PaddyBloggit
Registered User
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1. I have one I bought in Argos! Yes, Argos. It's a Flymo 1200R
It cost me €600.00 at the time (about 2 years ago) as it was on sale. It's made by Husqvarna, so you are essentially getting a Husqvarna machine. Husqvarna auto mowers cost a fortune. I wasn't going down the cost a fortune route. There's a newer version of the Flymo out that can be controlled by an app on your phone but tbh, there's no need. Set the times it's to work and off it goes. It works away fine in the rain. If it gets to wet, you can hit the Home button and it will go to its charging station and remain there until it's told head off again.
I do give the lawn a cut at the start of the season. I pick up bit of branches etc. but other than that the Flymo does its thing. As the clippings go back into the ground the lawn is much greener. I'd help it along with some fertiliser now and again. But it looks way better than when I used to cut and collect with my lawnmower.
2. The biggest thing is set up. You have to lay the boundary cable down and that takes time but you get plenty of wire and plastic ties down for that. I lifted the grass slightly to make a trench and put the cable into that. The laying of the cable has to be done as good as possible because you don't want to be chasing a broken line. You also have to lay a line across the cutting area, which the mower will look for if its battery is low. This helps guide it back to its charging station.
I bought a charging station canopy (It cost me €50 plus delivery):
It's in a sheltered spot so the storms etc. don't affect it.
Re. the verges; I still have to cut them with a strimmers every now and again. The mower will put its nose over the boundary line but it doesn't cut at that position. It's not a biggie tbh.
3. No cuttings to rake up. Just watch for branches of trees getting caught up in the mower. My Flymo protests when I wash it underneath with a hose... it tells me to use a brush! But I keep washing and it keeps going. In wet weather the clippings are wet and you get a build up of grass clipping underneath the mower. Again, not a biggie. You clean it (when you think of it).
4. First cut of the season; I always use a mower for the first 'clean up' because I have the mower. The biggest issue at the start of the season is the bigger material like bits off trees etc. I have a ride on mower because I cut my father's lawn and as it's separate to me my Flymo won't do.
5. The reasons why I got the auto mower: My ride on mower was out of action at the time. The deck needed replacing and I was using a push mower. With work, I always found (even with the ride on mower) that I was being chased by rain and I was always cutting in a rush. I finally bought an auto mower because it was so cheap in Argos. It may have been cheap, but it works as good today as on the day I bought it.
If it packs in, I'll being buying a Flymo again. Shout if you have any more questions.
(Sorry for the slow reply.... been up to my ears)
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