Robot Lawnmower - Everything you need to know before buying

[@BrianLough]

This video has been 1 year in the making! I've used 4 different cameras in the making of this video: - 2 phones - A DJI osmo action (go pro) - G7 DSLR

[@piconano]

Good job. Makes me wish I had a lawn to mow!

[@WorxUK]

Great video Brian. I am not really sure where you reached out but sorry it didn't reach us. We have messaged you!

[@BrianLough]

@@WorxUK I think I emailed press@worx, I'll be honest I had no idea who to contact :D I'm not sure I got any message from you though?

[@erikskaarns9848]

Good video! I like the Worx l1000/wr147. Side cut, design etc all look good. BUT having lived with a noisy Ambrigio L30 Elite for 7 yesrs, emitted noise is pri 1. Second pri is traction. On the EliteL30 I ended up with steel plugs. Both of these criterias seems to be a weaker area of worx. L1000 apparently is 67db vs Husquarna 430 58db. It is a massive difference. When cab we see an objective comparison of all models testet for noiselevel??

[@BrianLough]

You buy me one of each model and I'll give it a go 😅 Apparently mine is rated for 67db, but I would definitely not describe it as loud at all, but that does sound like a big difference

[@21zit]

I did the layout and installation by studying the on line videos Husqvarna had on the web kzbin.infoUgkx2KDztGvdU79XTmlqIMSUyPq8CjprGJOR also recommended it When I started the unit it stated it would take a few days to learn all the spots in the yard. So I thought it was just finding the areas till I noticed it was cutting. It is so quite you don't know it is cutting.

[@w.puerschel1279]

Greetings from a journalist in Austria: the most thorough view on a gadget I found on KZbin, yet not boring at all. Instead, convincingly trustworthy and putting a possible buyer in a better position when spending a large portion of household money.

[@Moragor]

Don't know why I watched this, I don't even own a lawn xD

[@sasopetrovic1902]

😂😂

[@AndyTheMartian-626]

Robots r cool

[@kerrykeoghgluck596]

🤣👍

[@jcreswick]

🤣🤣🤣

[@BreakingBarriers2DIY]

The video was THAT good. lol

[@For891]

Man, I wish this guy would review something I am actually thinking of buying. Pretty much flawless review.

[@SVMSICE]

Check our "Project Farms" videos. Not to take anything away from this guy, but Project Farm does the most rigorous scientific type quality testing of products I've ever seen. He has an absolute ton of videos.

[@stephenkohler3472]

As someone who owns a lawn care business, I absolutely can not wait for these to take over! I'd much rather spend all summer fixing irrigation and fertilizing than chasing a lawnmower.

[@TheGroovybear17]

As a dealer that getting into robotic mowers (echo and husqvarna) we’ve discussed landscape companies. Do you think there’s a market where landscapers could buy a robot from us at a discount and either they do the install or we do. At that point the can sell the robot service to the customer where they still have a guy come out weekly to do the trim work and maintenance on the robot if needed?

[@stephenkohler3472]

@@TheGroovybear17 That's exactly how I see it going. Customers will contact their landscaper for installation, maintenance and trimming anyway so a good relationship with a local dealer would be great for everyone involved.

[@mawdkirynn3628]

One of the best reviews I've seen in a long long time. Fair play

[@THX..1138]

If you have a power edger they work wonderful for digging a roughly 1/4" wide 2" deep trench you can then push a wire into. I had to run a 200' network cable across my yard. With the edger attachment on my string trimmer it took maybe 15 minutes to bury the cable. I cut the trench then pushed the wire in with a ruler and collapsed the trench with my foot.

[@Djudge01]

I've seen lots of robot mower reviews, but this one is actually helpful. Thanks.

[@AndreOutlaw]

I bought my mower around Spring of this year. Everything you said is simply true. I even had the problem with the playset slide hitting the stop button or catching one of the wheels. There is a period where you will need to make adjustments where the mower can have trouble. For me, it was about a month. Lucky for me I have cameras that cover most of the front and back yard. So if it did have an error I could watch what it was doing and make adjustments. After fixing issues, it is almost trouble-free. We left for 2 weeks and oh what a joy it was to come home to a lawn that didn't need to be mowed. I also decided to run my mower at night. It starts up at 9PM and goes on until 4AM. That way I don't have to worry about anyone pulling into the driveway and not noticing the mower. And while the people that live in my neighborhood seem to really enjoy it. I won't have to worry about anyone walking past the house and having the mower cross their path when it goes across the sidewalk. There are very small areas that the mower can't get to or that will give it problems. These are few and far between. I simply use a trimmer to take care of these areas every 2 weeks or so. This takes about 10 minutes for the front and back yard. So, 10 minutes every 2 weeks with a battery-powered trimmer? Yeah, I'm liking that a lot vs mowing every weekend. Also, this is my second automatic mower. My first was at a different house perhaps 20 years ago. It was called the Robomower. It worked the same but it didn't have a charging base. You had to grab a control that was attached to it to guide it back into the garage to be charged. Or carry it if you wanted/the battery was dead. No apps back then. No zones. No modules were available to buy. I would guide it out one day to cut the front yard and the following day to cut the back. I would bring it out about twice a week before leaving for work and carry it back in when I got home. It was also a joy as I didn't have to use my gas mower. Now to do something about getting rid of the snow during the winter...

