My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

DaveyDave · 01-03-2021 11:55am

What are the budget mowers like?

The Yard Force Easy Mow 260 is €320. We have a small, square garden. I'd be happy enough with a basic mower, no WiFi etc but is there anything I should look out for?

I only have experience with hoovers. I have a Roomba 960, I bought it specifically over the entry level model as it has rubber rollers that don't get tangled with hair like our cordless Dyson which needs frequent cleaning because of the brush roller. I borrowed my mam's Eufy 11s and it was useless. Left behind so much dirt and the sensors got it stuck as it saw obstacles and didn't think it could pass even though it drove through in the first place.

A garden is a lot simpler though and I'm hoping a budget mower would be suitable.

slayer91 · 01-03-2021 12:05pm

Thanks for the reply.

Sorted. Didn't like my revolut card.

Wont shipped unit the 15th March!!

Regards

slegs · 01-03-2021 12:49pm

Lurching wrote: »

Trying to decide whether it's still too early in the year to let my one loose again.

My Rob1000 has been out for 9 days now and lawn looking great! Weather has been great for cutting bar a couple of very rainy days early last week. Mild frost this am but didn't last long

Lurching · 01-03-2021 1:19pm

slegs wrote: »

My Rob1000 has been out for 9 days now and lawn looking great! Weather has been great for cutting bar a couple of very rainy days early last week. Mild frost this am but didn't last long

It's only the frost that would worry me. Not sure how much they like it.
Is it only the battery that can fail if it gets cold (Husq 430X)?

odoliam · 01-03-2021 1:34pm

Lurching wrote: »

It's only the frost that would worry me. Not sure how much they like it.
Is it only the battery that can fail if it gets cold (Husq 430X)?

I put mine out on Saturday
Got battery temp warnings each of the last 2 nights
Assuming they'll be OK, but might just take out batteries each night for the rest of the week as the frost is forecast for this week
Day of 11, but night of 1-2!

Lurching · 01-03-2021 2:07pm

odoliam wrote: »

I put mine out on Saturday
Got battery temp warnings each of the last 2 nights
Assuming they'll be OK, but might just take out batteries each night for the rest of the week as the frost is forecast for this week
Day of 11, but night of 1-2!

Might just leave it a few more weeks.
Forecast lows of 0 degrees on Friday.

Happy_Harry · 01-03-2021 3:26pm

So this is a very interesting thread.
I have made decision yesterday to treat myself with one - if I could get it to work in my garden.

My lawn is about 400 (what I thought it was - roughly measured ) to 550 (what robomow online tools tells me) square meters.

120m2 of this is in a separate patch (separated by the drive- gravel - but quite dense- and no curb)

I would like a robot mower to be able to get to the separate patch (else what is the point). Would it be able to manoeuvre between two fence posts and , take 5 m of gravel and then go back between fence posts on the other side ? Whenever I have my lawnmower on and do the same journey, no gravel ever touches the blade and like I said it is quite dense gravel by now so can't see the wee robot wheels struggle too much.

Which make/model would possibly be able to do this ?
I see a lot of the folks here buying their robot online to avail of better pricing. Just wondering would it be worth paying a bit extra to have a local dealer involved that could help out when your are stuck ? Do these yokes need servicing ? Or just cleaning and blade replacement ?

The Local-ish dealers I looked at online typically only sell one make .. are there are any (Meath) that stock a variety ?

carq · 02-03-2021 7:28am

If there are no obstacles, you level out the gravel - then yes it is possible.
You would need to likely put a guide wire from the separate section .

Also the entire outside perimeter will need to include both sections.

FM252 · 02-03-2021 11:13am

Hi, I was planning on buying a Husqvarna and came across this thread. I noticed myrobotcentre has great deals with a limited sale?

Is it worth buying from this site instead of local dealership?
And as many are sold out, the best one for me would be the 430x which is capable of 3200m2.
However, my lawn is 1600m2. Is this overkill and should I just stick to something is my range.
Also, are these discounts limited or are constantly on myrobotcentre?

Any help would be appreciated for pros and cons or if I should bite the bullet and purchase.

Thanks again

odoliam · 02-03-2021 12:10pm

FM252 wrote: »

Hi, I was planning on buying a Husqvarna and came across this thread. I noticed myrobotcentre has great deals with a limited sale?

Is it worth buying from this site instead of local dealership?
And as many are sold out, the best one for me would be the 430x which is capable of 3200m2.
However, my lawn is 1600m2. Is this overkill and should I just stick to something is my range.
Also, are these discounts limited or are constantly on myrobotcentre?

