell that they are not supported by my personal experience with my two 6.3. I can say that: no one, in the right mind should cut grass when wet. Grass must be cut when it is sunny, everyone who are serious about grass cutting know that basic fact.
Yes, the discharge could be improve but it do the job in a regular condition. Mulching is perfect, no complain about it. For those who have problem with the battery, may I invite you to read owner manual instruction or go read about those battery here: http://www.batteryuniversity.com/ Those kind of battery need a certain level of maintenance. Another fact, it not take 24 our to recharge, it take only 16 or less . First of all, it is virtually impossible that a battery died after 10 minutes of use unless their is a manufacturer defect. In my personal experience, the battery last between 40 to 60 minutes, all depend of the grass height.
The secret, with all mower, electric or gas is the sharpness of the blade. Try to cut meat with a bad knife!!!. For the sharpner, provide by Neuton, if use as indicated, it work perfectly and did a great job.
I buy my two units in june of 2009 and I cut over 60 000 square foots of grass each week, it do a great exercise (no gym to pay or enrol) and my grass is cut to perfection. So, I will say as Toyota advertise mentions, Ask someone who own one their opinion.
You can buy one and if you don't like it, you just have to return it, there is no risk. I don't understand why those negative opinion never return their unit.
About service of Neuton, It is not thru. I receive my unit with one damage wheel, it was replace under warranty. I file another claim for the mulching plug this week and they replace it. I can say that the service is according my expectation. If some find the price prohibitive why they buy it at the first place, no one twist their arm before. A company is can ask a price that they find reasonable, it up to the consumer to agree or not. It a question of pure financial logic. A consumer, usually base is opinion about the price of a good when he compare similar product. If you decide to buy a Dyson Vacuum (overprice if you compare), a the price they ask, it is your own decision, don't blame the manufacturer, blame yourself but just yourself.
Positive
oldCTgardener Glastonbury, CT (3 reviews) June 14, 2010
We tried a friend's Neuton (their second, they moved to the larger size) and liked it so bought our own, last summer. We have been happy with it. Having had two gas models that were gender specific (would not start if a women pulled the cord) it is a delight to go to the garage and start the Neuton instantly and be finished with our small lawn before we would have had the mower started if it had been a gasoline model.
Negative
thisilldefend Gig Harbor, WA (1 review) June 13, 2010
We have the 5.1 and just bought our third battery. It was dead in 8mins. I would not reccomend this mower to anyone. For what we have into this plastic piece of junk we could have bought 2 gas mowers that would cut grass over 1in high.
Customer service is poor. We ordered a new charger and they sent us the wrong one. When we finally got the right one we had to buy another battery 129 bucks with shipping.
Our neighbor across the street has one and hates it also. His grass is just a small strip on the side of his house. He has to mow his grass twice a week for fear of his grass getting to long that his mower will not cut it all. Because then you have to wait at least 15hrs to charge the battery.
There is nothing green about this mower. I plan on smashing it with a sledge hammer and taking it to the dump. I will give our brand new battery to the neighbor so he has a back- up battery. which is a must have if you own one of these horrible contraptions.
GO GAS!!
Company changed battery storage/charging instructions without notifying owners. Now they won't replace the dead battery. No one at the company seems to be intertested in even responding to the complaint or issue.
Just used my new Neuton C5 mower today for the first time. It performed splendidly! My old gas mower had broken a month ago and the little Neuton powered through thick, wet grass. I set it on highest setting and took my time because this just wasn't a fair trial for the mower but it did very well.
After the now shorter lawn dries I will re-mow it at a lower length. The mower is easy to handle, starts instantly, is lightweight and very easy to clean. I have nerve damage in my arms and can handle it easily. Not having to pull on a gas mower to start it is a huge, huge deal for me.
This mower exceeds my expectations. I have a large DR Field Mower from the partner company and have found this to be a superb product as well.
I've never had any problems with customer service and they were very clear when I phoned to go over what my mowing needs were and whether a Neuton would be the one for me.
Just got my Neuton 5.2 mower on Monday (5/17). Just used it this morning in dew wet grass. I have a small yard (.20 acre) and the mower cut the full yard with no problem and handled the wet grass well.
Even the back side where it was my first mowing there this season. The grass was 6 or 7 inches tall. I had to go throught a little slower but it cut through with no problems.
