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I noticed my Neuton has a weak cutting ability to handle tall grass. It starts up fine but it is quite weak on tall grass; in fact it isn't very tall if you look at the grass. I called Neuton as they didn't inform me before I purchased the mower that it cannot handle tall grass. If the battery last 45 minutes on tall grass I would say it will last about 30 minutes and it dies right after. Thoroughly disappointed in the unit and their customer service staff. I asked to return the unit back but they said they would not pay for the shipping nor did they have a second solution to resolve the issue with me. It would be easier if they had a store so I could drive it in and show them how bad it cuts grass but I can’t do that. I will put a Youtube video together and show people how poorly the mower works as I don’t recommend it for tall grass.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...
It is the policy of the Watchdog that users cannot leave multiple feedbacks under different usernames in order to manipulate a company's rating. The rating of this comment - written by the same user who posed as "sunnydavis", "davisjunior", "dantoms", and "joesjoes" - has been changed from negative to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
I got my Neuton through the mower exchange and after the first mow; I wish I never traded my gas mower in. Sure the Neuton cuts but not close to a gas mower. Once I owned the Neuton, I started looking for another gas mower but also other cordless mowers. I shopped and read good reviews on Craftsman's cordless mower and the Remington cordless mower; both succeeded better than the Neuton than excepted. I think on a personal best Craftsman looks and feels like a real lawn mower where the Remington offers more power and the cord if you need it. Neuton is too light and is about 100% plastic other than the mental blade also being made in Taiwan, didn't impress me much either.
What I didn't like about the Neuton mover was their customer service, no store locations, also them not being open long hours. Craftsman is everywhere, so I can trust on it if anything goes wrong with it. I also thought Black & Decker was near or close to the Craftsman but also it was rated the highest in consumer reports. Neuton has some negatives such as the battery; you have to take it out to charge it, not so fun. On a full charge, it will last about 45 minutes, less than what they say, also you have to charge it each time for 10 hours even if you only used it for 10 minutes. It will not handle tall grass very well or does the bag hold enough grass or does it roll smoothly.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...
It is the policy of the Watchdog that users cannot leave multiple feedbacks under different usernames in order to manipulate a company's rating. The rating of this comment - written by the same user who posed as "davisjunior", "dantoms", "BobAnderson" and "joesjoes" - has been changed from negative to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.
On Jul 4, 2008, Jadwin59 Rochester, NY (Zone 6a) wrote:
We have had both Black & Decker battery-operated mowers and a Neuton (for 3 years). Neuton has good customer service and value. The batteries with the Neuton last much longer than the Black & Decker. I find the handle easy to use and ergonomic. My one complaint is that our Neuton is less wide than the B&D and thus it takes more passes to complete the mowing. On the other hand, this problem appears to have been corrected with the 6 series, which is wider.
I'd recommend this to anyone who wants to have a battery-operated mower.
On May 10th, 2009, Jadwin59 added the following:
Still using our Neuton, now onto 5 years. I recommend that you get a second battery and keep it in on hand for times when, if you have a large lawn, the single battery isn't enough. They have frequent sales on these batteries and they are well worth the cost.
I just used my 5.2 14 inch Neuton mower for the first time. I love it. I got the mower mostly for trimming, but I had no problem mowing either. Some of the grass was a couple of feet tall and it did just fine. The mower works wonderfully and it's so easy to use. No more ruining my shoulder trying to pull the cord to start the gas mower.
I also like the trimmer attachment. My carpal tunnel prevents me from using a regular weed trimmer for more than just a few minutes. This mower solves my problem.
I have been trying very hard to purchase a new Neuton mower. The salesman did a great job of selling me on all of the benefits and working through all of the detail. Unfortunately that was the end of the good experience with this company. Their customer service department is among the worst I have ever dealt with. I received a series of excuses from a succession of people about why my mower had not been sent nearly a week after the UPS tracking site showed that it was ready for pick up. I got everything from that UPS headquarters were under water to the Iowa floods to the fires in California were causing a delay in shipping from Vermont to Ohio. Finally after over a hour of fighting through their system I got through to the Customer Service Manager who admiitted to me that they had a hold on all shipments of the 6.2 model because too many of them were arriving damaged due to poor packaging. Of course sales did not have this information as they did not need to know according to the CS Manager. Through it all they never seemed to know what I ordered and where it was being shipped from. You see, they ship most of them from Oregon since they are made in China. That's another little thing they try to hide from you.
