My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

joebre

Found that I posted some time ago about Eco Mode but no definite solution !
Set Eco Mode in the App recently.
Parked mower overnight and set to go out through the App this morning. Don't know if it left the charging station or went out and back immediately ?
Eco Mode in now turned off.
Mower indicates no problem in charging station but will not leave.
If trying to start manually outside the station, it will report that Eco Mode is enabled.
Worryingly, I have a blue flashing light.
Guy was working in the garden yesterday and may have damaged the cable ?
Don't know if I have to look for a break or not ?

murfler

joebre wrote: »

Found that I posted some time ago about Eco Mode but no definite solution !
Set Eco Mode in the App recently.
Parked mower overnight and set to go out through the App this morning. Don't know if it left the charging station or went out and back immediately ?
Eco Mode in now turned off.
Mower indicates no problem in charging station but will not leave.
If trying to start manually outside the station, it will report that Eco Mode is enabled.
Worryingly, I have a blue flashing light.
Guy was working in the garden yesterday and may have damaged the cable ?
Don't know if I have to look for a break or not ?

I know this sounds simple but have you tried unplugging base station for a minute or two and plugging back in? Turn off your mower fully also and then turn back on, try this a few times if it's still saying Eco mode enabled and bring mower out on lawn and turn on and instruct it to cut on main area from the keypad on mower..

Mango Joe

joebre wrote: »

Found that I posted some time ago about Eco Mode but no definite solution !
Set Eco Mode in the App recently.
Parked mower overnight and set to go out through the App this morning. Don't know if it left the charging station or went out and back immediately ?
Eco Mode in now turned off.
Mower indicates no problem in charging station but will not leave.
If trying to start manually outside the station, it will report that Eco Mode is enabled.
Worryingly, I have a blue flashing light.
Guy was working in the garden yesterday and may have damaged the cable ?
Don't know if I have to look for a break or not ?

You've a Husqvarna 315x isn't it?

The aptly named flashing blue light of terror means:

1. Loop Circuit continuity issue - ie break in the cable
2. Faulty transformer.
3. Issue with charging station circuit board.

2 & 3 are much less likely in your timeframe of ownership.

Seeing as you've mentioned that fella hacking lumps out of your garden yesterday then I'd say its a pretty safe bet as to what's wrong here....Retrace his steps.

*** PS There was someone on here who mentioned having a quirky issue where the blue light could only be cleared by unplugging the transformer for 5 mins and then retrying - worth a go first. This isn't a "by design behaviour" just a design flaw.

murfler

Mango Joe wrote: »

You've a Husqvarna 315x isn't it?

The aptly named flashing blue light of terror means:

1. Loop Circuit continuity issue - ie break in the cable
2. Faulty transformer.
3. Issue with charging station circuit board.

2 & 3 are much less likely in your timeframe of ownership.

Seeing as you've mentioned that fella hacking lumps out of your garden yesterday then I'd say its a pretty safe bet as to what's wrong here....Retrace his steps.

*** PS There was someone on here who mentioned having a quirky issue where the blue light could only be cleared by unplugging the transformer for 5 mins and then retrying - worth a go first. This isn't a "by design behaviour" just a design flaw.

Good advice, I would strongly recommend plugging out base station for a couple of minutes and then plug back in..turn off mower and then turn it back on, it should clear..try a few times and if that doesn't work physically push mower into charge station and try get it to work from your phone app.
I have had the Flashing blue light many a time when it's set in Eco Mode and I pick up my mower when it's out working to clean or whatever...when I try get it back mowing I get the Flashing Blue light and it says Eco Mode activated on screen..through trial and error I figured out the above steps clear it

listermint

Mango Joe wrote: »

You've a Husqvarna 315x isn't it?

The aptly named flashing blue light of terror means:

1. Loop Circuit continuity issue - ie break in the cable
2. Faulty transformer.
3. Issue with charging station circuit board.

2 & 3 are much less likely in your timeframe of ownership.

Seeing as you've mentioned that fella hacking lumps out of your garden yesterday then I'd say its a pretty safe bet as to what's wrong here....Retrace his steps.

*** PS There was someone on here who mentioned having a quirky issue where the blue light could only be cleared by unplugging the transformer for 5 mins and then retrying - worth a go first. This isn't a "by design behaviour" just a design flaw.

