AL-KO Robolinho 3000 Review: Comparative Review of the AL-KO Robolinho 3000 Robotic Lawn Mower

AL-KO has a proud tradition in the production of lawnmowers. They first started building them in 1966, and in 1975 were honoured with a Franz Beckenbauer (then a famous professional footballer) testimonial for their Golden Line mowers.

Now, with the AL-KO Robolinho, they've taken their reputation for safety and quality, and applied it to the world of automatic robotic lawn mowers, production of which actually goes back to 2012.

This comparative review* looks at the AL-KO Robolinho 3000;one of the most popular models, if not the cheapest, at around £2,000 as we went to press.

So, what do you get for your money?

Blades

The first difference between many of the mowers on the market an the AL-KO line is the blade configuration.

The Robolinho has double-decker blades, apparently offering improved mulching and less grass build up. Regular readers will remember what happened to the Flymo 1200R when grass built up inside our mower. Long story short: the rubber dampers broke, presumably as a result of the acid in the grass.

Anything that helps reduce grass build-up and mulch better at the same time is to be welcomed. The innovative twin blades are non-standard, though, which potentially makes them more expensive to replace.

Boundary Wire & Charging Station

The Robolinho uses a standard boundary wire, but no return wire. So, unlike other mowers (actually, mainly those based on the Husqvarna Automower chassis, like the Gardena R40LI, or Flymo 1200), the mower has no easy way to get 'home'. It even has a 'home' button, which is an innovative feature, but without a return wire, I suspect it will spend a while bumping around until it finds, and presumably follows, the boundary wire.

With a 1200 square meter mowing area, that could be a long journey!

The home itself has to be placed on the boundary wire, akin to mowers from, for example, Bosch, and has a single transformer providing power. It's an open charging station, according to the installation manual.

Looking at images of the charging unit, it seems that connection is provided by two pads, that match up to two pads on the base station. This could be an improvement over the 'slot in' connectors that other makes have to contend with, which can get dirty, but one has to question what happens if the pads become slightly burnished or if they are exposed to corrosion.

Features

The control panel looks about the same size as the Flymo 1200R, but seems to contain space for a bit more explanatory data judging by the screen shots in the manual. There are also some fairly self-explanatory buttons around the edge of the screen, which make programming easier.

One of the additional features is the rain sensor, built into the mower, but the manufacturer also notes that the mower is quite capable of cutting the lawn in the rain.

Conclusion

Most of the features are comparable to other brands, but there are a few areas that, for the price, you'd expect a bit more for your money:

• Small screen;
• No GPS;
• Open base station.

The upside is the large mowing area. However, since the Flymo 1200R is now around £500, you can get three of them, and still be £500 better off for the 1200 square meters, or just risk buying two, and be £1000 better off...

In addition, the mower comes with rubber coated wheels, which I always find a bit of-putting. Read "...and then the wheels came off" to find out why I swapped from rubber to solid wheels on the Gardena R40Li.

To sum up: the specification is okay for the price, and AL-KO has a solid reputation for quality, but there are mowers that represent better value for money, with more modern features like GPS and smartphone control.

(* DISCLAIMER: review performed by comparison to the Flymo 1200R / Garndena R40Li range on the basis of features only, and is not an ownership-based review.)

Professional Installation Guide: More than just a Robot Mower User Manual!

Regular readers will remember my post on Paradise Robotics, a while back. Now, they have released a new edition of their installation guide for the mowers that they stock - namely Ambrogio and LawnBott models from Zucchetti Centri Sistemi (ZCS).

Written by Kathy Moseler, and first published in 2011, it covers pretty much all the Ambrogio, LawnBott and other ZCS mowers that have been on the market since the early 2000s.

Due to this extensive coverage, it also serves as an excellent getting started guide for anyone interested in buying a robotic lawn mower. In fact, it would be a great accompaniment to any of the manufacturer's official robot mower user manual.

For example, because Ambrogio has followed trends in robot lawn mower design, it discusses models with and without return wires (known as Follow Wire, or On Wire) in a section entitled "Base Return Methods".

The guide has both diagrams (annotated examples from various user guides) as well as photos of real-life gardens, helping to solve the various boundary wire design challenges that lawn mower owners will face.

Given that most mowers have the same basic requirements (except those with GPS), the section covering the installation of a boundary wire would be useful to everyone, and well worth the £20 price tag.

