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My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 1 dodo13


    Wow what an amazing amount of information in this thread. I have read it from start to finish. I have a lawn of 1800sq m with another 500 sq m on the other side of the driveway. I don’t own a mower and currently pay a man who cuts it with a big ride-on every 2 weeks, leaving the cuttings on the grass😖 for £47 a pop. It looks fine when cut, not so good 2 weeks later. I had been thinking of buying a ride on while the kids are at home and might help, but was put off by the need then for a trailer and towbar to take it to be serviced. I could also guess that driving the mower would be a novelty at first but could turn into yet another challenge to get done. I am really sold on the idea of a robot and am waiting for my local Husqvarna dealer to come and do a lawn survey. I also have a local dealer for the Honda Miimo but I haven’t seen any mention of it on here. I have yo-yo'd between buy online and self install vs dealer. I think on balance I will go for the dealer even though it is a premium price. Also I am in NI so we are no longer EU, might cause issues with a European online shop, who knows.



  • Registered Users Posts: 930 ✭✭✭Daz_


    hi. anyone here used the Ambrogio 250i Elite? I had a bad experience with a Stihl 632pc so looking at this as an alternative . 4000sq meters.


    thanks



  • Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Bedouin79




  • Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭murfler


    Bought a husqvarna 430x April of last year and it has been back in the shop 3 times since with a bearing problem. After about 3 months of use it started making screeching noise when cutting. A bearing needed replacing in the cutting disc, worked it again for about 2 months and was then put away for winter.

    Out cutting again this season for about 2 months and exact same thing happened again. I asked the guys in shop is this going to continue happening every 3 or 4 months and they said it shouldn't.

    I don't think a brand new machine should be giving so much trouble, it is not overworked, its way over speced for my lawn, clear flat lawn, blades changed regularly.

    I cut at the lowest setting and guys in shop said that could be causing it but I like my grass short. That is like having a car with 5 gears but you can't drive in first? Also I only recently started using non branded blades and they said that would throw off the balance on the cutting disc as blades wouldn't be standard weight and screws might be a bit heavier. I call bs on that, surely couldn't be much of a discrepancy in 3 little blades and screws.

    Anyone else have any similar problems with husqvarna?


    Thanks



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,030 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    I change that bearing once a year. The bearing isnt nearly as good as it should be. Super easy to do yourself and only a few euro to buy.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Bedouin79


    as above have the elite +, doing 4000 mtrs. With no problems initially had a few setup issues but with a decent bit of help from here Brutus Beefcake (legend) it’s all been good. Went through 3 blade guards until i realised I should have mowed the lawn first before sending out the robot. I clean the blade guard for grass every 3 days now more often if it’s wet. Just saves the grass from building up. Quick tip spray the underside with wd40 from time to time as it stops cutting from sticking.



  • Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭murfler


    OK thanks so it is a regular serviceable item? I am cutting at level 3 now but it just never looks properly cut to me at that height and if you are saying the bearing will fail anyway I may as well go back cutting it at lowest level



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,391 ✭✭✭micks_address


    hi folks... question on mowing and dog droppings... do you collect each day before the mower lets loose?



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,030 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    Noooo!

    Would you pick them up for the ride-on mower?!! Who cares if the robot drives over one.... it will wear off again quickly enough as it's out for hours.



  • Registered Users Posts: 8,391 ✭✭✭micks_address


    well our garden is quite small so we usually pick them up a few times a week.. we only mow maybe every 2 weeks.. as long as the mower doesnt care then i wont care..



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  • Registered Users Posts: 12,030 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    It wont care.

    And do bear in mind that the robot will be out most days, not just a case of sending it out once a week, so its a very different process to a ride-on so you'd be constantly chasing sh*t around the lawn if you were looking to clear it up for the robot! ;)



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,239 ✭✭✭Lurching




  • Registered Users Posts: 12,030 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    You need two of these

    And the gasket

    Obviosuly check that they are the correct ones for your particular model before you purchase. Its right for a 330X and I believe for the 430X also, but check for yourself before buying.



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,239 ✭✭✭Lurching




  • Registered Users Posts: 7,667 ✭✭✭whippet


    what a great site!!



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭poker--addict


    Could we get different threads for all the main brands and information? OR could any regs in this section suggest where to start? A 108 page thread is a big ask, have read the last 25 or so...


    First few pages excellent but then its a needle in a haystack for the gems. Especially now with no ability to search threads!! Please do something!

    Post edited by poker--addict on

    😎



  • Registered Users Posts: 1,700 ✭✭✭poker--addict


    Hi all,

    Around 2000sq metre area including a lawn across a driveway with a decent curb. A few questions;

    1. Happy to build a ramp or whatever is required for it to cross the drive and associated curbs. Anyone done this?
    2. I understand it will need guide wires or it will never find its way across?
    3. To get from the front to the back I will generate a gap or hole in the fence, will this also need guide wires?
    4. Where does a guide wire start and end? They hardly go all the way back to the hub leaving cable all over the place?
    5. One corner is like a 45% angle, will it find its way down there?
    6. I think the small hill is not an issue, but are they smart enough to come at a hill from the top where they have the option of doing so?
    7. Anyone recommend the GSM/tracking? I can imagine as these devices become more common they will start going missing, and I'd be surprised if they cant be hacked like any other "locked' device. Trackers may be the only deterrent.
    8. Can anyone recommend from experience a model based on my area and driveway challenges..?
    9. Seems to be mixed bag opinions on edges, id like min use of a strimmers.
    10. it sounds like some leave more clippings than others, resulting in kids bringing grass into house on their feet? Is there certain settings or models to limit this?

