ROBOT LAWNMOWER INSTALL AND REVIEW: Husqvarna Automower 430XH (and a homemade one)

The automower: www.amazon.com/Husqvarna-430X...
Dog fence wire: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06...

[@pennycheyne2858]

We've had one for 3 years - love it! Challenges getting the boundary wire right, but after that, it's golden!

[@dosmech]

This review was really helpful, thank you so much! I appreciate you discussing the issues you ran into, this answered a lot of questions and concerns I had

[@FauxiFox]

Thank you so much for this video. I am currently in the journey of installing my guide wire for my 430xh. Completely overwhelmed by the bare minimum of explanation of the ‘quick guide’ they gave me with the mower but you made it make sense. I got mine to do over an acre, so lets hope it does well with that 😅

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Good luck!

[@londonfog5835]

Hands down, one of the most thoroughly informative videos on KZbin! Thank you for getting into the weeds " No pun intended" and showing others "me" how to diy my new mower!

[@RussellHogan]

Great real life video. That’s exactly what I needed. True situations to deal with. 😎

[@fizz9476]

Great video.. I have a Worx Landroid and like you in the beginning there was alot of adjustments to be made,, but now he's on his second summer, all the kinks have been fix, and he does his job with with pretty much no intervention from me..

[@GR19611]

These are amazing, Huge area with many challenges = problems to work out , stick with it and replace blades often , as they dull quickly on stone and steel.

[@BRBQing]

Nice video and gives the newbies a realistic expectation for what "will" happen, i.e. getting caught under trailers, spinning stuck, etc. Happens to all of us! I have the 450 model since 2018 in Minnesota and am upgrading the wire to the pro-grade for durability in northern MN with wild-life etc. Did the same thing and installed on-ground and it worked great (when mowing short first for the path). We call ours "Mower Mama" and it's great to arrive to the cabin with the lawn mowed each week!

[@onemorep6]

I was memorized by my neighbors mower while driving, not a good combo. One day may get one, but I still like riding. Thanks for the video.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Have you tried riding one? I haven’t. Next video idea…

[@davidfagerberg9283]

A good thing to think about when looking to buy a robot lawn mower is to buy a mower that have a higher rating than the size of your lawn. If it is rated to exactly the size of your lawn it has to cut more often. That diminishes the battery sooner and the lawn won't have time to rest resulting in a lower quality lawn. And the lower models have a maximum amount of hours it can mow each day. After that it just sits in the station for the remainder of the day. That means that it will never be able to cut a lawn the same size as the mowers specs are saying. My HQ:s rating compared to my lawn is almost double. The mower is cutting 6 hours 4 days a week and the lawn is looking good!

[@barneycarparts]

As for why the perimeter wire: GPS is currently only accurate to 9 feet Except GNNS is correlational for GPS down to centimeters. Suggestions: 1. Placing the wire could be done easily by placing a skill saw on wheels and cutting a slot in the ground, with a spool of wire mounted atop the saw with a spring mounted pusher down to low level. Of course you need carbide tips on your blade for rocks. 2. Getting Stuck in the un-level places; Fill them with sand. Even fill the pockets that naturally occur with sand, it will level and take less power to overcome them. And level lawn is less bouncy for lawn mowers. I Iove the concept. I'm seriously considering getting one. At $200/mo for a "mow and blow" lawn guy on 2 acres , I could justify one in 12 months. Plus my dog wouldn't want to eat him. I'm looking at the next gen Husquavarna Mower, 550H ($3500). Im guessing its gonna be a real mind blower, straight lines no skips. and, cm accuracy.

[@subwarpspeed]

The 550H uses the boundary wire and guide wire. It's the same platform underneath as the 450XH. What you mean is the 550H EPOS (or now, 450XH EPOS) which has changes under the hood to electronics. They have been out for a few years but first this year getting structuring cutting.

[@bobmontag2184]

I have 2 450 x mowers really enjoy them have had them 5 years.

[@massicotte1000]

Hi! Thanks for the video. I was wondering how long of wire comes with the large kit you bought. Thanks

[@jeffreyblack9999]

I've been considering getting one of these. We just bought our first house on .55 acres and I'm not loving the idea of getting on a riding mower every week during 100º weather. Our property is divided by a fence. I've seen a couple of people who put swinging doors at the bottom of their fence so I think I have additional projects!

[@ZeroToAwesome]

I may still be in the honeymoon stage but I’d say go for it. The more I robot proof my yard the more I like it.

