My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

septicsac

Where is best place currently to buy wire, need to extend my cutting area and one guide wire, need few connectors as well.

Shaunoc

septicsac wrote: »

Where is best place currently to buy wire, need to extend my cutting area and one guide wire, need few connectors as well.

i have used these before but usually when i was after a few things together
robotcenter eu
150 metres for 35 euro
250 M for 49 euro

thats 10 euro delivery though

Lurching

murfler wrote: »

Were they good quality?

I couldn't tell you, I haven't had to use them yet.

But they can't be too bad.

frasr

How have people found robot mowers and dog fences?
Everything I read is giving conflicting details.

Sharing one loop seems to work for some people, but for me I'm going to need the 2 separate different loops due to a cemented area at one corner.
How have other people got on with this?

From what I've seen online, the dog loop should be the outer loop, but details on the space between the loops isn't clear.
& there seem to be the problem if both units use the same frequency (kHz), and finding out detail of this secret sauce seems impossible.

What I'm thinking of getting is the Worx Landroid L1500 and Western Pet Products

Tilikum17

frasr wrote: »

How have people found robot mowers and dog fences?
Everything I read is giving conflicting details.

Sharing one loop seems to work for some people, but for me I'm going to need the 2 separate different loops due to a cemented area at one corner.
How have other people got on with this?

From what I've seen online, the dog loop should be the outer loop, but details on the space between the loops isn't clear.
& there seem to be the problem if both units use the same frequency (kHz), and finding out detail of this secret sauce seems impossible.

What I'm thinking of getting is the Worx Landroid L1500 and Western Pet Products

I can honestly say, I would never put one of those on either of the dogs.

whippet

Tilikum17 wrote: »

I can honestly say, I would never put one of those on either of the dogs.

100% agree - absolutely cruel

but this is the gardening forum .. so how about an actual fence for the hound ?

teamddr

HI guys and girls
I took the plunge after a lot of research and have ordered one of these puppy's,
https://robotmower.ie/collections/wiper-premium/products/wiper-premium-c12

its the same machine as ambrigio l35 deluxe

bought it from local dealer and he coming to set it up

i have three different lawns and this one can be programmed to cross the drive late at night when traffic is non existent

Tilikum17

Does anyone have a mountfield robot lawnmower? That’s the brand my local lad sells. I’m just wondering what they’re like.

krissovo

I picked up the Landroid last week, 2000sqm for 1900 sqm garden after being recommended the Husqvarna 430x that was a fraction of the price of the Husqy. I am really happy with it, after 4 days of mowing he has done a fantastic job given I have a complex lawn with multiple islands, trees, perimeter slopes, a drive way crossing and a raised kids play center. A few tufs here and there that every day is less and less.



A few notes:
ACS is great and means he can navigate around padding pools and the kids play center. The playcenter is raised on 6 stilts and has 2 slides and he has cut underneath perfectly, better than I could with the lawn mower. Problem with the ACS is that he dodges long grass or a tall weed that pops up.

Setting up zones really helped with some areas that were getting neglected.

The off limits module works well and I have 80 meters laid out. It is much easier to setup than the perimeter wire but needed for my large islands. It is expensive though but still overall less than half the price of my original option.

SchrodingersCat

I was wondering if anyone could help advise on the following.

The mother in law has has a back garden and got a digger in to clear the overgrowth. It has been leveled and grass seeded. To keep it in check, I was suggesting to her to get a robot mower as we have had great experience with a Flymo 1200r for our garden.

She called into a Husqvarna dealer who looked up the garden on Google Maps and said it was 1700m2. They said that the "X" (x-line) version would be needed as the GPS was required for a garden so complex. They recommended a 430x, with a cutting area of 3200m2, for €3150. But they suggested that she she get a Automower 450x, with a 5000m2 cutting area, for €4165. They said that there would be less wear and tear on the larger mower as it would have less work to do.
Installation was €500->700.


I was a bit taken aback with the price, so I did a bit of research myself. From what I can see, the "X", or X-line upgrade only appears to give the mower an extra couple of 100m2 capacity cutting area. She doesnt really care about the other benefits it brings.
I looked up the garden myself on Google Maps and got a max size of 1600m2.


As most of the area was cleared (the old layout is in the photo above), there are only ~10 bushes and trees scattered in the area. No slopes. Some bumps.





So im wondering would we be able to get away with an Automower 315 for €1920. The 315 has a max cutting area of 1500m2. The garden is ~1600m2. I know our Flymo is rated at 400m2 but its easily doing at least 650m2 with a good few bushes with no issues. There is a huge difference in the price of the 315 to the 450x that they recommend.