For those who can't afford, or can't find Ambrogio lawn mowers, it also helps to build a picture of the kind of mower that you need -- some of the advanced features of the mowers such as the ability to cross asphalt paths are also covered. In conjunction with our own free Buyer's Guide FAQ, a comprehensive question and answer session can be conducted in-store to make sure you get the most appropriate model.

Not to forget, of course, that online deals can quite often yield huge savings; but as always, it's better to enter into a large online purchase from a reputable store armed wit the right information. Paradise Robotic's "Professional Installation Guide" for robot lawn mowers would make a great starting point!

Flymo 1200R vs Honda Miimo 3000: Are High Tech Robot Mowers Better?

It's fair to say that the Honda Miimo series is pretty fully specified. In fact, a lot of buzz about the Miimo online makes quite a big deal of the smartphone app control, electronic height adjustment, amongst other leading features.

Of course, regular readers will know to ignore anything that talks about the blades, mulching effect, low noise and ability to mow in the rain; unless they're missing! Every mower worth buying can do all of these things, but it's the little details that set the leaders apart.

Flymo, part of the Husqvarna group, appear to lead on price.

More specifically, the Flymo 1200R, while not the latest iteration of mower technology, has a top line price of around £900 but can be had for under £500 online. The Miimo comes in at three times that; albeit with some additional bells and whistles.

It also lacks a few things -- like instructions. However, this has improved with recent models, but certainly in the early days, the advice was to get the local Honda dealer to install the Miimo rather than try to do it yourself.

Not that it's difficult; but there are apparently a few limitations (revealed in this online article) such as not being able to run over paving stones, which would make the installation a bit more challenging.

Flymo 1200R vs Miimo Feature Comparison

The core similarities between the Flymo 1200R and Miimo are:

• Perimeter wire;
• Docking station with smart charging;
• 360 degree bump and tilt sensors;
• Random mowing movement;
• PIN code protection;
• Height adjustment from 20-50/60mm.

The core differences are some additional Miimo features:

• The Bluetooth app;
• Electronic height adjustment;
• Seasonal timers & day/night modes.

Both models, it has to be said, lack the more advanced features that are becoming more common such as rain detection, GPS aided mowing, and neat little docking stations with rain hoods. However, it is debatable whether the high end mowers with these features actually do a better job of cutting the lawn.

On that front, both the Flymo and Miimo have very similar mechanics. Spinning blades, double edged, for longer blade life and a good mulching action that doesn't leave any residue. They both mow randomly, so don't leave worn tracks (a problem for some mowers that take the same route 10 times a day!), and are nice and quiet.

Is the Honda Miimo Better?

Where the Miimo might have the edge is in two areas not yet touched on in any detail: it's turning action, and place anywhere docking station.

When the Miimo gets to the edge, rather than stopping, reversing, and turning, like most other mowers, it will gently curve away from the perimeter wire. I think there are two advantages in this: the smoother action will likely prolong part life (motor, wheels, etc.), and it may produce  a better cut to the edge.

The drawback might be that gaps could appear where the curve's apex is, but these will, over time, be covered by repeated mowing sessions.

Finally, the place anywhere docking station means that you don't need to worry about the orientation of the docking station when you design the perimeter wire path. This is a neat differentiator, especially for awkward shaped gardens, or ones where you could  hide the docking station away.

The only question is: is the price difference worth it? Check out the Miimo here, and the Flymo here, and decide for yourself!

Flymo 1200R Rubber Damper Picture and Repair Instructions

Back in October 2016, I went through a thorough overhaul of our robot mower, including replacing the four rubber dampers, which had become worn.

I'm quite prepared to point out a few things before we get to the pictures and walk-through, and they're important if you've just bought the Flymo 1200R, Gardena R40Li or Husqvarna 305 mowers, which are all based on the same chassis:

• overbumping -- i.e. relying on bumpers rather than the perimeter wire -- will cause them to wear out;
• lack of cleaning will cause them to be ravaged by grass juice (I kid you not);
• weather likely has an affect on rubber.

So, beyond the usual care you'd expect to need to take of a sophisticated piece of machinery, regular cleaning and checking is a must.

The consequences of ignoring the buildup of grass can be seen in the picture on the right.

The two relatively unscathed rubber dampers were situated under the hood, and didn't get exposed to the full wrath of built-up grass clippings or damp lawn mowing.

