My autonomous lawn mower thread/blog

KCross

Dr4gul4 wrote: »

If there's one thing i've noticed about my 430x it's lacking, it's the ability to direct it via GPS, Yes you can use zones, and send him off along the boundary wires and guide wires, but it would be simpler or handier perhaps if you could pick a spot on the automow connect app and send him down there to go to work ..

A touch annoying but perhaps in a future release..

Shaunoc wrote: »

i agree. i have a robot vaccum that function exists as it laser maps out area and is so easy to set zones via App and barriers.
would make automower very user friendly indeed if there was a way gps could be setup for it

staples7 wrote: »

Agreed, would be a great feature that you would think wouldn't be hard to implement.

+1

I gave them that exact feature request a few years back via their support email... im still waiting!

Moreilly

Just a heads up on anybody controlling their Automower with Google home, seems it can't be started with the normally just by linking the account so I checked out ifttt you can do almost anything, eg get your mower to start when you leave the house, park it if there is wind over a certain speed or if there is lighting, or create you own action. I've used ifttt quite a bit it's Very handy and well worth a look
https://ifttt.com/search/query/Automower

dok_golf

Sorry to cut in on this thread, but I have a lawn with a significant fall on one side of the garden ( drops about 2.5 feet over a 10/11 foot area on one edge). It also has a lot of thick moss. Can anyone advise if A, the ground is suitable for a robotic lawn mower and B if suitable, what kind I should be looking at? Been looking at websites and reviews online, btbh, I would prefer to get the info here, from the horses mouths so to speak. Thanks DOK

Alfie1

Anyone having issues with their Husqvarna Automower this morning ?

The app is saying my 450X is disconnected, I restarted the app but no difference, I checked the mower & it's displaying the full 4 bars of coverage but there's a "X" beside it. I powered mower off & on but no change, it's still disconnected.

The 450X is out mowing since 8am & is still working but the app shows it's last position on the map at 9:15, no connection since then.

Software issue with app or Husqvarna or hardware issue on mower ?

Husqvarna AM450X IMG_20190502_101415.jpg

staples7

Alfie1 wrote: »

Anyone having issues with their Husqvarna Automower this morning ?

The app is saying my 450X is disconnected, I restarted the app but no difference, I checked the mower & it's displaying the full 4 bars of coverage but there's a "X" beside it. I powered mower off & on but no change, it's still disconnected.

The 450X is out mowing since 8am & is still working but the app shows it's last position on the map at 9:15, no connection since then.

Software issue with app or Husqvarna or hardware issue on mower ?

Husqvarna AM450X IMG_20190502_101415.jpg

Any time I had the X beside the bars. Switching it off underneath for a few seconds did the trick. Happened 2/3 times in past few months.

Shaunoc

Alfie1 wrote: »

Anyone having issues with their Husqvarna Automower this morning ?

The app is saying my 450X is disconnected, I restarted the app but no difference, I checked the mower & it's displaying the full 4 bars of coverage but there's a "X" beside it. I powered mower off & on but no change, it's still disconnected.

The 450X is out mowing since 8am & is still working but the app shows it's last position on the map at 9:15, no connection since then.

Software issue with app or Husqvarna or hardware issue on mower ?

Husqvarna AM450X IMG_20190502_101415.jpg

interesting. similar issue today
phone app says disconnected. its still mowing and tracking on the App map.
may be a generic issue with husky side infrastructure today.
not seen it before.
At least they are still munching through the lawns

Shaunoc

Alfie1 wrote: »

Husqvarna AM450X IMG_20190502_101415.jpg

level 3 :eek:
i cannot bring myself to go below level 6 - no rationel reasoning

Alfie1

A couple of restarts & it's connected again.

Dr4gul4

Alfie1 wrote: »

A couple of restarts & it's connected again.

I manually relocated my bucko this morning as he was choosing to ignore one end of my lawn, noticed the same issue, but he's come back to life on the app now.

I think it was Husqvarna infra that caused the issue, some reports in germany also ...

Barr

NIMAN wrote: »

In case anyone in the market for a robotic mower, seems a decent price in Amazon for this Flymo?
Or is it a case of inflated RRP to begin with?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00C70LUQ4/ref=gbps_img_m-5_8f88_83491a60?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_p=062d0212-4836-4950-805f-8287573c8f88&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=16566794031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=K1YZ87B9GGYVNF6Z8PGH

Seems to be the "new" price for the Flymo , it used be around the £500 mark.

A lightening deal etc will see it even cheaper.

staples7

Shaunoc wrote: »

level 3 :eek:
i cannot bring myself to go below level 6 - no rationel reasoning

Im at 4, and would consider going to 3 when the risk of frost is gone.

Alfie how is it looking at 3?

Alfie1

We had it at 4, only went to 3 yesterday & not much of a difference, we've always kept it short even when using the lawnmower.

The lawn here isn't in great condition, lots of moss & weeds, it's green & neat & that'll do us

k mac

Alfie1 wrote: »

We had it at 4, only went to 3 yesterday & not much of a difference, we've always kept it short even when using the lawnmower.

