There’s no time like early winter to write about a lawn mower. I’ve been meaning to publish a review on the Neuton 5.2 batter-powered lawn mower we bought after moving into our new house since August; better late than never I guess. 

In short, I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this $350 push mower. Usually reviews are supposed to include pros and cons, but I can flatly state this mower has none of the latter.

Both Jude and I can easily maneuver the Neuton around our just-over-a-quarter-of-an-acre lawn. It shipped with a bag, a mulching attachment, as well as a side discharge chute. (We almost always used the mulcher.) The battery life, which I was originally concerned about, turned out to be more than sufficient. In fact, we found we could do two mowings on a single charge. We were eager to keep up with the trimming because too-tall grass would challenge the Neuton 5.2 (not at all an issue at all with either of us). At first, we found the narrow mowing deck and wheel base annoying because we had to run back and forth across the yard a few extra times. Its 14-inch deck was measly compared to my old 21-inch gas mower’s deck. But what’s wrong with a little additional time outside and exercise? The narrow deck didn’t get a second thought.

My old gas mower weighed at least three times as much and consumed, on average, a whopping heap of fuel and oil. Not to mention the headaches and annual maintenance. In my eyes, the Neuton has already paid for itself in just one summer.

Did you know?

Each weekend, about 54 million Americans mow their lawns, using 800 million gallons of gas per year and producing tons of air pollutants. Garden equipment engines, which have had unregulated emissions until very recently, emit high levels of carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, producing up to 5% of the nation’s air pollution and a good deal more in metropolitan areas.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of pollution emitted by a lawnmower operating for one hour is equivalent to the amount of pollution emitted by a car driven for approximately 20 miles.

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 29th, 2008 at 5 pm and is filed under environment, home, technology.