Ha ha ro53ben you wally! You're profile says you're 'Educated and opinionated', one of those is correct.

This contains a 500 series, not one of the engines stated as being manufactured outside the USA according to the manufacturer in the link you provided. Have you accidentally given evidence against yourself?

Small petrol engines do need a little bit of maintenance but not a great deal. Just be sure to occasionally change the oil, air filter and plug every other year. The #1 important thing to do is DO NOT leave petrol in it for any extended period of time (e.g over winter) it will gum up the carb then you will need to strip and clean it. But in terms of cost vs. performance petrol engine mowers mop the floor with their electric counterparts

Well the flywheel arrive today, but the hole for the drive shaft is too big. Back to square one. :disappointed:

Looks like nobody is still reading this, but in case there is, here some info that be of use.

I've found a used replacement flywheel, although it's not yet arrived. However, the one that matches best is from a SV150/MV150 engine, which makes Wilko's claim or whoever made the statement that this uses a B&S 500 engine, highly unlikely.

Has anyone found the engine model number on the engine? I've not.

Hit a tree stump and rather than the flywheel key failing as designed, the whole flywheel 'exploded' around the shaft, also taking a chunk out of that. Shame really, as it's been a great mower. Any suggestions on a replacement flywheel? I've been told any flywheel from the same series engines should be OK, but the ones I've on eBay look quite a lot different.

I received mine this afternoon after waiting 17 DAYS!! not impressed by Wilko at all.. I never knew I would be this excited to cut the grass :smiley:

Ha ha mine was sitting in the couriers depot for 5 days then had a phone call from the courier saying the earliest they could deliver it was 7 days later so accepted that. I then had a call from the courier about lunchtime on the delivery day saying they couldn't deliver it because it wasn't in the depot. I told them it was because it had been scanned in on the online tracking info but they said it wasn't there anymore. Phoned Wilko's and they were going to phone me back but they never happened, oh well back to watching the grass grow whilst waiting for my lawnmower

I received a call last week (wednesday) to say they will delivery on the 14th which was yesterday they sent me a message a night before to say it will be delivered between 8:30-11:30. A day has passed and nothing. I gave them a call today and was told they will call back to find out why the delivery is late. Still waiting for the callback.. Not impressed by Wilko at all, I just want to receive the lawn mower!!

Had two orders cancelled due to stock errors, absolute joke as they take money and didn't even tell me they had no stock, so had to chase them up, 6 calls later and 2 weeks they gave me a refund. Escollated it to a manager who gave me a call to apologise. Just not good enough and I will not use them again.

I ordered mine 11 days ago and still waiting for delivery anyone else experienced any delay with Wilko?
Thanks

Finally got round to using the new lawn mower this weekend and my initial impression is that its a great mower for the price. I had the height setting 3 notches up (from base setting) and that gave a very short cut, it also sucks up the cuttings much better than my old mower. Overall, very pleased here thus far :-)

out of stock

Not self-propelled though, minor detail to some maybe, but worth mentioning.

Screwfix sell one very similar at 149

Any recommendations for oil bearing in mind it's difficult life?

My father had a Qualcast Suffolk Punch which lasted over 30 years with minimum maintenance used most weekends for the summer months on a decent sized lawn. Maybe he changed the oil every decade and did the blades if he felt like it :stuck_out_tongue:

It was scrapped last week, because it took up space. It was battered and noisy, but it still worked. It needed a spark plug and maybe a little maintenance but he couldn't be bothered as he had bought a new mower two years ago.

The new mower appears to be fairly crappy, flimsy plastic and weak compared to the old Suffolk Punch. I give it maybe 10 years tops before it's history. Long story short, most things you buy new these days on a budget are throwaway junk after a few years.

Is the deck on this plastic or steel ?

Customer service is really poor so if any thing goes wrong be prepared for poor service.

