Autonomous Mowing - Autonomous 36, 48, or bigger machine - would this have a need / interest for folks, or no?

[quicksandfarmer]

Starting with a remote control mower gets you half the way there. You have a functioning mower that is under electronic control. Not to minimize the challenges of autonomous navigation but it reduces the problem to just that.

 

[LittleBill21]

I have started using robot mowers for residential, (automowers) I bought one for my mothers property and after seeing it run for a month, bought a pair for my property which i will be installing in the next month or so. they are pretty interesting.

 

[quicksandfarmer]

OSHA rules require autonomous agricultural equipment to have a human operator. The federal rules just require the operator to be nearby, some states, notably California, have stricter rules. California requires an operator to be on-board.

Until that changes it means there isn't any labor saving from an autonomous mower, which kind of takes the shine off of the idea.

 

[oosik]

I have 2 1/2 acres of green around my house and outbuildings. Most is mowed field grass. Looks pretty good and is a firebreak against wildfires.

Like many - my "lawns" have many obstacles. Trees, large rocks, buildings - etc. I would be interested in seeing a demonstration of autonomous mowing.

If I'm feeling energetic I can mow it all in a little over three hours. A month ago I was having to do this three times a week. In a month there will be little to no mowing required. This field grass goes thru a summer cycle that includes complete die off during late July and into mid September. It will completely recover with the fall rains in late September and October.

Years ago I installed a rather large irrigation system. Pulled water out of my lake to water the orchard and all the lawns. It did help keep the lawns green longer. But, no matter what, they still went thru their late summer dying cycle. A rather strange sight. Tan, dead, wet grass.

 

[candersen10]

Here is about the size we are heading for (see image below) - likely starting with a 36 inch variant.

These are about 36 inches wide
dock to charge
Ballparkish economics would be like 28K for system with autonomous charging dock, robot, and mower.
This could do about .6-.75 acres per hour, but run 3-4 hours per charge, so figure manage like 80 plus acres per seasons assuming 8 passes per year.

We are looking for a few early adopting customers in Pennsylvania (We are based in Philadelpiha) who would want to try this and share a ton of feedback.

Assuming

 

[LittleBill21]

no offense but a bx is going to last a lot longer then 4 years. it also doesn't have a limited life cycle pack like your robot, what is your typical charge life cycle 3k-5k charges? what are the wheel motors rated to in hours or miles?

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I think there will be a huge market for autonomous mowers. Especially in the golf and sports turf industry. There are several companies already working on mowers for golf. Some of the bigger mower companies, such as Toro, John Deere, Trimax, and others.

I would not think that pasture mowing would not be as big of a market as golf, but it might be a good niche for your company.

 

[LittleBill21]

I think there will be a huge market for autonomous mowers. Especially in the golf and sports turf industry. There are several companies already working on mowers for golf. Some of the bigger mower companies, such as Toro, John Deere, Trimax, and others.

I would not think that pasture mowing would not be as big of a market as golf, but it might be a good niche for your company.

already in use, i talk to a couple who use over 100 husky's

 

[quicksandfarmer]

I think your competition isn't the BX it's something like a Ceora by Husqvarna. Geofenced with DGPS and ground station. They say it "mows up to 18 acres" but they don't say if that's per charge, per day, per week. Cost is $32K.

CEORA® Starter Kit

Husqvarna CEORA™ robotic mowers feature EPOS™ technology to work within virtual boundaries and can cover up to 18 acres of turf.

www.husqvarna.com

 

[LittleBill21]

They say it "mows up to 18 acres" but they don't say if that's per charge, per day, per week. Cost is $32K.

CEORA® Starter Kit

Husqvarna CEORA™ robotic mowers feature EPOS™ technology to work within virtual boundaries and can cover up to 18 acres of turf.

www.husqvarna.com

It will maintain 18 acres running almost 24/7, these do not "cut the grass" they never stop cutting it to maintain a finish look all the time.