I was reliably informed that Mountfield petrol mowers were among the best. I’ve tried two now and managed to break both of them.
The first was the Multichip 50SP, a 150cc self-propelled mulcher mower. The engine was never really very happy. It sprayed and burned oil from day one. I contacted the help line and they said this can be normal. When the engine eventually gave up and died at the grand old age of about three weeks I took it back to B&Q.
That brings me to another story! B&Q aren’t exactly the most helpful people in the world. Not the ideal reception that you want having gone to all the trouble of carting a dirty mower all the way there. They can’t do an exchange… have to send it back to Mountfield for repair… wait ten days… blah blah blah. We got a call back within a few days to say that the mower had been written off and we could come in for a new one. It appears to have had very leaky seals.
We had decided to go for the next model up. The SP534ES, a 200cc electric start (woo woo!) with grass box and mulcher attachment. Trouble was, when we got to B&Q that particular mower was not in stock. We agreed again to wait until they called us and we sat at home watching the grass grow longer.
Eventually we got the call. We treked back to B&Q and fought for the only model that had been delivered. Turned out there was a big mix up in the names. It was reserved in my name and it was my partner who was trying to collect it!
I had no complaints with the engine on this one; it started and ran fine. It was on its second outing that the bits began to drop off. The plastic bit above the blade (that I now know as the belt guard) fell from it’s mountings. This meant that it sat atop the blade and caught all the time. I continued mowing regardless; well until the damn thing stopped self-propelling. Turns out the drive belt had fallen off due, no doubt, to the initial problem. I kicked it around for a while but after a few more minutes and with only half the lawn done, I decided the blasted thing was going back.
I rang Mountfield for a refund code. They said that was not possible and it would have to come back for repair. I thanked them for their help and put the phone down. I rang straight back in the hope I would find someone helpful. I was in luck. The next guy gave me the required number and back to B&Q we went. We got a cash refund (woo hoo again).
So… where do I go from here? The grass is getting longer and I have no mower. I have been looking at the Toro in B&Q although I did promise myself that they would no longer enjoy my custom. B&Q helpfully explained that they use Toro for places as high profile as Wimbledon. Ha! If only he knew that our garden is no tennis court. I need a machine that can cope with the odd bump and gradient. My Uncle Des tells me that Mountfield are good, but in the end he wouldn’t settle for less than a Hayter. I’m looking but they seem to be more than twice the price!
Tags: B&Q, Mountfield, mower, review
[...] is the follow up story to “Let Down by Mountfield Petrol Mowers“ on 19th [...]
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, READ THIS!
There is nothing wrong with Mountfield mowers, HOWEVER! The models that are sold in B&Q stores are NOT the same as Mountfield sell themselves.
Look on Mountfield.co.uk and you will see. They might look similar but are not the same!
Many of the models that are made exclusively for B&Q, are made in SLOVAKIA or POLAND and not in italy where the rest of the Mountfield mowers are manufactured.
The quality control of the B&Q machines is virtually non exsisitent and the reason that they are told not to accept returns, is because the spares for these machines are different from the normal UK Mountfield machines.
Also they NEVER order spares when they import the machines to save money!
I Left a year ago and was disgusted with the way they treated their customers! It was always left to engineers like me to bear the brunt of very rightly peed of members of the public!
If you do have a problem don’t waste your time and money with the helpline numbers they give you!
Just phone B&Qs Head office and complain!
Trust me your new mower will be with you so quickly, you’ll be amazed!
Hello Mr Lawnmower Repair Man!
Thank you so much for your excellent quality input. This answers a lot of questions as far as I am concerned. It was always my understanding that Mountfield was a quality brand and I was suprised to find their mowers kept falling apart! Now it all makes sense.
The only thing that tarnishes the Mountfoeld name now is why on Earth they should lend their good name to such a bunch of cowboys!
I too am having numerous problems with my mower and have contacted everyone concerned, Mountfield, Radmore & Tucker (the biggest agents in the south west who supplied the machine) and their agent who sold it to me. No-one wants to know and I was hoping you could put me in contact (or pass on my e-mail address) to the ex B & Q man, as the problems I have had (grass box cover falling off on 2nd day, machine stopping on 4th day and again on 7th day – after being “repaired”) seem to be consistent with the machine being made in Poland or Slovakia. I would like to know how it would show up that the machine was made in either of these countries (I don’t have the box) as I would like to confront Mountfield with this. Given that they do supposedly “guarantee” the machine for 2 years they have a legal obligation.