[@senna4281]

Had this model for over 4 years now and it’s the Best Buy I have ever had. Running cost I very low as is servicing cost. I would recommend you bury your cables. Every time you he stops find out why make the changes need and you will find you have very little if any issues if you do this.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Also loving it so far!

[@mybodguard]

Excellent review. Thanks

[@adamhicks24]

🤣 watching it being born and seeing the world for the first time was hilarious

[@AapentVinduman]

hey man. thank you for taking the time to make this. cheers from Norway

[@ZeroToAwesome]

No problem. Thanks for coming all that way to watch 😉! Stay tuned for the 1yr update on the mower. Should be out in a week or two

[@AapentVinduman]

@@ZeroToAwesome Will do! :)

[@Truthbomb918]

If someone is getting one, print out a Google maps image of ur property and set out on paper first where everything will go, makes it much easier than doing it on the fly

[@user-ht3ep2co9z]

HI bro, do you have plan to review the LUBA 2 in your grass? Thanks.

[@GuitarJerk13]

Hi man! Regarding your thoughts about the mower needing guide wires when it has GPS. GPS, in lay mans terms, is not very precise. A typical GPS receiver has an accuracy of about 10 meters (33 feet to you americans). That is what your typical smartphone GPS has and it's the same with the AutoMower. The reason you think your smartphone GPS is so good is that Google Maps (or whatever map service you use) does a lot of clever stuff in the background to calculate your position on the map. The guide wire is much more precise for this type of application and is not dependent satellite coverage in your area. Husqvarna also sells the 550H EPOS with high precision RTK-GPS. That gives you 2 centimeter precision (less than 1 inch) and removes the need for both boundary and guide wires. However, you need an RTK base station for that and that is sold separately from the mower which brings up the total cost a lot.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Great info! Thanks!!

[@healer378]

This review helped me not to buy this due to the wiring and its maintenance. Thank you.

[@subwarpspeed]

It's funny to see how many 'mericans there are out there saying it's rubbish etc. Here in northern Europe I would say we are 10 years ahead with robot mower adoption. It's not rubbish. The new big thing seems to be RTK GPS mowers with a lot of kickstarters. I'm not having a good confidence in all the new ones but Husqvarna's EPOS has been around for a few years now. Costs a lot. But there are many considerations to do with RTK GPS mowers. I wouldn't say boundary wire is dead. Especially for smaller/cheaper models. It gives a cm level accuracy of the install without everything with RTK GPS. My 430X will enter the 7th season this summer.

[@alistairshanks5099]

You know those little clips together conectors? they are called Scotch Locks and they are rubbish because they corrode when they contact with water and dirt so you will be chasing bad connections forever. They are sometimes supplied with stuff you install in cars and they give nothing but trouble there as well. I install solenoid-operated watering systems and cheap systems use the same connectors and they keep me in business repairing them constantly.

[@subwarpspeed]

Not my experience at all. It's scotchlok 314 to be precise. They have gel inside. I've been running with 75+ in my boundary wire without a single problem with the connectors for several years. (the voles from the field has been chewing up the wire, that's why it needs repairing, I've switched that part to Husqvarna PRO wire now). Several different robotic mower manufacturers uses the same connector. I would think they know a thing or two about a connector that is reasonable easy for people to handle and that works good. It should me pressed together with a pliers.

[@dennispettitt6050]

Just pulled the trigger on this same model from Lowe's online... added some odds and ends from Amazon and it should all be here in about 2 weeks. I like a ~2" shag carpet lawn should I cut mine to ~1" before I let the beast loose? Got a few young trees and flowerbeds around with split firewood borders/edges (~3-4") . How tall a border do you need to keep it from plowing through the petunias? How bout running the wire through pvc conduit at gravel driveways?

[@dennispettitt6050]

Oh and would you recommend slack loops periodically in the perimeter to make adjustments in the future?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

I still haven’t mowed my yard since I installed mine so I’m loving it and hope you love yours too! I’d definitely cut where you’re planning on running the boundary/guide wire but don’t worry about the rest. It can handle cutting low right off even though they tell you to lower the blade slowly. A 3” border should typically be plenty to keep the mower out but it also depends on the grade. It loves a good ramp. I’m not sure about pvc but if you get burial rated wire you shouldn’t need it. And wouldn’t worry too much about slack unless you’re super ocd about cutting and joining wires. I’ve cut mine far more than I would’ve liked but I’m still alive and the mower is still mowing. Good luck!!

