Customer Reviews

Mosquito Magnet MM3100 Liberty Plus

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(36)

 

 

After doing my research, I decided to give Coleman's Mosquito Deleto 2500 a try. I first considered the Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus. But, after reading numerous reviews detailing all of the quality control issues and/or quirky problems people have getting that unit to start and stay lit, I decided that the street price for the Liberty Plus was just too high for a product that didn't seem very reliable or serviceable by the consumer. I also work with 4 people who own either the Liberty or the Liberty Plus and it turns out that 3 of the 4 people have gone through one or more of the well documented non-recoverable problems with these units. I also found a CBS News link that did an excellent test on both the Coleman 2500, the Liberty Plus, and third mosquito trap called the Skeeter Vac - and based on reading that article, I decided to get the Coleman unit.

The Coleman Mosquito Deleto 2500 unit I bought appears to be a re-engineered version of the Mosquito Magnet Liberty Plus, at half the cost, about $330. (Do not confuse the Coleman 2500 with the earlier Coleman mosquito trap which uses sticky paper to trap the bugs. Many reviews of that Coleman sticky trap unit show that it doesn't catch many bugs. - so I decided to stay away from that one also.)

After installing the unit in my back yard, I can tell you that it catches lots of mosquitoes and tiny no-see-ums, and it makes a big difference in getting bitten in my yard. I live adjacent to my town forest, so I placed the unit at the edge of the woods, thinking the bugs will get attracted to the unit before flying around my back yard and biting me and my family. I had a camp fire out back a couple of nights ago, and I was actually able to sit there in shorts without taking a DEET bath! The unit started up easily and I like the fact that Coleman used a simple battery pack which consists of 3-AA NiCad batteries which can be purchased cheaply virtually anywhere when they finally run out of juice. (Try replacing a dead "power module" on the Liberty Plus -HA!!! Good luck and empty your wallet!)

I do have to say that ALL of these propane driven mosquito traps have an inherent problem which potential buyers should be aware of. They use propane at an extremely SLOW rate. A 20 lb. bottle of gas is suppose to last about thee weeks - while running continuously. Because of this, the fuel nozzle opening is VERY tiny and is virtually guaranteed to eventually get clogged - don't be fooled, I believe that the majority of these type of mosquito traps will fail to work because of partial or total clogging of the fuel nozzle! In fact, my Deleto 2500 got clogged and stopped working after a while. What I like once again is Coleman's simple and practical solution to this problem. First of all - the gas nozzle is a $3 part and they give you an extra one. Secondly, it is easily removable by the use of a hand tool that is mounted on the trap so you don't loose the tool. Since you can remove the nozzle, unclogging it is accomplished by simply removing the tip from the nozzle - and cleaning it with a solvent like carburetor cleaner and blowing it out with compressed air. The solvent does an excellent job of clearing out a totally clogged tip and you don't have to shell out $$$ for CO2 cartridges every month to clear out the fuel system like the Liberty. Plus, CO2 alone doesn't clean out the tiny tip as effectively as a solvent - never can, never will!!! You will never be able to clean out the Liberty fuel tip with solvent because, guess what....it is NOT serviceable by the owner. What where they thinking when they designed this!!! Personally, I think this is why there are so many problems with the Liberty units during the second season of use. Coleman's approach to this problem is simple, practical, and cheep! I hope I continue to feel this way next year....only time will tell. Because of this, I think the Coleman Mosquito Deleto 2500 is the way to go, but don't forget, you will have to occasionally clean the tip out to keep it running(or replace it for $3 if you don't want to deal with cleaning it).

It took me a long time to decide based on reviews of other models whether or not I should buy it. The reliability of them seems to have a shaky history and people report various success rates. My machine started right up and has been running constantly without trouble for about 10 days. I have turned it off to move it 4 times and it restarted without issue. As for its effectiveness it depends what your goal is.

I am not expecting to acheieve complete abatement as we live 100 yards away from a swamp but I was hoping to reduce the swarming that made going outside at dusk a scary proposition.
It has caught several hundred mosquitos in the first ten days and this was in cool weather when mosquitos are less active. The first day we had 90 deegree weather after a rain we caught close to 200 that day. I still need bug spray at night, but when I envision 1000 mosquitos chasing after me followed by the birth of their babies chasing after me, I am happy with the catch. For those who have low catches I'd try moving the unit to a different location every night and monitoring the catch.

