The future is here! All about Robot Mowing.

October 24, 2022
  |   3 Comments

The Next Big Home Automation: Robot Mowing

Are you looking for efficient, state of the art equipment to take care of your lawn?

What if you had a robot mower to do the mowing for you, while saving time, money, and eliminating pollution?

There’s a lot to consider when it comes to mowing a lawn:

The cutting direction and pattern should be changed each time, mower blades should be sharpened every 10-12 hours of use, and no more than 1/3 of the lawn should be cut each time. And companies mowing multiple lawns should be cleaning weed seeds off the mower deck between properties. Mowers and the humans pushing them also cause compaction of soils over time, weakening the lawn.

Robot mowing eliminates all of these challenges!

How Does it Work?

Robot mowers come with self-recharging battery docks, which can even be connected to solar power. The mowers go back on their own to the charging station if the battery is low.

Built-in sensors detect buried guide wires (along fences, walls, driveways, and paths) to ensure the robot doesn’t go astray or miss any areas.

GPS tracking devices immobilize the mower if it is removed from its usual location and can be tracked by law enforcement. This technology renders robot mowers worthless to thieves as the mowers will only cut their designated lawn.

Robot mowers can cut up to 6 acres. However, some limitations include the complexity of the area you require to be mown and the steepness of any slopes, for example.

The Cutting System

Because a robot is mowing your lawn regularly, it only makes a fine cut. The clippings are so tiny they do not need collection and act as lawn fertilizer.

Low gravity centers allow robot mowers to handle steep areas without the risk of toppling over, working on slopes up to 25%.

What are the Benefits of Robot Mowing?

  • Environmentally friendly and money-saving – It is estimated that conventional gas-powered lawn equipment generates 5% of US climate-changing emissions. Typically, they consume only around 11kw/H of electricity per month, equating to a $2 monthly cost.
  • Aesthetically-pleasing healthier lawns – Your lawn gets a perfect cut every single time. Robot mowers’ freely rotating blades and random cutting patterns reduce compaction and create less stress for growing grass. Robot mowers also eliminate the cross-contamination that can come when conventional lawn service mowers import weed seeds from other properties.
  • Reliability – You won’t need to fret about the forecast as rain sensors will postpone mowing if they detect inclement weather. And there will be no delays because your landscape crew failed to show up!
  • Quiet – Because robot mowers are battery-powered, they are incredibly quiet. So quiet, in fact, that you can let them run overnight.

A robot mower spotted in 2022, mowing a bishop’s garden in Northern Ireland from the 1700s!

Safety

The cutting blades are tucked under the mower, and guards and an automatic stopping mechanism prevent the blades from reaching fingers or toes. They have been on the market in Europe for over a decade with an impressive safety record. An automatic stopping mechanism halts the blades in a fraction of a second should it be lifted from the grass while in operation. However, like any power tool, do not allow children to play with a robot mower.

Why Should I get a Robot Mower?

You can spend time doing other essential chores in the home or save money on a lawn service while your robot mower does the mowing.

You can control it from anywhere, with pre-programming or a smartphone app.

You will have healthy and attractive-looking grass along with the satisfaction that your lawn care is low-effort, quiet, and sustainable.

Thinking of investing in a robot mower?

We highly recommend that you purchase one of the major brands directly through an accredited company—if cost is an issue, they may be able to help you with financing or include their own fleet of robot mowers as part of a yard care service package.

Thank you to A.I.R. Lawn Care for contributions to this content.



3 comments on "The future is here! All about Robot Mowing."

  1. Jen says:

    Interesting.
    As much as I’m not a fan of lawns or robotics for that matter, I definitely see the benefit of this…

  2. I’ve seen all the positives. What are the drawbacks? What is the price range and how easy is it to have repairs done or to find parts? How does the mower navigate around trees, garden beds? How often is one likely to need a new battery and what is that cost?

    1. Mary Travaglini says:

      The mower navigates by sensing a buried wire, like the wires used in invisible dog fences. The batteries are known to last for 4,000-6,000 charging cycles or 5-7 years, and cost about $200-$250. Cleaning kits are about $50 and they should be cleaned every month with an air blower, and blades ($12 a set) should be changed every couple of months, or sooner if it is a wooded lot. They may at some point need new wheels. But unlike gas mowers, there are no belts, spark plugs, wire, oil changes, etc, so it’s a lot less maintenance.

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