My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

07-06-2021 8:57pm

ArrBee wrote: »

I'm on the 2nd from the highest for worx.
But I am trying to let it get on top of the moss and weeds this season.
Over time I plan on lowering it

How does that work? You let the grass grow long enough that it hangs down above the moss and weeds blocking the sunlight?

foret · 07-06-2021 10:46pm

Locating broken boundry wire ;

(Worx landroid. Loop test gives green light.)

Tried radio text umpteen times with various radios and no joy. V frustrating.

Any tips please ?!

Poss anyone with a proper detector than can be borrowed ? West dublin.

I'm sure this topic covered before but could not find.

Thanks.

ArrBee · 08-06-2021 8:42am

[Deleted User] wrote: »

How does that work? You let the grass grow long enough that it hangs down above the moss and weeds blocking the sunlight?

Tbh, I'm not sure it will work yet!
I'm also hoping that the thatch will thin out.

I have come up with that plan based on a bunch of different bits of info and ideas.
Thankfully the head height doesn't make them lawn unusable at all so I'm happy to see how it plays out.

I can see that the height might need to come down to get on top of the weeds but I want the moss under control first.

NurseBridie · 09-06-2021 10:14am

Shaunoc wrote: »

A few weeks ago, the front wheel came off my husky 450x
Turned out the lockwasher within had deteriorated and snapped. I checked the other wheel and it too needs changing. Luckily I have one handy, but they do not seem easy got locally. It's diy territory to replace.

The front wheel tyres are wearable and should be replaced (diy) every so often if you notice wear, as like mine the rubber wore and left a gap to the wheel plastic housing. That left muck squeeze in which caused the lockwasher demise over time. 3 years in my mowers case.

What have I learned: pay more attention to the tyres, I haven't seen it mentioned as a potential issue in the thread.

Maybe for those who is or for an annual dealer service are spared this.

Also, when I'm ordering bits and bobs, get a stock of those wearable washers, bearings, screws, tyres. Those bits cost pennies but are priceless when stuck. I will check in with my local dealers to try get a few more. In the past I got from UK GPL but delivery is pricey.

Happy mowing.

Where do you order your spare parts from? I've a Husk 105 in to its 6th year and to me it seems to be falling apart. I'm advising someone else on getting a mower and I am a bit concerned that they are not as robust as I would hope.

Shaunoc · 09-06-2021 5:29pm

NurseBridie wrote:

Where do you order your spare parts from? I've a Husk 105 in to its 6th year and to me it seems to be falling apart. I'm advising someone else on getting a mower and I am a bit concerned that they are not as robust as I would hope.

Local dealers (poor, slow to order), online GPL UK (delivery pricey mostly but they have extensive parts and importantly diagrams but a week delivery), Atkins (cork, fast if stuck, got a wheel motor in 2 days), Robert kee, Amazon, eBay. Whatever works

Irish prices are higher too, surprise.
There are German sites too that I'll use next for batch of washers, tyres, bits and bobs. Prices are much better, but
As you see, I have zero loyalty

buzz11 · 09-06-2021 6:23pm

I've a Gardena Sileno Life mower for the last 12 months and it stopped charging a few days ago due to corrosion to the charger base, hard to believe this is happening already but there is no decent sealing around the electrics compartments, just snap together parts which are really no good in this climate.

It doesn't help that I have the charger base under a hedge but I made a timber box for it since January so it may protect it a bit more.

Does anyone have problems with woodlice & slugs getting in for the warmth of the electrics?

spose · 10-06-2021 12:49am

NurseBridie wrote: »

Where do you order your spare parts from? I've a Husk 105 in to its 6th year and to me it seems to be falling apart. I'm advising someone else on getting a mower and I am a bit concerned that they are not as robust as I would hope.

I bought a good few small bits for 439x from dutch site...wolfswinkel. Only one I found that had everything I needed in stock. Slow enough shipping through normal post. Parts were same price or cheaper from Atkins just weren’t in stock. Couldn’t afford to wait for them with no machine running with the growth rate at the moment

paulbok · 13-06-2021 11:14pm

KCross wrote: »

You dont need to program it for that. If there is a gate in the way and its closed it will bump against it and turn around and head off in another direction.

What you dont want is it getting through the gate, someone closing the gate and then it not being able to get home. So, it depends on how that gate is used.

NOTE: You need to be able to run boundary and guide wires along the ground through that opening and it needs to be wide enough for it, so if you are talking about a narrow gate it wont work.

