The Core

Why We Are Here => Water Cooler => Topic started by: Brad on April 17, 2015, 04:31:58 PM

Title: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 17, 2015, 04:31:58 PM
iRobot, makers of Roomba are about to launch a radio beacon guided robotic lawnmower.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/robotics/wireless-robotic-lawn-mower-coming-from-roomba-maker-150414.htm
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: littleman on April 17, 2015, 04:54:14 PM
Have they figured out a way to cut grass without s spinning blade?  Seems like the liability would be huge.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 17, 2015, 05:12:08 PM
The Roomba for Lawns Is Really Pissing Off Astronomers

http://www.wired.com/2015/04/irobot-lawnbot/
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 17, 2015, 10:18:21 PM
This will only increase the power of the sports channels, as more men spend the time they once used for mowing to couch potato even more.

I want to know what kind of running gear this Mowba will have. Not all of us have a lawn as smooth and flat like a pool table.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 18, 2015, 12:48:43 AM
First of all, as with the floorbots, if it isn't autonomous/self-docking then it's pretty much worthless.

This one is the one that pretty much tops the specs for a yard of any size.  You can outfit it with spiked drive wheels and extra battery.
http://www.probotics.com/details.asp?ab=92

<added>
The negative -besides price- is that it require zone perimeter wires.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Gurtie on April 18, 2015, 09:07:04 AM
I'd still prefer a ride on In fact for that price you could get a small ride on.

But either way I need a less sloping garden.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 18, 2015, 11:05:08 AM
I think most yards would still have areas or borders that would require a conventional mower or, at least, some intervention.

I have over an acre (5000 sq m)  to mow. Here in NC, that's once a week from mid-April to mid-October.  Having it mowed by a service would currently cost $1200/year.  I've been prepping the yard for eventual robotic mowing since Hurricane Isabel wiped out most of the wooded areas in 2003.  The setup now can be done entirely from a riding mower without any trim mowing or edging.  Takes about 1.5 hours.

With the possible exception of the size of my yard, I'm the perfect prospect. I was one click away from buying one of the above a few years back, but Debbie said I'd end up having to do more in support issues than it was worth.  Basically, I'm waiting for the technology to prove itself and also get cheaper. In some ways, it's encouraging that iRobot has taken so damn long to bring theirs to market but I'm going to have to see a lot of rave reviews before I buy. And the price needs to be under $3k.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 18, 2015, 12:15:58 PM
>$3K

I just can't see spending that kind of money on a mower unless it is really good.  But someday I think they will get it perfected and the prices will start dropping like VCR's did.



What I really want is a little bot that will crawl around and through my shrub and flower borders and identify and zap only the weeds.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 18, 2015, 01:24:00 PM
>weeds

Get this:
http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Battery-Powered-Sprayer-Black-White/dp/B004G7PADK/

Mix ordinary white vinegar, salt, & Dawn.  (Easy/safe to keep around the house). Works.

I'm prone to nuking things that bother me, but I don't like handling herbicides/pesticides.  I also don't like lawn stuff that require elaborate preparation.  The above is handy.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: buckworks on April 18, 2015, 02:43:43 PM
Be aware that salt is toxic to plants, is corrosive to materials, will migrate within the area, and doesn't break down.

Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 18, 2015, 03:06:33 PM
>salt

Far less toxic to plants than commonly thought, at least in our coastal (salt air) environment. As an experiment a few years ago, I poured a pure rock salt in some crevices and around the foundation. Didn't last a season.

But, if you're wary of salt in your flower bed, the vinegar with a surfactant (Dawn) will do the trick.  It has the added bonus of turning the weeds brown/shriveled in short order.

<added>
You can get extra-strength gardening/pickling vinegar (10%+ acidity), but I found it to be inconvenient to order/store. I just use grocery store vinegar (5%).
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 18, 2015, 04:27:58 PM
>vinegar

Thanks for the tip. I'll be switching to this as soon as I run through my current stockpile of Agent Orange. It's about time to give up Roundup anyway since it turns out to be more toxic than we thought a few years ago.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 18, 2015, 04:44:15 PM
>turns out to be more toxic than we thought

Another tip: Companies lie.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: buckworks on April 18, 2015, 05:53:19 PM
Quote
Didn't last a season.