Also make sure the guide wire is not crossing over itself. Or the left and right on the back of the base station isn't mixed up and crossing over each other.

Ferns83

Hi all,

1st time posting in this thread so apologies if I am in the wrong area.

I would be very grateful for some advice.

This is a long running saga so apologies for the long rant.

I purchased a flymo 1200r late 2019 from Amazon uk.

I installed in early 2020 and it ran flawlessly for the year. Except for 1 wire repair when a root pushed up the wire and the mower cut it.

I put the mower inside in the shed for winter 2020 and left the base station connected outside.

I tried to restart recently but was with a flashing blue light on base station which means there is an issue with the loop.

I tracked the wire with an AM radio and found no break.

Using a voltmeter I then:

Checked voltage at transformer and got 28 volts.

Checked voltage at base station entry and got 28 volts.

Did continuity test on perimeter and guide wire and got continuity.

Did resistance test on perimeter and guide wire and got 4 ohms.

Finally I made a small loop using spare wire and connected it to base station terminals but still have a flashing blue light. I assumed this loop may not be long enough so repeated the loop using a spare roll with approx 50 meters on it. Still have flashing blue light.


I am convinced the issue is with the base station and not the loop wire.

Spoke to Amazon yesterday and they will give me a full refund as it is under 2 year warranty. I wanted a replacement but no longer have 1200r in stock.

Looking at other movers they are much more expensive than original price paid.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

KCross

The primary test, is the one which you have done, which is to put a fresh piece of loop wire across the terminals to rule out your actual boundary wire as the root cause.

So it sounds like the base station alright. The motherboard probably needs replacing.

obi604

Silly question time

In regard to these lawnmowers, do they have a bag that collects the grass? I think not but just checking

or are they just consistently cutting the lawn daily so that no bag is needed i.e is there anything to rake up at all?

Josieg

obi604 wrote: »

Silly question time

In regard to these lawnmowers, do they have a bag that collects the grass? I think not but just checking

or are they just consistently cutting the lawn daily so that no bag is needed i.e is there anything to rake up at all?

No, its cuts so regularlythat all you get are really fine clipping that fall into the lawn and disappear feeding the grass in the process! Although I find if I leave it too long between cuts during growing season due to heavy rain for days on end I might rake the longer grass left after a cut.

obi604

Josieg wrote: »

No, its cuts so regularlythat all you get are really fine clipping that fall into the lawn and disappear feeding the grass in the process! Although I find if I leave it too long between cuts during growing season due to heavy rain for days on end I might rake the longer grass left after a cut.

noted. how often do they do their job?


Is it like every3/4 days. work one day, then rest for 3/4 days. then back at it again. or you can program it to do it daily etc

KCross

obi604 wrote: »

noted. how often do they do their job?


Is it like every3/4 days. work one day, then rest for 3/4 days. then back at it again. or you can program it to do it daily etc

Very much a depends thing, but usually daily with maybe some days where you dont send it out. Its all setup via timers and it depends on the mower you have and the size/complexity of your lawn and grass growth.

obi604

KCross wrote: »

Very much a depends thing, but usually daily with maybe some days where you dont send it out. Its all setup via timers and it depends on the mower you have and the size/complexity of your lawn and grass growth.

thanks for info.

on the battery size of these things, I know all different sizes and prices etc but what are the from and to battery sizes?



I guess they would do a few hours cutting before having to recharge

KCross

obi604 wrote: »

on the battery size of these things, I know all different sizes and prices etc but what are the from and to battery sizes?

I guess they would do a few hours cutting before having to recharge

They dont advertise on battery size... you've spent too much time in the EV forum!

They advertise them based on the max m² that the mower is rated for. That value is based on more than just battery size.... cutting width, speed it travels at etc. So, the battery isnt the thing that matters.... its the m² that matters.

As a reference, mine charges for ~1hr and cuts for ~2-3hrs but each one will be different, of course.

obi604

KCross wrote: »

They dont advertise on battery size... you've spent too much time in the EV forum!

They advertise them based on the max m² that the mower is rated for. That value is based on more than just battery size.... cutting width, speed it travels at etc. So, the battery isnt the thing that matters.... its the m² that matters.

