Self-propelled mower on autopilot

Here's an experiment I did with my self-propelled mower. It's cutting most of the back yard (a large circle) by wrapping a rope around a couple of stakes.

The video is played at 4x speed. Yes, we have a lot of weeds, and yes, I need to grease the wheels.

Also, this is dangerous, so kludge at your own risk.

There are a few photos at: http://www.atterberry.net/photos/?lzkfile=Projects/AutoMower/

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Automatic
• lawn
• mower
• kludge

[SWV1787]

I would greatly like to see a close up of how you attached the rope to the mower and stake but I think it was a very successful experiment...

[korey99]

@SWV1787 I have a few photos that may help.

The stake end is a big wood block with two holes drilled in it. I pound the rebar into the ground through those holes, then cap it with another board. This holds the two stakes apart. The mower end was just a matter of finding something to tie to.

[korey99]

Ok, I couldn't post a link in my comment, so I added the link to the video description.

[schroeder1959]

Korey, I love your lawn mower video! I always knew you would become famous, but I new knew just how. Congratulations on going VIRAL! So how long does it take for this entire process? Mr. "S"

[korey99]

@schroeder1959 Hi Mr. Schroeder! I guess I'll never understand what people find entertaining (I wouldn't have guessed this), but I'll take my 15 minutes of fame while I can get it!

This takes me less than 5 minutes to set up, and runs for about 35-40 minutes. It works out great, since I can trim along the fences, etc. while it's running.

[AmericanAndrewX]

I would like to say something...... GENIUS!

[mattnsim]

I am a commercial mower man and i must say that you are a genius! I love what you have done. Now to figure out a commercial application.

[AwsomeInEveryMinute]

AWESOME

[Dragonstorm1980]

Who need a robotic mawer when u have a,piece of rope.......lol

[MrGeneralfischer]

That's too funny. Looks like something I would do sitting on the porch with a beer ready to run out there when it was done.

I like it.

[sirwartooth]

Chain Chomp irl.

[uvisa]

LAZY PPL!

[appleintosh]

Your mower doesn't look like it has front wheel drive, and even if it did, my mower doesn't UAE nog

[CyberZach]

This was already thought of in 1945

Max Swisher didn't like to cut the lawn, and he brought his considerable mechanical skill to bear on the job of minimizing this work. He invented the world's first self-propelled lawn mower in 1945, tying it to a tree in the middle of his yard. It travelled in ever shrinking circles as the rope wrapped around the tree trunk, cutting the lawn automatically. Swisher then went on to create the world's first zero-radius mower.