Makita 158cc Petrol Mulch and Catch Lawn Mower PLM4614P

Not a great mower – Very disappointing. Don't believe other misleading positive reviews. The Makita doesn't pickup the grass properly and is extremely under-powered - if the grass is maybe 5cm long it will bog down and cut-out. Additionally it seems the blades are not readily available and are not interchangeable with any other mower on the market, feel very ripped… Read more

off. Height adjustment is poorly designed. Rear flap and catcher integration is also not particularly user-friendly. This is not anywhere near the quality I expect from Makita.

Worst mower I’ve ever owned – Easy start yes but that’s probably due to the fact it is a Briggs and Stratton motor. Cutting capability useless and doesn’t catch the grass clippings. I’ve have an old Rockwell mower that site in the rain 24/7 and does a better job Show details

Excellent product from Makita – Looked at this brand when I was in the market for a new mower. Read the other reviews and decided that the negative reviews failed to convince me that this was a bad product from Makita. I bought the mower 3 years ago and love it. This mower only has 5 deck levels, a common negative point in other reviews. I found that level 2 was perfect for a… Read more

deep cut just prior to summer and that by raising the deck to level 3 for the ensuing maintenance cuts throughout summer was perfect for the grass which responded perfectly to this treatment.

The engine is a Briggs & Stratton which is renowned for its reliability, the rest of the mower is very well constructed with bearing wheels which are nice and large and move effortlessly over the grass. The mulching attachment works well distributing the fine cuttings equally over the turf. Starting is effortless and the pull start handle is located 2/3 of the way up the mower handle so you dont have to bend down to get at it.

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The only grip I have is with the catcher, which is probably not as well thought out or designed.The chute leading to the catcher is too long and fills with grass. This causes the built up grass in the chute to spray into your face when you open the discharge flap to remove the catcher.

All in all a well biult and high quality machine as good as any Honda for half the price.

still Going Strong after 8 Years – The last review i read was from someone who bought a mower 2nd hand. You cannot complain about a mower you brought second hand. I have had mine for at least eight years. It has some heavy work to do and it is still running smoothly. I am over 60 and have no trouble starting it. the secret n.It's a good mower and i look after it.  Show details

Just terrible – Our yard is 2mx12m we bought this mower because we have a makita whipper Snipper and it's great. We assumed that the mower would be as good as the whipper Snipper but by the 2nd mow the wheel fell off and by the 6th mow the motor blew up. We would never recommend this brand of mower to anyone.  Show details

Makita – I am a mower man I bought this thing for about 400 aus dollars about 2012 Partial chute clogs easy and the mower is very heavy , catcher was very flimsy and not quick to empty and reconnect as i do this for a living i need to be quick I have used this makita mower motor for ond of my side chute mower decks as that motor failed This makita… Read more

motor only has low hours so it will keep me going for a while using it now as a slasher mower on this other deck ;)

not entirely happy – Purchased the mower a little over 12mths ago, catcher wasn't easy to assemble,Catcher doesn't fill , can be tricky to turn off however generally starts on 1st pull , seems to cut fine , replacement Blades are an issue to locate, certainly wouldn't recommend to family and friends i find it heavy to push,  Show details

dissapointing – Mower starts fine.. Doesnt handle grass cutting very well if its over 15cm in height....wheel hubcaps constantly fall off, screws and nuts vibrate and come out too frequently....throttle mechanism come out at cable insert , poor construction.... Warranty takes forever to organise to fix...get your act together makita and make a decent mower....  Show details

worst Makita tool ever – This is the biggest heap of crap I have ever seen . You can't use number 1 setting as the base of the mower digs into the ground . As a builder who uses a lot of makita tools I feel that Makita should recall every one of these peaces of garbage and refund the purses price.  Show details

Worst mower ever – Mower chute clogs constantly. I have to walk around with a stick constantly unclogging it. It also seems under powered and stops in heavy grass. I can't find blades easily. Bunnings does not stock them. I was told by salesperson that it was a promotional mower. It is easy to start though.. Usually starts on the first pull.  Show details

Very Competent Mower – This has been a great mower for me. It has been asked to do a lot more than it was designed for and takes the punishment like a champ. Mind you I am very particular about keeping everything clean and well maintained, so perhaps that has been my secret. The range of mowing heights covers every situation I've come across. I've seldom had any need to… Read more

go either to 1 (lowest) or 5 (highest) - the latter perhaps a few times when I let things get away on me and had to mow twice.