I have also become fascinated with watching this machine catch its prey. It is very discriminate in what it catches... We only have one dumb moth and two nosy flies amongst the 1000 mosquitos. It can be frustrating to watch as the number of mosquitos hovering around the machine is greater than it will ultimately catch. Many seem content to play around the exhaust fans and never make an attempt to head up the plume. Others 30 feet away seem oblivious to the machine and never wander over. It makes me very skepticle of the 1 acre claim. A little dirty trick I played was to shine an incadescent light right next to the plume. Then I sat behind my screen door and watched as mosquitos attracted to the light wound up getting sucked up the plume.

If you want this machine to alleviate a problem I think it is effective (though costly) If you want it to eliminate a problem I think you will be disapointed.

I bought the Mosquito Magnet Professional model ($1200++). It worked great for one season but would not start the next season; American Biophysics sent me a replacement power head. (It was actually cool, they sent the new head and arranged for a UPS pickup of the defective one, I packed up the defective one and sent it back in same packing material --THEY NOW NO LONGER DO THIS, YOU MUST PAY TO SEND THEM YOUR OLD UNIT AND THEY WILL REFURBISH AND SEND IT BACK, MAYBE). The replacement unit they sent me worked fine for the first 3-4 months but then started to slowly deteriorate. I stopped it at the end of the season, but it would not start this year. The unit came with several tools to help keep the unit running--I should have been smart enough to realize that if a product needs its own set of tools to continue to operate that it must not be very reliable. I called them and they say the warranty only applied to the initial unit and even though the replacement was less than a year old, it had no warranty. They wanted to sell me a new unit; I told them I would never buy another of their products and you shouldn't either. This is a perfect example of a good idea that they just cannot make work in the real worls but are willing to pass the failure risk to their customers for what is likely not a modest profit.

Because the first unit worked so well during the first 3-4 months, I recommended that several of my friends buy one of the units and at least three of them did. At least 2 of the 3 units have failed more than once and I just haven't seen the third friend in a while. So these products fail almost without exception and the company feels no remorse and offers poor warranty coverage.

I originally bought the Mosquito Magnet Freedom model which caught only a few bugs and refused to start after two seasons. For over $400 (out of warranty), the company traded it for a Liberty Plus. This model has caught a moderate number of bugs, but I have only had it one season. I also own a Mosquito Magnet Pro which initially caught a large number of Mosquitos, but refused to start the next season. That unit was returned under warranty. The replacement unit worked for the rest of last summer and part of this summer before losing suction (the unit starts, but the fan barely spins). Fortunately, I had a one year extension on the warranty as part of a special promotion when I originally bought the unit, so my Mosquito Magnet Pro has been returned yet again.
Here are the pros for Mosquito magnets: If the unit works, it can catch mosquitos assuming proper placement. The price is coming down due to competition, and the newer units have better features like the quick clear valve and electric start.
Here are the cons: You could pay 20 kids with bug nets to catch just as many mosquitos for a fraction of the cost. The reliability of the units both out of the box and over time is terrible. The one year warranty is a joke since the mosquito season only lasts a few months and the unit will be out of warranty for the second season. These things don't seem to last more than one or two seasons.
The bottom line: Wait until a smart competitor creates a cheaper, more reliable machine - perhaps by breeding a gas grill with a vacuum cleaner.

Other years below: (updated 30 June 2009) The NiMh battery needed a recharge after two months this year whereas last year it ran over 4 months into August and when new it went over 5 months. For a 6th season that's probably expected. The northeast is getting drowned this June and outside of my backyard the mosquitos are really bad. I caught a half bag a week ago which is the highest rate in years. Still 4 stars by me. If it dies I'd replace it *immediately* with a corded Liberty or maybe try a Defender. If it goes a few more years it'll be 5 stars ;^)
Other reviews below: (end May 2007) Unit wintered inside and started up without any problems about a month ago. Just starting to catch biters this week, coinciding with warmer weather and trees finally getting their leaves. One of the three mounting tabs on the black plastic downtube broke 2 years ago. I haven't found a compatible epoxy yet but the tube stays in place with 3 tabs. White crusty powder formed in the metal above the downtube. Propane at $16 now puts my operating costs well under $2/day. Mosquitos are around but far from swarming. I notice many of the negative reviews mention the Pro model, not the Liberty Plus. I'll leave my rating at 4 stars.

(end august 2005) I must admit I'm concerned by the negative reviews of some MM products but our experience with the Liberty Plus has been quite different (knock on wood). The unit wintered in an unheated but dry shed. We turned it on in April (50 degree weather) in a shady spot behind an apple tree, had a cold, wet May, low catch rate but the bugs weren't bothering us either. In June and July the catch rate soared but we were still able to use our pool area without getting eaten alive. Catch rate this dry August is way down but so are the bugs. In cool weather the machine can emit an audible drone that I believe is a resonance in the clear cover but otherwise it's quiet.

