Proper care and winterization of your lawn mower: Here's how to do it
You were able to enjoy the summer to the full in your own garden - and that was sometimes because your lawn was always well-kept? Then our FREELEXO robot mower has done exactly what it was designed to do! In spring, summer and autumn, the useful robot automatically mows your lawns whenever and exactly as you specify in the settings. But even a robot needs a holiday, and the FREELEXO has certainly earned it. Learn here how to care for your useful helper after the strenuous gardening season and how best to send it off for the winter break.
When cleaning the robotic lawn mower, there are a few things to keep in mind so that you do not damage the sensitive technology. We have summarised when to send the mower over your lawn for the last time and where best to store it. And if you want to give your robot lawn mower a treat, you can also take advantage of our Einhell winter service. This will make your robot lawn mower fit again for next spring!
Sending the robotic lawn mower into a well-deserved winter break - We explain what you should look out for.
Reasons for the winter break of your robot mower
- Grass no longer grows: There are several reasons why you should winterize your lawn mower. The most obvious reason is that your lawn does not need to be mowed at all in the winter because the grass grows very slowly or not at all in the cold weather. Before the temperatures outside drop, the last lawn care should take place at the latest at the end of October, when the green should be mowed as short as possible. When doing this, it is best to follow the one-third rule, which states that the grass should only be cut by one-third of its current growth height. If your lawn is already quite high, you should gradually adjust the cutting height of your lawn mower every five days or so. In general, it is recommended to have a lawn as short as possible in the winter (max. 5 cm), so that the grass blades do not bend over in the snow and frost and can grow back beautifully in the spring.
- Time for care and maintenance: Another reason is that you can use the time of the winter break to care for your lawn mower. At the latest, before the first mowing in the spring, you should have cleaned and checked the device and performed any software updates. Would you rather leave it to the professionals? For this purpose, there is our winter service, which takes over these tasks for you, depending on which package you book. So you don't have to worry about the care in the winter.
- Cold weather can damage the device and battery: Our lawn mowers contain a lot of advanced technology. Both the battery and the electronics of the lawn mower can be damaged by too low and too high temperatures outside. At temperatures below 10 °C, the electrical voltage in the battery decreases, the processes become slower and the charging capacity decreases. The battery feels most comfortable at temperatures between 10 °C and 35 °C. In any case, the robot and battery should always be stored in a frost-free and dry place.
Find out here why a winter break for the robot lawn mower makes sense and how you can use the time.
Finding the optimal storage location
To winterize your lawnmower, you should look for a dry place where your equipment and batteries can be stored frost-free and protected from cold and moisture at room temperature and normal humidity. We recommend dismantling the charging station and storing it safely for the winter as well. This will provide the best possible protection for the charging contacts on the charging station.
Is your garage and workshop full, and you don't have enough space? In this case, you should inquire about our winter service, which not only takes care of the maintenance of your lawnmower but can also store your equipment until the new gardening season.
Robot Lawnmower Winter Service
- Classic: Your FREELEXO will be professionally cleaned, inspected, and returned to you.
- Classic Plus: In addition to professional cleaning and maintenance, your FREELEXO will also be securely stored until the next spring.
- Premium: Full-service for your lawn robot - In addition to cleaning, inspection, and storage of your FREELEXO, a technician will handle the on-site installation at your home in the spring.
The robotic lawn mower should be stored frost-free and protected, this is also recommended for the charging station.
Tips for Battery Storage
Our robotic lawnmowers use powerful Power X-Change batteries. This gives you the significant advantage that if the battery is damaged, you don't need to send the entire lawnmower for repair or replacement. Instead, you can simply replace it with a new Power X-Change battery. Furthermore, these batteries are compatible with all our battery-powered tools in the workshop and garden categories. So, you can use the lithium-ion battery from the mower for other tasks during both winter and summer!
Prefer to store your Power X-Change battery over the winter? That's not a problem. Thanks to the advanced lithium-ion technology, our batteries have very low self-discharge rates. However, you should recharge the battery before storage and check the charge level once or twice during the winter months to avoid deep discharge. Naturally, you can fully charge your battery, but lithium-ion batteries are most comfortable when stored at a charge level of 30 to 60 percent, indicated by two illuminated LEDs on the charge status indicator.
For optimal storage, keep the battery in a dry, dust-protected place with cool temperatures between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius (59 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit). Additionally, it should be shielded from direct sunlight and heat and should be disconnected from the charger. The garage and garden shed are not suitable storage locations due to their low winter temperatures. It's better to find a place in a frost-free basement, indoors, or in the workshop. You can find more tips on battery storage here.