And don't try to talk to someone in the management area. Customer service will NOT forward you and the corporate number is unlisted. (It is 802-877-1200 and the President is Joe Perrotto on extension 1108) But he doesn't return calls either.
The customer service manager promised to call me yesterday afternoon to let me know if they are finally ready to ship my mower. He did not call so I tried this morning. Of course he is not in and no one else knows anything about whether they are shipping mowers yet.
On July 1st, 2008, hawkohio changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
Update: The President himself called me back. He was willing to listen and do what was needed to make things right. It is too bad that it hasn't trickled down better. He has the correct customer first attitude that I would have expected. I will come back one more time after I actually have my mower and see if we can raise this to a positive.
I ordered my CE6.2 NEUTON 05/11/2008 I got it via UPS on on 5/27/2008. I charged the battery up it takes me about 55 minutes to cut my yard and the battery is still in the green when I finish. I use the mulch plug and find it to work pretty well. The mower is fairly quiet. I also ordered the Neuton Mower Premier Accessories Package CE6.2 at the time I ordered the mower but that hasn't been shipped as of this date. I've used the mower about 8 times to date and I'm very pleased so far, like one of the other posters said time will tell just how I wail rate this mower ina few years. The only thing I wasn't happy about is the fact the mower is Made In Taiwan and I feel they should have posted it the website which they don't.
On July 12th, 2008, lennoxx0458 changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
I've decided to change my rating of the neuton mower after using this mower for several weeks I would have to give it the poorest rating of any mower I have ever user. It mulches grass very badly and leaves piles of grass here and there even on the 2rd and 3rd settings. The mower is not as light as they claim in there ads it actually weighs more than the gas mower it replaced. I ordered the accessories package and had I known how badly the trimmer works I would have passed on it. Since I would have to pay the return shipment back on my neuton mower I'll keep it but I won't recommend this mower to anyone if you really care how your lawn looks. I should have known better than to buy this mower in the first place since they don't have any retail stores, if they did the return rate I'm sure would put them out of business. On July 20th, 2008, lennoxx0458 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
On July 21st, 2008, lennoxx0458 changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
Today I got a recall notice in the mail for my mower. I checked mine to see if it fits the bill for the recall and it did. So it says in the letter not to use the mower until you get the part to reapir it. If this part takes like other things I've gotten from them to come it will be weeks.
While I had him on the phone I asked if they had another blade for mulching that would do a better job then the blade that comes with the mower, he said no. He said to spray the inside of the cutting deck. I did and it still works no better. Also this mower does not bag grass very well if you try that since it doesn't mulch well. One thing I have learned with this purchase is to never buy anything from someone that has no retail outlets. On July 28th, 2008, lennoxx0458 changed the rating from negative to positive and added the following:
I know it seems like I keep flip flopping on this mower but things really have changed alot since I got the recall notice and I got the parts for the recall from Neuton. It seems all along the problems I was having was due to the recalled part. My mower has loads more power now and it's doing a fine job all around. Even the mulching has improved. I won't have expected so much of an improvement by replacing one part. I'm now a very happy neuton owner. Thanks neuton. On April 28th, 2009, lennoxx0458 changed the rating from positive to negative and added the following:
Now that I've had my neuton for a year, I'ld say it was the biggest purchase mistake I've ever made. Neuton had a recall on this mower last year and I did the recall and installed the replacement part, now this year I'm having the same problem I did before the part was replaced. This mower is very cheaply made and when I ordered it I had thought I was getting somethimg made in USA. Also since neuton is so called green product you would think they would stop sending me the same catalog every month to buy a mower I already own. Some months I get 3 sale catalogs. Since I paid close to 500 bucks for this crappy mower after buying the extras I'll use it till the batteries need replaced then to the garbage dump this peace of junk will go.
Must say I am pleased so far. It is easy to handle, moves smoothly and cuts fine from what I can tell. The procedure for starting is simple and impressive, it's all in the handle. Height adjustment is an easy one step adjustment that adjusts the entire height of the mower with one lever. It is fairly quiet, not as quiet as one might expect with 2008 technology but quiet enough to hear my cell phone ringing in my pocket while mowing.
The true test for a battery powered mower is time. If one follows the manufacturers suggested care the battery should last 5 years. that will be the ultimate judge of this product, so far I am happy and look forward to using this product for a long time.