The salt itself, lasts. It just doesn't stay put.

Do you know where it went?
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 18, 2015, 08:25:52 PM
But... But... I quit using Agent Orange, BW.  
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 18, 2015, 10:57:51 PM
I decided to feed 'lawnbott' into my craigslist carpet-bomber, Brad.  Found 2 in the lower 48. You should buy one and review it for me.

http://kansascity.craigslist.org/for/4983723148.html

http://littlerock.craigslist.org/grd/4928801658.html

Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 19, 2015, 01:27:12 PM
>review

I knew there was a catch in there somewhere.  ;D

Astronomers or not I'm interested in the iRobot version when it comes out. Or the Lawnbott when the price war starts.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 19, 2015, 04:09:03 PM
What's do you think will be the sweet spot for pricing for one capable of autonomously mowing 1/2 acre?
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 19, 2015, 06:07:22 PM
In 2007 I paid about $$600 for an electric lawn mower, a "Neuton" which they advertised on TV.  Having a removable battery was a big deal.  About 2012 I bought a Black and Decker battery electric mower for around $450. At either time I could have bought a cheap gas mower for $100 which may outlast either electric with a little care.

>>sweet spot

$900 - 1800. If it has easy setup and just works.  I don't want to be rescuing the mow bot every couple of days.  It's not the work it's having to remember to check on the darn thing.   

I'm bad at prices (and buying mowers apparently) so I could be way off. What's you guess.

Next up: robot snow shoveler that can do steps!

Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 19, 2015, 06:27:55 PM
If it's $900, they better also offer swarm technology 'cause I'm going to divide the yard into zones and have a fleet of them. 

I'm betting $2-2.5k
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 19, 2015, 10:08:18 PM
Here ya go, Gurtie...  (seems kind of puny, though. emphasis mine)

"The mower will return home when it needs to charge itself up. In between these comings and goings it cuts the grass, zigzagging around in a random pattern. It cuts a narrow swathe — 6in wide — and on my lawn of 100 square metres seemed to need to re-charge itself every 40 minutes (each charge takes an hour). In total it took TWO DAYS to cut."

Flymo 1200R, £1,000, flymo.com/uk, Argos, Homebase, Tesco and other outlets

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3044379/Why-gardener-needs-flame-thrower-robotic-lawnmowers-weed-destroying-flame-throwers-Tom-Rawstorne-puts-test.html
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 19, 2015, 11:57:27 PM
CNet review of Lawnbott:
http://www.cnet.com/products/kyodo-america-lawnbott-lb85el/

Link above contains links to Husquavarna and Robomow also makers of robotic lawn mowers.

The problem for me with all these is the perimeter wire not just to contain the bot but it has to run around the foundation of the house.  The other problem is sidewalks and trying to install the perimeter wire under them.  I have a small yard which should be perfect for robot mower, but it's also chopped up by numerous sidewalks and a driveway so installing the wire becomes a pain.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Gurtie on April 20, 2015, 11:30:43 AM
>> took TWO DAYS to cut

heh. OK so we have about 2000 m/2 and that's  before you start factoring in it getting caught in some type of loop behind the veg patches or a badger uprooting the wiring and sending if off to mow the fiield...

I think I might wait a while. I also have horrible visions of coming home to find a bald chicken looking horribly confused in the middle of the lawn

>> perimeter wire

our two long boundaries are pretty open, one of the short ones is an 8 ft sheer drop and the other has a gate which doesn't latch properly - I'm thinking  it would be as cheap to buy and fence a goat as one of these things. 
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: JasonD on April 20, 2015, 12:34:26 PM
>goat
add in some rice and peas and you have dinner once it's finished eating all the grass
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 20, 2015, 01:01:54 PM
http://www.cartalk.com/sites/default/files/features/wildlife/goats-on-car-web.jpg
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 20, 2015, 01:21:10 PM
>8ft

These things need to have curb and drop off detectors.  If your grass grows right up to the house foundation, you shouldn't have to mark it. Same with a fence or wall.  I have a feeling iRobot will address these things.

>chickens

It's such a small niche can we make the chicken detector an option? 