Sorry about hijacking this, has anyone seen any kind of automatic door/hatch for a hole in a fence between 2 garden sections, that the mower can trigger to open/close as needed?
I have seen a flap by a automower rental franchise that their mowers can push through without the bump stopping it, but I'd prefer some more solid that can be closed to keep a toddler in, and also not have a very visible gap in the fence.
I could go down the diy route with sensors and a motorised hatch but, yeah, would prefer a reliable solution.

septicsac · 14-06-2021 9:03pm

ArrBee wrote: »

Tbh, I'm not sure it will work yet!
I'm also hoping that the thatch will thin out.

I have come up with that plan based on a bunch of different bits of info and ideas.
Thankfully the head height doesn't make them lawn unusable at all so I'm happy to see how it plays out.

I can see that the height might need to come down to get on top of the weeds but I want the moss under control first.

I had loads of moss in my lawn, now I have none except at the very edge where mower does not cut, I think its the constant cutting/mulching/feeding of the lawn that keeps it away. I cut mine at number 5/6 on the Husky scale, shortish, without being cut too tight.

SocialSpud · 14-06-2021 11:44pm

Hey, hoping to have a 1200 sq meter lawn soon and was wondering what robot lawnmower is best for this? There are some small hills and no obstacles.

Bungusbeefcake · 15-06-2021 12:41pm

Bedouin79 wrote: »

Some work ahead... keep us posted it would be great to see the finished outcome.

It got the field 95-98% in like 5 days then left it on it for a bit more to get the rest don't. Still some patches.

But I've now got it back on the rest to deal with the aftermath of the 10 glorious grass growing days we've had.

shane b · 15-06-2021 4:39pm

SocialSpud wrote: »

Hey, hoping to have a 1200 sq meter lawn soon and was wondering what robot lawnmower is best for this? There are some small hills and no obstacles.

Husgavarna and Ambrogio seem to be popular choices. Honda and Sthil also make automowers but ring a few local dealers and see what brands they stock. Installation by a dealer seems to be 3-400 euro.
They are also cheaper options like Gardena, McCulloch or Flymo which all fall under the Husgavarna umbrella if you feel like self installation.
Castlebar tool hire seem to have a good website regarding prices.
https://castlebartoolhire.ie/collections/robotic-lawnmowers

Bedouin79 · 15-06-2021 8:44pm

Bungusbeefcake wrote: »

It got the field 95-98% in like 5 days then left it on it for a bit more to get the rest don't. Still some patches.

But I've now got it back on the rest to deal with the aftermath of the 10 glorious grass growing days we've had.

Looks great. The grass growth at the moment is insane. That mower will be busy

ArrBee · 15-06-2021 11:33pm

septicsac wrote: »

I had loads of moss in my lawn, now I have none except at the very edge where mower does not cut, I think its the constant cutting/mulching/feeding of the lawn that keeps it away. I cut mine at number 5/6 on the Husky scale, shortish, without being cut too tight.

I've heard that the mower will make the moss disappear asking with the weeds. Looking forward to that.
I've started to dial mine down now.

How long did it take to get rid of your moss?

ArrBee · 15-06-2021 11:38pm

SocialSpud wrote: »

Hey, hoping to have a 1200 sq meter lawn soon and was wondering what robot lawnmower is best for this? There are some small hills and no obstacles.

Must people seem to be happy with what they went with.
From the cheap to the expensive I haven't heard anyone say they regret their choice.

I have a worx rated for 2000m2 doing about the same size as your area.
I'd happily get one again.

NurseBridie · 16-06-2021 9:31am

Is there anyone that services Husqvarna robotic mowers that is not involved in Sales. I would like my 5 yrs old mower to be overhauled but I am concerned that if I get my distributor to do it he will only try to sell me a new one.

KCross · 16-06-2021 3:13pm

NurseBridie wrote: »

Is there anyone that services Husqvarna robotic mowers that is not involved in Sales. I would like my 5 yrs old mower to be overhauled but I am concerned that if I get my distributor to do it he will only try to sell me a new one.

I cant answer your question directly but interested in what overhaul you are expecting to be done. Does it have a specific problem that needs fixing or are you talking more about servicing?

These are not like petrol mowers where you can service them and add new spark plugs, change oil, filters etc.

The only thing that robots require are blades to be changed which is a DIY job. Other than that its either working or it isnt.

Possibly software updates also but only if it has a problem that the new software will fix.

