Robot Lawn Mower Perimeter Wire Repair Kit: Tips & Product Advice

While researching an article about aftermarket robot mower blades I cam across a pack that had all the bits in one place: screwdriver, blades and new screws. Now, it seemed obvious to me that the next most obvious kit would be a perimeter wire repair kit, but I've not yet found one.

So, here is my own list of things that you would need to put together such a kit, based on bitter experience of:

• chickens digging up the wire;
• having to move the wire due to 'garden redesign';
• natural breakage due to corrosion;
• expansion of the mowing area, etc.

Even once you have installed the mower and its perimeter wire, it is likely at some point that it will break, be broken, or you'll have to move it. So, it's sensible to have a troubleshooting and repair kit to hand.

Wire & Quick Splice Connectors

The first thing to note is that while there are many different vendors of wire, with each specifying the make and/or model of mower that they should be used with, I have had good results with both single and multi-strand off-the-shelf wire.

Single strand (solid) wire can be easier in some cases, bit is very rigid: originally my own Gardena (Flymo / Husqvarna) mower came with a supple, green, multi-strand cable. However, I have since extended with a mix, and also carry a 'flying wire' for use in troubleshooting breaks in the perimeter, which is single strand.

For those who want some inspiration, Amazon carries a number of different types of wire specifically made for use with robotic lawn mowers.

One of the more specific things I have in my repair kit is called the "quick splice" connector.

Pictured on the right is the type that I favour -- these are used to clip onto the perimeter wire at a specific point, and then attach a 'flying wire' via a spade connector.

In my case, their purpose is not as a permanent way to connect the wires together (see below for that) but when I need to find a break in the wire.

Often, I'll leave them in place as it's more hassle than taking them off, and I suspect that removing the clip from the wire may leave it open to corrosion.

On the other hand, five years have gone by since I hooked up the first one, and took is off again, and I haven't had a break in the same place since. Regular readers will remember that I've had other breaks to repair, but none thus far due to rusting.

Pegs

One thing that also crops up is the need to re-position the wire on occasion.

I find that when I do this, inevitably some of the pegs break. When I eventually run out of pegs -- I bought replacements from the shop before researching replacement pegs online, rookie error -- I'll buy some different types and see if there's anything to choose between them.

Here's what they look like:

Those of us with the Husqvarna/Gardena/Flymo mowers will be familiar with the hooks on the right, which have the tendency to pop out easily when you need them too. However, I've had a few issues keeping the wire underneath the hooks at the end.

That's where the Bosch style pegs have the edge. It looks rather as if you can loop the cable underneath the hook, and around the peg, making it more secure.

On the left is an unknown (to me) brand of peg. The advantage looks to be that they will stay in the ground more permanently, and there is a flat top holding the cable close to the ground.

Whichever you choose, make sure you have a few in your repair kit!

Permanent Perimeter Wire Connectors

Above, I mentioned that I have a collection of quick splice (spade type) connectors to get me out of a bind when I need to test the conductivity around the perimeter wire.

However, on occasion, it's necessary to replace a section of wire, or to re-position the central guide wire, also known as the return wire.

I wouldn't trust quick splice connectors for something permanent, preferring instead to go with the type of connector seen on the left. These are filled with a liquid to protect against moisture and dirt.

The blue one, and some of the red ones are made by 3M, and those are what I bought as 'extras' from the same place I got the pegs. This was before I shopped around.

It turns out that Amazon has a good selection of connectors. Wherever you buy them, I would advise having around 5 just in case the worst happens and you need to splice together two or three perimeter cable ends!

Keeping it All Together

Finally, some additional bits and pieces:

• a hammer for the pegs -- I prefer a rubber head one;
• pliers and cable cutters;
• wire stripper
• ...and a box to keep everything in!

Stanley, make a small, robust toolbox for only about £15. I've tried to keep everything in plastic bags, or in my regular toolbox, but bits go missing (presumably borrowed!) or I use them for other projects; in the end, I bought a dedicated toolbox and I advise you to do the same!

If you have any other tips or tricks for lawn mower perimeter wire maintenance, please let us know in the comments section below.

Replacing the R40Li / 1200R / Automower Battery (Pictures and Steps)

As regular readers will know, our trusty Gardena R40Li has just entered service in its fifth season!

Also known variously as the Flymo 1200R, or Husqvarna Automower, this model was one of the first automatic robotic lawn mowers on the market, and still stacks up reasonably well against the competition.

However, after 2649 hours (see right), the battery had started to fail. The symptoms were fairly obvious:

• Frequently returning to the base after only a few minutes;
• Stopping cutting on manual, when battery showing half full.

In fact, some of the symptoms started towards the end of last season, but a couple of refreshes seemed to (temporarily) help. For this season, though, I decided to bite the bullet and replace the battery.

Over the intervening years, the poor mower has become a bit encrusted with old grass.

This is my own fault, as detailed in my rubber damper pictures and repairs article: I don't take as much care over cleaning as I should.

Luckily the battery compartment cover is easy to find; it sits between the rear wheel (bottom) and spinning plate that holds the three blades (top).

After a bit of scraping to reveal the screws (right), it becomes obvious why the instructions say to drop the cutting disc as low as possible.

Even though (as can be seen in the photo), the screw heads are accessible through the holes, once released, the cover needs to be lifted and slid out.

This is much easier to do if you first drop the spinning disc to it's lowest position, or minimum height, if you prefer.

The screws are, again T20 Torx, which ought to be familiar to anyone who has tried dismantling the auto mower already.

Once removed, the compartment cover reveals three things.

Firstly, there's the battery itself, complete with velcro tab to pull it out of it's moulded compartment.

Secondly, there's the USB port on the left, which I had not previously been aware of, but which I'm guessing would theoretically allow you to mod the mower.

A quick visit to the Gardena site reveals that for the Sileno and Sileno+ models at least, there is also a software update available. The download page redirects to Husqvarna and prompts to install an application, check the connected mower and update the firmware.

Something for a future post.

Meanwhile, the third thing to note is that it remains, despite external appearances, incredibly clean inside the battery compartment.


This is a testament to the rubber seals. Seals which, unlike the rubber dampers, stand up to the constant abuse.


On the left hand side of the page, there are the two batteries.

The one at the bottom is the new one, purchased on Amazon (see "r40li battery"). There were several to choose from.

Bang in the middle of the range of prices, was the one that I eventually bought, made by VHBW, apparently, and rated more or less at the same power as the original.

At the top end of the scale, costing over £100 is the a replacement made by Husqvarna; having read some reviews of the VBHW, I decided that it was worth the "risk".

At the lower end is a replacement at around £45, which just felt a little too cheap -- but I should point out I have only gut feeling to go on, and no basis of any other informed opinion!

I'd give it a shot, if I hand't been an early adopter of the robot mower revolution, and spent top whack for my trusty R40Li. If anyone has tried the cheaper batteries, or can convince me that they're not going to damage my 'bot, let me know.


The last step is just to drop the battery into place, wonder for a last time what that USB socket could be for, and screw the lid back on.

Care is needed to plug the battery into place, as the connector is a tight fit, but other than that, the replacement itself is an incredibly easy job.

The mower reported that the battery was about half full, but it returned to base quite quickly. Perhaps it should have been charged first.

However, the subsequent mowing period was substantially longer than with the old battery, which is a good sign. Only time will tell if the new battery performs as well as the original - over 2500 hours of mowing in a 5 year period seems like a pretty hard act to follow!

Previous articles on R40Li maintenance:

• Replacing rubber dampers
• Replacing blades, and guide to blades on Amazon
• Replacing R40Li / 1200R / Automower wheels