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For those with large yards and outdoor spaces, mowing the lawn becomes more than just a chore. Some land may require sitting on a lawn mower all day to mow the lawn, though modern automation has made it so this may not be necessary. In today’s market, you can find several robot lawn mowers.
To save time and make mowing large lawns even easier, consider spending a little extra on a robot lawn mower.
Benefits of a robot lawn mower
Automated mowing
The main benefit of a robot lawn mower compared to a classic lawn mower is the time you save using its automated mowing rather than mowing yourself. The ability for lawn mowers to mow autonomously and use automation to know where to go lets the user schedule when and where the mower should mow as well as how often. Additionally, most robot lawn mowers offer the benefit of taking less time to mow the lawn than a human on a riding lawn mower.
App control
To schedule and control robot lawn mowers, most use a smartphone app to let you make changes or specific commands. It’s important to note that not every app is available for every smartphone or device, so it’s worth picking out a lawn mower with an app that can be downloaded from the iOS Apple App Store or Android’s Google Play Store.
Environmentally friendly
Another benefit of robot lawn mowers is that they’re battery-powered and fully electric, making them more environmentally friendly than those that produce emissions. This makes it so you don’t have to fill it up with gas or oil. You just have to let it charge at its home base in between mowing sessions. Most robot lawn mowers also don’t require debris bags. Instead, they displace grass back into the grass to decompose in minuscule pieces.
Features to consider when buying a robot lawn mower
Area
The most significant feature of a robot lawn mower is the total area it can mow. Robot lawn mowers vary widely in the total area of grass they can cut in one session, ranging from around 700 square feet of space to as much as half an acre (21,780 square feet). Still, even if your area is larger than what your lawn mower can accommodate in one mow, it can likely still be programmed to charge and finish mowing later.
Battery life
Similar to a lawn mower’s mowable area, battery-powered lawn mowers have a certain battery life. Most can mow grass for around an hour before needing to be charged with many able to complete a huge space of mowing in that time.
Other accessories
While most robot lawn mowers come ready to use right out of the box, you can also find accessories that will help the lawn mower work and add to its overall functionality. Perimeter wire, for example, is the most common way that robotic lawn mowers let you set an area's boundaries and parameters. For some mowers, you can also buy attachments that let you cut on steeper hills than what’s allowed, or purchase weed and edge your lawn in addition to simply mowing.
FAQ
Q. Do robot lawn mowers work well on hills?
A. Most robot lawn mowers work well on low-grade hills and mild slopes. However, if your robot vacuum can’t accommodate the grade of a hill you need to mow, some models also let you purchase attachments designed for use on steeper slopes.
Q. Does a robot lawn mower need Wi-Fi?
A. The vast majority of automated lawn mowers use either Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or both. Additionally, some robot lawn mowers come with 4G data connectivity, which allows you to connect to that network rather than a Wi-Fi network.
Q. How do robot lawn mowers navigate?
A. Robot lawn mowers are pre-programmed to operate within a specific area, often using perimeter wire to show where the lawn mower should and shouldn’t go. Others can use GPS to track where they’ve been and where they’re going as well as what areas of a yard they should avoid.
Top robotic lawn mowers
Husqvarna Automower 115-hour Connect 4G Robotic Lawn Mower
This is a powerful robotic lawn mower for yards up to 0.4 acres, and it can cut around 700 square feet of grass per hour. You can buy this in configurations with or without 4G data connectivity and for spaces between 0.4 and 0.8 acres.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Gardena Sileno City 2700 Automatic Robotic Lawn Mower
This lawn mower can cut lawns up to 2,700 square feet as well as slopes of up to 35 percent. You can control it using either a smartphone app or the on-unit buttons. It runs more quietly than the majority of other robot lawn mowers.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worx Landroid M 20-Volt Robotic Lawn Mower with Battery and Charger
This lawn mower features app control and compatibility with Worx’s other high-tech tools. You can also buy this in configurations ranging from one-eighth of an acre to as much as one-half of an acre, depending on how much you’re willing to spend.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Gardena Sileno Minimo Robot Lawn Mower With Bluetooth App
This is an entry-level version of Gardena’s range of robot lawn mowers, offering up to 5,400 square feet of lawn mowing per use and quiet operation. It can also handle slopes with grades up to 35%, and it works whether raining or sunny outside.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Peter McGuthrie writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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