Shaunoc · 16-06-2021 6:14pm

5 years, the warranty is up. Something's are DIY but at this time of summer it's costly making a hames of it, unless banjaxed already
Eshlemania on YouTube is good source if brave to split it

But dealer far safer option. I got mine dealer repaired and I had not bought from them. No sales pitch but it was slow

Pique · 18-06-2021 10:48am

Is anyone buying from NorthxSouth or done so this year? Will the order get hit for VAT/Import duties coming from NI?

Would it be worth a spin to their shop instead of having it delivered?

Dutch Roll · 18-06-2021 11:00am

I purchased the McCulloch ROB1000 from NorthXSouth a few months ago. Very pleased with the process, delivered down south in 3 days.

I had meant to post an update here actually....I'm very pleased with how the mower is doing. I installed it about 6 weeks ago and it's doing a great job. Hopefully over time it can do a job on the significant amount of moss and clover I have.

Dutch Roll · 18-06-2021 11:02am

I didn't get hit with any additional costs by the way.

Pique · 18-06-2021 11:11am

Dutch Roll wrote: »

I purchased the McCulloch ROB1000 from NorthXSouth a few months ago. Very pleased with the process, delivered down south in 3 days.

I had meant to post an update here actually....I'm very pleased with how the mower is doing. I installed it about 6 weeks ago and it's doing a great job. Hopefully over time it can do a job on the significant amount of moss and clover I have.

Dutch Roll wrote: »

I didn't get hit with any additional costs by the way.

Exactly the one I'm going for too. Thanks for the info.

Any before/after pics on the lawn?

Dutch Roll · 18-06-2021 11:20am

I didn't take any before pics, I wish I had now.

I had to cut the grass right down low myself before the mower could do its business. There are still tracks visible in the grass, but over time I guess they blend in. They're certainly a lot better than week 1. I'll see if I can find a picture.

Dutch Roll · 18-06-2021 11:24am

Initially I laid the cable with pegs, to ensure everything was setup and working ok. Amazing how quickly the cable gets embedded down into the grass. However, following a number of breakages, I've started to bury it in sections.

carq · 18-06-2021 12:49pm

Dutch Roll wrote: »

I purchased the McCulloch ROB1000 from NorthXSouth a few months ago. Very pleased with the process, delivered down south in 3 days.

I had meant to post an update here actually....I'm very pleased with how the mower is doing. I installed it about 6 weeks ago and it's doing a great job. Hopefully over time it can do a job on the significant amount of moss and clover I have.

Have a Rob 400 for 1 year now.
Working great.

App can be a bit fiddly but once you get used to the quirks its ok ( e.g if you want to put lawnmower out ad hoc, need to add today as a cutting day on the calendar first)

Only other issue is sometimes et a loop signal issue, this can be solved but plugging out and in again the left and right sensor wires at the back of the station, light should turn green then,

JimmyVik · 18-06-2021 12:56pm

My FIL brought home one of these the other day.
Being a smart arse , I pointed out to him that he had a path with kerbs going down the entire middle of the garden and the mower wouldnt be able to do it.
He said he would just lift it over every few days. Totally shut me up

Dutch Roll · 18-06-2021 1:37pm

JimmyVik wrote: »

My FIL brought home one of these the other day.
Being a smart arse , I pointed out to him that he had a path with kerbs going down the entire middle of the garden and the mower wouldnt be able to do it.
He said he would just lift it over every few days. Totally shut me up

Not sure if you're referring to the 400 or the 1000? There'd be a lot of work in lifting it over every few days as it has to be charged at the base station. He'd be lifting it over every few hours more like.

slegs · 18-06-2021 1:38pm

JimmyVik wrote: »

My FIL brought home one of these the other day.
Being a smart arse , I pointed out to him that he had a path with kerbs going down the entire middle of the garden and the mower wouldnt be able to do it.
He said he would just lift it over every few days. Totally shut me up

That plan is far from ideal as the base is only located in one of the areas it cant get back to charge from the remote area. Kind of takes away from the whole point of a automated robot mower if you have to go out and bring it back to charge. Most of these units are only out for an hour or so before coming back to charge again.

He would be better creating a little route in the path for it to get back and maybe putting the guide cable down a crevice in the concrete or cutting into the tarmac if its tarmac

Dutch Roll · 18-06-2021 1:38pm

The 1000 is very basic, no app or anything. Just a very simple keypad and interface, set it up and let it go.

