To make sure your Gardena Robotic Lawnmower operates to its best throughout the season, you will have to keep it properly maintained. Now this shouldn’t cause you too much hassle but you will have to check up on it on a regular basis, about once a week.
So that you know what to do, I’ve specified everything you’ll need to keep in working order below and the process you’ll need to follow if they’ve started to get a little worse for wear.
Replacing the Blades
Because the blades are put through quite a bit of pressure on a regular basis, they do get a little worn out every month. This results in a much poorer cut, more like the grass is being pulled apart instead of sliced, which of course reflects in the final outcome of your lawn.
To prevent this from happening you’ll need to replace all of the blades, including their screws, once a month. Although I would check up on them every week just in case the mower has ran into some stones or some other small obstacle and they’ve been scratched.
The process goes as follows:
- Set the main switch in position 0 to turn off the mower.
- Put on a pair of protective gloves and then turn the robotic lawnmower upside down on an area of soft and flat ground.
- To remove all 3 sets of screws and blades with a straight slot or cross-tip screwdriver.
- Now screw in your new blades, and make sure to use new screws and not the old ones. Otherwise they could get so worn out that the blades fly off during a mow.
- When screwing the blades, make sure they are still able to pivot and move freely.
- Once all this is done you can flip the mower back over and get on with mowing.
Cleaning the Mower
To make sure the mower can move and operate without difficulty, it’s important to give it a clean on a monthly basis. Clumps of wet and dried in grass can prevent the wheels from turning, the blades from rotating and can require the mower to expend more power than usual, resulting in more charging times and longer mowing periods.
Follow the tips I have laid out below and none of this should be a problem.
Chassis and blade disc
- Set the main switch in position 0 to turn off the mower
- As always, wear protective gloves.
- Lift the robotic lawnmower onto its side on an area of soft and flat ground.
- Clean the blade disc and chassis using e.g. a dish brush.
At the same time, check that the blade disc rotates freely in relation to the foot guard.
If long blades of grass or other objects find their way in, these may impede the blade disc. Even a slight braking effect leads to a higher consumption of energy and longer mowing times, and at worst will prevent the robotic lawnmower from being able to mow a large lawn.
Chassis
Clean the underside of the chassis. Brush or wipe with a damp cloth.
Wheels
Clean around the front wheels and rear wheel as well as the rear wheel bracket using a dry brush and then a damp cloth.
Body
Use a damp, soft sponge or cloth to clean the body. If the body is very dirty it may be necessary to use a soap solution or washing-up liquid.
Charging station
Clean the charging station regularly from grass, leaves, twigs and other objects that may impede docking.
*Never use a high-pressure washer or even running water to clean the robotic lawnmower. Never use solvents for cleaning*
Winter Storage
To guarantee battery functionality and service life, it’s very important to fully charge the mower before storing it away for the winter. Place it in the charging station with the hatch open until the battery icon in the display shows that the battery is fully charged. Then set the main switch to 0, turning it off.
Check the condition of wear items such as blades and bearings in the rear wheel. If necessary you adjust these to make sure the mower is in good condition prior to next season.
Now store it standing on all wheels in a dry, frost-free environment, preferably in the mower’s original packaging.
Also, make sure you have cleaned the mower properly before storing.
Charging station
Store the charging station and power supply indoors just like the mower, but you can leave the boundary and guide wire in the ground. Although the ends of the wires should be protected from damp by putting them in a container with grease for instance.
If it is not possible to store the charging station indoors, the charging station must be connected to the mains, the boundary wire and the guide wire the entire winter.
After Winter
Check if cleaning is needed, particularly around the charging strips on both the mower and its charging station, on the first time of use. If the charging strips appear to be burnt or coated, clean them using a fine grade emery cloth.
The check that the mower s time and date are correct.
Transport & Removal
Secure the machine during transport. It is important that the mower doesn’t move when it is being transported, for instance, between lawns.
The contained lithium-ion-batteries are subject to the Dangerous Goods Legislation requirements. For commercial transports e.g. by third parties, forwarding agents, special requirement on packaging and labelling must be observed.
For preparation of the item being shipped, consulting an expert for hazardous material is required. Please also observe possibly more detailed national regulations.
Tape or mask off open contacts and pack up the battery in such a manner that it cannot move around in the packaging.
Thunderstorms
To reduce the risk of damage to electrical components in the mower and its charging station, all connections to the charging station should be disconnected (power supply, boundary wire and guide wires) if there is a risk of a thunderstorm.
- Make sure the wires are marked with the supplied markers to simplify reconnecting. The charging station s connections are marked AR, AL, Guide.
- Disconnect all wires.
- Close the cover to the charging station to protect the connections from rain.
- Connect all the wires if there is no longer a risk of thunder. It is important that each wire is connected to the right place.
For more information or in case you have a question, then head over to the Gardena support page.
