Countax Reviews 27

Countax is not living up to its promise. When it was announced that Countax would no longer be manufacturing garden tractors, it promised to continue making spare parts for a number of years. Now, the service for spare parts is appallingly slow if not non-existent. Furthermore, no-one there seems to care; They are distinctly unhelpful.

I bought my Countax second hand and used occasionally. It left a disappointing finish conpared to my Atco cylinder walk-behind mower. Used only a few times when I felt lazy, though driving position is uncomfortable. Then it stopped and wouldn't start. Engine would hardly turn and it turned out that the electric clutch for the mower deck had seized solid meaning the starter was trying to turn everything. I replaced the clutch and used only a couple more times before the second clutch seized. I'm not going to repair as I don't wish to pass on such rubbish to someone else. Scrap! I've owned a range of mower types and brands over the years and this is by far the worst I've come across.

Countax ride on mower went to our usual main dealer for a service in April and we are still waiting for a part from Countax having had two dates of when the part was due in. We have been mowerless now for 5 months!

Buy one and prepare to become a lawn mower mechanic. Like it or not you can look forward to many ruined bank holidays and hours of lying on the ground, skinning your knuckles and being amazed at the poor quality and sheer lack of engineering that goes into these things. I’ve replaced the deck belt tension spring five times, the quality is just not there.

Like many on this board, I too replaced my Countax C60 in 2016 thinking I would get like for like. It's not a pinch on the previous model purchased 2009. The cut has never been right, service/repair bills have been higher and customer service from Countax is nonresponsive.
This newer model came with a pathetic attempt at ticking the Health & Safety boxes, flimsy bits of annoying plastic that have to be removed and replaced all the time. Whilst ignoring the deadly in accessible finger trapping power grass collector belt, which alone should keep you away from this product.
It doesn’t help having a company with two names, you contact Countax for help, only to be later referred to Ariens where you have to rewrite your request again? Avoid.
May 2024 - Just had to pay £1k+ to have the transmision changed, less than 8 years old, the machine cuts less than an acre! GLAD to hear Countax and Westfield are NO MORE, they have ceased manufacture, I wonder why!

The reviews on this site nearly put me off buying a Countax altogether - but because my experience of buying and using a nearly-new C50 has been rather better than some others', I thought I would write my own.

On build quality, I do not perceive that my (c. 2019 C50) model is any worse that the four or five other ride-on mowers I have used recently. The last mower I owned was a 1982 Westwood Gazelle, and in almost every regard build quality is similar compared to the Countax (Westwood being one of the companies that merged into Countax in the 80s). The engines in all these mowers are provided by third party manufacturers and they all seem reasonably dependable. The parts that Countax makes are the vehicle and the deck - and they all seem to be broadly what I would expect in terms of quality. High quality components have been used where needed - like blade and wheel bearings - and cost savings have obviously been made where they reasonably could. This isn't to say the mower is perfect. I found that the belt guard on the deck was not attached securely because the rivets had failed and that a sticking-out screw was interfering with the closure of the grass collector bucket - but these are minor matters that can be dealt with during servicing - or by a somewhat mechanically adept owner.

On usability, I'd say the mower is quite decent, certainly it is comfortable enough to use for an hour or two at a time. I do have one or two specific annoyances:
1. The one cylinder Brigg and Stratton engine in the C50 is a little louder than the Honda engines I have experienced in some other ride on mowers.
2. The various safety interlocks mean there is quite a lot to remember before starting to mow. I find it easy to forget (i) that the PTO switch is in the appropriate position (just mower, just sweeper, or both), (ii) not to jiggle around on my seat (which causes the engine to cut out), (iii) not to reverse whilst mowing (which causes the PTO to disengage unless the ignition key is in a special position).
3. The single worst usability problem from my perspective is the absence of any gauge to indicate that the grass collector is full. It's a matter of complete guesswork to know when it needs emptying.

If I have one more serious gripe about the mower (and this is why I have awarded only four stars), it is that Countax seem to keep their service manuals tightly under wraps. According to their web site, the service manuals are only available to authorized dealers. Servicing these machines is not especially difficult - and I managed to change the deck belt which I damaged by driving over a metal hoop in long grass - but it's annoying that Countax leaves users to rely on YouTube videos to find out how to do the simplest recurring maintenance tasks.

Having had Countax 4WD machines for years, I dodged a bullet last year by not replacing it with the new version when my trusty 16-year old machine finally gave up, having coped magnificently with hilly and difficult terrain for years. Listening to others, and noting even my faithful dealer's lack of conviction, I went instead for an Iseki SXG216+. The build quality is chalk and cheese. OK, it does not do stripes, but it collects grass and leaves very well, has a tiny turning circle and feels a totally competent piece of kit. First 'running-in' service at 50 hours (then every 200 hours), which is a 'big' one, by a mobile Iseki dealer mechanic, was £360 inc VAT. Apparently Countax spares now need to come from the US, so even more expensive and slow.

Don't buy this rubbish. My lawn tractor has done less than 70hrs and I've had more time in repairs than use. New gearbox, clutch, rollers, cutters, grass box, etc, etc. Absolute rubbish, wish I'd never bought and my model is now costing £9K!