Any help would be appreciated for pros and cons or if I should bite the bullet and purchase.

Thanks again

If you are happy/comfortable doing the install and doing a bit (sometimes a lot - depending on your patience during install) of fault finding, then buy online.
If you buy local, the cost is higher, but should come with an install service which will be guaranteed

As mentioned before, I bought from myrobotcentre and had no issues
Their offers do expire and change from what I've seen - I got a better deal mid-summer (so end of season) than is currently on their website

On the size question - bigger means less cutting time typically. Double sized is overkill, but if you can afford it, you'll barely notice the mower out.
I actually like to see the mower out and have no issue with - nor do the dog or chickens!!

FM252 · 02-03-2021 12:35pm

^^ Thanks! Well its a good deal compared to normal dealership so price comes close to what 420 would be and I'm willing to put in the ground work to save money.

The only other thing I have to think about is front and back lawn is separated by stone driveway. Not alot of loose stone so its a fairly surface or can be made to be if problems. Plenty of room for it to move between the two. However, it would be around 55 feet between the two. And that is the easiest route as beds, hedges trees is a divider.

Am I asking it to do too much of it? Should I consider getting two machines instead or maybe the 430x is perfect for the job?

Last question I swear!!

Thanks in advance!

odoliam · 02-03-2021 1:47pm

FM252 wrote: »

^^ Thanks! Well its a good deal compared to normal dealership so price comes close to what 420 would be and I'm willing to put in the ground work to save money.

The only other thing I have to think about is front and back lawn is separated by stone driveway. Not alot of loose stone so its a fairly surface or can be made to be if problems. Plenty of room for it to move between the two. However, it would be around 55 feet between the two. And that is the easiest route as beds, hedges trees is a divider.

Am I asking it to do too much of it? Should I consider getting two machines instead or maybe the 430x is perfect for the job?

Last question I swear!!

Thanks in advance!

Ha, no chance that'll be the last questions!

I have a similar requirement, but instead of gravel, I have a small grass section down the side of the house. Most mowers would "not" be able to traverse it as it was 0.5metres wide at best, but some would.
I decided to go with 2x mowers in the end as I thought while a mower "could" do it, I was adding more complexity to the whole situation.
I also found 2x Worx machines M500's on a good deal - cheaper than a Worx 1500, which I would have needed.
Small grass strip is now a flower bed

Overall, I'd recommend reducing complexity where you can

If you're set on Husqvarna's, then 2x 315 models would be perfect - but overall ~3 grand.
If open to Worx (been great for me so far and I have an overall lumpy, awkward garden with lots of angles and corners!) then I'd suggest 2x L1000 for a total of 2 grand. Include the ACS option if any of the lawns have lots of "furniture" and it simplifies the wire laying by just avoiding anything solid that is about a foot high

Or
Get Worx 2000 for 1300 quid, will do the gravel section, and save you a ton of cash!

louis346789 · 02-03-2021 2:07pm

Have the Stihl imow 632 for 2 years now. It's been a good investment but is struggling with 5000 m2. Going to use it exclusively for 2000 m2 plot this year
Am thinking of going for the ambrogio L350i.
Looks like costing 3500 euro. Will be on a 5000 m2 plot.
Any feedback would be welcome.

tedimc · 02-03-2021 6:49pm

louis346789 wrote: »

Have the Stihl imow 632 for 2 years now. It's been a good investment but is struggling with 5000 m2. Going to use it exclusively for 2000 m2 plot this year
Am thinking of going for the ambrogio L350i.
Looks like costing 3500 euro. Will be on a 5000 m2 plot.
Any feedback would be welcome.

No direct feedback, but I was talking to an Ambrogio dealer today and he was very positive about the L350i. He says they have sold a large number of them and it handles 7000m2 with ease. I was actually looking at the dearer 4.36 Elite and he was recommending this instead.

3500 seems like a good price - he was quoting 4000 even.

Bedouin79 · 02-03-2021 9:11pm

louis346789 wrote: »

Have the Stihl imow 632 for 2 years now. It's been a good investment but is struggling with 5000 m2. Going to use it exclusively for 2000 m2 plot this year
Am thinking of going for the ambrogio L350i.
Looks like costing 3500 euro. Will be on a 5000 m2 plot.
Any feedback would be welcome.