    Thank you.

    😎



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,030 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    2 - It will find its way across, just not enough times. You can get some mowers to follow the boundary to get there instead,but guide wires are just better.

    3 - Same answer as above.

    4 - Starts at the docking station and terminates/joins anywhere you like on the boundary wire.

    5 - Some mowers will fail on that. Check the specs before buying. Once it goes beyond its slop limit it wont go up there and will turn around and abandon that area.

    6 - Not really, no. They work in a random way, not intelligent as such.

    7 - Most have that as standard now anyway.

    9 - You will most likely still need to strim some bits so its much of a muchness if you are strimming 2 inches or 4 inches etc.

    10 - I dont think thats true. The amount of clippings is dictated by the grass growth, not the mower. If you buy an undersized mower what you will find though is that the clippings are longer and then more likely to lie on top of the grass and be dragged in. What you want is for the mower to always be on top of the job so that the clippings are always small and fall into the grass.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,201 ✭✭✭KeRbDoG


    So a slug took out my base station/charger again!!!

    I can't be the only person...can I?



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,042 ✭✭✭Pique


    That's nuts. Can you seal the offending area with duck tape or silicone?


    Feckin hate slugs!



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  • Registered Users Posts: 4,201 ✭✭✭KeRbDoG


    I'll have to put the new PCB in a bag of some sort, the charge station isn't sealed up at all.

    There is a lacquer on the board, but it doesn't cover all the component terminals so Mr.Slug shorts and it starts to corrode everything.



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,030 ✭✭✭✭KCross


    Something not right there though. It is supposed to be sealed. Certainly not open enough for a slug to slither in.

    Interestingly, I had a conversation with a guy this weekend who does alot of gate automation and he mentioned that slugs are a big problem for them as well as they look to get into the board for the heat, i presume, and they short them out... he always puts the gate control unit inside a bigger box to have redundancy and obviously still do all the usual sealing at cable entry points.


    Shouldnt be an issue for the docking station though.... that board is in a sealed area. Any chance you have a crack somewhere or a badly seated rubber seal? Cable entry points are the obvious spots.

    Something isnt right anyway as thats not normal to happen once, not to mind twice!



  • Registered Users Posts: 295 ✭✭spose


    I have a 430x for 3 years, about 6000hrs cutting time and never changed that bearing, only a wheel bearing. Not a straightforward garden, dog likes to leave stones around the garden for it to hit regularly. Has always been on generic blades. I typically cut at level 6 though.



  • Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭murfler


    That's mad, mine only has 2,400 hours and it has been changed twice already. I like my lawn looking cut short all of the time, my view is that you should be able to cut at any level the machine offers without problems



  • Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭RainInSummer


    I have one for three years and never had that issue. Level 3 is the lowest I go, any lower and there is no grass.

    Listen to the sound the mower makes on level 4 compared to level 1 and see does it sound under pressure on the low setting. Mine certainly does.

    I agree with you in principle though, why allow it to go that low if it's going to wear itself out prematurely.



  • Registered Users Posts: 17 Yamen11


    Hi

    looking for some experienced advice. I am leaning towards getting Ambrogia 4.0 Elite as compared to husqvara 430x as build seem s better ,battery ,blades . Anyone with experiencing with Ambrogia v Husqvara or similar decisions .

    appreciate



  • Registered Users Posts: 92 ✭✭murfler


    Once the mower gets on top of growth it doesn't make any different sound at lowest level. Being honest I was disappointed when I got it first at the height of the grass when the mower is set at its lowest, it is short but I wouldn't say its very short like the lowest setting on my old tractor mower, it's not anywhere near like a golf green or anything.

    Cutting constantly on 3 now and to me my lawn looks like what it would look like after 2 or 3 days growth on my old ride on. That's just my honest opinion as I mentioned earlier I like my grass short and if a machine has an option of cutting at level 1 it should be able to handle it. It's like buying a car with 5 gears but you can't use the 5th.



  • Registered Users Posts: 145 ✭✭Bedouin79


    Have the Ambrogio, few teething problems once setup it’s been faultless.



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,175 ✭✭✭DaveyDave


    What height are people cutting at? I had my mower set to 55mm max as this was commonly suggested online but lowering it to around 40-45mm makes it look a lot neater. I'd consider going even shorter but the garden unevenness is a bit more noticeable now.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭RainInSummer


    Odd. Mine is the older 430x. It was the last model in the GPL shop. Maybe the heights are different between the newer and older models.

    2 is putting green. 3 is just a shade longer.



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