As a reference, mine charges for ~1hr and cuts for ~2-3hrs but each one will be different, of course.

Lol. True.
Yeah, I was looking for something like a 1kw battery or something

witnessmenow

We've had some issues with dog poo before, but this was a new one



I have no idea how it happened

PuddingBreath

i ordered a worx off MyRobotcenter last weekend. so now on 5th working day. still saying in process in the account overview. delivery time is stated as 4 days from day ordered. i contacted them earlier in the week about getting a heads up on shipping, delivery and if they provide a tracking number, no reply. a bit concerened now, i'm thinking of cancelling and buying in a local B&Q or somewhere. has anyone dealt with them recently ? bunged off an email again there now for an update

afatbollix

witnessmenow wrote: »

We've had some issues with dog poo before, but this was a new one

Image/Dog Poo photo/Image

I have no idea how it happened

What do you do for dog poo? Thinking of getting one for my mother but she has two dogs and worried about the dog crap clogging it all up. But if it just scatters it could be a good solution to that too.

witnessmenow

afatbollix wrote: »

What do you do for dog poo? Thinking of getting one for my mother but she has two dogs and worried about the dog crap clogging it all up. But if it just scatters it could be a good solution to that too.

We have a pooper scooper thing that we we use every morning before it goes out and if we see the dogs going during the day we scoop it too. It's a long handled thing, kind of like this, but its made of plastic and we can put a small bin bag in it, I don't know where we got it though. We usually pick of a few days worth of stuff before changing the bag so its a pretty quick job.

There are plenty of times where we missed something or whatever and its no big deal, but I probably won't plan for there to be no plan for picking it up, if that makes sense. Depending on the consistency it would be more likely to push it around or smoosh it around.

krissovo

afatbollix wrote: »

What do you do for dog poo? Thinking of getting one for my mother but she has two dogs and worried about the dog crap clogging it all up. But if it just scatters it could be a good solution to that too.

Unless your dog has IBS or has a diet of vindaloo its not a problem. The mowers just largely ignores the turd and either bobbles over like its a twig or it might cut a piece off if I am using a low setting. The mower self cleans anyway by the constant cutting of grass. These are different to normal mowers that use the cutting blade like a propeller to "suck" the grass into the blade, they can get messy!

I check every day or so and use an old ball thrower to flick the turd into a flower bed but its not really a problem if they are left.

joebre

Thanks to all who replied to my question about Eco Mode enabled.

No break found in cable.
Think the housing got a knock and one of the terminals was not making a proper connection.
Tightened the connection and working since.

listermint

Ferns83 wrote: »

Hi all,

1st time posting in this thread so apologies if I am in the wrong area.

I would be very grateful for some advice.

This is a long running saga so apologies for the long rant.

I purchased a flymo 1200r late 2019 from Amazon uk.

I installed in early 2020 and it ran flawlessly for the year. Except for 1 wire repair when a root pushed up the wire and the mower cut it.

I put the mower inside in the shed for winter 2020 and left the base station connected outside.

I tried to restart recently but was with a flashing blue light on base station which means there is an issue with the loop.

I tracked the wire with an AM radio and found no break.

Using a voltmeter I then:

Checked voltage at transformer and got 28 volts.

Checked voltage at base station entry and got 28 volts.

Did continuity test on perimeter and guide wire and got continuity.

Did resistance test on perimeter and guide wire and got 4 ohms.

Finally I made a small loop using spare wire and connected it to base station terminals but still have a flashing blue light. I assumed this loop may not be long enough so repeated the loop using a spare roll with approx 50 meters on it. Still have flashing blue light.


I am convinced the issue is with the base station and not the loop wire.

Spoke to Amazon yesterday and they will give me a full refund as it is under 2 year warranty. I wanted a replacement but no longer have 1200r in stock.

Looking at other movers they are much more expensive than original price paid.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

It will be your mother board. Mine broke because a slug had a death wish and fried himself by eating through the board's lacquer and bridging a resistor.