I have to say that when I bought my first petrol mower 8 years ago I was a little concerned about all the maintenance tasks in the manual, having always used nice simple electric mowers previously. I dutifully changed the oil the first year, which looks pretty much as clean as when it went in, then stopped doing anything at all to it for the next 7 other than filling it up with petrol. So far so good, and on the current state of it I'd say that it's going to be bits like the handle that are going to fail before the engine. Maybe I've just been lucky, but if you compare the amount of hours the average mower does a year against the average car then it does suggest that yearly maintenance is over the top.

My wheels don't have air. I can lower the body of the mower but it just stalls when I start cutting.

For a lower cut, just let a little air out of each tyre.

Can anyone who has bought this please tell me how low the mower is willing to cut? My old one can only do 3 notches above the minimum, and the grass is still too high for my liking. If this is better I'll get it, but if it's the same I'd rather not buy.
Thanks.

if its NOT going to be used in a huge garden............you dont expect it to last forever and occasionally you want an arm work out before it starts............go for it. My mate had one and he left it out in all weathers including snow and it started EVERY time nearly much to both our amazement. Many a pint of stella has been sunk talking about its reliability :innocent:............my other mate bought one and he keeps his in the garaage and its a pain in the **** to start, cable has snapped to engine and pull handle came offoO..............so its a lottery!

its an amazing lawnmower, it did my garden in no time! great piece of equipment!

Thats what i did, but luckily it started working again!!! phew!!

Got mine last week. Very happy with it. Much better than the b&q one I've got (now dead) which also has a briggs and Stratton.

Hopefully not too much damage done josh, its easily done. I recommend you change the oil again after first few hours of use.
Just received mine and setting up now....

Boy, do i feel like the worlds biggest idiot right now.

So, in my defence i did think about this, pulled out the dip and saw lubrication on it and thought 'oh, it ships with oil in it' and carried on. Of course it doesn't ship with oil in it!

I stopped the mower has soon as the clunking happened and as i say it didn't start again so i just put a load of oil in it and gave it 30 minutes to work through. I was preparing for the worst but amazingly it has started, although I guess i'll find out what lasting damage I have done to it soon enough. Cheers blotch

May sound obvious, but did you put oil in first?

i got mine yesterday, started using it today, did 4 lengths of a mid size garden before it started sounding dodgy - stopped it to take a look, nothing there, no build up of grass nothing interfering with blade, nothing - now it won't start again - the starter cord won't pull back.

Anyone else had any issues?

wilko website is a joke, they cancel my order then show back in stock on threre website.

Back in stock, 5 left according to the site

last Thursday so well over a week ago and cant seem to find out as good for the price.

Sorry to hear that ukmonkey, when did you place your order?

Had mine canceled as they say there stock has been wrong.
They still have not given a refund is they have had my money for over a week,

Ordered on 15th, expecting delivery on 28th....

Has anyone actually got one of these ?

Has anyone received theres yet and if so how long did it take ?

I've done myself a favour and bought a shotgun, BANG I missed, I'm firing blanks again :disappointed:

Do yourselves a favour and just get an old push mower off ebay and get the little fatties off their xbox/tablets and out in the garden and some fresh air.

Just when you thought it was safe to shave a hamster, just when you thought you could tread on your lawn without the treading in the foul excrement from next door's cat, then came an abomination so evil so misaligned with logic that is MOWER WARS. Innocent citizens enquiring about lawn grazing equipment embroiled in illogical menacery (I think it means menace or I made it up) on a deal based forum. This is pure horror that only a sip of shandy and a whip on the bottom from next doors gran's falsies could ever hope to remedy.

MOWER WARS transient bottom belching from those who are sure they have the absolute knowledge of monocotyledonous harvesting via petrol or electric (the heathens) mowing equipment to impart upon the world, be afraid be very afraid.

For now, but just for now MOWER WARS has expired, now it lies dormant, waiting for the next deal on a Bosch Rotak where all hell will break lose in the ooh Mother is petrol better than electric debate.

