My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

We also have kids and pets. The only time we have issues with clippings is if we leave the grass too long before setting the mower out (like maybe it got stuck somewhere a few days ago and we never freed it or it was raining solidly), in normal operation it's definitely not an issue. If the grass is wet you might get something, but not substantial at all. The grass is cut so often the pieces are pretty small.

Cheers! I would actually like to review more of them, especially the gps based ones, but it's not really something I can fund myself so unless companies send me one. Since that video I did buy two cheap yardforce mowers (I think I paid less than €300 for each of them), one for my mam and one for our front lawn. They are very basic (no connectivity/app of any kind) but they do mow well, which gives me hope for basically all brands of them!

I think if I was in the market for a 500m2 one right now I would try the lidl one that is coming in just over a week for €200. Unclear if it will require an additional battery (it seems like it might, but it isn't called out on the website, which they usually do with drills etc). I was half toying with the idea of picking one up to review, but it will be sold out long before I even get a chance to try it out, never mind make a video on it!

Where's the go to place for buying husqvarna these days? I gather myrobotcenter are a dead loss these days.

May be of interest to some with a smaller garden as rated for 400sq m only, just ordered one for my sister who has a suitable sized garden.

Price as listed is not great but if you are a first time customer you can apply a 30% discount using FIRSTORDER (€368) or as an existing customer a 20% discount using SUMMER20 (€420) which makes it more palatable.

Only thing I'm not sure on is whether it includes the battery, listing mentions no battery or charger but the docking station is the charger so it may include the usual 2ah battery. I've included a link to a 4ah battery and charger (€46 or €52) if you want to ensure you have a battery or you want a higher capacity one, it's also available from screwfix for €50.

https://www.very.ie/einhell-power-x-change-18v-40ah-battery-amp-charger-kit/1600584961.prd?crossSellType=item_page.recs_2

https://www.screwfix.ie/p/einhell-18v-4-0ah-li-ion-power-x-change-battery-starter-kit/698tj

Does it need to use the guide wires to get to the other 2 lawns? If yes, have you checked that the guide wires are working properly?

Do you seen it trying to get to that 3rd lawn? Does it fail as its trying to get there and turn around and just cut lawn 1 instead?

Have you got the GPS map enabled? Might be worth resetting that map (its an option in the menu).

Can you reinstall the older version I wonder? Mine hasn't updated, still on v3.28 from Aug 22, didn't realise there were pending upgrades. Won't be upgrading based on what you have just mentioned! It had started creating ruts & getting stuck up until end of April, but I thought that was due to wet weather & placement of the boundary wire. Since the ground has dried up I haven't had any issues.

Hi I've just been quoted €5200 for a Husqvarna 450x with installation for a 2150 garden. Is this reasonable? Do I need this size Husqvarna? Any cheaper alternatives? Any thoughts? I'm completely new to this so any opinions welcome/help appreciated! The garden is fairly straightforward, one big rectangle with a narrower bit at the side with trees. Thanks.

Thank you. The seller recommends going for a higher spec so it's not going 24/7 or overworked at full capacity. I don't know if this is a good idea or if he just wants to sell the more expensive model!

Good idea. I'll ask.

3 year warranty. Presumably has the same X-team battery as their other cordless tools. Definitely worth a shot for a month and return it if it's completely useless.

That 45min runtime would concern me on a 500m2 garden. It would spend more time going to and from the charging station than cutting?

Perfectly fine for a semi-D back garden i would think.

These things are great and cheap until something goes wrong and then you find you can't get parts or anyone interested in fixing it.

My installer gave me the same recommendation and I went for the 450x, mainly because I had a complicated setup and needed the extra guide wire, but it also runs faster because of its sonic sensors and stays out longer because of its larger battery. When I bought I do not remember the price difference being so great, but that was back in 2019.

I know someone who had a problem with a lidl chainsaw. Nobody could get parts but luckily they got a refund under guarantee as a replacement wasn't available.

I purchased a Parkside strimmer/hedgecutter. It's done about five hours work and now won't start. Local shops have no interest because they didn't sell it and I've no receipt to return it.

I'm not experienced enough to recommend one but I've learned buy cheap shite and buy twice.

That wouldn't fix the problem unfortunately. The lesson is to buy a reputable product from a reputable supplier capable of servicing and repairing.

On a similar note, I have a macalister branded robot mower I bought cheap in b&q about 3 seasons ago. Basic, cost me about 350 euro, figured it would do my smaller lawn, and it performs every bit as good as my 3k robomow that gave up the ghost this season after about 5 years!

The macalister is cheap as chips, no fancy gimmicks and rated up to 250sq m, and looks not at all unlike the lidl one.

Considering buying 1 of the lidl ones as a spare when the macalister eventually breaks down, but happy with it for the last 3 seasons