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Lunch » Tags » Robot » Reviews » Robomow RL855 Automatic Lawnmower

Robomow RL855 Automatic Lawnmower

1 rating: 5.0

This mower from “Friendly Robotics RL855” is for the environmentally conscious people and the more intelligent ones. Mowing your lawn may be tedious so you may as well have a little fun doing it. Just because you have a robot that cuts your … see full wiki

Tags: Robot, Environmentally Friendly, Battery Powered, Friendly Robotics, Lawnmower

1 review about Robomow RL855 Automatic Lawnmower

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Amaze Your Friends And Save The Environment With a Robomow RL855 Automatic Lawnmower

Jul 17, 2011

by badbonz007
posted in Tooling Around the House, Inside or Out

Rating:

Warning! This Product Review May be Healthy For You And The Environment. This may also make you the talk of your neighborhood.

This mower from “Friendly Robotics RL855” is for the environmentally conscious people and the more intelligent ones. Mowing your lawn may be tedious so you may as well have a little fun doing it. Just because you have a robot that cuts your lawn does not mean that you are lazy, it just means that you are a little smarter than everyone else. You can do more with you time other than following a lawn mower around for a couple of hours. This will allow you more free time to have a beer or just watch passer by’s look in amazement as they see this marvel in action. This will give you a perfectly manicured lawn and you will never have to pick up any clippings. They have thought of everything to give you more free time for your family to let you go to the show or out to dinner. This is also a lot safer than traditional models, because if you try and lift this up to see underneath an alarm will sound and the mower will automatically stop. This also has sensors located in the bumper, and another one to detect lifting, a child lock device, and a lot more. By the use of the fine mulching technique that this has, it will give you a lot healthier looking lawn. All of the nutrients that are in grass clippings, will go right back into the lawn. Of course, this will not do the weed whacking but it will get pretty close to do the edge all the way around the yard and other obstacles. This virtually means that you will no longer have to purchase any more gas, oil, and there is no emissions, and the sound will never bother your neighbors.

When my wife told me to go out and buy a self propelled lawn mower, and don't come back without one. I set out to find where there was any. So I started looking at Wal-Mart, Super-Kmart, Sears, and Menards ETC. They all wanted so much for them. And that is why I started looking at the dealers in my neighborhood. When I walked into the Jim’s Repair Service, I saw this strange looking contraption with no handle or cord. It was yellow and black and only had three wheels. This caught me off guard, so I proceeded to ask questions about it. I later found that they sell these at places such as Sears and other big retailers for a lot more. This particular model will sell at Sears for a mere $1800.00, but at Jim’s repair service, I traded my old one in and only ended up paying $640.00 out the door.

I have purchased both the Toro Imow and the Robomower RL500 from Friendly Robotics. But, now it is time that I traded up to the better model which is the Robomower RL855, I have discovered that they are exactly the same with the exception that they are two different colors and the circuitry that is inside. These mowers are fully automatic and once you set them up, all you have to do is drive them around and then put them away when you are done. I guess when people don't really understand how to set their yards up, the most important thing to remember is that if this is not done right they will have all kinds of trouble. I think that is why Toro quit making them.

I have owned them now for 10 years and I don't know why they are not giving some kind of rebate from the government. It seems to me that if there are more of these types of lawn mowers in service than hybrid cars and they get a rebate at the end of the year why can't we get one for owning one of these types of mowers. They are better for the air and don't need gas or oil.

What a difference a dealer makes. When I stepped into this one, he knew all about it. They told me everything that I wanted to know. They even gave me a demonstration. I found out that the most difficult thing about this mower is staking out your yard with the perimeter wire for the very first time. All of this might seem overwhelming at first. But, after watching the video that they have on line, all of this will makes a lot more sense. It is so simple that my fourteen year old son was able to set up my yard all by himself.

Why To Buy
One of the main reasons that I decided to buy this one is because that it is environmentally friendly. There is no gas or oil to fool with. It is quieter than a hand held hair dryer. Plus the cost is less than a self propelled model. This model was only $640.00 the regular walk behind one is six hundred. With all this and more in mind I decided to buy this one. You really never have to pick this one up because there is a type of game controller that sits on top of the mower. If you ever have to pick it up it only weighs about 78lbs. this includes the battery. If you take the battery out if you have to lift it, this makes it even lighter. This mower comes with a very durable plastic shell that wipes off with a damp cloth. Even though this has a thick shell don't under any circumstances get the game pad wet. You can not use a hose to rinse this even in a light manner on the tires. But, don’t even try and spray the back bottom of the tires, by slowly rolling the mower forward to clean the wheels off. But, if you have a dog you will see why you have to clean off the wheels from time to time. You will need to just use a stick to clean this unit off.

This also is a green as far as no emissions is being generated while being used. Even the sound can be as low as 65db. Regular lawnmowers put out stuff that cam trigger asthma and respiratory attacks, but not this mower. Not even so much as a puff of dust will get into the air.