[@thisismagacountry1318]

Move to Austin, Houston, or San Antonio.

[@AndreOutlaw]

@@thisismagacountry1318 Well, easier drives/cheaper flights to Disney. But Texas is a pretty hard sell for me at this point.

[@gabibbo_007]

one of the few videos I have watched from beginning to end. Thank you

[@troppsi]

Omg calculating area with Google maps was the best tip I've ever seen!! I've been using mine for a season now dreading the task of measuring my lawn, but now I measured it with Google. I'm so happy,

[@bighippo999]

Tap, tap, tap "Ouch" cute voice: "That's ok" "It's ok for you" 😂😂 Love it. Great honest review

[@sosteve9113]

One of the best video's I saw,thanks for making this. Small tip,burry your trampoline legs a few cm in the ground,the robot drive over them and you can put those bricks away,resulting in a nice lawn,I did this when my daughter had her trampoline in the garden. Greetings from Belgium

[@BrianLough]

That's a cool idea! We ended up doing the same thing as that KZbin video I showed with the timber between the legs, it's working well

[@couchedking9321]

Well made overview on the topic. I bought a WR 147e.1 (Worx Lanroid L1000) last year, and I felt the same about it, one of the best things we ever bought. I took the larger unit because my 350m² lawn has some offroad features and the L1000 has a movable mow-deck (so it can't run into bumpy humps) and 4 wheels (which I figured, should make it more stable over bumpy terrain). After some time I decided to upgrade it with the ultrasonic sensors, which work really nicely and I don't regret buying them.I also installed a ring of steel spikes on each driven wheel, which helped a lot on slopes. A robot mower will never just work out of the box. I read reviews on them and some people seem to think, it will work from day 1 without any intervention. As you said, they are dumb, moving randomly like a bumble bvee over your garden. So the user needs to invest the thinking and prep the area for the mower. But when you have done that - your lawn isn't any concern anylonger. Always cut, mulched and ready to play.

[@normt430]

We went with extra weight on battery lid for our w140. It works great!

[@OldSlabSides]

Wow ok I’m watching a mower review and you show a feature of google maps I’ve never even heard of! Fantastic video Brian.

[@davidglitz4807]

Brilliant video - answered just about everything I needed to know ahead of taking the plunge on a Robotic Lawnmower - cheers Brian!

[@emiliogarcia4496]

Great video. Bought a new house on an acre and cutting the grass with Hyundai HYM51SPE (53CM) Pterol mower taking hours. A friend bought 2 Robot mowers as he has 2 acres and can't say enough good things about them. We are contemplating getting one and this video was so well put together with great info. Good work...

[@johnjoseph4320]

Best video I’ve seen on the landroid. I purchased one this may and it was such a good investment. It’s amazing and has saved me a job I hated doing every few days. It therapeutic just sitting have a coffee and watching it work. You do have to watch the wire as it seems to stretch in places after a few months and can get cut. Its an easy repair though. I definitely would recommend the worx landroid.

[@denimvelvet4670]

Nice to see a youtuber not using their children as bait. Never really put much thought into a robot mower. I had always thought they seemed rather like a bad gimmick. If Rhumba get into so much trouble indoors I figured a mower would be worse. You've changed my mind.

[@daviddion129]

You did an amazing job! Lots of work has been put in this video. Thank you!

[@BrianLough]

Thanks David, really appreciate it!

[@CurtdWar]

great video, I love my landroid. I also think it's one of my best investments. I'll add a few thoughts for people looking to buy. My yard is a textbook example of the worst conditions for a robot lawnmower, and it still does a great job. My yard is a little over 1800m2 so it's bigger than recommended for my landroid, it doesn't care. My yard is Australian coastal sand dunes, there is hardly any soil in the sand, so grass is patchy and i have steep dune slopes (steep for a mower). I also have about 40 trees and stumps in the yard to add obstacles. I only have tank water, so grass only gets water when it rains. Even with all those issues, the landroid dose an impressive job. About 4 hours, 3 times a week and the lawn is mowed and looks neat. I usually have to rescue it once or twice a run from getting bogged in sand, but that's not the mowers fault. Some issues that I have had, I used to get hundreds of lift alarms, caused by the front wheels falling into rabbit holes, I made a small mod to the system that makes it a little more dangerous, but reduces the alarms a lot. There was also a software update mid 2021 that improved the logic a little and reduced some of the errors. If I can get rid of the rabbits i'll reverse the mod. To improve the traction I 3d printed some tires that screw onto the outside of the existing tires and doubles the width. Sand traction is greatly improved, but clearance is a little wider now. I have the anti collision system, and it used to drive me mad. The mower would hit every tree in the yard and it would drive around long stalks of grass. I had it deactivated for ages but a software update seems to have fixed it, so I have been running it successfully for a while. Still not sure of it's value for money though. I think without it is fine. Anyway, if you are thinking of getting a robot mower and your yard isn't flat and grassy, know that the mower will still impress you. Well worth it.