My back yard is bumpy from our large dog so it made cutting the lawn with a push mower very tough. Even my gas mower (not self propelled) was hard because of its weight. The Neuton being light easily rolled over this part of my lawn without any trouble.
Very glad with its first test. If the battery and mower perform like this consistently, I will be very happy.
The only negative is the 14 inch cutting lenght but I preferred this because i wanted a lighter mower that I can store in the rafter of my garage over the winter. Something that i couldn't do with my gas mower because of weight and oil/gas spillage.
I picked this mower because I read a lot of positive reviews, its light, and maintenance free. Being quieter and no fumes are another big plus.
I bought a Neuton 6.2 mower 5 yrs ago and used it to mow a 1/3 of an acre. I moved to 2 acres and I still mow about 1/3 acre of fenced area. This is in Texas where mowing is needed for all but 2-3 months out of a year. I haven't had any problems mowing. Not on wet grass or tall grass. I conditioned the batteries like with any battery operated product, I own. This is important, if you don't fully charge then run down the batteries from jump street they aren't going to work correctly, just like any other rechargeable battery. I bought the trimmer attachment but I do not recommend it. I still after 5 yrs haven't figured out how its useful. I also wouldn't suggest an extra battery just buy one. I could mow an acre with mine with out it going dead & thats just one battery. It runs for hours even when I've forgotten to plug it in. I mow once a week, so even after I run this mower for over an hour then let it sit for a week uncharged, I am able to turn around and do it again with out any mowing problems! I've mowed different types of grass with this mower too. In the city I had lush green grass, that I'd let get over grown but could still mow down even wet. Out here in the country I have more tough weeds than grass. More like mowing a pasture. Still no problems with the mower. I do keep the deck height all the way up to leave the grass long. I don't mow a wet over grown lawn every time I mow but its happened when I've been busy the yards grown 2 weeks instead of one. Then I've gone out early and mowed dew covered grass but I haven't had any problems. I had a neighbor in the city I lived in that had the smaller Neuton he loved his. I didn't talk to him about his before I bought mine (I didn't know he had one) but he saw mine and said he wished he had bought the larger mower. This neighbor also has one of the Neutron garden carts and loves it. I'm now looking to buying one. I was interested in the cordless weed trimmer too. The battery is 18 volt and is only suppose to last 20min. Its only 5lbs and $88 other brands are 8lbs for $140 and run for 30-45min. My husbands looking for that extra run time & I am looking at weight. I'm petite so 3lbs gets heavy quick. Any one have have an opinion on these items? I would recommend a Neutron 6.2 to any one looking for a battery mower but it is much heavier than the smaller model. For a petite woman its not so much easier to mow with then another mower thats self propelled. It is nicer for us ladies to use because most of us don't want to handle gas and oil or even know how to change a spark plug & we down want to throw our backs out pulling a cord. I've never had a dead battery even when I forgotten to charge the battery 1-2 weeks sitting.
I work for the city electric company so when they offered the battery powered neuton for $100 w/trade-in I took the deal... Yes the mower is quiet and fairly light but it mows poorly(uneven, clumps and does not always actually cut) ... I have a small yard(40' x 30')and although it can easily mow on one charge, it is useless on anything over a couple of inches in height... In addition, it just clogs and stalls on damp or wet grass... The battery has lasted about 27 months but is starting to fade... It only lasts for about 2/3 of my lawn now... You have to be sure and clean the grass out of the blade area every time you mow... I looked on-line for a new battery and they cost over $100...I could not find a $90 battery that other posts quoted... Since I only paid $100 and traded in an old broken down gas mower, I don't feel I got ripped off... However, I would never recommend anyone buy a neuton for full price... Good luck!
I bought the cordless Neuton CE 5.2 two seasons ago to replace my gas guzzling, oil burning, smoke choking, and eardrum splitting John Deere. The Neuton couldn't be easier and cheaper to operate....about 10 cents per charging. No more need to go to the gas station to fill gas cans, no more storing gas cans in my garage, no more changing oil and preparation for storage over the winter. The convenient rear bagger is very easy to empty.
I have a third of an acre (average size lot in a sub-division) and ONE battery charge does the entire lawn...let me repeat, costing me about 10 cents. Simply take the battery off the charger and drop it in the battery chamber of the Neuton mower. Hit the switch and you have enough CLEAN power to do the job. This mower is so easy to use and easy to push, that my wife even volunteers to mow the lawn. Ours is the 14-inch blade, but if you want to make fewer "passes" you can get the 19" blade model.
