My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

beauf · 16-05-2015 12:44pm

How do you secure these from theft? Or is it case you only let them out when you are around?

KCross · 16-05-2015 1:40pm

beauf wrote: »

How do you secure these from theft? Or is it case you only let them out when you are around?

You can't secure them really and because they are out a lot longer than a ride on its not practical to only put it out when you are present. The idea is you set it up, configure the cutting schedule and let it off.

They all generally have an alarm that sounds when you pick it up and no one else can use it unless they know the security PIN. It's not much of a consolation to the owner once it's gone but at least it's no use to anyone else and that should deter folks from stealing them. I haven't heard of anyone had it happen and I did ask/research it before I bought mine as it is the first question most people ask.

Some makes have an in-built Sim and GPS and once the mower leaves a pre-defined area it starts sending its location via SMS. Very few have this by default though.

twenty8 · 20-05-2015 5:26pm

I got my Robomow (RS622) 2 weeks ago and I am already in love with it!! It has taken a lot of tinkering to get it right and I will still have a bit more to do. But it is fantastic once it is working.

You should be aware of how much wire you get with it. I have 1,800sqm and this mower is supposed to cover up to 2,200. However, I only got 300m of wire when I needed 600m and it costs a fortune to buy (€80 / 150m). Other than that I would highly recommend it.

Repolho · 30-06-2015 12:22pm

Thanks to this thread I bought a Robomow RS622. I decided on the robomow as:

Very convincing sales pitch by the Robomow guys when I met them at the RDS.
Robomow have appointed my local lawnmower man as an agent.
Cheaper than the equivalent Husqvarna
Longer warranty

I set it up last weekend but like twenty8 I ran out of wire so I left one lawn out for the moment. The robomow guy himself told me not to bother buying "official" robowmow wire as it was ridiculously expensive and any sort of electrical wire would do the job. I just set my lawns up as separate zones for the moment. I will carry the mower from lawn to lawn until I figure out a solution.

So far so good. I spent half an hour watching it cut the lawn yesterday evening. Hypnotic

Probably should have spent that time trimming hedges or something. Anyone have a robot that will do that?

Repolho · 10-07-2015 1:01pm

I've a question for Robomow owners...

I initially just set my lawns up as separate zones. I have now connected one of my front lawns to the back so recreated it as a subzone. The last time my robomow went out to mow the main zone on an edging cycle it kept going out around subzone 1. Is this normal or have I created my subzone wrong?

Thanks.

gctest50 · 10-07-2015 1:51pm

Repolho wrote: »

.......... Probably should have spent that time trimming hedges or something. Anyone have a robot that will do that?

yip - down to maplin and get an arduino and some sticky tape

dead safe looking yoke that

touchdown77 · 13-07-2015 9:26pm

How do these robot lawnmowers cope with dog crap?

deadl0ck · 14-07-2015 2:34pm

Just took delivery of my Robomow RS622 yesterday.
Currently in the process of putting down the perimeter wire.
I had to build a pass between my lawns (which are at different heights) - hopefully it will be OK - It's 1m wide but has borders (i.e. boards) on both sides - I may have to widen it a little:

When all is up and running I'll report back.
(Laying the wire is a right pain in the ass)

Repolho · 16-07-2015 1:02pm

Repolho wrote: »

The robomow guy himself told me not to bother buying "official" robowmow wire as it was ridiculously expensive and any sort of electrical wire would do the job.

0.75mm panelling wire bought from local electrical wholesaler does the job. It was €16 for a 100m reel. The robomow wire is £59GBP for 150m on amazon!