Have l250 elite plus it’s rated for 5000m2. I’ve it working in just over 4000m2 and it’s been great.

tedimc · 03-03-2021 12:11am

Has anyone teamed 2 or more mowers together?

If so, how do you organize the perimeter wires? Just link the docks in series?

And if so, how do you prevent both mowers trying to dock at the same unit?

My question is specific to Ambrogio - but I presume it is similar for other brands also.

blackbox · 03-03-2021 2:35pm

tedimc wrote: »

Has anyone teamed 2 or more mowers together?

If so, how do you organize the perimeter wires? Just link the docks in series?

And if so, how do you prevent both mowers trying to dock at the same unit?

My question is specific to Ambrogio - but I presume it is similar for other brands also.

I've never heard of anyone doing what you describe. Normally if someone has two automowers they are for completely separate areas.

odoliam · 03-03-2021 2:48pm

tedimc wrote: »

Has anyone teamed 2 or more mowers together?

If so, how do you organize the perimeter wires? Just link the docks in series?

And if so, how do you prevent both mowers trying to dock at the same unit?

My question is specific to Ambrogio - but I presume it is similar for other brands also.

Always interesting to understand everyones different requirements
Never seen or heard this before, but I guess it could be done

What's your thinking behind it...the why?

I'd say the easiest way I can think of is lay 2 sets of perimeter wire for each mower, side-by-side. The the mower should just bump into and avoid the wrong charging base?....."should"

KCross · 03-03-2021 2:53pm

I'd say two perimeter wires would interfere with each other so I dont think that would work.

Two base stations on the one wire definitely wont work for some of the robots out there as the wire is powered by the base station and the base station sends additional signals on that wire for things like calling the mower back to the base.

So, if its possible to have two mowers on the same perimeter wire I think it would need to be something that the manufacturer specifically designed in. Not something you can hack together.

If Ambrogio dont have it mentioned in their manual or literature then I'd say its safe to say it wont work cleanly.

tedimc · 03-03-2021 3:28pm

KCross wrote: »

I'd say two perimeter wires would interfere with each other so I dont think that would work.

Two base stations on the one wire definitely wont work for some of the robots out there as the wire is powered by the base station and the base station sends additional signals on that wire for things like calling the mower back to the base.

So, if its possible to have two mowers on the same perimeter wire I think it would need to be something that the manufacturer specifically designed in. Not something you can hack together.

If Ambrogio dont have it mentioned in their manual or literature then I'd say its safe to say it wont work cleanly.

Thanks all - Ambrogio have a system called Infinity+ which allows two compatible mowers to work on a single area. They communicate in real time and won’t overlap on areas already completed. Apart from that - tech details are very limited. I’ve a large area to mow - circa 14k m2 across 5 areas. I wasn’t willing to splurge €14k on a single L400 unit, so am going to start with two Elite 4.36 units. When all landscaping works are complete, I may get another unit if needed.

I suppose I could assign different areas, but the majority of meterage is in the front lawn area so I may have to partition that. I was hoping I could team the two ( or three) units to all work together across the whole space.

Happy_Harry · 03-03-2021 7:08pm

From reading here ,I think my heart is set on a Landroid M700 ( size of lawn just over 500m2)

Some very specific questions- hope someone with a similar robot and challenges can help me.

1. My lawn borders on a field with cattle. These animals are very nosey and just wondering if anyone has experience - they typically push their noses through the wired fence to eat my grass for example- will they want to "play" with the robot ?
Cattle.jpg

2. There is the dreaded trampoline. I would like the robot to cut below it. Will I just encase the feet with some timber ? What will happen if the robot bumps into it ?
trampoline.jpg

3. I have a sleeper in the lawn acting as a retaining "wall" on a sloped part of the garden to bring it in line with the raised back lawn. The sleeper(s) start off at a height of about 45 cm and then at the top of the slope it barely sticks out of the grass for a length of about 80 cm. With my current mower I can go over it no problem. Can I use this 80 cm as if it was grass ( I would never cut the gras low) and guide the robot as per the picture where red lines are the boundary wire ?
border1.jpg

4. The biggest challenge is in the front lawns I think. I have post and rail fencing with grass on both sides. The lowest rails is only 22 cm high- will the robot be able to go under it ?
If not, I would not mind so much to manually cut the small sliver of grass of one side. How does it deal with the posts - will it just bump of it ?
fence.jpg

Finally- I would need it to go under the rails at one side, go over a bit of gravel and go under the rails at the other side to reach the other frontlawn. The rail in the fence here is about 30 cm high. I checked the gravel and it is not that solid as I expected . Will the robot manage in gravel ? and (how) will it know not to start mowing the gravel ? Picture has in red how I would put the wire down.
zones.jpg

