Robot mowers

Author
Discussion

HootersGsy

731 posts

136 months

Tuesday 12th July 2016
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jdw1234 said:
Just a thought - I am thinking of getting one...

As they are constantly mowing, do the deter moles?

This would be a big benefit for me (and a c.£350 saving per annum).
They only mow for as long as necessary to cover your garden, mine is set for two mows a week of about 1.5 hours each. YMMV

No idea about moles. My pet blackbird doesn't seem to mind it, apart from when it was chasing her along the flower bed border!

rfisher

5,024 posts

283 months

Tuesday 12th July 2016
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My collection:

Robomow RL350



Robomow RL500



Robomow RL550



Robomow RS630



Worx WG794E



Worx WG795E



Bosch 1200 Connect (my current mower).




moles

1,794 posts

244 months

Wednesday 13th July 2016
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What's the best one you have had out of that lot?.

rfisher

5,024 posts

283 months

Wednesday 13th July 2016
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moles said:
What's the best one you have had out of that lot?.
I liked the Worx WG794E a lot.

It's small, light (9kg), advanced software, quiet and quick.

18cm cut width but will cut 1000m2 so not a toy.

Only issue is with the lack of weight over the wheels so not as good as the heavier mowers for slopes or uneven lawns.

jrinns

370 posts

183 months

Thursday 21st July 2016
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I have a problem with rabbits in the garden, am I correct in thinking they would struggle to bite through perimeter wireS?

mel

10,168 posts

275 months

Thursday 21st July 2016
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I have the same rabbit issue, no problems so far with them chewing the cable but plenty of problems with the front wheel on the Robomow getting stuck in those little "pre holes" they like to dig.

biggiles

1,714 posts

225 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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Our new Husqvarna automower has been cruising for a couple of days now. Utterly fascinating to watch and seems to be doing a good job of keeping the grass trimmed. The advice is to keep the cutting height high until the wire (pinned down) beds in.

SWMBO has noted there are wheel lines/imprints criss-crossing the lawn. Does anyone know if these go away in time, or when the grass is shorter?

TimJMS

2,584 posts

251 months

Friday 29th July 2016
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These will completely disappear when the grass is short enough. I'd be tempted to get some more pegs in any vulnerable stretches of perimeter wire and lower the cut height gradually now.

biggiles

1,714 posts

225 months

Saturday 30th July 2016
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Thank you - that's good to know. I'll "check the perimeter" and then start moving the blades down a little faster.

V8LM

5,174 posts

209 months

Sunday 31st July 2016
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Anyone any experience with the Husqvarna 450x (or similar in the range?).

davek_964

Original Poster:

8,821 posts

175 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Update : My Indego is currently broken. I suspect it's been broken for at least a week or two - my garden gets covered in oak leaves at this time of year, and I was surprised they didn't appear to be being cut up even though the mower is scheduled to go out once a day. But given the time of year, the grass doesn't really grow much. I only noticed when I turned power off to the house for something, and got a warning about the perimeter wire having disappeared - when I switched the mower back on, I found I couldn't log onto it to clear the alarm - and when I went outside, I found it was showing :

Error 55 : Button cell deep discharged

A search online found a couple of references to this, although only in German - seems that the mower uses a button battery to remember calendar etc. - and in a genius bit of design, the battery is soldered in.
There is a reset procedure you can carry out which might fix it - but it didn't.

Called Bosch today, who assured me the battery couldn't be flat so quickly and told me to carry out the reset - which I told them I had. They are now "escalating" it to see if anybody else has any ideas - I'm sure it will need to go back to them, he seemed to think it wouldn't.

Surprisingly, if it does go back they want me to send the dock as well - not just the mower.

A bit disappointing - only owned it since May. While it's showing this error, it refuses to do anything else.

rfisher

5,024 posts

283 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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The Bosch mowers are not designed to be used in the cold.

Messes up the lipol battery.

Bring it inside to warm up.

Applies to the docking station as well to protect the signal generator circuit from damp.

My mowers hibernate in my heated garage over winter.

moles

1,794 posts

244 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Is that the same as the robomow?, mine is currently saying perimeter wire fault even though when tested with a fluke meter the circuit is continuous. Mine is left outside in all weathers but the base station/mower is covered by a mini shed I built for it!.

rfisher

5,024 posts

283 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Yes.

If you check the instruction manual the last section covers winter storage.

All the mowers I've played with have the same specifications in terms of not to be used or stored below 4oC.

With the lead acid battery powered machines I keep the battery on a trickle charger over winter.

Lipol batteries are best stored warm and fully charged.

Forgot to mention removing the red battery isolator key from the Bosch over winter in previous post.

BTW, if anyone wants to buy a new boxed Worx machine for Christmas pm me.

davek_964

Original Poster:

8,821 posts

175 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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Although I wasn't intending it to cut grass over winter I wasn't really intending to store it anywhere heated. I guess it can go in the shed but I won't be storing it in the house.

I assumed it was better to keep it docked in the garden charging than unplugged all winter.

rfisher

5,024 posts

283 months

Monday 5th December 2016
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It won't charge below 4oC to protect the battery even if it's plugged in at the docking station.

What you should do is fully charge it in summer after your last mow of the season, then remove the red key and store it somewhere warm.

I would bring it inside with the docking station, let both warm up and then plug it in to charge.

If it moans about not having a perimeter signal, just attach around 10m of wire across the wire connectors.

Once it's fully charged take out the red key and store it.

Shed should be ok as long as the battery is fully charged.

HTH.

davek_964

Original Poster:

8,821 posts

175 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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I stuck it in the kitchen for a few days to warm up but the error is still there as soon as the key is put back in / dock is powered on / controls are unlocked.

Bosch are not being very helpful. They keep telling me they have 'escalated it' but are reluctant to commit to it being sent back for repair which I'm pretty sure needs to happen. I've been told I'll be called back today (after I called them since they didn't call back yesterday after promising they would).

rfisher

5,024 posts

283 months

Wednesday 7th December 2016
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Just replace it yourself.

It's not soldered onto the board.

Mower won't operate for safety reasons as it can't store the date and time so doesn't know when it's supposed to mow.


davek_964

Original Poster:

8,821 posts

175 months

Thursday 8th December 2016
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The German sites definitely said it was soldered - good news if it's not.

How do you get to it? If it's simple I'll give it a try but I'm a bit reluctant to risk voiding the warranty by taking it apart.

TimJMS

2,584 posts

251 months

Wednesday 21st December 2016
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davek_964 said:
Although I wasn't intending it to cut grass over winter I wasn't really intending to store it anywhere heated. I guess it can go in the shed but I won't be storing it in the house.

I assumed it was better to keep it docked in the garden charging than unplugged all winter.
You've assumed right. I've never brought a lithium ion Robomow indoors for the winter. The old lead acid batteries would be ruined after the first decent frost though. They just sit out there standing by until we get a day when the temperature goes over 7 degrees. If we get a wet period I pause them on the power box.

Mine have been cutting occasionally this week. Why not when grass is still growing?