The lawn here isn't in great condition, lots of moss & weeds, it's green & neat & that'll do us

I thought with the regular cutting with the automower the weeds and moss would be gone?

fanzhiyidan

Have had my 315X installed for nearly 3 weeks now.
Just a couple of minor teething problems but it's doing a great job.

I know I've asked about insurance before and have been directed to posts where people have said they have been insured.
Is it a standard €750 excess that's being quoted on top of an excess (don't know how much that is yet).
The excess is what I've been told by a couple of brokers and was just wondering if anyone else had been told similar.

Dr4gul4

k mac wrote: »

I thought with the regular cutting with the automower the weeds and moss would be gone?

It's far from that simple, if you have a little moss ( who has a little moss) then yes, the clippings should encourage better growth within the grass.

If however like my self, you have a matt/ thatch lawn, then you may want to think about scarifying it first, or after !

Or option 3, do nothing and see what happens.

One thing i would say, if you have moss, dont cut it too low. work down the levels over time ( 1- 2 years depending on the level of moss currently) .

Typical lawn mowing behavior is to let it grow too long, then clatter it down to a very low level. this damages the grass, and the lawn as a whole must work twice as hard on the already established grass to re grow it.
This gives the moss a good chance to spread and take over.

Alfie1

450X only here about 2 months, there's a lot of thick moss here, we don't expect miracles & don't expect it to disappear.

We got the mower to reduce work & to get rid of the compost heap problem, if it reduces moss & weeds that's a bonus.

septicsac

Installed 450x last oct and already lawn looks much better. Thicker thatch of grass and less moss, weeds and clover. I did treat it early last month and will do it again in autumn. Nothing better hearing a tractor mower firing up and knowing you don't have to.

wexfordman2

septicsac wrote: »

Installed 450x last oct and already lawn looks much better. Thicker thatch of grass and less moss, weeds and clover. I did treat it early last month and will do it again in autumn. Nothing better hearing a tractor mower firing up and knowing you don't have to.

What treatment did you use ?

Reading the instructions for.most.of the available treatments, they say you cannot mulch for 3 or 4 cuts afterwards which rules out an automower.

septicsac

wexfordman2 wrote: »

What treatment did you use ?

Reading the instructions for.most.of the available treatments, they say you cannot mulch for 3 or 4 cuts afterwards which rules out an automower.

I used evergreen 4 in 1, says not to mulch alright, but just kept mower in for few days. It was slower to work than advertised, but weather was poor, but it has given the grass a greener, thicker thatch, still a few dandelions, but will go again later in the year.
If you do come across a treatment that permits mulching let me know, couldn't find one either.

Shaunoc

while the automower mulches, it has to be the most gentle mulching of all time, just don't change the height level for a while. output of grass clippings should be minuscule, no?

KCross

Shaunoc wrote: »

while the automower mulches, it has to be the most gentle mulching of all time, just don't change the height level for a while. output of grass clippings should be minuscule, no?

Thats exactly my thought too... I wouldnt consider the automower as mulching like a big ride-on skelping an inch of grass at a time.

denismc

For people trying to get rid of moss a lot of people recommend Mo-Bacter, it contains bacteria which will break down dead thatch and moss.

Moss thrives in damp poorly drained soils, so considering improving the soil by scarifying/ aerating or top-dressing every couple of years, more effective and environmentally friendly than using chemicals.

blackbox

denismc wrote: »

Moss thrives in damp poorly drained soils, so considering improving the soil by scarifying/ aerating or top-dressing every couple of years, more effective and environmentally friendly than using chemicals.

I have light dry soil, and I can assure that moss thrives here too!

k mac

denismc wrote: »

For people trying to get rid of moss a lot of people recommend Mo-Bacter, it contains bacteria which will break down dead thatch and moss.

Moss thrives in damp poorly drained soils, so considering improving the soil by scarifying/ aerating or top-dressing every couple of years, more effective and environmentally friendly than using chemicals.

+1 Use Mobacter here and works well granted it takes a good while before you notice but it has the added bonus you don't have to rake out the dead moss.

E30i

Tks for all the info and experiences shared on this thread. I've been lurking for a while now and decided to investigate a mower to replace my 18 year old ride on which has served us well.

I wanted to safe time as my initial driver and therefore was looking at robots. We have approx 6,500 sq m in 4 or 5 sections of grass, about 47 trees and features to loop off and a couple of routes through foliage to negotiate between front and back as well as a closed area adjacent to the road.

450X was too small, local Stihl dealer suggested 2 robots which wasn't viable from a cost or services perspective with 2 base stations etc.

I came across Ambrogio who seem to have very little current presence in Ireland and spoke to the dealer about L350i Elite.

This handles 7000 sq mtrs according to the spec. Had this installed Wednesday and is currently working away, Think I will have 1 or 2 tweaks to do to the cable positioning but that's to be expected given the area.

