Fisher-Price Bubble Mower: This mower really busted our bubble.
Written: May 20 '02 (Updated May 20 '02)
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Pros: Cheap, easy to clean
Cons: Cheap, does not blow bubbles, made of weak plastic.
The Bottom Line: This is a cheaply made mower that will not blow bubbles. Find a good bubble blower and a better mower.
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| Mininut's Full Review: Bubble Mower |
My son Wayne is an outdoors type child and he is also a daddy’s boy. He spends most of his time out in the yard with daddy cutting grass, riding the mowers or working on what ever needs to be done at that point in time, so it made perfect sense to buy him his very own lawn mower. We looked at several different types before deciding on the Fisher-Price bubble mower and here is what we found.
Let’s talk about the bubble mower
When you buy your bubble mower it will cost you about $14.99 to $19.99 depending on where you buy it. When you open you box you will find the main mower piece, the handle, as bottle of bubbles, a bubble wand and instructions. You will need to put the handle onto the mower but you do not need any tools to do this, just snap it in place on the mower head and you are almost ready to mow, it is so easy that even most dads can put it together (grin). Fisher-Price does a really good job making this mower look realistic, from the black plastic yard wheels to the black molded handle that has switches and knobs, this mower looks almost like daddy’s. The older models of this mower were green but Wayne’s is made of red and, yellow and black plastic. This is not a hard plastic and the mower can and will break easily if stepped on or knocked around too much. Once you attach the handle you slide the bubble wand into the side compartment on the mower and you are ready to add bubbles. Be sure you add the bubbles outside or you could have one heck of a mess on your hands. The bubble compartment is on the side of the mower. You pour the bubble liquid slowly into the side until you see there is enough liquid in it to produce bubbles and then you let your little one play away. A plastic wheel inside the mower will turn and air is supposed to push bubbles through the plate. When your little one pushes the mower they will hear “actual” mower sounds and since it is a “bubble” mower, you would think you would actually see bubbles right?
What Mommy dislikes about this mower
I normally don’t do a dislike section on my reviews but there is so much I do not like about this mower that I thought I better put it in it’s own section. We originally chose the Fisher-Price bubble mower because it was supposed to blow bubbles. The box shows a little boy pushing the mower and looking at all the bubbles blowing upwards as the child smiles in delight and I could just picture my little one smiling and having a ball with the bubbles, I did not know that this toy would be a huge flop that would never get used. This mower is very flimsy and the top cracked after one of my dogs stepped on it. Granted my dog is 140lbs but the mower should have been able to with-stand a tragic one-paw accident, after all it is not as if he pounced on it with all 4 paws and jumped up and down. The bubble wand that slides in the top of the mower falls out when ever the mower gets tilted a certain way and has since become lost somewhere out in our 4 acres and I am one of those people that can not stand to have pieces of anything missing so you can imagine how annoying that is for me. (Laugh) Now let’s talk about the bubbles, or the lack there of. Once you pour the bubbles into the chamber and your child starts to push the mower you should see bubbles flying in the wind, there were no bubbles at all. We tried everything from adding less solution, more solution, diluting the solution and even changing to a different solution and still no bubbles. The bubble wand is also pretty wide and when you place it in the solution it does not stay long enough for you to blow on it. The box also states “real mower sounds”; well I don’t know about anyone else but if your mower actually sounds like that then you should take it in right away and have it fixed. On the upside this mower is easily cleaned, just spray it down with the water hose and it is already to go again. Please note that this mowers color does fade in the sun like most colors.
What Wayne likes about this mower
When we first opened the box and set it up, Wayne oohhed and awed at the mower and played with it for about 20 minutes. The knob at the turns back and forth and makes a clicking noise and that seemed to tickle him but not as much as the starter. When you pull the starter the mower makes a starting and running sound, the down side to this is that most 2 year olds can not pull this little plastic cord. It has a large handle but does take a little more strength than a 2 year old has to pull it out. The top of the mower casing spins to make it look like the motor is actually running but Wayne doesn’t really seem to care. After playing with it for about 3 more times in the week to follow, he parked it and has not touched it since, even his little friends that come over show no interest in this mower at all.
But I really want a mower, are there others out there?
There are other mowers on the market for children besides the Fisher-Price bubble mower. Playskool has just come out with the Big Mike mower that has a smiling face and huge eyes that are sure to make your little one smile, this mower has mower sounds and even says catchy phrases best of all, the batteries are included! This mower runs for $19.99. Little Tikes also gets in on the mower action with their Little Landscaper Mulching Mower. This mower has realistic sounds, a see through mulching compartment and is made with super durable molded plastic. Unlike most mowers this child’s mower is recommended for 18 months and up instead of the 2 year mark so that younger children can have yard fun too. I would do some research before deciding on what mower is best for your child.
In closing
Overall I am not thrilled with this mower, if I could find another child that would like it would give it away but none of them even show the slightest interest in this mower. $14.99 is not an exorbitant amount of money but it is still waste if your child does not wish to play with it. Like most toddlers, Wayne may have an interest in it later but for the time being it has become yard art. If you are looking for a mower for your little one I would suggest you do some research before choosing one. I am very disappointed in this Fisher-Price toy.
So how do you contact Fisher Price
There are three ways to contact Fisher-Price. You can call them at 1-800-432-5437 or 1-800-442-2664, contact them at http://www.service.mattel.com/ or http://www.fisherprice.com, or mail them at Consumer Affairs, ARCOtoys Inc, A Mattel Company, C.S #9008, Crossways Park West, Woodbury, New York 11797.
The following information does not pertain to this toy but recall information is important to the health and welfare of our children. I will continue to post any and all recall information in my reviews when ever available.
Recall Information
Fisher Price has a recall on the following items:
Power Wheels-Harley-Davidson-Ride-on.
Lift & Lock Swing.
Get Up & Go Walker.
Intelli-Table
Big Action Construction Set.
Hop, Skip, Jumper.
3-in-1 Cradle Swing with Detachable Carrier.
Bounce 'n Play Activity Dome.
Grow to Pro Basketball set.
Power Wheels Vehicles.
Fisher-Price Safe Embrace Car Seat.
To find out more information about these items, please go to http://www.fisherprice.com/us/help/default.asp#safety
Big Smiles and Warm Hugs
Heather aka MiniNut
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 14.99
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Mininut
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Member: Heather
Location: Leander, Texas
Reviews written: 88
Trusted by: 273 members
About Me:
Mother of 4 gorgeous children and survivor of Cervical Cancer.
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