Neuton is not America’s #1 Selling Battery-Powered Mower! It also is not American too if it is made in Taiwan. Remington, Black & Decker and Craftsman by far better cordless mowers.
Here’s what I have to say about my Neuton experience; I wasn't impressed with the Neuton mower as I feel it was very poorly made design and is not better than the other competitors cordless mowers such as Craftsman, Black & Decker, Remington and etc. The Neuton to me was very weak on tall grass where my other mower a Remington can handle everything with its 60 volt battery without the cord or with cord. What I experienced from Remington was they answered the phone for me at 4am in the morning when I was looking for a better cordless mower which they answered here in USA (not in India) asking my questions 24 hours a day. I ordered it, I received it less than 2 days, they paid for the shipping and they sent me extra wheels, bolts and washers. When it arrived, I still had the Neuton, so I compared the 2 together in a test; the Remington blew the doors off the Neuton by far. I charged both mowers on a full charge, then ran both of them side by side for as long as they could go (taping the handles together so I could see which was longer), the Neuton ran about 52 minutes, the Remington lasted about 118 minutes. I charged the Neuton in one hour after my first test and did the same with the Remington; the Neuton ran for about 5 to 6 minutes, the Remington ran for 18 minutes. The Remington can fully charge almost in 4 to 5 hours, the Neuton needs 8 to 10 hours but Neuton requires taking out the battery, the Remington, just plug it in (and even mow & charge at the same time) and you can leave it there as long as you want without any issue (for months as the charger shuts itself off after a full charge).
The other issue is the Neuton handles are not very strong, they feel like a beach toy, the Remington, Black & Decker & Craftsman handles are solid steel or feel more metal like than the Neuton does, this means when you have to turn it or lift it for mowing corners, you need strong durable handles. Neuton feels really weak as they flex too much. The idea of a cordless mower is to have the same strength and durability like a gas mower as the cordless are lighter but to have the same close professional cut and feel like a real mower. Neuton feels really less than a lawn mower when compared to a Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman. I felt the Neuton is like a trimmer more than a lawn mower because it was so light, floppy handles and an uneven cut.
Customer service, Neuton is not open 24 hours, in fact it is only Monday through Friday Eastern Time only, Remington is 7 days a week. Black & Decker, Craftsman have 24 hour customer service but Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays. Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman were also rated higher in May 2008 Consumer Report magazine and was far better than the Neuton. Neuton was the second to the bottom of the list, Black & Decker is the first cordless mower invented and also was the best rated, second best is Craftsman but Remington is the strongest most powerful cordless & corded mower on the market and also it is the easiest to use. Neuton can’t cut as well next to Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman but I really like the Remington the best simply because the power, length of the battery, faster charging time, solid handles, more speed options, the design and by far better customer service.
Also what I like about Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman too is they are USA made mowers, Neuton is made in Taiwan. Wages in Taiwan are about $.25 to $.55 cents an hour compared to the US; which is $6.00 to $8.00 dollars an hour in the United States. What amazes me, Neuton is based in Vermont but their mowers are made in Taiwan but their prices are the same price as Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman anyway, so they are using cheap labor versing US made mowers when they have a more expensive overhead on paying more on minimum wages in the US but they sell the mowers about the same price or cheaper than a Neuton but the Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman are better mowers anyway.
I also noticed that Black & Decker was the first company who invented the cordless mower, they also were the first who started the gas mower exchange program too but Neuton has used their philosophy taking their version idea as if it was they’re idea instead of Black & Decker’s. I read several forum sites and noticed Black & Decker goes way back on history on the gas exchange programs before Neuton did. I also noticed that Remington, Black & Decker, Earthwise and Craftsman also do exchange programs together not based on only one exchange product mower, they allow each other to have people try them out at the gas mower exchanges by giving people a choice to pick and choose but Neuton is trying to only sell itself, not with other cordless mower products at these exchanges, that isn’t fair and says it isn’t all about being green, is it?
Also Neuton doesn’t admit nor do they tell you that their mowers can cut everything, they don’t (they say 60 to 45 minutes). You have to buy the product first to decide if you don’t like it or not and if you don’t like it, you have to pay the shipping fee to return it, sure you get 6 months to use it but that they don’t tell you its limitations or compared to from gas or even electric. Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman don’t charge you a dime if you don’t like their mowers, so they offer a better guarantee than Neuton does as they charge you to return it. Remington also offers free parts on several things on their mowers without a charge and also they listen to their customers too. They improve there service and their products by any complaints reported sending feedback to their engineers by making things better. Sure this is common but Neuton is only a 2 model mower company; Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman are bigger and more reliable companies making all sorts of products besides mowers.
