Automower Operator’s Manual ™
Automower Please read this Operator’s Manual carefully before using the machine. The concept behind the Automower™ comes straight out of nature the principle of the grazing animal. Which means basically that the grass is cut a little and often. This is not only more efficient, it’s better for the grass too.
electrolux automower 3 Symbols _______________________________________________ 5 Symbols on Automower™ ______________________________ 5 Symbols in the Operator’s Manual ______________________ 6 Safety Instructions ____________________________________ Use ____________________________________________________ Transport _______________________________________________ Maintenance ___________________________________________ 7 7 8 8 Presentation __________________________________________ 9 Function of Automowe
electrolux automower
Symbols Symbols Symbols on Automower™ These are the symbols on the lawn mower. Study them carefully so you understand their significance. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Read through the Operator’s Manual carefully and understand the content before using your Automower™. 1001-003 ! • WARNING Automower™ can be dangerous if incorrectly used. The warnings and safety instructions in this Operator’s Manual must be carefully followed if the mower is to be used safely and efficiently.
Symbols Symbols in the Operator’s Manual These symbols can be found in the Operator’s Manual. Study them carefully so you understand their significance. • Inspection and/or maintenance must be carried out with the main switch set to ”OFF”. OFF 3012-288 • Always wear protective gloves when working with the mower’s underframe. 3012-272 • Never use a high-pressure washer or even running water to clean the Automower™.
Safety Instructions Safety Instructions Use • Please read the Operator's Manual carefully and make sure you understand the instructions before using Automower™. 1001-003 • Check that there are no stones, branches, tools, toys or other objects on the lawn that can damage the blades and cause the mower to stop. 3012-396 • Start the Automower™ according to the instructions. When the main switch is in the ”ON” position; make sure you keep your hands and feet away from the rotating blades.
Safety Instructions Transport The original packaging should be used when transporting the Automower™ over long distances. To safely move from or within the working area: 1. Press the STOP button to stop the mower. If the stop protection, (see page 39) used to prevent theft, has been activated enter the first number of the PIN code. You select the four digit PIN code when you start the mower for the first time, see page 24. 3012-388 2.
Presentation Presentation Congratulations on your choice of an exceptionally high quality product. To get the best results from your Automower™ requires knowledge of its function. This chapter contains information you should be aware of when planning the installation. Installation of the Electrolux Automower™ includes four main components: Automower™, an automatic lawn mower that mows the lawn by moving in essentially an irregular pattern. The mower is powered by a maintenance-free battery.
Presentation Function of Automower™ Working method The Automower™ automatically mows the lawn. It continuously combines mowing and charging. The charging station sends out a signal that the Automower™ can sense at a distance of 6 - 8 metres. The mower starts to seek out the charging station when the capacity of the battery becomes too low. The Automower™ does not mow when it is searching for the charging station.
Presentation The STOP button on the top of Automower™ is mainly used to stop the mower when it’s running. When the STOP button is pressed a cover opens, behind which there is a control panel. The STOP button remains depressed until the cover is closed again. This acts as start inhibitor. 3012-388 The control panel on the top of the Automower™ is where you manage all the mower settings. The main switch is also located on the control panel. Open the control panel cover by pressing down the STOP button.
Presentation Movement pattern The mower’s movement pattern is irregular and is determined by the Automower™ itself. A movement pattern is never repeated. This mowing system means the lawn is mown equally without any mowing lines. 3012-276 If the Automower™ enters an area where it senses the grass is longer than earlier, it can change the movement pattern. It can then mow in a square pattern to cover the area of longer grass more systematically.
Installation Installation This chapter describes how you install the Automower™. Before starting the installation read the previous chapter ”Presentation” on page 9 to page 12. Carry out the installation in the following steps: A. Preparations. B. Planning the installation C. Placing the charging station. D. Charging the battery. E. Laying the boundary wire. F. Connecting the boundary wire. G. Checking the installation. H. Linking the Automower™ to the charging station.