Wierd how 1 minute ago there were 27 and now saying -1

Good luck in buying as they are oos again..

God if you you took every advice from this thread you wouldn't buy any flaming mower......good deal heat added!

For those worried about stale fuel over winter, just add fuel stabiliser to the petrol and it keeps it fresh for up to 12 months.
Or at least that's what it says on the bottle I have.

£150 for a 18" self-propelled mower with briggs engine (all be it economy engine) c/w 2 year warranty is excellent value. Looks to have single lever height adjustment. Top tips, don't tip mower on its side or you will find oil going places it shouldn't, and try to use petrol less than 4 months old. Single cylinder, air cooled engines will appreciate a oil change at the end of the season as they run so hot oil properties become reduced, bearing in mind they only hold around .6 of a litre it won't break the bank. Briggs recommended oil is sae30.

looking fwd to more reviews

Tecumseh snowblower engines, up to 2008, were always made in the USA. Briggs & Stratton engines were made in the USA for the majority of its history. Around the year 2000 (perhaps earlier in the 90’s) Briggs began their smaller gas engines in China.

Up until 2008, probably 90% of snowblowers were 100% American-made, both the snowblower body, and the engine both. Tecumseh had the majority of the snowblower engine market before 2008, and Briggs was still making their larger engines in the USA. Only the smaller Briggs engines were made in China.

Tecumseh pulled out of the small gas engine business in 2008. 2009 was the last model year that snowblowers were commonly found with Tecumseh engines on them. (2009 model year were machines that went on sale in the Autumn of 2008)

Since 2008, Production of small gas engines has moved to China in a huge way.
In 2008, perhaps 90% of snowblowers had American-made engines on them.
Only 5 years later, in 2013, probably 90% have Chinese-made engines. And the percentage of American-made engines continues to drop. Soon it will likely be 100% Chinese engines on all snowblowers, lawnmowers, garden tractors, and anything with a small gas single-cylinder engine.

You ideally need ot get it serviced ocne a year and the blade sharpened once-twice a year
Otherwise it ends up creating yellow heads Where it has just hit the grass and not cut itkilling the tips making them turn yellow.
The ideal height is about 1.5 inches for the grass

Appears to be back in stock, showing 27 currently.

thanks joshm

This is arguably better in many respects. Self-propelled for starters.

How does this compare to this McCulloch in Argos for £159? This one also has aa Briggs & Stratton engine

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/7305210.htm#pdpFullProductInformation

Thanks

this guy puts forward a good case - i'm out!

I have one of these homebase mowers for about the same period and it has been excellent, I did have to replace the carb a couple of years back but it always starts on the second pull. The body is beginning to go, a rust hole is now evident but it still chugs along. May go out for a Honda when it finally dies.

Looked a minute ago ans they showed 41 in stock, now they have 0..
No way they sold 41 in 2 minutes.

**** engine will fail

I totally agree.

I have had a Self Propelled Honda Izy Lawnmower for over 6 years. Never drained the petrol in winter and never changed the oil or spark plug and it still starts first time, every time. Yes, I have been Lazy but I would not change the oil every year and I would only change the spark plug if it was running rough, misfiring or had trouble starting. At the end of the day it's just a mower, so no need to go OTT on maintenance IMO.

Back in stock, needs unexpiring

Despite getting a dispatched email on 16th, I had a call from the courier (DX) last night to say I wouldn't receive it until 28th Apr :-(
Looks like they've been swamped by HUKD.....

Anyone's arrived yet? My lawn is attracting tigers!

My b&s engine is 14 years old this summer. Original oil, original spark plug, original air filter. Changing these things every year is BS. ITS A LAWN MOWER!!!!!Also leave petrol in over winter. They suggest if you lay a car up for a long period of time to leave petrol in it, so I apply the same logic to my mower. 3 primes and it has never failed to start. The only thing I would recommend is keeping the deck clean (the paint comment is an excellent idea) and keeping the blade sharpened with a grinder so as not to labour the engine too much.