So after two seasons I'm pleased with the product performance. It has made our yard (and my neighbor's) livable. There have been no unexplained shutdowns so far this season. Placement is key. I level the unit in a permanently shaded area near low shrubs and weeds. Spiders like to spin webs inside the suction tube so I use a long-handled thin paintbrush to sweep it clear every few days. I empty the net when it's half full but otherwise leave it alone. I use a CO2 cartridge every other propane tank.

(old review) So far 2 propane tanks, 3 weeks each. The machine is virtually silent. I skipped using the CO2 "quick clear" cartridge as recommended after the first tank and the machine shut down 2 weeks into the second tank. Quick clear solved the problem. Our large yard has embedded woods, shrubs, wet areas and this year has been very wet. Bugs are out in force and the machine continues to catch loads of mosquitos and no-see-ums but less than a few weeks ago. I change the net when the fan is covered... about every other day. I wash out the old net after the contents stop moving. I treat it like a vacuum cleaner bag with the cleaner = more suction theory. Compared to our neighbors, our pool area is mosquito free. Placement is critical and must consider shade and the downwind CO2 dispersion. Would I buy another Liberty Plus? Probably not. Am I sorry I bought it? No. The technology works but I don't understand how the Liberty series is rated for 1 acre. I assume it generates a larger CO2 plume. In hindsight, for the money I think I'd rather have two $300 Defenders and set up a perimeter. Of course, that presumes the Defender kills like the Liberty. I'm going to move the machine and see if I can thin the biting population in a different part of the yard.

(original review) We've had the MM for 4.5 weeks and so far it's worked as advertised. It was a big bite in the wallet but it's allowed us and the kids the use of our backyard pool and deck through twilight for the first time in 6 years. It's under an apple tree for shade and it sucks in an incredible amount of mosquitos and no-see-ums from the nearby bushes and damp areas.
First propane lasted 3 weeks, as expected. The MM shut down once by itself but started right back up. I empty the net every 2 days. I recommend swapping the full net for an empty one because dumping out the squirming mass into a trash bag is a horror show. You can tie off the full net and let the active ones die. After all these years it's great to be able to enjoy the yard and it's sweet revenge on the biters.

Seems to be an ongoing issue with the products from American Biophysics. I bought my $1200.00 Mosquito Magnet Commercial Pro model about two years ago. I bought the commercial model thinking that it would be a bit more durable than the less expensive models. It worked fairly well for the 1st year. The second season I noticed more mosquitoes biting the kids and fewer in the trap. I made sure everything was clean and in working order and kept feeding it propane. At the end of the season my igniter (the little push button starter that looks like the ones found on your typical propane grill) failed so I put it in storage and figured I'd call the company and order a new igniter button (they cost about $10.00 at your local hardware store). American Biophysics just informed me that they won't sell me the $10 igniter. I must buy a reconditioned powerpac for $375.00 instead. Obviously, the product only works for one year before needing to be replaced.

This is my third update 6/24/2005. I'll leave my first 2 reviews below my now scathing review.

Regardless of what the stars say this really is no stars. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT. I had a problem last August after my second review and the replaced the it. I started it in the beginning of this season and it worked. Could not restart it. They will replace the unit for me for only $195. Since I have already had a unit replaced which lasted about 12 weeks. This second unit worked 3 times for 9 weeks. You can estimate that it on average will last 10 weeks. When it is running it catches mosquitos but the instructions say that it needs to run 6 weeks for the effect to be noticable. The problem is that the unit starts to have problems in 6 weeks and is useless by 12. This is the most expensive piece of garbage I have ever bought.

My original review is below. I've had it for eight weeks now. It catches a substantial number of mosquito's and makes a real difference in how many I have in my yard. That said, I am rating it 3 stars based on my experiences below:

Bites: I still get some bites in some spots in the yard, though substantially less than last year. For the money, I would like no bites.

Noise: It can be noisy. No louder than my pool filter, but it was supposed to be silent. The issue is that the unit needs to be exactly perpendicular to the ground, if it is at 89 degrees you get a fairly load hum.

Octenal: You need it here in the northeast. In the southeast part of the country the instructions say the octenal actually can repell the mosquito's so they say not to use it if you are in that part of the country. Here in the northeast, I tried to push mine to 4 weeks rather than the 3 in the instructions. The catch rate was definately impacted. That makes me wonder how good a mosquito magnet would be in the southeast.