Repolho · 16-07-2015 1:06pm

Any advice for running wires across concrete footpaths?

deadl0ck · 16-07-2015 2:15pm

OK - so wire is down and it's started mowing.
Grass is a bit long so I think it will take a good week to get it under some sort of control.
I have a main zone and a Sub-Zone - it's still working on the main zone, but it only did it's first outing yesterday evening after 7PM.
The default mowing schedule is from 6am to 11 pm. I changed it this morning so it goes from 10am to 8.30 pm as I think there is a lot of dew on the grass otherwise. It went out last night at 10 and the grass was quite damp, and as this is my first cut (and had been over a week since the last cut with my old mower) there was a lot of grass sticking to the wheels and making them slip a bit.
I may extend the schedule once the lawns are under control and are being cut regularly.
Also - I'm doing this first cut in at max height (80mm), and I'll slowly drop the height over time. I'm wary of putting too much pressure on it initially (especially with the high-ish grass for this first cut)

prospect · 01-09-2015 1:21pm

Hi all,

Great to see more first hand reports of ownership coming in.

My latest update is that there is more of the same. There has been one or two occasions this summer where the mower hasn't completed it cycle, in one case in one area there was some subsidence and the 'back' wheel dropped causing the 'front' wheel to lift and that cuts the mower off for safety reasons. In another instance the kids plugged it out for some reason and it never ran. Other than instances like that it has been trucking along nicely.

Some points:
- I have moved its docking location so it is further camouflaged by shrubs, this provides added security and also some weather protection.

- At the end of this season I'll reverse the blades for next year.

- In a garden our size and design, grass strip along the roadside, some paths through a woodland area, any potential purchasers would have to consider a small push mower as well.

Overall I am very happy so far with the investment.

turner and hooch · 09-10-2015 12:51am

kCross and agentblue , both of ye have the 330, I am about to purchase a 320.
My lawn is much smaller than ye have only approx 1000m2 , so the 320 which can do up to 2400m2, sounds fine for me. Other than the GPS and the 2 guide wires, which , because the area I have is much smaller and fairly straight forward, I don't think I need, is there any other reason you think I should go for the 330 over the 320 ?
The price difference is €500, but if it for the features I mentioned above, then it's €500 in my pocket. If it is for better build quality, more robust parts, motors etc, it might be worth spending the few bob more.
I haven't seen these machines side by side or in operation, so it's hard to compare.
Any advise welcome

KCross · 09-10-2015 8:31pm

turner and hooch wrote: »

kCross and agentblue , both of ye have the 330, I am about to purchase a 320.
My lawn is much smaller than ye have only approx 1000m2 , so the 320 which can do up to 2400m2, sounds fine for me. Other than the GPS and the 2 guide wires, which , because the area I have is much smaller and fairly straight forward, I don't think I need, is there any other reason you think I should go for the 330 over the 320 ?
The price difference is €500, but if it for the features I mentioned above, then it's €500 in my pocket. If it is for better build quality, more robust parts, motors etc, it might be worth spending the few bob more.
I haven't seen these machines side by side or in operation, so it's hard to compare.
Any advise welcome

The batteries are different. The 330X will cut for longer on each charge.
I don't know if the motors are any different. Best ask the dealer that one.
The GPS allows the 330X to be more efficient as it knows where it's been.

But if your lawn is as simple as you suggest maybe the 500 is better in your pocket.

Enjoy!

NurseBridie · 02-03-2016 6:34pm

Two questions:-
1) Can you put the wire under coblelocking or brick paving, I have very smooth brick path that the mower will have to travel over, can I put the wire under the brick?
2) Someone mentioned changing blades, do you have to change blades often. The Husqvarna website mentions nothing about changing blades. Is it hard to do and are they expensive?

KCross · 02-03-2016 11:32pm

NurseBridie wrote: »

Two questions:-
1) Can you put the wire under coblelocking or brick paving, I have very smooth brick path that the mower will have to travel over, can I put the wire under the brick?
2) Someone mentioned changing blades, do you have to change blades often. The Husqvarna website mentions nothing about changing blades. Is it hard to do and are they expensive?

