Operating & Safety Manual Robomow RL500 / RL550 RL800 / RL850 www.friendlyrobotics.
EC Declaration of Conformity 1. F. Robotics Acquisitions, 1 Ha’yassur St., Hasharon Industrial Park, Kadima, Israel declares that the machines described in item 2 conforms with the directives listed in items 3 & 4. 2. Product: 24 Volt Battery operated automatic lawn mower,models RL500, RL550, RL800 and RL850*. Serial number: see mark on the machine. 3.
FriendlyRobotics • FriendlyRobotics, 2003-A Eur. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be photocopied, reproduced, electronically or otherwise or translated without the • prior written consent of FriendlyRobotics. Product, product specifications and this document are subject to change without notice. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Welcome Page 2 FriendlyRobotics Welcome… x To the world of robotic lawn mowing with the FriendlyRobotics Robomower. Thank you for purchasing our product. We know that you will enjoy the extra free time you will have while using Robomower to mow your lawn. When installed and used properly, Robomower will operate safely on your lawn and provide you with a quality of cut matched by few mowers of any kind. You will be impressed with your lawns’ appearance and best of all Robomower did it for you.
SAFETY Page 3 Safety Warnings & Precautions 1. Read the owners/operating manual carefully and follow all safety and warning instructions. 2. Keep bystanders, children and pets away from mower when in operation. 3. Never allow anyone to ride or sit on mower. 4. Never allow children or persons not familiar with the safe operation of the mower to operate the mower. 5. Keep hands and feet away from the cutting blades and other moving parts. 6.
SAFETY Page 4 Safety Warnings & Precautions Warning Decal Definitions 1 2 3 4 5 6 1. WARNING-this is a dangerous power tool. Use care when operating and follow all safety instructions and warnings. 2. Read the owner/operating manual carefully and follow all safety instructions. 3. Objects can be thrown from mower while operating, take caution. 4. Keep children, pets and bystanders away from mower. 5. Sharp rotating blades. Keep hands away and do not attempt to lift mower from this area. 6.
SAFETY Page 5 Robomower RL500/RL550/RL800/RL850 Safety Features 1. Child Guard / Safety Guard This menu option offers a safety feature to help prevent children or others not familiar with the safe operation of the mower to operate it freely. 2. Lift Sensor There is a sensor located on the front caster wheel of the mower. In the event the front of the mower is raised approximately 1-inch from its resting position on the ground during blade operation, the blades will stop rotating immediately (< 1 second).
SAFETY Page 6 9. Perimeter Switch and Perimeter Wire The Robomower cannot operate without a perimeter wire installed and activated through the Perimeter Switch. In the event the Perimeter Switch is turned off or otherwise fails to function, the Robomower will stop operating. Likewise, should a break in the perimeter wire occur the Robomower would again stop operation. A break in the perimeter wire prior to operation will prevent the Robomower from operating.
What's in the Box Page 7 What's in the Box Robomower Power Pack Fuse (Must insert to operate) 1. Standard Charger Used for recharging the Robomower power pack. 2. RoboRuler Used for setting the distance of the perimeter wire from the lawn edge. 3. Pegs Used for securing the perimeter wire to the ground around the lawn perimeter and around obstacles. 4. Wire Used to create a virtual wall for your Robomower 5.
Table of Contents Page 8 Table of Contents Welcome, Basic How It Work ………………………………………………..2 The world of automatic mowing with the Robomower Safety Warnings and Precautions…………………………………………….3 Safely operating the Robomower What’s In The Box………………………………………………………………..7 A list and descriptions of the items found in the Robomower box Chapter 1 – Perimeter Wire Setup…………………………………………….9 Setup of the perimeter wire in your lawn Chapter 2 – Preparing The Robomower……………………………………..
Chapter 1 Perimeter Wire Setup Chapter 1 Page 9 1.0 Where To Start In order to determine the best location to begin the setup, it is best to first make some basic decisions based on your lawn. For each zone that is set up, allow for placement of one Perimeter Switch for that zone. Find a convenient spot outside the perimeter of each zone that is relatively easy for you to access. A spot sheltered from the elements is preferred 1.