[@normt430]

We use weights on the back wheels to help with traction as it crosses a cement sidewalk as part of the cutting area. We have a very large tree with a sloping base so the Landroid wants to climb it result in lifted error. I just need to buy more wire and add a loop around the tree and splice into the perimeter wire. Our back yard has holes from the dogs and will get stuck. So most of the time I mow with a Worx push mower. I would to connect the front and back and separate them in zones but the passage under a fence opening might allow dogs out!

[@phvaessen]

I'm using a Landroid Worx WG793E.1 since 2016 (6 years) - it works perfectly well. I had to change the battery after 5 years (65$) that's all. No ferlisers needed, no moss, and moles are gone. No oil or servicing required other than swaping the cheap blades once a month (4 screws)

[@normt430]

I never swap my blades going on year three on a w140. Every 40 hours I take a sharpening stone to the blades. With daily cutting the grass always freshly cut! We're on year 3 of the blades with a sharpening staying taken to them every 40 hours. A weight on the rear wheels helped our traction issues.

[@raulmidon]

This was great information - we have a sloping, large garden - still my wife is considering this (the garden is hers!)

[@thegrandmuftiofwakanda]

I've been watching a few videos on the Landroid and it has to be said : I am completely sold.

[@zlovetx]

Brian, thank you so much for taking the time to make such an honest and well thought out review. Hats off to you for protecting your kids identity on your videos! I know my kiddo would be interrupting every shot to be in the video lol (dragging out the process). This video was refreshing and helped me avoid going down a 3-5 hour rabbit hole to research the unit(s). I saw one yesterday at Sams Club here in Texas and decided to wait until I understood more about the pros and cons. Safe to say I'll be getting the Worx Landroid L (WR155) thanks to you. Seriously once again out of the few videos watched, many being the obvious and annoying robo ad spam go to Amazon videos, yours was the best and got me off the fence here. Wishing all the best to you and your family in Ireland!

[@BrianLough]

Thanks for the comment Zachary! Delighted that I was able to help. Ha, trust me they were in plenty of shots that got left on the editing room floor so to speak 😅 they'll have plenty of time to make fools of them selves online when they are older 😅

[@leonardo47000]

One of my favorite videos EVER!!!

[@johnnodge4327]

Really well put together video. However I've one correction on the cutting routine. This particular model does know where it is inside the boundary wire. Like you I thought these simply "bounced" off the boundary, randomly completing the lawn in this random routine. However I had a problem with the boundary wire, where a mole had damaged the insulation, which eventually caused the internal conductor to become high resistance. What gave me a clue as to the mower knowing where it is, was when it got to the section of wire that was damaged, the mower would start going in circles, or just change direction, even if it wasn't anywhere near the boundary. I decided to do some investigation into this with some test equipment. What I found is that the wire is being injected with a strong electric pulse at about 700kHz. The mower has a receiver to receive the 700kHz pulse, the signals of which are sent to the CPU for processing. The CPU can determine the mower position based on the doplar effect changes on the received 700kHz signal when the mower is underway, a bit like how a sat nav works. So these mowers do actually know where they are inside the boundary. This information is use to complete cutting the lawn over several charge cycles, so it doesn't go back over the same piece of lawn after the charge. However they don't store the location data for more than 1 power cycle, so turning it of and on again would cause it to have to start mowing from the beginning sequence.

[@handyhomebrewnetwork2142]

This was so helpful... I've watched many reviews but have missed your some how and this is the only one folks need. Cheers

[@THEFlea1991]

“Between a hair dryer, and a HELICOPTER” 😂 I thought this funny… and actually very likely accurate about petrol mowers. I don’t have a lawn anymore. But hope to soon. I subbed to your channel. I have been wondering about these for a while now. Thank you Sir

[@bobdung]

One of the very few videos on youtube I've ever watched all the way through -- Excellent discussion, thanks

[@BrianLough]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bobdung]

@@BrianLough so much that I just went and bought the machine an hour ago. Now if the rain will just go off I'll go install it.

[@BrianLough]

Nice! Best of luck with it. It's actually quite sunny here in my part of Ireland and the mower has been busy already this morning

[@RobertBratton]

Thanks!

[@zackfrom6960]

Don’t know how I ended up on robot mowers but great video and fantastic accent!