1) Max depth is 20cm in grass. Hard to say exactly what depth you can go under concrete slabs but it should be ok for most slabs. I'd say get a measure of your slabs and get the dealer to stand over it. Should be fine I'd say.

2) It takes 3 blades(very similar to razor blades). 9 blades are about €20, if I remember correctly. How often they need changing depends on lawn size of course. I use 6 blades a season and I have a big lawn. Easy to change, standard Philips screwdriver only required... 5min job.

SirAce135 · 30-03-2016 9:50am

What an AWESOME THREAD! Love the ability to hear and see some first hand ownership experiences

Hello! I am Ace, and I just moved from NYC to Seattle!

I am considering picking up a robot mower and have been doing tons of research, this is the best goldmine of information I could find!

Thanks for sharing your experiences and thoughts on the matter. I am torn between two brands, and then within those brands on exactly what models to get.

My house has two lawns, one is right behind the house and it has a bit of an incline to it, I never stopped and looked at it to figure out about how steep it is, I will do that tomorrow and get an estimate. Besides the incline there aren't very many complications to it, there is a small sandbox and trim area that can easily be segmented out with the boundary wire.

My second lawn is long and rectangular in shape. It has 1 tall tree in the middle of it and some loose gravel throughout, I was wondering if I could just pickup the unit and drop it off in that lawn to do a quick cut at a higher cut length maybe once per week.

As for the brands I am considering:
Husqvarna and Viking

If you search on google for this video "Husqvarna Automower vs competitors" this is what narrowed it down for me. After reading comments by some angry people lol I also went out of my way to look at the Viking offerings and they seem pretty nice too, specially love the app compatibility.

I am considering all of the models both Husq and Viking offer. I noticed that Husq doesn't seem to offer their 450x model in the US. Can't seem to nail down the major differences between their 430x and 450x models.

Would love to hear everyone's thoughts. I'll make sure to post some measurements on my lawn and estimated incline. I would post pictures but being new limits me of that.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experiences and read my long post

NurseBridie · 30-03-2016 10:30am

Hi SirAce
I don't know if you can compare Seattle with Ireland. Here in Ireland our grass grows a lot and I mean a lot all year round. I can't help you with what brand to pick as I picked mine a Husqvarna 105 based on knowing the installer very well. I will only have my mover two weeks next Friday but I'm just soooooooooooo happy with the convenience of not having to cut grass and finding somewhere to get rid of it. I only have 300sqm but you'd be surprised how much grass clippings you have to get rid of if you are not cutting twice a week. I know if I have any problems in the years to come my installer will look after me. I've been lucky and have been able to link my back garden and front with a smooth path for the mower.

KCross · 30-03-2016 5:43pm

SirAce135 wrote: »

My house has two lawns, one is right behind the house and it has a bit of an incline to it, I never stopped and looked at it to figure out about how steep it is, I will do that tomorrow and get an estimate. Besides the incline there aren't very many complications to it, there is a small sandbox and trim area that can easily be segmented out with the boundary wire.

My second lawn is long and rectangular in shape. It has 1 tall tree in the middle of it and some loose gravel throughout, I was wondering if I could just pickup the unit and drop it off in that lawn to do a quick cut at a higher cut length maybe once per week.

You can pickup the units and drop them to a 2nd lawn but that takes the good out of it. Its an inconvenience and you have to factor that if the 2nd lawn takes more than 2hrs to cut you will have to bring the mower back for a charge and then back out again to finish it and the way these mowers work its not that it goes out and cuts every square inch of the lawn in a few hours. It covers it over several days and then it just keeps clipping it. You will find yourself having to do alot of manual shifting every week... that to me would ruin the main advantage of having a robot in the first place..... turn it on and let it do its thing 100% automatically.

Is it not physically possible to run a guide wire to that 2nd lawn?

If you can draw a rudimentary picture of how the house, 2 lawns and any obstacles are configured I'd be happy to suggest a layout.

