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Husqvarna Automower

Dec 13, 2010#1

JDgreen

Just saw something on AOL news about this cool $2700 Husqvarna automatic mower that comes in gas or electrtic power...sorry, cannot provide a link, but the article says it is available in several colors and the electric version is solar powered and costs $300 more than gas version...however, it still cannot cut an acre without needing refueling or recharging.

LOOKS GREAT, though....:laughing:

Dec 13, 2010#2

Two-Stroke

I found this link that explains how the mower can send you a text message if it has a problem. It also has an anti-theft device.

Is this the same mower?

Dec 13, 2010#3

RobertBrown

Two-Stroke said:
I found this link that explains how the mower can send you a text message if it has a problem. It also has an anti-theft device.

Is this the same mower?

Looks a lot like the one kenny has

robo mower or something like that.

Dec 13, 2010#4

K

KennyV

The Husqvarna looks interesting...
robo mower will not text but there is one model (forget what one), that will call your cell phone and tell you if it is needing anything, and tell you its location if stolen:thumbsup:...
Garden Lawnmower Models & Specifications ? Choose Your Next Lawn Mower
fun mowers to watch... :smile:KennyV

Aug 23, 2012#5

Perry

I'm very keen to pick up on this thread, as I have an Automower
on my wish-list. There are several models in the range and the
newer one has a large area capacity. Something I really need.

However, from looking around the forum areas, it seems that
there are no Automower owners posting. Is that still correct?

So far, I have not been thrilled by what might be called the pre-
sales service, here in New Zealand. Because these are not big
sellers, knowledge seems to be very limited.

I asked what a "secondary area generator" was. No one knows.
I want to ask what happens if there's a mains power supply
failure, while the beast is out mowing. Trying to use Husqvarna's
Internet support/help system to get help is worse than pulling
teeth. I gave up on the effort.

Seems like a good product - shame about the poor service.

The largest model is not yet available hereabouts, so I wait
and continue learning. At least I was able to download the
user a manual and installation guide, to study.

Automower 305 is the third generation fully automatic lawn mower
designed for smaller or more complicated grass areas. (1/8 acre).

Automower 220 AC manages both mowing and charging automatically.
(1/2 acre).

Automower 230 ACX (3/4 acre).

Automower 265 ACX is designed for semi-professional use in business
or public environments as well as for demanding consumers.

Aug 23, 2012#6

K

KennyV

Don't know for sure about the 6000 but the others will not operate if they loose power to the perimeter wire...
They all look like great mowers.... :smile:KennyV

Aug 23, 2012#7

Perry

Most of my previous 'big stuff' experience was with Toro 70" Professionals.
They got superseded and then so did I. (I retired)

I'm intrigued by what you say, Kenny. When it's out on the job, cutting grass,
how does the automower 'know' that there has been a mains supply lapse?
What stops it mowing through a flower bed or other forbidden zone area?
What's the communication medium? Or other means of letting the mower
'know' that there's been a mains supply failure?

Supposedly, the anti-theft facility is dependent on the perimeter wire being
crossed, as the would-be thief makes off with the automower. What would
a mains supply outage do to that anti-theft feature?

Aug 24, 2012#8

K

KennyV

Generally there is a "pick up & tilt" sensor in the mower... that would be shut off via a remote control, when you wanted to move it... Anti theft systems incorporate disabling circuitry like car radios.... alarms & PIN codes some models also have GPS & texting capabilities. (nothing short of an armed guard can insure against theft)....

The perimeter wire shows the mower what area it can operate in...will not cross it & needs a signal that there is in fact a continuous loop around the area, radio contact inside the zone would vanish with a power loss... As seen here: Installing Robotic mowers - Installation Husqvarna Automower®
These are normally semi-permanent installations, the larger models suggest unattended commercial mowing... I don't know how they operate without the perimeter wire.... ?

These apparently operate as other brands because they state it come with up to 1312 foot of loop wire and other normal for the application 'features'... as seen: Compare Husqvarna Robotic Lawn Mowers - Automower
All it's specs & instillation and operation read the same as "RoboMower" ...
:smile:KennyV

Aug 24, 2012#9

Perry

KennyV said:
The perimeter wire shows the mower what area it can operate in...will not cross it & needs
a signal that there is in fact a continuous loop around the area, radio contact inside the zone
would vanish with a power loss.

