Customer Reviews

Neuton Battery Electric Lawn Mower

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I was committed to purchasing an electric lawnmower. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of options and even fewer reviews so was hard to decide! Ultimately went with the neuton and have been very happy. It is extremely light and easy to maneuver and turn which is great b/c we have a couple of hills and narrow spaces on our lawn. I was worried b/c it is more narrow than some mowers (maybe 14"?) but that hasn't been a problem at all; in fact, it makes many parts of the yard easier to mow. Charges quickly and we haven't had any battery problems. Never ran out of charge on our small lawn (takes about 45"). It is quiet (not noiseless, but I can cut early in the morning without waking the neighbors) and cuts well. I'm thrilled not to have a cord, and it is easy to start and stop. Haven't used the mulcher or any other fancy accessories (the local sales guy said not to bother with buying those).

I would buy this again without hesitation and would recommend to others. I didn't give it 5 stars only b/c there are so few cordless electric mowers to choose from in 2005 that I can't imagine this is yet the model of perfection, but for the average small lawn owner (like me), it's a great machine.

Addendum 7/2006: now in our second season and no complaints. We love this machine; it was a great purchase for us.
Addendum 9/2007: third season, great machine. Now that I've seen its durability, I would give this product 5 starts (Amazon won't let me change my original rating).
Addendum 6/2009: fifth season, still totally satisfied with this machine. Blade became "unbalanced" and needed repair in year 4. Battery still going strong (we keep it plugged in all year).

I got my Neuton mower this spring and have used it four or five times. At this point it has performed very well and has lived up to all my expectations. I have a relatively small lawn that covers about 30% of my 1/2 acre lot and I didn't want to deal with the mess and noise of a gas mower. My main concern with the Neuton was if it would hold the charge long enough to finish my lawn... as I said it is relatively small but is spread out on all 4 sides of the house so mowing the whole thing takes a fair amount of time. So far I've noticed no lessening of power even as I get to around 45 min of mowing.
Highlights:
- Easy to set up, only took about 20 min
- No gas or oil to worry about
- Battery is easy to use, just keep it plugged in when not in use. How hard is that?
- Quiet... I heard my phone ringing while I was mowing. I sure wish all my neighbors had one of these...
- Easy to store, fits in my shed standing on its nose
- Simple to use
- Way less expensive than the Black & Decker model I was considering

Lowlights:
- The box it came in was beat up pretty bad and barely holding together. It is a wonder nothing fell out en route.
- The plastic plate on the back that deflects the cut grass down is very easy to dislodge when maneuvering the mower. A minor annoyance.

Neuton Electric Mower

For those with no time to read this in its entirety, the bottom line is this: not ready for prime time. However, given that conclusion, I'm not sure that I will be taking advantage of the six month return policy. The Neuton would definitely never satisfy my neighbor who wants to have a putting green lawn, but then, I'm not nearly as concerned as he. All I want is something relatively green. If you have a small level lot and don't want it to look like a putting green, the Neuton is probably for you. This review is based on using the Neuton from June until September.
Pros:
1. Extremely quiet. I don't have to wear ear plugs anymore. You don't know the lawn is getting mowed unless you see the person pushing the mower.
2. Not a point source of pollution. Some power plant somewhere is generating a little more pollution to recharge the battery. Hopefully, more renewable energy sources will be coming on-line.
3. Easier to maneuver than my heavier gas mower.
4. Good battery life. I bought an extra battery because of what I read prior to purchasing the Neuton. However, I have never had to change batteries to get the lawn mowed. We are on a court, the front is around 40', the back is something like 350' and the yard is about 80' deep. In addition, there is a 20' easement between us and our western neighbor. I mow half of that, too.
5. Cuts better and faster after sunset. It cuts even better after the battery status light is interfering with my night vision. However, it is not disturbing the neighbors!
Cons:
1. Does not cut evenly. There is much more tall grass left behind than with the gas mower. I imagine that is because the Neuton's blade doesn't run as fast as a gas mower and that it doesn't generate as much vacuum to pull the grass up into the blade.
2. Does not mulch well. I installed the mulching kit. If the mower is cutting more than a half inch to an inch or so, it leaves a trail of once cut clippings. Cutting only half the mower width to reduce the load doesn't seem to help. My gas mower has two blades and the partial width trick works great with it when I let the lawn get too long. Our east side grows much faster than the west side, so by the time the west needs cutting, the east is way overdue.
3. Does not cut, let alone mulch, leaves. Our crab apple tree dropped a lot of leaves this summer. Running the Neuton over the leaves left them laughing. They got tickled, not cut or mulched. Since I started using a gas mulching mower years ago, I haven't collected leaves in the fall because the gas mower mulched them very well. The Neuton is lucky if it cuts a leaf in two. [A couple weeks later:] The poplars in the wetland at the back of the yard dropped a lot of leaves in the last week. I could not see any difference between before and after running over them with the Neuton.
4. Is a lot more work than the self-propelled gas mower. Our lot is six to eight feet lower at the back than the front. When we moved in from our level lot, I discovered that my push gas mower was very heavy. Fortunately, the blade brake died during the first season and I traded it in on a self-propelled unit. I thought the Neuton might be light enough, but it isn't. I thought I was going to have a heart attack the evening I mowed when the heat index was over 100°F.
5. Blade doesn't seem to hold an edge. It will certainly take one, as my bloody thumb demonstrated when I got careless the first time I sharpened it. (I don't have a grinder, so I use a file.)
Safety:
1. Check/tighten the four screws that hold the handle on and together frequently.
Since I wanted an extra battery and the mulching kit, I just ordered the accessory kit. I have used the edger once. It does a much better job of cutting than my electric hand weed whacker. However, being attached to a 45 pound mower on four wheels it is rather clumsy. Being light weight compared to a gas mower makes the mower seem manuverable, but it is still extremely massive for an edger.
Competition: Last year, the Neuton was the only cordless rotory mower I could find. (Black & Decker was under a recall.) I couldn't find a single review of the Neuton, so I didn't buy. This year, Black & Decker was back, but at 75 pounds, 30 more than the Neuton, I rejected it. (I didn't see anything indicating that the Black & Decker is self propelled as a 75 pound mower should be.) The new contender was the Bully. It is lighter than the Neuton, but I rejected it because it doesn't have a mulching option. (Turns out the Neuton doesn't mulch very well, so maybe that wasn't a good criterion to reject it.)

