My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

Annie1948

Hi, brand new here and hoping for some advice.
I need a new lawnmower and looking at the robotic ones. It seems to be a bit of a minefield and involves spending a lot of money!

I have been reading the posts here and husqvarna seems to be the most popular.

However wondering if anyone here got any experience of Ambrogio robot lawnmowers? We came across them and they seem to offer what we need but but as we haven't heard of them before now, a bit nervous. Wondering about things like servicing etc in the future. I suppose I am answering my own question!!!! But if anyone knows differently would appreciate advice. Thanks

padraig.od

Accidentally cut the 10m cable that attaches my transformer to my husqvarna base

Peppa Cig

padraig.od wrote: »

Accidentally cut the 10m cable that attaches my transformer to my husqvarna base

Easy done. Strimming in behind base?

What model do you have and how’s it going for you?

Did you find a cheaper alternative to Husqvarna perimeter wire?

padraig.od

I was installing it today. Had connected the transformer and buried the cable. I was using my lawnmower on the lowest setting so I could get my boundary wire down as close as possible and it caught the cable. Gutted. So stupid, I just wasn't paying attention.

I rang my local dealer, they won't be able to get a price for one until Monday. There are a few places that sell them online, but I'll see how the local fella gets on. Afraid I've somehow busted the transformer, or the base. I have no way to check.

Have a 430x. Purchased it almost exactly 2 years ago, but have been unable to install it until this spring for various reasons. I'm ploughing on with installing the boundary wire anyway.

That myrobotcentre price is the best value I can see. Thought I would need another medium installation kit, but I may get away with just the wire. I've asked my local fella to price me some of that too.

KCross

padraig.od wrote: »

I was installing it today. Had connected the transformer and buried the cable. I was using my lawnmower on the lowest setting so I could get my boundary wire down as close as possible and it caught the cable. Gutted. So stupid, I just wasn't paying attention.

I rang my local dealer, they won't be able to get a price for one until Monday. There are a few places that sell them online, but I'll see how the local fella gets on. Afraid I've somehow busted the transformer, or the base. I have no way to check.

Have a 430x. Purchased it almost exactly 2 years ago, but have been unable to install it until this spring for various reasons. I'm ploughing on with installing the boundary wire anyway.

That myrobotcentre price is the best value I can see. Thought I would need another medium installation kit, but I may get away with just the wire. I've asked my local fella to price me some of that too.

Could the wires be soldered and sealed?

The full transformer is about €200 from the main dealer!! I had to replace mine recently and thats what they quoted me. I got it under warranty after thankfully.

KCross

Peppa Cig wrote: »

But I think by activating this manual setting you need to turn off the GPS feature which seems to be a valuable feature also?

No, the GPS stays on.

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Also when laying the guidewire across the 70m non lawn field , does the guide wire need to be installed with boundary wire?

Yes. The guide wire cannot cross a boundary wire so you will lay out the boundary wire including a channel for the mower to go along to the second lawn and the guide wire goes between the two boundary wires in that channel so that the mower knows how to get there.

If you post a google map or a sketch of your layout I'll draw it out for you.

Peppa Cig

KCross wrote: »

Peppa Cig wrote: »

But I think by activating this manual setting you need to turn off the GPS feature which seems to be a valuable feature also?

No, the GPS stays on.

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Also when laying the guidewire across the 70m non lawn field , does the guide wire need to be installed with boundary wire?

Yes. The guide wire cannot cross a boundary wire so you will lay out the boundary wire including a channel for the mower to go along to the second lawn and the guide wire goes between the two boundary wires in that channel so that the mower knows how to get there.

If you post a google map or a sketch of your layout I'll draw it out for you.

Thanks for offer KCross but based on your info I think I have it figured now.

I measured perimeter today and I’m within the 800m limit including guide wires which is good.

Thanks for your advice

padraig.od

KCross wrote: »

Could the wires be soldered and sealed?

The full transformer is about €200 from the main dealer!! I had to replace mine recently and thats what they quoted me. I got it under warranty after thankfully.

Maybe, but I wouldn't be able for it. There are 60 strands in the cable. And whatever repairs would need to be waterproof. I'd rather just get a replacement

whippet

My automower has been slipping off parts of my lawn .. small steep slopes .. so I installed the all terrain wheels and brush kit yesterday .. so far so good and no slippages .. usually happened when the threads of the wheels were matted with wet grass.