What do ye think?

KCross

SchrodingersCat wrote: »

She called into a Husqvarna dealer who looked up the garden on Google Maps and said it was 1700m2. They said that the "X" (x-line) version would be needed as the GPS was required for a garden so complex. They recommended a 430x, with a cutting area of 3200m2, for €3150. But they suggested that she she get a Automower 450x, with a 5000m2 cutting area, for €4165. They said that there would be less wear and tear on the larger mower as it would have less work to do.


So im wondering would we be able to get away with an Automower 315 for €1920. The 315 has a max cutting area of 1500m2. The garden is ~1600m2. I know our Flymo is rated at 400m2 but its easily doing at least 650m2 with a good few bushes with no issues. There is a huge difference in the price of the 315 to the 450x that they recommend.

What do ye think?

You need to over spec the mower not under spec it.

In this case, i'd go with a 430X. 315 seems too small for it based on those figures.

No idea why they think a 450x is required other than thats what they have in stock and they want to flog it. It would be under less pressure but you'll buy alot of parts for €1k!

mayoman1973

Bit I dont get is what is this X sq meters a mower can cover. Get smallest mower you want, put it going 24x7. It will do the job. I would say most folks here ( myself included , I now know better though ) have their lawnmower sitting on its arse 70% to 80% of the time. You get your warranty for X number of years. Nothing about mower can only be going 2 hrs a day or whatever, else your warranty is void. Why pay 2 or 3 times as much for a bigger mower when a smaller mower going for longer will do same job. A big factor that I can see as to what a mower can handle is how many obstacles are on the lawn. My 430x spends most of its time bumping into things, stopping , reversing and starting again. Ironically a smaller mower would spend less time bumping into things with its smaller body profile. Give the mower a straight line and it covers in the region of 1sq mtr every 25 sec. ( Swath approx 20cm wide and covers a meter distance in about 5 sec. ) If mower can't cut the mustard running 24x7 then it comes under the title of not fit for purpose. If I had it back again I most certainly would not have got the 430x. A far smaller mower would have done the job. And we were advised that we were right at the limit of what the 430x can handle. For reference our lawn is approx 3000sq mtrs. And full of kids play things it is constantly bumping into.

Lurching

SchrodingersCat wrote: »

They recommended a 430x, with a cutting area of 3200m2, for €3150.

Link

€2,749 here.

_Brian

How does it work with separate gardens??
Our front and rear gardens aren’t connected.

Could I have two charging stations and move the unit every few days ?

SchrodingersCat

_Brian wrote: »

How does it work with separate gardens??
Our front and rear gardens aren’t connected.

Could I have two charging stations and move the unit every few days ?

Yep, you could do that. We lift our mower between two fenced areas and it works fine. You could also buy two cheap robot mowers.

SchrodingersCat

Thanks for the responses KCross & mayoman1973. Yea,. I was a bit suspicious that the local dealer was pushing a 450x for a garden that is only 1600m2. I understand that I will be running a 315 over spec by having it on a 1600m2 garden when its only rated for 1500m2. I agree with you mayoman1973, it will mean more working time and probably more wear and tear. The Flymo that we have is happy to cut 650m2 even though its rated for only 400m2, I think the price difference makes it a risk worth taking.

Lurching wrote: »

Link

€2,749 here.

Thanks, that 430x quote is cheaper than the €3150 our local dealer quoted us. https://www.roboexpert.fr have it for €2538. Did you get the 315x or the 430x that you were debating on in the thread in the end? What website did you get it from? I reckon I will try and pick up a 315 from one of these websites.

mayoman1973

Can you run a guide wire under the path/obstacle to allow the mower find its way over to the other lawn? I know of just two people with same problem. They went with smallest mowers available but got two of them. Not sure if one mower can be "linked" to two base stations? In my case I had a similar problem. Worked out cheaper to rework the garden to allow enough room for Freddie to get through than it was to have two mowers or a crossing point. Also, not sure if you can teach a Robo mower the safe cross code as I was afraid of a stranger driving up our driveway just as Freddie was crossing over and them not expecting it.

mayoman1973

SchrodingersCat wrote: »

Thanks for the responses KCross & mayoman1973. Yea,. I was a bit suspicious that the local dealer was pushing a 450x for a garden that is only 1600m2. I understand that I will be running a 315 over spec by having it on a 1600m2 garden when its only rated for 1500m2. I agree with you mayoman1973, it will mean more working time and probably more wear and tear. The Flymo that we have is happy to cut 650m2 even though its rated for only 400m2, I think the price difference makes it a risk worth taking.



