The best robotic lawn mower 2023 for small and medium-sized lawns – the most important things in brief
They are the stars on every lawn: robotic lawnmowers or lawn robots. Everyone who is considering a purchase should know this:
- Robotic lawnmowers: Robot lawn mowers automatically mow the lawn using defined mowing programs and charge their battery independently.
- Smart robotic lawnmowers: Smart robotic lawnmowers can be operated via the app and connect to other devices or a data cloud.
- Perimeter wire and charging station: The boundary wire is a kind of electromagnetic fence that surrounds the mowing area. Cables and robots get their energy from the charging station.
Top 7 the best robotic lawn mowers for 2024 in comparison – reviews and recommendations
The product range of robotic lawnmowers is divided into two warehouses: Smart devices with a connection to a data cloud as well as app control and lawn robots that work completely autonomously without networking. Both types have their advantages and disadvantages. Networked robots with smartphone control offer more convenience, autonomous robots do not raise any data protection concerns and do not require a network infrastructure.
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Gardena 4069 R80Li Recommendation for large gardens
Not only can a big remote lawn mower keep your grass neatly clipped, it should remove all the work for you by shredding the grass so finely as it mows, that the tiny bits of grass fall to the ground instead of raking up the cuttings, giving your lawn the best kind of natural fertilizer that will make the new growth so much lusher. It comes with a boundary wire that is simple to install so that your mower now needs its attention precisely in which location.
This is exactly what the GARDENA 4069 R80Li Robotic Lawnmower does. Your lawn is going to be so gorgeously green that it’s going to be smoother than a dense pile of carpet in your house. This autonomous lawn mower runs on a long-lasting and energy efficient lithium ion battery. It’s all free from pollution, so it’s all perfect for the atmosphere. The mower automatically returns to the charger when the battery begins to lose its capacity, until the battery power is fully charged and ready to get to work again.
“Easy to install, easy to use, easy to clean and maintain – overall a coherent overall concept.” As our Gardena 4069 R80Li Review , the robotic lawnmower was also able to convince other editorial offices.
Gardena 4069 R80Li Robotic Lawnmower
Features
- Cutting Height of .7" to 2" (2 to 5 cm) can be easily set with a rotary knob. Different mowing times or days can be set on a large selection panel and display
- Excellent cutting results, works during rain, Anti theft protection, low noise, emission free
- Robotic lawnmower perfect for all garden types. Autonomous, quiet, energy efficient and emission free!
- Easy to use, easy to install, easy to maintain. Perfectly safe and perfectly customizable!
- Easy to Place Boundary wire shows mower where to mow
Worx WR140 Landroid – robotic lawnmower recommendation for medium-sized gardens (500 sqm)
Worx WR140 Landroid works on lawns up to 500 square meters in size and can be managed by mobile phone (Worx)
In the medium-sized gardens of up to 500 square meters, which are also widespread, a smart device such as the Worx Landroid M500 definitely has advantages, as the complexity increases with the size. Multi-zone management, app operation and better theft protection thanks to the alarm function have given Worx Landroid M500 (WR141E) a decisive edge over the SILENO city 500. In addition, all Worx robotic lawnmowers presented here can be modularly expanded thanks to interfaces, for example with useful Landroid accessories such as an ultrasonic sensor for obstacle detection – an innovation compared to the previous Landroid SO500i model. However, WiFi coverage should be available so that the robot can play out its smart functions. If the network coverage needs to be expanded, we recommend using a WLAN mesh system.
The robotic lawnmower has so far been able to convince in Worx Landroid M500 (WR141E) tests. The robot is following in the footsteps of its predecessor, Landroid SO500i, which also impressed with good ratings. The renowned Stiftung Warentest had not yet tested the Worx Landroid M (WR141E) robotic lawn mower .