Bought a COUNTAX C1100161 C10. Cut a quarter acre field with it 3 times since I bought it.
1st time it broke down and wouldn't mow. Supplier "fixed it"
2nd time mowed for 10 yds and then stopped. Supplier had it in workshop for 5 days. Got it back.
3rd time cutter blades keep stopping intermittently and pick up reel doesn't work.
They are getting it back
CRAP!

Bought my c80 3 yrs ago. Problems after problems. Battery goes flat v quickly, v poor grass pick-up, belts coming off, basically any area more than half an acre which is not square/rectangle is too much for the machine. Do not buy.

I've had 3 countax lawn mowers which have all had problems. My current one breaks down every single time i use it with a fuse blowing. It as been sent back for repairs numerous times and still it as the same problem although they say they have fixed it. Also the body work starts rusting after 2 years. I thought it was meant to be the Rolls Royce of lawn mowers, more like a 1970's Alfa Romeo. Wouldn't buy another that's for sure!!!!!!!!

Bought a new B250 (3rd Countax in 30 years) about 5 years ago for a large sloping lawn.
It cuts perfectly, doesn't slip on slope, never had any problems with it.
Easy to remove cutting deck to remove, sharpen and balance blades, and to otherwise service....saving high dealers charges.

Brand new four wheel drive Countax keeps going wrong. Belts go, grass collector stops working. This used to be a good brand but now under American ownership it's hopeless. I so wish I had bought a different make.

Three year old countax c80 PC board gone, new bearings all round and bill for £700. Quality compared to my old one is very poor. Wish I’d bought something different.

I had a problem aligning the blades on an A25/50 model with 50” cutting deck, after it had been hit hard and one of the blade hubs was out of line. I phoned and asked to speak to technical. I was put through to Clive who was very helpful, and after chatting through the problem he set me off in the right direction and I was able to repair my damaged machine. This is the third Countax that we have had, and they have always been good value for money.

I own a Countax A20/50 with a grass collector attachment. The drivebelt for the collector recently snapped so set about arranging a replacement belt with Countax UK. There are many variations so I sent Countax details of all model and serial numbers so that they could ascertain the correct belt. Then I sat back and waited, and waited, then the sound of tumbleweed got the better of me, and sent a second message. This time I received a message thanking me for my feedback, of which I never sent. OK, I thought I would ramp it up a bit now as I need that belt. On my third message, I cut and pasted the message so I sent an exact copy to the four departments on offer to direct it. Nothing! I tried this on a fourth occaision from a different machine and again...nothing. Ive sent a final four copy messages, but will have to conclude that they are simply not interested in providing just a belt. The absolute joke is that on their contact page, it is headed, "We're here to help". The bottom line is if you own anything from Countax, forget any sort of help from them. You are on your own. Ebay will help you far more than Countax. Just dont buy their products.

I have used tractor mowers for over 35 years with no significant problems until I "upgraded" to a Countax C60 in March 2020. It cost over £5,000 and has been an absolute disaster from Day One. Initially, the central cutting blade didn't work. Then I had endless problems with the grass collector malfunctioning. I was told that this was because it was a new model - and adjustments needed to be made. Our local dealer has been very helpful and eventually they fixed that problem. Last year smoke poured from the engine on four separate occasions - each time the drive belt had ignited and had to be replaced. This year the cutting blades keep failing to engage - I mow for 10 yards, if I'm lucky, then it stops cutting; also the belt to the grass collector recurrently becomes detached. Last year my dealer rang Countax suggesting that this was a rogue model and should be replaced. This debate continues but no positive response or apology from Countax. I am stuck with an expensive piece of junk which has no trade-in value. I would give it zero stars but Trustpilot requires a minimum of one star.

I bought a brand new B255 4WD mower, vastly expensive, in 2016. It lunched its rear gearbox just over a year in, and a month outside warranty. Since then, ot a season goes by without some kind of major expense. The sweeper is an example of how to make a simple, reliable product maddeningly complicated and therefore unreliable: it’s awful, and probably the worst aspect of the machine. It is why you should keep designers away from these things (leave them to do the brochures) and only employ engineers. A solid machine unreliable and another great British company a shadow of its former self. But that’s what American ownership does I guess. Cut costs, cut quality. When it works, which is very, very rarely, it gives a nice result. But usually I just go back to using my 30 year old Countax, which while shabby, still works beautifully.

Purchased a Countax C60 in 2014. This was the 3rd Countax I have owned. The previous two were good machines, given an annual service and reliable.
This 2014 machine was after Ariens had purchased Countax and was a new model. Reliability of this machine has been very poor. Every service it needs new bearings and other expensive parts.
Will not purchase another Countax, the company seems to have lost all quality.

I bought a 2017 Countax C60 new and have never been so disappointed by a purchase. On arrival I had problems with the grass collector which dumped the grass every time I hit a bump, this was quickly resolved by the fitment of a second magnet. The engine kept cutting out due to fuel starvation which was down to the plastic fuel tank outlet getting blocked from plastic contamination from the manufacturing process. Since then I have had number of issues mainly down to the poor quality of the parts made from poor grades of steel. If it is a welded bracket to a shaft, be prepared for it to break have had to replace.
I bought it because I am a traditionalist and like stripes on the lawn, but because it needs perfect climatic conditions to pick up the grass I am now giving up and going to buy a John Deere with a mulching unit. This was my third new Countax that I have purchased but if my tractor is representative of the quality you can now expect, don't waste your money.