That's the puzzling bit. From what I could tell, the perimeter wire gives off a (directional along
the wire) signal that the mower can detect, but only when the mower is in close proximity to
the said perimeter wire.

My impression is that there is no radio-type signal that blankets the whole area within the
perimeter wire. But that's only my impression. I've had three reps call here (two from HV
and one local outfit staffer) and I detected a limit to their product knowledge, quite quickly.
Sort-of understandable as the New Zealand sales numbers are likely very few.

EDIT
By chance, do you have an e-mail address for technical support at Charlotte, NC?

Aug 24, 2012#10

K

KennyV

? ...
Husqvarna is tough to get any consumer end contact information... Everything is routed through dealers, (I do understand the reasoning behind this, But there are Times that you May need to bypass the dealer)...
It looks like there is not much Husqvarna dealer presents in New Zealand... Here is a USA phone # for consumer support... : General Information - What is the phone number for Husqvarna Customer Support?
It may not be much help, but it might???
You may have to become your local dealer in order to get any type of manufacturer support.

The automower is using a 'twin wire' perimeter system, I can only speculate that one run is for boundary & the other is communication....?
I will have to look into the control systems on this mower, I do Not anticipate any local dealer will be very knowledgeable regarding this type equipment...

Post back with anything you discover, I will do the same... :smile:KennyV

Aug 24, 2012#11

pugaltitude

Instead of the husvarna have you tried Robomow.
I think this was the 1st designed in 90s.
Roboland New Zealand - The Domestic Robot Experts -- Robomow

Aug 24, 2012#12

K

KennyV

The Robomow is the one I was comparing to...
They make a fantastic mower, I have set that one up in a few places it's simple and with the exception of the "twin" wire and cutting blades everything seems the same... :smile:KennyV

Aug 24, 2012#13

pugaltitude

Iv only sold a couple but we have one for demo purpose at local agticultural shows and works a treat as a marketing gimic.

One problem i get is your garden has to be really clear of roots and bumps in the lawn as they can get stuck but once they are fixed it rarely happens.

Only downside from a repair shop side it takes away the servicing of a tractor.

Aug 24, 2012#14

Perry

KennyV said:
Husqvarna is tough to get any consumer end contact information from. Everything is
routed through dealers. I do understand the reasoning behind this, but there are
times that you may need to bypass the dealer.

I have indeed noticed what you describe. Yet I have had two Husqvarna staffers visit
the property! One was a demonstrator (along with a local dealer rep) and he made
some suggestions about potential hazards to an automower in the mowing zone.
I've remedied one and started on another two. The said demonstrator also said that
the site would tax any 230 to it's limit and maybe I'd need two! (Perhaps he has
a money tree in his yard?)

Later, I had another visit from the Husqvarna dealer territory manager. He said that
the 260 would be so much better, so I should wait until the 260 model was released
in New Zealand. He gave an indicative date, and, with a wry smile, said that the date
he gave me may be, ahhhh, 'elastic,' as it was the second release date, so far. :wink:

KennyV said:
It looks like there is not much Husqvarna dealer presence in New Zealand.

We have a fair spread, but the automower is in the once-a-year sale category, from
what I can tell. Brush cutter, chainsaws and ride-on mowers seem to be the categories
most favoured. Which is why you're right on the button with this comment:

KennyV said:
I do not anticipate any local dealer will be very knowledgeable regarding this type
of equipment.

KennyV said:
I will have to look into the control systems on this mower.

Thanks. It's complicated but there's no need for it to be beyond comprehension by an
end consumer with a few clues. When I used to re-build the Toro 70" Pro machines
and supply parts to dealers, I gave advice to anyone that asked. Often, dealers would
refer end users to me, after checking if I was OK with that. We all won, that way.

KennyV said:
The automower is using a 'twin wire' perimeter system. I can only speculate that one
run is for boundary & the other is communication?

Do you mean multi-strand, rather than two wires? From the manual, there only seems
to be one wire. But the manual's mention of special jointers supplied (and the illustration)
doesn't look like they are jointing anything other than one internal wire, though.