Installation Automower™, what’s what? 3012-377 The numbers in the picture correspond to: 14 1. Charging strip 12. Skid plate 2. Cutting height adjustment cover 13. Blade disc 3. Front wheel 14. Charging station 4. Drive wheel 15. LED for operation check of the boundary wire 5. Body 16. Boundary wire 6. Stop button 17. Transformer with power cord 7. Keypad 18. Low voltage cable 8. Display 19. Staples 9. Main switch 20. Boundary wire connector 10. Handle 21.
Installation B. Planning the installation Charging station For examples of good positioning of the charging station, see ”Garden shape (3-3)” on page 34. First and foremost the charging station should be positioned: • Centrally in the main area, along the outer edge and with a large free area in front of the station. 3012-233 • In the shadow. The battery is spared if it is charged in the lowest possible ambient temperature. • On relatively level ground.
Installation Do not put the charging station in a corner or pocket in the working area. 3012-235 If the garden consists of two large lawns joined by a passage, it may be difficult for the Automower™ to find the entrance to the passage. Making it difficult to work efficiently in both areas. One way to make the mower effectively reach both areas is to position the charging station in the middle of the passage.
Installation Include the possibility in the planning that adjustments may need to be made to the loop. In doing so remember: • Leave a few extra metres of wire at the beginning and end, close to the charging station. • Place a few extra metres of wire about every 30 metres around the entire loop. All extra wire should be laid in tight, parallel loops. If staples are used, the parallel loops should be placed under the same staple.
Installation • If the working area borders against a small ditch, for example, a flower bed or a small elevation, e.g. a low verge (3-5 cm), the boundary wire should be laid 30 cm inside the working area. This prevents the wheels from driving into the ditch or up onto the verge. 3012-381 • If the working area borders against a flat path or the like that lies level with the lawn, it is possible to allow the Automower™ to run a little over the path.
Installation • Obstacles that slope slightly, for example, stones or large trees with raised roots, should be demarcated or removed. The Automower™ can slide up onto this kind of obstacle causing the blades to be damaged. 3012-384 Remember the following with regard to secondary areas and passages: • If there are secondary areas close to the main area the boundary wire should be laid so that these areas form an ”island” outside of the main area.
Installation C. Placing the charging station 1. Place the charging station according to your plan. 2. Connect the low voltage cable to the charging station. Only use original cable and transformer. 3012-263 3. Connect the low voltage cable to the transformer. The connectors may be slightly difficult to connect, as they are moisture-proof. 3012-262 4. Connect the transformer’s power cord to a 230V wall socket. It is preferable to use an earth-fault breaker as recommended. D.
Installation E. Laying out the boundary wire 1. Lay the boundary wire according to your plan, but wait with the connection to the charging station. Lay the wire by either: • Securing the wire to the ground with staples. After a few weeks the grass roots will have grown over the wire so it is not visible. It is important to secure the staples close together. The boundary wire must generally lie close to the ground so as not to be cut off before the grass roots have grown over it.
Installation F. Connecting the boundary wire Connect the boundary wire to the charging station: 1. Lift up the cover on the charging station: • Grip under the edge of the cover with both hands and pull straight out towards the sides. • Now lift the cover straight up. 3012-268 3012-269 2. Slide in the ends of the boundary wire in the lowermost holes on the charging station and catch them in the uppermost holes.
Installation 3. Place the cable ends in the connector: • Open the connector. • Place the wire in the connector grip. 3012-284 4. Press the connector together using a pair of pliers. Press until you hear a click. 3012-264 5. Cut off any surplus boundary wire. Cut 1-2 cm above respective connectors. 3012-265 6. Press the connector onto the metal pin on the charging station.
Installation 7. Refit the cover on the charging station. Ensure the three guides on the charging station enter the right holes in the cover. 3012-270 G. Checking the installation Check the loop signal by looking to see what indication the green LED on the charging station is giving. • Steady light = the signal is okay. • 1 flash every other second = break in the loop and no signal found. • 2 flashes every other second = signal found, but the wire is probably damaged. Check all wire connections.
