As soon as it gets warmer and the soil temperature is about 10 °C, it's time to mow the lawn at least once a week. Normally, the best time for the first grass cut is mid-March to mid-April.

If the grass starts to grows earlier due to a warmer weather winter, you can mow the lawn earlier. If you have fertilised your lawn after the winter, wait at least one to two weeks after fertilising before using the iMOW® robotic mower.

If you have stored your iMOW® for a long period (e.g. winter break), some precautions should be taken before your iMOW® robotic mower can mow again.
Below you will find instructions on how to best prepare the mowing area and your iMOW® for the gardening season ahead.

1. Prepare the mowing area:

• Remove foreign objects and cut very high grass using a conventional lawn mower.

2. Connect the docking station:

• Uncover the docking station and connect the power supply unit to the mains.
• Check all connections and cables of the docking station. If necessary, also check the search wire under the docking station.

3. Check the installation:

• Have your iMOW® follow the edge and check whether corridors and confined areas are passable. If necessary, remove obstacles and foreign bodies in the edge area.
• The robotic mower can only be put into operation if it correctly receives the wire signal emitted by the docking station. For this, pair the docking station and the iMOW® robotic mower again if necessary according to the instruction manual. This process can be repeated after winter storage, as well as after any changes to the garden.

4. Activate the iMOW^®:

• Charge the battery of the iMOW® robotic mower  
  •  Bring the iMOW® to the mowing area and place it in the docking station. If necessary, you can activate your robotic mower by pressing the ""OK"" button. Charging starts automatically. During charging, the text ""Charging battery"" is displayed in the status screen.
  • If the iMOW® robotic mower display cannot be switched on or remains blank, please contact your STIHL dealer.
  • Please charge the battery of the iMOW® robotic mower only via the docking station. Never remove the battery or charge it with external chargers. The use of an unsuitable charger can result in danger due to electric shock, overheating or escaping corrosive battery fluid.

• Switch on automatic mowing
  • Automatic mowing can be activated via ""Main menu"" > ""Commands"" > ""Switch on automatic mowing"" or, in the case of newer models, via ""Main menu"" > ""Mowing plan"" > ""Automatic mowing on"".
  • When automatic mowing is switched on, the iMOW® robotic mower independently leaves the docking station and mows the lawn during the active times.
  • If the iMOW® is operated manually, automatic mowing should still be switched on once, after which it can be switched off again.  

• Check the mowing plan and change it if necessary  
  • The saved mowing plan is called up via ""Main menu"" > ""Active times"" > ""Mowing plan"" or, in the case of newer models, via ""Main menu"" > ""Mowing plan"" > ""Active times"". The rectangular blocks beneath the respective days represent the saved active times. Mowing is possible in active times marked in black. Grey blocks represent active times without mowing operations, e.g. in the case of a disabled active time.
  • When automatic mowing is switched off, the entire mowing plan is disabled and all active times are shown in grey.

• Correct the date and time  
  • The date and time may need to be corrected following storage for a long period. Appropriate selection windows are displayed during initial operation. If the selection windows are not displayed automatically, you can set or correct the date and time in the menu under ""Main menu"" > ""Settings"" > ""Time/Date"" or, for newer models, under ""Main menu"" > ""Information"" > ""iMOW status"" > ""Date and time"".

• If necessary, activate Standard (GPRS) energy mode and switch on GPS protection.  
  • This function is only available for iMOW® C models.
  • In Standard energy mode, the robotic mower is connected to the Internet and can be reached using the iMOW® app.
  • In ECO energy mode, radio communication is deactivated during rest periods to reduce energy consumption; the robotic mower cannot be reached using the iMOW® app. The most recent available data is shown in the app.

If, despite these precautions, problems should occur when putting the iMOW® back into operation, please contact your STIHL dealer.