I'd love it if these had a turret with a small laser cannon and would kill field mice.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 20, 2015, 01:30:30 PM
>grass grows right up to the house foundation

That's another problem with most/all? of the designs to date, they leave a 3 inch edge unmowed.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 20, 2015, 02:58:27 PM
>3 inch edge unmowed

This is so they can sell you a string trimmer bot for an extra $2K.


Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 20, 2015, 03:45:42 PM
If the wheels are outboard of the mowing deck, there's going to be an edging problem.

A couple of years ago, maybe here at th3core, I broached the idea of using some sort of stake system to use gps to triangulate & navigate the yard rather than perimeter wires.  Of course, I didn't think about frequency restrictions.  With current cheap tech, I think even the stake system is crude.  You could easily teach a bot now and store the data onboard.  Just put smartphone guts on it, then press record and drag it around. Maybe drop a few magnetic position markers so it could cross-check its positioning while mowing.  And the setup needs some sort of rfid fairy dust that you could mark perimeters with. Another dust would mark direct trails back to the charger, etc.

<added>
And another pink, glittery dust for Gurtie's chickens
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 20, 2015, 04:34:20 PM
Robomow (the larger units) have a deck that sticks out farther than the wheels and claims to edge cut.
http://usa.robomow.com/product-category/mowers-en-us/

I like the fairy dust idea.  I wouldn't mind wires so much just don't make it have to be a loop and don't make me have to run current through it.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 20, 2015, 04:57:10 PM
>wouldn't mind wires so much

I'm pretty sure the loop is just a 14ga copper thhn wire. I vaguely recall it requires some sort of low-voltage signal, but I could certainly be wrong on that point.

>robomow

Never liked that brand much. Generally poor reviews. Maybe they've improved.  I passed up one of those (top model, low hours, $500-ish) on CL just a few months ago.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Gurtie on April 21, 2015, 08:16:36 AM
>> pink, glittery dust

excellent idea - or a small forcefield generated by a hat they could wear when roaming free.

If we're able too move onto getting rid of wires by training edges, I feel like we could be training it to follow macros. That way it would be a lot more efficient and not get stuck behind the veg patch in the first place.

But now we're making progress it raises more mundane problems, like how does accidentally mowing over a dog turd effect it (can we have an auto wash option?) and could we not make it solar powered so it needs less top ups?
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 21, 2015, 10:58:53 AM
>excellent idea

I knew you'd approve.

>macros

You just lost 98% of the market, but I'd like to have that option. The random pattern is so inefficient/maddening.

>dog
If you'll search images, you'll see that the floorbots have this problem.  Then again, don't search, it's disgusting.

>solar

Efficiency/weight ratio is not high enough yet, but that option will come one day.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on April 30, 2015, 10:45:48 PM
>dogs

Seems there is a cowpoopbot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bphBIwv5Vp8
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on July 06, 2015, 02:55:47 PM
> http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Battery-Powered-Sprayer-Black-White/dp/B004G7PADK/

This worked like a charm.  Excellent sprayer.  Mixed up some vinegar and dish liquid (skipping the salt) and it browned most of the weeds.  I'll re-treat them but with the ingredients being so cheap and eco-friendly compared to Roundup its a big win win all around.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on July 06, 2015, 05:36:06 PM
rc - what about the old tried and true method of a self-propelled "push" mower, a pinion in the center of the lawn and a rope on the front wheel?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tNVOhtvPEw
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on July 06, 2015, 06:35:23 PM
>sprayer

Glad you like it. Works well for me and my minimalist lawn work scheme.

> self-propelled

I think it would take 30-40 circles to do my yard.

Related:  When I was 6 or 7, my brother and I lashed a commercial, spinning-jaws-of-death, self-propelled REEL mower to a (high-$) wicker perambulator and took off down the road.  When he caught up to us, my old man would have killed us except he was laughing too hard.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on July 06, 2015, 06:44:49 PM
<added>
Like this one. Drop-front design, so we fashioned a buggy out of it.

