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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Mower, June 26, 2009
This review is from: Neuton CE 6.3 19-Inch 36-Volt Cordless Electric Discharge/Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower With Removable Battery (Lawn & Patio)
I actually have owned the Neuton CE 6.2 model for over one season. The Neuton CE 6.3 is this year's model.
This is an excellent battery powered mower. It is very light without the battery, and it is around 70 lbs with the battery installed.
The mower is very quiet and is about as loud as a cooling fan. There are little to no vibrations from the motor, which is a huge positive for people like me who have issues with holding vibrating tools for long periods of time.
The battery does last for about an hour, but you should plan out your cutting route. Do not goof around, and you should be able to mow an entire 1/3rd acre yard in one charge. If you have a larger yard or you have a thick blade southern grass yard, then a second battery is recommended.
The motor is maintenance free. No oil or fuel issues like traditional gas powered mowers. The motor starts right away with a fully charged battery. During the winter season, I stored the mower, kept the battery on the charger, and the mower was ready for the spring cutting season with zero hassle or maintenance.
Since it does not emit exhaust and is quiet, mowing the yard is pleasurable. You can smell the cut grass instead of the exhaust fumes and you do not have to wear ear plugs. I do not have an issue pushing the mower since it is only 70 lbs, so I do not miss the self propelled feature. I have a bumpy, uneven lawn, and I do not have a problem pushing the mower. It is no harder than pushing a shopping cart, so most people should not miss the self propelled feature of other mowers.
I would recommend cleaning the underside of the deck after each mow with a garden hose. There is no issue tipping the mower on its side since it will not leak fluids like a gas mower. I would also recommend sharpening the blade at least once a month. Neuton sells a sharpening tool, but any blade sharpener will work. Neuton recommends keeping the battery on the charger when not in use, unless you are storing the mower over a several month period. The owner's manual has all the details. That is another benefit of the Neuton. Since Neuton is a USA based company, the instructions are in clear English, and the customer service is excellent.
There is also the environmental factor to owning this mower, and that may be important to some people. It was not high on my list, but it is nice to not pollute the air while cutting my lawn. Small gas engines emit more pollution than a car with a V-8 engine, which is something to consider.
However, this mower is probably not cheaper to own than a cheap gas mower. I know you can get a cheap gas mower at your local big box home center for less than $200, but you have to deal with all the negatives of a gas powered mower. It is not fair to compare this mower to a cheap $200 mower. Compare it to a $450 - $500 gas mower, and then one can see the cost savings of the Neuton.
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
quiet and cuts nicely, June 27, 2009
This review is from: Neuton CE 6.3 19-Inch 36-Volt Cordless Electric Discharge/Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower With Removable Battery (Lawn & Patio)
I've been using a factory-reconditioned 6.2 for a few months now and am generally pleased. I have a 1/4-acre lot and usually am able to cut the entire lawn in one shot without running out of power. My neighbor commented on how quiet it is, about the sound of a vacuum cleaner - he was much intrigued by it.
On the up side:
- The quality of the lawn cut is very good, the blade spins very fast. With basket attached, it collects all the cuttings very cleanly.
- It's fairly light and easy to push. It is not, however, self-propelled.
- Not having to deal with gas and oil and the problems of starting a gas engine are big pluses.
- It has good safety features - a key that must be inserted, a power switch, and a sliding button safety for the trigger bar that actually starts the motor.
- There is a power meter, keeping you advised of the amount of electricity left.
And keep in mind the environmental factors - a lawn mower engine can produce as much pollution as 23 cars. Lawn maintenance equipment is now one of the larger pollution sources in major metro areas.
On the down side:
Construction quality has been cut in some areas (probably to cover the cost of the expensive battery):
- The all plastic body scratches fairly easily. I already have deep scratches in the handle from going around bushes.
- The wheels are only secured with interior-tooth washers, not nuts. I've had one wheel pop off already, but it was fairly easily reattached. Still, doesn't bode well for the long term.
- As the two-star reviewer has noted, cost savings are probably exaggerated. A replacement battery at $115 every 4-5 years (or maybe less, I'll find out) has got to be on par with the fuel, oil and maintenance of a gas mower.
- Doesn't mulch particularly well. Depends on length of grass, but it tends to bunch it up in unsightly rows. But then, so have most gas mowers I've used.
- It's probably not as powerful as most gas mowers. It will slow down in dense, tall grass. Still, it will cut it.
- It has a little narrower swath than a lot of gas mowers.
- Word of caution: in wet grass, make sure you keep the underside channel cleared. If it gets jammed with wet, compressed grass, the battery will drain in minutes. You have to flip the mower on its side and manually scrape it clean every 5-10 minutes in very wet grass. Probably a good idea not to cut wet grass anyway.
- You have to remember to charge the battery up the night before.
And if you don't recycle the battery at the end of its life, that will probably wipe out all the good you've done for the environment.
Overall, I'd recommend the Neuton, it's convenient, quiet and gets the job done very nicely if you don't have a huge lawn.
On a side note, I would not recommend the trimmer/edger attachment unless you have long rows of fences. It's not very versatile and not really more convenient than a regular trimmer.
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Mowing has become an easy welcomed chore...MULCH IT!!, July 30, 2009
This review is from: Neuton CE 6.3 19-Inch 36-Volt Cordless Electric Discharge/Mulching/Bagging Lawn Mower With Removable Battery (Lawn & Patio)
We realize its long, but if you're going to make the investment - please read our entire story/ review - it should be worth knowing.
(skipping to the end) "...if you have a reasonable space with only a few hills, are willing to make this investment and care for your lawn, strongly consider it. We are very happy so far."
