My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

Mango Joe wrote: »

I'd also like to know about options on servicing (eg if I ever had to replace a motor) and in particular how to access updated firmware at some point in the future.

Mango Joe wrote: »

...One user on here had to change a PCB on the charging station due to slug damage - Seems like Husqvarna have room for improvement there as it seems to be an achilles heel allright.

SchrodingersCat wrote: »

I noticed that my Flymo 1200r struggled up a small grassy slope in my garden since I installed it. With the wet weather, it couldnt manage it at all. The wheels would just spin and it would dig up the grass as a result. It would also fall outside the boundary cable when it would slide causing me to have to pick it up and carry it back into position.

This annoyance happened far more often in the wet weather. Eventually, from fustration, I took the mower into the shed and removed the wheels. I drilled four short screws into each wheels so that they would act as spikes in the grass for better traction.

The mower is now much more sure-footed in the grass, in particular when it is wet. I notice that it would attempt to go up the slope and then back off the odd time. My guess is that there is an overload sensor on the wheel servo motors that causes the mower to re-navigate when it detects that it has to use too much force to move forward. Regardless, it is getting less stuck now, even though I have not solved the slope problem 100%. I guess I have the added benefit of the grass getting aerated and better drainage too :P

KCross wrote: »

I only specifically know Husqvarna (330x/430x), not McCulloch, but since they are the same company/parts under the hood I'd imagine the experience will be the same.

There is little or no servicing as such unless you have a problem and thats not really servicing, its repairs.

The only real servicing thats required is changing blades and firmware updates if you need them. The blades are easy to change. The firmware updates have, up to recently, required the dealer to do it. There is no way to do it yourself on those older machines which is a PITA as it forces you to pay the dealer for it. I didnt bother as the mower was working fine.

Recent versions allow remote updates via Wifi connection.

On the repairs side, the Husqvarna's are ok to work on. I've sourced parts and fixed things myself without any specialist tools/skills.
e.g. battery, cutting disc bearing, docking station got hit by a ball and needed a new plastic molding etc.
I've had some other issues early on which got fixed by the dealer under warranty.

Mine is a 2014 and its still on its original motors, sensors etc. The original battery is still working but severly degraded now so I am swapping it out for a new one... not cheap! The mower itself has been reliable, the charging station and PSU not so much!

coL wrote: »

Seeing some mixed reviews of www.myrobotcenter.eu on here. They have the model I want at a very good price but they are on pre-order at the moment. Have people been refunded quickly when they requested it? Thinking I might give them a try and if it’s not working out or delivery is taking too long request a refund.

Mango Joe wrote: »

I think its important to note that if you order from this massive Website shipping all over Europe in March or April just as the grass is beginning to grow then you're putting yourself at the end of a very, very long queue. This is with respect to both the Websites own operations processing orders but also on the supply end with the Manufacturers they're sourcing the product from.

The main issue is that these people know this very well and (in my opinion) are playing a game where its vastly more profitable for them to bank your money while advising on a 10 day shipping time than it is to tell you the truth and most likely lose the sale.

I'd be looking at all other options and alternatives very carefully.

Tilikum17 wrote: »

I have a Ambrogio twenty elite. Just wondering how many days a week people send their mower out?

Bedouin79 wrote: »

Just got Luigi ( Ambrogio l250i elite +) back on the lawn he’s cutting 10-6 5 days a week. Depending on growth I’ll be changing that soon I had the lawn prepped for him cut below his cutting height so he could buzz around get his bearings before the hard work kicked in

blast06 wrote: »

Hi, am new to this page and have been reading over the past 30 pages as i want to bite the bullet and buy a robot mower .... will be for the front garden only for now (~900m2).
Not sure if i am allow[/COLOR]ed mention brands but i see a McCulloch ROB1000 mentioned. My almost 'confusion' is that i presumed that a robot mower to cut a medium size line would be at least twice that and thus had ruled it out buying a one over the past few years.