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

Excellent video. I've become disabled, struggle to walk, this would help to keep my lawn nice.

[@ravenmadd1343]

It's amazing what can be done with a brick, lawnmower control, window shopping, removing annoying people ... the list just goes on :) Oh and we never get rain in Ireland, we get downpours because we're "special" ;) Great video, recently bought a mower and installing it this weekend. Well it was that or a boat 😄

[@martiny1804]

Ive had my RL500 since 2006 and still does a great job. Digging in the perimeter wire took a bit of time but worth it. At lease when she asks me to cut the grass I can sit and have a beer.

[@robertculbreth694]

Installed this same mower about a month ago. Love it!

[@almarma]

Great video! I’ve watched already a few of them and this one has a lot of new information I didn’t knew, like the knife shape to go around some corners and the size comparison from the two different models. I’d like to add that my neighbor is my biggest inspiration to get one. Not for competition but because he installed it recently and it’s amazing how well it works and how he constantly has his lawn perfect the whole summer while each time I see mine it’s tall again (I’m in the north of Norway and between midnight sun and plenty of water the grass grows like crazy). The few warm days we have here I want to spend them barbecuing and not mowing. Let me add a beautiful thing I noticed from my neighbor one: wild birds love the robot. Not only they’re not scared of it, they quietly explore the lawn while the robot is working and are not afraid of it at all. I have chickens and I think they’ll love it too.

[@BrianLough]

Thanks! Yes the lawn always being mowed is so nice. We were preparing for visitors this week and it's so nice to just not have to worry about the lawn!

[@jonathankfouri5087]

Great video. Most helpful video I've found while researching these and no robot voice overs is always appreciated!

[@BrianLough]

Thanks Jonathan, much appreciated!

[@MarkTolo]

Brian, Nice job on the video. Everything you ran into I did also but with a couple more things. Half of my property is at a greater than a 30-degree angle and the landroid behaves differently whether the ground is wet or dry. When dry it slides if horizontally to the hill. If on a boundary wire it would eventually end up out of bounds. I purchased spikes rings that attach to the tires. They do great but collect mud and have spun on a boundary wire and cut it a few times until I made adjustments. I like how some users have used RC Monster truck tires. Well, the reason to write was you mentioned IOT. I attached a Wyze camera attached to the unit. I have the same unit as yours and the base of the camera is shoved easily under the front hood. I added a larger 2.4 ghz antennae to improve range. The USB port in the rear supplied power. It's cool to watch the video and if stuck it's location.I'm playing with ideas to override its direction remotely. I liked the thoroughness of your video. Thanks for the inspiration to maybe make one someday.

[@BrianLough]

Thanks Mark! Thanks for sharing your tips around the incline stuff, really useful! As you seen in the video out garden is basically level ( at least from an incline point of view!) That's cool about the camera too, I've seen a couple of people on reddit connecting them ok. I'm working from home full time for at least the short term so at the moment it's not too bad being able to just look out the back window to see where it's stuck!

[@glennkon]

I recommend gutting a cheap RC plane. You could use the wireless control bits paired with some relay driven, stronger servos to give the mower a little kick bump in any direction if it is stuck some way or another. Then you just need a wifi Arduino board to mate to the handheld plane controller. That would provide access to its controls over a standard network.

[@MagnumVideos]

This is one of the most informative videos on this product that I have seen. Nicely done.

[@scottbaker9066]

I've had the WR140 for 3 mowing seasons. The neighbor did chop the perimeter wire with his riding mower. There is a place in our front lawn where it won't follow the wire up the hill. I have the eyes but it gets scared of the willow tree branches. We have a driveway that encircles part of the front lawn but it's mostly rose bushes, holly tree, other bushes and mulch, so my battery powered push mower still gets used for a few minutes per week. I put motorcycle ice studs in the tires and doubled the battery Ah by piggyback to the standard battery. Get the dark green wire, I prefer to solder and heat shrink to the little clip splices.

[@mikeadler434]

Brian, thank you for taking the time to create this video. It was extremely informative. 👍👍👍

[@kiansaghafi8681]

I love how honest and open this man is, i truly wish you the best with your youtube career and future.

[@skrifefeil3634]

Nice video. I just got my robot lawnmower today. I´m going to install it tomorow ❤

[@fw1421]

Good Lord you have a huge yard! In Texas our yards are TINY! I do use a battery powered mower and love it. I can get 2 weeks mowings on a charge,even using the same battery in my blower. I was considered the Husqvarna until I saw the $3000 price.

[@paulhill2012]

Brian, Thanks for this review, I was undecided on whether to purchase a robot mower or not and this video has firmly tipped the balance into choosing to get one.

[@BrianLough]

Best of luck with it Paul! This is our third year with one and we haven't regretted it at all!

