Outdoor Living : Mosquito Magnet Liberty Mosquito Trap MM3000

Rating: - Horrible Quality and Too Expensive
I was lucky enough to pick one of these up at an Ace Hardware that was going out of business. Everything was discounted 50% including several brand-new Mosquito Magnets. I picked one up for $250... yet I still feel ripped off.

Did it Work?
Mostly - I'd reason to guess it reduced the population by 90%, which I was excited about. But the truth is it doesn't really matter if there is 1, 5, or 20 mosquitoes attacking you... as long as there are still SOME you still end up with bites.

I ran the machine from April till it crapped out in September in the Chicago Suburbs. My backyard is about 1/16 of an acre; entire plot is about 1/4. I don't live near a lake, pond, or have any standing water near by. In the dry hot months, when mosquitoes are naturally low, I was catching about 10-20 a month. In the wet months I pulled in about 20-40 a month. It did a decent job... there would still be few flying by in the backyard that would take their chances at a late evening bite. In the front yard I didn't notice a difference, it seemed like there were as many as the year prior.

What Went Wrong?
In September, a full 6 months of operating, and the device refused to operate. The worst part was that it broke right when days worth of rain came rolling in, resulting in mosquito breeding fest. If there was one time the entire year I NEEDED a solution it was right when it broke. Diagnosis based on the error codes: Ignition Failure.

Warranty Support:
Called the support number, they asked for all sorts of information. I was told to fax the receipt or credit card statement. They would then verify the purchase and issue me a repair number. It's then my responsibility to then ship the unit back for repair. Customer service was friendly and professional. Unfortunately I lost my receipt and I'm in the process of faxing over the credit card statement.

Extra Costs:
Don't forget the cost of a tank a month, mosquito attractant, CO2 cartridges, and new nets. I easily spent $150 on operating costs for the 6 months.

Spiders!?
Something I haven't noticed anyone else mention is just how much spiders love this trap. Throughout the season I had a whole family of fairly fat spiders living in the intake cone, waiting for gnats, moths and mosquitoes to get sucked up so they could enjoy a health lunch. Which is reason to also believe that the trap caught more than was seen in the net due to "spider consumption". Even clearing them out didn't make a difference - as new ones quickly moved in.

In Conclusion
Even at half price $250 (machine) +$150 (operating costs) is a lot for a 6 month operation that was good, but not great. The failure of the machine at 6 months is unacceptable. I don't have high expectations the unit will last longer than a year after its repair. For the list price of this unit, a 1 year warranty is a disgrace. - I'd even be disappointed with a 3 year. A 5 year warranty is what should be offered, even for their own interest of selling consumable items such as nets, attractant, covers, CO2, etc.

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Rating: - Great Idea.....Terrible execution
First let me preface this review by stating that I am an ASE certified ( Automotive ) master mechanic with 25 years experience and was an aircraft mechanic for "uncle Sam" in my younger days. Suffice it to say I know a little bit about mechanical devices. The concept behind the mosquito magnet is very good and when it works it works very well. The problem is in the execution of the design. This is a very unreliable product that lasts on average about a year and a half. When it breaks repairs are very expensive. The other problem for those of us who are mechanically inclined is that the company REFUSES to sell repair parts under the pretext of "safety". Imagine if Chevy or Ford refused to sell parts. What do you think the Federal Trade commission would do? Perhaps the FTC should order a mandatory recall and compel the company to replace the defective parts at their cost, not ours.

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Rating: - Worth it or not, your call...
Mosquito Magnet Liberty Mosquito Trap MM3000

Tired of being bitten by mosquitos, I decided to give it a shot despite the mediocre review this product gets. After the order is placed, it took about 5 days for the unit to arrive.

I followed the instruction manual as carefully as possible. After plugging into the power outlet and open up the propane valve, the unit shows absolutely no response when pressing the "on" button. When I called Mosquito Magnet customer service, the representative gave a very standard set of troubleshooting procedure -

1. Does the electrical outlet has power? - yes I tried with a fan.
2. Did you open the propane valve? - yes I did, the propane tank is full and it works on my grill.
3. Did you open the valve slowly? - yes it almost drove me insane.
4. Did you test the power cord? - yes i tested the power cord/adapter with a multimeter which reads 16 volt.
5. Did you use an extension cord? - no

After exhausting all possibilities, she admitted the only possibility is that the unit is broken. I asked her whether I can return for a refund. She replied because the purchase is made through Amazon.com. It has to be returned to Amazon.

I then called Amazon right away. The answer I got is because this product uses propane, it CANNOT be returned to Amazon. I tried to explain to the Amazon lady that the unit is brand new. The unit wouldn't start so it hasn't touched any propane yet. But I guess somewhere in their 1000-page return policy, it says there is nothing they can do but to have Mosquito Magnet repair it.

Both my wife and I are very busy during the week, now I need to find time to bring it to a MM service center for repair. Hopefully it can be fixed soon before the summer is gone....

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Rating: - Works great until out of warranty
I've gone through two of these. Will never buy another! They both failed the 2nd year. Repairs cost almost as much as a new unit.

Basically, their ignition system reliability is very unreliable. All the fancy LEDs only tell you it is broken!

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Rating: - it works it works well but it always breaks down and repairs are very expensive
When this unit works it does a great job of catching lots and lots of mosquitos. Unfortunately it usually only works for one or two tanks of propane (about 6 weeks) before it has to be sent in for repair. I have had one for 3 years now and it is the same old story every year. I wish the company that built this would hire some good engineers to solve their quality problems because they might end up with a great product then, In the meantime it is an over priced good idea with very poor execution.