Any assistance would be appreciated.
Hi
I know how you feel, I’ve had the same problem and with the same Mountfield mower purchased from B&Q, the SP534ES throwing drive belts.
Problem is I purchased the mower in January when they were on offer, but it stayed in the box till March when the weather had improved enough to use it. It threw the belt the first time I pulled the clutch in to turn the mower. I up ended the mower (very heavy) removed the blade and the plastic cover and refitted the belt, this happened three times on the first attempt to cut the grass. As an engineer I noted a few problems and duly contacted Mountfield as instructed only to be told that it probably had the wrong belt fitted, they sent me another belt, of the same type and size which was fitted. Tried the lawnmower and again the drivebelt came off. Contacted Mountfield and they told me to take the mower to one of their agents about 15 miles away, did that, only to be told by the agent that they couldn’t find any fault, (not surprising as they only have a small workshop and no grass to test it on) telephoned Mountfield to tell them that I did not accept their agents findings. Mountfield then send a rep to the agents workshop and tells the agent that it’s a belt problem and that he would send them new belts, ( I say belts because agent has now got another machine of the same type with the same problem.) After three weeks I contact the agent to ask when I was likely to get my mower back only to be told that Mountfield has not sent them any belts. Back on the phone to Mountfield, who tell me the agent has to order the belts as they cannot sent spares to an agent without an order number. Asked if they spoke to the rep? No was the answer, (getting a bit hacked off by now) can I speak to the manager? Afraid not he’s on holiday, can I speak to a director? Regretfully not as he is away and wont be back for some time.
Can you give me details on getting a refund? Sorry you cannot have a refund as the mower was purchased more that twenty- eight days ago.
But its never worked properly, sorry I cannot help you!
Telephone B&Q sorry she’s quite right you wont get a refund as its not our policy to give refunds for Items which the customer have had for over 28 Days, but I’ll speak to Mountfield for you. Ten Minutes later B&Q ring back to tell me that they have spoken to the Mountfield manager and a belt is being sent to the agent. I get the mower back a week later, and try it out with the new cure all belt, seems fine on first outing, cut grass one week later and guess what, Its thrown the drive belt again. Contact B&Q only to be told that they will contact Mountfield. If the mower was £50 I could expect this, but when the mower retails at just under £400 it beggars belief. Watch this space.
And all the time the grass gets longer…
You’ve got to insist on a refund Ron. Those B&Q Mountfield mowers aren’t any good. Many thanks for your input.
Re, Mountfield mowers at Sheds (B&Q ). Mountfield is part of the GGP group, it is just a name. You can buy a mountfield made in Sweden, Italy, China etc it all comes down to the price you pay if you buy a buget Mountfield from the sheds it will have a engine made in china fitted to it and after you have handed over your money you might get a couple of years out of it. It is the same as the petrol hedge cutters sold by the sheds but with a mounfield name on them and a made in China sticker on the machine, you can see by the quality they are not paying more than £35 to £40 for each unit but selling them on offer at £140. You use they 2 or 3 times and they pack up, If you buy a Mountfield from a Garden machinery dealer it won’t have a engine made in china fitted because the dealers have had enough problems with the fuel systems, recoil assemblies, fuel tank splitting etc and in some cases have given up selling Mounfield machines or only sell the machines with a Honda or Briggs & Stratton engine but not at £99 or £125 it is like anything you get what you pay for.
YOUR to blame, you purchased a Chinese engine and there is your problem in a nutshell, also you should purchase a mower from a mowerstore and not a useless *box* store.
The BEST lawnmower on the planet is a Harry, powered by a Briggs&Stratton donk, not only is it built like a tank, but picks up wet heavy grass better than any other, huge grass catcher and it also does a really fine job on the lawns.
I have had mine over 15+ years, and in the early days used it to pay my way through school as i did a few mowing rounds, must have mowed 100′s of acres with it!
Its the Ferrari of mowers!
BEST dang mower on the planet, END-OF-STORY!
Cheers
I/B
Mountfield, in my opinion, seem to be a bunch of charlatans. They took payment online from me for a substantial order (the Mountfield Mowers payment page redirects to a site called atggp.co.uk, which seems to consist of one, unpopulated webpage, which should have set the alarm bells ringing), then told me that they could not fufill the order a few days later, and still have not refunded me….