Auto Robot Mowers

[Turnips]

I used to install these, mainly Al-Ko ones - easily done DIY and cheaper than Husqys.

The reason the lawns look so good is because the grass is perfectly even, all the time. You set ‘active hours’ which give the mower enough time to cover the surface area and they just drive around until they touch/sense (model dependent) an object or the boundary wire - at which point they turn at their preset angle and rinse and repeat.

No grass clippings of course because they are taking off only a days growth, the grass is strong because you’re not shocking it by taking of 50% of its surface area every time you get the mower out, and weeds find it harder to compete with the strong lawn.

I’d get one, but I like cutting my lawn myself; keeps me out of trouble with the wife…

 

[Kalahari]

It’s a 310.
Not sure if they still make it or not.

Thanks Nick, I will look it up and ask more questions.

David.

 

[Dunwaters]

I’ve had one for 4 years, H430, best money I’ve spent in a long time.
If you have the patience install it yourself, that way you can trouble shoot with some chance of success.
There’s and app now so you can operate it remotely but regardless of what you do it will find holes and tilts you never dreamt of and stop until its rescued.

 

[MarinePMI]

Somewhat related, I'd offer to those that have cats, to give the "litter-robot" a look. The Mrs. recently convinced me that we needed one. I was pleasantly surprised at how effective they are at managing the "deposits" that the two cats leave, and how they have reduced the labor and periodicty that their litter boxes need to be cleaned. Add to that these use less litter (and work well with cheap clumping litter), and it's a win-win.

 

[angusb1]

And deprive myself of the enjoyment of a peaceful hour listening to music my Mrs doesn't like?

 

[BenBhoy]

I’ve had a Husqvarna one for about four years now.
Absolutely brilliant.
(It’s even survived being run over with an RTV)
It’s clocked up over 3.5k hours with just one sensor having to be replaced.
Steep slopes can be tricky. But I see you can get a ‘rough terrain kit’ for them now. Or even 4wd.

I’ve got enough to do in summer with out worrying about mowing the lawn.
One of the best buys I’ve made.

How good are they at navigating borders/twisty bits of garden, getting in nooks & crannies? I can see they'd work in modern, small straight gardens.

 

[mel b3]

My mate and his wife have recently bought a robot mower , and they talk about the thing as if it's a pet .

 

[User00035]

How good are they at navigating borders/twisty bits of garden, getting in nooks & crannies? I can see they'd work in modern, small straight gardens.

The people I mentioned above have curved lawns, borders and ponds all over the place. The mower seems to negotiate them fine. It should be said though that the husband is an electronics expert who runs a manufacturing business. Whether he's had a hand in the mower's programming, or whether it learns its patch over time, I don't know. But either way, it seems to work.

 

[bluesako]

yes i have one its called THE WIFE bs

 

[Island]

Any of you guys use one of these? Whilst on hols in France stayed at a Chateuax which had a couple on the go and was very impressed. Am thinking about one for home. I have one on trial for a week in August to collect data, assess right model, see what it might not be able to do, assess quality of stripes etc etc

Appreciate any feedback re real world use

S

Manderston House, in the Scottish Borders, has either 8 or 13 of them running every day (the gardner did tell me, but I can't remember!). Their lawns look exceptional.

I also noticed, when passing through Bergen Airport in Norway earlier this month, they they have a squadron of them on various patches of grass, including one on a patch that was so steep I would never have believed an auto-mower would have been able to negotiate it.

 

[takbok]

How good are they at navigating borders/twisty bits of garden, getting in nooks & crannies? I can see they'd work in modern, small straight gardens.

With most of them you lay a boundary wire, either on the ground or buried, to define its limits.

 

[sh1kar]

With most of them you lay a boundary wire, either on the ground or buried, to define its limits.

Not these days
It’s all GPS

 

[takbok]

Not these days
It’s all GPS

They all use GPS, however they also need to rely on other systems for keeping them within accurate boundaries if there's no wire.

 

[sh1kar]

They all use GPS, however they also need to rely on other systems for keeping them within accurate boundaries if there's no wire.

Don’t know. Defo no wires in ones looking at

 

[Dunwaters]

They all use GPS, however they also need to rely on other systems for keeping them within accurate boundaries if there's no wire.

They don’t all, mine doesn’t, the boundary wire keeps it where it’s supposed to be, it has no GPS. They also don’t “ learn” an area, its a random program to ensure all of the designated area gets cut.
They get stuck or disabled by the lift or tilt alert every so often and rabbits and other rodents nibble the plastic coated boundary wires, other than that it’s pretty foolproof.
Setup is easy but keep the breaks and joins in the boundary wire to a minimum.

 

[WH308]

How do they cope with things inside the boundary wire? So I have a couple of beds inside the area of lawn. Do they just bump into them and turn or do they need a wire around them?

 

[Ali]

Manderston House, in the Scottish Borders, has either 8 or 13 of them running every day (the gardner did tell me, but I can't remember!). Their lawns look exceptional.

I also noticed, when passing through Bergen Airport in Norway earlier this month, they they have a squadron of them on various patches of grass, including one on a patch that was so steep I would never have believed an auto-mower would have been able to negotiate it.

Very popular in Norway as well as their electric cars. Around the local area I`m currently working in , it appears most of the locals have purchased Husqvarna mowers.

 

[Utectok]

I have a cheap wired fence one and it is fantastic a couple of ring wire errors due to gardening and the odd molehill caused a problem but I’d never get another push one f that

 

[Utectok]

You have to loop round trees borders but it will get into tricky bits fine. Top tip lay the wire pegged down on the lawn and adjust and leave and within a few months the lawn grows over it

 

[sh1kar]

found this

12 Robot Mowers without a Perimeter Wire | The Robot Mower

Is 2023 the year when Robot lawn mowers without a perimeter wire finally become mainstream? We look at the technology and upcoming product releases for 2023.

therobotmower.co.uk