Mountfield 1438M SD

Realise that the Mountfield sit on (1438SD) is a cheaper machine than some others.

Good, seems quite reliable, but needing careful use.

- It seems to have a reliable engine. Always starts when the battery hast been left by us and not kept trickle charged! A solenoid went after 3 years, and was relatively easy to replace.

- Also use a funnel with a fuel filter, otherwise we found the petrol fuel filter clogged causing unsteady running. Easily cleared the filter by taking it off and blowing back tho' it to remove the bits that got in.

- It cuts well for grass and soft reed up to say 3-4 inches tall, but don't overtax it. Drive slowly in difficult conditions. Back off off it feels it is going to clog up.

- Yes, one thing is quite flimsy. We don't use the hand brake - it really is pathetically flimsy! who designed that - not an Engineer.

- Consider buying heavy duty tyres; lighter one couldn't take rough ground with some twig from thorn bushes.

Happy with it. Yes, at the price.

It should be really OK for big lawns. But, having some rough ground and variable vegetation and nettle patches to tackle, under bushes and trees, I would now have preferred too pay 150% of the cost for something really robust.

completely agree with the first review - this looks like a solid mower, but it's really quite flimsy, the mulching facility is useless if you're cutting more than 2 cm of grass or the grass is a bit damp, the deck gets clogged and you end up having to rake the grass up - not brilliant if you're mowing around 2 acres! we've also had problems with belts getting shredded @ £95 a pair... and the throttle refuses to idle...

not recommended at all, in fact, I'd do my best to dissuade anybody from buying one...

Plus I would certainly not buy another mulching only machine - it just doesn't work in the UK unless you can afford to mow the grass twice a week...

Another thought, now we're in the days of the £6 gallon - this thing drinks a fair bit of fuel...

We bought our Mountfield 1438M SD ride on lawn mower last year. We followed the advice of the sales person suggesting that this machine was reasonably well built, and could last for at least the next five years. We got it serviced after the first season but this (the second) summer we had several problems with the cutting deck and the belt. Also, the mulching facility is not what we were told. The grass clippings are not really mulched when the grass is longer than about half an inch. This model does not come with a grass box and can not be added either.

Fortunately, the 5 yrs manufacturer's warranty meant the deck problems were fixed almost free of charge, but I would advise anyone to think very carefully before buying one.