I know loads of questions, but really tempted to avail of the € 749 offer right now for the new model, just need to have 90% confidence it will work in my garden.

krissovo · 03-03-2021 7:33pm

Hey Harry - I have a couple of Landroids in my garden a L2000 and a S300

Q1 - I had to put a hedge line between the cattle field, firstly the chewed through the perimeter wire and second they would nudge the Landroid and prevent the landroid getting home to charge (quite rare)

Q2 - The landroid will just navigate around the trampoline and cut underneath, you may need to cable tie a bit of 2x4 the metal bar on the floor if it is not high enough to catch the mower.

Q3 - It should work ok, worse case scenario you could level it out using a plastic mesh and sand

Q4 - You need 30 cm for the landroid if I recall my fence but I will check tonight. The mower just bumps off the post no problem

Q5 - I did the same as you , well nearly my crossing was within the boundary and it worked.....of sorts but it drove me crazy and I bought a second mower. If you want to attempt it you need a gravel stabilizer and a very low slope ramps with decent grip but it will fail to doc from time to time and the courier/kids/wife will hit it as some point.

Happy_Harry · 03-03-2021 8:23pm

Yes, was thinking the cattle may provide a serious challenge. I was even thinking of laying the wire in a duct. I guess though 26 cm in from the fence and hiding it should be ok. More worried about their curiosity about the robot itself.

4. Dimensions (online) only state 20.5 cm height, so would be great if you could check and also tell me which height for which model that you have.

I guess worst case I will lay the boundary wire just on the other side of the fences and the robot will bounce off and I cut the front bit manually. height is more important for the Q5 scenario where it needs to be able to go under the rail on both sides to reach the other side.

5. I will probably just give it a go and see if it works or drives me crazy as well.. I can't justify buying a robot for 120sqm. The traffic here is very limited, indeed courier is the issue I guess. Perhaps I can program it to cut the other patch only after 6 PM or so ?

I guess it boils down whether it can go under the fence or not.

Do you have a well manicured flat lawn or is it a bit bumpy in places too- like mine ? How do your robots handle that ? And there is a lot of talk of lines from the robot driving back home along the boundary wire ? Is that really an issue ?

I really appreciate your help..

Happy_Harry · 03-03-2021 11:35pm

Took the plunge and ordered the M700 2.0 as I believe was a real special offer at €749 and ending today.. It is on pre-order anyway and have 14 days to cancel.. just didn't want to miss on a good deal. The previous model is £799 at amazon and has not been below €750 for all of 2020.

I guess I will somehow have to make it work , despite some of the challenges, but would still be good to know what height it is in advance.
To be continued I guess..

listermint · 03-03-2021 11:40pm

Lurching wrote: »

It's only the frost that would worry me. Not sure how much they like it.
Is it only the battery that can fail if it gets cold (Husq 430X)?

Look no offence. But I've been completely Lazare fair with my mower for its over three year ownership.

It's as good now as when installed. Pay no attention to weather suffice to say turning it off during winter months. Mine had a small roof over it home made to prevent sun ruining the plastic paint. Other than that nothing.

We live in an extremely temperature climate that simply doesn't suffer from extremes.

slayer91 · 03-03-2021 11:47pm

Hi,

In the same boat as yourself, I ordered a M700 2021 Model on Monday from myrobotcenter.eu but it was 669e. I see you mention that your model is a M700 2.0.

As we have to wait until the 15th March for dispatch, I am just wondering if I have ordered an 'older model' ?

Regards

Liam

Happy_Harry · 04-03-2021 12:08am

Hi,

In the same boat as yourself, I ordered a M700 2021 Model on Monday from myrobotcenter.eu but it was 669e. I see you mention that your model is a M700 2.0.

As we have to wait until the 15th March for dispatch, I am just wondering if I have ordered an 'older model' ?

I think so, I saw the M700 WR142E indeed for 669, and I think that the "2021 model" either is a mistake or perhaps some minor upgrade from the same 2020 model ? Maybe write to them to clarify ?

If you go on the product page of the m700 2.0 , scroll down to questions and there is one..describing the difference between both models.