JUST PURCHASE ONE THIS YEAR AND HAVE USED IT 4 TIMES AND EACH TIME I HAVE MOWED FOR 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES BECAUSE I ALSO DO MY FATHER IN-LAWS YARD, MINE TAKES 40 MINUTES AND FATHER IN LAWS 30 MINUTES, SO I'M GETTING BETTER THAN EXPECTED USAGE OUT OF 1 BATTERY, AND I CHARGED IT 12 HOURS EACH TIME, I LOVE HOW QUIET IT IS AND HOW LIGHT IT IS TO PUSH, MY 70 YEAR OLD MOTHER IN LAW DOES THE FRONT OF OUR YARD AND CAN'T BELIEVE HOW LIGHT AND EASY IT IS TO PUSH OR PULL. IT DOES TAKE ME LONGER TO MOW MY YARD BECAUSE ITS ONLY 14 INCH AND MY OLD MOWER WAS A 22 INCH BUT FOR ME ITS USUALLY THE ONLY EXERCISE I CAN FIT IN SO THIS IS AN ADDED BONUS, THE CUT FROM THE MULCHING BLADE IS GOOD BUT THE LOWEST SETTING COULD BE A NOTCH OR 2 LOWER, OVERALL RIGHT NOW I GIVE THIS A 4 STAR

PROS
QUIET, I CAN TALK TO MY WIFE WHO IS ON THE DECK AND MY [...] KID ISN'T AFRAID TO BE OUT WHEN I'M MOWING

LIGHTWEIGHT ABOUT 40 POUNDS ONLY

NO GAS OR OIL TO SMELL OR SPILL, SO WHEN I'M DONE I'M NOT SMELLING UP MY BASEMENT

NO ANNUAL 50.00 TUNE UPS

THE MULCHING BLADE CUTS THE GRASS SO FINE I DON'T HAVE TO SWEEP MY WALKS OR STEPS OFF

HAVEN'T SEE ANYMORE ENERGY COSTS ON MY 1 MONTH BILL AND I CHARGED IT 4 TIMES THIS MONTH

EASY TO CLEAN UP, GRASS IS CUT SO THIN IT DOESN'T EVEN ATTACH TO THE BOTTOM.

CONS
HAVE TO MOW LONGER AND MORE OFTEN, THE LOWEST SETTING ISN'T LOW ENOUGH

THE BLADE DOESN'T REACH OUT PAST THE TIRES SO WHEN YOU MOW AGAINST AN OBJECT IT DOESN'T CUT CLOSE ENOUGH, SO YOU NEED TO TRIM MORE

THE COST, I GOT THE SCALED DOWN VERSION AND IT STILL WAS MORE THAN A GAS MOWER BUT WE WILL SEE HOW LONG IT LASTS AND HOW MANY TUNE-UPS I SAVE ON AND THEN IT MAY TURN OUT TO BE A PRO

6 MONTHS UPDATE:
This is an update since I had my Neuton for 6 months and 1 whole mowing season, last week I had the chance to pack this mower up and ship it back for a full refund and i passed because i still love this mower, it still gives me 1 hour and 15 minutes of power even after about 30 charges, that was my big concern how the battery would perform, so above where i said this mower was a little pricey, i now take that back because i will save at least 50 dollars next spring when i do not have to lug my old heavy mower to get it serviced, now this old heavy, gas stinking mower has a for sale sign on it and my Neuton is hanging up in my basement giving me more room for the rest of my other junk.

2007-05-11
Another update on this great mower, I have entered my 3rd season of mowing with this Neuton and like I said before my main concern was how the battery would hold up, well after a long winter I plugged it in for 24 hours and it started up just like the first time, plus I once again had to mow 2 yards 1 hour 15 minutes and it still was running strong, so the battery is really holding up fine.