Shortly after my purchase of the mower, I purchased the Edger/Trimmer attachment. Best idea yet. Does a great job on not only straight edging, but goes around curves equally as well. I no longer have to wear earplugs when trimming, and lug around a separate appliance for edging and trimming. This edger attaches directly to the mower. No more backaches carrying those heavy trimmers around.
The reason I bought the Neuton CE 5.2 is to reduce noise, pollution and the cost of mowing my lawn. As it turns out, it also makes mowing MUCH easier.
I definitely recommend the Neuton CE 5.2 = 5 Star Rating!!
Negative
Alex3 Chemainus, BC Canada (1 review) December 8, 2009
Inspite of detailed research I made a major error buying this machine (CE 5.2)
The key clips were constantly working loose such that there was overheating in the connector and the key would cut off power. They told me my fix was what was recommended - open up the key loops with pliers!. A year later when I complained again they sent me a new circuit board. Nothing else.
One of the 2 batteries I bought with it died within 4 months of use.
The thing, contrary to many testimonials will not cut wet grass without plugging in either mulch or bag mode and will die in wet grass very quickly.
I am not cutting a large lawn - maybe 1200 sq.ft and one battery often is not adequate to do the job.
I like the height adjustment.
I like the 45 lb (15lb of battery) for the small slopes I have to cut. It is manuverable and easy to turn.
The cut is only 14 in. but I knew that going in as part of the weight saving.
The thing does not live up to its billing. Given the opportunity to do this again I would decline to do so.
Positive
lofftusclan Arcadia, CA (1 review) October 20, 2009
The neuton battery mower is outstanding. Have had it for 4 or 5 years. Got it through a county offer for the environment. Trade in your gas mower and pay $100 and the mower is yours. I'm not an environmentalist however the mower is quiet, no more paying for gas or tuneups. I just recently replaced the blade and bought an extra battery. The discharge is straight back and the only negative thing is that the grass tends to back up in the small discharge space and the catcher which could be bigger. I love the unit and would never go back to a gas powered machine. My next door neighbor has one and he introduced me to the county offer. I'm going to suggest to my son in law that he get one. My daughter couldn't believe how quiet it was.
Negative
timschroepfer Burbank, CA (1 review) October 18, 2009
I hate to say it, but after a year and $500 I am ready to send my Neuton to the scrap pile. The machine is not built well. It is heavy and made from plastic. It take a ton of effort to push up hill - I have a slight incline in my front yard and I am under 30 and it is a pain to push up my front yard. It does not roll well to say the least. The design of the undercarriage does not facilitate clippings flowing into the bag well at all. I get huge piles of clippings caught under the mower. I have to stop, reach in the mover and pull them out 2 or 3 times per section of my yard. The battery has lasted ok. I had one die, which Neuton replaced pretty quickly. My replacement has worked better, but the power is just not enough to take care of my lawn. I have about 1000 sqft of grass. I am now looking for other electric mowers and possibly a gas machine.
I am a male, 67 years old and have used reel, power mowers, self propelled and up to rider mowers. This spring I ordered the Neuton 6.3. I have never been happier with a mower in my life! The cut is as even as a flat top hair cut. True, it leaves some clippings (I use the mulcher), but they are easily removed with a blower. The Neuton is very easy to use. I ordered a second battery, which I really didn't need (my fault). I have never had one single problem with my mower or even had to refer to the handbook, except when I easily assembled it. My neighbor is envious. The people having problems are probably cutting high grass on low settings. Doesn't work well with any mowers. Good job on developing this baby!!! Thanks.
Negative
InCalifornia Fresno, CA (1 review) October 4, 2009
As our city offered an incentive to purchase Neuton cordless mowers, I was very excited to take this opportunity to obtain an environmentally friendlier piece of equipment. In only 3 uses, the mower stopped working. After I had exhausted all troubleshooting options mentioned in the manual, I finally contacted the company. On the first day the representative promised to e-mail me the list of their partner/certified repair shops in town. That did not happen. I had to call again the following day, wait for about 15 min to actually talk to anyone. This time they suggested to take the battery in for testing to "Batteries plus". That took me about an hour. The battery was fine.
I called the company again. This time a different representative stayed on line while she e-mailed me the list of shops. I live in a city of 500 000, and there was not a single repair shop on their list located in my city!!! The closest shop was 45 min drive away. I refused to waist my time even more and they agreed to ship me a new mower. It was supposed to arrive in 3 days. Needless to say, it took 5.