When the demonstrator was here, he spoke of directional signals going down the wire.
He explained that running a wire in from the perimeter to a no-go island like a flower bed
still allowed the automower to cross the there-and-back runs of wire to the flower bed.
He said that the reason the there-and-back wires must be together was that the signals
cancelled out, one going one way and the reverse. It was that which enabled the auto-
mower to cross them.

So that may mean some sort of extra ADSL-like signal is going around the perimeter
wire. One for the boundary limit and one for your cease-and-desist order to come from,
when the power goes out.

Maybe it means a UPS is necessary? All very interesting.

KennyV said:
Post back with anything you discover. I will do the same. :smile:

Will do!

Aug 24, 2012#15

K

KennyV

Some of the literature mentions Twin wire or Dual guide wires... there was definitely 2 separate wires in the run...
The Robomow would also find spots that it could get 'trapped', once identified they were easily corrected.

A UPS would surely be the simple solution... there should not be a very big amp draw during communication while running without external grid powering the perimeter.... :smile:KennyV

Aug 25, 2012#16

Perry

Have a look at this illustration from the manual. It's what makes me say that
it's hard to see how the wire can be multi-core.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BTW - have you ever fitted (or used) a secondary area generator?

No one around these parts - dealer or Husqvarana staffer - knows what one is/does!

Aug 25, 2012#17

K

KennyV

Perry said:
BTW - have you ever fitted (or used) a secondary area generator?
....

That is the boundary wire for some of the models & it is exactly like the RoboMow...
But they say the higher end models use the dual wire...?

The secondary area is just that... It allows you to permanently set up a second space to operate the mower... I did a front yard as a second area, back yard was the primary... You could not get it to find the second space on it's own, you had to use the remote to 'drive' it into the second space... :smile:KennyV

Aug 25, 2012#18

Perry

What I don't get is the plug configuration. One end for mains;
the other goes where? AFAIK, Husqvarna don't have a remote
control. According to their local staffers, one must pick the
automower up and carry it to a 'remote' area, then leave it
to work until the battery is exhausted.

I presume one then has to pick it up to take it back and man-
ually poke it into the charging station to recharge the battery?

In reality, this is a high tech gadget. From what I can tell, the
manual and other available information has been dumbed-
down to suit the average Jill or Joe end consumer. For anyone
with half an inquiring mind, there's no help to be had from
Husqvarna, in seeking any deeper understanding of all the
technology involved in getting the best out of the product.

That might be tolerable if the local dealer is switched-on to
the product. As in, doing an installation many or several times-
a-year. Not much use for the once-in-a-blue-moon installation
by a dealer. No real opportunity to gain experience, that way.

Aug 26, 2012#19

Perry

Re: Husqvarna Automower Considerations

pugaltitude said:
Instead of the husqvarna have you tried Robomow.
I think this was the 1st designed in 90s.

I did a lot of review reading and the robomow did
not rate that well. There is another brand, the name
of which I can't recall at the moment, but the reviews
were not much better. (One's Israeli, the other's Italian
if I recall correctly).

The other aspect is area. I don't recall exactly now,
but a look at the site you suggested (been there before)
gave no indication of the Robomow's area capacity.

Many of the automower web reviews were superficial:
mainly regurgitating the promotional material put out
by the company. Has anyone thought for a moment:
just how much real use is a text-sending feature in
a robot mower? Also, in order to send a SMS, wouldn't
the device have to have some form of cellular service
provider registration? E.g. a number and SIM card?

A remote control device to change programming would
seem far more useful.

I also think there's not enough said about the limitations
and impositions of having a robotic mower. Especially
in any large garden area with lots of trees - like mine.

Lawn vigilance will be a pre-requisite. A small branch
fallen from a tree; a ball dropped by a dog; a toy or
item of clothing left by a child. All would be a hazard
in one way or another. One might also ask how it will
manage a pile of dog turd?

I have had lots of experience with laying and mowing
lawns. As well as some machine-specific mower main-
tenance. Mowing wet grass is best avoided for lots of
reasons. Yet in winter, it's hard to get a day of dry grass,
following on from the common nightly frosts.