As we mentioned in our product description - these are the differences: How does the new Worx M700 2.0 differ from the previous M700? The special features of the new Worx models of this season are the support with Wi-Fi and now also via Bluetooth. The new blade disc design automatically raises the blades when the Worx Landroid 167E encounters an obstacle such as small stones or bumps. With its IPX5 waterproof body, it is easy to clean. According to the specifications of the manufacturer, it can now be cleaned with a garden

I think this one also produces less DB..

I now see the offer of 749 indeed ended 3 March (CET timezone) and price is back at 899
Update : Back at €749 for anyone interested

krissovo · 04-03-2021 9:37am

Happy_Harry wrote: »

Yes, was thinking the cattle may provide a serious challenge. I was even thinking of laying the wire in a duct. I guess though 26 cm in from the fence and hiding it should be ok. More worried about their curiosity about the robot itself.

4. Dimensions (online) only state 20.5 cm height, so would be great if you could check and also tell me which height for which model that you have.

I guess worst case I will lay the boundary wire just on the other side of the fences and the robot will bounce off and I cut the front bit manually. height is more important for the Q5 scenario where it needs to be able to go under the rail on both sides to reach the other side.

5. I will probably just give it a go and see if it works or drives me crazy as well.. I can't justify buying a robot for 120sqm. The traffic here is very limited, indeed courier is the issue I guess. Perhaps I can program it to cut the other patch only after 6 PM or so ?

I guess it boils down whether it can go under the fence or not.

Do you have a well manicured flat lawn or is it a bit bumpy in places too- like mine ? How do your robots handle that ? And there is a lot of talk of lines from the robot driving back home along the boundary wire ? Is that really an issue ?

I really appreciate your help..

The height of my fence rail is ~25 cm's, this gives me a couple of centimeters clearance. I did have a couple of lower spots that used to press the stop button when it went under but I raised these and all good now.

My lawn looks manicured thanks to the bots but reality is that there are bumps all over, if you ran across the lawn at some point you would be taken off balance. The bots do fine, they do occasionally hit a small bump and stop and turn but they cover the area fine eventually.

There are lines on the boundary, nothing major in most cases and I dont really notice them. The big problem is with angles on the boundary and when wet the landroid cuts up the grass so keep the boundary as smooth as possible and you can prevent that. In the areas where I have no choice I use plastic mesh and that stops the landroid cutting up the grass, its soon hidden into the grass and you will never know its there. I will grab some pictures later if that helps.

Happy_Harry · 04-03-2021 11:16am

krissovo wrote: »

The height of my fence rail is ~25 cm's, this gives me a couple of centimeters clearance. I did have a couple of lower spots that used to press the stop button when it went under but I raised these and all good now.

My lawn looks manicured thanks to the bots but reality is that there are bumps all over, if you ran across the lawn at some point you would be taken off balance. The bots do fine, they do occasionally hit a small bump and stop and turn but they cover the area fine eventually.

There are lines on the boundary, nothing major in most cases and I dont really notice them. The big problem is with angles on the boundary and when wet the landroid cuts up the grass so keep the boundary as smooth as possible and you can prevent that. In the areas where I have no choice I use plastic mesh and that stops the landroid cutting up the grass, its soon hidden into the grass and you will never know its there. I will grab some pictures later if that helps.

Thanks for that.. I have taken the plunge, so now I just need to be creative to make it work. I will expect I have similar issues where it could start cutting up the grass.. that is a great idea with the mesh...

Do you have any manholes in the lawn ? I have 2 but as my current mower takes no issue with it and they are slightly lower than the grass I doubt the bot will have an issue just going over ?Any way of finding out out before laying down the wire ?

odoliam · 04-03-2021 11:21am

I have a manhole that is quite a dip and was very surprised that my M500 never had an issue, yet struggles in a random relatively flat corner! lol

Definitely cut the grass lower before first start to give you the best chance to see where the issues are and get the bot free before the grass grows too fast again

krissovo · 04-03-2021 12:06pm

Happy_Harry wrote: »

Do you have any manholes in the lawn ? I have 2 but as my current mower takes no issue with it and they are slightly lower than the grass I doubt the bot will have an issue just going over ?Any way of finding out out before laying down the wire ?

If a tennis ball can roll over it the landriod can navigate it, the casters are about the size of a tennis ball so its a useful guide I find.

horseireland · 04-03-2021 7:21pm

Good evening
Has the Huskie 430x gone up in price from local dealers in the last 12mths. 500 more expensive than may..

septicsac · 06-03-2021 12:25am

Whats the best non brand blades out there for a Husky 450X? Got some off amazon b4, were ok, but not wonderful.

caddy16 · 06-03-2021 12:38am

Hey folks, for anyone with an Ambrogio and slopes did you get the toothed wheel or is it needed?