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/wNkAAOSwPhdVKyEE/$_1.JPG (http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/wNkAAOSwPhdVKyEE/$_1.JPG)
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on July 06, 2015, 11:20:23 PM
:-)

I feel like anywhere I've been where you mix free-range kids, power tools and open space, some variation of that happens.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 13, 2015, 11:37:31 AM
iRobot's robotic lawn mower gets U.S. regulatory approval

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/12/us-irobot-lawnmower-fcc-idUSKCN0QH2CV20150812
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on August 13, 2015, 02:45:15 PM
This is gonna be cool.  I wonder what the price will be?
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 13, 2015, 02:55:27 PM
For an autonomous one, my guess (crudely based on competitive models) would be $1000 for 1/4 acre model, $2500 for 1/2 acre,  $3500 for acre
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on April 28, 2017, 12:26:46 AM
Honda jumping into the robot mower market.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5413512659001/?#sp=show-clips
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on January 30, 2019, 07:56:46 PM
<years later, and I STILL don't have a damn robot mower>

iRobot's Terra clears the lawn like its robot vacs clean a room
https://newatlas.com/irobot-terra-robot-mower/58264/
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on January 30, 2019, 08:43:58 PM
About time!  I do like the beacons as opposed to burying wire.   
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on January 30, 2019, 08:52:34 PM
They copied my idea, hhh. I laid out that design here in thecore many moons ago. What I DIDN'T know back then is that the FCC had to get involved to clear the radio band use or somesuch.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on January 30, 2019, 10:04:09 PM
I'm going to be watching the reviews on this one. 

Next we need a robot snow shoveler and a robot puppy.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 30, 2019, 10:35:51 PM
>Soon
....4 years later

Uh-oh.

"Unlike some other robot lawnmowers, the Terra user manual says the Terra and its beacons must be installed by a professional"

We dug up more about Roomba maker iRobot’s first autonomous lawnmower
https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/30/20839810/irobot-terra-autonomous-lawnmower-roomba-robot-fcc-beta-release-date-2020


 
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on August 31, 2019, 10:13:19 AM
>professional

The price just went way up.

Wow, 4 years.  I really did wonder what had happened to this. Thanks.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 31, 2019, 11:22:10 AM
>pro

This June, Tractor Supply had a sign in their vestibule selling Husqvarna mowers with pro installation.  IIRC, the price for the larger, 1/2-acre model was $2k. 
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Drastic on August 31, 2019, 03:19:08 PM
$2k? wow, that's quite doable.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 31, 2019, 04:34:45 PM
Just looked it up. Model 315; $1799.  I don't know if that covers all the underground wire and installation accessories.   

>$2k

I think that's the high-end price point now.  But anything to do large yards (1 acre) is scarce & pricey.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Drastic on August 31, 2019, 07:30:45 PM
2k doesn't sound high when it's replacing either lawn equipment that is maintained or lawn service. It wouldn't take long to recoup that investment for many.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 31, 2019, 07:41:38 PM
>service

There is a service that deploys and maintains lawnbots, btw.  But for the vast number of small, uncomplicated suburban lots a $1500 lawnbot would provide about a 50% ROI and traditional lawn services are going to take a big hit.

Personally, I'm not impressed yet with the bots I've reviewed. They don't seem very robust and I suspect I'd spend as much time tending them as I do mowing.  Still, when they get down to $500, I might throw one out there and see if it survives.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on August 31, 2019, 08:04:16 PM
>$2K

I can buy a lot of $120 Walmart lawnmowers for that money.


>$500

And more robust, now we are talking.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 31, 2019, 10:12:14 PM
>for that money

Around here, if you don't want to -or can't- mow the average yard , it's $150/mo x 7-8 month mowing season.  So a $2k mower breaks even in roughly 2 years, assuming it's trouble-free. 

My problem is that I don't think they're at the trouble-free level yet.

<added>
My other problem is that my yard isn't the average yard.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 31, 2019, 10:35:53 PM
<added2>
I'm not a fan of the Worx brand, but I'd buy this one for $5-600.

WORX WR150 Landroid L 20V Robotic Lawn Mower
https://www.amazon.com/WORX-WR150-Landroid-Robotic-Orange/dp/B07VC44C68/
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on September 01, 2019, 10:15:46 AM
> trouble free

You have a very good point there.  The idea of a robot is to free up your time, not spend all your time servicing the robot.

Right now, the high school kid that mows lawns in the 'hood charges $20 - 35 per mow, trimming included.  We have small lawns.  The problem with high school kids is every 3 - 4 years they move on and you have to find a new one that is reliable.