I love my Neuton, and my husband loves it too, because suddenly I'm doing most of the mowing! We partcularly like the trimming and edging attachment because you can just leave it attached to the mower, then swivel it into place when you're ready to edge. And it edges beautifully! We used to use a hand edging tool, and it took at least 5 times as long, plus it was hard work. This is so easy, and so fast. It's a perfectly good mower (unbelievably quiet!), but for me, it's the trimmer/edger that really makes this product different.

I was surprised to read the review about the battery charge because we recently left it charging in the garage for three weeks, and the battery was fine. I've used it 3-4 times since with no problems.

If you do have trouble, this company (Country Home Products) is worth calling. We have bought a few products from them, and their customer service is top-notch, LL Bean-style, the customer is always right!

I'm a Customer Service Specialist with Country Home Products, sellers of the Neuton Mower. I'd like to help Mr. Spink with the problems he's reported, but have no record of him in our database. If you read this comment please call our owner hotline toll free at (800) 446-8746 or by e-mail at info@chp.com so I can resolve your problems, including free replacement of your batteries under our warranty.

I'd also like to clear up some confusion in your review.

First, there is no need to unplug the Neuton battery from the charger within 24 hours, as there is no risk of overcharging. With proper care and charging, we expect batteries to provide service for about 5 years worth of average use.

The Neuton uses sealed lead-acid batteries, the same style used in deep-cycle marine applications. Because lead acid batteries are also used in automobiles they are readily recyclable and have a low environmental impact. Nickel Cadmium (or NiCad) batteries can have a significant environmental impact if not recycled properly as Cadmium is a very toxic heavy metal. NiCad batteries also suffer from a problem known as "memory-effect", where the battery will decline in useful life if recharged before being fully discharged. Newer technologies such as Lithium Ion (which have a high power output and are relatively environmentally friendly) are entering the market but at present remain cost-prohibitive for this type of use.

If you have any question about your batteries or the performance of your Neuton mower, we're eager to help. We hope to hear from you soon.

have used the mower since purchased in Jan 2006. this replaced my 1978 lawnboy 21". the assembly was straightforward. not having to pay attention to how much gasoline i have in the gas can is a real plus as well as not having to mix 2 cycle oil and gas. i don't smell like a refinery after mowing the lawn and i can now smell the cut grass as i mow, something that i hadn't done since using a push reel mower when i was a kid.

the usual things are true with this electric mower in terms of quiet, easy start, light weight, etc etc. it has taken some getting used to with the narrow width but that's not a problem. my yard has 6 old growth trees which leave alot of debris on the grass which the lawnboy did a great job of vacuuming up when i used the bag. because of a slower cutting blade speed, the neuton isn't able to pick up debris as well. not a show stopper for me just a possible consideration for some people.

i have purposely cut the grass when wet and longer than normal to see what would happen. it did just as well or poorly as any mower would do. if one is looking for a lawn cut that is PGA grade this probably isn't the mower for you, but for 99% of us i think it would be fine.

i have seen a review talking about a failed relay causing the mower to stop running, i have not experienced this problem.

so for me, with my modest expectations of cut quality but big expectations in terms of hassle reduction this has been a worthwhile purchase.

I highly recommend this mower. It cuts and mulches as good and my previous corded Craftsman electric mower and it is much more quiet. I also bought the optional mulching kit (blade and insert) which works well for my yard (northern IL).

The product is well engineered and well made. There is a high quality metal connector for the cable running to the push handle where the on/off switch is located and all the parts seem durable and easy to remove or service. The battery is easy to remove; it can be charged in the mower or separately.

If you want to read more download the manual from the DR Power website: here is the URL: http://www.countryhomeproducts.com/contentpages/CSTM_manuals-cem.aspx

The customer service at DR Power is great. I ordered the mower on Sunday and had it by Thursday with free shipping!

I bought one of these in the last year as a replacement for my dying Sears gas mower. So far I'm very pleased. It works as advertised and is more than adequate for the size area I use it for (areas where the riding mower can't get). As others have said, it runs 45 mins with no slow down. Also cuts tall and thick grass well.

With the battery removed, it's easily picked up or flipped over for cleaning, but with the all plastic body not much grass seems to stick to the underside. It feels light in use. The weed-eater attachment is quite effective, but best used on long relatively straight edges. Very powerful compared to hand-held battery-powered weed eaters.

I was dubious about paying so much for a mower without ever seeing one in person, but it works just as advertised. The low noise level is a real pleasure, as is the reliability. Just remember it cuts a small swath when estimating it's effectiveness in your own yard.

This mower is absolutely perfect for SMALL lawns. The battery only last about one hour but thats all I need to get the job done. No more heavy gas mowers or pushing those reel mowers. This does the job and leaves the yard looking great too.

I have had good luck with the mulching blade. I find you have to walk slower and not let the grass get as long when your using it.

Overall this is a great investment. Its good for the enviroment to.