Robot mowers

[mikeiow]

lebouch said:

The eBay listing description says it mows for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week - starting at whatever time you first turn it on...

Stop proving to everyone here that I cannot read
Nice one - that makes perfect sense for a smaller device
Cheers!

[lebouch]

mikeiow said:

Stop proving to everyone here that I cannot read
Nice one - that makes perfect sense for a smaller device
Cheers!

Sorry

I was seriously considering the other one Worx are flogging off half price on eBay, the Landroid WR105SI at £350. This has a bigger range and WiFi - programmable via an app - seems a fair bit more flexible.
I’ve done a good bit of reading tonight - Amazon reviews, YouTube vids etc and I’ve put myself off Worx, I think. I like the side-cut feature but the reported issues (especially with WiFi versions) and the minimal UK presence make me nervous.
They have a Facebook fan page through which one guy(!) offers pretty good tech support but other than that the company are apparently unresponsive.
Problems with batteries flattening and refusing to recharge seem common too.

Think I’m going back to my original McCulloch idea..

[StreetDragster]

I had a wr105si, I had no end of problems, serial numbers wrong on the chassis, app wouldn't connect to wifi, wouldn't connect to mower, it was a nightmare.

Customer support no help, took them three weeks to tell me that the serial number on a different part of the chassis should be used.
And then a further week to give me details on how to frig the app to find the mower.

Sent it back and it put me off robot mowers for a year, just last weekend I setup a McCulloch r600 and that's working well so far, nice and simple.

Thanks
Matt

[fiatpower]

I'm now leaning towards getting a robot mower, mainly as i'm too lazy to cut regularly especially in summer when you have to cut a couple times a week to keep on top of it. As a result our grass is looking pretty poor.

I was looking at a couple of the Worx models especially at the £250-£350 mark but having read a few reviews i'm now leaning towards the McCULLOCH Rob1000 or Flymo 1200R. Given the choice which would you all go for? I do have a few generic questions about setup and how they work.

I would like the robot to mow the front lawn but only at night as it is less likely that someone will nick it. Can you have it so that it mows different parts of the garden at different times? I'm guessing not based on how it is set up, more asking in hope. If not I guess I will set up the mower to only mow at night.

To allow the mower to get to the front garden I was planning on cutting a robot mower sized hole in the bottom of the fence. Would it be able to get through this or would it need a whole panel to be removed?

Half of the front garden is the other side of the drive. Can the mower traverse the drive using a guide wire or does it have to run on grass?

Edited by fiatpower on Tuesday 5th March 23:28

Edited by fiatpower on Tuesday 5th March 23:47

[mikeiow]

fiatpower said:

I'm now leaning towards getting a robot mower, mainly as i'm too lazy to cut regularly especially in summer when you have to cut a couple times a week to keep on top of it. As a result our grass is looking pretty poor.

I was looking at a couple of the Worx models especially at the £250-£350 mark but having read a few reviews i'm now leaning towards the McCULLOCH Rob1000 or Flymo 1200R. Given the choice which would you all go for? I do have a few generic questions about setup and how they work.

I would like the robot to mow the front lawn but only at night as it is less likely that someone will nick it. Can you have it so that it mows different parts of the garden at different times? I'm guessing not based on how it is set up, more asking in hope. If not I guess I will set up the mower to only mow at night.

To allow the mower to get to the front garden I was planning on cutting a robot mower sized hole in the bottom of the fence. Would it be able to get through this or would it need a whole panel to be removed?

Half of the front garden is the other side of the drive. Can the mower traverse the drive using a guide wire or does it have to run on grass?

I doubt whether any can limit times for certain areas - they work on random patterns.
Operating at night is an option, my only caution would be that they might more often be dealing with wetter grass: I tried it and found it got very covered in grass, whereas running around 2pm meant the lawn was dry. You may need to wipe them down a bit more....but certainly quiet enough to, I would say.

Going through a hole? Should work - you would lay down the guide wires through it. Might have to tidy up the edge it doesn’t reach manually, or maybe have a block/brick at the edge to stop that need.
Over driveway? Depends what it is and whether you can get the guidewire into it, I imagine.

We have the Worx Landroid M for a largish garden for a year now, it’s done a great job. I had left a rougher fruit tree patch out of it’s scope: I may extend it to cover that later, it is doing such a good job!
The deal on the small one means we will get one for the smaller garden we have here...my man maths suggested that it will pay for itself in 2 years based on minimum wage

[lebouch]

StreetDragster said:

I had a wr105si, I had no end of problems, serial numbers wrong on the chassis, app wouldn't connect to wifi, wouldn't connect to mower, it was a nightmare.

Customer support no help, took them three weeks to tell me that the serial number on a different part of the chassis should be used.
And then a further week to give me details on how to frig the app to find the mower.

Sent it back and it put me off robot mowers for a year, just last weekend I setup a McCulloch r600 and that's working well so far, nice and simple.

Thanks
Matt

I read through quite a lot of the Facebook page and YouTube comments re the Worx 105si last night, most of which was in German.. thank God for Google.

LOTS of the comments are complaints about the serial numbers and WiFi connectivity problems. In fairness, some people seem to have resolved the problems with firmware updates but that in itself seems to cause issues - lots of failed updates, etc.