New board 80 bills from France. Working perfectly now

PuddingBreath

PuddingBreath wrote: »

i ordered a worx off MyRobotcenter last weekend. so now on 5th working day. still saying in process in the account overview. delivery time is stated as 4 days from day ordered. i contacted them earlier in the week about getting a heads up on shipping, delivery and if they provide a tracking number, no reply. a bit concerened now, i'm thinking of cancelling and buying in a local B&Q or somewhere. has anyone dealt with them recently ? bunged off an email again there now for an update

just as a warning to others, an update on my order from MyRobotCenter.
they're showing what i ordered off them as in stock now for over a week. We were last in contact with them yesterday. They said they don't have them in stock. we asked if they would ship it via express shipping by way of an apology as we were expecting it to arrive thursday the 13th(as per their website's delivery times).

they wouldn't even do that so we'll be cancelling the order monday. i wouldn't use them again for anything.

spose

It’s a pity myrobotcentre performance is poor. I’ve ordered off them 4 or 5 times over the years and always been excellent...shipped straight away. Had one technical problem while in warranty and the machine was collected and returned fixed no drama.

murfler

PuddingBreath wrote: »

just as a warning to others, an update on my order from MyRobotCenter.
they're showing what i ordered off them as in stock now for over a week. We were last in contact with them yesterday. They said they don't have them in stock. we asked if they would ship it via express shipping by way of an apology as we were expecting it to arrive thursday the 13th(as per their website's delivery times).

they wouldn't even do that so we'll be cancelling the order monday. i wouldn't use them again for anything.

Thanks for the heads up on your bot and also the tooth fairy

Gaffs89

Right lads,I've got an Ambrogio 20 elite a couple of months now.Delighted with it.Only one issue, I have a large flower bed wired off in the middle of the lawn,sometimes the Mower finds the wire around the flower bed instead of the perimeter wire when it's returning to the charger.The mower goes round the flower bed until I manually interrupt it.
Any ideas?

Bedouin79

Gaffs89 wrote: »

Right lads,I've got an Ambrogio 20 elite a couple of months now.Delighted with it.Only one issue, I have a large flower bed wired off in the middle of the lawn,sometimes the Mower finds the wire around the flower bed instead of the perimeter wire when it's returning to the charger.The mower goes round the flower bed until I manually interrupt it.
Any ideas?

Haven’t tried wiring off anything yet but my 2 cents would be maybe the wires aren’t close enough together for long enough before the flower bed. Having the wires doubled up a bit earlier on the perimeter may help.

Gaffs89

http://imgur.com/a/hi4ozFQ

If the Mower finds the flower bed wire first when it's time to return home.It just goes round in circles.
If it finds the perimeter it's grand.It just goes straight to the charger.

witnessmenow

Gaffs89 wrote: »

http://imgur.com/a/hi4ozFQ

If the Mower finds the flower bed wire first when it's time to return home.It just goes round in circles.
If it finds the perimeter it's grand.It just goes straight to the charger.

I had this exact same issue with a worx mower and I ended up widening the gap of the wires going to the "island" , so now it goes around the island on the way home. This does leave a patch of grass where the mower can't drive over, but it should get cut when your mower is doing the boundary

KCross

Gaffs89 wrote: »

If the Mower finds the flower bed wire first when it's time to return home.It just goes round in circles.
If it finds the perimeter it's grand.It just goes straight to the charger.

witnessmenow wrote: »

I had this exact same issue with a worx mower and I ended up widening the gap of the wires going to the "island" , so now it goes around the island on the way home. This does leave a patch of grass where the mower can't drive over, but it should get cut when your mower is doing the boundary

Thats a bit of a design gap, isnt it?

There must be a proper solution to that as a mower going around in circles and eventually going dead isnt good enough really. The whole idea is that you can let it at it and not have to keep rescuing it.

Any input from the dealer or manufacturer? Or the manual?

witnessmenow

KCross wrote: »

Thats a bit of a design gap, isnt it?

There must be a proper solution to that as a mower going around in circles and eventually going dead isnt good enough really. The whole idea is that you can let it at it and not have to keep rescuing it.

Any input from the dealer or manufacturer? Or the manual?

Worx told me to do this so I guess this is the solution

https://support.worx-europe.com/how-set-up-island

I have had this setup like basically all of last summer and it was no problem.

The mowers navigation is really simple, they basically have no idea where they are, they drive til the find the wire and follow it anti-clockwise til it finds home. When it finds the large island it doesn't know it's not the actual boundary. The only thing it could do software wise if there is was a max time to go home, and if it spent more than that going home it searched for a new boundary