Chapter 1 Page 10 WARNING! ! Damage to the eye is possible. Use proper eye protection and wear appropriate work gloves when hammering the pegs. Hard or dry ground may cause pegs to break when driving them in. In extreme cases, watering the lawn where the pegs will be driven can be beneficial. 1.3 Fastening The Wire To The Ground Add pegs in to pull the perimeter wire down to the ground surface, below the grass tips Figure 1.
Chapter 1 Page 11 1.5 Narrow Areas And Narrow Passes The minimum distance for an effective narrow pass is 5.5 feet (1.7 m) between perimeter wires. Figure 1.8. 1.6 Defining Obstacles-Perimeter Islands Many obstacles can be left in the lawn without consideration to excluding them using the perimeter wire. The basic rule of thumb is that the obstacle must be at least 6 inches (15 cm) high from the ground and the obstacle must be relatively rigid.
Chapter 1 Page 12 Small tree, must exclude with perimeter wire Trees large enough to allow Robomower to bump into do not require a perimeter wire around it Tree too close to perimeter, less than 4 feet (1.2m), loop out with perimeter wire Figure 1.7 Minimum distance between obstacle wire and perimeter wire = 5 feet (1.5 m) Greater than 5 feet (1.5 m) The Robomower can freely move across this section, but will still recognize the perimeter island.
Chapter 1 Page 13 1.7 Multiple Zones/Areas As mentioned earlier, your home may require more than one zone to be set up in order for the Robomower to work in all of your lawn effectively Where grass areas are not contiguous, or are separated by fences or other objects, it is also recommended to make each of these a separate zone. Perimeter switch can be moved between different zones or you can use one switch for each zone.
Chapter 1 Page 14 1.9 Completing The Setup Once the perimeter wire is completed and pegged to the ground, the last step to complete is attaching the Perimeter Switch to the perimeter wires and testing the setup. Figure 1.12 Note that the wires are adjacent and touching leading from the perimeter to the Perimeter Switch. Peg firmly to the ground leading away from the perimeter and towards the switch location Two wire ends from perimeter setup. Switch > 5 feet (1.5 m) from perimeter. Figure 1.
Chapter 1 Page 15 Insert the two perimeter wire ends into the male connector as shown in Figure 1.17. Using a small flat blade screwdriver, fasten the two screws tightly to hold the wire. Figure 1.17. Using a small flat blade screwdriver, tighten these two screws to secure the perimeter wires into the connector Strip back ¼ inch (6 mm) of insulation from each wire end and insert each perimeter wire end into hole of connector. Figure 1.
Chapter 2 Page 16 Chapter 2 Preparing The Robomower Blade operating lamp Power Pack Manual Controller Rear of Robomower Figure 2.0 Carrying handle Bumpers with touch sensitive sensors Front of Robomower A basic ‘what is what’ on the Robomower 2.1 Inserting Power Pack Fuse Carefully lower the Power Pack into the Robomower. After inserting the Power Pack back into the Robomower. See Chapter 4, Power Pack Charging & Power Management for more details on the Power Pack and charging. Figure 2.
Chapter 2 Page 17 2.2 Using The Manual Controller The Robomower is equipped with a Manual Controller. It allows you to manually drive and operate the mower. To get started on using the Manual Controller, study figure 2.2 to view the various operating controls and their functions. Refer to Chapter 5, Manual Operation for full details regarding use of the Manual Controller. Figure 2.2 1. Manual blade engagement button F 7. Manual drive speed control – fast/slow 2. LCD display window R 3.
Chapter 2 Page 18 2.3 Setting The Cutting Height And Ground Clearance Remove the Power Pack before making any adjustments. The Robomower has two basic adjustments, cutting height and ground clearance. The cutting height adjustment is located at the front wheel and is controlled by rotating the front wheel hub in or out, which effectively causes the front wheel to be raised or lowered. See Figure 2.6. Rotate the front wheel hub in (lower) or out (higher) to adjust the cutting height.
