My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

KCross · 30-11-2018 11:24AM

bauney wrote: »

Perhaps a silly question but is it possible to Sharpen blades with electric grinder?

I suppose it is but it might be a tad too harsh. The cutting edge on the blades is quite small. Its not like a blade on a ride-on lawnmower.

SchrodingersCat · 30-11-2018 11:36AM

KCross wrote: »

Tell us more. Whats that about?
Do you just mean a new battery or something more technical?

The battery in my Husqvarna is the same one since day 1 and its after doing 5 seasons now.

I wanted a Husqvarna, but I originally bought a Flymo 1200r off ebay.co.uk for 120e as it was so cheap. It was listed as broken. So I was taking a chance with it.
It was loosing power anytime it left the dock. From troubleshooting it, I found that the battery controller and one of the cells in the battery pack was gone. I was able to replace the cell with one from an old laptop battery, and the controller board from ebay (google "5S 15A Li-ion Lithium Battery BMS 18650 18V 21V Charger Protection Board").
Anyway, like always, this "temporary fix" became the permanent fix for the summer. I dont trust the replacement cell as laptop cells are supposed to be a lower current specification that what is supposed to be used in these packs. So I have an old power tool battery pack that I want to strip the cells out of and use in the lawnmorer. A new battery for the Flymo is ~55e which I dont want to spend.

I have been planning to do a longer post on getting this lawnmower working, I just havent got around to it yet.

Husqvarna own Flymo now. Allegedly the Flymo 1200r is a rebranded Husqvarna (105?). I do know that much of the internal components are branded husqvarna, the battery included.

SchrodingersCat · 30-11-2018 11:39AM

KCross wrote: »

I suppose it is but it might be a tad too harsh. The cutting edge on the blades is quite small. Its not like a blade on a ride-on lawnmower.

Yes, KCross is right. You could use it to sharpen them, but it would be like using a sledge hammer to drive panel pins.

WhichWay · 30-11-2018 12:10PM

My automower is still out. Scheduled to run Saturday only for 24hrs. If frosty I manually override

I must bring it in this weekend.

This is my first winter with it.

My garage is subject to frost and my wife would now appreciate it under the bed. Is frost a problem for battery?

How do I protect the cables when I remove the docking station? Just wrap in insulation tape ?

I'll give it a good brush down, any other maintenance?

SchrodingersCat · 30-11-2018 12:15PM

WhichWay wrote: »

My automower is still out. Scheduled to run Saturday only for 24hrs. If frosty I manually override

I must bring it in this weekend.

This is my first winter with it.

My garage is subject to frost and my wife would now appreciate it under the bed. Is frost a problem for battery?

How do I protect the cables when I remove the docking station? Just wrap in insulation tape ?

I'll give it a good brush down, any other maintenance?

I cant speak for the rest of the maintenance, but Liion batteries hate being left unused. Try and charge the lawnmower every 2-3 months. If they dip below a certain voltage the battery controller in the battery will cut power completely and not allow them to be charged again for safety. Its the same for battery power tools. I know that the batteries give less power in the cold, but I dont think they are long-term damaged by the cold.

KCross · 30-11-2018 12:18PM

WhichWay wrote: »

How do I protect the cables when I remove the docking station? Just wrap in insulation tape ?

Pretty much, yes.
Basically you dont want rain water or dirt getting into the connectors of the transformer cable.

The perimeter wire will be OK but no harm in wrapping that in tape too.

Zzippy · 01-12-2018 08:31PM

Mine is still out but parked, waiting for a dry day to give it a run. Grass is still growing here so I intend to keep it tidy until it stops, have set cutting height to max. Now if only we could get a few days of no rain...

Water John · 01-12-2018 10:13PM

I'd say you'll have to wait for Santa to bring you that.

WhichWay · 23-12-2018 10:18PM

Advice. I brought my automower 430x in 2 weeks ago. I powered off the switch. I Only got around to cleaning it down yesterday. That done I brought it back out for a top up charge. The battery was at 1%.
How is this possible?
It will be impossible to keep the battery topped up if I bring it in for 2 months.
I have the machine 9 months from new.
Should I disconnect the battery some how?
Any advice?

KCross · 23-12-2018 10:23PM

Are you certain it was actually off. It doesn’t power down until you enter the PIN so maybe it was on all the time?

