Robotic lawn mowers

[SoliD]

How do these deal with leaves?

We've not got a big lawn but have got a big maple over the top, this sheds all year and covers big portions of the lawn at this time of year with leaf drop. I keep on top of this with a leaf hoover every few days, but there are still small piles even with that.

We're due to get it returfed next year and I'm thinking to keep the lawn in better shape and save remedial work aswell as time saving I may invest in one despite the lawn being relatively small compared to the ones on here, but figured if it saves future returfing/excessive maintenance to keep on top of it, it'll be worth it in the long run.

 

[kinobestew123]

Can these go between different lawns by themselves? We have 3 square areas of lawn that are joined by narrow (couple of metres wide) "corridors" of lawn. My understanding is these bounce around fairly randomly? Would they bounce around the 3 areas do you think?

 

[john_smith]

My Worx Landroid can, I will have exctly what you describe once my back garden is finished. Hopefully it works as I hope.

 

[Participant]

How do these deal with leaves?

We've not got a big lawn but have got a big maple over the top, this sheds all year and covers big portions of the lawn at this time of year with leaf drop. I keep on top of this with a leaf hoover every few days, but there are still small piles even with that.

We're due to get it returfed next year and I'm thinking to keep the lawn in better shape and save remedial work aswell as time saving I may invest in one despite the lawn being relatively small compared to the ones on here, but figured if it saves future returfing/excessive maintenance to keep on top of it, it'll be worth it in the long run.

I think in general they won't have a problem going over the leaves, but I wouldn't expect them to produce tiny pieces of ready-to-mulch leaves. But then if they go over the leaves multiple times then maybe they will.

I'd expect a separate process to deal with them properly, whether blowing or bag mowing.

Can these go between different lawns by themselves? We have 3 square areas of lawn that are joined by narrow (couple of metres wide) "corridors" of lawn. My understanding is these bounce around fairly randomly? Would they bounce around the 3 areas do you think?

There are some YouTube videos of the Worx models describing multiple zones and I think it follows the wire around until it gets to the second zone.

But some of them can definitely do it.

 

[SoliD]

I think in general they won't have a problem going over the leaves, but I wouldn't expect them to produce tiny pieces of ready-to-mulch leaves. But then if they go over the leaves multiple times then maybe they will.

I'd expect a separate process to deal with them properly, whether blowing or bag mowing.


There are some YouTube videos of the Worx models describing multiple zones and I think it follows the wire around until it gets to the second zone.

But some of them can definitely do it.

Cheers, wouldn't stop the leaf collecting, just more how it would deal with a collection of them if the wind has blown them into a corner, but sounds like they should be fine.

 

[sovietspybob]

Can these go between different lawns by themselves? We have 3 square areas of lawn that are joined by narrow (couple of metres wide) "corridors" of lawn. My understanding is these bounce around fairly randomly? Would they bounce around the 3 areas do you think?

Most (mine does anyway) have guide wires going from the base station out to different areas, different models support different numbers of guide wires, mine has 2 for example.

My orchard is enclosed with only a 2m wide entrance so i've got a guide laid from the base into that and you can set the percentage of time it follows each guide wire leaving the dock, i think i've got it sent to 30% of time follow guide 1 into my orchard.

You can also get it to follow the boundary wire either left or right from the base station for a set number of meters to add more zones so it can get to the correct place to start mowing. Again i think mine supports 6 different zones be it a combination of following guide wires or boundary wires.

You can also tell it to stop after a going a certain number of metres along a guide wire, so if you've got 3 'boxes' of lawn all in a row connected by small paths of grass you could lay 1 guide wire the whole way to the end and set up 3 zones of it stopping at say 20meters, 40 and the end of the wire for example and set the percentages accordingly, there really can't be many shapes of garden they can't accommodate as long as there's a means of it getting between the areas itself either with small grass corridors or over slabs or other non gravely means.


As for leaves, they tend to just mulch them up a bit, it's never caused an issue with mine but you'd probably want to rake them up just for the sake of the grass.

 

[Django x2]

Husquvana is the only brand I'd consider for this

 

[kinobestew123]

Most (mine does anyway) have guide wires going from the base station out to different areas, different models support different numbers of guide wires, mine has 2 for example.

My orchard is enclosed with only a 2m wide entrance so i've got a guide laid from the base into that and you can set the percentage of time it follows each guide wire leaving the dock, i think i've got it sent to 30% of time follow guide 1 into my orchard.

You can also get it to follow the boundary wire either left or right from the base station for a set number of meters to add more zones so it can get to the correct place to start mowing. Again i think mine supports 6 different zones be it a combination of following guide wires or boundary wires.

You can also tell it to stop after a going a certain number of metres along a guide wire, so if you've got 3 'boxes' of lawn all in a row connected by small paths of grass you could lay 1 guide wire the whole way to the end and set up 3 zones of it stopping at say 20meters, 40 and the end of the wire for example and set the percentages accordingly, there really can't be many shapes of garden they can't accommodate as long as there's a means of it getting between the areas itself either with small grass corridors or over slabs or other non gravely means.


As for leaves, they tend to just mulch them up a bit, it's never caused an issue with mine but you'd probably want to rake them up just for the sake of the grass.

Thanks, that's a really helpful response. It would most likely work fine then. I'll keep my eyes open for a good deal.

 

[413x]

If had a bigger garden (next house) I'd get one of these.
Pics look great. I can't believe they handle such a large area!