[@edumaker-alexgibson]

I was excited by this technology, even built a DIY prototype, recently nearly bought one. Now we have achieved the same functionality, by buying my daughter a pair of rabbits. Those are probably more expensive to run, and their hutch takes up more space, but they are more endearing.

[@DonathanHimself]

Thanks Brian, one of the most informative and detailed videos that i have found on these, I want one or two but I can't afford to be an early adopter so videos like these are very useful. Good job sir!

[@seamego00000]

Mowing at night is huge, waking up to a mostly fresh cut lawn sounds cool.

[@jimturpin]

Hi Brian, great video! I just bought one because I have gotten so tired of having to cut my grass, and I had a few questions and couldn't find the answers anywhere else but your video answered perfectly (i.e. the inner loop within the outer perimeter issue you mentioned for one.) Thanks much for taking the time to detail your experience and putting it in a video!

[@BrianLough]

You're welcome Jim, best of luck with it!

[@corail53]

So why did you buy a place with a lawn then? If you hate doing basic yardwork why not replace it with a different medium like rock or turf? This thing is not going to do an efficient job at all and still requires that you pay attention to it.

[@matoumakes]

I love robots that do useful things! If I had a lawn I would definitely want a robot to cut it. I have the same feelings about my vacuum robot 😃

[@ScottALanter]

This video had VERY useful information from the beginning all the way to the end. This really helped me in making a decision about purchasing a robot mower. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

[@joephillips6634]

burying wire is very easy if you use the right machine for it. There are small trenchers taht just pull the wire through the lawn a couple inches below the surface. I did a 1 acre lawn last year in just an hour or two. It was really easy and worthwhile I think.

[@DavidGlaude]

I know this channel and maker for the Tetris clock and other projects. Now looking for a mower robot, I am so happy to find a review from a trusted person. It is not clear yet if I have to put the wired around a big tree, same for a flower area with a little wood fence that totally circle it. So maybe I just need to do the external area... but I will find other video or official documentation. I did over estimate my garden and almost went for the L1300 that use no wire and has a camera... but the price is triple!!!

[@sk8timeforh8ers]

See as much as the noise is an issue, I really love the sound of lawn mowers

[@BreakingBarriers2DIY]

Love both the humour and the great information...this is so relevant to me. Thanks for sharing

[@BrianLough]

Thanks Tom!

[@dslynx]

When I installed my Lawnbott, I pegged the wire for the first month or two to make sure everything was perfect and then went back to bury it. During that time, I did have the bot cut the wire a time or two, so it may depend on your yard.

[@kgarden8960]

I have Husqvarna automower. Automower (unlike Worx I think?) won't cut right to the edge, so still need to mow the edge. For a separate small area (e.g. a front lawn) I have extended the perimeter cable around that area, and I just carry the mower there once a week or so and leave it there until the battery is flat (Automower has an "Additional area, run until battery flat" option). My boundary cable was professionally installed - the guy had a machine which buried the wire an inch or two, didn't take him very long When the boundary wire gets cut its a pain to locate. Keep some loops above ground, at intervals around the perimeter, to be able to test each section to narrow down the fault. No stripes! Agree it is ridiculous how long it mows (although it is very narrow, compared to the ride-on I used to use), compared to doing it manually, but fantastic that the lawn looks freshly cut when I getup every morning - because it is! My grass looks in much better health than when I used to mow it manually - in times of bad weather manual mowing would be delayed, I don't bother with rain-mode on Automower, it just mows every night. Only time I disable it is if we have snow or frost in the winter. My mowers run overnight, so they never interfere with pets / children etc. Very rare that a discarded child's toy has been shredded, I think the Automower gap, below the skirt, is too small too allow most things to get to the blades.

[@francoiseleclerc1963]

The robotic lawnmower cable is supplied with a current having a radio frequency between 200kHz (LW) and 800kHz (MW) which can be picked up by a portable radio. So you just have to walk the radio 10 cm above the cable to pick up the signal. When the signal decreases, it means that we are at the point where the cable was cut. Or for twice nothing, you buy "NOYAFA undergroud wire detector ton generator NF-816". kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6SlZGihlManoa8

[@Colin_Ames]

A very informative video for anyone considering one of these.

[@TurpInTexas]

I want a robotic mower so bad but the prices have got to come down because I am such a cheapskate, so until then I will just have to surf these KZbin videos for content like this and live vicariously through you guys. lol! Great video, very informative, you have almost persuaded me into buying one, except now I can't find the Worx Landroid L (because I cut my grass at 10cm high) except those the scalpers are trying to sell.

[@MAR-pn2sl]

One of the best instructional videos I have ever watched. Thanks!,,

[@Rafu01]

Thanks this was an excellent video of the mower. Considering getting one. Lawn is looking great now too but as its thriving that also means it has to be cut every second or third day or it gets very long.