FM252 · 06-03-2021 5:01pm

odoliam wrote: »

Overall, I'd recommend reducing complexity where you can

If you're set on Husqvarna's, then 2x 315 models would be perfect - but overall ~3 grand.

So in the end I went for the 430x. I could not resist the deal of 2495 and liked the features including having 2 guide wires.

Going to sweep some of my gravel to give it a better chance and then run the guide wire out between boundary wire on driveway 2 feet apart. Then program it to start mowing after 40ft of following guide wire to area 2 etc. Hopefully, this will stop it mowing on driveway. Also read that making entrance to driveway passageway a little more narrow than 2 feet makes it highly unlikely that when in area 1 that it will enter driveway to cut. Will only enter with guide wire.

So my hope is it will only use driveway while getting to pre programed start point and then when needing to be charged when again it looks for guide wire and I presume it will not be mowing at the stage of it's process.

chelseavera · 06-03-2021 7:30pm

There's very few posts on this great thread about the Honda Miimo. I'll be buying in a month or so and had been leaning towards Ambrogio. It's just I get a better vibe from the guy selling the Miimo. I'd be availing of the installation service - so I'm best buying from a dealer. So! Honda Miimo (4000sqm) opinions?

Moreilly · 06-03-2021 7:50pm

Getting "cutting system blocked" error constantly on 430x , there is nothing there. Bought it in germany just under 2 years ago so it's still just under warranty. I remember at the time i looked into warranty and made the purchase knowing i could bring it to a local dealer if there was issues, did anybody have to do this yet ?

KCross · 06-03-2021 8:21pm

Moreilly wrote: »

Getting "cutting system blocked" error constantly on 430x , there is nothing there. Bought it in germany just under 2 years ago so it's still just under warranty. I remember at the time i looked into warranty and made the purchase knowing i could bring it to a local dealer if there was issues, did anybody have to do this yet ?

Does it spin freely? When you spin it by hand it should keep spinning on its own.

When it fires up does it sound normal?

Warranty should be fine with local dealer as long as you have proof of purchase.

Moreilly · 06-03-2021 8:33pm

KCross wrote: »

Does it spin freely? When you spin it by hand it should keep spinning on its own.

When it fires up does it sound normal?

Warranty should be fine with local dealer as long as you have proof of purchase.

It spins 'fairly' freely, spins for two or three seconds on it's own. contacted the local dealer earlier and got this

"due to the high volume of repairs that we are receiving at the moment, we are only repairing Automowers that we sold. Provided that they are in Ireland, the agent who originally sold the unit to you should be able to look after you, particularly if it is still under warranty."

Shaunoc · 06-03-2021 8:46pm

Moreilly wrote:

It spins 'fairly' freely, spins for two or three seconds on it's own. contacted the local dealer earlier and got this

Should spin longer. Have you stripped down to what you can?

KCross · 06-03-2021 8:53pm

Moreilly wrote: »

It spins 'fairly' freely, spins for two or three seconds on it's own. contacted the local dealer earlier and got this

"due to the high volume of repairs that we are receiving at the moment, we are only repairing Automowers that we sold. Provided that they are in Ireland, the agent who originally sold the unit to you should be able to look after you, particularly if it is still under warranty."

It’s a European warranty. Husqvarna are obliged to fix it. I’d contact Husqvarna in Dublin and complain. Liffey Distributors.

The dealer can, of course, put you at the end of the queue which is basically what he has said. He hasn’t actually refused to fix it. That is the downside of importing.

jprboy · 07-03-2021 12:22am

Moreilly wrote: »

Getting "cutting system blocked" error constantly on 430x , there is nothing there. Bought it in germany just under 2 years ago so it's still just under warranty. I remember at the time i looked into warranty and made the purchase knowing i could bring it to a local dealer if there was issues, did anybody have to do this yet ?

If you haven't already done so you should do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wEYoCLpetg

Gickyk · 09-03-2021 4:36pm

4head wrote: »

Hi Guys, so the mower has arrived and appears undamaged. I haven't ran it yet as the weather is truly godawful for that craic.

During my research of Mygermany, I had estimated the weight and size of parcel at 10kg which I was thinking would cost me 4o-50 euro. However, I got a nasty shock as the actual weight was 19 kg and the cost was €200!!! A lot of my saving gone right there. My options were to kick up on price but they had my parcel and I had already paid Roboexpert €800. My bad that I didn't factor in enough for the base station and install kit in the overall weight. I could also have explored returning the goods but I wanted it so I bit the bullet and paid.