Control panel Control panel On the top of the Automower™ there is a control panel under a cover. Open the cover by pressing the STOP button. Close the cover by sliding it forward until a click is heard. The click is heard when the STOP button returns to the operating mode. All forms of commands and settings for the Automower™ are made via the control panel. All functions are accessed via a number of menus. 3012-397 The control panel consists of a display and a keypad.
Control panel Shortcuts 1. Home: 1 • Sends the mower to the charging station. Where it stays until the button is pressed again. The house icon is lit on the right-hand side of the display when the button is pressed. • Move the cursor in the menu structure back to the main page. 2. 2 Operating mode: The selected operating mode is shown on the right-hand side of the display as AUTO respective MAN.
Control panel Select 6. Return arrow: • Press to go back one step in the menu structure. 7. YES: • Press to confirm an entry or selection. • Press to start the mower if more than 10 seconds has elapsed since you last pressed a button and you want to close the control panel cover. 8. 6 7 8 3012-406 Arrow up and arrow down: • Press any of the arrow buttons to browse between menus or different selections. Numbers 9.
Menu functions Menu functions Main menu The main menu consists of four options: 1. Commands 2. Timer 3. Garden 4. Settings The numbers refer to the headings on the coming pages. 3012-415 There are a number of submenus under each option. You can access all the functions to set the Automower™ settings via these. Browse between menus Browse through the main menu and submenus with the help of the arrow buttons.
Menu functions 1. Commands Charge then AUTO Via this selection in the main menu you access the main Automower™ functions. Select among the submenus: Show latest faults Commands • Charge then AUTO (1-1) in order for the Automower™ to drive immediately to the charging station, charge the battery and then return to the automatic operating mode. Select the function and press YES when the cursor is on ”Yes”.
Menu functions Day timer (2-2) It is possible to set two different start and stop times for each day. Enter the required time in hours and minutes. • Reset all times Timer override Reset all times (2-2-1) To delete all set times: Select the function and press YES when the cursor is on ”Yes”.
Menu functions 3. Garden Via this option in the main menu you access the driving settings. Select among the submenus: • Charge exit settings Timer Drive past wire Charge exit settings (3-1) to set how far the Automower™ should reverse out of the charging station before it turns and in what direction the mower should leave the charging station. • Commands Garden Garden shape Settings Check loop Drive past wire (3-2) 3- to set the distance over the boundary wire that the Automower™ should drive.
Menu functions • Exit angles (3-1-2) Automower™ can be set for one or two exit sectors. Use start and end angle 1 if you want to use one sector. Use start and end angle 2 if you want to use two sectors. Use also the function ”Proportion first” to specify a percentage to determine how often the Automower™ should leave the charging station in sector 1. For example, the percentage 75% means the mower will leave the charging station in sector 1, 75% of the time and in sector 2, 25% of the time.
Menu functions • Follow loop out (3-1-3) This function means that Automower™ can be set to follow the boundary wire away from the charging station to reach a more remote area of the lawn. This function is very useful in gardens where the front and back are joined by a passage where the charging station cannot be placed. Up to three remote areas can be activated: Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3. For examples of settings, see ”Garden examples” on page 36.
Menu functions Drive past wire (3-2) Exit settings The front of the Automower™ always passes the boundary wire by a specific distance before the mower turns. The default distance is 27 cm, but this can be changed if required. Drive past wire • Garden shape To adjust the distance: Move the cursor to ”Drive past wire” and press YES. Now specify the number of centimetres you want the Automower™ to pass the boundary wire.
Menu functions Complex 1 is a large lawn area with an average amount of obstacles and passages. 3012-292 3012-293 2 2 Example of complex 1 garden shape. Lawn area 900 m respective 1,000 m Complex 2 is a large lawn area with many obstacles and passages. 3012-414 3012-295 2 2 Example of complex 2 garden shape.