If you cant post a picture, PM me the pic and I'll post it for you.

SirAce135 · 30-03-2016 9:11pm

Thanks for the super quick and insightful replies

The main lawn is about 2,800 Square feet and it has no clear path to the other lawn. My main lawn slopes up to a cement lip which has a fence. For humans to go from the first to the second yard there are some cement stairs. The second lawn is about 1,400 square feet but only about 900 of it has actual grass to be kept up. I am honestly considering filling it with gravel and just using it as parking since it has a nice large gated access to the road.

KCross, thanks for offering to post a picture for me, I have sent you three pictures. 1 Aerial view for a good overview of the property and 2 of my main lawn.

The picture I sent is an aerial view of the house. It's lawn is horribly lacking, but this was before we purchased the house and the satellite photo must have been taken in the winter.

As you can see in the back yard we have the main lawn area on the right, and just to the left of it we have a sandbox. Just behind that we have another rectangular section which we own, it has a white metal shed on the far right.

The slope on my lawn is gradual, it starts off at about 25-30 degrees and gradually increases. Probably peaks at about 50-60 degrees. So some trimming up there may be needed.

Do you guys know what happens to the mower if it tries to tackle an incline it can't handle? Does it just move along and do the rest of the lawn or does it get stuck requiring human intervention?

Thanks again!

KCross · 30-03-2016 9:14pm

Pics on behalf of @SirAce135

KCross · 30-03-2016 9:32pm

SirAce135 wrote: »

Thanks for the super quick and insightful replies

The main lawn is about 2,800 Square feet and it has no clear path to the other lawn. My main lawn slopes up to a cement lip which has a fence. For humans to go from the first to the second yard there are some cement stairs. The second lawn is about 1,400 square feet but only about 900 of it has actual grass to be kept up. I am honestly considering filling it with gravel and just using it as parking since it has a nice large gated access to the road.

KCross, thanks for offering to post a picture for me, I have sent you three pictures. 1 Aerial view for a good overview of the property and 2 of my main lawn.

The picture I sent is an aerial view of the house. It's lawn is horribly lacking, but this was before we purchased the house and the satellite photo must have been taken in the winter.

As you can see in the back yard we have the main lawn area on the right, and just to the left of it we have a sandbox. Just behind that we have another rectangular section which we own, it has a white metal shed on the far right.

The slope on my lawn is gradual, it starts off at about 25-30 degrees and gradually increases. Probably peaks at about 50-60 degrees. So some trimming up there may be needed.

Do you guys know what happens to the mower if it tries to tackle an incline it can't handle? Does it just move along and do the rest of the lawn or does it get stuck requiring human intervention?

Thanks again!

I think it will have issues negotiating a 50deg incline particularly if the grass is wet. The wheels will just spin and it will realise its not making progress and stop and turn. The best option for that is just put the boundary wire below that incline so that the mower never tries to go up that last foot or two to the fence and just strim that piece or convert it to a flower bed or something.

In relation to the 2nd lawn, I cant tell from the pictures but is there any clear path at the bottom of the steps closer to the house that the mower could drive across. Bear in mind all it needs is a level surface to drive across, it doesnt have to be connected by grass. You could recess the guide wire into concrete and have it drive across your back yard. Again, I cant tell from the pictures whether thats possible here or not. Could you make a flat path for it somehow to that 2nd lawn?

In my case I have a front and back lawn separated by a fence. I dug an underpass under the fence for the mower in one spot and ran the guide wire through it and it works perfectly.

SirAce135 · 31-03-2016 12:38am

I will eventually have the ground evened out so we have a much flatter surface, and have retaining walls put in to keep the read lawn at its current height. Flower beds or something similar is not far fetched for that are it can't traverse. Being in Seattle we get consistent mist in the winter. There really isn't an off season per say here so I will be having this bad boy working almost year round.

