Automower

 This morning I was going to upload some photos for this blog but technology is being a dick and won't let me. This left me scrambling for material and all I could find in my draft folder was this write up from last fall. Its particularly relevant for me because we've done two new Husqvarna Automower installs in the last two days and have a few more coming up. These machines are starting to gain popularity and I can foresee being swamped with future installs. Some of you may have noticed that Lowes is selling a new version of these mowers and we are the installer for our nearest store. 

 Mowby has been sitting out in the cold just waiting in his charging station for a chance to go out and explore the yard. Unfortunately for him that day won't come again till spring.

 I set up some cameras so I can monitor Mowbys shenanigans from my desk or my phone. His stomping grounds were pretty white so he has been parked. If you squint really hard and hold your tongue just right you can see him in the bottom left camera. These cameras also helped me figure out how he was able to play in the street.

 When my to-do list finally got down to the entry labeled "bring Mowby in", this is what he looked like.

 A bit frozen. I brought him in and cleaned the snow and clippings from his shell. The battery is fully charged and he will get a software update. There's not much else that really needs to be done but I will split the case and make sure everything looks normal. I'll be looking for evidence of water, insects and anything out of place. I know one of the wheel motors is making a clicking noise and I suspect it may be the gear reduction unit attached to that motor. We've had a few fail and I'd like to see what they look like before the failure. Maybe that would help me prevent future failures. You'd think the gurus at the factory have all the answers but the fact is many manufacturers work these problems out through dealer input.
 Depending on how long and cold this winter turns out, I may work up the ambition to customize his shell. Maybe just some paint, maybe a whole new look. We'll see.

Later.