[@atlantasailor1]

I had two robot mowers and got rid of them. They got into small holes in lawn and could not get out so they had to be watched. The batteries were super expensive. It was less hassle to do it with riding mower.

[@nickwood1062]

Review for anything + Irish accent = I NEED to buy one!

[@TigerOscar78]

I can see this technology in its early stages and it will improve fairly quick in the next few years.

[@SteelOfLegend]

This kind of tech could use one thing: proper programming. One where you lay out the wire, it drives along the wire and makes a map. The owner then verifies that map. It then fills in the internals on its own based on obstacles and so on. If there is a section on the map that is shown as an obstacle but is not actually there, the owner can remove the obstacle from the programming. The owner can also install wires on their own for internal obstacles if they choose to do so to assist in the programming. Then the mower can determine the best course to take to reduce uptime meaning less battery usage. Unless someone has already done something like this in which case... Awesome.

[@BrianLough]

More intelligent ones do seem to be coming, I guess time will tell how much better they are. For now I'm happy with this tech 😅

[@zeejimi4044]

I have owned a Husqvarna Automower for almost 10 years now, so here is a short summary of my experiences with it, and some tips. The weak point in the system is the perimeter cable ! I have spent a lot of time and money (for the Husqvarna technician and a new cable) because of it. Last year I had to renew the complete cable, and I chose the most expensive one, which cost me for my 2000m2 garden €600. The Husqvarna machine itself is sturdy and robust : I have only had to replace the disc that holds the blades, and of course the blades themselves. If I would have known all this ten years ago, I would have bought a long PE tube (with a diameter of eg 12mm) and inserted the perimeter cable into it to protect it and then dug into the ground. It is more initial work, but it saves you a LOT of time, hassle amd work in the long run ! Happy mowing !

[@normt430]

We have had our Worx w140 going on three years. I did the perimeter myself. But have had it come up on uphill corners and a few shovel cuts. The rain sensor and Landroid robot communicate via wifi so I always know the status. As for the blades I just take a sharpening stone to them on the machine. I figure they are very light weight and the disk that holds them gets off balance more with dirt and chunks of grass. The cutting happens twice a day while in auto mode at the least frequent cutting. Surprisingly it cuts 1/4" each time and leaves nothing to pick up after.

[@zeejimi4044]

@@normt430 Thank you for your input ! I have a piece of ground which is separated from my house garden. The Husqvarna representation have “warned” me about buying a non-Husqvarna robotic lawnmower (“..no service..”) for it. As I stated in a previous post, in my view the weak link in the system is not the mower itself, as I have in almost 10 years not required the Husqvarna service for the mower, but I have indeed needed their help - SEVERAL times - because of the “fragility” of the perimeter cable. In the meantime I have gained some expertise in finding cable breaks, and in repairing them. However, I must say that a neighbour of mine bought a robotic lawnmower from Einhell, installed it, and returned it the next day because it easily got stuck on e.g. small tufts of grass or soil several times, and it continually lost the WLAN/App connection as well. He then bought one from Gardena (with no WLAN/App), and has had no problems since. However, I believe that the Worx machine is better than the Gardena, and in all probability I will go down that route for my other lawn. I will slot the perimeter cable into an e.g. 12mm PE pipe, and fix it to the ground, perhaps partially buried, and leave the cable visible and accessible e.g. at the corners of the garden. By doing this I should be able to easily detect and repair the cable without the costly service of a service technician : it’s a bit more initial work, but in terms of less future problems, and less costs, this work is well worthwhile.

[@normt430]

@@zeejimi4044 yes, cutting the perimeter fence with a shovel drop or a car tire going over a muddy lawn can be a pain. I guess you can use a AM-band radio to hear for thr break area. We had to add extra weight over the back wheels of the Worx as when the sod was soft it would dig it up when on an incline.

[@zeejimi4044]

@@normt430 Indeed I use an old radio to detect breaks in perimeter cable (it “crackles” to signal that the cable is OK, and doesn’t crackle at all, or only very weakly when the cable is ruptured, or almost ruptured). Having said that, the device which our technician uses is much more precise in detecting a faulty cable, as it quantitatively measures the signal strength. As far as installing the perimeter cable is concerned, I think that the method of inserting it into a small, protective PE pipe can save you a lot of time, money, and nerves in the long run. That tip came from an approved Husqvarna robotic lawnmower technician (who probably wants to remain anonymous..).

[@normt430]

@@zeejimi4044 someone said you can use sold wire too.

[@marcosramos4596]

Looks good! I'll steal one when I get the chance!!

[@BrianLough]

Just don't take mine!

[@dsabo6426]

Extremely helpful!!! I will still need someone to trim bushes and spread mulch!