Peppa Cig

KCross wrote: »

No, the GPS stays on.




Yes. The guide wire cannot cross a boundary wire so you will lay out the boundary wire including a channel for the mower to go along to the second lawn and the guide wire goes between the two boundary wires in that channel so that the mower knows how to get there.

If you post a google map or a sketch of your layout I'll draw it out for you.

Hi KCross. I'll take you up on offer above

Thinking Guide Wire 1 from base charge to Lawn 2 and same guide wire onto Lawn 3? I think from your previous comments I can manually program mower to tell it Lawn 2 xx metres from base charge and Lawn 3 xx metres from base charge along same guide wire?

Then Guide wire 2 from base charge to Lawn 4

I think I need guide wire 3 from base station onto lawn 1?

Narrow passage ways highlighted in yellow between lawns. How narrow can this be?

Would appreciate your comments

KCross

Peppa Cig wrote: »

But I think by activating this manual setting you need to turn off the GPS feature which seems to be a valuable feature also?

KCross wrote: »

No, the GPS stays on.

I'm going to correct myself here. You were correct, when you turn on GPS navigation you then cannot use the manual settings to tell it where each lawn is.

However, the idea is that with GPS on, it has an internal map of the lawn layout and doesnt need to be told how far along the guide wire to go before starting it.

I have GPS turned on and it works for me with two guide wires and it has to go through a narrow, short passage to get between the lawns.


If there are issues with the GPS you can always go back to manual settings and tell it how far to go to get to each lawn and what % of the time it should spend in each of those lawns. That system works too and it is what I initially used.

KCross

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Hi KCross. I'll take you up on offer above

Thinking Guide Wire 1 from base charge to Lawn 2 and same guide wire onto Lawn 3? I think from your previous comments I can manually program mower to tell it Lawn 2 xx metres from base charge and Lawn 3 xx metres from base charge along same guide wire?

Then Guide wire 2 from base charge to Lawn 4

I think I need guide wire 3 from base station onto lawn 1?

Narrow passage ways highlighted in yellow between lawns. How narrow can this be?

Would appreciate your comments

Yes, as you said, guide wire 1 (green) from docking station to lawn 2 and onto lawn 3.

Guide wire 2 (blue) to lawn 4.

I would connect the guide wire to the boundary wire at the furthest reaches of lawns 3 and 4. See attached.

You dont need a dedicated guide wire for lawn 1 as its where the docking station is. The Husqvarna only has 2 guide wires anyway and those two guide wires will be emanating from the docking station and going across lawn 1, so it will have no problem finding them to get home. The guide wires should take long sweeping routes across lawn 1 rather than straight lines.

The passages need to be 60cm+, but wider the better to prevent tracks being formed.

What will the passages be made of? Grass that has to be cut or something else?

Also, see previous post about GPS vs manual settings.

Peppa Cig

KCross wrote: »

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Hi KCross. I'll take you up on offer above

Thinking Guide Wire 1 from base charge to Lawn 2 and same guide wire onto Lawn 3? I think from your previous comments I can manually program mower to tell it Lawn 2 xx metres from base charge and Lawn 3 xx metres from base charge along same guide wire?

Then Guide wire 2 from base charge to Lawn 4

I think I need guide wire 3 from base station onto lawn 1?

Narrow passage ways highlighted in yellow between lawns. How narrow can this be?

Would appreciate your comments

Yes, as you said, guide wire 1 (green) from docking station to lawn 2 and onto lawn 3.

Guide wire 2 (blue) to lawn 4.

I would connect the guide wire to the boundary wire at the furthest reaches of lawns 3 and 4. See attached.

You dont need a dedicated guide wire for lawn 1 as its where the docking station is. The Husqvarna only has 2 guide wires anyway and those two guide wires will be emanating from the docking station and going across lawn 1, so it will have no problem finding them to get home. The guide wires should take long sweeping routes across lawn 1 rather than straight lines.

The passages need to be 60cm+, but wider the better to prevent tracks being formed.

What will the passages be made of? Grass that has to be cut or something else?

Also, see previous post about GPS vs manual settings.

The passage way to lawn 2 will not be grass.

Passage way to Lawn 3 will need cutting

Passage way to Lawn 4 will be field grass which I don’t want it to cut ideally.

Not sure how gps will manage above.

