In any event, a buy recommendation from me!
-------------------------------------------------- ---------
My old RL2000 had broken. So I needed a new, especially as we are also moved and the RL2000 was now too big for the new grass. This RC304 is now the right place and I am so I very happy.
However, the battery was unknown reasons after 1 day dead. However, he was replaced by the dealer immediately and without any problems.
The new modular design of the device was revealed. Toll! There is the battery pack and a drive block, which can be both replaced with a handle.
The height adjustment is super simple: by screwing in one place only with an accompanying tool up or down the knife block with the blade motor (!). The cutting height is outside even displayed - super!
The programming (when and when it should not mow, how big and how many areas etc.) and taxes to the (iPhone) App is very simple and is clear. One does not even click through menus on the mower by eternal. And when manually drive around the mower you are no longer on a stupid, but always short spiral nebulae, that the control panel with the mower combines tied - also great!
The old RL2000 had fat 60cm cutting width. Since I now came the RC304 with its meager 28cm cutting width very first "poor" before. In practice, however, this is not matter. You walk not after the thing here! So it's actually not care if he needs 1, 2 or three hours, just because the knife cuts only 28cm wide! And unlike the old models will not set the working hours here, but you are the size of the area to be mowed a. The mower then calculates the time, how long he has to mow or how many cycles he had completed the work. If it is not the first cycle completed (since the battery is dead), he moves to the Ladesation, he invites to there and then mows then again automatically until the calculated mowing (which can still be adjusted via the app) is to ,
If you have to mow several areas, one can in addition to the "main zone" (where the charging station is) also a "second zone" or to set up a so-called "sub-zones". "Subzones" are the "main zone" through a narrow passage connected areas. Such "sub-zones" can itself achieve the mower! If you have set up such a "subzone" he says this after he has the "main zone" finished mowing, even on and then to mow it on. practical!
Among the "second zones" (without connection to the "Main Zone") you have to hinbringen even the device of course.
By the way, you should not interfere in the really chaotic handling of the mower. He drives around seemingly aimlessly. But if he is ready to see the lawn great.
Now for the weaknesses.
Software:
--------
I bought the RC304, because the part more expensive model apparently differ primarily only by a larger battery and capacitance per unit area. The RC304 was sufficient for the area to be mowed with me. Unfortunately, they also differ quite obviously very much in the software! The more expensive, larger models can "more". That one discovers only then, if you have already purchased a device and the device then bought a function described in the manual but not controlled!
I really needed a possibility that the charging station the mower can also be a bit outside the lawn. In the manual is also described detailed. How you have to set it up, that is how you have to move the guidewire. This is somewhat complicated and lasted. But then it turned out that my model, the RC304, this function in software, however, does not speak! Very annoying. All the work for nothing. Which models that really can, and in how far the software is different, I do not know. This is also where nowhere! So do not know the seller usually also. He had me indeed noted that the software are different, but could not really tell me more details about it. I would have bought another device. Now the charger is somewhere on the edge of the lawn - stupid!
Now the hardware:
-----------------
The mower is actually very terrain, but has a significant weakness when cornering and turning on the spot!
Because the lever (distance) between the rear wheels (driving the device, and control) and the nose wheel is just too long and / or the device is (despite internal weights on the rear wheels) Rear too easy. And so these often rotate through. Even a slight (!) Blockade of the front wheel may prevent proper rotating or turning or impossible!
For if the ground on the site a little too steep and quite possible even moist, or is there a stone (Chen), the mower can be bad or not rotate because the nosewheel either the incline does not come up, or at the obstacle (stones) stuck: the driving rear wheel, which will cause the rotation, rotating through. Although he automatically comes then usually after some time by moving back somehow on this point but then away. Sometimes, however, he falls in such maneuvers outside the perimeter wire. Then you have to intervene, because he stays there simply are.
Possibly you could improve by incorporating heavier weights. Place was there enough available.
In straight ahead, he can however practically handle any normal slant always without problems.
Another important tip to install:
--------------------------------
When I later added the charging station and then put the mower back to the lawn (ie correctly within the wire loop) came the unexpected message: "You put the device on the lawn inside he wire loop" - But there he was already. At first I was completely at a loss and also a demand from the seller gave me a "can not be! Never let the device drop by" a. That would drive 50 km. For this I of course did not want, especially since I was already due to defective batteries back a second time.
But then I found out at some point that if you put it directly on the wire, he suddenly departed this clockwise! Normally, he drives only counterclockwise around!
So I finally exchanged the terminals of the wire to the charging station - then everything was ok. Unfortunately this is not described anywhere! The correct polarity of the wire to the charging station is therefore extremely important! This can best find out by trial and error. When you first install I had probably done right by accident!
Mowing the lawn edge:
-------------------
In the description of the RC304 and RC306 is alleged:
"The mower mows across the rear wheels, can be so closely mown edges"
This is only partly true! Correctly read: "on the right rear wheel of time" - only on the right side mows the device to the outside (right) rear wheel! And even just a good cm on the outer edge of time. So with a lawn edge without lateral boundary works.
The mower housing itself is however unnecessarily, almost 10 cm above the right rear wheel. This therefore means that the lawn edge must be at least 10cm from a wall or from a higher boundary stone, otherwise they will no longer be reached from the knife!
On the left, the knife cuts up exactly to the inner edge of the left rear wheel. So there is every lawn edge very far away from the edge of the mower!
But you want the edge so only at the beginning of the mowing he -When exactly the wire mow follows-. And that works fine under the conditions listed above.
Mowing long grass - 20-30cm long straws - after a long "mowing abstinence":
-------------------------------------------------- ------------------
This really works - even very good. The blade motor is strong enough. However, it is essential to provide the RC304 on a short cutting height (maximum 3 cm) a. Because if he goes on as long straws it turns this once only. And if the knife is too high, it reaches a few and there is almost none of cut! After driving over the grass is so then there mostly only flat.
Is the knife against it set to a short section of approximately 3 cm, it also reaches the bent positions of almost all blades. The cut stalks are then swirled and further crushed.
Of course, then the turf is first of all a few days something "zerrupft" but so after a week (when dry) and for daily mowing in this time he again handsomely.
To explain more: at a cutting height of the entire mower is not lowered as usual, but only the mower (with the knife blade motor and the frame drum)! The ground clearance of the device thus remains the same!
Problem with the whole in such tall grass - already described above - again the poor contact of the device: it often does not continue, because the mower can not rotate due to the high grass or even call and one or both of the rear drive wheels from spinning. But of course this is a more or less unique situation once a year and by no means the rule.
Not even at really high grass - but a sense you need in spring definitely not!
