Must be a different feeling using a quiet mower.

I'm considering the Neuton CE 6.2, a 19 inch mower. Are you still as positive about your Neuton now as you were in 06?

Interesting. How well does it mulch and bag.

An update or comments from other Neuton owners would be great! I'm able to trade a gas model for a discount on a Neuton or B&D electric (http://www.aqmd.gov/tao/lawnmower2009registration.html) but am finding mixed reviews everywhere I turn. I always trust this forum to get the straight scoop.

Some half-truths from the Neuton website.

"Makes less than half the noise "
Yes, I'm sure it is quieter than a gasoline mower. I'm guessing that the generating plant is not particularly quiet though.

" Emissions - free"
Nonsense unless the owner has figured out a way to transform energy into electricity without creating pollution in the process. A tall order for sure...
"Push-button start"
Not much of a benefit over a key start gas mower.

"Only 69 lbs"
A powered gasoline mower requires little effort and weighs maybe 30 pounds more. A 69 pound mower has to be pushed around no matter whether it uses gasoline or electricity to spin the blade.

"Plenty of Power"
Gasoline mowers have plenty of power to spin the blade too. And many of them have sufficnent power to power the mower up hills.

For me it would truly be emmission free and from power that was silently generated. I have a 10.12 KW solar system that powers my home and generates about 20% more then I use which I sell to the grid.

I'm taking my time but will eventually buy a battery powered mower. If the neuton had a bit larger deck I think I would grab one.

captturbo - check out the Toro "e-Cycler" 36v (3 x/ 12v motorcycle batteries) w/20" deck. I am very pleased by how it cuts and mulches the steel deck is the same as a regular push mower.

Actually I went to my local ACE Hardware to look at the E-cycler a couple days ago. They didn't have one. They had all the gas models but no electric ones. I'm thinking that the Toro might be a bit heavier then I want to push. I might be wrong. I was hoping to get to see one in person.

I like the idea of using the plastic housing (Neuton) for weight reduction and corrosion resistance. I have an aging Toro Recycler now but have not been using it much. Instead I have been using a 20" Gilmour manual reel mower, That mower gives a very nice cut if you don't mind making two passes in places.

Ive been using the reel mower more for the excercise then the "green" factor. It does push very easy and the lack of fumes and dust is nice too. A light cordless mower would be nice to add to my fleet of mowing equipment. I just don't have any neighbors that have one that I could check out so ordering one would be taking a bit of a chance.

If you would, please give me more details on what the E-cycler is like to run. Can you remove the battery pack to recharge it away from the mower? How is it on slopes? Is it easy to push up hill? I have some back injuries that can cause some pain at times pushing a heavy mower for too long at a time. Thanks for any infor you can share.

I bought the CE-6 (19" deck) mower back in 2008. It was on sale and came with some accessories and a discount on the spare battery and string trimmer attachment. Even so , it still was expensive. Its been a love hate relationship. I have .22 acres to mow with many obstacles. It takes a little over an hour and I needed the second battery even when they were new. At the time I bought it, the spare battery was $75. Yesterday one of my batteries died. The new Duracell goes for around $130. However, if you remove the 2 screws on the end of the battery pack, you will find (3) Kung Long WP10-12SE sealed batteries like those used in UPS computer back up power supplies. When I removed the batteries, I found they had buldged and split. I don't know if it was from trying to push the mower beyond the power charge or from keeping the battery connected to the charger. The best price I've found for the replacement batteries was $24.20 each with a shipping charge of around $15. A bit cheaper than buying from Neuton.
On the love hate issue. I complained about this just after I got my mower, but the issue didn't provoke me to return the mower within the 6 month trial period. I live in Northren Neck VA. near the Potomac River. Even when the grass seems dry, the clay soil still holds a lot of moisture. This causes the grass to stick to the underside of the mower. I tried waxing the area and other ideas that might prevent sticking but nothing has worked. I have to clean the grass out almost every lap around the yard. The grass build up causes the blade to use more energy and shortens the charge in the battery. Also using the side discharge shoot doesn't propel the clippings very far and this shoot is so close to the ground that it digs in almost everytime you pull the mower back toward you. As far as noise goes, its a different frequency than the gas mower, but the pitch and decibels are such that I recommend hearing protection.
Ease of use, I think this mower is rather heavy to manipulate. We have ditches where our yards meet the roadway and it is hard pushing this mower around and into them. The mower is light until you put that nearly 30lb. battery in place. Than the mower is heavier then the 20" Murray I use as a back up. And if you are using the string trimmer attackment, you are really moving the nose of this mower around to get the trimming done.
The mower being made out of plastic presents a small problem due to the thickness of the sides and the axle space at the nose of the deck preventing you from getting close to things.
The best thing about this mower is the low profile, no gas and oil, the one lever wheel adjustment, easy handle bar adjustment and little metal to corrode.