Also ref guide wire to further reach lawn 3 & 4 how would it know it has to cut lawn 2 with GPS.

I think 450X has 3 guide wires.

Just bought a new 450X on eBay UK.

KCross

Peppa Cig wrote: »

The passage way to lawn 2 will not be grass.

Passage way to Lawn 3 will need cutting

Passage way to Lawn 4 will be field grass which I don’t want it to cut ideally.

I'd keep the lawn 2 passage narrow so that it doesnt spend time in there.
Make the passage to lawn 3 as wide as you can so that it doesnt spend too much time bouncing around in there or else make it narrow and just use a strimmer on it. You might need to experiment a bit with those particularly with the long one.

lawn 4 passage... hmm... field grass! that might be an issue. Is it going to be very high? It might struggle to drive through that. Its not a tractor!

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Also ref guide wire to further reach lawn 3 & 4 how would it know it has to cut lawn 2 with GPS.

When it goes out first it will have a blank map and as it navigates around it will be hitting the boundary wire and building up a map of the areas.

Then, each time it subsequently goes out it knows, for instance, I've been in lawn 3 and 4 but not 2 so it will make it its business to go there using the guide wire.

It is even more precise than that... I've seen it go to a particular part of a lawn and make a series of short u-turns to cut a particular space.... so it will even decide... i've not been to the top left part of lawn 2 so thats where im going to go. GPS is accurate down to a few feet so it has that granularity to pin point areas it has not been to recently.

Peppa Cig wrote: »

I think 450X has 3 guide wires.

Didnt know that. You dont need the 3rd guide wire in any case. It doesnt add any value as lawn 1 is all open anyway.

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Just bought a new 450X on eBay UK.

No going back now so!

Peppa Cig

KCross wrote: »

I'd keep the lawn 2 passage narrow so that it doesnt spend time in there.
Make the passage to lawn 3 as wide as you can so that it doesnt spend too much time bouncing around in there or else make it narrow and just use a strimmer on it. You might need to experiment a bit with those particularly with the long one.

lawn 4 passage... hmm... field grass! that might be an issue. Is it going to be very high? It might struggle to drive through that. Its not a tractor!





When it goes out first it will have a blank map and as it navigates around it will be hitting the boundary wire and building up a map of the areas.

Then, each time it subsequently goes out it knows, for instance, I've been in lawn 3 and 4 but not 2 so it will make it its business to go there using the guide wire.

It is even more precise than that... I've seen it go to a particular part of a lawn and make a series of short u-turns to cut a particular space.... so it will even decide... i've not been to the top left part of lawn 2 so thats where im going to go. GPS is accurate down to a few feet so it has that granularity to pin point areas it has not been to recently.




Didnt know that. You dont need the 3rd guide wire in any case. It doesnt add any value as lawn 1 is all open anyway.




No going back now so!

Super KCross, great advise. I didn't appreciate it would follow all boundary wire to build GPS map but now you have said it it makes perfect sense.

Ref the field grass it always short.

Peppa Cig

Anyone make progress on proven cheaper alternative to Husqvarna boundary wire?

Thanks

muckyba

Hi all,

How often do you change the blades on your automower? Anyone using the generic blades available on Amazon? Seems to be a no brainer cost wise since its a simple blade.

Thanks.

KCross

muckyba wrote: »

Hi all,

How often do you change the blades on your automower? Anyone using the generic blades available on Amazon? Seems to be a no brainer cost wise since its a simple blade.

Thanks.

About 3 times a season for me on the Husqvarna and thats for a large lawn.

I've started using spurious ones for the first time this year so I'll hold a recommendation on them until I see how they behave.

Zzippy

I got a full season out of mine last year, they were fine and no rough cuts to the grass. Presume the dealer changed them when I had it in for winter service but never checked, it's back cutting nice and sharp anyway the last couple of weeks.

Water John

Peppa, I gave you a Ref to guide wire on Post 529.

Peppa Cig

Thinking of hiring a petrol lawn edger (pic attached) to bury boundary wire myself.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

KCross

There isnt a need to bury it. It will disappear out of view within a few weeks. Just cut the grass tight along the boundary before you peg it down. Once the grass grows you wont see it again.

If you bury it, its more difficult to adjust afterwards and with your passages you might need to adjust them.


Pegging it is slow alright though and will take you a good few hours. Not sure how much faster the machine would be.