Thanks, that 430x quote is cheaper than the €3150 our local dealer quoted us. https://www.roboexpert.fr have it for €2538. Did you get the 315x or the 430x that you were debating on in the thread in the end? What website did you get it from? I reckon I will try and pick up a 315 from one of these websites.

I would defo reccomend though that you try and get it locally. I have had two very simple things go wrong with my mower in the past 4 years and local husky dealers had it sorted in a jiffy. Front wheel mounting spring clip popped out and wheel kept falling off and rear wheel nut came loose and freddie was going round in circles. Saving a few pence buying online might be ok if no issues but these things are very complex and expensive and not to be poked about with as you would an old petrol mower. However if any issues end up being handled by your local dealer then your prob ok but I find I get a better service from the fact I bought it at the local man.

Thud

can recommend the Worx Landroid L2000 Schrodingercat, you can get it with the ACS attachment to dodge the bushes for less than 1500 from myrobotcenter with 5yr guarantee

krissovo

_Brian wrote: »

How does it work with separate gardens??
Our front and rear gardens aren’t connected.

Could I have two charging stations and move the unit every few days ?

I have two gardens separated by curbs and a stabilised gravel driveway of about 25 meters. I included it to the main loop today by adding two ramps for the Landroid to navigate and so far so good. I created a new zone for the area and left only a small distance between the cable of about 40 cm’s so it doesn’t try to cut the gravel.

krissovo

mayoman1973 wrote: »

Saving a few pence buying online might be ok if no issues but these things are very complex and expensive and not to be poked about with as you would an old petrol mower.

Not quite a few pence, local dealer wanted nearly 5k plus 400 for extra cable that I needed plus fitting. I picked one up online for less than 2k and installed myself as it is easy. These are not complex machines, a petrol lawnmower is far more complex than these will ever be.

Lurching

SchrodingersCat wrote: »

Thanks, that 430x quote is cheaper than the €3150 our local dealer quoted us. https://www.roboexpert.fr have it for €2538. Did you get the 315x or the 430x that you were debating on in the thread in the end? What website did you get it from? I reckon I will try and pick up a 315 from one of these websites.

I got a 315X from myrobotcenter.

k mac

what fertiliser are people using if any. My lawn with the 430 on its second year is not looking as well as last year. Now I know that could be due to the lack of rainfall. Not as green or lush looking as last year. The problem with a lot of the lawn fertiliser is you cannot cut for3/4 days before and after, and no mulching which is in effect what the automower is doing. I presume there is a specific fertiliser for this?

ccmp

k mac wrote: »

what fertiliser are people using if any. My lawn with the 430 on its second year is not looking as well as last year. Now I know that could be due to the lack of rainfall. Not as green or lush looking as last year. The problem with a lot of the lawn fertiliser is you cannot cut for3/4 days before and after, and no mulching which is in effect what the automower is doing. I presume there is a specific fertiliser for this?

If you’re using the 430 I presume you have a big lawn. Not sure where you heard about the 3 or 4 days either side of spreading.
I spread straight after cutting when there’s rain due. A day or 2 later and cut away again.
Compound fertiliser from a coop is the most economic way of doing it.

mayoman1973

k mac wrote: »

what fertiliser are people using if any. My lawn with the 430 on its second year is not looking as well as last year. Now I know that could be due to the lack of rainfall. Not as green or lush looking as last year. The problem with a lot of the lawn fertiliser is you cannot cut for3/4 days before and after, and no mulching which is in effect what the automower is doing. I presume there is a specific fertiliser for this?

I suspect your seeing that user instruction on lawn feed which also includes weed killer in what ever form. The 3 days before applying is so weeds have enough leaf to absorb the poison, and no mulching is so that you dont have traces of the weed killer being added to compost heap. But any fertilizer only that you spread on a lawn can be used without these directions, but preferably as previous poster said just prior to rain so it gets washed down into the roots

hero25

I find 7-6-17 to be good ....

Pious14

hero25 wrote: »

I find 7-6-17 to be good ....

Agreed on this. Spread it a week and a half ago and my lawn has never been as good. Lovely shade of green

AstraMonti

hero25 wrote: »

I find 7-6-17 to be good ....

What setting does it need on the spreader for lawns?

49801

AstraMonti wrote: »

What setting does it need on the spreader for lawns?

60gram per square meter is recommended rate in most articles for this compound on lawn.

Spreader settings are difficult to know. I spread 2kg on a small garden with a watering can and it spread quite nicely! Just walking backwards an shook it like a vicon spreader.

muckyba

Hi all,

Does anyone know if the automower will text if the loop signal is lost? Is this one of the errors that will trigger a notification?

Thanks.