The Best Mowers

Brand guide · Updated May 2026

Mountfield Lawn Mowers

Despite the very British name, Mountfield is Italian — owned by the Stiga group out of Castelfranco Veneto. Don\'t hold that against them. The petrol mowers and ride-ons consistently deliver the best value of any mainstream brand in the UK. SP46 self-propelled at £329? Honest petrol mower, will last fifteen years. 1538M ride-on at £1,799? Honest acre-eater. The new cordless Princess range adds rear-roller stripes from a battery for under £400.

Best Mountfield lawn mowers

#1
M
Best for best value self-propelled petrol

Mountfield SP46

Mountfield

★★★★★
£329

The default sub-£400 self-propelled petrol mower in the UK. Italian-built, the ST 140 engine is genuinely reliable, and the 46 cm deck handles 600–800 m² without breaking sweat.

Pros

  • + Mountfield ST 140 OHV engine
  • + 46 cm steel deck
  • + Self-propelled at this price

Cons

  • − Single-speed drive
  • − Engine warranty shorter than Honda
Read full review →
#2
M
Best for value 1-acre ride-on

Mountfield 1538M-SD

Mountfield

★★★★★
£1,799

For half- to one-acre lawns, the cheapest ride-on we trust. Side-discharges into the lawn (no collection bin to empty), the engine is a known-good Mountfield unit.

Pros

  • + Italian-built ST 175 engine
  • + 98 cm side-discharge deck
  • + 5-position cut height

Cons

  • − Side discharge only — no collection
  • − Manual transmission
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#3
M
Best for cordless with classic stripes

Mountfield Princess 34 Li-48

Mountfield

★★★★★
£399

A proper Italian-built mower at a fraction of the cost of a petrol Princess. The cheapest way into rear-roller stripes from a battery mower with a metal deck.

Pros

  • + Steel deck — feels solid
  • + True rear roller for sharp stripes
  • + 48V system

Cons

  • − Only 34 cm cut
  • − Smaller battery than Bosch rivals
Read full review →

Where Mountfield fits vs rivals

On petrol push, Honda is the premium alternative — better engine, twice the price. Cobra is the closest direct rival on price. On ride-ons, John Deere is premium; Stiga (sister brand) is sometimes the same machine with a different sticker. On cordless, Mountfield doesn\'t really compete with Bosch or Ryobi on cross-tool ecosystems but the Princess 34 occupies the rare cordless-with-rear-roller niche.

Frequently asked questions

Are Mountfield lawn mowers any good?+
For value, yes — consistently the best price-to-quality ratio in petrol mowers and ride-ons in the UK market. The brand is Italian-owned (under the GGP/Stiga group) and engines are made in Italy. Build quality is honest mid-tier — not Honda or Hayter, but a long way above no-name imports.
Where are Mountfield mowers made?+
Mountfield is owned by Stiga SpA in Italy. Engines are manufactured at Stiga's plant in Castelfranco Veneto. Mowers are assembled in Italy and Slovakia. Despite the British-sounding name, there has been no UK production for decades.
Mountfield SP series vs HP series — what is the difference?+
SP = Self-Propelled. HP = Hand-Propelled (push). The number after is the deck width in cm — SP46 is a 46 cm self-propelled. Larger numbers (SP53, SP56) get bigger and more expensive.
Is Mountfield the same as Stiga?+
Same parent company, different brand positioning. Mountfield is the mainstream UK brand sold in B&Q and garden centres. Stiga is the slightly more premium variant sold through specialist dealers. Many models are the same machine with a different sticker.
Mountfield vs Honda — which petrol mower to buy?+
Honda for ultimate longevity and refinement (and £400+ more). Mountfield for the best price-to-quality ratio in the £300–£500 bracket. Both will last 10–15 years of typical UK domestic use; Honda will more likely make 20+ with proper servicing.