Even though I agree with Neuton, going green is important but gas mowers still have a place in the market just like Hybrid cars, there are gas efficient mowers too. We can’t count those gas mowers out, many of these gas mower companies are USA made mowers which doesn’t help good old USA if you bash them out completely by swapping products made in China & Taiwan instead. When it comes to mowing, cordless mowers are not the best, Remington, Black & Decker, and Craftsman will admit that their customers that battery mowers can’t cut all their needs but Neuton, doesn’t always tell you that. If anything were second best to the power of gas mowers, it’s electric. No cordless mower can beat 120 or 220 volts. Electric mowers have been around for years (90 years), so if going green were the answer and saving money, cords beat the batteries any day. If you go cordless you have to replace batteries, electrics you don’t, that’s means corded are more green than battery because batteries wear out as you need to be dispose them & which also requires more manufacturing making more batteries. So if you want to use the Remington mower and your battery needs replacing, you can run on the cord as long as you like as batteries are expensive where you may never need a battery again. Also some people may not use very much gas anyway, so if you divide $100.00 for a 5 year battery, depending how much gas you need, gas may be just as efficient as a battery mower. Let’s say you spend about $10.00 a year filling your gas mower which if you mow about every 2 to 3 weeks lets say 1,000 square feet or less than 3,000 square feet, your gas mower would be cheaper to own. If you own a 1980’s gas mower but it still runs, you have to spend $300.00 to $400.00 on a battery mower and also replacing the battery in 2 to 5 years, you ending spending way more money for nothing. So spending more money than you would like as if gas is bad for the environment, so is manufacturing new mowers as it requires more fuel to make batteries & cordless mowers than gas mowers anyway. If people don’t need to replace them, it is also bad for the environment making more cordless mowers too. There are a lot of people who may use their gas mower seldom and may not need battery mowers anyway. What exchanges do is they make people spend money to exchange something they really may not need to exchange for or may not save the environment as environmentalist predict. How does Neuton know how much people use their gas mowers to pollute the environment? It is only an estimation, so trading or buying a battery mower may not equal its use to manufacturing more mowers to add to the problem by making more unnecessary mowers polluting the environment even more, that is a fact. Selling green and going green is a marketing tactic, so I don’t believe everyone should go buy a battery mower. Oil leaks or etc is a hair of the issue than using oil to manufacture machinery to produce more mowers by the thousands even the hundreds is actually worse. Personally cutting grass is less healthy than letting grass grow if the environment is an issue, same with like cutting trees, we don’t need to cut trees if we can save our old furniture and continue using it than cutting tree to make more furniture; same fact.
However let me make my statement and say that the Neuton mower is not the best cordless mower product on the market (there are plus’s & negatives in all products) and it is not helping the US economy with outsourcing Japanese labor for US jobs nor is it really saving the environment if people are spending unnecessary money to produce more mowers if they are not needed; that creates more green house gases and air pollution. When you manufacture new mowers, you also pollute the environment by making them for unnecessary reasons as stated above. Sure the issue of going green is good but also saving US jobs to manufacture mowers here instead of Taiwan and making mowers with options without making more batteries or reasons to spend more money 3 to 5 years later, then making different mowers later on the market to sell something else. Again another marketing tactic to make money versing the real need to save the environment from pollution. I will admit, all companies want to make money by making more products by upgrading or changing ideas which also means buying again later when they don’t need to. You know the saying if it isn’t broken don’t fix it? That is so true!
So my point is, Neuton will be a better product if you have ideas to make a product that doesn’t require changing, upgrading or purchasing something later if it doesn’t need to. Sell it once, let it last the customer 20 to 30 years without manufacturing more and make it in the United States where your company is located. If I owned an electric Lawn Boy mower and it was 30 years old or even a gas mower which if I use it less than 4 to 10 times a year, still works, not all people should be sold on going green if it not really necessary for everybody. Keep the old mower then, don’t try to sell them something if they don’t need it. If people buy and buy things they don’t need it, that is just as bad for the environment than trying to save it by doing something else.