I don't know about you guys. But this forum is invaluable for real life long term review type info.

Not just amazon reviews of people having things a few days

 

[dl8860]

Set my Landroid M700 up on Saturday but ran out of cable about 5m from the base, absolutely gutted! Have messaged worx to see if they'll send me a bit more to save me forking out 50 odd quid for another 100m or so.

In case they don't come through, does anyone know if this wire is generic stuff or will I definitely need the right brand? So that I can buy a slightly cheaper smaller reel off ebay or something.

I have a narrow path of about 1m wide that I absolutely need the mower to be able to work its way through. Fingers having to remain crossed on that up until I get it running.

 

[sovietspybob]

Set my Landroid M700 up on Saturday but ran out of cable about 5m from the base, absolutely gutted! Have messaged worx to see if they'll send me a bit more to save me forking out 50 odd quid for another 100m or so.

In case they don't come through, does anyone know if this wire is generic stuff or will I definitely need the right brand? So that I can buy a slightly cheaper smaller reel off ebay or something.

I have a narrow path of about 1m wide that I absolutely need the mower to be able to work its way through. Fingers having to remain crossed on that up until I get it running.

It's nothing special at all, i've used Bosch branded stuff with my Husqvarna no probs, i've also used a reel of standard (i think 1mm maybe, whatever it was it was pretty much the same diameter as the branded stuff) earth cable i had in the garage to do some other areas and that works fine.

 

[dl8860]

Finally had the time to get the M700 going properly. The wire that came through from worx wasn't quite long enough so I had to cut a bit of a corner. Probably my fault for not measuring more exactly, but I expected them to round up generously.

Wife insists that the logo on the top at the back says powerSHART, not powerSHARE. So his name is shart. He's running fairly well, I've realised that the places I did the clever right angle turn with the cable really were worthwhile - I think I stopped doing it after the first few and he does have to labour his way around the bends without the clever shape around the corner, so I'd say that's definitely worth doing.

We've got a bit of a bottleneck that I think means he'll spend most of his time in the main part of the garden where his home is. I see there's a multizone feature, does anyone else use that? I think I'll probably need it but will see how he goes for a bit first.

Has anyone else bought the radio link? He definitely goes out of range, but I can't work out why I might actually need him in range all the time. Just so I can tell him to come home from my phone even when out of wifi range? Seems like maybe I can do without spending the extra hundred quid?

Lastly, I'm thinking of putting him away for 5 days out of 7 once he's got round a few times for practice as the lawn grows slowly this time of year and the weather is of course heavier. Anyone else do similar?

 

[john_smith]

Mine is currently on 3 hours a week now. I might go down to just 1 or 2 soon. The lawn still looks great. The mower really is just something that happens now. I've completely forgotten about it.

 

[413x]

As much as Id love one. I have too many sticks fall from trees.

 

[sovietspybob]

Finally had the time to get the M700 going properly. The wire that came through from worx wasn't quite long enough so I had to cut a bit of a corner. Probably my fault for not measuring more exactly, but I expected them to round up generously.

Wife insists that the logo on the top at the back says powerSHART, not powerSHARE. So his name is shart. He's running fairly well, I've realised that the places I did the clever right angle turn with the cable really were worthwhile - I think I stopped doing it after the first few and he does have to labour his way around the bends without the clever shape around the corner, so I'd say that's definitely worth doing.

We've got a bit of a bottleneck that I think means he'll spend most of his time in the main part of the garden where his home is. I see there's a multizone feature, does anyone else use that? I think I'll probably need it but will see how he goes for a bit first.

Has anyone else bought the radio link? He definitely goes out of range, but I can't work out why I might actually need him in range all the time. Just so I can tell him to come home from my phone even when out of wifi range? Seems like maybe I can do without spending the extra hundred quid?

Lastly, I'm thinking of putting him away for 5 days out of 7 once he's got round a few times for practice as the lawn grows slowly this time of year and the weather is of course heavier. Anyone else do similar?

I find zones really useful, i wouldn't be personally bothered a wifi extender thing i just stand at my window for a minute or 2 for it to come back into range on the very rare occasion i need to interact with it.

I'll probably put mine away in the garage once we start getting frosts in the morning, then bring it back out again late Feb time i think.

 

[Participant]

Well I bought a Worx Landroid L1500 and finally finished installing it yesterday.

It's really cool. It didn't come with enough pegs so I need to order some more, and there was only just enough wire.

I think I'll get the ACS and radio extender add ons but just going to run it for the moment and see how it goes.

 

[Monkeynut]

We sell the Honda and Stihl machines in my work, seem to sell a lot more Honda's for some reason... Both are good kit.

 

[fezster]

Well I bought a Worx Landroid L1500 and finally finished installing it yesterday.

It's really cool. It didn't come with enough pegs so I need to order some more, and there was only just enough wire.

I think I'll get the ACS and radio extender add ons but just going to run it for the moment and see how it goes.

Was the wire easy enough to install? And does it cut right up to the edge?

 

[Participant]

Was the wire easy enough to install? And does it cut right up to the edge?

Yes easy but tiresome to install the boundary wire.

It goes very near the edge. It will still need strimming.

If the lawn border is level with the lawn it can go all the way to the edge.

 

[fezster]

You did well to get the l1500 for £800! The l1000 is £1150 - there's an EU site selling for closer to £800, but they don't have UK delivery.