When estimating the cost, from memory, the cheapest carrier were UPS but I believe they may have issues with the batteries so Fedex was the cheapest option when the goods had actually been weighed and checked in at mygermany.

Total cost of €1000 and the delivery was actually quicker than I thought, about 10 days from ordering.

In conclusion, this was as much about my mental health during lockdown, managing after brexit and the virus mutations with the knock on effects on border checks. It's still winter and my garden will need to be significantly altered with new seeding etc but I knda had to have the mower as I'm sure a number of you will appreciate!! At best I may have saved 2-300 euro, at worst I have financially broken even but any goodwill is lost with local supplier should issues arise.

No issues with mygermany or roboexpert but perhaps its best to get definitive weight from supplier and definitive price from mygermany although that may prove difficult in current climate as they are busy busy.

I will set it up in a reduced garden area over the coming weeks and continue to alter the garden with a view to extending its range in due course.

Hope this is helpful and I look forward to hearing how ye get on.

So my 450x is finally here

With delays due to weather and Covid it took about a month from when I placed my order!. I did request consolidation of 2 of the three packages (the house and a large installation kit) so was expecting delays. Cost of shipment was about €35 for these two items through UPS. The mower itself I also went with UPS and insured the contents total cost roughly €75 - no issue with shipping the battery. UPS service was swift (4-5 days) once mygermany got the packages to them. All and all I would recommend mygermany they have a good customer care service which I truly teated!. The only downside so far to buying from roboexpert.de was that the manual doesn't come in English (available online) and the charging station is a European plug (€10 fix). Reckon we easily saved about €900 - €1,000 all in all ... now to get it up and running!!

its1970 · 11-03-2021 5:35pm

Gickyk wrote: »

So my 450x is finally here With delays due to weather and Covid it took about a month from when I placed my order!. I did request consolidation of 2 of the three packages (the house and a large installation kit) so was expecting delays. Cost of shipment was about €35 for these two items through UPS. The mower itself I also went with UPS and insured the contents total cost roughly €75 - no issue with shipping the battery. UPS service was swift (4-5 days) once mygermany got the packages to them. All and all I would recommend mygermany they have a good customer care service which I truly teated!. The only downside so far to buying from roboexpert.de was that the manual doesn't come in English (available online) and the charging station is a European plug (€10 fix). Reckon we easily saved about €900 - €1,000 all in all ... now to get it up and running!!

How did you get UPS to ship, when I go to mygermany the UPS shipping states no lithium batteries? many thanks

Moreilly · 12-03-2021 10:04am

jprboy wrote: »

If you haven't already done so you should do this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wEYoCLpetg

had spotted hat video on youtube, all was fine though. strange thing is the next day i started the mower and all was fine - never stopped once and has been running fine ever since, i remember last season i had something similar happen.

the guarantee is out in a just over a month and im hoping all will be well after that, i sent two messages to husqvarna via their facebook page regarding the guarantee for mowers bought abroad (which i know are covered here) and the silence was deafening......

Mango Joe · 12-03-2021 12:58pm

listermint wrote: »

What size and make up is her lawn would be a better question.

Yes husqvarna are indeed the name at the moment. They are great mowers the higher end ones pack all sorts of features. Some nonessential like lights and GPS. But they come at the price of a second hand car.

My own lawn is around 1050 sq meteres. L shaped a bunch of island trees / bushes not completely flat it's undulating but no major slopes. Some sections have narrow entrances and so forth.

I purchased the McCullogh Rob1000 a few months ago. McCullogh are a subsidiary of husqvarna and the mower has husqvarna parts inside including its battery and the branded charging unit . I bought it for an absolute steal of £544.99 on an Amazon deal. It has a pin security system it is rated for 1000 sq meters of lawn. It doesn't have GPS or an app. But being honest it doesn't need it. The point of these is to setup and let them at it. They cut in random patterns and charge themselves then go again.

As my lawn is L shaped I have the guide wire ran from one side of it round to the other and the mower is programmed to launch off the guide wire around the corner for a percentage of the time to insure it cuts the larger area more regularly than the smaller area .

The cut is fantastic my lawn has improved in the short time I've had it. The only things I've had to do is pull a palm leaf out from the blades when it ran over and stopped the mower. And de-ice the wheels because seriously some may not believe me but the wheel threads iced up on some dew a few weeks back and ice formed. The mower got no traction and stopped on the spot and turned itself off. I'm sure it would have melted in the day time heat but I found it funny for Wicklow weather with no snow.