Menu functions Check loop (3-4) This function allows you to check the mower’s signal reception from the boundary wire, and to determine exactly where in the lawn the boundary wire is routed. The sensor used for this function sits concealed directly under the catch button for the cutting height adjustment cover. The sensor detects the position of the Automower™ in relation to the loop. ”Inside”, ”Outside” or ”No loop signal” are shown on the display. If the mower is inside the loop, ”Inside” is shown, etc.
Menu functions Garden shape (3-3) Exit settings (3-1) Complex 1 Exit angles (3-1-2): One exit sector, 70° - 190° Follow loop out (3-1-3): One remote area: Area 1: Direction to left, distance 20 m and proportion 25%. 3012-418 Complex 2 Exit angles (3-1-2): One exit sector, 50° - 200° Follow loop out (3-1-3): Two remote areas: Area 1: Direction to left, distance 80 m and proportion 20%. Area 2: Direction to right, distance 30 m and proportion 20%.
Menu functions 4. Settings Via this option in the main menu you access the available settings. Select among the submenus: • Timer Garden Settings Sounds User info level Language Sounds (4-2) to adjust the sound level for the functions blade start-up, normal operation, charging, fault messages and keypad. • Security Security (4-1) to make settings concerning the PIN code, stop protection, settings lock and alarms. The PIN code must be specified for the ”Security” menu to be shown.
Menu functions • Time lock (4-1-2) This function partly involves the Automower™ stopping to mow after a predetermined number of days and not continuing until the correct PIN code has been entered, and partly that the PIN code must be entered when the main switch is set to the ON position. PIN code Number of days Time lock Stop protection _ _ days OFF To: • Activate: Move the cursor to ”Time lock” and press YES. Now Move the cursor to ”Number of days” and press YES.
Menu functions Sounds (4-2) Default A number of audio messages are used to indicate what the Automower™ is currently doing. The sound levels are graduated from level 4 (highest) to QUIET (completely quiet). • Security All quiet Sounds Default (4-2-1) All high where the sound level is QUIET on all functions except blade start-up and keypad, where the sound level is set to 2. User info level Customized Language 4-2- • Move the cursor to ”Default” and press YES.
Menu functions User info level (4-3) Selecting the user info level involves determining how much information should be shown on the display when the main switch is set in the ON position. The basic user info level means less information on the display than in the advanced user info level. Security Sounds Basic User info level To select: • Advanced 4-3- Basic (4-3-1) Language • Move the cursor to ”Basic” and press YES. • Advanced (4-3-2) Time and date • Move the cursor to ”Advanced” and press YES.
Menu functions Language (4-4) Using this function you can change the language selection you made when the Automower™ was first started. To select the language: Move the cursor to ”Language” and press YES. Now move the cursor to the required language and press YES. Security Sounds User info level Language Time and date 4-4 Time and date (4-5) Using this function you can change the time and date on the Automower™.
Use Use Charging a discharged battery When the Automower™ is new or has been stored for a long period the battery will not be charged and needs to be charged before starting. Charging takes between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 hours. 1. Place the Automower™ in the charging station. Make sure the charging strips on the mower makes good contact with the contact strips on the charging station. 3012-385 Good contact is made when both charging strips lie against the centre of the contact strips. 2.
Use Using the timer Don´t mow the lawn too much or too frequently. Use the timer function (see ”2. Timer” on page 29) to avoid a downtrodden lawn and to get the maximum life from your Automower™. For example, the quality of your lawn will improve if it is mown every other day instead of 12 hours each day. In addition, the grass benefits from resting completely during at least a three-day period once a month. Stopping the Automower™ 1. Press the STOP button.
Use Adjusting the cutting height The cutting height can be varied from MIN (2 cm) to MAX (6 cm). If the grass is long it is appropriate to let Automower™ start mowing at the MAX cutting height. Once the grass is shorter, you can gradually lower the cutting height. To adjust the cutting height: 1. Press the STOP button to stop the mower. 2. Open the cutting height adjustment cover: Press down the catch button and then open the cover. 3012-390 3012-391 3. Turn the knob to the required position.