Peppa Cig

KCross wrote: »

There isnt a need to bury it. It will disappear out of view within a few weeks. Just cut the grass tight along the boundary before you peg it down. Once the grass grows you wont see it again.

If you bury it, its more difficult to adjust afterwards and with your passages you might need to adjust them.


Pegging it is slow alright though and will take you a good few hours. Not sure how much faster the machine would be.

Thanks. Yep pegging an option but with 800m wire to lay it would take a while and a lot of pegs.

Also read that some have had wire cut by mower when surface pegging. Maybe not enough pegs.

Was thinking of using the petrol edger to get wire down an inch or two. Thinking my Teenage kids can follow edger and slot in wire.

wexfordman2

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Thanks. Yep pegging an option but with 800m wire to lay it would take a while and a lot of pegs.

Also read that some have had wire cut by mower when surface pegging. Maybe not enough pegs.

Was thinking of using the petrol edger to get wire down an inch or two. Thinking my Teenage kids can follow edger and slot in wire.

Might be worth hiring a cable layer at that rate with 800m if cable ?

Peppa Cig

wexfordman2 wrote: »

Peppa Cig wrote: »

Thanks. Yep pegging an option but with 800m wire to lay it would take a while and a lot of pegs.

Also read that some have had wire cut by mower when surface pegging. Maybe not enough pegs.

Was thinking of using the petrol edger to get wire down an inch or two. Thinking my Teenage kids can follow edger and slot in wire.

Might be worth hiring a cable layer at that rate with 800m if cable ?

Sound good - thanks

Can these be hired? Any links?

Cheers

nailer8

KCross wrote: »

Can’t remember now but the last time I looked the Tango was spec’d for small enough areas and I think it has no guide wires. I’ll take another look.

What’s your layout?
What size lawn in m2?
Is it all one big area or will you need a guide wire or two to get from one lawn to another.

Bottom line, you need to be sure the one you pick can do the job. They are not all the same.

Just wanted to thanks for the advice KCross.
I took the plunge and bought the Tango.
Installed last Sat and so far all working fine.
Obviously will take some time for a proper review.

No guide wire but It uses launch points at measured distances on the perimeter wire. My lawn is all one section so not really necessary so far, it seems to find every corner.

padraig.od

Got my replacement power cable yesterday and set my 430x lose! Very impressed by it. Set it to run all night and in awe with how much work it got through. I have no guide wires installed yet, I'll get that done this weekend.

When installing the guide wire I have found the instructions a little confusing. Is this statement correct?

"When installing the guide wire the corridor should be to the left of the wire as you walk away from the docking station"

jashar99

Hi
I have followed this thread for the past 2 years, i just last week sold my John Deere diesel ride on and will be taking the plunge. I am between the local husqvarna 450x and what a local installer sells, and recommends , The Ambrogio/Zucchetti range and specifically the L300 elite. http://robotech.ie/lawnmowers.php

The area is about 1.4 acres and split by a tarmac driveway but the kerb is dropped so it can be brought across

Has anyone any experience with this italian range of robot mower

any input advice appreciated, also have people had much joy in getting good prices from local dealers compared with online in Sweeden/other EU online sites?

regards
James

KCross

jashar99 wrote: »

Hi
I have followed this thread for the past 2 years, i just last week sold my John Deere diesel ride on and will be taking the plunge. I am between the local husqvarna 450x and what a local installer sells, and recommends , The Ambrogio/Zucchetti range and specifically the L300 elite. http://robotech.ie/lawnmowers.php

The area is about 1.4 acres and split by a tarmac driveway but the kerb is dropped so it can be brought across

Thats a big area. Does the L300 have guide wires as I think you'll need them.

The spec of the L300 shows upto 80dB noise and down to 60dB... thats quite loud. I'd get yourself in front of one operating on someones lawn and see if you are OK with it. The other mowers on the market are quieter and noise matters as these mowers are out cutting for much longer times than a ride-on.

nailer8

I know this has come up a few times in this thread but i was wondering has there been any reports of a Robot Mower actually being stolen ?

My insurance company wanted €100 / year to insure the mower and an excess of €750 so basically about 1/20 of the risk value which i think is crazy and i said id take my chances. But just wondering if anyone's ever was actually stolen?

Mine doesn't have GSM/GPS but i was considering sticking a basic €20 gps tracker and free SIM into it and connecting it to the 24v battery although this would probably void the warranty if anyone figured out.