A few questions that would appreciate any comments on:
- Have the robot mowers become like large screen TV's in that their prices have greatly reduced, or were they always this price ?!

* You can pretty much always buy a lower cost alternative to a premium product - But the major caveat is that for something that requires a high level of engineering and electronic expertise in its implementation then buying cheap would most likely be a poor investment as it probably not reasonable to expect it to be done to a high enough standard to work well or last any length of time.

I went for the McCulloch Rob R1000 with the above logic in mind but on assurances that its effectively a rebadged Husqvarna, ie you're getting all of the quality parts and design for a great price - I'm in early days of ownership but others on here are running there's over multiple seasons and are very happy.

My guess is that Husqvarna know there's a large market there at this price point that they hadn't been reaching but still wanted a slice of - Rebadging allows them to effectively carve a slice of that pie by selling at this lower price without devaluing their long-established Husqvarna Automower brand.

The Rob R1000 has every bit of functionality I need and not much beyond that - They seemed to aim at providing a solid performer with all the essentials on board.

I paid €695 and it was delivered the very next day - Also included was an installation kit, 200 Meters of cable, 400 fixing pegs, 3M connectors etc - I think that's outstanding value


- How could one have the mower cross a tarmac driveway, i.e.: i can't leave the cable on the surface or it won't last long, and obviously don't want to dig it up. I presume there is no other 'trick' i a missing!? (approx. 100m2 of the garden is on the 'other' side of the driveway).

* I'm not qualified to advise on this really but I would say that it's well worth looking into due to the benefits involved. I'd recommend phoning your trusted tarmac Contractor and asking about cutting two or three channels for laying wire and then resealing it effectively so that the repair will last well over time.

Automowers usually cross the driveway in a channel of a certain width and treat it as though it was part of your lawn - ie zig-zagging about and thinking they're cutting grass - Obviously the big concern here is the mower getting hit by a car.

I'm actually unsure if there are ways to make the Mower cross more effectively by mapping out this area in the driveway via GPS or similar - Hopefully someone else can clarify for you. I can confirm that the McCulloch Rob R1000 does not have GPS etc but it does have timers so you could opt to not have it running during certain times of day and so on.

Finally there's a lot of people who will address this situation by using the mower in manual mode for a cut off lawn. This means that you drop in the mower into this section and it cuts away until eventually the battery dies, then you pick it up and carry it to the charging station, it can be set to go out automatically then after a full charge so you can just place it and leave. Opinions vary on this from what I've seen, some people say its a ridiculous and terrible imposition that they couldn't ever consider and others say they've been doing it for years and it's not the least bit of bother..... Something to think about.

PS - Its important to note that for the manual operation you still need to get two wires across your tarmac somehow to have a loop signal in place - Its just that there's never a situation where you've an Automower on the driveway being smashed to pieces by your postman's van!


- I trust spreading fertiliser isn't a problem.... i.e.: the blades aren't so delicate that constantly hitting the little grains of fertiliser for a few days would do damage ? (i usually spread twice or 3 times a year .... my biggest decision point is probably that i will no longer have a striped lawn :-( with the robot mower!

Fertilizer granules would not be any issue whatsoever, I did my lawn on Sunday with one of those broadcast spreaders, the granules seemed to settle well below cutting height - regardless the spinning blades would just help them break down a bit quicker.

I get your angle on the classic striped lawn allright - BUT when you've an Automower running well your lawn always looks amazing with perfectly manicured grass - Even early on or late into the season when you wouldn't be able to use a tractor or even push mower - This would be far more advantageous in my opinion.

searay wrote: »

My Husqvarna crosses the tarmac to the second lawn. - You need to have a single crossing ideally where there's minimal chance of a car hitting it. In my case it's close to the garage.

3 wires are required - Left perimeter and right perimeter and the guide wire down the centre.

The installer cut three lines in the tarmac c 3mm wide with a Con-Saw,put the wires down and sealed in with a black silicon type sealant.

You don't need a tarmac contractor, just somebody who is comfortable using a Com-Saw. (Not me!)