Lastly to Tom Hughes from Neuton, start making your mowers in the United States, get out of Taiwan and help Americans by making your product here in this country, sell your product with a USA made label idea. That will sell your company with a good intention for pride in America but also make a product that doesn’t need any replacing or more manufacturing for the years to come. Make a corded mower or even a hybrid gas mower or a hydrogen mower which uses water instead of battery acid and also work with other USA made cordless mower companies so people have a choice to pick what they want.
Note from the Garden Watchdog editors...
It is the policy of the Watchdog that users cannot leave multiple feedbacks under different usernames in order to manipulate a company's rating. The rating of this comment - written by the same user who posed as "sunnydavis", "davisjunior", "dantoms" and "BobAnderson" - has been changed from negative to neutral so that it would not affect the overall rating given by customers.On July 22nd, 2008, joesjoes changed the rating from neutral to negative and added the following:
I am leaving my statement negative as I am not any other user or wrote anything accept my comment only. I stand firm on my rating as negative until Neuton changes their act and refunds my money back as they haven't.
I have had the small 14" mower for over 4 years and am very pleased. Yes, you have to very slightly overlap your path, but it does a good job on St. Augustine. No problems with the batteries (mine came with 2) or charging. You must remove the key when finished or it will deplete the battery. I returned the edger attachment for partial credit as it does not work on curves, only on a straight line. Very quiet, easy to start, no gas or oil, no filter, no pollution. It paid for itself the first year. Customer service reliable and very helpful. Good company, good product.
I bought the Neuton mower in 2007 for two reasons - to do my part for the environment and because the gas mower was much too heavy for me after having some serious health problems.
I have been so pleased with the mower. It's so light that it doesn't wear me out, which I love. And it cuts just as well as the gas mowers we've owned, though the swath it cuts is not as wide. I suppose that if I had a few acres to do, that might be a problem, but I don't. Our yard is less than a half acre, and for that, the mower works beautifully.
I would recommend this mower to anyone, and have been doing that.
Just received the Neuton 6.2 (19" cut) and did my first mowing. The biggest positives are quietness (about like an electric weed whacker), very nice cut and mulching, already assembled when received (only added the mulching plug), the voltage meter on the handle seems accurate, one lever to change the height of the cut, the lack of gas/oil/sparkplug/filter, etc, and the ease of starting. The couple of negatives is that at 69 lbs (incl 23 lb battery), it is no longer a light mower...it is basically equivalent to a gasoline push mower in weight and requires the same effort to push it. And the handle/running handle is thick...about double the size of the ones on gasoline mower. I will use ties or velcro so that I don't have to hold them to keep them running.
Anyway, the charging of the battery is easy, taking the battery in/out is easy, and a nice feature is that voltmeter. To check the charge of the battery, just put the battery in the mower, put in the start key, and move the switch to "mower" and it gives the charge in the battery (red, yellow, green scale)...you don't even have to actually start the mower. The mower looks cheap (most polyurothene), but I think it is going to hold up and the new larger motor and battery seems to give the mower enough power to cut through short stretches of tall weeds and a St. Augustine lawn. Just be aware that the mower now weighs 69 pounds and not 47 pounds!
On July 14th, 2008, Tom1alt added the following:
July 2008 updated opinion:
I still rate this a positive with some additional info. First, I did have a right rear wheel problem due to I assume some shipping damage. I noticed the "axle cap/hubcap" was off of it which made me suspicious since the other 3 wheels had the caps on, so after a few mowings, the wheel/tire started wobbling. To customer service's credit they had a complete right rear tire assembly to me within about 3 working days. Have had no problems since the replacement. I do agree with some of the people who say that mulching is not perfect...it is not that bad, but as the grass got higher(since my first review), the mulching effectiveness went down a bit. The people complaining about the weight...nothing was hidden about that on the website...in fact my original post made that same point but who doesn't know that a 19" cut with a more powerful battery is going to weigh more? There is one feature I like that is NOT at all mentioned in the manual. The charger light turns from red to green apparently when the battery is charged (the book went to great lengths to basically say there was no obvious way to know that...there is, and they need to update their manual!!). I'm mowing high St. Augustine grass for about 35 minutes without any power issues...according to the meter in the handle, I barely touch the yellow zone from green at the end of the mowing. I have no problem with that. My guess is I could mow for at least 50 minutes of dense St. Augustine grass on one battery charge...good enough for me.
For those complaining about it being made in Taiwan, I certainly noticed that also and would prefer it be made here. But quite frankly, you can't even buy bed sheets made in this country anymore, so nothing new here. If a couple of other mower manufacturers made theirs here, more power to them, but I can assure you they are the exception. Try to buy a TV made in the country. I stick with my positive rating but wanted to update the things I founds to be worse and better than my original post.
