★★★★★
Arthur D. (03/23/2024)
Exceeding expectations in some areas - needs improving but OTA updates seem to be coming
I am giving this product 5 stars as there are no comparable products on the market as of now. I waited for years for iRboto (the makers of Rumba) to come up with a wire-free mower but that project seems to be if not dead, not going anywhere.
LUBA 2 is a real deal and it needs work in both software as well as the hardware area.
Setting it up was very easy.
RTK transceiver
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I made the mistake of installing the RTK transceiver too close to the wall. It worked OK but the GPS drift has become immediately obvious after setting up a few zones. So install it as far away from obstructions as possible. I simply moved it to the outer railing of my deck and it seems to have improved the precision drastically.
Charging port
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If you have a concrete driveway and thinking of installing a charger there (makes the most sense to keep it relatively dirt and bug-free, as well as easy for docking), there are no anchors included for concrete so you have t come up with some washers and concrete tap screws - not the end of the world but would have been nice if they included the factory set. (Hey Mammotion, perhaps come up with a kit and send it to me - will test out out for ya ;) ). Otherwise, it comes with long plastic screws that can be used to anchor the charger to the ground. I would be concerned about UV deterioration in the mid-term of these screws.
The charging base has a slot and electrical connection for the RTK as well so if you choose to install it there, yo won't need to use two separate power supplies, which is nice. Unfortunately at my location, I needed to cover a large backyard, and installing the RTK by the charger wouldn't have given me good coverage. Besides, adding RTK to the charging base slot would only work over dirt, not concrete - something Mammotion may want to think about. The charging base is a relatively thin plastic and I am a bit concerned about its durability, especially when installed above dirt as over time from UV exposure it will likely become brittle. An aluminum base would be an improvement here.
LUBA 2 charges surprisingly fast! It charged from 15% to 100% I want to say within an hour - wasn't able to get the exact time as I wasn't expecting such fast performance. I was moving a large and complex area and it had to charge twice - nice to have fast charging for situations like this.
Planning your first cut
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App is pretty intuitive. Basically, you would "Add" an area and LUBA 2 will prompt you to drive it to the starting point, where you will start mapping your zone. Simply steer using on-screen circular "joysticks" on your phone. Left control is for Forward/Reverse thrust, and right control is turning. Simply drive your LUBA 2 around the perimeter of your first cut site and once you complete the circuit, you have the option to save it. Once saved, you can apply numerous presets and customizations, cut height, pattern, etc. You can also set-up a schedule against the specific area. If the battery drains below 15%, LUBA 2 will mark the spot on your app and will navigate to the charger (See "Planning channels" below).
Planning Channels
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No one wants a runaway mower or for it to cross places you don't want it to cross. Just like adding cut or no-go sites, you can drive LUBA2 to a site and create a connection (called Channel), to another site or the charger. It was fascinating to watch LUBA 2 coming back to the base to recharge. It will drive to the base, will do a zero turn, and back into it slowly but confidently. The voice prompt will alert you that it is now charging. It will also need channels if you want for LUBA 2 to hop between the areas for moving. Just be sure to create a channel back to the charger from each site, so that LUBA 2 can come back for a juice break if it needs to.
No-Go zones
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This one is pretty important. Having used Roomba and LUBA 2 having bumper as well as visual object detection and avoidance, I was under the impression that it would automatically stay away from the fences. On my very first test run, LUBA 2 got stuck its wheel on the channel post I use to protect my young trees from deer. It broke a piece of "rim" on the wheel. Mammotion was very responsive and they are shipping me a replacement. While this didn't affect the operation, no doubt there is unnecessary friction from the sharp broken rim and this may degrade the cut time/range. But I digress - absolutely do go ahead and set up the no-go zones around large walls or obstacles where LUBA 2 can get caught or get stuck. Adding a no-go zone works very similarly to the Site planning. Simply drive your mower to the
cut area, tap to start mapping the go zone, and drive around the obstacle you want to exclude. It will create a yellow area for the no-go zone.
Hills
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One of the main reasons I purchased this mower is because I have an impossible hill behind my house that is a pain to cut with a ride-on or a walk-behind mower. LUBA 2 is amazing!...