Description and Features
This mower will more than double the amount of grass that it can cut. This will cut up to 10,700sqft of yard, that is more than double its cousin RL550. This is yellow with black bumpers in color and is 35” L x 26” W x 12.5” H in size. The Robomower RL855 weighs 78LBS (includes the battery). There are two types of three blades located underneath, there is a high cut blade (1.75 - 3.25” grass height), and (1-2.5” grass height). I have had no problem with this cutting any kind of grass at any height. These three blades will cut 21” path and it will cut 6” outside of the wheels. If you are worried about severe inclines, this can cut up to 15 degrees slopes. The body of the unit is UV protected and durable to an extent when it comes to all weather conditions. This has a illuminated LCD panel display with audio. Some models have rain sensors, and all of them have easy to use pop up menus. This gives you a patent grass cycling (mulching) that no other mower has. There are no tools needed to change the snap on blades. There are three 150 watt motors that turn the blades at a rate of 5800 rpm each. As far as the noise that this makes it is guaranteed not to go above 90db. This also has a theft control and a disabling system. The battery that comes with this unit is a drop and go 24 volt battery (this is actually 2 x 17 AH sealed lead acid maintenance free batteries). It will take an initial 20 hours to charge your new battery.

Experience
First you have to decide where you want to put the signal box. We decided that it would be best suited in the backyard. That way it would be safe and out of sight. Then every three feet you have to put a stake. You also can connect the front and backyard together, by splicing the wire together. You also need to keep the wire at least fourteen inches away from any obstacles. This mower also has rubber bumpers that have sensors built in. Just in case it bumps into something it will automatically shut down and turn around. It is so sensitive that if it would run into your dog that it will stop safely.

The set-up is fairly simple. It just takes a lot of time to stake out your yard. All you have to do is stretch out the wire by the edge of your yard and start putting a stake about every 3' more or less. It really depends on how straight your yard is. Sometimes you will have to use more stakes if you are going around a lot of stuff. You may also have to buy more wire and stakes to finish. Then in a couple of weeks the grass will grow up over the wire and it will be hardly noticeable.

If you go around trees and bushes in the middle of the yard just follow the edge and come straight in till you reach the tree or shrub and stay away about 12" to start and then you go all the way around and come back right next to the wire that you laid when you first approached. You can do your front and back at the same time that way you will not have to move the perimeter box at all. This box sends a weak signal with the use of 3 C-batteries. This signal goes all the way through the wire to keep the mower in the yard. After you set up your yard and have charged up the mower for 24 hours then put the mower in the middle of the yard. Then hit the calibrate button and the mower should rotate 3 times. The mower is using onboard navigation, if you wanted to you can do other yards as well without recalibrating again. As long as you don't go out of a 100 mile radius of the original calibration you should not have to recalibrate again.

The mower will last about 2-1/2 to 5 hours on a charge. There is a feature that will allow you to pick which amount of time that you need. You can use one box for the whole yard if you connect the wires properly. I usually cut my front yard one day and the back the next day. It will go around all obstacles as long as you keep the wire at least fourteen inches away. If you do this it will run perfectly. This mower will need to be calibrated first, then it will ask you if you want to skip the edge? Just don't push the go button and the mower will start cutting the edge. If you want to save a little time you can skip the edge. The wheels do have an adjustment if you want different desired heights. The mower has a built in compass that is accurate within one hundred miles. As long as you don't leave the area you will not have to recalibrate it. There is also a feature that will tell you the battery voltage and the inside temperature of the mower.

When this is done the mower will proceed to cut the edge of your yard once or twice. When it is finished it will start cutting your yard, it will never cut the same path twice. At first it will look kind of choppy. But, let it finish, when it is done you will have a beautifully manicured yard. Yes, you will still have to do some weed-whacking. This is not the fastest way to cut your grass but it sure is the neatest and easiest way. If your looking for speed then don't buy this. But, if you want to use your time more wisely, then this one is for you.

There are a lot of nice features with this and the first one is that there is no changing of any oil. The blades last for quite a while(a couple of years), so you don't have to change them that often, these are just like the larger ones if they get dull they will not perform well. This is the only time that you should have to lift the unit. Other than changing the blades, you should never have to lift the unit other than maybe if you cut a lot of wet grass then of course the grass will build up underneath. If this happens then just tilt the mower up and just scrape the underside with a stick (never spray this unit with water). Usually though, the 3 blades are small and cut the grass so fine that you will not see any clippings. They are approximately 8" long. I have a fairly good size yard so I cut the front one day and the next day I cut the back.

This unit comes with a perimeter switch which sends a signal through a thin wire and will tell you if the batteries are bad and if the line is cut. I have had this happen not to worry though, it is a tedious problem to fix using a spare piece of wire and a small knife you can use it as a jumper wire and it will stop beeping when you have found the cut. Just splice it back together with a wire nut and some electrical tape and you are on your way. This signal will keep the mower inside of certain areas that you want it to stay. Make sure that you take care of this switch because to replace it, it will cost you about $80.00 to replace.