In summer, there's a need to program around pop-up
irrigation and wet lawns because of dew. It all take
some effort and planning. Not that the PR guys want
people to think on that for too long. In a sense, such
a 'blind' mowing machine reminds me of the old joke:

You don't own your stuff; your stuff owns you.

Aug 27, 2012#20

K

KennyV

Honda now has one...
Honda introduces its newest robot, and it cuts your lawn for you
:smile:KennyV

Aug 27, 2012#21

Perry

Other Alternatives

It seems it'll be a long wait for the Honda Miimo and
much the same for the Bosch Indego. And that's for
the rest of the world. Lil ol' New Zealand will be - as
usual - well behind those release dates.

Neither the Honda nor Bosch offering seem to have
anything close to the 6000 square meter area capacity
of the automower 260, either.

Sep 4, 2012#22

P

playpen

KennyV said:
Some of the literature mentions Twin wire or Dual guide wires... there was definitely 2 separate wires in the run...
The Robomow would also find spots that it could get 'trapped', once identified they were easily corrected.

A UPS would surely be the simple solution... there should not be a very big amp draw during communication while running without external grid powering the perimeter.... :smile:KennyV

I've been researching the robo mowers... I think I can address both topics:

Guide wires--
"Single" vs. "dual" with regards to the Automower is stating the number of optional "guide" wires supported by the model. These are separate from the border wire.

Guide wires allow alternate paths to/from the charger to either bypass complicated border structures (keep-out loops that the mower takes two turn around when following the border), navigate through narrow passages, or simply optimize travel to zones. Guide wires attach to the charger on one end and attach to the border wire on the other end to form additional signal loops.

Power outages--
The mower must always "hear" the border signal while operating, even when not up against it as an edge. If the mower strays outside 100 ft from a wire or the signal is disrupted via a cut or power outage, it will shut off with an "out of border" alarm.

Sep 4, 2012#23

Perry

playpen said:
Power outages--
The mower must always "hear" the border signal while operating, even when not up
against it as an edge. If the mower strays outside 100 ft from a wire or the signal is
disrupted via a cut or power outage, it will shut off with an "out of border" alarm.

Interesting. Where were you lucky enough to glean that information from, I wonder?

With the new 260 having an advertised area capacity of 5500 - 6000 meters square
(59200 - 64583 square feet), I would guess that it would not be hard for it to get
100 feet (30.5 meters) away from a boundary wire, in some part of the mowing area.

Perhaps a guide wire would also be a substitute for the mower to use to listen for
any mains power outage? That might help keep it within that 100' range figure?

Sep 14, 2012#24

D

Danny2

Perry said:
Interesting. Where were you lucky enough to glean that information from, I wonder?

With the new 260 having an advertised area capacity of 5500 - 6000 meters square
(59200 - 64583 square feet), I would guess that it would not be hard for it to get
100 feet (30.5 meters) away from a boundary wire, in some part of the mowing area.

Perhaps a guide wire would also be a substitute for the mower to use to listen for
any mains power outage? That might help keep it within that 100' range figure?

The info is available from husqvarna's web site, go to support, download manuals, and download. (That being said, you cannot download a manual for each model, there are only a couple of models listed.)
As well, the dual wire is not the 2 "guide wires" mentioned by the previous poster, it is a different system of boundary wires. I have yet to be able to figure out exactly what the dual wire system is, but, if you go to husqvarna's web site, and compare models, some use a single wire, most use the newer dual wire. ( All models still can use the "guide wires")

I am very interested in purchasing one of these, but, cannot find info on things like "how close to the edge of the mower will the blades cut?" (Kind of defeats the purpose of an automwer, if I have to follow it with a trimmer, & pick up the edges the robot didn't get.). If anyone knows where to get more info?
Thanks

Sep 15, 2012#25

Perry

Danny2

I wish it were that simple. As observed by another poster, Husqvarna make strenuous
efforts to avoid any meaningful contact with the end consumer of their products. Not
only that, but Husqvarna seem to delight in discrimination-by-region/nation/locality.

I have already downloaded a manual for the 260 ACX. But there is also a "265 ACX."

Huh?

I'm going to do some more down-loading, manual reading and digging before further
commenting on those matters.