I've only had two problems. One is that the height-adjuster knob and the handle knobs that you untighten to fold the handle have both shaken loose and fallen off. Not because of excessive vibration, but just because they need to be really screwed up tight. Some sort of lock-washer would probably solve the problem if I could be bothered.

Second was when I got it serviced and the idiot mechanic didn't tighten the "swing" blades enough after sharpening. What happened then was that the recoil of starting would cause the blade to fold in on itself and jam closed, and the whole mower would make a horrible noise and judder like crazy. I could see immediately what the problem was but I didn't have any tools and the mechanic wouldn't listen so I just took it somewhere else and asked them to tighten it all up real good, and problem solved.

The catcher is a little awkward. The handle placement isn't ideal I must admit. And if the grass is too wet you will have to stop periodically to check it's not clogged up (but you can kind of tell as it starts blowing grass out the sides.

The mulcher works well, but I think many people don't understand that there's only a limited opportunity to mulch - if the grass is too wet or too long or both then no domestic machine is going to cope.

I find the mower very maneuverable and yet powerful for it's size and weight. With a steel deck you've gotta keep it clean (wet grass is real corrosive), but you do have the advantage of resistance to cracking (and lower purchase price).

All in all I've found it to be a tough, light, powerful mower with few problems and none that made me regret my buying decision.

Sweet mower – Ok the review befor me was a massive rant about how bad this mower is. BUT if you dont have 30cm grass and your a normal person. You will love this mower. Briggs n stratton 140cc 4 stroke. Reliable and stable. May not chop the thick stuff as good as tge 2 strokes but it isnt a 2 stroke. Thats why you buy a 4 stoke for the reliability. It just does… Read more

the job. And does it well. I love it. Never done mw wrong. Stick with the 4 stroke and youll be right

front wheel adjuster diggs into ground – This is a good mower except that front wheel adjuster catches on ground and makes it very hard to push chassy has cracked due pressure on front wheel this is a design fault otherwise this is a good mower. I would recommend this mower if you have a very smooth flat block

Can not believe a company like Makita would design something as bad as this – Bought this thing two years ago. The motor is good except for the automatic throttle. It's irritating and dies whenever you enter a patch of dense grass. As for the rest of it, where do I start? It"s hard to push, real hard. The front wheels are set 'toe in'. The offset rear wheel means you can't mow close on that side. It clogs. All the time.… Read more

Unless the grass is short and dead and dry, the pathetic half chute at the back just locks up solid. You need to carry a stick to poke the grass out and tie a rope to the flap to hold it open while you clear it. Wear armour while you do this, or turn it off every lap while you clear it out. In mulch mode it leaves clumps every where, and/or stalls.

The catcher doesn't fill because of the stupid chute. When you go to take the catcher off, it blasts your face with dust and grass because the only way to get the thing off is to stand over the back of the mower. Needs another handle on the catcher back. Only five height positions on a flimsy plastic adjustment thing. I cut another slot at 2 and a half out of sheer frustration. All the bolts on the handle where the plastic handle folding nuts are have snapped I have replaced them with proper bolts. I have been mowing lawns for fifty years. This is the worst designed piece of junk I have had the misfortune to be shackled to. Makita need to be punished for this, no wonder it's been discontinued. As a further insult, the blades, when you can find anywhere that sells them, are $30 to $35. By the way, you don't get new bolts for that - they're extra ($10!) The bolts are different from any other brand, so you can't substitute. They're clever, those Makita people!

