With the growing number of robotic home devices, many people have started considering a robotic lawnmower. While it may seem natural to compare them to robotic vacuums, a robot lawn mower is different in some key ways.

Owning a robot lawnmower isn’t for everyone. You need to thoroughly understand how they work, plus their inherent benefits and drawbacks before you commit to buying one.

How Robotic Mowers Work

A robotic lawn mower docks itself at a charging station, which is like a robotic vacuum. You need a flat area near the edge of the lawn for that purpose. The robot will return to the base when its battery runs low, recharging until it’s ready to finish regular mowing duties. Recharge times vary depending on the mower.

You get to set when you want the robot mower to run. That means it could be trimming your grass while you’re away at work or otherwise busy. Because they’re continuously running, the robot trims only a small amount of grass, so they don’t have a catch bag to empty.

Most robots work with a fine wire you lay around the exterior edge of the lawn. It tells the mower where to stop, so it doesn’t venture into your neighbor’s yard, into your flowerbeds, or elsewhere.

Big Brands

You have plenty of choices when it comes to robotic lawn mowers. These are some of the most prominent brands:

• Husqvarna
• WORX
• Robomow
• Lawnbolt
• SUPOMAN
• McCulloch
• Honda

Most brands have multiple models, which contain different features.

Benefits of a Robot Lawn Mower

• It runs automatically, so your grass stays trimmed while you’re on vacation, busy with work, or have a hectic schedule.
• Since the mower runs automatically every day, your grass never gets too long. That avoids the unkept look common before a regular mowing.
• Because robotic mowers are electric, they don’t make much noise. That means they can run at any hour of the day or night without disturbing you or your neighbors.
• If you have allergies, a robot lawn mower means you don’t even need to be outside while it trims the lawn. That helps you not to be exposed to anything that will irritate your sinuses.
• Since the robot runs all the time, it cuts only a small portion of the grass blade at a time. That’s better for the health of your lawn and means the smaller clippings all are used as mulch. You don’t have to empty a catch bag and dispose of the clippings each time.

Drawbacks of Robotic Mowers

• Robotic lawn mowers are expensive. Some units cost thousands of dollars, thanks to the costly sensors and other included technologies.
• While the charging station isn’t large, some people find it not to be aesthetically pleasing. If you’re looking to establish a pristine, picture-perfect yard, that might be a deal breaker.
• You’ll need to get power to the charging station. Depending on your yard set up and where you put the station, an electrician might charge a significant amount.
• Robotic mowers run in random pathways, meaning you don’t get the striping patterns left by professional yard crews, like what you see at baseball stadiums.  
• How much area a robotic mower can cover depends on the brand and model. If your lawn is expansive, you might need two or more robots, increasing the cost and complexity.
• You will still need to trim and edge your yard because the robotic mower can’t perform those tasks. If you don’t want to do that, it makes more sense to hire a professional lawn care service.

 

Contact Greentech Lawn and Irrigation for professional help making your lawn beautiful, whether you decide to get a robotic mower or not.