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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.
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.
On Sep 11, 2009, firsttwelve Bowling Green, OH wrote:
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.
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.
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.
This is my initial impression based on using the Neuton 6.3 mower for the first time.
My wife and I have been using reel mowers since starting a family 20+ years ago. With our reel mower in need of replacing this spring, we looked at cordless mowers. After reading reviews on various sites, I ordered the Neuton 6.3 directly from the company.
The mower arrived in 6 business days. It was easy to unpack and assemble. I charged the battery for 48 hours and mowed our grass last night.
Our lot is 60' x 130' (including our house). This would be an average-sized city lot here in Central Ohio, USA.
Our backyard was high (6-7") due to recent rain followed by sunny days. I was very pleased with the job the Neuton did on my backyard. I used the mulcher plug (which was factory installed) since our city no longer picks up yard waste (sigh). I saw very little clumping of grass, and only had a couple of strips that I had to revisit.
The mower's noise level was higher than I expected, but better than a gas mower. To me, the noise level was the same as a next-door neighbor mowing his yard with a gas mower.
I used the trimmer attachment and found it to work pretty well. There are still some areas that I'll have to hand trim (where fence, house and A/C unit meet), but it was nice being able to edge along our sidewalk and trim around trees and fences w/o getting out my corded electric trimmer.
Battery charge was barely in the yellow when I finished the entire yard. Clean up was a breeze (I used a broom to sweep the grass clippings off the top cover and wheels).
Overall, I am quite pleased at this point. Here are my pros and cons:
PROS
- Easy to push, even for this 50 year old guy
- Looks cool
- Demonstrated ability to mow long, thick grass w/o bogging down
- Engineered really well. I like how top cover reveals a place to store a couple of wrenches that come with the mower. Yeah it's plastic, but I think the plastic materials are necessary to keep the weight manageable.
- It works as advertised...
CONS
- The handle.
You have to squeeze a bar on the handle towards you to engage the blade. Releasing the bar stops the blade immediately, which is a nice safety feature.
However, releasing tension on your grip will cause the motor to start to cut out. The manual warns that frequent stopping and starting the mower will cause the motor to overheat, and recommends leaving the mower off for at least 5 seconds before restarting it.
I can't help but think that having the power start to cut out and then turn on again is hard on the electric motor.
To me, the handle needs a lock in the on position. I would liken it to cruise control on a car.
The car manufacturers don't prevent you from using cruise control in stop and go city traffic. You don't use it because you would probably have an accident.
Well, if I'm mowing with kids and/or pets in the yard, I may not want to use the handle lock. But when the yard is clear, I think I should have that option.
Finally, I developed a blister at the base of my right thumb from squeezing the bar. I will most likely resort to wearing an old pair of fingerless bike gloves the next time I mow. These were a favorite accessory of mine when using our reel mower.
- Trimmer line feed
The trimmer said to refer to the mower manual for instructions, but I couldn't find them in the mower manual. To advance the trimmer line, you have to press a white switch on the reel and pull the line out. This is awkward.
Purchased a Neuton CE5 as part of a Rocky Mountain Air Quality exchange program. I gave them my old gas mower and received the Neuton for $140, which to me is a great price.
First the negative side. I surrendered a 22inch cut for a 14inch cut, so it takes longer to cut.
The blade does not reach as close to the front, back and sides as the gas mower, so more trimming is necessary.
The mower comes with a side discharge chute, which was ill thought out and poorly engineered. With it on, you can't back up, go over uneven ground or turn the mower by pushing the handle down and swiveling the front. If you do the thing just falls off. You have to lift the back, and move that around which is kind of awkward.
The chute is now in the recycle bin. However, I found it was not needed. The mulch plug works just fine, and if the blade area fills up with too much wet grass to mulch it just drops the surplus out the bottom.
Please wear gloves while cutting, the rubber handle is rather rough and I got a very nasty blister between my thumb and forefinger in the first half hour's use.
Second, the neutral aspect to me is the cost. They say the batteries last about 5 years, and although I have yet to fully discharge a battery, (I cut the front one day, and the back the next, charging overnight.) I have purchased a second, just to be sure I can completely finish my yard in one day.
A battery is about $90, so two is about $180 every five years. That money can buy a lot of gas, and air filters, and oil, and spark plugs, so from a cost stand point that's a wash.
Now for the positive.
Somebody complained on this site about the plastic construction. The mower is built of heavy duty plastic. Kind of like kid's "big wheels" and playground equipment, which from my experience is virtually indestructable. Heck, my car bumpers are plastic, and Boeing is about to lauch a plastic airplane, so what's the big deal?
