Is A Robotic Lawn Mower Right For My Backyard?
Most of us dread mowing the lawn during the summer. The mere thought of pushing your gas-powered across the yard under the sticky, hot weather every other week is exhausting. Also, if your weekdays are always loaded with work, you’d rather relax and unwind over the weekend than trim grass. But it’s a quintessential yard work that you can’t keep on ignoring.
Fortunately, there’s a smart way to go about this. A robotic lawn mower can take away the pain, time, and hassle that comes with lawn care. This battery-operated machine is a smarter and quieter option. It can learn the ins and outs of your backyard and cut grass quickly to the exact height on your preferred schedule.
But are robot lawn mowers worth it? Do they live up to the hype? Keep on reading to find out if it truly is the answer to your summer dilemma.
What Are Robotic Lawn Mowers
It’s pretty tiring to mow your lawn for hours. Meanwhile, paying a professional to keep your yard in tip-top shape can put a dent in your wallet. Hence, it’s quite enticing to invest in a robot mower to do the painstaking task for you.
Robot lawn mowers are available in various shapes and sizes. Setting up and programming these devices is relatively easy. They are also very quiet in comparison to traditional lawn mowers since they run using rechargeable battery packs. That means you’ll be able to let your robot do its job and not worry about disturbing your neighbors.
How Do They Work?
Similar to robovacs, a robotic lawn mower will begin its initial cycle by mapping out your backyard and works through perimeter wire. This will ensure that the robot stays only on your lawn. Once done mapping, it will return to the base station and wait for its real first mowing job.
Using a power button or a mobile phone app, you prompt your robot to maneuver around your backyard, trimming grass. It will be able to stay within the path it mapped out and avoid obstacles with the help of its sensors and guided by the perimeter wire.
Most robotic mowers have a floating deck design, allowing you to adjust their cutting height. Some units come with either a single blade or multiple blades while some have a spinning disc configured with razor blades. The blades will chop the grass very finely so that when it rains or you water your lawn, it seeps into the soil. Usually, the cutting width ranges from seven inches to about two feet, depending on your mower’s size.
However, all these conveniences and high-tech abilities do not come cheap. And if you want more features such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity, anti-theft sensors, flexible scheduling, and mobile app, get ready to pay even more. On top of that, units for larger yards with steep grades and the ability to avoid obstructions like trees and flower beds have a higher price tag.
So before making any purchase, it’s a good idea to do your research first and learn more about the units you’re eyeing.
What Are Robot Mowers Good At?
Your yard will look much better
In comparison to a traditional mower, a robotic lawn mower is designed to trim grass more frequently. It will cut the grass in small lengths with the help of its sharp blades. This means that the grass will be cut instead of knocking the top off as most rotary lawn mowers do. Also, it does not collect clippings. Instead, it will mulch them by returning the clippings to your lawn, giving the growing grass nutrients. Therefore, the grass will not experience much stress, enabling it to remain much greener and healthier.
You never have to mow the lawn yourself
One of the main reasons homeowners opt for a robotic lawn mower is the convenience it offers. With it, you don’t have to cut the grass of your garden weekly throughout the growing season. If you have a busy life and you have small kids, you will not have time to do this every weekend. Once you’re done with the initial setup of your robot, you’ll be satisfied watching it as it works its way around your yard.
Safer to use
Their safety features far exceed those of the conventional models. The blades they use to cut the grass are much smaller and lower-powered. What’s more, you don’t have to interact with the blades while your robot mower is operating. Additionally, the lift and tilt sensors will shut down the blades instantly when you intentionally or accidentally lift your unit.
According to manufacturers, no one has been rushed to the emergency room from using a robot lawn mower. On the other hand, traditional lawn mowers have a poor safety record. In fact, in the US alone, there are more than 80,000 lawn mower-related injuries recorded every year.
Works out cheaper in the long run
The initial cost of robot law mowers is often higher than traditional mowers. However, they can work out cheaper over time because of lesser maintenance requirements and lower operating costs. If you hire a gardener to trim the grass in your yard, the payback time is usually as little as 1 year.
Things To Consider Before Purchasing A Robot Lawn Mower
Over the last few years, we’ve seen significant growth in the robot mowers market. You can expect it to grow steadily as manufacturers improve their technology.
These smart devices are innovating constantly and at a rapid pace and new models are being integrated with new and upgraded features. Nevertheless, there are key features that you need to consider before deciding on which best robotic lawn mower is suitable for you and your garden’s needs.
Law and battery size
One of the most crucial factors that will affect your decision is the size and shape of your lawn. A lot of entry-level units have smaller battery packs designed to handle small to medium-sized gardens. Usually, they can trip up to 400 square meters. On the other hand, larger robots can take care of lawns with a size of up to 3000 square meters or even more.
If you have a massive lawn, it will require a unit with larger batteries combined with a more powerful motor. Husqvarna has a range of Autopower robotic mowers specifically made for those looking for a top-notch automatic lawn mower that is worth checking out.
A mower with larger cutting blades is also a good idea along with more advanced software. But keep in mind that this will have a higher price tag in comparison to an entry-level model.
The inclination slope the robotic lawn mower can handle
How powerful the motor of a robot is will impact its speed and the amount of area it can manage. If your garden has steeper gradients, it is advisable to opt for a model with a powerful motor. Although entry-level units can handle very steep slopes, they don’t work well in hilly gardens.
If your lawn is quite steep, determine its slope first before buying one to make sure you get a model that can handle it.
Controls
The majority of robot mowers feature a control panel that lets you adjust variables, including cutting hours and days. You can even adjust the height of their blades as well. Meanwhile, more high-tech units come with smart features and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to control and monitor your robot via your smart gadget.
Furthermore, you can find some models equipped with weather sensors. That means they have the ability to avoid trimming grass in wet or rainy conditions. There are even those that will notify you when they are stuck somewhere in your garden. Keep in mind that cheaper models have fewer features. Nonetheless, they can still execute the task at hand decently.
Safety features
Every robotic lawn mower has several safety features. These prevent people and pets from getting injured and unexpected items from getting damaged while the robot is at work. You can also program these devices to stop when they accidentally hit an obstruction. Usually, they will back up, turn, and move away from it.
But these safety features differ from one model to the next and among manufacturers. So make sure to look at this more in detail.
Security features
When on the market for an automatic robot mower, it’s also vital to consider its security features. Almost all of them allow you to set a PIN code lock and a lot come with alarm features. Premium and newer units even come with a GPS tracker.
If your yard is not secure and intruders can easily access it, these features are especially crucial. Most manufacturers can even blacklist your robot if it has been stolen, making it impossible for the thief to use it.