Winter time...

[Radjack]

I packed up Bubba and put him to bed for the winter... (In Canada, winter comes fast!)
He ran 275 hours this summer and I have not had any mechanical issues yet. (Bought him mid way through season)
I cleaned him up, sharpened his blade up and i will keep him charged over the winter so he is ready to rock next year.

Any Winter advice, before Bubba starts his first winter?
Thanks

[RobotLady]

That's great!  I'm glad you had a good first season.  It seems the people having problems are so much more vocal we hardly ever hear from the happy customers.  Just follow the directions in the manual for winter charging and see you next year!

[jzawacki]

That's great!  Rumor has it that you should actually let it charge for a while, and then take it off for a month or two, and then hook it back up.  From what has been said, the built in battery management system of a Li-Ion battery will slowly drain the battery, and that floating the battery for the entire winter is also frowned on.

But, from my experience, I haven't seen any battery degradation (to the point that I would complain) from letting it float the entire winter (which is what I did, per the instructions, the first year) or charging/discharging throughout the winter, which is what I have been "randomly" doing the past few years.

[Jerry]

You should never leave the battery on winter charge all winter long for Lithium or lead batteries(this method is bad for the battery and should not be recommended for any type of battery). This website will tell you the best way to store different types of batteries and way more then you will every want to know about batteries batteryuniversity.com. In short the best way to store lithium batteries is to put a a 40 percent charge on the battery, keep it at room temperature or lower(lower temperature is better), check the voltage a few times throughout the winter and if the batteries voltage falls below about 25.5V then charge it to 40 percent again. The battery voltage going lower than 25.5V is not likely because these batteries hold a charge very well making the winter charger not necessary unless you are using lead acid batteries.

[Radjack]

Great advice on charging, Thanks.
I wanted to make a point of posting some good news about a bot, Lady is right, this forum needs some positive comments to balance it out.
I am 100% satisfied with Bubba so far. He has exceeded all of my expectations.
The only thing still to be determined is the longevity/reliability long term of Bubba.
Lets hope for the best.

[jzawacki]

The only thing still to be determined is the longevity/reliability long term of Bubba.
Lets hope for the best.

Yup, you sound like I did the first two seasons with my 3200.  I hope you prove me wrong, but let's wait till you hit the 500+ hour mark.

[Radjack]

What parts broke down first for you and what were the symptoms?
In hindsight was there anything to possibly prevent it?

[jzawacki]

The main problems were wheel motors followed by the blade motor brushes being worn out.  Luckily, I was able to get ahold of new brushes thanks to RobotLady.  As for the wheel motors, I think it was just the fact that the gearboxes were loose, causing motor stop errors.  One was replaced under warranty, and the second was out of warranty when it "died".  Of course, at that time, I didn't know as much about the bot as I do now.. I'm sure now that I could have repaired it, but I sold it to a member of this forum who's bot was hit by a car, so they only needed it for parts.

With the exception of the blade motor brushes wearing out, most issues can be fixed by the owner.  I think most complaints are based on the amount of "maintenance" required just to keep them running.  We didn't buy them planning to tear motors down and rebuild them each year (which is what I now do) because $300 for a replacement is beyond reasonable.  But, the only alternative was to put on your mechanical/electrical engineer hat and figure it out yourself.  At least now you have the option to have the motors rebuilt through Paradise Robotics.  Still might be more expensive that most people would like, but it's much better than $300.  And to be honest, I'd feel 10 times better giving my money to anyone other than KA!

[Radjack]

Hey JZ...
I just re read this post from last year and wanted to drop you an update...I am at 700+ hours of working time and.....

I have had the brushes on the blade motor go, (got a new motor under warranty) had a bad battery (got a new battery under warranty), and currently having a slight issue with out of border errors (parts on their way under warranty)
Other than those issues Bubba has ran pretty smooth for those hours.
I have wheel motor brushes on their way for me to replace over the winter.
Now the fun begins next year when Bubba's warranty runs out...What will he cost long term? Will he be worth the headaches?Will i have to buy a lawnmower as a back up? (Since i dont own one, and havnt needed one since i got a lawnbott)
Only time will tell!!
But for the last 2 years and 700+ hrs i have mostly good things to say, and the most unexpected plus has been the look on peoples face when they come over, or walk by...even if they have seen it before they still cant help but watching, snapping photos etc.
As of right now...i am still happy with the purchase...ill update this thread in another year or two.

[jzawacki]

Hey, if you can, take a few minutes and post over on the survey.

I've been keeping mine up to date, don't know about everyone else..  I have no plans of buying a push mower for the rest of my life.  After this thing dies to the point that I can't repair it myself (or it's not worth the hassle/cost) I will be purchasing a knockoff.  With the cost difference, it only needs to last two seasons and I can buy a new one.