So my point.

I've had a superb experience with the mower , it cost me a fraction of the husqi retail price and frankly the outcome is probably the same.

Il stop now before I sound like a McCullough evangelist but I can't help recommending it based on value for money and my own experience.

And one other thing at the price point it's expensive for some but not worth bothering my house insurance about.

Listermint if you happen to see this post thanks for all of the above help and advice & for any of the rest of you on here that bought a McCulloch I'd be very grateful if you could please share your thoughts.

I'm going to order an Automower of some description in the next week or so & I was wondering if any of you that bought the any of the McCulloch machines (Thinking of the Rob1000 or close to it) would mind letting me know how they have held up in the few years since?

I'd actually order one today on the basis of it being a rebadged Huskie - But I'm concerned re the few cases on this thread where the PCB / Electronics had been affected by slugs /weathering?

Hoping this was a recognised issue that was engineered out since?

To be honest I'd prefer to pay more on day one than to snag a bargain and have to be replacing fried electrics every so often.

My parents have a Huskie for 10 years or so and a poor attempt at a little shelter for it and the base station has been flawless throughout.....

My grass area is just under the 1000m2, all flat - Is it good advice to go a model up so the machine isn't over extending itself or do the manufacturer's size them fairly well - ie will a 1000m2 model cover it comfortably without shortening the life of machine and components?

Great to have a little community on here with such good help and advice! - Thanks all.

listermint · 12-03-2021 1:15pm

Only problem I've had was the PCB and the slug and tbh that's such a freak incident I don't think it's the mowers fault. The PCB was weatherproofed and varnished and inside the housing. This isn't a McCulloch base station btw it's a husqvarna one used on lots of their more expensive models. I replaced the board and it worked immediately.

I've placed the station now on a bed of stones rather than the grass patch it was on to make the slugs less happy to cross.

.other than above I'd recommend them any day for simply care free lawn maintenance.

limerickpat · 13-03-2021 12:33am

Any advice appreciated on a problem im having

I have a 2018 husqvarna 430x, I took it out from winter storage and got the flashing blue light. I tried swapping boundary wires with guide wires to no avail.
I have between 6 and 8 ohms resistance between all wires.
I reset guide wire in security settings.
I have 24 volts between al and ar terminals on the base.
I made up a bit of wire about 40 metres long and joined to al and ar and still have the flashing blue led.

The mower actually worked for a couple of days but didnt find its way home to charge once or twice. Now its telling me no guide wire.

Have I missed something or is the charging station board gone?

4head · 13-03-2021 11:01am

Gickyk wrote: »

So my 450x is finally here With delays due to weather and Covid it took about a month from when I placed my order!. I did request consolidation of 2 of the three packages (the house and a large installation kit) so was expecting delays. Cost of shipment was about €35 for these two items through UPS. The mower itself I also went with UPS and insured the contents total cost roughly €75 - no issue with shipping the battery. UPS service was swift (4-5 days) once mygermany got the packages to them. All and all I would recommend mygermany they have a good customer care service which I truly teated!. The only downside so far to buying from roboexpert.de was that the manual doesn't come in English (available online) and the charging station is a European plug (€10 fix). Reckon we easily saved about €900 - €1,000 all in all ... now to get it up and running!!

Hi Gickyk, sounds like you fared better than me with delivery cost, 75 v 200 euro! My package was in 1 box mower, station and install kit. Weighed 19kg. Soumds like yours was heavier, any idea where the saving was made or was it down to timing? The new variant of covid had just emerged and i gather there was pandamonium at borders. Anyway, well done and i would like to get a better understaning of the viability of mygermany going forward. Good luck with the mower! Mine is still in the garage in the box!!

KCross · 13-03-2021 11:58am

limerickpat wrote: »

Any advice appreciated on a problem im having

...
I made up a bit of wire about 40 metres long and joined to al and ar and still have the flashing blue led.

The mower actually worked for a couple of days but didnt find its way home to charge once or twice. Now its telling me no guide wire.

Have I missed something or is the charging station board gone?

Based on the test you’ve done I’d say the docking station board is gone. I’ve been there!

They are a weak spot along with the transformer powering it. Any current spikes and they get into trouble.

Into the dealer I’d say is your next step. €170ish for new board, if it’s that.

Have you got a surge protector on the transformer? If not, get one.

My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

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