Cleaning is a whizz. My old mulching gas mower, I could tilt back a little and try to hose out the bottom, trying not to spill gas or oil, and the metal housing could pack cut grass into every little nook and cranny. With the Neuton, I finish cutting, take out the battery, lean the mower almost vertical against a tree and hose off the bottom, and with the plastic construction, there are no nooks and crannies.
Starting out is so much easier than the gas mower, put in the battery and go. No more checking the oil, filling the gas tank, and cleaning the air filter. That is quite a time saver.
Although the mower is not silent, it is much quieter than a gas mower.
With a gas mower, if you have to stop to move something, you have to shut it off, and pull to restart. With the Neuton starting and stopping is just a switch away. While repositioning the mower, I now stop it, and start when ready, where as the gas mower was kept running whenever possible, to avoid the pulling the cord to restart. Shutting the Neuton off when not cutting, saves the charge.
I have now cut the front and back (about a 1/4 acre) twice. Denver has had quite a bit of rain in that time, the grass is growing very quickly and needed cutting before it could dry out. The Neuton had no problem cutting high wet grass, and like I mentioned if I would try to cut and mulch too much, the mower would just drop out the surplus, which I would later go back over and the mower would mulch it just fine. The mower never bogged down during the whole time.
Finally, I have always felt a bit guilty about using a two-stroke gas mower, knowing how polluting it was to the environment. So having an electric mower, and doing my part, makes the Neuton a very positive experience.
I have now used my Neuton 6.2 a total of 9 times. So far, I'd have to say that my experience is good. It isn't as "quiet" or as "light" as the company claims but overall my experience has been good.
The battery life is what I expected. In the early Spring my grass requires more frequent mowing otherwise the Neuton would not have the power to effectively cut it. The thicker grass robs power during the cycle, shortens the life of the battery and the mower doesn't mulch as well. The mulching issue I experienced even with my good gas mower. If I mow frequently enough the mower performs well and the battery life is just enough for my entire lawn.
The trimmer attachment I have to admit is a disappointment. No matter how high I set the mower setting, the timmer attachment scalps the lawn in front of the mower - it seems to cut much lower than the blade on the mower. I haven't mastered using the trimmer as an edger as the mower is much to difficult to handle as an edger.
The construction is cheap and lightweight. On the other hand, I wasn't expecting a steel or even aluminum mowing deck or heavy wheels like a conventional gas mower. For my small yard the mower performs well for me and performs as I expected it would.
My neighbor has a Black & Decker and while I think the B&D has more solid construction, the performance in the mowers is equivalent for our application. On my decision to by an electric mower I was struggling between the Neuton and the B&D. After my experience with the Neuton, I would buy the B&D only on the basis of the better construction and for the option of local service - I tend to keep my mowers for a long time. So far, neither local service or the cheaper construction have been an issue on my Neuton. Only after several years will I know if my decision to go with the Neuton over the B&D was a mistake or not - stay tuned.
So far, so good. After research and reviews, including this site, I ordered the CE 6.3. It shipped in a few days and arrived via UPS in about a week. I charged the battery for about 36 hours and mowed my 1/3 acre lot for the first time tonight. The mower cut my 3" tall grass down to 2" height (setting 3) with no problem. The mower was quiet and light and easy to maneuver as advertised. Both of my adjacent neighbors visited to ask about the mower. My one neighbor thought I was pushing a fertilizer spreader until he noticed my mowed lawn. It's that quiet! My iPod volume was set at half the volume I needed when using my gas mower. That was one reason I bought the electric. I finished my 1/3 acre in 1 hour and the battery meter was just starting to dip into the yellow. So far, I am very satisfied!
I want to say that I love my newton lawn mower. I can't compare it to a gas mower, since I have never used one. We have had it for 3 years and have had no problems with it. I like the fact that I can listen to music or still hear my children while I am mowing my grass.You do not bother your neighbors when you are mowing your lawn since it is not that loud. I never have to worry about running out of or spilling any gas and as long as you are always charging the battary the battary life is fine. Yes it is small and might not have the power that a gas mower has but I would not trade it for all the gas mowers in the world.
On Apr 20, 2009, billyandlee Chapel Hill, NC wrote:
Have had my neuton 14" mower for 5.5 years. It starts immediately, cuts well and is easy to handle. No gas, oil, spark plugs, yanking-to-start, or frequent servicing. I've had at least three neighbors ask what kind of mower I had that made no noise! They've since bought neuton mowers. My recommendation is to buy two batteries, so that one is always fully charged. I addition, I have since bought a neuton chain saw. For light work on my property (I don't saw down redwoods) it is an excellent tool. Even my wife likes too use it! Neuton rates high with me.