The others did, and were also situated near the rear, where they also tend to flex a lot. So much so, in fact, that the far left one broke.

So, what do you do if your Flymo 1200R develops the same fault?

Flymo 1200R Rubber Damper Pictures

Firstly, you need to dismantle your mower, following the appropriate spare parts guide. Here's a screen shot of the relevant page.

The location of the dampers are circled in red.

Note that there are actually 4 -- one in each corner -- but only two are shown in the exploded diagram, taken from the spare parts guide.

The cover is actually all that needs to be taken off, by releasing the appropriate screws on the underside of the mower.

Anyone who has already replaced wheels, or thoroughly cleaned the mower will have seen how to do this.

Once it has been taken off, here's what the cover looks like (see image on right).

Again, the fixing points for the four rubber dampers are circled in red. The top left corner damper has been removed completely (it was the broken one) just so that you can see what it ought to look like.

So, how did the repair go?

Repairing the Flymo, Gardena & Husqvarna Dampers

On the left is a close up of what I found when I took off the cover by removing the screws that held the dampers onto the chassis.

The damper had sheared off due to a mixture of corrosion, and, I suspect, over-bumping due to a poorly designed installation on my part.

I decided it was best to replace the dampers in pairs, and set about removing them, which was just a case of removing the two screws holding the support clamp.

On the right is a close-up of the removed clamp and damper:

All that's needed is to replace the damper with a new one, put the clamp over it, and screw the screws back in.

Then, position the chassis over the cover, and secure the dampers to the chassis with the screws removed in the first step.

I also checked the screws for corrosion, too, but they seemed to have stood up to the constant abuse better than the rubber dampers.

Where to Buy Spares?

This is a tricky question: a quick online search reveals that Partmaster is a good place to start in the UK, but also that the best bet for European owners is just to go back to the vendor.

Places like Amazon don't tend to stock spares, as they're quite specialist, but you could be lucky and find an eBay seller who has them. However, as always, caution needs to be exercised since it is better to pay a bit more and get a quality original, than a sub-par replacement.

Having said that, aftermarket compatible blades seem to stand up to the job, so I would be tempted to try other spares should I need to replace the dampers again!

Robot Mowing in Paradise

Recently, I received a request from Paradise Robotics' owner to mention Ambrogio (formerly LawnBott) mowers on the blog. You'll find them listed on the Robotic Lawn Mower Brand and Model Page, but they definitely deserve a closer look in the future.

Being of a curious nature, I also decided to check out Paradise Robotics and uncovered a treasure trove of listings relate to all kinds of robotic products. They have stuff for hobbyists who like to build their own robots, and products for doing everything from cutting grass to cleaning pools.

One thing that the Paradise Robotics site has is a comprehensive set of LawnBott / Ambrogio mower upgrade guides, ideas, and products.

What I found especially interesting was the software update guide for older LawnBotts, giving users access to features that were built into mowers up to 2009, not to mention an expensive - but probably worth it - upgrade package to take your LawnBott and give it a complete overhaul.

They'll change motors, bump sensors, fit better wheels, replace the chassis and probably even do a software upgrade if they can!

Regular readers will know that of the various things that can go wrong, wheels and bump sensors are the two things I've had to replace, so I'd encourage you to at least consider using such a service.

For those of you who have yet to take the plunge, then check out the Buyer's Guide FAQ for help on deciding if a robot mower is right for you, and how to choose the best one!

How Do Robotic Lawn Mowers Work?

Before you buy a robotic lawn mower, it's worth knowing a bit about how they work so that you can make reasonable choices when confronted by a shop full of makes and models.

There are five general areas that are important to consider:

• wheels: these vary in compound, size and arrangement;
• control: how the mower drives around, and finds the edges;
• cutting: there are different blade types and arrangements;
• battery: all robot mowers are cordless;
• programming: how easy are they to customise?

A robot mower is supposed to be a time-saving device. A true modern convenience. However, they tend to get a bad press, usually due to poor choices leading from misunderstandings around how they work.

Wheels

The mower will only be as good as its wheels and blades.

Both depend on the type of lawn. If it is undulating, and located in a part of the world which is frequently wet, then the wheels will have a big impact on the result.

Most robot lawn mowers have two drive wheels, and then one or more balancing wheels. The most common arrangement seems to be three wheels: with the two drive wheels at the nominal 'front' of the mower.