Chapter 2 Page 19 2.4 Set Country and Perform One Time Calibration The one time calibration process is simple and the Robomower is designed to ask you to perform this step before it can ever be used in the automatic mode. x x x x x Remove the Manual Controller Drive the Robomower to a flat and level section of the lawn, at least 4 feet (1.
Chapter 2 Page 20 Calibration Setup Sequence Figure 2.10 LCD Display Zone A: Action Required Time: MAX Press ‘GO’ Press GO Set Country Press ‘GO’ Press GO Not Set! Scroll up or down to find your country Scroll USA Press ‘GO’ to confirm selection Confirm Zone A: Time: MAX Press ‘GO’ Press GO Calibration Req Press ‘GO’ Press GO Press ‘GO’. Process will begin and last 1-2 minutes.
Chapter 3 Page 21 Chapter 3 Automatic Operation 3.1 Activating The Perimeter Switch The Robomower cannot operate unless the Perimeter Switch is turned on and the mower is on the inside of the active perimeter. Press the ‘ON’ button to turn on the switch. You will hear one short beep when the switch is first pressed, indicating it is on. If one of the other indicators is on refer to Chapter 7, Text Messages and Troubleshooting for further help. WARNING! ! Serious injury or death can occur.
Chapter 3 Page 22 3.4 Scanning (Mowing) Keep in mind that the Robomower will not mow all the grass on its first pass, in fact it will leave uncut grass in between many of the legs it makes. This is expected and is entirely normal. These uncut areas will be cut on subsequent passes of the Robomower across the lawn. Just like a dishwasher, wait until the job is finished before you can appreciate the results.
Chapter 4 Page 23 Chapter 4 Power Pack Charging & Power Management 4.1 Charging The standard charger (power supply) included with your Robomower will re-charge the Power Pack from the ‘Recharge Battery’ level in approximately 24 hours, depending on conditions. Figure 4.1 There is a fast charger available as an accessory. See the accessories available for your Robomower in Chapter 10. Connect the output lead of the charger, Figure 4.
Chapter 4 Page 24 Charging Figure 4.4 Ready Keep Charging Battery Icon Figure 4.5 The importance of proper charging and maintenance of the Robomower Power Pack cannot be stressed enough. Failure to follow the recommended charging procedures will result in poor performance of the Robomower and shorten the life of the Power Pack. 4.3 Off-season storage The Power Pack is best to stay connected to the charger at all times of non-use.
Chapter 5 Page 25 Chapter 5 Manual Operation 5.1 Driving and Navigating The Robomower is equipped with a Manual Controller that allows you to easily drive it. Using your thumb or index finger of your right hand, gently press the navigator button in the direction you want to drive. The button is omni-directional, allowing for slight turns as well as sharp turns, all the way to a complete circle. WARNING! ! Serious injury can occur.
Chapter 6 Page 26 Chapter 6 Operator Settings and Advanced Features 6.1 User Options Lifting the Manual Controller from its holder will change the text display on the LCD to the manual operating menu, as seen in Figure 6.1. Use the arrow keys to view options. Pressing ‘GO’ once will take you to the next screen, User Preferences’. Figure 6.2. Press ‘GO’ to view the menu of user preferences, beginning with ‘Sound’, Figure 6.3.
Chapter 6 Page 27 6.2 Sound Allows user to shut off non-safety related operating sounds. 6.3 Mowing Allows user to turn blade operation off, preventing blade operation during automatic operation and manual mowing. 6.4 Language Allows the user the option of viewing the LCD text in several different language versions. 6.5 Work Time Allows the user the option of setting the operating time from the ‘MAX’ default setting to times ranging from 20 minutes up to 2 hours. Figure 6.
Chapter 6 Page 28 Figure 6.6 Zone A MAX Press GO Use the ‘Up’ or ‘Down’ arrow keys to scroll to the next message text. User Options Press GO Press ‘GO’ User Preferences Press GO Press ‘GO’ Learn Edge Press GO Learn Zone A Press GO To Learn Learning Edge Press GO to Learn Learning Edge Stop to Set Press ‘GO’ Scrolling up or down will change the zone, if a time is set for that zone. Press ‘GO’ Driving around perimeter. Press the ‘Stop’ button when the desired distance has been reached. 6.