[@murphthebeast]

Time travel robot lawn mower…. Much like a well domesticated terminator.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Oh it’s lethal. If you’re grass…

[@dubrpanda1636]

Im late but look into a mammotion luba if you havent already... satellite, no wires

[@macflyguy5166]

How many times have you chopped up your boundary wire with the weedwacker?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Where the guards are? None. Where I moved the wire and didn’t make more? PLENTY: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYWoZHRumZyHoKs

[@EveronesInvited]

And the give you scotch locks also. Great

[@StevenNorth-1]

Thanks for the video. How has it held up over the past 10 months?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Haven’t had to mow the yard yet! Just rescue the mower every so often. I’ll do an update video once the grass starts growing

[@ArnoJacobs-vq5pg]

Care to do a follow up video? Seeing what effect it has had and condition of lawn?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Yep, planning on it. The grass just needs another week or two to green up. Wouldn’t want to do a lawnmower vid with a brown lawn!

[@SmartTechNow]

Good video. Can you please do a follow up video on it?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Maybe like… this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYWoZHRumZyHoKssi=CzxxZPI4I8w3XweS

[@DredW3TEC]

What about the narrow 2ft path? Did the mower go through that ok?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Sometimes it takes a little while to get through but it makes it

[@bridgetswihart3233]

Sooo if you already have a dog wire down will that mess with the mower?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Hmm good question. Wouldn’t want to shock your lawnmower. Or have your dog eat grass. They always throw up after that.

[@markm75]

Have animals chewed up the wire laying on the ground over time at all?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Nope. It hides itself pretty quick

[@ireneangulo968]

Cool

[@rrf482012]

I'm curious as to how your mower is doing now that it has been a few weeks? Still working out the bugs?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

The bugs have left for the most part. I had to make the trailers out of bounds and it still gets stuck on the trampoline occasionally, but I hope by adjusting those pvc stakes I can work that out. Haven’t had to mow the yard yet!

[@rrf482012]

So that pretty much means it is doing its job.......it is keeping up with it?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

@@rrf482012 yeah, it’s actually pretty impressive how well it keeps up. Each week I have to edge about 2” of new grass and the yard stays a constant height

[@jancaywood2099]

Is the robot’s “Home” location permanent? I’m thinking that in that location the robot will be in the path of the summer storms. Just wondering how much rain it can take. Oh, “Hi!” Sandy.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

TBD. It might move after we get more garage built

[@user_16309]

Wow that’s a LOT of work setting up for this.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

No worse than mowing the yard a few times!

[@msbgone]

Try Luba or Novabot if you have a chance ever which does not need wires.... They are not out yet though.... Nice vid!

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Why do you tase me so

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

that's such I nice yard I would get a riding mower with a drink 🍻 holder so I can run it on beer 😁 and malty task!!

[@ZeroToAwesome]

I just got that… malty task. Bravo!

[@marcmmclellan]

The ad during the video was for a robotic pool cleaner! I mean, this was cool but not making a sandwich in the kitchen with a chainsaw cool!

[@ZeroToAwesome]

More sandwiches. Noted!

[@MichaelDillin]

Note to self. In the future make large square or rectangular areas of grass only🤣👍😁

[@rossveenstra3415]

Next year in 2023 private owners of the consumer mowers get gps satellite software upgrades so it doesnt need gidewire. Sadly only the big boy professional mowers they have do have that function for now

[@subwarpspeed]

No it's not true. Husqvarna sells the 550 EPOS and now a 450X EPOS (really a 550). They have different internal electronics. The other mowers cannot be updated to it. In Europe the launch the new NERA mowers which have an optional EPOS kit that can be plugged into the machine. For EPOS you always need the reference station.

[@jamiainen]

hey man, did you know that there's 3 areas, if you setup those, it will mow much better and efficient. and it's really ease to do :)

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Guide 1, guide 2, and… secondary area?

[@jamiainen]

@@ZeroToAwesome it might be that, or, it has 3 areas + secondary area. those areas work with the guide wires. chech the menu :) the robot can go to areas via guide wire, or boundary wire.

[@brianmcclain7861]

u would think we got self driving cars now u think we be able to have self driving mowers that cuts in lines maybe 4x4 tires

[@markchase8128]

Should have broke out the trimmer to cut the grass along the wire path first, quick and easy.

[@ronswindall]

So, still enjoying it?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Yeah man that roomba THRASHES!! J/k yes. Haven’t had to mow the yard once

[@Flossin1987]

I’ll get one once they get a better technology than the guide wire.