When my petrol flymo struggled to start, I just took out the spark plug and tipped some fuel straight in.

Top Tip

Need at least 4.5bhp
3 is fine for cutting 2x a week

OOS... Again!

If it wont start check the cable on the dead mans handle hasn't stretched and not actuating the kill, you just pull the cable a bit more and listen for a click or try starting,.If it has bend the bracket on the mower that holds the end of the cable outer.

3bhp?
Mine is arriving tomorrow.
They can just put it back in their lorry and take it back.
I thought it was 5bhp.

One other comment, my petrol mower lasted longer than 3 electric mowers!

My homebase Briggs & Stratton mower of more than 10 years (and 1 service) is still chugging along cutting grass. It's long over due for its 2nd service. Every year i threaten to replace her with a newer model and you guys are putting me off fast haha!!!

My dad bought a good quality £400 mower some 30+ years ago and it still works so yes you get what you pay for!
Actually i used to cut his grass with the same mower when I was 13 and I'm now 43!

had an email the other day saying this would be in stock but bought a Rotak 430 from B&Q.

Heat from me for those who have a large straight lawn (which I haven't)

Good point .I just bought a second hand mulsh mower (multichip 150) for £20 and had I real result, but paid someone £48 to sevice it and it had a throttle problem.I'll service it next year and sharpen the blade ,if I get 3-4 years doing it myself its saved me a packet.

This engine IS made in China to sell cheap at Homebase, B&Q etc under the US brand name Briggs & Stratton...but not of the same quality as their main lines. Service at a reputable place is £99 exc parts for a petrol mowe.They are unlikely to touch these though...or take them as trade in. I have had two like this for under £150 used on medium sized lawn, changed oil after year one, and they last 4-5 years. So prob cheaper in long run than spending £300 on quality mower and £100 pa servicing....

Just got it, looks and works well. The only thing I noticed is the cheap plastic wheels, they slide in damp grass really easily. Going to look out for heavier rubber based ones to replace them. Also it's only 3BHP.

Tried a friend's bosch rotak 340ER over the weekend in my garden and its cutting width was very narrow, too much pushing needed. Dealing with cable was another pita.

Was waiting for this item to be available in stock. ordered now, cheers op.

Just ordered 1.Cheers OP.
Free delivery to Northern Ireland as well:)

cheap isn't it petrol one? heat

I have a 10 year old homebase mower with a B&S engine I paid about £80 for new. Have never had it serviced, changed the oil or anything. One new blade cos I ran over a 3x2 slab! It still starts and runs fine. wish it would die as I fancy something shiny and new now I can afford it.

I had this model a few years ago. Sadly the metal chassis rotted away after only 3 years! Best to seal the metal before it's used for the 1st time.

Hukd members know their stuff about lawn mowers!!

What oil grade do you use to change these mowers?

I've got one briggs and one honda

OOS again

I have a McCulloch yellow cheapo self propelled mower with a Briggs & Stratton. Never wasted my time doing any maintenance on it, just put petrol in. Starts first time after a prime every spring, had it 8 years and I always leave petrol in it over winter. These things are designed for abuse.

Would never use electric mowers with their PitA cable dragging around all the time.

Non-self propelled would be a nightmare for me. Good price but too heavy and would definitely pay the extra for a bit of propulsion!

Reading this thread I'm not sure how these things are more hassle-free than electric. They sound fun if you like tinkering though. Undecided.

Got Briggs & Stratton Mower, Not self propelling but 7 years old now, every year before spring, I change the Plugs, Filter, Oil & Empty and Clean the Fuel tank, takes me best part of 1 hour.

every 2 years, I replace the pull cord too.

I leave it over night, and then refill everything the next day, and it starts first time every time and runs beautifully, might get a touch of smoke on a colder day.

As winter comes in i spray it down with the pressure washer, clean underneath, i leave oil and fuel in through winter. as it prevents moisture getting in and freezing causing cracks in the engine.

