This thread has prompted me to look again at robot mowers and I have almost decide that the best solution is the Mamotion Luba Mini 4wd. It will map the lawns automatically or you can set hem up separately.
Thanks Mik - shorter video which impressed me.
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Just need a robotic lawn vacuum now to pick up the grass
I think it’s worth “tidying up” the lawn before using the robot, so right from the word go it’s only taking off quite short pieces - no vacuum needed.
Sounds like the ladies that clean their house before the cleaner turns up so as not to be seen to be too dirty 
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OK I have been dithering with this idea for too long and this thread has given me the spur I need. I have just ordered a Luba Mini. If it all goes tits up I will blame you @SuePJ 
: just joking emoji:
It interestingly has net RTK which is something I had not heard of. Apparently you can teceive RTK signal corrections over the 4g network. It will however need a SIM card and some sort of subscription for the data used. It also has normal RTK which I prefer.
I’ll be really interested to know how you get on. Do you have any areas which are overshadowed by trees? The lawns in the videos all look very open.
I’ve just been mowing the lawn in front of the cottage/gite and it’s almost completely overshadowed by two lime trees. The satellite pole thingy I can place out in the open, but I’m assuming that the signal has to be able to get to the mower under the trees.
What I might do is get a small (cheap) robot based on a line system for the front of the cottage in the shade and then use the Luba elsewhere - we have loads of lawns in different places, some of which are very open.
I like the sound of it dealing with banks - I must try the “measure” app to see how steep our slopes are.
You’re spurring me on Mik to finally get this sorted.
Where have you ordered it from? I’ve looked at Amazon 1 star reviews and those who have had a bad experience of it not working seem to be struggling to get good after sales service. I think I would opt for Darty - not least it’s cheaper than Amazon and I think it’s useful to be able to march into a shop and complain. if necessary.
The mower clearly needs to be able to detect the wire. Ours ‘finds’ it when it passes under the middle of the mower, so it will therefore typically mow about 10-20cms beyond the wire, being about half the width of the mower.
As it is mowing very finely indeed, the resulting cut grass slowly builds up on the lawn, in a short space of time covering the wire (which can be laid on top of the lawn, ie it doesn’t need digging in). That’s what I meant by bedding in. The mower’s cutting height is automatically set quite high (at least on the mowers we’ve had) so it doesn’t cut the wire, which would clearly be rather self- defeating!
You also may have to name your mower! Ridiculous as it seems, they appear to have their own quirky personality, and you can get quite fond of them as they trundle back and forth. Guests sit there mesmerised by its mowing. I think quite a few owners give their mowers names. We certainly do!
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Patrick.
There are two options with installing a guide loop.
The better & quickest option is to use a cable plough that slits through the grass & places the wire about 100mm below the surface. You’d hardly know that the (handheld) plough had been through. Clearly the plough is a bit of specialist kit & would be used by a pro supplier to install the loop for you - a service well worth it in my view.
You can self install with the use of plastic pegs that will hold the wire firmly in place until, as @George1 says, it sinks into the soil a bit. Clearly this is more prone to damage than a properly buried wire.
A middle option is to self install in a slit cut with an half moon edging tool. That gets it out of harms way straight away, but is tedious to carry out.
The mower is designed to pass over the wire - the overshoot can be adjusted as you wish i.e.it won’t leave a fluffy edge if there is a level area next to the grass, but there’s 'nowt you can do against a raised edge, but that is true of almost any form of mower.
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I ordered it direct from Mammotion. They give a €50 discount on first purchase otherwise I would feel safer with Amazon.
I had no idea that Darty sold them. I would probably have taken that route if I had known. It is good to have someone to shout at if things go wrong.
Regarding tree overhangs. It is hard to tell what the effect will be. you just need to be able to see a largish patch patch of sky to get a GPS position but it does not have to see directly overhead.
The RTK signal just provides atmospheric corrections to the signal received at the mower. I am guessing it uses a local wifi or blue tooth connection so pretty much needs line of sight to the mower from your RTK aerial (“stick”) if you want centimetric accuracy. BUT you also have the choice of corrections via the 4g phone network.
Even if all signal is lost the mower should continue using its other sensors to guesstimate where it is until it picks up a signal again. No way of telling in your situation until you try it.
Will report back when it has been tested
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I have quite a bit of experience with robot mowers, but only one brand, Husqvarna. 450x and 450x Epos.
I have 7 of them, 4 which are wired and 3 which are GPS. All running 24/7 covering a total of about 5 acres.
My biggest piece of advice is ensure you live close to somebody that can repair the model you buy, unless you don’t mind taking them apart yourself.
When they work they are fantastic but as soon as they stop working it is very frustrating.
They are definitely not a one time purchase with no ongoing costs. The larger area they are cutting the harder they have to work, and the more likely they are to break.
It also depends how fussy you are about your grass, with how often you have it cutting.
The newer models do seem more reliable but wheel motors break, and bearings need changing fairly often.
For the warranty you also need to get them serviced.
There are also prone to getting themselves into places they shouldn’t be (“outside working area”), which means manual intervention to set it going again. Hence you cant just go away for weeks and reliably expect it to take care of itself.
The flatter and the less complicated the area they have to cut (obstructions, rising tree roots, borders, water etc) the smoother they run.
I wouldn’t do without them, they save a lot of time, and they can turn a paddock into a bowling green inside 6 months. But I have learnt with them, like all machines that are running a lot they need to be looked after.
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Exactly what I tell the wife 
Ours is called Eric, as frequently the word ‘idle’ appears on its screen, by way of tribute to the legendary Python…
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Can they swim? That’s my biggest worry - one deciding it fancies a dip or has a crush on the pool robot.
My ex-wife was née Mower. My college friends called her Lorna.
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I have a 16 year old petrol mower which has been regularly serviced.
I am extremely interested in a robot and will buy one when the old petrol version expires.
Someone mentioned the robot crossing paths to reach other area to mow. When crossing (I have gravel) do the cutting blades retract or stop rotating for protection?
The blades are not spinning when using a “transit path”.
They can’t swim but I can testify they do float. However they are not totally water resistant, it was a very expensive dip!
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