If you look at the third of the pictures you can see the steps leading from lawn 1 to lawn 2. Even if I could make a cutout in the fence and the cement divider, the grade seems too steep for it to make it up there reliably even with a lead cable.

Also I meant to ask people about how well these hold up to the elements, and how people secure them. I live in a nice enough area but I would still like to protect my $3,000 investment. I can't post links or videos yet so if you can please go to youtube and search "Automower Garage" and let me know your thoughts. Also, I know the 430x and 450x from Husq has GPS assistance, I doubt I would have access to that to locate them in case of theft right?

Thanks!

SirAce135 · 31-03-2016 12:42am

Sorry for some reason I get a blank screen when I go to edit or update my old post. I meant to say "Rear lawn" not "read lawn"

KCross · 31-03-2016 7:36pm

The gradient by the steps wont matter when the mower is following the guide wire as it will be travelling across the gradient not up the gradient so that will work fine. The trick is to find a path that the mower can travel to the 2nd lawn without hitting a step.

The mowers are designed for outdoor use so the weather wont matter to it. There is no metal exposed and they are water tight sealed so dont worry about it being out in the rain.

The GPS can be used to track a stolen unit but you need the SMS accessory for it to work for tracking. Mine did not come with SMS, maybe they do now.

The GPS is used during mowing to know where it has been and what areas are left to cover.
When you have the SMS accessory you can use a smartphone app to communicate with the mower to give it signals like Start mowing, Stop mowing, Location etc. If you are worried about theft get the SMS accessory.

They all also have an inbuilt alarm and PIN so once someone lifts it off the ground it will alarm and it is unusable by anyone else without the PIN.

jacob2 · 31-03-2016 7:42pm

a robot mower wat next a robot wife

SirAce135 · 31-03-2016 7:45pm

KCross thanks for clarifying the weather, GPS and theft points, this really puts me at ease.

I just got off the phone with my local Husq rep and even though the 450X is not technically slated for sale in the U.S. they will gladly take my $$ and get me one. The price is $3,500 plus a $260 install kit.

Here are the specs for the 450X:
45Deg incline friendly
1.25 acres of range
LED Headlights
2 Battries (for that extended range)
GPS enabled with theft tracking out of the box (hope that means I don't need to buy the separate SMS component)
APP Control through my smart phone

This certainly sounds like the best of the best out there which is what I would want to go for.
I am asking the rep to do his best and let me at least see and hold one of these units before I sink almost $4,000 into this project.

I am also getting estimates from lawn care professionals in the area to see what their monthly cost for just mowing would be and see how long I would have to own this unit for it to pay itself off, then see if that's worth it.

Considering I would still have to edge and trim certain areas and fertilize, etc its worth weight all variables in the equation.

SirAce135 · 31-03-2016 7:46pm

jacob2 wrote: »

a robot mower wat next a robot wife

When you find out a reliable company offering those let me know! lol

SirAce135 · 31-03-2016 7:48pm

Another question.

How much of a bump could one of these automowers clear? Meaning if I cut an opening for it in the fence at the top. If there is still a 3 to 5 inch bump in the cement divider will it be able to clear it? Or will it get stuck?

I'd like to not have to grind down or break any of that cement.

KCross · 31-03-2016 9:19pm

SirAce135 wrote: »

Another question.

How much of a bump could one of these automowers clear? Meaning if I cut an opening for it in the fence at the top. If there is still a 3 to 5 inch bump in the cement divider will it be able to clear it? Or will it get stuck?

I'd like to not have to grind down or break any of that cement.

No, it wont clear a 3 inch bump. It will only negotiate a bump that is lower than the housing. If the bump is higher than that the housing will hit the bump and the mower will interpret that as a wall and turn around. My housing on the 330x is about 2 inches off the ground and Im not sure if I gave it a 2in concrete path to negotiate how it would react to that. I wouldnt recommend it. The surface needs to be "smooth" really.... it doesnt like steps.

My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

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