Oh lord, won't you buy me a Neuton lawn mower?
My yard is too small to even be measured as a fraction of an acre. My city lot is 30' by 150' and there is only grass in the back. I do have a lawnmower and it's one of those lovely gas powered monsters desperate for a tune up. It takes an hour to mow the law because it stalls all the time and admittedly, we let the grass grow too high. But this isn't what turned me on to electric mowers, it was that according to the Environmental Protection Agency, a push mower emits as much hourly pollution as 11 cars; E-LEV-EN.
Enter the Neuton battery powered lawn mower. I'm salivating just thinking of it.
I must admit that initially I wanted a Neuton for the following completely superficial reasons:
- It looks really cool.
- They have a newt as their logo.
- They are manufactured in Vermont, where I hail from.
The Neuton is battery operated which means that unlike other electric mowers, there is no cord. The only maintenance that it requires is a fully charged battery and some annual blade sharpening. A new battery will eventually be required after a few years of service. There are no spark plugs, air filters, or hazardous liquids.
The Neuton can mow for up to an hour on a single charge which is enough time for me to mow my lawn, that of my neighbor and still have enough charge for the next week. It is also much quieter than a conventional gas mower which means that when I yell directions at my husband as he mows, he can't say that he didn't hear me.
So what's holding me back? The price tag. I'd have to start my own mowing service just to save up for one. The mowers come in two sizes and two prices: $399 and $499. It's not completely unreasonable but slightly higher than what I'm comfortable with for an impulse purchase. There is a sale going on, however, and prices have dipped $20 and shipping is free so that might be enough to push me over the edge.
In the meantime, I'll be channeling Janis Joplin.
[via: Wallet Pop]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-09-2008 @ 5:06PM
Phil L. said...
I'll note some of the same things as I did on this item over at WalletPop...
I like the idea - but, like you, Kelly, it's still just too expensive for me. Plus, without no established track record, we can guess that batteries will last several years and be readily available when needed. But maybe not. This wouldn't be the first product orphaned as technology moves on.
Note that replacement batteries look to be a Neuton-specific item (i.e., not industry standard battery that can be found anywhere), and are about $90 each.
Meanwhile, my gas mower isn't as clean as I'd like - but spark plugs, air filters and engine oil are really cheap, available everywhere, and easy to do yourself. My two pieces of lawn equipment (mower and tractor) were both acquired used - and have proven themselves to be cheap and reliable to run.
Sadly, this same logic helps explain why I can't yet find an EV I can afford...
Reply
5-09-2008 @ 6:05PM
Tim said...
And you don't use a reel mower why?
Reply
5-09-2008 @ 7:34PM
kelly.leahy said...
Tim, that is a fantastic question and the truth is that every time I mention them to people, they look at me like I've got a horn coming out of my head.
I've looked at a couple models on Amazon and read mixed reviews but I have yet to get a recommendation from anyone.
Do you use one? What brand? Are there any drawbacks?
5-12-2008 @ 8:09PM
Phil L. said...
Tim -
Ugghhh - Since I didn't use the "reply" button the first time...
My current lawn is big enough that a push mower doesn't cut it anymore. More details in other posts below...
5-10-2008 @ 12:24AM
Tim said...
Yes I do use one.
Scotts Classic
Make sure you keep your speed up and the blades sharp and you will be very happy!
Here is a fantastic reference.
http://www.reelmowerguide.com/
Reply
5-12-2008 @ 1:17PM
icrnk said...
I recommend the Brill reel (http://peoplepoweredmachines.com/brill/brill_razorcut38.htm). I have the older model which I have been using for over 2 years. My yard probably isn't a good candidate for a reel mower since it's very large but I figure it's excellent exercise. The Brill is very light and the blades still cut the thick St. Augustine grass.
5-12-2008 @ 1:08PM
Phil L. said...
I went down the reel mower path when I had my townhouse.
I ended up mowing both neighbor's yards in addition to my own at one point (renters that didn't care). Reel mowers don't deal well with high weeds, holes, uneven ground and rocks. I was going to need something that could do more than what a reel mower could do, and didn't have space to two mowers. Thankfully, I stumbled across a pair of corded electric mowers in a dumpster, and was able to create one working example from the parts.
One particular annoyance: It's almost impossible to replace a reel mower blade (the internal reel section) if a rock takes a good-size chip out of it. If you can find the parts (good luck finding replacement blade assemblies wherever you buy the mower), it will cost about what a new reel mower does. All of the sudden, those cute little reel mower sharpeners are pointless: They can't deal with big dings that are inevitable in real life mowing. Meanwhile, a rotary mower blade can be sharpened just about forever - and can be replaced in a couple of minutes for just a few bucks.
Another 'reel' life situation: Try letting a typical teenager use your reel mower in any less-than-perfect lawn. Reel mower blades simply don't tolerate abuse.
So here's my underlying question: How come nobody makes a push-style, self-powered mower with a rotary blade?
Reply
5-12-2008 @ 1:10PM
kelly.leahy said...
Thanks for the reel mower review. I am concerned about using one on my yard because we have so many vines, rocks, oyster shells ... you name it.
5-12-2008 @ 4:05PM
Phil L. said...
Kelly -
I appreciate the green statement that push reel-type mowers make - but I've also learned where they work well. Golf courses typically use tractor-drawn reel mowers because of the nice cut they leave. But my lawn doesn't look like a golf course (and let's not go down the path of the environmental cost of perfect fairways).
If I had a small lawn with lots of imperfections, I'd get another corded electric rotary blade lawnmower like I had at my townhouse. You can probably find one used, and they're cheap to keep running. They'll chop up vines and tall weeds pretty well. A grinder will take care of rock chips - or just get a new blade, which will be cheap and readily available. Yeah, the cord is a hassle. Get over it.
Meanwhile, someone like Neuton will finally develop a market breakthrough that makes cordless mowers cheap and widely available. Note that Black and Decker has been making a cordless electric mower for some years - but they're priced similarly to Neuton, and you'll rarely see one in a store. Google "CMM1200" for more info.
Reply
5-12-2008 @ 9:25PM
Tim said...
Kelly,
I agree. If you can't clear your lawn of debris then a reel mower is not a solution that will work for you.
Good luck,
Tim
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