Upon opening the box, to my utter shock, I discovered they had sent me A USED MOWER OF A WRONG MODEL !!!! UNBELIEVABLE! I called the company again. They were apologetic about their mistake and agreed to ship a new replacement. They said it would take 2 days for me to receive it. It's been a week and I'm still waiting. However, they did send a UPS driver to pick up the old units without making any prior arrangements with me. Of course, as I do have a job, I was not at home in the middle of the day when the UPS driver stopped by... Also, as I already had recycled the package the first mower came in, I had explained to the customer service representative that I would be able to send the mower back AFTER the new one has arrived. Only then would I have appropriate packaging materials to wrap the mower safely. And not to waist any more of my time, I would like to be able to send both mowers (the faulty original one and the wrong model used one they sent me as a replacement) at the same time as I would need to be at home when the UPS comes.
Well, I suppose I will be making another phone call tomorrow... All together this ordeal has already taken at least 6 hours of my time. And I have to continue borrowing my friend's mower to keep the yard taken care of.
While I like the idea of using environmentally friendly products offered by smaller companies, the level of incompetence on the part of Neuton will definitely make me think twice before purchasing another item from an unknown manufacturer. Had I purchased a mower at one of the big-box stores, I'm sure there would be no problems in exchanging the faulty piece of equipment. Very unfortunate...
Positive
firsttwelve Bowling Green, OH (1 review) September 11, 2009
I couldn't be more pleased with my Neuton mower. Fortunately, it was purchased second hand for a very reasonable price. I use the mower at my place of business and mow at least once a week. Total mow area: almost an acre. Time mower works: each and every for full length of time needed, sometimes hours. Mows tall grass, thick grass and very big weeds effortlessly. Very light to push and no problem keeping safety handles engaged. Extremely quiet and super easy to use. I am not a young woman and I adore not having to pull-start a mower. The fact that it uses no gas or oil is a blessing. I have used it all summer and have not had to contact manufacturer or customer service; hope I never have to (sounds like a nightmare!) I have had absolutely no problems with the mower and would highly recommend it to anyone.
Neutral
outsidedowntown Gainesville, GA (1 review) September 4, 2009
I was going to buy a new electric mower and decided to question a neighbor a few houses down who I knew owned a 2004 Neuton EM 4.1, basically the same model as the CE 5 except the new 2009 CE 5 is more streamlined. It turns out he hated his Neuton and he really hated that had spent so much money on what he felt was a worthless junk machine. Before I could even ask he wanted to know if I'd buy his Neuton for $50.00. Maybe just enough cash to get him plastered so he could try to forget he'd spent $418.95 for the Neuton! The little Neuton looked like new, was always stored inside, and he'd only used it a few times because he said the batteries wouldn't stay charged well and it's cut was sloppy. The catch was that he could not find the battery charger and both batteries may need to be replaced. Seeing how expensive the batteries cost I almost didn't take him up on his offer. But I could not resist and purchased the used Neuton EM 4.1. The battery charger was not too expensive around $20 with shipping. I charged the batteries up and was able to cut all of my lawn (75' X 40' lot) with the mulching kit installed. The mower is very light and pushing the mower is a breeze. My lawn is mostly flat but this mower is so light it rolls very well over dips and hills. The wheels are easily all adjusted in one simple action. The safety feature handle can get tiresome to squeeze. The mulching kit and bagger works OK but they use up more precious battery power. I really don't like the rear grass discharge but you can cut more because it uses less battery power. It's almost like Neuton forgot about the discharge chute and added the rear discharge at the last minute and did a bad job on the design. Neuton proudly exclaim "The clipping are discharged to the rear so you don't blow clippings onto your driveway or planting beds". What about my shoes and pants Neuton? The rear discharge throws clippings right out on your shoes and pants until the power starts to fade. Also, the clippings build up on the rear of the deck and you must constantly stop and clean them off and then you have a big pile of clippings in one spot. The new mowers have rear side discharge but I have had John Deere gas mowers with this same poor design and it still stinks. I'm sure the Neuton's with rear side discharge can't move enough air to keep the clippings from choking up the chute. And you must clean the underside and all extra parts off after every use. If grass gets built up under the mower then you can just forget cutting anything. Some grass cuts better then others and you have thick grass then don't buy a Neuton it won't do the job required. Neuton customer service is terrible. Especially if you criticize the mowers. If you do that it really makes them angry. They should read these post and listen to all the customers so they can design a real "Green" machine. I'm disappointed in Neuton mowers but I'd really be sick if I'd spent more then $50.00 for this mower. For $50.00 plus $20.00 for the charger I got what I paid for. I wanted to love my Neuton mower but it's more a "Love Hate" relationship. I will eventually buy a Solaris or Epic cordless electric mower. Before you buy a new Neuton mower borrow one first or buy a used one.