If you have the misfortune to be given one of these things, park it on the footpath, walk away, and claim the insurance.

No Problems – I purchased the 550 series Oct 2011 and honestly have had zero problems with it, only now have I changed the oil, air filter, spark plug and most importantly the blades. My only gripe is that the 5 height settings are not enough, it needs a between sizes height adjustment as level 1 is only good if you have a cricket pitch to mow. Any undulating… Read more

ground tends to catch when on level 1. Level 2 is fine and suits most situations. It also doesn't like to "throw" wet grass into the catcher, but that may have been the poor conditions of my blades.

Can't understand other reviewers problems. I recommend this Petrol Lawn Mower.

Always wanted 1 and im very happy with it – I brought my makita mower (500 series 158cc ) 2nd hand, and the man i brought it from i new and he had no problems for it .He only sold it as he had a large block on a lean.I used it and im very happy with it.Ok it dosen't cut as short as my old one.but it dose a good job .I would have likes the plastic grass box sides to of been solid plastic… Read more

because of the dust, and a handle on the back as well as the top would help with emptying out the grass box ,but over all it starts ok and runs ok. Don't think i would ever of payed $600 for it ,but i don't think i would pay that for any mower ha ha. Always room to improve with everything you get. I give it 8/10. Well done Makita

Bad quality – Purchased this mower 2 years ago ... Finally given up th gost ... Cheap plastic ... Unrepairable .... Waste of money

Problem after Problem – This mower is a waste of money. It did a good job for the first month. Since then we had problem after problem with the starter, blades, handle breaking, vibrations, smoke. You name it we had it. I got it as a bday present so was sentimental and tried to keep it going but after 3 years, 3 services, 2 starter replacements and all the maintenance I… Read more

did on it the mower went again but this time it was fatal with a repair cost of $300. One of the worst products I have ever had. T

Performance and reliabilty – Purchased mower from bunnings bundaberg .approx june2012.bunnings replaced mower 8 days later.now replacement mower ready for dump.used approx 40 times, 1 hour per time.i am very particular with service and upkeep.retire now but was fitter by trade.oil tank empties each time .flat out cutting a blade of grass. Only on 2nd set of blades.worst mower… Read more

I have ever had the pleasure of owning. $298.00 price tag. Motor ---plug had to be cleaned each use 1hour. Replaced plug 6 times . No revs.gutless

Not Good – 99 percent of my tools are Makita. I bought this unit because of the Briggs and Stratton engine. Within two months there was a big leak that needed a fix. The sound of the engine has never been the same ....my last Rover laster 22 years without repairs . If this one lasts 10 I will be happy. mulches the grass . noise level

Not bad but – Very to easy to push as its quite light weight, started straight away and with the side handle pull you don't have to bend over the mower all the time to pull the start cord, only issue id if your lawn is even the slightest bit "patchy" expect to be absolutely covered in dust due the downdraft kicking out the sides and back. light weight and easy… Read more

to start no back handle on the catcher (only top) which makes it a bit hard to empty grass clippings if going into bags etc

Waste of money – What a piece of rubbish! Hard to push, catcher hard to empty (and clean), worst of all is the design - if the grass is even remotely damp it all just clogs up inside. Only way to cut then is to jam the back open so that all the clippings shoot out the back and you have to push the mower from the side. Even then it can still clog up some of the time!! Engine, easy enough to start Hard to push, & empty, & useless if grass is remotely damp

Good mower – Hopefully it will last for ten years. the wheels are with proper wheel bearings and not this plastic rubbish. Cuts and mulches very good. The only negativ is that on lowest position its not cutting very short. So if you want a mower for very short cuts buy something else.Catcher is big so it gets quite heavy at full load, just have to empty it… Read more

regularly.Handlebar top adjustable,super. Everything else very nice mower Easy start, perfect handle cuts not very low, catcher big so it gets heavy