Chapter 6 Page 29 6.11 Safety Tests When selected, the safety test feature will allow you to test the primary safety devices on the Robomower; 1) front and rear bumpers, 2) lift sensor and 3) the Manual Controller buttons. Follow the prompts on the menus for testing. Never use the Robomower with a safety device or feature not properly operating. Never attempt to disable or bypass any safety device or system.
Chapter 7 Page 30 Chapter 7 Text Messages and Troubleshooting 7.1 Messaging The Robomower is equipped with a sophisticated monitoring system that will notify you in the form of a text message in the LCD panel when common operational faults occur. In addition, it will also communicate in text form several messages that are meant as a prompt to the user to perform a certain function or action.
Chapter 7 Page 31 Message Displayed Probable Cause/Event Restart Elsewhere Calibration failure from interference in the immediate area. Start Elsewhere An unknown fault has occurred and operator help is required. Theft Guard On (RL800 & RL850 only) Move From Wire Drive Overload Cooling, Wait… Mowing Overload Cooling, Wait… No Wire Signal The theft guard system is activated. The Robomower is positioned too close or on top of the perimeter wire.
Chapter 7 Page 32 7.2 Other Operational or Fault Problems Problem Encountered Probable Cause/Event Wire disconnected from switch ‘Cut wire’ indicator flashing on Perimeter Switch Perimeter wire cut Poor connections Weak batteries ‘Replace Battery’ indicator flashing on Perimeter Switch Perimeter Switch will not activate when turned on Perimeter wire too long for one zone Batteries are completely discharged. Batteries installed with wrong polarity position.
Chapter 7 Page 33 Problem Encountered Probable Cause/Event Power Pack is not fully charged Short run time, operates less time than normal ‘Work Time ‘ for that zone is set to stop at a pre-determined duration. Grass is extremely over grown or very wet. Dull blades. Power Pack is reaching a normal end of life state. LCD display is in a foreign language. The language setting was changed or not correctly set. Power Pack is not fully charged for operation.
Chapter 8 Page 34 Chapter 8 Specifications Dimensions 35” L x 26” W x 12.5” H (89 x 66.5 x 31.5 cm) Weight 50 lb. (22.6 Kg) Unit & 28 lb. (12.6 Kg) Power Pack Front Power Pack 24 volt, sealed Normal Ground Speed 20” /sec. (.
Chapter 9 Page 35 Chapter 9 Care and Maintenance 9.1 Mowing Deck The underside of the mowing deck needs to be inspected, and cleaned if necessary, between operations. The Robomower is a dedicated mulching mower and because of this can accumulate clippings under the mowing deck, particularly when mowing wet and damp grass. Figure 9.2 WARNING! ! Serious injury can occur. Always remove Power Pack before lifting mower. Blades are very sharp and can cause severe cuts or lacerations.
Chapter 9 Page 36 Squeeze tabs & pull Squeeze tabs & pull Locking tabs Figure 9.1 Squeeze here ALWAYS REMOVE POWER PACK BEFORE SERVICING BLADES! Squeeze here Mating spline To remove blades, squeeze locking tabs on each side of blade retainer, then pull blade assembly off, away from mower. When reinstalling the blade, line up the mating splines and push until a firm click is heard, indicating a proper seating of the blade onto the shaft. Figure 9.
Chapter 10 Page 37 Chapter 10 Accessories Perimeter Switch Convenience of having a switch for each zone and not moving one switch from zone to zone. Peg Pack (50) For larger lawns and additional zones. Perimeter Wire For larger lawns and additional zones. Power Pack Convenience of increasing capacity with a second battery. Connector Kit Includes two Perimeter Switch connectors for additional zones and three silicon filled wire nuts for repairing or splicing the perimeter wire.
Friendly Robotics RL Series Limited Warranty Friendly Robotics warrants to the original purchaser that the RL series ‘Product’ is free from defects in materials and workmanship when used under normal residential* purposes for a period of 24 months, 12 months for the batteries, beginning from the date of purchase. Product accessories, including replacement batteries, are warranted for a period of ninety days from the date of purchase.
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