The prices range from to $1,800.00 up to $3000.00 depending if you get the docking station. The more expensive models come with a docking station but you will need a little more room to keep you mower. I do not have much space to keep mine so that is why I bought this model. It does a superb job. I do get a lot of on lookers and dogs that like to watch. A lot of bike riders and cars drive real slow to see what the heck it is doing. I like to dress mine up a little and have a little fun with people, so I put some eyeballs on it and dressed it up for Halloween. I put a ghost on it and watched it go floating around the yard. Don't have to worry about someone stealing it because they would have to know where the perimeter switch is, plus this new one has a code that you can set to prevent any theft.

Just remember that this one is one that you will never have to lift. Just drive it to the location where you want it to start. By using the pad located on the top it is readily accessible and pulls out with ease. When it is done all you have to do is drive it back to where you charge it up for the night. Another thing that is important is, they don't tell you that you should plug it into a spot where it is on it's own power source. This takes away from the charging capabilities. In other words it will not charge properly.

The other important thing that this mower needs to run, is the perimeter switch. This mower can not run without it. This switch is made up of gray plastic about 8 or 9 inches in length. It comes with a stake that you can mount the switch on if you wish. Or you can mount it permanently somewhere else. Just keep it out of the rain or cover it with plastic so it does not get wet. It takes three C batteries to operate. The switch will send a signal through the perimeter wire to keep the mower where it is supposed to stay. If it goes across the line it will stop and change directions. It will also never cut the same path twice. There are three lights on this box and will show you when the wire is cut or the batteries are low or that a signal is being sent. Any one of these will cause the mower not to start.

Maintenance
The maintenance on this mower is very simple. After each use just remove the loose clippings, charge the battery and check the bumpers. After every fifty hours of use check the lift off switch. And after 150 hours of use change the blades. There are also drainage holes that need to be checked periodically. Plus if you ever have to replace the battery please dispose of it in the proper place. It just lifts out of the holding spot with ease. When the blades need attending to all you have to do is unscrew them. There are three of them about 8 inches long.

Safety Features
There are a lot of safety features such as: Child Guard- you can lock the mower up, Lift sensor- this will have an audible message when lifted, sensor equipped bumpers- anytime that it hits (usually within 1 second) anything it will stop and turn the other direction. An Emergency stop switch-A red button located at the top in the center, push and will stop within 1 second. Automatic mode Recognition- This will only operate in the manual when the controller is in its holder on the mower. A two step operator presence control- it takes two fingers with independent actions to activate the manual operation. An Electronically controlled charging system-This allows you to keep the charger connected at all times without over charging. A Sealed power pack-the battery is completely sealed so no leakage plus there is a one time use fuse. in the event of a short circuit or power malfunction. A Perimeter switch and perimeter wire- You cannot operate this mower without either of these. There is also an automatic off switch which will activate after 5 hours of continuous operation. An Over-current monitoring protection- Each of the wheels and blades are monitored continuously during operation for any overheating.

Make sure that other adults or children don't operate this mower alone until they are properly trained. If they are not they could get seriously hurt. When preparing this mower for operation the safety precautions should have top priority. This mower has a child proof guard and an automatic blade shutoff. Plus a crossing the perimeter wire switch, and a perimeter switch power loss. Just in case you are wondering, Yes you can operate this mower manually. By using the game pad located on the top, you just use it like a joy stick.

Warranty
The warranty on this is pretty good. It has a 2 year on the body and its components and 1 year on the battery. I have not had to use and they have expired. If I need anything there is a web site that I can go to. The site is http://www.friendlyrobotics.com/ . The manual is your most important friend in this case. If you follow the directions you should have no problems. This product has lasted me a very long time. Usually when you pay this much for something this expensive and with a reputable name on it you would think that you would get a better warranty. I sure hope it lasts. The only thing is that if you have to ship it, you have to pay for the shipping costs. Also if you use it in more than one location that voids the warranty. If you need any warranty work done then contact the customer service department. There is a big plus in all of this. And that is if for any reason that you are not satisfied you can return it for a full refund. Just remember that you must follow all of the maintenance procedures to keep the warranty in tact. The warranty does not cover the cost regular maintenance or parts. Also if you alter or change any electrical parts the warranty is no good.

I personally know that the service department will help you the best way that they can. I have called them and told them the problem that I was having and had no problem getting help. For instance, they to stake out the yard every three feet. Yet they send you 500 feet of wire. In my books that calculates to about 150 pegs that they should have included in the package. I only got 50. Hardly enough to do my whole yard. So I had to pay for another set of pegs. That is when I told them that it was not right to tell people that. So they are supposed be sending me another fifty pegs.

Winter Storage
When the mower gets done, it automatically shuts down. Also if it should get a low battery signal, it will still have enough juice left to get it back to the charging station. An important thing to know is when you store this for the winter they suggest that you put the battery somewhere so that it does not get damaged from the cold.

Conclusion
if you remember that this basically runs only when the perimeter switch is on you will be ok. A lot of care should also be taken to keep the on board navigation system clean and dry. I would highly recommend this mower to every hard working man or woman that just does not have the time to spare to cut grass. I have yet to have this mower go outside of the perimeter that I have set up. The best thing is that the elderly will love it. Overall I would give it 5 stars.

Recommended:
Yes