Mad_maxx · 18-06-2021 9:36pm

I bought a Stihl RMI 632 today , dealer sold Husqvarna and Kress as well , he claimed the Husqvarna was a poor relation of the Stihl

anyway all in fitted 3200 , covers up to 3000 sqr metres

blackbox · 20-06-2021 6:16pm

Mad_maxx wrote: »

I bought a Stihl RMI 632 today , dealer sold Husqvarna and Kress as well , he claimed the Husqvarna was a poor relation of the Stihl

anyway all in fitted 3200 , covers up to 3000 sqr metres

Sounds like there is a better mark-up on the Stihl!

witnessmenow · 22-06-2021 9:23am

I finished my video about the robot lawnmowers. It's aimed at people who are considering getting a mower, I tried to cover all the things I wanted to know before getting mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtlK9h4nLeA

Thanks Airbee and KCross for your inputs for it!

shane b · 22-06-2021 8:18pm

Mad_maxx wrote:

I bought a Stihl RMI 632 today , dealer sold Husqvarna and Kress as well , he claimed the Husqvarna was a poor relation of the Stihl

In chainsaws yes, automowers not so sure.
I had the opposite advice from a local sthil dealer. He changed from selling sthil to husgavarna automower recently as the husgavarna is less problematic.
He would class Sthil as a better saw though.

NurseBridie · 25-06-2021 9:17am

The service has to do with (in car terms) the suspension. It's the 3 wheel 105 and I've now had the back wheel replaced twice, the wheel just falls to pieces. I feel the problem is with the rubber dampers as they seem to be worn and actually bent a little so I feel the support is not there. I see this unit is not being sold anymore so would also be concerned that I won't get parts in the near future. Would love to get the suspension overhauled so I could get a few more years out of it but my dealer is very busy at the moment and it would be great if I knew someone who just solely concentrated on overhauling the unit.

shane b · 25-06-2021 10:51am

NurseBridie wrote: »

The service has to do with (in car terms) the suspension. It's the 3 wheel 105 and I've now had the back wheel replaced twice, the wheel just falls to pieces. I feel the problem is with the rubber dampers as they seem to be worn and actually bent a little so I feel the support is not there. I see this unit is not being sold anymore so would also be concerned that I won't get parts in the near future. .

I got a 105 fitted earlier this year so they are still available. Dealer said husgavarna were to phase them out but decided against it. It cost me 900 euro plus fitting. Dealer said the charging unit is about 400 euro on its own
You could you ring one of the dealers and see if they had a reconditioned one or could they order a bare unit on its own.

Tilikum17 · 28-06-2021 6:29pm

Noticed the past two day the mower keeps getting stuck. The grass has gotten extremely thick.

It’s usually out twice a day for two hours at a time. I’ve changed it to three hours at a time. Does 6 hours a day seem like a lot?

KCross · 28-06-2021 6:41pm

Tilikum17 wrote: »

Noticed the past two day the mower keeps getting stuck. The grass has gotten extremely thick.

It’s usually out twice a day for two hours at a time. I’ve changed it to three hours at a time. Does 6 hours a day seem like a lot?

How long is a piece of string!

It depends on the mower and the size/complexity of the lawn.

Ultimately, if it’s not keeping up with the growth you simply have to send it out more

shane b · 28-06-2021 10:07pm

Tilikum17 wrote: »

Noticed the past two day the mower keeps getting stuck. The grass has gotten extremely thick.

It’s usually out twice a day for two hours at a time. I’ve changed it to three hours at a time. Does 6 hours a day seem like a lot?

Have a look at what your automower is speced for vs the area to cut. For example I have a husgavarna 315 and according to the guide it should take about 10 hrs to cut my area (about 1000 sq metres).
When I was mulching with an ordinary lawnmower I was mulching about twice a week. I'm using the same logic with the automower and seems to be working so far.

DrPhilG · 01-07-2021 1:14pm

Thanks for the link here Kcross

Suggestions needed.

This is my house and garden. Currently 3 areas, with 1 and 2 linked by a strip of grass about 1m wide that goes up quite steeply at the end although I could possibly flatten it a bit.

More difficult is the concrete driveway between areas 2 and 3. Can a mower cross that area if I dipped the kerbs? I understand it would need to follow a guide wire but there are joints in the concrete like this one:

So I could possibly dig a narrow track in the middle rather than butchering the whole area.

Finally section 4 is an area of rough ground behind the back fence that is part of my site, I've just never got around to turning it into a lawn. I will do someday though so that would be additional grass area.

The full site is about 0.8 of an acre so that should give a rough idea of the sq m of grass.

searay · 02-07-2021 9:05am

Crossing from 2 to 3 could be done using wires in the concrete but high risk somebody would hit it with a car. Could you run wires close to the shed between 1 and 3 so there's less risk if a collision?