LETS BEGIN....
This year we decided to finally have a lawn. Sure they can take a lot of work (and I haven't had one since living with my parents in high school haha)..but we thought how nice it would be for our young daughter to have a place to run around and play.
For perspective, we installed 1200 sq.ft. of sod on a flat surface.
Of course, along with a new lawn - typically comes the need for a lawn mower. Like you reading this now, we did our homework. Reading reviews, googling the heck out the interwebs for the best gas mowers and corded electric mowers and cordless electrics, etc.
After much discussion, we decided to focus on finding a cordless/ rechargeable mower for many reasons. Sure, there are ECO-reasons...but there are also dealing with messy gas cans and checking the oil and filter and smelling like a race track by the time you're done with the chore (must've been all those memories of childhood mowing). Not to mention noise reasons and such.
We came across the Solaris/Epic mower and were very enticed by its appeal until we were able to see its flimsiness in person at the local Home Depot. We checked out the B&D and Craftsman too...they seemed okay. I had remembered seeing an ad in a magazine for the Neuton and it appeared pretty solid, but at the time a little too expensive...and some of the reviews _appeared_ mixed.
But we dug deeper, looking at the specs and results. One main plus of the Neuton for us was that it's mainly constructed of high-grade plastic. We live near the Coast and nearly everything metal starts to rust after a week. :) The plastic also meant it would be lighter - which is good for all of us and coincidentally easier to clean. And though it side discharges and bags like most others, it also mulches...which we figured would save us time not having to deal with bagging or raking grass clippings; while giving a little nutrients back to the lawn at the same time.
We also liked that the deck height would be easy to adjust having just one handle. (Most other mowers you have to painstakingly adjust each wheel individually..practically laying down on the ground to count the number of holes as you moved the bracket on each so that it ended up level...hopefully.)
So we leaned that way. At the time, Neuton was also offering FREE an additional 2 year warranty (bumping it up to 4 years) and free shipping. Not bad.
On 05/19/09, we pulled the trigger and ordered it. It arrived pretty quickly, maybe less than a week. And was for the most part nearly assembled. It was basically attaching the handle with a couple of screws and snap it in. Literally a snap. The battery charges with a standard outlet plug...so we set that for a couple days.
(Btw, we didn't opt for the edge trimmer attachment. Instead we bought a cordless/rechargeable weed wacker, which we feel gives us more flexibility to use in tight spots around the yard. But, should we find the money for it, think it would be a pretty handy accessory)
MOWING:
Now, the first time the lawn was mowed, it was LONG maybe actually 8-10 inches long. (Following sod installation, it was not recommended to disturb the soil for the first 2 months.) Prior to this first mow, We didn't water for two days so that it would be 'dry'er' for easier mowing. But, because the grass was so long, new and fresh, the blades were still very wet once chopped. This caused the fairly shallow deck of the mower to bog down quickly. I found myself clearing fine trimmings from the underside of the deck after every row (about 30 ft of mowing). Though a tedious task, it was pretty easy with the smoothness of the hard plastic deck, light weight of the mower, and not having to worry about spilling fuel(s) all over.
I had already figured the chore would probably need to be done over two days. It did. The first round/ day took over 2 hours to slice it down a bit. Sure, the battery isn't technically suppose to last that long, but most of the time on the first round was spent taking the grass clippings to the yard waste bin...and clearing the deck...many many times. I was able to actually make my final pass with just enough juice...barely. A sigh of relief and real sense of accomplishment.
I put the battery on the charger for the night.
The next day I was all recharged and ready to finish. The second pass still about the same duration (bogging down and clearing the deck), but in the end to my surprise the battery held out with juice to spare. This cut the grass down to an even 4 inches.
By the way, I was using the mower bag. It didn't really fill up much at all before it would bog down again. I think because so much grass would stick to the deck. And because it was so long, it couldn't get thrown up and back far enough into the bag; causing the chute to clog. I didn't want to try the side discharge because it would mean I would have to rake all the long grass. Not wanting to go through that, I also didn't want to risk disturbing the sod from rooting in the soil by yanking on it with the rake.
Three days later, I quite easily adjusted the deck to our goal height of 3 inches and made another pass. This time it took about an hour. Taking my time, and to my surprise, it didn't bog down.
From then on, I've mowed the recommended every 3-5 days using JUST the mulch plug. NO BAGGING NEEDED!! It hasn't bogged down again, ONLY TAKES 25 MINUTES TO MOW _AND_ I have been able to get about THREE MOWS PER CHARGE!
Being able to finish the mowing of 1200 sqft. in 25 minutes and not have to bag is fantastic in itself. It does a fine job and every one that visits our new yard has nothing but compliments.
For us, this was a high ticket item and like I mentioned earlier, required us to do our homework and read other reviews; as you are right now. I have to say that when I initially read many of them, I chuckled - visualizing people trying to use this mower up steep hills with tall hay length blades of grass, both ways, in the snow...and the battery discharging quickly or mower bogging down quickly. Other comments that it's just a _large toy weed wacker_ or doesn't have the hearth and girth of a _real mower_.
YES, I agree somewhat - if you have an enormous lawn with slanted hillsides that you aren't going to care to mow for weeks maybe seasons on end, this may not be the mower for you (though, I commend you for moving forward and going for it.) I think for those with a larger space should consider investing in an extra battery anyway, its so easy to swap out and finish off the job all at once.
So, the long of the short of it is that I suppose if you have a reasonable space with only a few hills, are willing to make this investment and care for your lawn, you should strongly consider it. We did and are very happy so far.
...the End (?)
:)
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