A short trip to the local landscape supply store was in order. My original intention was to get something self-propelled, but then I asked about the electric lawnmowers. I thought they’d be pricey and ugly, much like my Prius when I first purchased it. I was pleasantly surprised. The Neuton Battery Powered Mower is a combination of green and light green. It is made completely of plastic materials, except for the blade. A mulching mower, it is incredibly lightweight, too; if I take the battery out of it, I can lift the entire lawnmower into the back of my Prius all by myself. There’s no oil, no grease, and no hot parts.

Best of all, it’s electric, so there would be no more visits to the gas station where, before, I’d be precariously filling my little plastic gas can (and getting gas all over me as a result). I rather like the idea of being environmentally conscious. The battery can be charged indoors between mowing, and it only takes (they say) about ten cents' worth of electricity to give it a full charge.

The Neuton is a little pricier than a regular gas-operated mower, and I wasn’t sure if it was worth the extra hundred dollars or so. I asked Randy, the salesman, if it was okay to bring it back if I didn’t like it, or if it didn’t perform to my satisfaction. He said, “Sure.” But I could tell by the look in his eye that he wasn’t going to be seeing me again. Randy said that all of his Neuton customers were happy ones.

The maiden voyage of the Neuton Battery Powered Mower was yesterday. I cut the back yard during my lunch hour (forty minutes). This morning I cut the front lawn (forty minutes). The best thing about this mower is that it’s so damned quiet! It produces less noise than my vacuum cleaner. I can mow at 7 a.m. if I want to.

I might call Randy to thank him, but I’m never giving this thing up, ever!