Professor, My 2 Cents as a Neuton Power Mower Owner
Professor,
My two cents: I’ve owned the Neuton electric lawn mower since April 2004, which means I am now in my 3rd grass cutting season with it. I have the Model 4.1, and I understand that there is a new and “improved” version out (Model 5.1). Here is my evaluation of this mower. I did send an evaluation to the company where I purchased it after my first year of use, which included a number of these items. The company I bought it from is Country Home Products (located in Vergennes, VT), and their web page is
http://www.countryhomeproducts.com.
1. Very quiet. Two of my friends have corded electric mowers, and one of them says my battery-operated Neuton is quieter. I have ringing in my ears, probably from the gas-powered mowers I used as a teenager working at a golf course in the mid-1970s – before there were OSHA noise requirements (we never wore hearing protection, or cared how loud the mower was). With this mower, you can talk in a normal voice while it is operating, and you can hear others talking in a normal voice as well. Added bonus: it’s a “new mom” magnet 8). The first year I had it, so many moms wheeling their babies around the neighborhood in strollers stopped to ask me about my quiet lawn mower that my DW was wondering what was going on
! The babies seemed to be fascinated with the humming noise, and not a one would cry.
2. Lightweight. The mower weighs 35 pounds without the detachable battery, and 50 pounds with the battery. My old Sears gas-powered mower weighed 75 pounds – not counting the oil and gas. The light weight makes it very easy to push, and should be easy for my wife and teenage daughters to push – if only they would take a turn at cutting the grass
!
3. Cut is not as “good” as a gas powered mower. Don’t get me wrong; it’s not bad, but I think this could be a potential issue with all electric lawn mowers. I don’t think the blade turns as fast with an electric motor as it does with a gas-powered motor; thus, the grass is not “lifted” up as much for a uniform cut across the blade. If you are a perfectionist that demands every blade of grass be cut exactly the same height every time, then I don’t recommend electric mowers for you. My two buddies with corded electric lawn mowers say the same thing about their cut. Most people don’t notice, even when I point it out to them. According to the company’s web page, the newer model has a redesigned blade and housing that improves the “lifting” ability for a better cut.
4. Battery is meant to be taken out of the mower for charging. This was one of the selling features for me. I do not have a spare electrical outlet in my garage, so I did not want a battery-operated mower that has a built-in battery. The Neuton battery is a 6 inch cube with a built-in carrying handle. It’s very easy to remove to take in the house to recharge. In addition, if you don’t cut the grass year-round (like me – I live near Pittsburgh, PA), the manufacturer recommends charging the battery once or twice when storing it over the winter. This is another reason I like the detachable battery. The battery is supposed to last up to 5 years, with proper care. The current replacement cost is around $80.
5. Battery charge time is 12 hours. It takes a minimum of 12 hours to fully charge the battery. I usually charge it for 24 hours or more. The manufacturer does say that as the battery gets older, you might have to charge it for up to 24 hours. The battery charge is supposed to last for 45 to 60 minutes – I’ve run the mower consistently for an hour without fully discharging the battery. Also, the manufacturer recommends charging the battery after each use. Some will find this annoying. I have a bunch of rechargeable batteries for my digital camera, so recharging the battery is not a big deal for me.
6. It is designed for small yards or trim work. My total lot size is 60 ft. by 100 ft. When you subtract the “foot print” for house, the paved driveway, the sidewalk, the landscaped flower beds, trees, and other yard “obstacles”, there is less than 2500 sq. feet to cut. It does take me at least 45 minutes to cut it, though – with much of the time spent maneuvering around these various obstacles.
7. The effective cutting width is about 12 inches (one foot)
. This might be the biggest drawback that most people will have with the mower – its small cutting width. While the blade is 14 inches, when you consider the necessary overlap with each cutting pass, you are down to probably 12 inches of effective cutting width. This is another reason why it takes me 45 minutes or longer to cut such a small yard. However, this small width does make it good for a trim mower. That, and its light weight means teenagers and women can easily handle it, compared to a gas-powered mower.
8. Changing the height of the cut is very easy. You can do it with one hand, as one lever changes all four wheels simultaneously. The light weight also makes it easy to change cutting height.
9. Clean-up is very easy. The mower housing is made of plastic, and I clean underneath it wearing a work glove. It’s a lot like a Teflon-lined pan; grass really does not stick tightly to it.
10. The company offered a 6 month return policy. This was also a selling point for me. I could use the mower for an entire grass cutting season, and return it for a full refund, minus any return shipping charge – although I seem to recall that back then they would even pay for the return shipping. Obviously, I didn’t return mine.
11. The company offered a free grass catcher and mulching kit when I purchased it. I always mulch, so that appealed to me as well. I still haven’t taken the grass catcher out of its box. (OK, I did take it out when I first got it and put it on the mower – but I then put it back in the box without ever using it.)
12. The mower cost me $379 in 2004. This is much more expensive than a comparable gas-powered mower, but I was looking for a more “environmentally” friendly mower. I was actually going to get a manual reel push mower, but my DW said I would look “silly” – as if wearing work boots with white athletic socks, cut-off blue jean shorts, and safety glasses when I cut the grass now doesn’t already give me that look!
13. You can purchase a string trimmer attachment that plugs into the front of the mower. I did not buy this when I first got the mower, but am now thinking of getting it, as we have added several more flower beds and I think it will be much easier to use this trimmer option than my other trimming tools. I keep getting post cards from the company promoting “refurbished” trimmer attachment units for $35 (“new” price is $80). I will probably buy a refurbished unit in the near future.
Would I buy another one? Yes. It works well for me. Yes, I'm on their mailing list. Some of their items are a hoot - like the chicken condo. My kids are still laughing about that one.