> WORX

I've had a mixed experience with WORX.  Their stuff is powerful for cordless, but I have a couple of switches that are going bad.


We might have to wait another 4 years for the price on a Roomba to come down, and for them to perfect the product.  I want to read the reviews once they have been out for awhile.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on September 01, 2019, 11:53:05 AM
>>trouble free

Currently, the brands are all lightweight, plastic-y, and under-powered.  The blades consist of 3 or 4 razor-like blades mounted on a disk.  The only reason they can mow is that they only have to lightly trim the grass ...but that means mowing must be done several times a week, adding to wear & tear. On some, the switches and control panels are exposed to the elements.  Overall, I'd guess that their life expectancy is 3-4 years even with good care & maintenance.

The other problems come from the yard itself. Branches, pine cones, flower beds, stray garden tools, toys, equipment, slopes, sandy spots.  Over the past decade, they've gotten better at handling yard problems but they still get stuck or suffer from temporary dementia and you have to go fix it.

And then there's theft.

For me, an ugly, brutish, open-source kit will probably be the answer.  (Damn the safety features! Full speed ahead!)
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on October 23, 2019, 11:30:30 PM
Trump’s China trade war is killing Roomba sales
https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/23/20929306/trump-china-trade-war-irobot-roomba-sales
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Rupert on October 24, 2019, 08:42:27 AM
I am sure there is another mower thread somewhere, and it was a couple of years ago.  My neighbours have an acre (100yrds x 50 yards approx) and theit Husqvarna was fitted for £3k. The have a pond, all sorts of different areas to wire round, and the fitter used a chainsaw to cut a groove for the wire in some places.

He has just been turned off for the winter, as we are a bog at the moment... Once sorted, the biggest problem are the dogs toys.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on October 24, 2019, 10:26:16 AM
I think I watched a youtube video of a Husqvarna robot mower shot in the UK a few years ago.  I remember being impressed.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 25, 2019, 04:55:11 PM
Cutting-edge robot makes short work of gardening chores
https://techxplore.com/news/2019-10-cutting-edge-robot-short-gardening-chores.html


>Husqvarna

IMO, they're the one to beat, though I don't like equipment that markets through big-box chains.  I *think* they have a beefier commercial version in the EU.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: littleman on June 27, 2020, 03:17:21 AM
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatcouldgoright/comments/hgkzfo/make_sure_to_check_the_lawn_for_baby_bunnies_first/
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: Brad on June 27, 2020, 10:50:34 AM
I think I could save myself a whole lot of money this way.  Thanks LM.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 10, 2021, 11:54:18 AM
"orders state regulators to ban the sale of new gas-powered equipment using small off-road engines, a broad category that includes generators, lawn equipment and pressure washers."

California law to eventually ban gas-powered lawn equipment - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/california-law-eventually-ban-gas-powered-lawn-equipment-80500839
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on October 12, 2021, 03:17:49 AM
>>on pace to produce more pollution each year than passenger vehicles.

Wow. And that's not even accounting for noise pollution.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 12, 2021, 01:37:32 PM
>noise pollution.

I see a good number of articles about cities in other states banning leaf blowers.  That noise is universally hated.

I'm guessing that Calif will allow landscape businesses to use gas/diesel mowers for a good while longer as there is no battery mower that will do a 2 acre yard.  The other small implements like trimmers are already going DC.   At any rate, if this law goes into effect battery-driven mower tech will take off.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on October 12, 2021, 02:25:18 PM
Even my conservative, 92-year-old dad switched to a battery mower for the hand mower. He loves it.

But he says he still feels that electric leaf blowers, pressure washers and ride-on mowers are inferior to gas.

I want a good electric pressure washer. The one neighbor has tried five. All of them died. I don't think it's a question of the electricity so much as the electrics just not being professional grade.

And you just can't get the pressure I think. A 5hp motor is 3700 watts. Your standard outlet has a 20-amp breaker, so that means you max at 2400 watts, but realistically about 2000 watts before you trip the breaker constantly. So to equal a gas pressure washer, you need an outlet wired for 240, which usually we North Americans do not have on the exterior, which means that you have to run a 5000-watt portable generator to run your 3700-watt electric pressure washer equal to a gas one.