The battery should maintain its charge over the winter, certainly no need to be charging it up every few weeks.

You could have a dud battery too of course but you should have noticed that when it was cutting?

WhichWay · 23-12-2018 10:41PM

That might be the problem. I just flipped it over and flicked the switch. I'll report back in two weeks. Thanks. Happy Christmas all.

Zzippy · 26-12-2018 03:22PM

Anyone else still got theirs out? Mine is cutting the last couple of days, bit of dry weather and the chance to keep the grass topped. Grass is still growing away here. Max height of course. I took it in last winter and the grass got fairly long and tufted, was a pain when I put the mower back out with clumps of cut grass everywhere and I found it took a while to get the lawn looking well again.

jod1983 · 26-12-2018 03:24PM

Zzippy wrote: »

Anyone else still got theirs out? Mine is cutting the last couple of days, bit of dry weather and the chance to keep the grass topped. Grass is still growing away here. Max height of course. I took it in last winter and the grass got fairly long and tufted, was a pain when I put the mower back out with clumps of cut grass everywhere and I found it took a while to get the lawn looking well again.

Have put mine out today. At max height as well.

Shane732 · 28-12-2018 10:58AM

Could someone help me with a query -

I have a back garden which would be easy for the robot to cut but I have a tarmac passage between the front and back garden - is it possible for the mower to go around the tarmac area on to the front garden?

Thanks

Shane

SchrodingersCat · 28-12-2018 12:01PM

Shane732 wrote: »

Could someone help me with a query -

I have a back garden which would be easy for the robot to cut but I have a tarmac passage between the front and back garden - is it possible for the mower to go around the tarmac area on to the front garden?

Thanks

Shane

The mojority of the robot mowers come with a "guide cable" which is a wire that you bury in the ground that the mower follows from its charging station to a point that you would like it to start mowing at. It then follows the same guide wire back to the charging station when it needs to charge up again.

We have a concrete path here that the mower has to cross to get to the grass. As such, I had to lay the wire tight across the width of the path. It works, but it is a bit of an eyesore and possibly a trip hazard. As such, I plan on cutting a channel in the path at some stage and laying the wire in it before covering it over.

So to answer your question, yes, you can get the mower to driver over tarmac. If there is an area that it can go around the tarmac, even better: Just lay your guide wire in the path around the tarmac.

Shane732 · 28-12-2018 03:35PM

Cheers for that - what mowers are people recommending at the moment?

Shane732 · 28-12-2018 10:03PM

SchrodingersCat wrote: »

The mojority of the robot mowers come with a "guide cable" which is a wire that you bury in the ground that the mower follows from its charging station to a point that you would like it to start mowing at. It then follows the same guide wire back to the charging station when it needs to charge up again.

We have a concrete path here that the mower has to cross to get to the grass. As such, I had to lay the wire tight across the width of the path. It works, but it is a bit of an eyesore and possibly a trip hazard. As such, I plan on cutting a channel in the path at some stage and laying the wire in it before covering it over.

So to answer your question, yes, you can get the mower to driver over tarmac. If there is an area that it can go around the tarmac, even better: Just lay your guide wire in the path around the tarmac.

One other question - could I just setup a second area with boundary wire and drop the mower into the area, say, twice a week and let it mow it? Would that work?

septicsac · 28-12-2018 11:00PM

Shane732 wrote: »

One other question - could I just setup a second area with boundary wire and drop the mower into the area, say, twice a week and let it mow it? Would that work?

In summary, No. The idea of the robot mower is that it cuts a small amount every day, mulching a tiny amount keeping the grass at a constant level. If you do what you asked it may work for a short while, but suspect, as you are not using the mower as designed, you may void the warranty and put the mower under undue pressure, cutting grass thats too long, especially at the height of the growing season.
Last, but not lease, spending some time setting it up correctly, means you leave it to work as it should, on its own, without you having to lift and move it a couple of times a week. I spent a lot of time setting mine up right, but was well worth it in the long run, nothing like a cold beer on a warm summers evening, watching the mower do its work, as you hear your neighbour start up their ride-on

searay · 28-12-2018 11:07PM

Shane732 wrote: »

One other question - could I just setup a second area with boundary wire and drop the mower into the area, say, twice a week and let it mow it? Would that work?