Early days but cutting away and finish is good but I expect it will be a number of days before it cuts everywhere.

I've picked up a lot of tips and what to look out for on this thread so that's why i'm posting. If anyone needs any q's answered on this machine I'll do my best to answer. Please remember though that I'm just coming up to speed myself with the functionality and App.

pedro7

Hi Folks,
I'm looking at a robot mower for my Ma shes in her 70s and is very particular about the lawn being cut, so she's paying a dude a fortune to come and do it every 2 weeks. Are these things pretty self sufficient once they're set up properly? I live in New Zealand so popping in if the thing goes A-wall inst really an option.
From what I've read here it seems like the Husqvarna is the current pick of the bunch? I looked at them about 3 years ago, it looks like they haven't improved much since then. I thought GPS would've been standard by now.

Thanks!!

searay

pedro7 wrote: »

Hi Folks,
I'm looking at a robot mower for my Ma shes in her 70s and is very particular about the lawn being cut, so she's paying a dude a fortune to come and do it every 2 weeks. Are these things pretty self sufficient once they're set up properly? I live in New Zealand so popping in if the thing goes A-wall inst really an option.
From what I've read here it seems like the Husqvarna is the current pick of the bunch? I looked at them about 3 years ago, it looks like they haven't improved much since then. I thought GPS would've been standard by now.

Thanks!!

They are very self sufficient provided it’s set up properly. All I have to do is to strim around edges of the lawn every 2/3 weeks. I bought a battery powered mower for €200 and it’s a 15 minute job on a 1 acre loan

I also have to rescue it if the kids goalposts blow over and it gets stuck on them.

However, my mum is in her mid 70s and she wouldn’t be able to manage one. Any glitches on her computer , tablet or phone becomes a crisis and she needs someone to help out. She’d need to have somebody she could call on but it wouldn’t be too demanding for that person.

Hope this helps

Roen

Fair play on taking the plunge. Brave move.
Loving the fact that you can remote control it via Bluetooth. That alone opens up a world of mower races.
Far more complete feature set than husqy. While I love mine they have a long way to go in terms of software.

E30i wrote: »

Tks for all the info and experiences shared on this thread. I've been lurking for a while now and decided to investigate a mower to replace my 18 year old ride on which has served us well.

I wanted to safe time as my initial driver and therefore was looking at robots. We have approx 6,500 sq m in 4 or 5 sections of grass, about 47 trees and features to loop off and a couple of routes through foliage to negotiate between front and back as well as a closed area adjacent to the road.

450X was too small, local Stihl dealer suggested 2 robots which wasn't viable from a cost or services perspective with 2 base stations etc.

I came across Ambrogio who seem to have very little current presence in Ireland and spoke to the dealer about L350i Elite.

This handles 7000 sq mtrs according to the spec. Had this installed Wednesday and is currently working away, Think I will have 1 or 2 tweaks to do to the cable positioning but that's to be expected given the area.

Early days but cutting away and finish is good but I expect it will be a number of days before it cuts everywhere.

I've picked up a lot of tips and what to look out for on this thread so that's why i'm posting. If anyone needs any q's answered on this machine I'll do my best to answer. Please remember though that I'm just coming up to speed myself with the functionality and App.

listermint

pedro7 wrote: »

Hi Folks,
I'm looking at a robot mower for my Ma shes in her 70s and is very particular about the lawn being cut, so she's paying a dude a fortune to come and do it every 2 weeks. Are these things pretty self sufficient once they're set up properly? I live in New Zealand so popping in if the thing goes A-wall inst really an option.
From what I've read here it seems like the Husqvarna is the current pick of the bunch? I looked at them about 3 years ago, it looks like they haven't improved much since then. I thought GPS would've been standard by now.

Thanks!!

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.

Shaunoc

E30i wrote: »

450X was too small, local Stihl dealer suggested 2 robots which wasn't viable from a cost or services perspective with 2 base stations etc.

I came across Ambrogio who seem to have very little current presence in Ireland and spoke to the dealer about L350i Elite.

This handles 7000 sq mtrs according to the spec. Had this installed Wednesday and is currently working away, Think I will have 1 or 2 tweaks to do to the cable positioning but that's to be expected given the area.

Ambrogia is a nice machine which i did not know about at my time of purchase. Pretty good comparison here between 450x and Ambrogia L250i
http s://www.you tube.com/watch?v=ELHsAsJooTw
some spaces in above link, just in case
I would try avoid the red casing though

Build quality of Ambrogia looks superior and would seem to be better suited to rougher terrain than Husky. Those tyres look pretty awesome.

While the 450x does exactly what I need and is going great guns. Ambrogia looks a great option also. I would not be an evangelist of Husky just because I have one. The reviewer does point out a couple of fair points about Husky potential issues - the exposed cables underneath and flimsy charge cable - which does bother me and I have yet to encase.

Wish you a great summer of robot watching grass cutting E30i

Edit: the L400i is a fine looking mower - I'm having some envy pangs