This is great for all round mowing, but tougher terrains will need mowers with more sophisticated arrangements, bigger drive wheels, and wider treads.

For example, the Robomow RX12U is a cheap, highly capable little robotic mower. But one look at it will tell you that if you ask it to mow a golf course, it's going to struggle.

Control

With very few exceptions (mainly robotic mowers used to cut large areas, like golf courses, for example) robot grass cutters use a wire to delimit the area that they are allowed to cut.

This also helps them to cut around the perimeter (so-called edge cutting mode) in certain models.

Husqvarna mowers (including Flymo and Gardena) also have a return wire that has two functions:

• guide the robot home for charging;
• start the mower from a predefined point on the perimeter wire.

This is a handy innovation for people who have lawns that are divided into zones by way of a small entry, such as a gate, or who have fairly large or irregularly shaped lawns where the mower runs the risk of missing far flung areas.

In these cases, better control of the mowing area is gained by running a wire from the base station to a far point on the perimeter wire. The mower will then, on occasion (and the frequency can be adapted in the menu) follow the wire to the end point and start cutting from there, rather than a point nearer the base station.

Newer, and more expensive, models are starting to use apps to offer better control and management over the mower, which is a trend that is very likely to continue, as is using a combination of GPS and perimeter wire.

Localised radio beacons are another control option (think of the Roomba, but outside), but these have yet to make a dent on the market; due to expense and complaints of radio wave pollution.

Cutting

Robot mowers use various blade arrangements. It's worth remembering that a robot mower is a battery powered machine, and as such weight is at a premium.

Single blades as found on traditional mowers are heavy, take a lot of energy to spin up and stop, and can create huge vibrations that make control of an autonomous nature difficult at best, and dangerous at worst.

Manufacturers of home robot lawn mowers have opted for multi-blade (usually three) cutting, usually based on a spinning disc and freely rotating blades with two or more cutting surfaces. The blades are thin, break easily, and need replacing during the season, but deliver a great cutting result.

Larger mowers, designed for bigger spaces, use single blades for robustness (such as the John Deere range of robot mowers), and some makes (such as Robomow) have slightly more robust, powered spinning blades that cost a lot more to replace, but which may be less prone to breakage.

However, the most cost effective option at the time of writing is a three bade arrangement on a spinning disc.

Battery

It's important to pick a mower that has the right level of autonomy for the lawn it will be cutting.

Lithium ion batteries are expensive, but charge quickly and can stand repeated discharge/recharge cycles without losing capacity.

For medium to large lawns, an Li based mower is clearly the best option.

However, for smaller lawns, a different approach can be used. To go back to the current low cost end of the market, the Robomow RX12U takes about 18 hours to recharge, but on a small lawn that doesn't matter, as it will usually be able to cut the whole lawn in a single session.

Programming

However, these cheaper mowers lack finesse in the amount of programming that can be done.

The Gardena R40Li for example, has a flexible cutting schedule, but even that pales into insignificance when compared to the top of the range Worx Landroids which interface with a mobile phone and can be tweaked in a variety of ways.

However, the more options you have, the more time it will take to set up the mower, and the more expensive it will be.

My advice would be that, unless you really need the flexibility to control when, how, and using what pattern the mower should cut the grass, then an entry level mower that is pre-programmed to mow at random and gives you options that are aimed more at convenience than precision is the best bet.

To find out more, check out our free automatic robotic lawn mowers buyer's guide!

Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Any Good?

Anyone reading my review of the Robomow RL 555 in 2013 would be forgiven for asking whether, despite all the hype, are robotic lawn mowers any good at all?

What a difference 4 years makes.

Not just in the technology, but also in my own opinion of robotic vs. standard walk behind mowers.

Back in 2013, I had a few choices to make regarding which mower to buy. If this report of robot mower trends to 2020 is to be believed, the field is going to widen a bit, despite the various legal challenges brought by Husqvarna in trying to protect their technology, but back then, my choices were limited to:

• Gardena (Husqvarna / Flymo / Gardena are all the same group)
• Bosch (Indego)
• Worx (Landroid, since subject of a patent infringement case)

Regular readers will know which I chose, and will have followed the last 4 years of blade changes, wheel replacement, repairing rubber bumper supports, and repairing broken perimeter wires...