DrPhilG · 02-07-2021 11:59am

searay wrote: »

Crossing from 2 to 3 could be done using wires in the concrete but high risk somebody would hit it with a car. Could you run wires close to the shed between 1 and 3 so there's less risk if a collision?

Not much risk of a collision. Anyone coming in the drive other than ourselves would need to buzz the electric gates so could be warned in advance.

Plus there is a wall along the front of area 1 as it's raised a few feet so the only place a crossing is possible would be where the red ? is on the image.

Pique · 02-07-2021 12:40pm

So I could possibly dig a narrow track in the middle rather than butchering the whole area.

I bought a curved chisel bit for my hammer drill to do exactly this for the power to the basestation across a footpath. Haven't done it yet but it could work for you too.

I was thinking of using some external tile grout to re-cover the cable. Probably not suitable for you if cars are driving on it though. Although for a guidewire you might be able to just push it down into the control joints in the concrete without any digging...

DrPhilG · 02-07-2021 12:45pm

Either of these 2 joints would do the trick.

KCross · 02-07-2021 1:53pm

DrPhilG wrote: »

Thanks for the link here Kcross

Suggestions needed.

This is my house and garden. Currently 3 areas, with 1 and 2 linked by a strip of grass about 1m wide that goes up quite steeply at the end although I could possibly flatten it a bit.

More difficult is the concrete driveway between areas 2 and 3. Can a mower cross that area if I dipped the kerbs? I understand it would need to follow a guide wire but there are joints in the concrete like this one:

So I could possibly dig a narrow track in the middle rather than butchering the whole area.

Finally section 4 is an area of rough ground behind the back fence that is part of my site, I've just never got around to turning it into a lawn. I will do someday though so that would be additional grass area.

The full site is about 0.8 of an acre so that should give a rough idea of the sq m of grass.

A few things Phil.

To put a guide wire across the drive would require you to actually put in 3 wires across the drive a metre or so apart. The guide wire isn’t allowed cross the boundary wire so that might not be something you’d considered.

If putting in 3 wires is turning you off you could consider a second robot that only cuts section 3. A small robot for that area can be got quite cheap (€hundreds) and means no issues with the driveway then. It’s also next to your garage so looks like you won’t have issues getting power to that area for the charging station.

To get from 1–>2 you will need a guide wire for that section as it’s quite long and narrow so that needs to be part of your buying decision as some robots don’t have guide wires.

DrPhilG · 02-07-2021 2:30pm

Thanks KCross

OK so to get this clear in my head, the guide wire can't cross the boundary, therefore I'd need to run the boundary either side and the guide in the middle?

How about if I ran the boundary wires in other tracks, which there are quite a few of due to the size. Could they double back towards the centre like this to form the boundary?

I'd prefer not to have to fart about with 2 separate mowers.

DrPhilG · 02-07-2021 2:34pm

As for the other side, is this area wide enough to accommodate the movement?

Narrow part

Gets wider on the way to the back

Narrow sloped bit as it joins

KCross · 02-07-2021 6:11pm

DrPhilG wrote: »

Thanks KCross

OK so to get this clear in my head, the guide wire can't cross the boundary, therefore I'd need to run the boundary either side and the guide in the middle?

How about if I ran the boundary wires in other tracks, which there are quite a few of due to the size. Could they double back towards the centre like this to form the boundary?

I'd prefer not to have to fart about with 2 separate mowers.

Not sure what you mean by double back but what you have shown with the red lines would technically work but what you end up with is the mower interpreting that wide area on the driveway between the two boundary wires as part of the lawn so it will actually spend time “cutting” that part of your driveway so not an ideal solution.

By keeping the area narrow it won’t naturally find its way across the driveway except when it’s specifically following the guide wire (i.e when it’s heading to area 3)

KCross · 02-07-2021 6:14pm

DrPhilG wrote: »

As for the other side, is this area wide enough to accommodate the movement?

Looks wide enough. Whatever robot you buy check it’s spec for min distance but looks ok to me.

It does definitely need a guide wire though and you may find that that narrow section needs some manual cutting. Long narrow sections are not the robots friend.

How do you cut that today? Does the ride on travel up there or do you have a push mower too?

DrPhilG · 02-07-2021 6:18pm

KCross wrote: »

How do you cut that today? Does the ride on travel up there or do you have a push mower too?

I do have an old push mower too but I usually just take the strimmer to it.

spose · 03-07-2021 11:22am

To put the wires across the driveway you only need a very small channel. I cut mine with a stone blade on a circular saw. Just needs to be deep enough to fit the wire and something over it to seal it

My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

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