Negative
VietnamVet Radford, VA (1 review) September 2, 2009
I purchased the 6.3 mower. Entire experience has been negative as follows:
1) BATTERY: insufficient for my yard and only lasts about 40 minutes. Recharge takes a full 24 hours.
2) MOWER: wheels are too small, made of hard plastic; wheel parts fall off; blade shreds the grass, not cuts it; grass clumps in the undercarriage regardless of whether it is mulched, bagged, or discharged; blade slips and does not stay tight as it should once installed.
3) GRASS DISCHARGE: horrible design. The plastic device is large, goes on the back, gets in the way, comes loose. Terrible design.
4) BAGGER: The plastic bottom of the bag arcs. Cut grass does not enter the bag easily. Because the bottom arcs, grass falls out when the bag is removed.
5) MULCHER: The grass, wet or dry, clumps.
6) PRICE: Overpriced
7) BLADE SHARPENER: Worthless.
8) CUSTOMER SERVICE: Satisfactory; however, during a "sale" as advertised in a mailed flyer, I sent 2 email to inquire about the "reconditioned" mowers and no one responded. When I called, there was a long wait time and the Company had no more "reconditioned" mowers. I bought a new one. Big, big mistake!
7) PERFORMANCE: Sucks. Big disappointment.
Overall, I regret having purchased this product. A postage-stamp size (tiny), flat yard is about all this machine can handle. It is NOT easy to push. There are 4 height-cutting settings, 1= lowest, 4= highest. For my yard, forget 1 and 2 as the battery power is insufficient to cut the grass and the power winds down in about 15 minutes at these settings. Setting 3 is best but the battery winds down in 40 minutes. The blade will continue to turn but too slowly to cut the grass therefore, the advertised 60 minutes of power is misleading. Setting 4 cuts only the very top of the grass. Unfortunately, I threw the box away so I'm stuck with this $500 dinosaur. Soon I will purchase a 6.5 horsepower gas/oil mower. The $510 I spent with Neuton could have purchased quite a lot of gasoline.
I bought a Neuton for all the right environmental reasons --- the reasons are still great, BUT this machine was a BIG mistake!
I hate to say it but, if I had done my homework a little better before purchasing this Neuton mower, I wouldn't have spent the last hour calling customer service and getting no where, AND now be over here complaining about it.
The first thing I found out is what a previous customer has already stated on this board, and that is;
"Customer service is DEFINATELY not 24/7 and two, they are ABSOLUTELY not willing to pay for shipping.".
The problems with this machine:
1) It rolls like a log -- a very hard to push log. I am serious when I say it can (almost) put you into cardiac arrest just trying to push it up a slight incline on your lawn. This makes absoluely no sence because the machine is supose to be light weight and a free rolling unit.
2) It does not shoot the lawn clippings into the bag when you PAUSE the MOWER. (i.e., stop walking -- machine is running -- turn machine to mow the next row). The problem is worse when you stop the mower (stop the blade). ANY, and I do mean ANY, clippings that were heading in the direction of the bag will NEVER get there --- even if you start the machine in the samse spot and roll back over them -- just forget it!
3) The video shows a senior strolling along pushing the machine with ease. I can say that -- beyond a shadow of ANY doubt --- this video is a complete CROCK of s***! Unless you have a very short, flat lawn -- and plan to cut the grass when you only have to take off 1/4 of an inch, there is no way you are going to comfortably push this machine anywhere.
In other words --- all you elderly out there reading this had better hit the muscle-enhancing drugs or you're S.O.L.!
There were some good points about the machine:
Enviromnmentally friendly --
No gas polution on the grass (or air) --
Moderately quiet --
To sum it up:
Its a log to push;
Customer service is "0" help:
You will loose money when you try to return the machine (for me that will be $70).
