How To Determine When Your Robot Lawn Mower Needs To Be Repaired
You will definitely know if your robot lawn mower needs to be repaired, because it will either fail to mow the lawn at all, or it will simply perform in an inefficient manner.
Additionally, your high-tech mower has a computerized system that works in the same manner as a car or truck.
When your car or truck is experiencing some type of mechanical failure, it will alert you with a check engine, low-fuel, or other types of light on the dashboard.
Your robot lawn mower will inform you of any problems in the same way, and if youre not sure what its indicating, then you should either refer to your manual or take the mower in for servicing.
How Often Should I Run My Robot Mower
As with riding and push mowers, you can run them as often as you like. But many manufacturers recommend you set up a schedule to have your robot mower cut the grass every two or three days. This is because a robot mower has a much smaller cutting deck than a riding or push mower, and they move in randomized patterns. Running the robot mower every few days will ensure that every part of your lawn gets attention.
What Is A Robot Lawn Mower
Robot lawn mowers are machines that cut your grass for you. They are fully autonomous in operation, and will cut your grass as per a user defined schedule. They will generally return to a charging station autonomously on an as required basis. Robot lawn mowers can cut lawns up to 20 000sqm , although widely available consumer models typically will manage up to 5000sqm . Most robot lawn mowers operate within a perimeter wire which is laid out by the user when installing the robot.
The popularity of robot lawn mowers is increasing as the technology of improves and the prices fall. Robot lawn mowers have been commercially available since 1995, although the first recognised robot lawn mower was actually invented back in 1969. Robot lawn mowers are currently the second most popular category of domestic robots. The market for robot lawn mowers has grown rapidly, and sales are forecast to grow at 17% per year in Europe over the next 5 years. The United States has historically been behind Europe in adoption of robot lawn mowers. Growth in sales is starting to take off as consumer acceptance increases, prices decrease, and the technology matures.
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How Do You Program A Robotic Mower
Some of the more basic units just have an onboard control panel, but many can be programmed remotely via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or smartphone.
Of course, the number of hours it will take to mow depends on the size of your lawn. The machine keeps mowing until it has covered the entire area, and will usually need to stop to recharge during that time. For a small back yard, say, around 2,000 square feet, the right-sized mower might take three hoursplus recharging time.
The Best Robot Lawnmowers For 2022 Are:
- Best overall Husqvarna automower® 310 Mark II with installation kit: £1,599, Husqvarna.com
- Best for British weather Flymo easilife go 250 robotic lawnmower: £500, Argos.co.uk
- Best for larger gardens Cobra mowbot 800 midnight black 800m² robotic mower: £599.99, Cobragarden.co.uk
- Best for smaller gardens Gardena SILENO minimo robotic lawnmower 250m²: £599, Mincost.co.uk
- Best for a neat finish Bosch indego s+ 500: £838.97,
- Best for app-free control Gtech robot lawnmower RLM50: £899.99, Gtech.co.uk
- Best for a simple set-up Greenworks 550m² robotic lawnmower: £699.99, Robertdyas.co.uk
- Best buy on a budget Yard Force easymow 260B robotic lawnmower 260m²: £349.99, OnBuy.com
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Price And Size Ranges For Robotic Lawn Mowers
Robotic lawn mowers are expensive, especially when compared to cordless or electric lawn mowers. Prices start at £500 and more premium models can cost upwards of £2000.
A range of sizes are also available. The smallest models are best suited to small or medium-size gardens, while the bigger and more powerful models can mow lawns up to 5000m² in size.
Warranty on a robotic lawn mower is typically between two and five years.
Robot Lawnmowers Are Now Viable Options For Those Who Seek Easy Lawn Care
The prevailing view on robot lawnmowers has been that they are a bit of a gimmick. That used to be true, but these days robot lawnmowers are a genuine and viable option for those of us who would rather spend our precious weekend time doing something else other than cutting grass.
At Modern Gardens, we’ve taken a look at robot lawnmowers, how they work, if they are worth your investment, and which models are best.
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Will A Robot Lawn Mower Run Into My Trees Or Garden
If a robot lawn mower runs into a tree, it would simply turn around and reposition itself. However, robot lawn mowers usually come with a boundary wire that tracks the perimeter of your yard and tells the mower where to go or not go.
The boundary wire is placed around the boundary of your yard and is usually secured by posts put into the ground. For example, if you have a flower bed, garden, pool, or other outdoor areas you want to exclude from the mowers assigned area, place boundary wire around the perimeter of that area.
However, while robot lawn mowers run into and reposition themselves when encountering objects bigger than themselves, smaller objects in the grass such as tiny toys can and will get shredded.