[@thecatfishmouth]

Great video, thanks! Seems terribly inefficient, the way in wanders around. Perhaps that will get better over time as it maps your yard? If that doesn’t get way better, it just seems too unintelligent.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Supposedly that’s on purpose. They don’t want it making ruts in your yard by following the same path every time. Seems like the robot could think up a few different patterns though and that would do the trick. Who knows!

[@pharazul295]

He's right. Pattern mowing wears tracks & ruts in your lawn when it mows everyday. It will eventually cover all areas and maintain a great looking lawn with only the need for periodic string trimming and edging.

[@jamesgage5418]

HQ robots can sense longer grass and begin cutting in a spiral for a few minutes. If you let the robot cut every day, as much as possible, it will have no problem covering your entire yard.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

@@jamesgage5418 this one does that too. The first time I saw it I was pretty impressed. The second time I saw it it was spiral cutting the middle of my driveway and I was slightly less impressed. Maybe it ran over a stick or something to trigger it, idk

[@MichaelDillin]

Lots of work.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

True… but I haven’t mowed the yard since!

[@MichaelDillin]

@@ZeroToAwesome love it!!

[@robremlap4071]

There is entirely too much for this older guy to do just to mow the lawn, I'll keep my zero turn, I just turn the key and mow, it doesn't get stuck in low area's. Only takes 30 mins or less to completely mow. And I dont have to program anything to mow the lawn. I also enjoy getting out in the sun and mowing. This maybe good for people who dont like to mow, but I have always enjoyed the time by myself, being able to think about anything with no interuptions.

[@TheScrewy]

Man, you haven't even installed it correctly... even with the wires man... Did you read the menual correctly? I got the same mower, it cuts from 10pm to 8am with no problems. I can screw it for ya!

[@ZeroToAwesome]

I caught a glimpse of the front cover of the manual as I threw it into the trash, shouting “I’m a real man technology has nothing on me!!” And then my robot ate itself…

[@TheScrewy]

@@ZeroToAwesome haha my man!

[@ipodman1910]

Don’t insult the man! Real men NEVER read manuals! ;)

[@subwarpspeed]

@@ZeroToAwesome It looked like you had the quick guide. The real manual is a download from husqvarna.

[@henrythegreatamerican8136]

Does the app let you set a pre-determined route for it to follow instead of randomly cutting? Honestly....return that piece of crap before the warranty expires and get a lawnmower you sit or stand on.

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Nope. The most it will let you do is tell the mower to go x distance on guide wire 1 or 2 y% of the time. From there it’s random. BUT- I haven’t mowed the yard a single minute since I installed this thing. Couldn’t say that if I bought something I had to drive

[@MyLevelheaded]

I will wait for the wireless programable

[@Dibulok]

You should have 30% more capacity in your robot than the size of the yard.

[@justink4892]

Looking at the shape that your St. Aug grass is in.... you should replace it with something low maintenance... out at least hire someone to keep it green. .🤷‍♂️

[@RunarNyrud]

(comment made at 14 minutes) I have had robot for 16 years, and as I was the first one in the arena, I have helped quite a few with problems, and learned from my own mistakes.... Number 1 every time: don't folow install manual. Number 2: pushing the limit.... Trying to get the mower to narrow spaces, expecting it to handle tramolines and other things, mudpits and so on will get you in a lot of trouble..... 🙂. My thought at 14 minuttes: you will have a lot of trouble! 🙂

[@johncaywood1962]

Does he have a name? In order not to run over our automated grandchild we need to know how to discipline him.

[@jancaywood2099]

Husky

[@ZeroToAwesome]

Close- Husqee

[@johncaywood1962]

I was thinking Moe would be a good career builder name.

[@johnretired8213]

Toy.

[@GeorgeStaff-tt8co]

So many mistakes you should of paid for a installer.

[@kevincorrigan988]

looks cheap

[@ZeroToAwesome]

You should see how it looks after a few months of getting stuck under trailers!

[@richardbrasier1045]

@@ZeroToAwesome How do you feel about it after 6 months or so? Worth it?

[@ZeroToAwesome]

@@richardbrasier1045 yep, haven’t had to mow once

[@willis23jm1]

Total waste of money

[@nickkvlogzz3624]

This is a terrible mower I don’t see it cutting anything

[@ZeroToAwesome]

I was a little skeptical myself but I haven’t had to mow the yard since I installed it

[@livingworldbg9476]

Lawn mower is complete rubbish, maybe in 5 years they will be improved but for now no brand is worth the money!

[@andreykunts8241]

Hire