Honda Miimo 500 Robotic Lawn Mower: Price, Manual, Review

The Honda Miimo 500 is one of the more expensive robotic lawn mowers on sale. Although it has a lot of key features (such as silent running and different cutting modes), it also lacks some, like Bluetooth or WiFi control, that cheaper models are starting to offer.

On the other hand, Honda has a long association with robotics and electric vehicles, making it a natural first choice for those looking for reliability and innovation.

The HRM 500 is the middle model in the Miimo range, and has a bigger battery, allowing it to mow a larger area than the 300 series, but lacks some of the features (such as smartphone control) enjoyed by the model above it.

Honda Miimo 500 Robotic Lawnmower Features

The HRM 500 has some interesting features that mark it a cut above (pun intended) mowers like the Flymo 1200R:

• Ability to cut in stripes;
• Up to 5 programmable 'start points';
• Special 'edge cutting' mode.

It's also nearly silent, and has blades that bend rather than snap when they hit a solid object like a rock.

Honda Miimo 500 Reviews

Here's a run-down of opinions across the various review sites:

• UK's Alphr has a comprehensive review which confirms the silent operation, and notes that, if you employ a gardener, they would have to cut the lawn over 60 times before paying back the purchase price (source: Alphr.com.)

• C|Net called it "an adorable Roomba for your lawn" (source: C|Net.com), citing innovative features such as timers and variety of cutting modes.

• The UK's Which? magazine praised its good looks, but lamented a 'luxury' price tag (see Which? online).

• The German site Testberichte gave it a score of 1.9 'Good' (source: Testberichte.de) with lower scores going to the operating instructions (poor) and time between charges (average).

• The Netherlands-based Rientes Tuinmachines was also impressed, noting the mulching capability and giving precise instructions on laying the perimeter wire (see their web site.)

It's worth noting that there aren't any Amazon.co.uk reviews at the time of writing.

Honda Miimo 500 Manual

The manual can be downloaded from Honda's site.

A quick glance through it doesn't confirm Testberichte's assertion that it is a difficult read. In fact, I found it both clear and comprehensive.

Alphr also noted that it requires a Honda technician to install: however, the installation is very well covered in the manual. I'd recommend doing it yourself, if only so that you know how to fix it if something goes wrong!

The manual also confirms some of the more advanced features, such as:

• Setting mowing start points (Page 19)
• Setting the Work Calendar (Page 22)
• Setting the work timer by start point and season (Pages 27-29)
• Programming 'Quiet Times' (Page 30)
• Settings for narrow passages, and other configurations (Pages 32-37)

All in all, from the opinions, manual, and various videos, it's clear that the mower has a lot to recommend it. The level of customisation is beyond anything that I've seen in other robotic mowers, but it's unlikely that anyone with a regular shaped garden will ever need most of them!

Honda Miimo 500 Price

The HRM 500 is quite expensive. Amazon lists it at around £2,200 and Alphr at £1,900; which puts it at around 3-4 times more expensive than the Flymo 1200R.

However, the Flymo is noisier, has fewer mowing patterns, and can only start from a random point (or the end of the return wire). It also doesn't have the customisation that the Honda has, which makes it easy to install, but useless for complex lawn designs.

Oh, and the Honda is better looking.

Of course.

Installing the Perimeter Wire for your Automatic Robotic Lawnmower

One of the trickiest tasks when you first install your automatic robotic lawnmower is getting the perimeter wire right.In fact, there are usually two wires:

• perimeter wire round the outside (stops the robot leaving the lawn)
• guide wire (helps the robot get back to the charging base)

We'll deal with the guide wire in a later article, for now let's look at the perimeter wire. The easiest example is a rectangular lawn.

Placing the Perimeter Wire Around a Rectangular Lawn

Many lawns are basically rectangular - even our lawn, which has two zones (front and back) and an 'upper back' lawn, some swings, raised flower beds and a patio, is essentially rectangular.

The only concerns are:

• having enough wire
• what to do about corners

The first is easy enough - just measure the perimeter, and buy more wire if necessary! The second needs some explanation. The picture on the left shows my initial installation attempt, next to the patio.

Incorrect Perimeter Wire Placement

The blue line shows the wire, and you can assume that the area to the left and below the picture are out of bounds for the mower.

The red line shows the path that the mower consistently took. The result was that it would keep stopping with an "Outside mowing area" error!

In the manual, the instructions were quite clear to avoid sharp corners, but somehow I ignored this advice.

Clearly, you do need to follow it, so I adjusted the wire to look like the picture below.

Now, the robot doesn't exit the mowing area, and all is well. Of course, I had to buy extra clips because it's a more complex shape, but Husqvarna sells them in packs of 100, so although it was an extra expense, it wasn't insurmountable.

Correct Perimeter Wire Placement

Plus, it was cheaper than replacing the blades which were grinding themselves on the coping that runs around the edge of the lawn!

Another point to watch when laying the perimeter wire is the distance between the wire and the edge of the lawn.

The temptation is to get as close as possible to the edge, to avoid having to use a strimmer or edge cutter, but it's a false economy, as the robot needs space to turn, and not leaving enough space means that it will also exit the mowing area.

