Mountfield HP470

I have had my HP470 for at least 10 years, but it does not get regular use as I have a ride on for the larger areas of lawn. However, even after a year, or sometimes more, of inactivity, the Briggs and Stratton engine fires up after some fresh fuel and a few pulls of the starter. It is quite capable of cutting trough some tough weeds and undergrowth and well as moderately long grass. The real problem is the wheels that are flimsy hollow plastic, get full of cuttings and jam up and then fall off! Come on Mountfield, this isn't rocket science, surely you could design some wheels that are much better than this!

A good reliable engine however the few moving parts needed to use this mower do keep breaking. The auto power off handle is flimsy and I am on my third one in two years. For an extra few pounds there are much better mowers available!!

My Mountfield HP 470 has been a real 'workhorse' for over 6 years and all I have ever done is replace the blade once. Totally reliable starts first time even after 4 months of non use through the winter.

After 3 summers with the Mountfield HP470, I'm heartily sick of it. From the beginning I've had trouble with screws and fittings rattling themselves undone during mowing. I've lost count of the number I've lost in the lawn, and I have to keep stopping during mowing to get the allen key out and tighten things up again as I go along. Surely a lawnmower should be designed not to dismantle itself as it goes along... Also, the design of the wheels is such that grass clippings get caught under the clip-on cover, stopping the wheel from turning properly.

All in all, it's a design disaster!