A neutral release mechanism for an outdoor power equipment is discussed. One example embodiment comprises a neutral release mechanism that switches a gearbox or a transmission between neutral mode and drive, comprising: a user input that rotates between a first angle and a second angle; and a plunger coupled to the user input and a pin, wherein the plunger and the pin move parallel to an axis of the drive wheel between a first and a second position, wherein the pin is at the first position when the user input is at the first angle and the second position when the user input is at the second position, wherein the pin places the gearbox or the transmission in drive when the pin is at the first position and places the gearbox or the transmission in neutral when the pin is at the second position.