For those who have a raised edge, and are using that to limit the robot, that's fine, but it does cause wear and tear to the bumper.

Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a robot mower that uses ultrasound, that doesn't apply!

The Perimeter Wire and Obstacles

It is also possible to branch the perimeter wire out, and use it to go around an obstacle in the lawn (such as a valuable bush, or tree). The only thing to watch is that the wire is kept close to itself when it is doubled back (to return to the perimeter) so that the robot ignores it. Otherwise, it can get stuck in an area bounded by the outgoing wire, and the edge of the mowing area.

My preference was to build a small wall around things like shrubs and trees, because:

• it would take a lot of wire to go round every obstacle
• it increases the risk of problems with the wire breaking.

Again, following the instructions is paramount!

Setting Up The Perimeter Wire with Multiple Zones

Our lawn is essentially split into three parts, two are connected by a passageway, but the other is at the front of the house and not reachable by the robot mower automatically. We carry it between the back and front zones, manually!

The front zone is created by a perimeter wire that is taken off the main charging station, and runs completely around the lawn, bounding it.

At the back, the perimeter wire runs around the edge of the first zone, and then along the edge of the passageway, around the second zone, and back to the charging station.

The gap between the wires at the closest point of the passageway is less than a meter; this isn't ideal, as the robot sometimes doesn't quite make it through (in either direction) and therefore:

• gets stuck in the second zone, or
• never mows the second zone!

I'm still looking for the best solution for this, but I suspect I'll end up widening the passageway. I'll keep you posted...

Flymo, Bosch, or Husqvarna? The Best Robotic Lawn Mowers Revealed

The robotic lawn mower is a relatively new invention, but despite this, there seem to be a large number of models on the market, and choosing between them can be difficult. In this article, we will look at the latest models from the top three manufacturers - Flymo, Bosch and Husqvarna - to see what features they have, and what sets them apart from others on the market.

In fact, the first, the Flymo 400m, as pictured here, is a little bit of a cheat, as it appears to actually be a first or second generation Husqvarna that has been painted red.

The lawn mower, or one pictured remarkably like it, but in green, has also been marketed as a Gardena on the continent.

That's no surprise, as arguably Husqvarna are the international leaders in robotic automatic lawn mower technology. Their pre- and after-sales support is also pretty good, and these re-branded models offer excellent value for money.

They operate on the perimeter wire method, as do all the models featured in this article, since GPS location automatic mowers haven't proved to be as reliable as those that detect their operating area using a wire.

In case of obstacles (flower beds, garden furniture, pets or people, etc.) the mower has a bump bar around it, which triggers an automatic process that causes the mower to reverse, turn, and resume mowing.

The Bosch Indego, pictured here, bears a suspicious resemblance to the Flymo/Husqvarna, based on their online videos showing set up and operation. There is the same docking station arrangement, perimeter wire, and the shape looks familiar.

(Observant readers will notice that it appears to be the other way round, however, with the driving wheels at the back rather than the front.)

Those two holes on the front are for docking with the charging station : the Flymo docks 'backwards' which works well, but can fail on occasion if the installation instructions haven't been followed to the letter. Docking forwards might improve on this.

It also seems that the Bosch uses ultrasound rather than a bump bar for obstacle detection. Personally, I prefer the immediate physical presence of a bump bar, but ultrasound works well, too.

Both the Bosch and the Flymo use three spinning blades for cutting, which is also typical of Husqvarna lawn mowers. The Bosch appears to be able to use a straight-line method for mowing, whereas the Flymo uses an entirely random algorithm, as does the Gardena mower, which may also be a re-branded Husqvarna, at least in appearance.

All in all, there's not that much to choose between them, and it's arguable that unless you have a  lawn that is shaped oddly, or on the larger size, it's not worth the extra money going for the Bosch. The Flymo/Husqvarna/Gardena works well on lawns that are fairly regular in shape, and smallish.

Finally, Husqvarna also put out their automatic robotic lawn mowers under their own brand name. Here's the Automower 305, which ought to look familiar.

It will comfortably mow an area up to 500 square meters, or 1/4 of an acre, which puts it in the same league as the Flymo. The Bosch will do a bit more, and copes with inclines better.

However, the undisputed king of the robots has to be the Husqvarna 230. It can mow up to 3000 square meters, and deal with 35% inclines. It's also just a little more expensive than the 305.

For those who have done a bit of research, they'll know that there is, in fact, a Husqvarna 265, too.

It has 5 blades, rather than three, can converse with a smart phone, and has ultrasonic sensors that prevent hard knocks.

It's also very expensive, and is really only for those who have large lawns, with complex shapes, several zones, and who want a minute by minute update on their mower's status via their iPhone/Android.

All in all, depending on the size of lawn, you can't go wrong with any of these. The Bosch looks like a good bet for those who have a bit more to spend, and the Flymo is perfect for smaller, squarer, flatter lawns.

However, I would be tempted to go with the Husqvarna equivalents, as they are one of the market leaders, and their technology (and design) looks to have had a heavy influence on, if not been actively used for, other leading brands on the market.