For now, it seems fair to say that Husqvarna presumes all end product consumers to
be idiots, from whom no thoughtful and reasonable questions might come in an effort
to make them better informed, efficient and effective product users.

Regarding:

how close to the edge of the mower will the blades cut?

. . . it seems that it's not a matter of how close to the outer edge of the mower body
that the blades reach to, but how far 'across' the boundary wire the mower will track,
thereby bringing the cutting blades to the edge of the lawn.

I do recall reading something about that in a manual. Not sure which one.

Wouldn't it be splendid if an intelligent life form from Husqvarna would be allowed to
contribute meaningfully to these discussions?

Sep 15, 2012#26

D

Danny2

Perry said:
Regarding:

. . . it seems that it's not a matter of how close to the outer edge of the mower body
that the blades reach to, but how far 'across' the boundary wire the mower will track,
thereby bringing the cutting blades to the edge of the lawn.

I do recall reading something about that in a manual. Not sure which one.

Wouldn't it be splendid if an intelligent life form from Husqvarna would be allowed to
contribute meaningfully to these discussions?

Actually, in my case, (and I am sure many others) it does matter how close to the edge of the mower body it will cut. I have a retaining wall with a concrete footing under it, footing is level with the lawn, but is only about 4 " wide, so, if the mower can't cut closer than 4 inches from it's outermost dimension, it won't be able to trim to the edge of the lawn without hitting the wall. (So, if it can't trim to the edge, & I need to trim it myself, it kinda defeats the purpose.)

Sep 15, 2012#27

Perry

Does this (from the manual) provide a clue to your options?

Sep 16, 2012#28

D

Danny2

Perry said:
Does this (from the manual) provide a clue to your options?

Not really, but I did find another data sheet online and found the information I was looking for, assuming the cutting blade is in the center of the mower. 21.7" wide mower - 8.7" blade = 13" ÷ 2 = 6.5" minimum from any fence, wall etc.

Sep 16, 2012#29

lawn mower fanatic

I always wondered how the machine knew where the boundary was!:smile:

Sep 18, 2012#30

D

Danny2

Danny2 said:
Actually, in my case, (and I am sure many others) it does matter how close to the edge of the mower body it will cut. I have a retaining wall with a concrete footing under it, footing is level with the lawn, but is only about 4 " wide, so, if the mower can't cut closer than 4 inches from it's outermost dimension, it won't be able to trim to the edge of the lawn without hitting the wall. (So, if it can't trim to the edge, & I need to trim it myself, it kinda defeats the purpose.)

So, I have done some more research, the husky auto mower does indeed have the mowing motor in the center of the machine, so no mowing to the edges, but the robomower rm40 will mow outside the wheels, and do so for a lot less money. Not sure how reliable the robomow will be, but, it looks like the machine for my use right now. Any other options anyone else knows of?

Oct 7, 2012#31

Perry

The way I read the general blurb, having the dish diameter and total blade
span a lot less than the actual mower width is to keep the blades as far
away as possible from hands and feet. Especially (perhaps) curious little
people - not leprechauns! - and inquisitive dogs.

This will cause a no-go no-mow area against a wall that has no edging.
But proper placement of the boundary wire next to a horizontal edging
(nib?) at the same level as the lawn will allow the automower to track
past the edge and so bring the cutting blades to a point that they will to
cut the grass right to the edge.

Does the forum active users group still lack an actual automower owner?

I was looking afresh at the web-based info on the 260/265ACX. I had to
giggle inwardly:

I guess someone just got lazy and re-used the same info for the 230ACX, with
no great thought involved.

Oct 8, 2012#32

D

Danny2

Yes, like you say, the Husky website is not very helpful with correct info for all models, they rely on their dealers to provide that info. Problem is, in a smaller center like where I live, the dealer hasn't even heard of a robotic mower. As far as anyone actually owning a Husky automower, my brother has one that he has had for about 6 years, but, that may not compare to the newer models. That being said, like I mentioned in an earlier post, I have decided to go with a Robomow RM400, which has an offset cutting system, that can actually cut outside the wheels, and can also be had for about $1500.00. Considering I need 2 of these things, the money savings will also be quite substantial.