[@happygilmore5591]

Thanks for the review! I am going to buy this mower for my mom who is 70. Hopefully it worxs well😊👍

[@alhux210]

My flymo robot mower stopped working straight after the end of the guarantee. Did the straightforward things, battery change and voltage check with multimeter. Website and helpline give a long list of agents but none that I have called (I have called lots) do repairs. So bear in mind you might be replacing it after 3 years. Guess it depends if you think that is good value or not....

[@bullet113001]

Totally agree, having owned different brands, this is by far the best in my view. Do think the front single castor wheel is a better design, this imparts a lot of effort to turn both front castor wheels, which over time can scrub the grass off with its rear wheels. You do need to change the blades every month, particularly during the summer months. Love the product, wish it could be perfected further. Great review, very accurate.

[@normt430]

We have a W140 in the states. It has the single wheel in the front but the rear wheels tend to remove the grass by tear it out. We have added weight on the r3qr decade which has helped without effecting the battery range or life.

[@anthonytindle13]

Watched this as I'm curious and love a well cut lawn I'm disabled now after a stroke and haemorrhage from a burst aneurysm I am one of the few that would and do try to look after my lawns but I have to have help doing this, eg: family so instead of doing this a smart mower takes care of this for me with only the power for recharge needed which I always have.

[@BrianLough]

Sorry to hear about your ill health Anthony. This could be a good solution for you, you may need to give it a nudge evey now and again but nothing strenuous. The install part is relatively laborious so you may need to get help to do that, there are also companies who will install them for you too

[@jimmy_with_a_K]

Thanks for this good video. I’m looking for a robotmower for 2 mayor reasons, first i don’t mind to mow the lawn, just that sometimes the weather is good during the day and when i get home from work it starts raining or in october when houre is set to winter-time it’s dark after work. Second reason, i like to ride my motorcycle. And the best time to cut the gras is also the best time to ride, it’s really annoying to be out riding and thinking that the gras is to long and i should be mowing or pushing my mower and hearing other motorcycles passing by. Hope this will fix my issues.

[@bbjunkie]

Re cleaning up after your dog, yep it can get messy. I read a really funny (because it didnt happen to me) story about a robot vacuum cleaner that was left running overnight - cat had a slight accident, the runs to be precise on the living room carpet. That was a horror story to waken up to 😂 but at least the vacuum cleaner was convinced it had done a good job, messaging the owner "cleaning cycle complete" 🤣🤣🤣

[@dwhite300]

Do you know what the expected longevity of the mower is? A traditional mower can go very many years if maintained so that should also be kept in mind for cost comparison.

[@Yewbzee]

Excellent video Brian. I live in an apartment in Thailand and consequently don't have a lawn but I found the video enjoyable anyway!

[@HDEFMAN1]

I really enjoyed watching your review of your robot lawnmower. You have changed my views on such things. I had up till now thought they had to be gimmicks, surely. This video proves me wrong.

[@themysticsupreme5946]

Just ordered one yesterday. I'm stoked I won't have to mow anymore.

[@ArniAtlason]

I got the Idea to buy one and have been researching this robot. I have to say this is the best video with explanation I have seen. Thank you so much for this information. I'm thinking to set it up in a yard in Iceland but I live in United states so I have a lot of thinking and research to do. Thank you again.

[@garybarrett4881]

19:14 well done for the tip on how to use google maps to measure the area!

[@MST24]

Wonderful, entertaining, and informative video! I will be buying!

[@KjetilBalstad]

If your lawn is more complicated than this, with slopes, many obstacles and different areas then I would consider buying the Husqvarna, Gardena or the Honda and so forth. Also, these brand are to my experience more long lasting. We had a Husqvarna running for 15 years before replacing it this year, and it was still working. I also use the Gardena, a daughter company of Husqvarna, and its Smart system that can be linked to automated watering and sensors etc. is very useful for those who need this. We had lots of issues with the Worx on complicated lawns with difficult areas where the Husqvarna and Gardena had no issues at all. That said, I’m also testing the latest Garena models with front wheel operation, and I’m not 100% sure it’s better than the previous design yet, pros and cons.

[@dphillips9641]

Excellent video. I wish all product demo/guides were as factual and comprehensive as this one.

[@athegodofanime7108]

This video goes Really Well with Animal crossing soundtrack!!

[@jfraser5286]

Well done. I have been toying with the idea myself. This was a an excellent realist review of the concept of the robotic mowers.👍

[@ccox16419]

Brian, what would you recommend to folks who have fences? Would you cut out gaps in your fence so the robo can go in/out or would you just leave your gates open during the day and close them at night?