I've used my neuton 5 for about 10 years now, on a 1/2 acre lot. it takes 2 batteries to do the half acre, in part because I don't mow as often as I probably should. after some initial bumps with a charger that got fried during a power outage, It's been smooth sailing, as long as I wait for the dew to evaporate off the grass. wet grass does clog mulching area, but it also did on my gas powered mower - and I don't have the hassle of yanking a chain, or worrying about gas-oil spillage when unclogging the blade area with the neuton. my neighbor works nights-sleeps days and the neuton is so quiet, I can mow while he's sleeping without waking him. the 5 has a narrower bed than the models currently being marketed, but I've found this to be a good mower for me to use. It can take on 'scrub ' brush cutting , as long as you go slow..and handles the thicker grass over the septic leaching fields as well as the old gas mower did. I'd recommend that anyone planning on using it for more than a smallish front yard, invest in a second charger and battery. the batteries have been good for about 5 years, so the overall investment isn't that high.
On Mar 25, 2009, chris_h Waukegan, IL (Zone 5a) wrote:
This will be my fourth season with my Neuton mower. I previously used a hand mower and I just didn't have the energy to handle it anymore, but I did not want to be polluting with a gas mower. I chose the Neuton specifically because of the smaller size, as I have many flower beds with curvy borders and some fairly tight spaces to maneuver around. I don't mind needing to make a few more passes when I mow. I just figure that's a little more exercise for me, which is good. I love the mower and have had no problems with it.
I'm about to start the 5th season with the 5.2 mower, in North Texas. I wouldn't have anything else, & we've had a lot of gasoline mowers. We're about to give our current mower to our son, & buy a new one for ourselves. He has 3 children, & this way there won't be a potential problem with gasoline, & no maintenance problems. We don't have any qualms about giving them a 5-year old machine, because of the history of zero problems so far. The mower rates at least 9.9 out of 10. The trimmer part of the trimmer-edger only gets about 7.5. We're getting the new trimmer-edger, so it may be an improvement.
I first have to say that this mower is incredible.
I have mowed yards with gas powered push mowers since my early teens, and I can say that I am very tired of the routine of gas mowers. They are noisy, smelly, and the vibrations are very irritating to my hands. I also hate the constant maintenance required for gas mowers. I took shop class in high school, and I know how to repair a small gas engine from scratch, but it does not mean that I want to tinker with the engine on a gas mower each time I have to mow the yard.
I was skeptical about the Neuton's claims, but I recently fired my lawn service, and I decided to take matters into my own hands. Neuton offered the 6 month risk free trial, so I figured it was worth a shot.
Delivery took a while, but this was the first year for the 6.2 model. There was a shortage of them because of high demand, but mine came within 2 weeks. The first thing I did was charge up the battery, and then I tested it the next day.
The mower did all they promised. It started right away by turning the switch on and squeezing the handle. It was relatively quiet, and it is no louder than an electric fan. The mower is light, around 70 lbs., and it is easy to push through the grass. It makes clean cuts, and the yard looks great when I finished mowing the yard. The mower is very easy to clean up with a garden hose. The handle also easily folds down, which makes it easier to store in the garage. You can also stand it up on its end or hang it on the wall since it does not have any fluids to leak. The battery is easy to remove, and I always charge it in the house. The Florida heat is bad enough on car batteries, so I can imagine what it would do to the Neuton battery if I left it in the sweltering garage all summer. The battery is small enough to plug in and set aside out of the way in the house. The battery is sealed, so it should not leak under normal circumstances.
Later in the summer, I did noticed that I was pushing the battery to its limits. My yard is right at the edge of the recommended size for the 6.2 mower, and I live in Florida where we have thick, tall grass. I compensated for this by mowing the front yard one after work, charged the battery overnight, and then mowed the back yard the next day. Personally I did not care that it took me two days because it gets so hot in Florida that I needed a break anyway after 1 hour of mowing. Neuton typically offers free shipping for the "big items" in the spring, so I think I will just order a second battery for next season of yard mowing.
Over the summer season, I did notice a few things that I found negative about the mower. The wheels squeak when I roll over bumps in the yard. My yard is very uneven, so I get a lot of squeaks. I resolved that with lithium grease.
The mower also would bog down when the grass got too high, however my old gas mower used to bog down and my ex-lawn service guy's big mower used to bog down as well on the thick Florida grass. I compensated for this by just walking slower when I heard the motor slowing down.