Agree. Even some anti-rust stuff underneath may help too.

Provided you check oil,filter and plug this should last a few years. Carb would be the main issue. Make sure you (or a friend) can strip one. Not as difficult as you think.

Good value for an 18inch cut.

Very good machines and easy to clean the carb.
I buy non runners. 99% of the time it's the carb that need cleaning or a new seal which are 3 quid from eBay.

1 Paint the deck with 2 layers of extra paint before using for first time.

2 I bought a Mountfield several years ago, with Briggs & Stratton engine. Domestic use only on small plot.
(i) Carburettor diaphragm required replacement within 18 months
(ii) Engine continually was coming loose from deck. Had to replace with grade 12.9 bolts and over tighten to fix the problem.
(iii) On-off switch failed within 2 years
(iv) Wheels periodically fall off
(v) Wheel height adjustment is not robust.
Such repairs are a frequent PITA.

3 Servicing -Change oil every year. Very easy, with drain plug at bottom. I use good quality car engine oil (semi-synthetic or whatever is in the garage). That's cheap and superior to Mountfield requirements.

4 Beware. Some Mountfield lawnmowers were built with Chinese engines badged as Mountfield.

Next time around, I would like to spend enough to buy genuine quality, if there is a brand offering such a thing. Are Honda's built to last?

All repairs are done myself, but the Mountfield would be costing me a fortune if I had to pay someone else to do the work.

with most lawnmowers the thing that will eventually kill it is the deck will rot away

some mowers now come with plastic decks to counter this - not sure what the big brands do though

Just needed the carb cleaned. Either a blocked jet or fuel left in the tank over winter.

I need a new mower as just moved to a house with a large lawn but never had a petrol. Do they need much maintenance?

14 in stock right now - needs unexpiring

Back in stock this morning (there were 3 of them, I just bagged one) :smiley:

Briggs engines are OK, their low end stuff though is stamped-tin dross. Tecumseh is a step better whilst Honda knock spots off them both. My advice would be to try and pick up a something like a Hayter Motif 2nd hand with a GCV 160 OHV - it will last till the apocalypse with only basic care.

100% fuel issue - almost certainly the Auto Choke. East fix tbh

Out of stock

Typical. Will bear that in mind when Mr Mountfield eventually passes to the big scrapyard in the sky. :disappointed:

Bought a Mountfield petrol mower eight years ago (also has a Briggs & Stratton engine). Can't remember how much it cost, but I'm pretty sure it was under £200 from B&Q (non self-propelling). It's had the occasional oil change, blade sharpening and I always use the fuel additive that's supposed to prevent the lines getting gummed up. Starts first time, every time, even after being in the shed for winter.

Don't know whether it's classed as cheap or I just got lucky, but clearly in my case a petrol mower doesn't need a lot of maintenance.

Yes, of course, silly me! I think that's what I did but with me it was pure laziness and not bothering to make another trip to the garage to top it up, rather than a planned process. Round our way the grass only stops growing for a couple of months a year so it hasn't been a big issue though. I had it serviced every few years then eventually gave it away. Loading our petrol mower into the boot to take it to be serviced was almost a two man job as some of these beasts can be quite heavy even though plastic bodied.

For reference, many brands (such as Mountfield) have a reputation for using quality Honda engines in their mowers. This only applies on premium models though, the cheapers models use Chinese engines.

As many have said, other things may well fall to bits before the engine stops working. In general, you get what you pay for.

Just to add, the filters, oil etc had already been checked before it went in for a service.

To be honest from my experience of these cheaper mowers the engine will far outlast the body/chassis, so I wouldn't get too hung up about the engine.

The general consensus seems to be that Honda engines are better than the Briggs & Stratton alternatives. This seems to have been the case for some time and it’s reinforced every so often by reports such as the recent Which report.