...and yet despite the various trials and tribulations, I'd willingly go through it all again.

The Lawn Has Never Looked Better!

Okay, so you'll have to take my word for it, but having a robotic lawn mower has led to a greener lawn.

Why? Because the grass, when cut, is mulched.

Mulching basically reduces the clippings to a fine mist that falls back into the lawn, between the blades of grass, and helps to nourish it. Hence: a greener lawn.

The lawn is trimmed daily, regularly, and at a constant level.

It all contributes to a better looking lawn.

Yes, I still have to trim the edges, but that's more a design choice than anything else. I could have replaced the edging with little paving stones that the mower would roll over and trim right up to the edge, but I like my wood effect edges that separate the raised flowerbed from the lawn.

Once the wood rots away, as it will, I might rethink, but until then, I'll just have to do the edges myself.

Choosing the Right Robot Grass Cutter

I think that, reading the reviews on Amazon, that the biggest issue that people have is in choosing an appropriate robotic lawn mower for their lawn and level of expertise.

For example, almost without exception, robot mowers use a perimeter wire to prevent them going outside your lawn and chopping up the flowerbeds. One of the biggest ownership bugbears seems to be installing and maintaining the perimeter wire.

However, it needn't be the case.

Just be prepared to spend a little time designing the perimeter boundary, and a little more time checking that you made all the right decisions by observing the mower in action, and then relax for the rest of the season.

• Don't dig it into the lawn; just let the wire sink in naturally.
• Don't have sharp turns at the corners; either cut them or round them, checking as you go along that the mower still reaches into the corner as required.
• And don't forget that if you have height changes, pin down the wire with a peg so that it always follows the gradient of the lawn; otherwise it might just get clipped!

Make sure you choose the right mower: if you have a complex lawn shape, pick one that is designed to cover an area just a bit bigger than the actual lawn.

At the same time, if you like lines, and have a regular, rectangular lawn, then pick a mower that cuts in stripes, like the Bosch Indego, for example. It's a bit more expensive than some of the Flymo and Landroid rivals, but it does a good job provided you have a regularly shaped lawn.

In my case, the Gardena R40Li (Flymo 1200R) was more appropriate, just because of the shape of the lawn, size of cutting area, and price.

More modern mowers also exist now, complete with WiFi connection to your mobile phone and GPS to help monitor the job that they've done. I'm not convinced that app connectivity is anything more than a gimmick, but I'll admit that there is a part of me that is attracted to the idea of controlling my mower with my phone.

However, I think that it will be a while before the tweaking that you can do with such a connection actually brings something new to the party. Meanwhile, for £600, the Flymo 1200R remains my personal recommendation.

The Cost of Ownership

Another potential bugbear is the cost of owning and running a robot mower.

Sure, you don't need to spend hours actually cutting the lawn, but that's not much of a saving if you then have to spend hours in maintenance.

Luckily, most robot mowers only need seasonal maintenance, and that's mainly about replacing blades. These vary in cost: from the cheap but slightly flimsy blades used by Bosch, Flymo and Gardena that wear down often and need replacing at least twice per season and can be broken if they so much as clip a bit of gravel, to the solid traditional style blades used by John Deere robot mowers which are expensive but durable.

In between there are all manner of spinning cutters, such as those used by Robomow and Worx in their Landoid mowers, which have multiple cutting edges and spin independently.

It's worth checking, before you buy, which type of blade is needed, and the replacement cost, as well as picking the right kind of blade for your lawn. Rougher lawns with tough grass will benefit from a more solid blade, whereas lawns that have finer grass will benefit from multi-edged blades such as Bosch, Flymo and Worx use.

The important point is that, if the ends of the grass seem to be tinted slightly brown, and a ragged cut, it's time to replace or sharpen the blade. Just like with a regular mower.

One thing people forget is that a regular, walk behind mower, also needs maintenance!

So, in the final analysis, and after 4 years of robotic mower ownership, I would say that robotic lawn mowers have come into their own in 2017, and will no doubt continue to grow in popularity.

Are robotic lawn mowers any good? Yes. But, as with all purchases, be prepared to do your research, hunt down the best deal, and compromise on features that don't bring any real benefits.

To find out if a robot mower is right for you, check out our free robot mower buyer's guide, or, for a summary of all the makes and models on the market, take a look at our robot mower brand and model guide.