I am cannot say if the Neuton is more cost effective than a gas mower. You can get a gas mower for less than $200 at your local big box home center, and the Neuton costs around $500 when it is not on sale. Gas is still relatively cheap, and gas mowers do not use a lot of gas for a typical residential yard. A second battery for the Neuton is around $100, and purchasing one will definitely make a Neuton more costly than a cheap gas mower. On the other hand, a top of the line gas mower costs around $400 to $500, so if you compare a major name brand mower to the Neuton, you may find the Neuton as a better deal.
Using a Neuton is freshing from the headaches of the typical gas mower. The mower is significantly quieter, and it has little to zero vibrations from the handle. The mower is light enough to push without power assist. I often found that the power assist was not helpful with my old gas mower, and depending on the design, the power assist on the gas mower would often wear down the mower wheels. I also did not mind pushing the mower myself, because it helped me get more exercise while performing a weekly task.
Neuton also claims that you can "smell the grass instead of the gas while mowing", and that claim is true. It is often refreshing to smell nature instead of smelling the exhaust fumes while mowing.
I would recommend the Neuton to anyone that has a yard within the range of the mower. Using the Neuton makes yard mowing an enjoyable way to pass some time during the week instead of a dreadful weekly chore.
I am starting up my second season with the Neuton, and I will post any new commentary from my experiences with the Neuton.
On Sep 24, 2008, daylily12345 Colorado Springs, CO wrote:
I received my Neuton CE6.2 mower this spring and have been using it for about 5 months. This week I'm trashing the very durable shipping carton which I saved in case I wanted to take advantage of their 6 month free trial. It won't be going back any time soon.
PRO: 1. Simpler to operate and maintain. No back wrenching rope pulls with a balky internal combustion engine on cool spring days.
Last year I had a back injury and couldn't even USE my Toro mower cause I couldn't pull the rope starter.
2. Easy to clean and maintain. The plastic body is easy to power wash underneath. With the battery removed you can turn it any way you want to wash it. Try that with your gas mower and you'll have gas and oil leaking all over.
3. Not quite as noisy as a gas mower. But it isn't silent, either and since there's only one speed (ON) you can't throttle it back when you're mowing under the neighbor's dining room window!
4. There's no running out of gas at the wrong time which seems to be always with me. No leftover gas to store or dispose of in the fall. None of this winter gas additive or draining the tank.
5. The battery life is plenty for my front and back lawn. I should try it on a couple of my neighbors lawns to see how long it will operate.
CON:
1. It's not self-propelled and for a 62 y/o that is a consideration. While it's a bit lighter than my Toro, pushing it is as hard as guiding the Toro.
2. It seems LONG...I measured it against my Toro and they're about the same....maybe because it is narrower the length makes it seem unwieldy.
3. It cuts and bags very well but I would not put this in the category of my 15 year old Toro for mulching. Maybe 1.5" but any longer it chokes on the accumulating grass.
4. Though it's made of modern plastic I"m not sure what it will look like in 15 years(my Toro is still steady) For that matter I'm not sure what I will look like in 15 years.
5. I'll reserve judgment on the battery life. I hope for 3-5 years. I plug it in and charge it after every use.
PS:I haven't purchased the optional edger or the optional lawn pattern roller.
Shipping was VERY prompt, very well packed and easy to assemble. Even an adult can do it!
I GIVE THE NEUTON CE6.2 FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS.
A previous owner broke in my newly acquired Neuton 5.2 mower. When she demonstrated its operation, I could hardly believe how quietly it ran. It sounded like a brand new, quietly whirring fan, that is to say, I could hardly hear it. It mowed swaths of grass evenly, though with her setup it strew clippings all over the sidewalk. I will not be using the mower around such surfaces, and if I were, I would attach the grass catcher.
Though she thought the battery would be dead, she gave it an hour's charge before I came over, and the mower started right up. According to the instruction book, I will need to fully recharge that battery before starting the mower with it again to prevent further drain of power. I don't look forward to spending $85 on a new battery and hope that one of the disgruntled users who has posted here will have one like-new to sell to me.
I didn't make an extensive survey but wonder if women might generally be happier with the weight and performance of the mower. Sorry if I'm stereotyping. I love the fact that I can remove the battery easily and lift the mower in an out of the van. Also, I am not a fan of a perfectly manicured lawn. I prefer the look of native plants that attract butterflies, worms, and other critters but give a mown lawn a varied texture. Trying to start a gas mower is is simply out of the question for me.
When my reel to reel mower proved to under perform, I hired a lawn service (thereby paying them to pollute rather than doing it myself.) I am so happy that I will be able to mow my own lawn again, get badly needed exercise, and feel as if I am not terribly polluting the earth with the 95% recyclable batteries I have to replace.
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.
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.
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 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.