SAVE YOUR MONEY - THERE ARE BETTER ELECTRIC MACHINES!!!
If you have a postage stamp lawn, buy a Solarus.
If you have a big lawn, get one of the small riding electric mowers out there. They are good,but spendy.
This is my second season with the Neuton 5.3. I haven't had the problems others did, but from the descriptions I think it might have something to do with the fact that I read all the instructions. People stop when I'm mowing and comment on the low noise level. I have a steep terrace and it is much easier to mow with this light mower. You're going to have a problem if you have grass over six inches tall. It's a light mower for small yards! I love that I don't have to call my husband to carry and start the mower. I charge the battery right after using for 24 hours as instructed, One week later, I drop the battery in and mow my lawn again. The charge lasts longer than an hour for me. I have arthritis in my hands and wrists and I have no problem squeezing the handle or holding it down. I would like it to be made in America by American workers, but this technology has been around a long time and no American company has jumped on the bandwagon yet. Ecological products have a hard time getting started in this country for some reason, but I'm not going to go back to polluting just because someone >cough... oil companies...cough< doesn't want these things to become popular.
Negative
targetone Monterey Park, CA (1 review) July 16, 2009
If I done my homework before purchasing a Neuton mower, I wouldn't be on here complaining about it. First as many have said their customer service is not 24/7 and two, they are not as open or free willing to pay for shipping or anything to send free parts if they are defective; in fact I found them rather difficult to deal with.
I am sort of an American who likes to buy American things; this is one of those things that I didn't look at the labels closer than I thought. Vermont is only the call center, not where they are manufactured from, rather they come from Taiwan. Even though they are nicely packed, it is a box that is 90% plastic. The major disappointment is the plastic body but also the plastic shell. Rocks or wood sticks easy damage the inside and the blade is quite thin to handle rough grass or tall weeds. I have no idea why they didn't make a dual option to run a 120 volt electric charge for tall grass and then switch to battery to 24 volts for light grass? Whatever the concept was, the engineering is for small lawns only. I viewed on Youtube about the CEO mowing tall weeds in a Vermont field somewhere but don't always believe what you see. I tried the same thing and it is not what is appears too due. When I asked if I could returned the mower to the gas exchange, they throw out my old gas mower immediately and Neuton is not willing to except a refund on the mower either, certainly not what I expected after having decent test run. So my recommendation is, don’t buy one if you have doubts or if you want something that is going to do the job, go for something American made or at least some return policy to take it back.
I bought the CE 6.2 and it has driven me crazy at times. Its major flaws are poor mulching which has been mentioned by others. No one else I read mentioned how much grass sticks to the bottom of the mower. At times there is so much it slows the mower and clumps start to fall on the lawn. (This happens whether I mulch or bag. And I am not mowing wet grass.) I scoop it out multiple times.
I bought a second battery so I can do my entire lawn (if it isn't too long). I like having a rechargable compared to the electric antique I had. When it functions it is great.
Last week I had to replace an end cap on the rod that adjusted the back axle. The height of mowing so too low and I had to puzzle through the innards to figure out what the problem was.
Right now it doesn't work because the safety key connector came unsoldered. I tried to solder it back but it only lasted one mowing. I spent an hour on the phone waiting today and I never was served. So we will see when my email is answered and a new circuit board is sent (I hope).
I was hoping this company would have good service but apparently they spend most of their money on advertising. Consumer Reports preferred the Black & Decker rechargable but I wanted to support what I thought was a "green" company.
Customer service is the main factor in this negative rating.
I traded in a perfectly good, working 21" Sears gas mower through the clean air program. I got the Neuton CE 5.3 (14") for a discounted price. I had high expectations, and got a good dose of virtue.
I mowed the yard once after charging the battery for 72+ hours. The Bermuda grass was high because it had not been mowed for a while. I had no problems mowing front and back of a small residential yard. There were lots of Mohawks-lines of grass that were missed on each pass. I attributed this to learning where the mower cut. However, it wasn't easy to guess right out of the box.
It took a little longer to cut the grass, but I expected that. However, if one overlaps as little as 4", the 21" mower cuts a 17" swatch. The 14" mower cuts only 10". This is a big difference. I was swayed by cost not to get the 19" mower. I think I made a mistake.
In two weeks I needed to mow again. The mower would not function. There is no customer service on Sunday, so I could not find any solutions. This is very irritating. I also had to attend to the difference between Pacific and Eastern time, which severely limited my ability to reach support. I think a company that pretends to sell to a nation-wide market should have an equally robust support.