Extra Tip: Regularly Update Your Software!
Whether you're preparing your lawnmower for winter hibernation, waking it up from its winter slumber in the spring, or in the midst of the gardening season, it's worth taking a regular look at our lawnmower service page. There, you will always find the latest available software updates that ensure your FREELEXO is continuously optimized and performs its tasks smoothly.
By the way, if your robot is compatible with the Einhell Connect App, you'll also receive a notification through the app when a software update is available for your lawnmower. You can find step-by-step instructions on how to download and install the updates on the service page.
How to Winterize Your Charging Station and Robot Lawnmower
Cleaning your FREELEXO before storage
First and foremost, you should never clean your lawnmower with running water or high-pressure water, as it can damage the sensitive electronics. Instead, you can use a compressor to blow away dirt and debris with air pressure or opt for a conventional brush or a damp cloth. Here's a summary of the steps to follow:
- Turn off the lawnmower: Before you start cleaning, turn off the lawnmower using the main switch located on the bottom of the device and remove the battery.
- Remove grass residues: Use a brush to gently remove any leftover grass clippings from the lawnmower, including grass that may stick to the housing.
- Clean the housing: You can clean the outer housing with a damp cloth and optionally a mild soap. Avoid using cleaning agents or solvents, as they could damage parts of the device. Make sure the cloth is damp, not wet.
- Check the blades: To ensure effective mowing, the cutting disc with attached blades must be movable. After checking this, inspect the condition of the blades. If they are damaged or dull, you can purchase compatible replacement blades from us. Be sure to replace the entire set of blades instead of individual ones to avoid imbalance.
- Inspect charging contacts: Over time, the charging contacts on your lawnmower and the charging station can corrode and need cleaning. For cleaning, it's best to use a specialized metal cleaning solution or fine sandpaper.
You can clean the robot lawn mower and the charging station step by step.
Sensor and camera cleaning
Do you own the FREELEXO CAM lawnmower, which can operate without a boundary wire thanks to its sensitive sensors and modern camera technology? Then you should pay particular attention to cleaning the sensors and camera lenses of your mower when cleaning it. To do this, use a soft, damp cloth, preferably made of cotton or similar. Warning: Scratchy brushes, coarse microfiber cloths, and similar cleaning aids could cause small scratches on the lens, so be careful with what you use to clean the camera and sensors. Also, avoid using aggressive cleaning agents.
Before winterizing, you should carefully clean the camera lenses and sensors of the FREELECO CAM lawnmower.
Disassembly and Cleaning of the Charging Station
We recommend protecting the charging station from low temperatures because cold and frost can shorten the station's lifespan. It's best to disassemble the charging station before the first frosty night and after the last lawn mowing in the autumn. Here are a few points to keep in mind:
- You can clean the housing by wiping it with a damp cloth.
- Check the charging contacts for corrosion and, if necessary, clean them with a metal cleaning solution or lightly sand them with fine sandpaper.
- Once you've removed the charging station, make sure to protect both ends of the boundary wire from rust. You can achieve this by securely wrapping the wire ends with a plastic bag and sealing it with insulating tape. To ensure the wire is also protected from the elements, secure it. For this purpose, you can, for example, firmly plant a wooden stake in the ground and then attach the water-sealed wire to the wooden stake.
Preparations for Spring Start
The winter is coming to an end, the first plants are sprouting from the ground, and the grass is starting to grow again? Even after the winter break, when you're getting your mower ready for the start of the new garden season, there are a few things to keep in mind. If you own a FREELEXO CAM, it's recommended to delete the saved reference values of the mowing boundaries, and to send the little mower on a new initialization drive through the garden.
Have you changed your garden during the mowing break? Have you removed or added an obstacle, such as cutting down a tree, laying new paths, or building a new garden shed? Then you should best delete the mapping, i.e. the "saved map" of the lawnmower. During operation, it will then create a new map of the lawn area.
In this blog post, you'll learn what else you should keep in mind when starting your mower.
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Published on 05.10.2021
Marina Liefke is an Online Editor at Einhell, where she deals with virtually all texts related to tools, garden equipment, and accessories. She acquires the necessary know-how through practical product training and close collaboration with the Einhell product managers. Her favorite tool is the PRESSITO cordless compressor because when the air is running out, it pumps it right back in.