Oh, and BTW, anyone complaining about the 14" due to lack of cutting width or lack of power, that is why I doubt I would have bought that model. When you are used to a 21" path and you drop down to a 14" path, guess what...you just increased the number of passes across the yard by 50%. I don't notice the 21 to 19" difference...I would notice the 21 to 14" cut difference.On July 19th, 2008, Tom1alt added the following:
To Garden Watchdog editors and other readers:
I have "no dog in this hunt" since I don't work for Neuton nor had ever heard of them until I bought my Neuton 6.2 in the spring. After reading the very negative comments by apparently one user about this product under 3 different userids according to the editors here, I think you editors should do more than just change those 3 ratings from negative to neutral. This scammer and spammer should have his ratings COMPLETELY REMOVED. If this person is dishonest enough to post 3 reviews under 3 different userids, I seriously doubt this "person" even has used a Neuton. Time to take out the trash and remove these bogus reviews by an OBVIOUSLY dishonest person.
Probably like many folks, I was skeptical as to whether a battery mower would have enough power (and running time) to handle my mowing. Boy have I been pleasantly surprised by the Neuton mower I purchased last year. It's everything it's advertised -- quiet, light, and very easy to maneuver.
I ordered it on-line and it arrived within a few days. It was almost fully assembled, and after charging the battery I was mowing the next day. I can't stress just how pleasant it is to mow with something this quiet, and you don't realize how much exhaust you're snorting with a gas mower until you actually mow with one of these. In fact I have been able to mow early on a Sunday morning without any fear of waking the neighbors, and it's sure nice to be able to get the chore done before the day is half over.
The model I bought is a little narrow (I see that Neuton sells a wider model now) but the light weight is a fair trade off. My lawn is fairly small, so I just view the few extra passes as an excuse to have a little snack when I finish!
I did have a problem with a loose hubcap, but I contacted the company (believe it or not I reached a live person on a Saturday who was actually in Vermont (not India) AND sounded happy to help me!) and they sent out a new one, gratis.
Anyway, I'm very pleased with my purchase, and although I spent a little more than I expected, I figure that I'll make it up in no gas or tune-ups over the next few years. And while I did not buy it simply to be "green", it sure feels good to know that I'm doing something positive in that regard.
On Sep 20, 2007, york1 Ponte Vedra Beach, FL wrote:
My reconditioned demo neuton mower arrived today, 9/19/07. Ordering was simple and the company delivered in a timely manner. Two small lock washers were missing and I'll get those tomorrow at our local hardware. No big deal. I'm anxious to try the mower on our third of an acre of St. Augustine grass - northeast Florida - and the six-month trial period will give me a good window to experiment. I'll hang onto the gas Toro just in case although I want to do our part to reduce excess harmful emissions. It took me about 45 minutes to assemble; another 5 minutes to change to a mulching blade. I'm a bit apprehensive about the 14-inch cutting width as opposed to 21 inches for the gas mower but I look at mowing the lawn as exercise; hope that compensates.
I traded a gas mower I had had for 27 years and which I knew how to keep in operation for this electric mower..I wanted to go "green". One month after I got it the red light went out on the battery box, so I didn't know if it was charging or not..I was told by service to get a voltmeter. It is now four months since I traded and I have a half-mowed lawn and the mower won't go. The green light is on and it had been charging for about four days prior, so I don't know what is wrong. I have read the troubleshooting page in manual and have checked the blade..it seems tight and okay... so, here I am with the lawn growing and no idea what to do next. The dealership for this mower is in the next town... so, I guess a trip there is necessary to get a new battery and see if that is it, though it started right up this morning when I tried it again.. then just died with the green light on. I am not too happy about this.
I bought the Neuton mower in 2004 in the interest of "being green." There are some attractive features - quiet operation and very easy to start. However, they are significantly outweighed by the negative. The cutting path is miniscule and because the blade is not as wide as the mower, if you follow your wheel tracks you will leave a portion of your grass uncut. Due to this poor design you also can not do any close trimming with this mower.
You really don't realize how narrow a 14 inch cutting path is until you actually use the mower. A small gas powered mower has a cutting width of 21 or 22 inches. Therefore, it is going to take you at least 30 percent more time to mow your lawn, assuming the mowers have similar power, just due to the smaller cutting path. However, the Neuton does not have sufficient power to cut a thick, healthy lawn moving at a normal walk speed, so you have to walk slowly or mow the lawn twice. I found that mowing the lawn twice in a cross hatch pattern was the only way I could get my lawn to look the way I wanted it.