The guide wire is the best option provided it can cross the tarmac without the possibility of coming into contact with a car.

You could go with moving it but that stops the mower from charging itself. I know of one guy who lifts it but he has a second charging station in the second area.

Moreilly · 31-12-2018 01:50PM

Well, this year look like the year my ride on lawnmower will have finally die, looking at the 430x huskey - had a quick look online and myrobotcenter.eu seems both out of stock and expensive. i will buy anywhere, but ireland seems very expensive, seen it here https://www.entreprenadbutiken.com/robotic-lawn-mower-husqvarna-automower/husqvarna-automower-430x for a lower price - i think if i get it from a official dealer anywhere in europe i can bring it to the local dealer if anything goes wrong?
I'll probably fit it myself, where are ye buying these?

septicsac · 01-01-2019 05:09AM

Moreilly wrote: »

Well, this year look like the year my ride on lawnmower will have finally die, looking at the 430x huskey - had a quick look online and myrobotcenter.eu seems both out of stock and expensive. i will buy anywhere, but ireland seems very expensive, seen it here https://www.entreprenadbutiken.com/robotic-lawn-mower-husqvarna-automower/husqvarna-automower-430x for a lower price - i think if i get it from a official dealer anywhere in europe i can bring it to the local dealer if anything goes wrong?
I'll probably fit it myself, where are ye buying these?

I bought mine locally, Husky 450x and the after sale service and advice has already made it worth my while buying locally and paying that little bit extra. Dealer is always at the end of the phone for advice and that to me is worth the few extra quid. Also if something goes wrong I only have to travel a few mile to resolve my issue rather than having to send a machine half way across europe.

Moreilly · 01-01-2019 09:52AM

But it's just that it's not just a little extra, it's hundreds of euro extra, plus if something goes wrong I can still bring it to a local dealer going by this http://husqvarna.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/692/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xNTQ2MzM1OTg3L2dlbi8xNTQ2MzM1OTg3L3NpZC9mVXp3enBFaUVsM3g0WW1LaGlONzdWRjBfaCU3RWoxRGJJUG9TRkQzYjJweXpqUmowRW5GZGJkaFZOQk1zeDNwZXVRb2Q5enAxTXlXbkFxQ2g0Y01Td2duY1FVUjFqVjFxMFVuMHRuUnlJcEpPcUVsdmhsUGtfWDliQSUyMSUyMQ%3D%3D

WhichWay · 01-01-2019 11:20AM

I bought mine locally.
Delivered and installed with a short demonstration
I'm glad I did. they did a lovely job getting power out from the garage and the laying of the wire was done with a machine from a big reel of wire so I far less joints under ground.
Make sure you are comparing like with like,
include the perimeter wire and the benefit of having a guarantee over the whole installation.

Shaunoc · 01-01-2019 11:49AM

WhichWay wrote: »

I bought mine locally.
Delivered and installed with a short demonstration
I'm glad I did. they did a lovely job getting power out from the garage and the laying of the wire was done with a machine from a big reel of wire so I far less joints under ground.
Make sure you are comparing like with like,
include the perimeter wire and the benefit of having a guarantee over the whole installation.

i did the opposite. Bought online, so far so good.
- I read about the warranty cover before purchase so understand my rights if issues. Yet to see if any wrinkles in getting issues ironed out.
They did send me an EU plug instead of UK version. I had to buy that replacement locally, but I was refunded the cost. Small pain but there is a learning in that.
- Cost of additional guide wire, pegs, joiners etc... you get screwed buying locally as compared to online. compare like with like, yup
- Installation is easy and does not require expert diy skills (Youtube and setup booklet). I did not bury cable as I have a new garden and wanted chance to easily move to suit for flower beds, new trees etc... Took a day I guess to install overall - 2 gardens with narrow gap connection and several trees to wire off. Just needs patience and knee pads! Cable buriers can be hired to speed up the process at no big cost if you are confident of where to lay your cable.
- I had external power supply in place, so didn't need any help there
- there is great advice throughout this thread for practical tips for troubleshooting and setup (surge protector for example)
- I met an installer/seller at Bloom. I definitely would not feel confident having that crew handle the setup or troubleshooting. He could not answer any reasonable questions from the punters at his stall and the cost was prohibitive compared to online. Money for nothing IMO