My conclusion was that they’re prob very good but you may have to jump through hoops to get there. I just don’t have time for all that faff so have crossed Worx (at least the ‘connected’ ones) off my list.

[RichTT]

Hey folks, trying to figure out a setup for the new house. I've got three distinct areas of grass to the property as can be seen in the below picture. On the left hand side of the house is a single large area of about 400 m2, on the upper right there is a small area separated from the first by a concrete path with raised edges too high for the mower to pass over and this bit borders a raised patio area.

The third is at the front right of the house and is separated from the top right area by a wooden fence.



The bigger issue is that I am looking for something that really can be autonomous for a month or so at a time as I travel for work. I'm also swithering over having two mowers set up. One for the larger area and then creating a tunnel through the fence to get the second and third smaller areas done.

Is the answer going to be the MX-5 of robo mowers and just be 2 x Mcculloch ROB 1000?

[snake_oil]

How long and wide is the path separating areas one and two?

[RichTT]

I'm guessing about 120cm or thereabouts. Sorry, should have posted some actual pictures of the garden.

[snake_oil]

I can't see how that's a one mower job to be fair.

You'll need one to do the main rear and the bit the other side of the path as a two zone solution, (whilst removing some path edging stones and that is where the guide wire will go).

Then another two zone either side of the fence with a guide wire going through a mower sized hole to the outside.

And the small bit between the patio and wall won't ever get done - replant as a border?

At least, that's how I see it.

Lovely garden btw.

[RichTT]

snake_oil said:

I can't see how that's a one mower job to be fair.

You'll need one to do the main rear and the bit the other side of the path as a two zone solution, (whilst removing some path edging stones and that is where the guide wire will go).

Then another two zone either side of the fence with a guide wire going through a mower sized hole to the outside.

And the small bit between the patio and wall won't ever get done - replant as a border?

At least, that's how I see it.

Lovely garden btw.

Yes, although i possibly have a cunning plan, The small section separated by the concrete pathway is going to get turned into raised beds. Thus eliminating that concern.

Will have to set up a 2 section system though. Will need to see how I can run power for setting up a base station away from the house and nearer the fence separating the front/back on the right hand side. But should be simple enough.

Also, thank you, yes the garden is lovely, will be better but not primary concern at the moment. Have spent the time since we got the keys in Nov gutting the house and re-doing the interior which is current priority. Nearing completion though and aim to be in and finished by end of April.

[Rib]

Anyone here use an ambrogio robomower?

[StreetDragster]

Anyone found a decent 'garage' for their robo mower? Mine is a R600 McCulloch, seem to be about £50, seems a little pricy for a dog kennel

Thanks
Matt

[wjwren]

Never bothered, mine is out all year. I did look at ordering one from Germany, but they were a good £120 odd so seemed pricey for a cover.

[StreetDragster]

I'm considering one to protect the mower from the daughter, she loves playing in her sand pit, throwing balls and stuff around the garden. I could see her 'accidently' burying the mower in sand.

[33q]

I have this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lawn-Mower-Robot-Garage...

I paid about £35 last year. It was a bit too wide for where I wanted to place it so i cut 100mm off

[mikeiow]

StreetDragster said:

Anyone found a decent 'garage' for their robo mower? Mine is a R600 McCulloch, seem to be about £50, seems a little pricy for a dog kennel

Thanks
Matt

I knocked up this
https://photos.app.goo.gl/25QjkZLbo3u9Bwjc9

Top lifts off but can hold some herbs or whatever

Then added this
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipP_k5z2LomFSD...
(great Christmas gift from the kids!)

(edit to add - if I put [img] and [/img] around my pics, they still stay as links.....I'm clueless on getting these to appear as pictures ;(

[lebouch]

mikeiow said:

I knocked up this
https://photos.app.goo.gl/25QjkZLbo3u9Bwjc9

Top lifts off but can hold some herbs or whatever

Then added this
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipP_k5z2LomFSD...
(great Christmas gift from the kids!)

(edit to add - if I put around my pics, they still stay as links.....I'm clueless on getting these to appear as pictures ;(

FYI I can see the 1st photo by clicking the link. The second one requires me to log into my Google account and then comes up with a 404 error..

[mikeiow]

lebouch said:

mikeiow said:

I knocked up this
https://photos.app.goo.gl/25QjkZLbo3u9Bwjc9

Top lifts off but can hold some herbs or whatever

Then added this
https://photos.google.com/album/AF1QipP_k5z2LomFSD...
(great Christmas gift from the kids!)

(edit to add - if I put around my pics, they still stay as links.....I'm clueless on getting these to appear as pictures ;(

FYI I can see the 1st photo by clicking the link. The second one requires me to log into my Google account and then comes up with a 404 error..

Odd - only difference is the second is dragged to a google album!
I assume https://photos.app.goo.gl/gB1bu2tCg144upMo8 works - this the picture, but in my full photos list rather than in the album!

Wish I could easily pop photos in here!!

[lebouch]

mikeiow said:

Odd - only difference is the second is dragged to a google album!
I assume https://photos.app.goo.gl/gB1bu2tCg144upMo8 works - this the picture, but in my full photos list rather than in the album!

Wish I could easily pop photos in here!!

Yep