It may be necessary to walk around your yard and pick up objects that could get caught in the mower this includes fruit, stones, and large sticks.
A Robot Lawnmower Reduces Effort
Come spring and summer, the grass in your garden is likely to need cutting around twice a week. Thats time and effort that you may not always have. Theres typically another problem in the UK: the weather. Thanks to the great British summer, rain is common, so even if you may have the time to tackle the lawn, the desire to do so whilst its raining is likely to be non-existent.
A robot lawnmower will get the job done, with both the above issues not proving a hindrance. Rain sensors will stop the robot from heading out in the rain, but at other times it will just get on with trimming your lawn without any input from you, conveniently fitting around your life.
When the grass stops growing in winter, you can turn off the robot lawnmaker, storing it somewhere dry until you need it again when the warmer weather returns.
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Compact Size Means Less Storage Space
Traditional lawn mowers and especially riding lawn mowers take a ton of space, sometimes even small buildings just for them. By contrast, robotic lawn mowers are much smaller and can usually be stored in their charging docks. If you have a shed, thats handy, but you would only need a corner of it at most. No more giant machines cluttering up your yard!
The Ultimate Mowing Convenience
A robotic mower does all the work for you, and youll never have to cut your grass again once its familiar with your yard. You only need to set it up, turn it on, or use its flexible scheduling capabilities.
And thats not all.
For added convenience, robotic lawnmowers can connect to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. You can control it using an app on your phone and set up a schedule to mow your lawn even when youre not at home.
Robotic lawn mowers are autonomous and can leave the base station and start cutting the grass independently. Some models require boundary wires so they dont leave your lawn, while others use satellite links to navigate your yard.
If the battery runs low or it finishes mowing, the robotic mower automatically returns to the docking station, connects, and starts recharging. Check out this article to learn more about how robotic lawnmowers work.
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Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Worth It
If you’ve considered eliminating lawn cutting from your daily schedule, you may have come across the wonderful invention that is robot lawnmowers. But are robot lawnmowers worth it? We’ve already outlined the benefits of owning a robot lawn mower, but if you need more information, this article should answer any questions you may have.
Robot lawnmowers come in all shapes and sizes, but they all operate in the same way: they cut your grass for you. They’re perfect for anyone who wants a well-maintained lawn but doesn’t have the time to do it themselves. Robot lawnmowers are also great for people with allergies because there’s no need to come in contact with grass or pollen.
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No, robot lawn mowers are usually quieter than a gas engine-powered one. This is due to the fact that it has no need for an internal combustion engine, so theres less noise and pollution from the smoke exiting out of the tailpipe. You can happily run them day and night and not worry about waking up your family or the neighbors.
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You Might Miss Manually Mowing The Lawn
The objective of robotic lawn mowers is to give you an excellent-looking yard without any physical effort from you. That means no more exerting yourself in the harsh summer heat.
However, we understand that some like the bonus workout. All that hard work and sweat gives you the pride and satisfaction that you made the lawn look great all on your own.
Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Worth Buying
This is a key question. Robotic lawn mowers not only take the activity of mowing the lawn out of your hands but are also optimised to benefit your grass, your lifestyle and minimise your exposure to the pesky allergens associated with mowing the lawn.
Consider these features:
- Robotic lawn mowers are designed to trim the grass, a few blades at a time. This reduces the stress on your lawn, promotes healthier grass and naturally fertilises the grass with the smaller clippings.
- As opposed to noisy gasoline-powered or electric lawn mowers, robotic lawn mowers are incredibly quiet. This means you can set your mower to work at any time in the day, week, or year.
- Most robotic lawn mowers operate in random patterns as a result, you wont end up with any unsightly rows or dents in your grass.
- When theyre not operating, robotic lawn mowers are kept in their charging stations. They are so small and compact that you wont have to worry about storing a cumbersome machine.
- Robotic lawn mowers are much safer. Unlike traditional lawn mowers with big blades, these mowers have surprisingly small blades that are fully enclosed. They also have a range of sensors that signal if they are tilted or lifted and stop. Thus, much safer around pets and children.
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Can A Robot Lawn Mower Be Stolen
Robot mowers are prone to theft, just like other expensive devices or lawn-care equipment. If you plan on using your robot mower in an area where theft is common, its wise to take extra precautions to prevent it from being stolen.
You can use several methods to protect your robot lawn mower from theft. One is to purchase a model that has a built-in GPS. The GPS will allow you to track the mowers location at all times and help get it back if it ever gets stolen.
Another option is to use a bike lock to secure your mower when you are not using it.