With, let's say, 37-volt DC, you would need to run at 100amps. That means on one of my 2.5KWh 60-pound Simpliphi batteries, you would get about 40 minutes of use. So with a 12-pound battery you would get 8 minutes.

Not sure of all my math there... but I think that's the issue in general with changing over a 5hp device to an electric, either battery or plug-in.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 12, 2021, 03:00:28 PM
I keep an AC pressure washer permanently installed under the deck.  I use pws quite a bit, many hours per year.  They last about 18 months, but I get my money's worth out of them.  I'm currently using this one but it is too soon to tell if it'll go the distance.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083B2M9NT

I keep 200' of hose on a reel.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M5CI8OM

Great set-up.

The cheap built-in GFCI on the cord tends to go bad.  I have all my exterior circuits on GFCI so I just cut off the built-in and wire it direct.

Neat accessory I found this year. Works!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TSCX5T6

+
I have a gas model but haven't used it in years. PITA vs AC.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on October 12, 2021, 04:06:31 PM
I looked around. There are some 240V models, but that's too much hassle.

Consumer Reports rates both Greenworks models they review as 5/5 for predicted reliability. 2300psi max. They make a "pro" model that goes to 3000psi, but of course it's low flow because of the power draw. Do you have thoughts on that?
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 12, 2021, 05:28:43 PM
I started out with a super-pro Simpson 4000 psi decades ago.  And, as mentioned, have a 3000 psi Honda around here somewhere.  I use pws for many jobs that others don't seem to have thought of ...it'll dig a hole through loose gravel for your mailbox post, or grade parts of your yard without removing or killing the grass, or fog the house's siding with chlorox or insect repellent, or unclog drain pipes.

My experience was that pws above 2000# are too powerful for many routine jobs.  BTW, I generally use a 0-degree tip with a custom-ized wand.

>240v

I'm hooked on the semi-disposable 120v models.  My efforts go into accessorizing these basic models with injectors, extensions, tips, rather than pursuing higher pressures. Perhaps the worst construction accident I've had was with the 4000# Simpson --lost about 1/4 of my left palm.  That thing would -literally- blow a hole in 1/2" plywood in a heartbeat ...or ruin some cedar siding.

Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 12, 2021, 05:46:19 PM
+

Gun:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0157U65MO

Pivoting coupler for tip:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FXXXXJ3

Whirligig 0 degree tip:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T4JY32M

Injector:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RTKJ27X

Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on October 13, 2021, 04:38:24 PM
>>0-degree tip

Consumer Reports will not recommend any pressure washer with a 0-degree tip. They say it's dangerous and that 15-degree cleans as well in almost all circumstances. I gather that you beg to differ.

>>dig a hole

That's good to hear. One of my possible uses is to tunnel under tree roots in places where I need to lay drain pipe, but don't want to cut large roots and impact the tree.

>>accessorizing

Neophyte question - all those accessories you linked, are they fairly universal? Is it like, say, compressors, where the hoses are interchangeable and the connectors are standard?
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: DrCool on October 13, 2021, 10:06:39 PM
>dig a hole

My wife wants me to run some pipe under our sidewalk. Guessing the pressure washer will do a fine job of that.

I got this one last year when it was on sale for I think $300? https://www.costco.com/husqvarna-3200-psi-gas-pressure-washer.product.100742105.html  Seems to do a find job for what I need. Probably a bit overkill but when has that stopped any of us before???
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 13, 2021, 11:47:49 PM
>will not recommend any pressure washer with a 0-degree tip.

Likely because of the potential for damage and injury. See above.  Doc's 3200# with a 0 tip can chip a concrete driveway *IF* you get it too close.  Dropping to a 15 with double the time for the same job.  I also use a pw like a leaf blower and the 'punch' from a 0 is waaaaay better.  I have a whole jar of 15s-40s that I'll give you, hhh.

>dig a hole

Be prepared for a helluva muddy blowback,  but -yeah- it'll dig.  You & Doc might consider a drill-driven garden auger to help getting the bore under sidewalks and roots.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000LNTO8A

>where the hoses are interchangeable and the connectors are standard?