Small engines with carburetors don’t like Ethanol. As this is now added to petrol it’s wise to use Briggs & Stratton fuel fit. At the very least use it for the last mow of the season and then make sure that no petrol is left in the tank or the float bowl before you put it away for the winter.

A Honda engine plus fuel fit will probably outlast a mild steel mowing deck.

The best way is to just let it run out of fuel before you put it away for the winter. Pre-planning, by not putting much in if you have to fill it as winter approaches, can help with this.

Good advice. I never worked out how to get the petrol out of mine. I probably would have ended up with it all over the garage floor! How much performance do you need? It's only a mower. 3mph is fine :-)

Had a couple of briggs based machines... A tiller and mower and i have to say they are **** as neither engine would start

What are you lot on about... Petrol mowers need alot of maintenance

Nope thats you buy s.. t makes

My honda izy is 7 years old and use it 20 or so times a year. Never maintained it and it starts 1st or 2nd time after being stored for months and 1st every time after that. Id definitely buy another honda mower.

My strimmer brush cutter is a stihl as is my hedge trimmer. Previously had a ryobi which was utter s.. t and 180

Trust me if you are getting a petrol garden tool then look at stihl honda viking as they arent as exepensive as you might think

Ha ha ro53ben you wally! You're profile says you're 'Educated and opinionated', one of those is correct.

This contains a 500 series, not one of the engines stated as being manufactured outside the USA according to the manufacturer in the link you provided. Have you accidentally given evidence against yourself?

Where should I start? How about their own website?

http://www.briggsandstratton.com/eu/en/support/faqs/are-briggs-and-stratton-engines-made-in-the-us

Only 90% are made in the US. You can guess where the other 10% are made, but if not then the link below should cover it:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=briggs+and+stratton+china&meta=

Like I hinted at above, it's quite common for base model mowers to not have engines made in the same factory or to the same standard as that expected by consumers. There is a big market for cheap mowers like this and they simply can't produce the expected quality at the price people want to pay...so they use Chinese engines.

Ordered with 4.2% cashback from topcashback

What are you talking about?
Briggs & Stratton builds over 9,000,000 engines in the USA each year. The company employs over 3,000 employees in six states. Milwaukee, WI is home to the company's headquarters and R&D center. Manufacturing plants are located in Poplar Bluff, MO, Murray, KY, Auburn, AL, Statesboro, GA.

But it's got a Briggs motor? How is tt cheap chinese exactly?

I bought a cheap £99 petrol lawnmower from B&Q 5 years ago and it's served me very well. I've got a big garden so it gets hammered in the summer. I've only changed the oil once and bits have loosened/ fell off in the past, yet it still keeps chugging along doing its job. nothing wrong with Chinese tat at all!

is this 4% quidco too ??

Buy a good mower, look after it and get it serviced. Or buy a cheap mower like this, don't look after it and buy a new one when it dies.

Incidentally, a lot of these cheap petrol mowers are not at all the same engines as their more premium equivalents. Just Chinese mowers sold under a brand license.

The people who have their mowers etc serviced are generally throwing their money away, there really is nothing much to do , especially if you don't mind getting your hands dirty-or you could wear gloves.

The one they had in Lidl last week for the a similar price looked a better buy...seemed more robust and well made. They might have some left in stock.

Small petrol engines do need a little bit of maintenance but not a great deal. Just be sure to occasionally change the oil, air filter and plug every other year. The #1 important thing to do is DO NOT leave petrol in it for any extended period of time (e.g over winter) it will gum up the carb then you will need to strip and clean it. But in terms of cost vs. performance petrol engine mowers mop the floor with their electric counterparts

Delivery only. Costs £10 so £160 in reality.

No, never needed any maintenance just petrol and a lot hassle free than electric ones. Had one since 2003 and still going strong

Even at original price of £200 it's a pretty good buy.

I think deanos means that he removed a link that he himself posted - probably for what he thought was a better deal. But then he realised that the other deal was for a model that wasn't self propelled...

edit: not self propelled,removed link