Author Topic: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.  (Read 19736 times)

rcjordan

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #45 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.

Brad

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #46 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.

rcjordan

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #47 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


 

Brad

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #48 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.

rcjordan

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #49 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. 

Drastic

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #50 on: August 31, 2019, 03:19:08 PM »
$2k? wow, that's quite doable.

rcjordan

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #51 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.

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #52 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.

rcjordan

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #53 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.

Brad

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #54 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.

rcjordan

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #55 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.

rcjordan

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #56 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/

Brad

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #57 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.

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #58 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!)

Brad

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Re: Roomba Lawnmower Soon.
« Reply #59 on: October 23, 2019, 11:30:30 PM »