99% yes. I have run into one wand from SunJoe that tried to be proprietary.  Connectors for the tips are 1/4" and the hoses are 3/8". For example;

These 3 items connect to the end of the wand, so they are 1/4"
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TSCX5T6
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T3JNLTQ
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07T4JY32M

The hoses and the inlet on the gun handle are 3/8", like so
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GN51RB2



Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on October 30, 2021, 04:43:39 AM
My wife wants me to run some pipe under our sidewalk.

I just had to do this to run coax cable, but could have run a 4" pipe in the hole I mad. I took bent piece of pipe that use to hold a satellite dish, duct taped a small garden trowel to it and attacked it from one side then the other and had the hole dug in 20 minutes for a 4-foot sidewalk. The hardest part was getting the holes dug on the sides big enough to give me room to work.


For my part, I just decided on this one...
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Greenworks-Pro-Greenworks-3000-Pressure-Washer/1003203122
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 30, 2021, 01:18:15 PM
>on the sides

Yeah, you're going to need a trench on the starting side that's at least as long as the width of the sidewalk.

They make a sewer jet for pressure washers that split the water direction. One points forward to clear or bore and the rest are directed to the rear to provide propulsion.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RPY26GZ

I've used these a few times on commercial properties as well as my home. Work very well.  The surprising part is they develop enough power to drag the hose along, too.  Since you have rental property you might want to add one to your bag o' tricks. Cheap.

For a horizontal bore under a sidewalk, I'd start with the auger, maybe adding an extension to bore as much as possible with the drill.  Then I'd drive a 1" or 1-1/4" piece of pipe the length of the it roughly the width of the sidewalk in the bore hole.  I'd put the sewer nozzle through that pipe sleeve to finish the bore, tapping the end of the pipe with a mallet as the jetter worked.  The idea is that the jetter will flush out the dirt through the pipe. 
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 30, 2021, 01:26:28 PM
+

Another idea. Might require less off a starter trench.

https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Tool-EA75072-Installer-72-Inch/dp/B00IP87QHO

I've used these as intended on old construction. Should work as an earth borer.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on October 30, 2021, 06:25:40 PM
>>  sewer jet

You are a font of wisdom. Never heard of such a thing. Never would have thought to look for such a thing. It seems like a useful tool for "soft" clogs. I.e. not tree roots growing through sewer pipes, which is a common problem here, but useful for sh## and TP in the pipe and maybe other things that shouldn't get flushed but do, like the billions of dollars of damage done around the country by "flushable" wipes.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 30, 2021, 09:59:38 PM
Ya, you need a cutter tool on a sewer rod for big roots, but they make whirligig sewer nozzles for the 4k# pressure washers.  They'll cut the small, hair-like roots that are most common in sewer lines.  Many of your commercial roto-rooter guys are using camera-equipped pressure washers now instead of rods.

>roots

Wrap your problem areas with this. Trees hate copper.

Amazon.com : STUF-FIT Copper Mesh - 100 ft. roll
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001IMLTY
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 30, 2021, 10:10:14 PM
+

Commercial cutter blade (scroll)

https://spartantool.com/informationcenter/resources/sewer-jetter-applications
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on October 30, 2021, 10:20:44 PM
++

OK, let's get you up to speed on modern residential sewer maintenance, hhh.

They make small diameter -1/8 inch- sewer jetters for your secondary lines.  Worked really well for me even at 1500 psi.

Amazon.com: Sewer Jetter Kit 1/8" NPT x 50' Hose & 4.0 Orifice Button Nose Nozzle 4000 PSI
https://www.amazon.com/Sewer-Jetter-Orifice-Button-Nozzle/dp/B00MV3D542
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: ergophobe on November 13, 2021, 04:21:36 AM
Purchased - Greeworks Pro

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5MVD7mcoorMtk3xe9

Results
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPq1Qskli5djjo0ffkOsI8C9eMEoWn-KaFLvz45

Doesn't look that impressive, but the dirty part had previously been scrubbed with soap and a brush.
Title: Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
Post by: rcjordan on August 13, 2022, 03:45:50 PM
>mower

Getting close. Price point is good.

Amz : AYI Robot Lawn Mower for Large Yard, Mows Up to 2/3 Acre, Triblade Brushless Motor, Multiple Mowing Patterns, Self-Charging, IPX Waterproof, Wi-Fi App Control [DM3-2022] : Patio, Lawn & Garden
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B2X422MZ