samasalabamas's Full Review: Mosquito Magnet Liberty by American Biophysics
We purchased a Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus from Front Gate on May 16, 2005. (This is actually our second MM. After promises of improved technology we bought this to replace the old one that worked pretty good the first year, so-so the second year and was dead the third year.)
When it arrived we followed the directions to the letter:
The top unit sits on a pole that slides into the wheeled base. There is a small brace to support the propane tank. There is a handle on the top unit that is supposed to make this easier to roll around. (More on that later.) It requires no tools to assemble. It has a battery pack you plug into the unit then you plug a charger into a port next to the battery. The battery needs to charge for 24 hours.
Something to note - since the whole unit just sits together it does fall apart if you try to move it over anything other than concrete. I tried to roll this across my lawn and it kept coming apart.
I went out the next afternoon and could not get the unit to start up. (Start-up is supposed to involve connecting the propane tank and flipping a switch.) I followed the troubleshooting steps listed in the instructions, then called Tech Support. They couldn't get it to work either so they arranged for a replacement to be sent. I had to box up just the top part and haul it to UPS. I asked if they would ship a new unit out at the same time I was shipping the old one back and they refused. I was promised that as soon as the old was arrived a new one would be out the door the next business day. I tracked it and then called them for the new tracking number. They didn't have one yet but promised to call when they did. They never called. It took four business days for them to turn it around and it wasn't until I called again that I got a new tracking number. It took two weeks for the new unit to arrive.
Again, I charged the new battery for 24 hours. This one had a different problem from the first one and still wouldn't start. I tried all the trouble shooting steps multiple times and again, I called Tech Support and they arranged for yet another unit to be delivered after their suggestions failed to get it to start. (During this exchange with Tech Support I found out that the replacement units are refurbished, not new.) Again, I asked them to ship me a replacement immediately instead of waiting for the broken one to be returned. They said they would but required a credit card for a guarantee. I packed up the old one and made another trip to UPS. It still took four days for the replacement unit to be shipped.
When I called to complain about the delay it they agreed to ship it three-day air and to call me with the tracking number. They never called back. When I called to get the tracking number the following day it has been shipped ground, not air.
The new unit has yet to arrive so I'll update this when it gets here. (It's due June 29, so they have had my money for six weeks and I don't have a working product.)
Tech Support at Mosquito Magnet is absolutely horrible. It could only be worse if it had been outsourced to India. They can't help you get the unit started, they don't give you accurate information, or they out right lie to you to get you off the phone. They do not return phone calls. Do not trust those people.Learn from my experience and try a different manufacturer.
This has been a big mistake. I'm a real glutton for punishment.
****Update**** We received the new unit, charged the new battery (24 hour wait again,) and this unit started without a hitch. It's been running for a month and it's catching plenty of mosquitoes.
**** 2nd Update**** This unit ran well the first year. It was a struggle to get it to run in 2006 and we couldn't get it to start in 2007. This year (2008) since I knew this was out of warrantee, I decided to see what makes this thing tick. I took the main unit out of the green shell and noticed a screw at the propane inlet. I took a wild guess that it might part of a valve for the propane. I turned it counter-clockwise about 1/4 turn then reconnected it to the tank. When I started it, it did it's usual 5-10 minute start process and the thing fired right up. It's been running now for a couple of months catching loads of mosquitoes. Too bad I didn't start that the beginning of the season. (Legal disclaimer) Don't mess with propane. Do this at your own risk. I'm only telling you what worked for me. I'm not suggesting you do this yourself.
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