Oct 8, 2012#33

Perry

Fair enough, too. I hope you don't end up regretting that decision
on a cents-wise and dollar-foolish basis. If you want to go even
cheaper, there are a raft of el cheapos available out of China.
The after sales service might not be much, but you can buy 10
for the price of one, so cannibalize them for spares or just throw
'em away!

The smaller centre syndrome is very real. Be that locality or
country. You're in the first: I'm in the second. :frown:

Aside from having an area too big for it to manage, I got put off
by the reviews. Here's one.

Did you get to have a look around their Yahoo Group?

Oct 8, 2012#34

K

KennyV

I bought a Robomow Feb 25 2005... It has mowed a Lot of grass in Topeka, Kansas and then for the last 4 or 5 years in Phoenix, Az... Still mowing GREAT, it's on it's second battery and third set of blades... never any problems... I have no idea of how many hours it has ... But it's a Lot... :smile:KennyV

Oct 8, 2012#35

Perry

Sounds like you got a real good 'un!
Long may it continue.

Oct 9, 2012#36

D

Danny2

Perry said:
Fair enough, too. I hope you don't end up regretting that decision
on a cents-wise and dollar-foolish basis. If you want to go even
cheaper, there are a raft of el cheapos available out of China.
The after sales service might not be much, but you can buy 10
for the price of one, so cannibalize them for spares or just throw
'em away!

The smaller centre syndrome is very real. Be that locality or
country. You're in the first: I'm in the second. :frown:

Aside from having an area too big for it to manage, I got put off
by the reviews. Here's one.

Did you get to have a look around their Yahoo Group?

Sorry if you misunderstood, the reason I am choosing the Robomow over the Husky, is the robomow will cut my grass right to the edge (outside the wheel track, so the cutting head will reach to the edge of my grass that is run up to within 4 inches of a WALL. The husky will not cut to the edge against the wall, so, I would need to go after the husky was "finished" and finish cutting myself with a trimmer. The Robomow will cut closer to the edge,(because of the offset cutting blade), so I won't need to go out with a trimmer after the robomow is finished. A happy consequence of being forced to pick the Robomower (because it will actually work) is that is also a lot cheaper.(less than half the price)
As far as the reviews you pointed me to, there were only 2 reviews, one good, one not so good, but even the unhappy guy got 4 good years. If I had to buy a new mower every 4 years, but it meant I wouldn't have to cut grass anymore, I think I would be willing to pay the price.

Dec 8, 2012#37

lawn mower fanatic

I just saw this tonight....a JOHN DEERE robotic mower. Currently it is only available at certified dealers in Europe for around $3200. Tango E5 Autonomous Mower

Dec 8, 2012#38

Perry

Tango E5 currently available in Austria, Belgium,
Luxembourg, Norway and Switzerland only.

And I see it's only capable of 1800 square metres, too.

May 19, 2013#39

Perry

I think I'm almost ready to buy. The 260ACX has been released in New Zealand.
I hope to have it installed by the time the Spring growth arrives (August). I'll
tell the tale here, when the day (and the mower) arrives.

BTW - is this a fantasy thing? Or for real but only on golf courses?

Robotic-Lawnmower-or-The-Perfect-Soldier-Style-Ideas.jpg

Seems it is for real, with a scary price tag!

May 19, 2013#40

066

Perry said:
I think I'm almost ready to buy. The 260ACX has been released in New Zealand.
I hope to have it installed by the time the Spring growth arrives (August). I'll
tell the tale here, when the day (and the mower) arrives.

I havn't seen the 260ACX yet, it does have the five blades but the blade motor is slower than the other models at 1750 rpm as opposed to 2500 rpm.

May 19, 2013#41

Perry

066 said:
I haven't seen the 260ACX yet, it does have the five blades but the blade motor
is slower than the other models at 1750 rpm as opposed to 2500 rpm.

Didn't know that. No mention of rpm in the spec sheets on
the Husqvarna web site, but I see the 2500rpm mentioned
in the 260ACX manual. However, I do understand that the
ground speed is quite a lot faster than the smaller models.
No mention of motor rpm in the 230/220 manual, though.

Jul 31, 2013#42

Perry

Adventure Time

Right - I've kicked off my automower adventure thread, here.
Y'all stop by and have a look now, y'hear?

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