It's as good as any – Can't fault only had it 1 month.Other than if you are fussy , there are only 5 height settings but at a residential home works well easy to start.Good motor well finished & backed by a well known company.If I get as long out of it as my last greenfield warrior I'll be happy 20 years +. motor & wheels

Bad experience – Bought this mower, cost over 600 bucks thought been a makita it would be good. Assembled it which was easy, checked oil, added fuel and away I went about 10mins into it the motor make a horrible noise turned it off and now it won't start, can't even get the pull string out to start it.... Grrrrrrrr taking it back to get money back... What a pain. Bad engine

Waste of Money – Bought this lawnmower from Bunnings, being a quality brand thought it would be wise to by quality how wrong could I have been. The mower on the lowest blade setting does not cut the grass I have a 145 sq metres of lawn and it filled about 1/8 of a catch, borrowed my fathers new Victa 158cc mower and it took 3 1/2 catches off it and my lawn look… Read more

brilliant. It's hard to push through the grass makita you have made a very very ordinary product. If I could I would get my money back it's pathetic. Go the Victa mower people don't waste your money like I did. The Briggs and Stratton motor, nothing else Doesnt cut low enough at all and I mean at all, hard to push through grass

I expected better from Makita – I have an excellent Makita brushcutter and other Makita power tools that I think are great, so when I saw that Makita have ventured into mowers I expected good things, especially considering the price. I have now learned not to make assumptions like that. Primarily I wanted a good mulching mower for my large block, something easy to push that… Read more

does a clean job. This isn't it.

Where do I start? The height adjustment. It has only 5 selectable heights to choose from. I soon discovered this wasn't enough. The height I want to mow at is always in between the notches. The height adjuster is plastic. I hope they have spares.

Now I'm reasonably fit, but it feels "heavy" to push for an 18" deck. Perhaps it's the wide wheels. It felt alright on the showroom floor, not so good in the real world. Certainly not as easy as the other mowers in my fleet. When the catcher is full it's quite a piece of gym equipment to push. You will either get very fit using this, or give up. Not a ladies mower unless you have a small block.

The rear chute opening could be larger, it frequently clogs before the catcher is full.

As for mulching, this was my greatest disappointment with it. The mulching plug feels fragile, made with thin plastic. Unless you take the top 1mm of grass off the top by mowing every day, it dumps clumps of grass everywhere. And then it dumps them anyway. Why? Because of the silly design of the deck. There are nooks and crannies everywhere under the deck for grass to get trapped and collect. Eventually grass builds up until it can hold no more then spews it out in a clump. Perhaps mowing dead grass after a 3 year drought would be okay, but if it's green, forget it.

All those nooks and crannies make it difficult to clean. I can clean my car faster than trying to clean out the deck of this poorly designed mower.

I don't like this mower. I want to like it, I really do. But all those irritating little things add up to a bad mowing experience. The only good thing about it is the engine. I can see me taking the engine off and using it on another deck. This one is rubbish.

Makita, you failed to deliver. Go back to the drawing board and get it right next time. Powerful Briggs & Stratton engine. Nice handles and rubber grip.

Great mower. Couldn't do better for your money! – Looked at several mowers to replace my old victa tornado 2 stroke. Looked at the masport and victa mowers of the same price, but they didn't compare unless you wanted pay quite a bit more. Wanted to get a 4 stroke this time after a couple of issues with the 2 stroke and noise and smoke. After looking at numerous mowers I decided on this… Read more

one.The mower started straight away and has been running smooth since. It is easy to push with large sturdy wheels and adjustable push bars. The adjustment of mowing height is easy to use. Used on both catching and mulching functions and been very happy with it. Also used it on long grass with no problems.

Everything on the mower seems sturdy and well designed. The catcher is light and strong and the blades are sharp enough to give a clean crisp cut.

If you want an easy to use mower, that can cut your lawn beautifully all for a good price then you should look into this mower. Reliable, sturdy, easy to use, great price.