Moreilly · 01-01-2019 12:19PM

Shaunoc wrote: »

i did the opposite. Bought online, so far so good.
- I read about the warranty cover before purchase so understand my rights if issues. Yet to see if any wrinkles in getting issues ironed out.
They did send me an EU plug instead of UK version. I had to buy that replacement locally, but I was refunded the cost. Small pain but there is a learning in that.
- Cost of additional guide wire, pegs, joiners etc... you get screwed buying locally as compared to online. compare like with like, yup
- Installation is easy and does not require expert diy skills (Youtube and setup booklet). I did not bury cable as I have a new garden and wanted chance to easily move to suit for flower beds, new trees etc... Took a day I guess to install overall - 2 gardens with narrow gap connection and several trees to wire off. Just needs patience and knee pads! Cable buriers can be hired to speed up the process at no big cost if you are confident of where to lay your cable.
- I had external power supply in place, so didn't need any help there
- there is great advice throughout this thread for practical tips for troubleshooting and setup (surge protector for example)
- I met an installer/seller at Bloom. I definitely would not feel confident having that crew handle the setup or troubleshooting. He could not answer any reasonable questions from the punters at his stall and the cost was prohibitive compared to online. Money for nothing IMO

Exactly! ,I would be confident enough that i could handle the installation no problem, once properly thought out it just seems to be time consuming more than anything else, a day would probably do it. It just crunch time now with the ride on knackered, personally i think these are overpriced big time as there is feck all in them the tech in themis not cutting edge

and is not really 2000 euro worth more than my robot vacuum which has laser mapping ect..., but have no choice at the moment its either this or a ride on and im going the robot mower route (just wish a company like xiaomi would release a mower !)
it's the exact reasons you state above is why ill be doing the same and buying online

septicsac · 02-01-2019 05:30AM

Horses for courses as they say. Difference online for purchase of mower was 250E when I bought, with cheaper option somewhere in Scandinavia. I went local, as I wanted to bury the wire, as dog would have it in bits in no time. Installer did very professional job, had machine to bury wire, so that saved days of time, comparing to doing it myself by hand (700m). Price of wire was same as online price. He left me extra wire, pegs and joiners and is always available for support on the phone. If you buy abroad the first thing the local guy will want if you are in trouble is a call out fee.
Its a personal choice, but the main thing is to get the mower, you will not look back. i only took mine in last week and might throw it out again in another week, as there is still plenty of growth.

jod1983 · 06-01-2019 01:18PM

Hi all,
Have had my 315 out now for a week and today it has come up with an alarm that wont clear, 'collision alert'. The mower had run up against the charger base but wouldnt work after. If i press start i get notified of the collision alert but if i put it back in the base and let it run from there it will reverse, turn around quite roughly and then stop with the same alert.

Any ideas?

wexfordman2 · 06-01-2019 02:08PM

Anyone know if a service centre fir robomow, putting away my rs615 this year, noticed the floating deck had a bit missing and grass was driving up above the deck area.

Dint want to go back to the guy who supplied it, not a company I would deal with again, bad experience.

deccydohc · 08-01-2019 03:34PM

Moreilly wrote: »

Well, this year look like the year my ride on lawnmower will have finally die, looking at the 430x huskey - had a quick look online and myrobotcenter.eu seems both out of stock and expensive. i will buy anywhere, but ireland seems very expensive, seen it here https://www.entreprenadbutiken.com/robotic-lawn-mower-husqvarna-automower/husqvarna-automower-430x for a lower price - i think if i get it from a official dealer anywhere in europe i can bring it to the local dealer if anything goes wrong?
I'll probably fit it myself, where are ye buying these?

There are cheaper options than that in Ireland.

I got a quote cheaper here -- https://robertkee.ie/product/husqvarna-automower-430x - They offer free delivery too.

Shaunoc · 08-01-2019 03:39PM

deccydohc wrote: »

There are cheaper options than that in Ireland.

I got a quote cheaper here -- https://robertkee.ie/product/husqvarna-automower-430x - They offer free delivery too.

i dealt with these guys to get a correct power adapter for 450x. They were superb in info, pricing and delivery

My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

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