Finally, avoid leaving it anywhere unattended, like in an open garage or the back of your truck. Instead, keep it indoors or in a locked shed that is only accessible to you and trusted family members or friends.
Robomow Robot Lawn Mowers
Robomow has a comprehensive range for you to choose from. The line-up covers relatively low-cost models suitable for modest lawns, plus expensive machines that can mow almost an entire football pitch.
- The RX range has two models designed for smaller gardens up to 300sq m, although the cheaper of the two, the RX12U , doesn’t have a mowing schedule. You’ll need to use the menu on the mower when you want it to start cutting the grass.
- The RC range includes three models which can mow gardens up to 2,000sq m.
- The RS range can cover more than an acre of ground.
Prices range from £599 for the entry-level RC all the way to £2,999 for the top-of-the-range RS model. The RC range costs between £1,199 and £1,899.
See what we thought of one of Robomow’s mid-range models in our Robomow RC304 first look review.
See also: Robomow website
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The Big Question: Are They Anygood
Thats the big question here: should you even look into something like a robot mower or are they still eons away from being perfected. Robot mowers have gotten great reviews for the most part and gave become a very trendy item for homeowners. Theyre actually far more advanced than the fields of car automation in some ways. For the most part they get the job done and they get the job done well. All of the major brands of robot mowers will do a fine job mowing your lawn. When you buy one, the work is pretty much taken care of after you perform the initial initial setup. Then youll need to replace the blades every few months, but this is a simple job and way easier than mowing your lawn with a push mower several times a month.
How Do You Prevent A Robot Mower From Being Stolen
If you’re able, you can set up the base station in a secluded area of your lawn to reduce the chances of someone snatching it while it’s charging you also can carry the mower unit itself into your garage or toolshed at night and lock it up. Barring that, many robot mowers have built-in alarms that go off when they are lifted or tilted, deterring hopeful thieves. And if someone does manage to walk off with your robot mower, many also have GPS-assisted tracking so you can let law enforcement know exactly where they went and recover your property.
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Negatives Of Robotic Lawn Services For Homeowners
The founders admit that some robots have been stolen out of peoples yards, though they have since added GPS trackers to curb this issue. Fences that divide up the property for instance, a security fence around a swimming pool may also make even mowing more difficult. Robin Autopilot offers to install a special door that lets the robot pass through while keeping pets in place, but its not clear how easily this can be installed on metal fences or in areas with significant grade differences. The starting price in the Dallas area was $99 per month, which could be significantly more than standard lawn mowing services, depending on local rates.
Honda Robot Lawn Mowers
There are six robot lawn mowers in Honda’s Miimo range at the time of writing.
The cheapest of the bunch is the £790 Miimo 40, which can cover an area of up to 400 sq m. It has a claimed 45 minute mowing time and features lift sensors that prevent the machine from getting stuck in a hole or on uneven ground.
If you’ve got a bigger budget, you can consider some other models in the range: Miimo 40 Live , Miimo 70 Live , Miimo 310 , Miimo 520 and Miimo 3000 .
See also:Honda website
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Robotic Lawn Mower Features
Beyond being fully automatic, the additional features on the best robot lawn mowers vary depending on the model. However, these features can include weather sensors, GPS navigation and smart connectivity.
The latter can make the mower easier to programme because it allows you to use a mobile device, such as a phone or tablet, to set it up rather than bending over the machines PIN board.
Smart connectivity also allows you to check on your robotic lawn mower while youre away and track it if its stolen.
Good security is essential when paying for a machine in this price range. Some simply require a PIN code to start the mower, while others have lift sensors, alarms and a GPS tracker.
How Do They Work
Using the app on your phone or the manual power button, you prompt your automatic lawn mower to move around your lawn, cutting the grass and using its sensors to remain on the mapped path and avoid obstacles.
Many robot lawn mowers use a floating deck design that allows the user to adjust the cutting height. Some models have a single blade, some multiple blades, and others a spinning disc configured with razor blades. As the blades cut the grass, they chop it up super-finely so it seeps into the soil when you water the lawn or it rains. Depending on the size of your mower, you can expect a cutting width from seven inches to around two feet.
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Worx Landroid M500 Robotic Lawn Mower $1699
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
It may be hard to believe, but this near-$2,000 robot lawn mower is one of the most affordable options on the market. Dont worry, its still a beast it boasts two brushless motors, five configurable options and an offset three-blade cutting and mulching system for trimming the edges of your garden.
The 20V machine also has an auto scheduling function and motor torque bump detection system, along with a rain sensor to let the robot know to go back to its station when the weather gets too harsh.
PROS:
+ Covers up to 500 square metres.
+ Can cut up to four separate areas.
+ Four cutting height positions .