Gas usage: My first tank went for 3 weeks like advertised. The second tank 16 days. The third tank 14 days. The tanks were not really empty, they still had gas in them, good enough to run a gas grill. It is that the mosquito magnet needs very pure propane. So the instructions say get it purged. That is a few extra dollars. For now I just rotate between the grill and the magnet.

Location: This is important. The spot I put it initially did not catch much, the second spot increased it substantially. Neither spot is perfectly ideal. I don't think I have an ideal spot and I'm not sure many people do.

Support: When I initially set it up my catch rate was low, because in hinde sight it was a poor location. But at the time I called support, I was on hold for 40 minutes. When I got through, the rep was helpful and courteous. Email support was 48 hours. I sent a second email about 3 weeks ago about the noice. I was called on the phone by a representative with some suggestions to end it. The suggestion to make it perfectly perpendicular works but has to be fixed every few days.

It is not a dud and I am not sorry I bought it, but if I had to do over, I'm not sure I would buy it either.

ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM MAY

I'm giving it 2 stars now, and will post again in 6 weeks. My unit has been running for 3 days now. It has been catching about 6 - 10 mosquitos a day along with about another 10 - 15 presumably other biting insects. I do not see how this rate will make a real impact, but I do not know. Are 10 mosquitos in May worth 100 in July? There are also some variations I can try, such as NOT using the octenol which according to the instructions may actually repel some types of mosquitos. My placement is not "ideal" though I think it is fairly close. I'm not sure there are many homes that will have an absolute "ideal" spot. There are two or three more places I can try.

I gave this 2 stars rather than a nuetral 3 stars, based on the tech support. The self diagnosis on their website is poor. For example, selecting low catch rate, it asks if the vacuum is adaquate without telling you how to test or what adaquate is. If you somehow determine that it is not adaquate, it doesn't tell you what to do about it anyway. I called the 800 number and was on hold for 40 minutes though once I got through the support person was very helpful and courteous. Email support took 48 hours.

Like I said, I will reevaluate again in about 6 weeks which is how long they say it takes to get the full effect. If I can sit outside at 7PM in July without getting bit, I will probably give it 4 or 5 stars, otherwise it will be an expensive 1 star dud.

I purchased a Liberty Plus approximately three weeks ago. It too suffers from the quality problems noted by other reviewers. In this case, the battery does not hold its charge, so it only works a maximum of three days before the battery needs to be recharged for 24 hours. Although the company has agreed to send another battery, I am not scheduled to receive it for 10 business days. Although the concept behind this product is great, it does not deliver. I do not recommend purchasing this product.

There's a pattern to these reviews. Can you spot it?

I purchased my Mosquito Magnet from Amazon in 2004. It worked well for one season. In 2005, I had some troubles getting it started, but after spending time on the phone with their American Biophysics support department we managed to get it running.

Fast forward to 2006. The $2 piezo electric ignitor has died. I called the support department again. "Unfortunately", that part can't be replaced, and the whole unit needs to be scrapped. "Fortunately", they have a trade in program. For a mere $450+ dollars, I can trade in my dead $600 unit fr a new unit.

Does this look like a racket? It should, because it is.

I don't know if there are any competing products out there, but I'm certainly going to go looking for them. Avoid this company's garbage at all costs.

I raced to get a MMPro the 1st year they were out and spent over $1,300 in 2002. It worked well the 1st summer, 2d in for servicing alot of it, 3rd failed completely, just outside of warranty.,So in May, 2004 I SUCKERED for the offer to pay$600 +/- for the new improved MM Pro with a 2 year warranty. It worked the 1st [2004]season, and seemed fine [2005] season, but totally failed to start in April, 2006.

I called tech many times [waiting along time each time]and got all kinds of stories about what it could be. I told them if these were all so important they should email their customers or put it in the operation book. It seemed like excuses really.

I sent it in early June,2006 for warranty repair, and it will be "3-4" weeks to get back!!!Summer is only June-August here in MA!Customer Service told me they have no parts and when a machine gets returned they will use those parts on my machine!! It could be August by then. I have called and escalated the complaints. This is just WRONG, so I am filing with the RI Better Business Bureau, the Ri attorney General Consumer Affairs Office, and the Federal Trade Commission. Most states have consumer protection regs offering triple damages for 'unfair and deceptive' trade practices, breach of warranty, and breach of warranty of merchantibility and fitness for use. I have spent way too much time and money to accept this loss, when all the other complaints show the compnay knows it sold us all a lemon.

EVERYONE should do the same. Then the government will step in and investigate what they knew, when they knew it, and make them stop selling problem goods. You may also be able to make a 'small claims court' complaint, since they sell in stores all over they have a local presence enough to do it. Don't let them keep your money! Then they will have succeeded.