I've had the Neuton cordless electric mower for two summers. I bought the mower because my gas mower died and I was tired of the noise of gas mowers and the hassle of dealing with oil and gas. I paid $500 for the mower. That's a lot, but I've never regretted it for one second.

This mower is quiet. I can hear birds singing while it's running. That in itself makes it superior to internal combustion mowers, which operate at noise levels sufficient to cause permanent hearing damage. It also makes me a better neighbor, because I can use this mower without inflicting the angry roar of a lawn mower on every home within a quarter-mile. Also, I could never fill a gas mower with gas without spilling it on myself, and now I don't have to worry about that.

This mower starts easily and instantly. Squeeze the deadman lever, press a button, and it starts. No yanking, no cussing. Can't beat that. The levers and buttons are plastic, and I have some concerns about how long they will last, but through two summers, I have had no problems at all. Also, there is a deadman lever for both right and left hands, so you can operate the mower one-handed with either hand.

This mower is very light weight and easily maneuverable. That is because the mower is electric and not very big. The cut width is only about 14 inches, and I find that the mower works better if you use only about 70% of the cut width. It is a battery-operated electric motor, after all, so you cannot expect it to have the power of an internal combustion engine. What that means, of course, is that this mower will require more passes to cut the same area as an internal combustion engine mower. I listed that as a con, and for some people it will be. For me, I need the exercise more than I need the convenience, so I don't actually consider this a con. Cutting my yard may take 15 minutes more, but since it's infinitely more pleasant with this mower than a gas mower, I'm happy to make the trade.

This mower will not cut a large yard on a single charge. My yard is about a quarter acre and I've never been unable to finish cutting it. The first time I used it, which following three weeks of rainy weather that left the grass both long and wet, I just barely made it, and as I finished I could definitely tell that the battery had very little left. But when I'm more diligent, I don't have any problems getting through the job.

I hated LOTS of things about gas mowers. I hated the noise, the smell, the smoke, the difficulty of starting them, the necessity for dealing with toxic gasoline to use them, and I've been hating those things for nearly 30 years. I don't hate anything about this mower. True, it's expensive, but I actually like using this mower, it's better for me, it's better for my neighbors, and it's better for the environment.

UPDATE ON MAY 5, 2007: I am now entering my fifth summer with the Neuton mower. I keep the mower in a crawl space under the house and it has now spent four winters there. After recharging the battery, the mower started up just as easily as ever. Today, for the first time, I sharpened the blade. Getting the blade on and off was very easy, requiring only the provided 36mm wrench and a crescent wrench. I'm still using the rear bagger. It's quite a bit greener than it once was, from the grass clippings, but otherwise seems to be holding up well. The bagger connects to the mower by inserting two prongs at the topfront of the bagger into holes on the mower and sliding a plastic catch over the topback of the bagger. This connection did not impress me as all that robust when I first started using it, but after five years, it's still working, so I can't complain. The battery continues to recharge and hold a charge as well as it ever did so far as I can tell. Overall the mower continues to perform just as well today as it did when I first bought it. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.

UPDATE ON JUNE 16, 2007: I guess I was wrong that the battery was holding a charge as well as ever. Couple weeks ago I was unable to start the mower. I called the Neuton helpline, the guy was very helpful and suggested a new battery. (Incidentally, he said he owned one and had bought one for his mother.) I bought one for $80, charged it, and everything is back as it was. I still love my lawnmower, I would still buy it again in a heartbeat. Also, in my original review, I wondered whether the deadman levers would be durable. They have been, still work as well as ever.

UPDATE ON FEBRUARY 8, 2010:  I've now completed two (really 2 1/2) more summers of mowing.  Lawn mower continues to work as well as ever.  If it ever needs replacing, I'll stick with Neuton.
UPDATE ON JULY 3, 2011:  Seven years of use, still works good as new.

Recommended: Yes