A lawn that I could mow in twenty minutes with a conventional gas mower takes about an hour with my Neuton, and then I have to do additional hand trimming, which would normally not be required.
After the first year, my Neuton would not start and I had to replace a part, which DR Power Equipment did ship to me for free. After two years of ownership, when I started cutting my lawn this year the battery, which I have religiously kept charged as recommended, had such little life it would only run for 30 minutes. The replacement cost of a new battery every two years exceeds what it cost me in gas to run a conventional mower, which did a dramatically better job in less than half the time. I wish this was a better product because the idea is great, but unfortunately, I can not recommend it based on my experience.
On September 17th, 2007, jimlake2 changed the rating from negative to neutral and added the following:
I have almost another full season of mowing under my belt with the new battery I purchased. The new battery seems to be considerably more powerful and hold a longer charge than the previous battery, eliminating some of my criticisms above.
I have also been using a regular gas powered mower to cut another lawn. Based on that experience I am much more appreciative of the quiet operation; simple, single lever, deck height changes; and low maintence of the Neuton (no gas, no oil, no spark plug, no tune ups). My comments about the narrow cutting path remain, but this would not represent as much of a problem on a smaller lot.
I bought the Neuton battery-powered mower in the Spring of 2006, and I've been really happy with it. The only maintenance I expect to do is to keep the blade sharp once a season. I am going to buy a second battery this season, because I have a tendency to let our thick lawn grow a bit long, and I was always anxious that it would run out of power before I finished. I only actually lost power once, but I figure a second battery will gain me some peace of mind.
Pros: no gasoline, quiet operation, light weight, good battery life
Cons: narrow cutting path (wouldn't recommend it for large lawns), small bag if you use that option (obviously - small mower = small bag), mulching blade sometimes requires multiple passes, if grass is long to begin with.
Most of my problems have been when I neglected my fast-growing lawn, so they're mainly my fault, but it's true that it doesn't have the power to blast through thick stuff like a gas-powered mower. If you don't really need that, though, this is a great mower.
In 2005, I ordered the company's battery-powered mower and accessory package (extra battery, mulching blade, clippings collector bag and string-trimmer add-on) to use in my small, city lot. I received all the order in a timely fashion.
This product has been a godsend.
Not only do I feel better about creating less pollution (and not having to breathe in fumes), but I also love the low-noise operation of the mower and the quality of lawn cutting. It's also nice not having to gas up the mower, both for safety reasons (I don't want to store hazardous liquids in the garage) and cost reasons (do I really want to plunk down $3 per gallon of gas to cut my lawn? No way.)
The mower was easy to assemble; it took me about 45 minutes to an hour, and I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to understand the assembly directions.
It also is easy to operate -- no pulling of a cord 5 million times to get it to start. Instead, you just pull back on a bar on the handle to start it up. The mower automatically shuts off when the bar is released, a much-appreciated safety feature, especially if kids are around or if I have to stop and move something out of the mowing path. I'm also happy it is battery-powered, instead of like some low-emission mowers that have a power cord you must drag around.
The string trimmer attaches to the front of the mower, so you don't have to have a separate item with a power cord to finish lawn chores.
All in all, a quality product. I hope Neuton Mowers creates more battery-powered products. A lightweight garden tiller would be an excellent idea to develop (hey Neuton -- hint, hint).
Though the product is pricier than buying a cheapie gas mower, I believe it is a worthwhile investment that will last many years and the overall cost will be less in the long run than having a gasoline mower.
On May 9, 2005, marjoriess Lilburn, GA (Zone 8a) wrote:
I ordered the Neuton rechargeable electric mower a couple of months ago. I have been using it with the mulching option. I am really happy with it. Lightweight, quiet, no gas smell, no maintenance, and better for the environment than a gas mower. It takes me 1-1.5 hours to mow my lawn (Bermuda and Fescue), and I've never yet needed to recharge before I'm done. You can leave it plugged in to recharge between uses. I used it during my first mow of the season, when the Fescue (and the weeds) were at least 6-8 inches high, and the mower gave me no trouble. It was delivered about a week after I ordered it, and it arrived in good condition. There was a little assembly required, but nothing tricky.