When I did get to the support person, the diagnosis was a faulty switch. The replacement was back-ordered. As an interim measure, I was told to pop out the switch and exchange the leads for the attachment and the mower. This got me to the second cut.
The second cut had fewer lines of uncut grass. I guess I was learning where to aim the mower. This time, I had inserted the mulching plug. I can't say that the mulching was great. Maybe just adequate. The gas mower did a lot better with less effort.
A couple of weeks later was time to mow again. The replacement switch had arrived, so I exchanged the old with the new. Nothing worked! The power indicator light did not even shine. I tried moving the wires, but nothing worked. I looked in the operating instructions book for a wiring diagram. Nothing. I wen on-line to see if there were a special users manual. Nothing. I called-support was closed for the Independence Day holiday. It is Sunday-no support on Sunday. I have a vacation day Monday, and will leave town for nearly 2 weeks on Tuesday.
For the price I paid (even discounted) I expected the machine to work flawlessly for the rest of its life. I also expected responsive customer service when I needed it. I do not know why there is no support on Sunday. It seems obvious to me that many of us do yard work on week ends, and will find problems then. Getting stuck for another week with an expensive door stop is simply unacceptable. It is also unacceptable in the internet environment not to have a detailed diagram of ALL of the mower's parts. Then an intelligent person could conduct an analysis and try to solve a problem when support was unavailable.
Another peeve. The more expensive and larger mower has a built in volt meter. This is missing on the smaller machine. The total cost of this item has to be low. It is unconscionable that this useful gauge is missing. All owners should receive this as part of their warranty, and all future machines should have it at the time of purchase.
The machine is quiet! It is a lot quieter than the gas mower. It is somewhat quieter than a corded electric I had before. It is just powerful enough to mow the grass. I had day-lilly trimmings in a pile. My gas mower chopped them into small compostable bits with little effort. The battery mower stalled and popped the reset button. It also took many passes to reduce the pile to nearly nothing. It did not manage to lift and chop many of the stems, so I had to pick them up by hand.
I think the main advantage of this mower is virtue. I still have that. I am helping to save the air in the San Joaquin Valley. I think I will be able to get my yard mowed, though I don't know when. And I don't know how well.
The mower is a good concept, but falls very short as being good. The mulching blade does not mulch very well. I contacted the company and told them it was poorly designed compared to my Honda mulcher mower. Still try to use because I like the idea enviromently. The battery does NOT last 5 years as advertised. Mine has been lucky to last 2 years. I keep charged when not being used. Called company about battery not lasting as advertised. Their answer was "BUY a New battery". They really didn't care are not very good at customer service. The price for new battery is $90. Very costly mower if you have to replace battery every 2 years. I would NOT buy again.
I bought this mower at a yard sale about 4 years ago and it has been working just great for me. I have no idea how long the previous owner had it so I'm not sure how old it is. I'm in zone 7 so my winters can get pretty cold and my mower has never missed a beat in the spring when it's time to mow. I take the battery out and store it in the house all winter then sometime early spring I charge it up for 24 hours and off I go. I even mow my neighbors lawn with it as well. I would highly recommend this mower to anyone. It's light and durable and very quiet.
I purchased my Neuton in June 2008. It worked fine for the first season. Come Spring 2009, it didn't work. Customer service asked me if kept it charged all winter, to which, I replied that I did. CS tells me that I should not have followed their directions; rather, I should have kept it uncharged and then recharge it 24 to 48 hours prior to using it. They tell me to take the battery to Radio Shack to check it's charge. I do. The charge is 27.7, which is OK. CS then suspects that it is the circuit board. They send me another one, I install it, it still doesn't work. CS sends me a new handle bar, I install it, and it works... for now. About a month and a half has elapsed and, in the meantime, I'm using my old mower.
The cut on the Neuton is not very even. Rows of uncut grass remain after I mowed it. My electric Honda mower makes a much nicer cut. The Neuton is easy to use and convenient, for those more concerned with ease rather than a good even cut. Customer service was nice enough; although if the product was more reliable, I wouldn't have to use their customer service.
The jury is still out on this mower. I suggest you hold on to your old mower after you purchase this thing, you might need it. Next year, if I have to go through this hassle again, you could look for mine on Ebay.
Positive
Neutral
Negative