[@libertarian1637]

I have a geo-fence version which is nice as you can program and adjust the area covered without the need for a wire; geo-fence mowers are also smarter in they can keep track of where they have cut and when, allowing either random or program cutting. Some mowers even have WiFi auto-connect and GPS location, I’d say they’re stolen. I have CCTV cameras around the house and am out in the country so I’m not worried. The best feature is just having a nice cut lawn ready to use when you are without having to put your energy into it. With over an acre it just basically mows continually; I set it for the overnight period as then it’s not out when we are. I like battery tools and actual prefer some of the hard/garden tools over gasoline models as the electrics are just so much quieter and more pleasant to use, plus they only burn power when you’re pulling the trigger, u like gas tools that run even when they’re not doing anything. I agree 100% regarding not showing the kids, now if I can just get my socially addicted family to keep me out of the photos, life will be good and the circle of, privacy will be complete.

[@rapidrick]

My daughter likes to put her dolls on our husq for joy ride. It hasn't cut the dolls' arms/legs off yet when they eventually slide off! 😁

[@pamkearney7976]

Brilliant video Brian - very clear and informative. Many thanks and well done! Pam

[@BrianLough]

Thanks Pam!

[@Konve]

GPS is really useful for temporary boundaries since you don't have to lay a new physical wire. I just set up a small kids pool and put a no-go area on the map around it so there is no longer risk of it destroying the pool and probably itself also in the process.

[@BrianLough]

What mower do you have Konve?

[@Konve]

@@BrianLough It's a Gardena smart sileno life model.

[@darrellpatenaude3825]

Thanks. I have always wanted one. watching this was interesting and informative.

[@333Socks]

Best alternatives to grass without cutting at all: Mat forming plants such as Rupturewort (Herniaria glabra) and Bugle (Ajuga Reptans) are quick to establish and will form a tight mass of leaves in next to no time.

[@Z-Ack]

Yea, have a yard with nothing but weeds and algae/ moss.. great idea.. why not start a wasp farm also? Because that makes sense..

[@randallblake1213]

Very informative and I enjoyed your sense of humor.

[@xaytana]

I've been considering building a roomba-like robomower, replacing the vacuum brushes with trimmer line, using stair detection for sidewalk detection, the wall bump thing for obstacle detection, etc. I used to use a walk-behind trimmer, something that had a half meter of string diameter, meant more for fields of taller grass, thing worked great for quick work. The current people I hire also use a string trimmer for the grass in the fenced portion of my yard, as they can't drive their zero turn through the gate, or through most of the yard for that matter due to where the house and shed are. So I figured a string trimmer roomba would work almost perfectly, especially if you can get the string to auto-feed nicely. The only potential problem would be traversing tree roots, though a string trimmer wouldn't have the issue a blade trimmer would have when cutting above tree roots. Plus having a string trimmer means it can more easily get into corners and go along fence lines, unlike an actual mower with it's metal housing. If I ever get around to this project, I might even find a way to incorporate an edger, possibly just even tilting one of the trimmer perpendicularly to do so, so that it can actually do fence lines, and combine that with sidewalk detection and it could edge concrete as well. Grass also gets clumpy when it's wet, which is why blade trimmers do so poorly in wet grass, though I've never used a string trimmer in these conditions, I have a feeling a string trimmer will fare better in wet conditions, as the trimmer is exposed and not enclosed, meaning clumping shouldn't be as bad. Seems like the pinnacle of what robo mowers should be able to do. My only concern with robomowers is unfenced property. I wouldn't be surprised if someone tries to steal them if they see one freely doing it's thing. Also, unfenced property lines could be an issue if they're not properly mapped out. Another thing is the transition between fenced and unfenced property, I wouldn't want to leave a gate open, and a small passage would be nice, but I also don't want my dog to think that small passage should be a spot to try and dig under; a flap door could work, but similar issue as before, an animal might think it's a spot to dig through if they see the opening flapping about. The wire concept is interesting, but I believe a proper mapping of the lawn is a better method; but in all fairness, what I think a robomower should be is far smarter than what the typical robomower currently is.

[@Damocles54]

Mine just arrived on Friday. Weather has sucked since so I'm not set up yet, but I got out for me 83yo mother so's she doesn't have to fuck about with her yard anymore. The only add-on I got was the "find my landroid" gps middle that connects to the cellular data network. I'm in a low crime area, but low isn't no. So it was what I consider a smart buy in a collection of smart buys I'm kind of excited about it. I'm going to be 11 years old forever😂 Soon, it will be time to unleash Lisa the Landroid! (Mom likes alliteration, lol)

[@MrDIYca]

I think it is time to get myself one of these! thanks for the detailed video.

[@d3str0i3r]

another interesting point to consider before buying: the history of your house if the previous owner was the abusive sort that contains their animals using a shock collar, your yard likely already has a serviceable boundary wire, as shock collars establish boundaries using the same method, all you have to do is find the wire and connect it to the mower's base station

[@tin2001]

Is that more or less abusive than them being run over when they go out into the street through yet another hole you can't find? Not that I like those either... I just know there's a little dog down the road from us that constantly escapes and they've tried basically everything.

[@emiliskog]

my parents have used a Husqvarna automower for a long time, usually they have it running at night so it's mostly an invisible process