Maintenance Maintenance Check and clean the Automower™ regularly and replace worn parts if necessary to improve operating reliability and to ensure a longer service life. For further information on cleaning, see ”Cleaning” on page 48. During the initial period Automower™ is used the blade disc, skid plate and blades should be checked once a week. If the amount of wear during this period has been low, the inspection interval can be increased. It is important that the blade disc rotates easily.
Maintenance Winter Storage Automower™: Clean the Automower™ carefully and set the main switch in the ”OFF” position. Store the mower indoors, in the original packaging, standing on all four wheels. For further information on cleaning, see ”Cleaning” on page 48. 3012-411 Charging station: If possible store the charging station, transformer and low voltage cable indoors. The boundary wire can be left in the ground.
Maintenance Cleaning Never use a high-pressure washer or even running water to clean the Automower™. We recommended a spray bottle with water. 3012-271 Underframe and blade disc 1. Set the main switch to the OFF position. 2. Wear protective gloves. OFF 3012-288 3012-272 3. Lift the Automower™ onto its side. 4. Clean the blade disc and underframe using, e.g. a dish-brush. At the same time, check that the blade disc rotates freely in relation to the motor support, directly above.
Maintenance Replacing the blades ! WARNING Always use original blades and screws when replacing. Only replacing the blades and reusing the screw can result in the screw wearing during mowing and shearing off. The blades can then be thrown out and cause serious injury. There are three blades on the Automower™, which are screwed into the blade disc. The blades have two edges to ensure a longer service life. The blade disc turns alternately to the left and alternately to the right.
Trouble shooting Trouble shooting Fault messages A number of fault messages are listed below that can be shown on the display. If another message than those listed is shown, contact your dealer. Fault message Cause Action Left wheel motor blocked Grass or other object has wrapped around the drive wheel. Check the drive wheel and remove the grass or other object. Right wheel motor blocked Grass or other object has wrapped around the drive wheel.
Trouble shooting Fault message Cause Action Outside If this occurs in isolated areas it may be due to interference from metallic objects (perimeter fence, reinforcement bar) or buried cables in the vicinity. Try moving the boundary wire. The working area slopes too much. Check that the boundary wire has been routed correctly. The boundary wire has been routed the wrong way around an ”island”. Check that the boundary wire has been routed in accordance with the installation instructions.
Trouble shooting Trouble Shooting Guide If your Automower™ does not work correctly, follow the trouble shooting guide below. If the fault persists; contact your dealer. Symptom Cause Action Uneven mowing results Automower™ works too few hours per day. Increase the mowing time, see ”2. Timer” on page 29. Working area too large. Try limiting the working area or extending the working time, see ”2. Timer” on page 29. Dull blades.
Technical Data Technical Data Data Automower™ Dimensions Length 71 cm Width 55 cm Height 30 cm Weight 8.6 kg Electrical system Battery NiMH special battery 18V / 2.
EU declaration of Conformity EU declaration of Conformity EU Declaration of Conformity (only applies to Europe) Husqvarna AB, SE-561 82 Huskvarna, Sweden, tel: +46-36-146500, declares under sole responsibility that the automatic lawn mower Electrolux Automower™ from year 2004 serial numbers and onward (the year is clearly stated in plain text on the rating plate with subsequent serial number), conforms with the requirements of the COUNCIL’S DIRECTIVE: -of June 22, 1998 ”relating to machinery” 98/37/EC, ann
www.automower.com The Electrolux Group is the world’s largest producer of powered appliances for kitchen, cleaning and outdoor use. More than 55 million Electrolux Group products (such as refrigerators, cookers, washing machines, vaccum cleaners, chain saws and lawn mowers) are sold each year to a value of approximately USD 14 billion in more than 150 countries around the world. www.electrolux.com Automower™ is a trademark of the Electrolux Group. The Automower™ is protected by several patents.
