My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

sligopaul

Mine was out till last weekend and created a muddy patch in one spot of the garden, mower needed a good clean but is now tucked away till next year

Dazed2020

Any recommendations for a loop signal detector for a broken wire?

Ideally if there's one I don't need to bend down to test it at ground level.

I've used the AM radio method but I've never found it very successful/useful and my back is broken when I do it

RainInSummer

What spec grease are people using in their Husqvarna automowers?

bauney

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398865#Comment_121398865

AM radio was my only option. Takes a bit of doing for sure but it works. I went for halfway mark of my perimeter and then checked for sound, once detected I moved to the 3/4 mark and then 7/8 mark. And I narrowed it in like that.

I realized that the break was where I had a joint (which was about 10 meters from the housing unit .e.g. 95% of the way around my perimeter). I should have thought of the joint as being a weak spot.

I used an AM headset radio, so I had to creeping down on the grass with my ear to the ground. Perhaps there is a better and easier way.

maynooth_rules

Don't know if many of your have a word landroid, but took off the leaf knifeguard.

Machine works so much better now

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398865#Comment_121398865

Tape the radio to something like a golf club or brush handle and walk around with it at full volume, always works for me, cheapest way to find a break and never fails.

keno-daytrader

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121415703#Comment_121415703

I did the same with my Worx, huge difference!

Jason_k

Deciding between Husqvarna auto mower 430x or 450x.

Lawn is flat approx 2000m2 so 430x could handle that. (less than 3200m2).

My question is:

Kids have 12 foot plastic goal posts on lawn that they move around lawn so i cannot put in a restricted area for the goal posts to avoid automower bumping into them.

Would the 430x bump into the goal posts and stop working?

I seen something about there being sensors on the 450x and not the 430x, that allows 450x know there is something in front it it (ie plastic goal posts) and slows down to avoid damaging itself whereas the 430X does not have this feature.

Is this right?

Obviously i want to buy 430x as alot cheaper.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

hero25

The 450x wont detect the posts along the ground, it wil detect the vertical ones and just gently bump off them, turn around and stay going. i dont have a 430 but i would imagine it would be the same... am open to correction.

For the post parts on the ground, what most do is attach some wood, maybe a piece of 3 x 1, and the mower will just bump off them and turn around and stay going.

funkey_monkey

What price are autonomous lawnmowers that do not require boundary wire?

Are they still high priced? So many small brands out there - seems to be a bit of a minefield.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121433872#Comment_121433872

Wouldn't buy one that didn't tbh. Prefer the 1970s basic technology that the wire offers. GPS based ones will be a minefield of issues and short life span frankly

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121434300#Comment_121434300

I'll investigate a bit more then. Didn't really think about obsolescence.

Jason_k

i see a husqvarna automower 430x & 450x for sale second hand on ebay from a genuine seller from germany who sells/maintains the mowers.

both mowers have approx. 5000 hours on them and both mowers manufactured in 2016.

would it be madness to buy one of these mowers instead of a new mower which is substantially more expensive.

Add is for mower, charging station and he said would include as much boundary wire as i need.

thanks

Mr Q

I have purchased 2 used smaller Husqvarna automowers before from reputable ebay sellers in Germany. Just had to chance the plug to 3 pin.

They didn't have as many hours as the one you're looking at but both worked fine. Huge saving over going new.

denismc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454482#Comment_121454482

The Husqvarna are easily serviceable and all parts are easily replaceable but parts are expensive so if I were to buy second hand I would need to know about its history.

5000 hours is a lot so I would expect that mower to have been through a pair of wheel motors and a cutting motor at least.

So if it comes with a detailed service history its probably ok, if not then you could be spending hundreds replacing parts.

Jason_k

thanks very much all for the advice. greatly appreciated.

RainInSummer

I'd think those are average to low hours for a mower that old to be honest.

My 430x is in a 1400sqm lawn and is a year younger than those. It's got 4500hrs on it. Add on another year and it'll easily beat those.

And that's on a lawn that's ostensibly much smaller than it's rated for. If it was on a larger lawn as you'd expect our frugal German cousins to deploy it on then I'd say it should be well over the given hours.

The devil is in the details though. All depends on maintenance.

If it's been maintained you'll get a long time out of those wheel motors. Not personally heard of a cutting motor going but not to say it doesn't happen.

Pro tip: Swap the wheel motors from left to right every year and grease them up maybe every two. The motor is invariably fine, it's the gearing that goes on them.

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121433040#Comment_121433040

Have the 450x and it slows down before bumping into objects, unsure if 430x has this feature, but a call to any installer will clear it up.

Do the goalposts have nets, as they would be more a worry then the posts themselves. I have goalposts with nets, fixed in the garden and wired off so mower wont tangle in nets and potentially wreck a motor

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121454482#Comment_121454482

Having had a 450x for near 5 yrs now I would want a clear and accurate history of the mower and then you are taking seller at their word. Can they give you a diagnostic report, hours are one thing, but depends how hard a life mototrs had etc. As stated already parts and installation can be expensive, but if the price is right then who knows.

Jason_k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121459063#Comment_121459063

post has net but they are connected to plastic length that runs along bottom of post so mower will just bump into that and not net.

Thanks for your advice on second hand mower. I should probably just save up and get the new one and mind it for as many years as i can.

listermint

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121461548#Comment_121461548

From experience the mower will climb the net and catch it.

They are zero crack in regards robot mowers.

A2LUE42

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121398865#Comment_121398865

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09XF65PYS/ref%3Dppx_od_dt_b_asin_image_s01?ie=UTF8&th=1

Got this and it worked very well.

paddylonglegs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121461548#Comment_121461548

Yeah, my one has often had battles with nets until I moved the goals. It’s the one thing that has got tangled up in the blades.

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121461574#Comment_121461574

Agree totally, likely to catch the net at some stage unless wired off.

blackbox

Time for Joey's annual scrub...

blackbox

Design fault: You can't see the "do not hose" symbol until after you have hosed it off!

Have to hope for the best.

denismc

I would be very nervous using a hose on an automower like that, I don't think those cable glands are designed for that.

I have found water ingress in my mower in the past without ever having hosed it.

listermint

Mine says it on the screen time to clean don't use a hose flashing.

septicsac

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121478418#Comment_121478418

Big no no to hose them, there is a hole on the side on the 450x that runs to the permeable filter, will not let water in under normal conditions, but with cover off and forced water supply it can get in,unsure if similar on yours but worth checking. I would be buying a new seal and splitting it, better to find out asap and dry as much as possible and reseal than hoping for the best.

Brush and air hose are the way to clean them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao02ZB3p6X4

RainInSummer

Pop the lid and check if there's ingress. If it was under warranty it's not now after hosing it down so there's nothing to lose by breaking the warranty seal.