After yet another disappointing outing in 2-3" of snow, I’ve observed the follow that I think need to be incorporated into the programming of the Yarbo control systems. (you can watch the real-time video here https://youtu.be/87bYPIst-DM)
Never tank turn in an area that isn’t fully cleared (either do mini “sidewalk fan clearing (go forwards and backwards)” if in a path, or do 2 or three passes around a border to create a larger area to turn around without knocking snow back into the path of the Yarbo)
Never back up with the module lowered (it drags the snow creating an opportunity to get stuck)
Only fully lower the module if certain that there is no snow under it (otherwise, the tracks will lift off the ground and lose traction)
When trying to get unstuck, move forward while lowering the module all the way down (instead of lowering the module fully and then trying to move forward, which just leads to getting stuck again.)
TREAT THE SPOUT LIKE A GUN! (Only point it at things you want to hit, imagine the spout is discharging at all times, be aware of what is before and after your selected direction like no go zones). 4 Primary Rules of Firearm Safety • NSSF
Running multiple perimeter passes doesn’t always help either, it tries to zero turn in the corners and gets stuck. I have a couple areas where snow can blow/drift and anything short of backing up ~3 feet before trying anything will result in it getting stuck if not caught quick.
I put a couple multiple reversing sidewalk plans in those locations to clear out the corner but with the sidewalk bugs it’s not reliable yet.
@rgloverii and @Yarbo-Forum - this is indeed an issue. Whatever is going on with these perimeter passes just kills the battery from how often it can get stuck along the edge. For me it wasn’t grass but the frozen edge of the snow from past jobs. It has a straight line from blowing snow, that unblown snow on the border has now frozen or gotten more ridged and the blower for whatever reason decides to go a little further into the edge than it has the last two times and keeps getting itself stuck over and over again. I have a long drive (close to 2000 feet long) so the perimeter run can suck the entire battery then I can do the rest of the driveway and then some when it does not content with the perimeter.
Agreed that it could handle it better. In the interim, you could try making sidewalks along the perimeter to cleanup the boundary a bit or increase the safety buffer periodically. Obviously the latter shrinks the cleared area, but it should let it work without snagging.
For now, I sort of did what Bryan is suggesting. I created a new sidewalk that encompasses the entire perimeter.
BUT in my case, I expanded it a bit as opposed to the normal driveway area. My theory is that it’ll clear up the drifts and give more of a margin of error for the normal autonomous snowblowing of the driveway.
I also set the auger height a bit higher on the ‘sidewalk’ versus the driveway to minimize the chances it’ll get caught on ice while running the perimeter.
@bryan.wheeler Did try the boundary idea already - it doesn’t seem to be that exact, so it still was doing its slide into the bank and turning itself 90 degrees until it backs up. Problem solved for the interim by getting my New Holland Skid Steer L320 Yarbo out and pealing the edge off. Hey, they are both yellow so pretty close to Yarbo getting the job done.
If you put a sidewalk on the zero-turn return type and run twice does it count the return path as the 2nd run? If you had a sidewalk loop around on itself it might just be able to clear enough to be able to turn around…of course last time I overlapped a sidewalk it ran it completely backwards:sweat_smile:
I don’t see how the sidewalk option would help. This isn’t about turning it is about going straight and not get “snagged” on out of bounds items because it has strayed a bit too far outside the boundary. It will catch the grass or the hard pack snow and spin 90 degrees, stop, backup, do the hokey pokey then come back and try again. At times it will do this over and over one stair step at a time for 50 or more feet then be fine for 200 or more feet and then do it again. Running a sidewalk down the edge of the boundary seems like it would do exactly the same thing. It certainly does this same “snag and spin” on my actual sidewalk from time to time.
A larger perimeter boundary could alleviate the tank turn issues, but that is only one of the prime directives that need to be incorporated. The ability to engage more efficiently in a long straight line is also important, especially with wet snow that’s only 2" deep.
And don’t forget the absolute need to not spray snow in unintended/undesired directions.
To me, until this list of suggested improvements are met, there’s no way I’d recommend the snow blower.
As someone who has used the mower, leaf blower, and snow blower, I get that it’s not the end of the world if the lawn isn’t perfect while we wait for software improvements for mowing and leaf blowing. Safe snow removal on the other hand is absolutely critical to get right.
But to Mikes point, wouldn’t those perimeter occasional runs eventually suffer from the same icing and stuck issue? It needs better logic when this happens. Right now it just spins into the boundary at a 90 most of the time.
I disagree with Yarbo breaking the boundary…. ever. Not even occasionally to clear snow around the boundary.
The boundary should be the boundary period. Maybe set a safety margin inside the bounds are occasionally disable that safety boundary manually. Wouldn’t that provide the same effect?
Agree 100%. The boundary should be set in stone written by God himself. To me, there’s no good excuse for Yarbo to drive outside the pre-defined boundary.