Robomow RS630 – Recommendation for medium-sized gardens (500 sqm)
The Husqvarna Automower 115H, cheaper than its sister device, brings with it a quality that can not be found in just any lawnmower. It operates softly, making it ideal for night work, and it emits no gases that can be labeled as hazardous. In addition, with the power of the smartphone, you are in complete charge of the robot lawnmower, which allows you to quickly tweak the cutter ‘s schedule.er 115H, cheaper than its sister device, brings with it a quality that can not be found in just any lawnmower. It operates softly, making it ideal for night work, and it emits no gases that can be labeled as hazardous. In addition, with the power of the smartphone, you are in complete charge of the robot lawnmower, which allows you to quickly tweak the cutter ‘s schedule.
Bluetooth networking is also available, and can function from a range of about 100 ft, allowing you the freedom to control your mower from anywhere in the house. On top of this, the movements of the mower are driven by invisible boundary wires that ensure that it does not go beyond the specified area, and it can even carry it back to its charging station to be charged. A two-year warranty for residential use on this system has been tackled by the manufacturer, making it less a risk to buy for your home.
Husqvarna Automower 115H Robotic Lawn Mower, 115H-Mows Up to 0.4 Acres, Gray
Features
- Simple DIY Install - You can DIY (Do-It-Yourself) the simple Husqvarna Automower installation process! Your Automower comes with everything you’ll need to install it yourself, from boundary wires to the patented guide wires.
- Husqvarna has been the world leader in robotic mowing for over 25 years. Top-notch technology, research, and innovation mean Husqvarna robotic mowers’ cutting results and reliability are unparalleled.
- Get a beautiful lawn 24/7 with this robotic lawn mower. Suitable for small to medium-sized yards (up to 0.4 acres), it cuts less grass more frequently to maintain a smooth, carpet-like appearance.
- Discover the future of lawn care. The Husqvarna Automower 115H Robotic Lawn Mower works quietly and autonomously to make lawn maintenance simple.
- Control your smart lawn mower through Bluetooth-powered Automower Connect@Home. Start, stop, and configure your mower in just a few finger taps!
Robomow RS622 Robotic Lawn Mower – Recommendation for medium-sized gardens
You should not look past the Robomow RS622 Robotic Lawn Mower for bigger yards. This mower can be controlled from your smartphone so you can keep an eye on it while fishing, playing golf or relaxing by the pool at some distant exotic resort, without looking at your precious weekend flash purchase in a blur of tasks. It is a slightly wider mower than normal and this mower is ideal for getting the job done faster with a Smartmow feature.This robotic lawn mower, designed to last, will keep your grass lush and trimmed and is suitable for larger yards of up to half an acre.
It has a built-in sensor, like other Robomow mowers, so it can send itself back to its base if it begins to rain and then back to work again when weather conditions are again suitable. For this robust mower, slight slopes and slopes of up to 35 percent are also no problem and it can also handle thicker and longer grass if required. This gives gardeners a wonderful gift as well.
Robomow RS622 Battery Powered Robotic Lawn Mower Medium Yard, 22 inch Cutting Width, Green
Features
- MEDIUM YARD CUTTING PATH: Dual blade, and 22" cutting width ensures an efficient and effective cut in larger yards up to 1/2 acre (21,780 square feet) and inclines up to 20 degrees
- MOWS IN DIFFERENT ZONES: Can be easily be wired to automatically travel to different zones within your yard, returning to the base station after completion
- PERSONALIZED WEB APP: New in 2024! With Bluetooth connectivity the new My Robomow app lets you manage your mower from any place, any time
- ALEXA SMARTHOME CAPABILITIES: New in 2024! Robomow joins the Alexa smart home ecosystem, cutting your grass on voice command
- FAST & EASY SETUP: Peg wire around the perimeters of the mowing area, set your weekly mowing schedule, and relax while Robomow mows for you!
Robomow RX20 Robot Lawn Mower
One of the best-loved robot lawn mowers on the market is the Robomow RX20. In Robomow’s RX range, it’s the mid-range option, meaning it doesn’t have all the same premium features as the very high-end models, but we still believe it’s one of the best options on the market. It is particularly appropriate for tiny and medium-sized gardens with complex shapes. Thanks to its intelligent navigation system and short cutting width of seven inches, it can match narrow paths, negotiate tree stumps, and much more.In this environment, you’ll find the Robomow RX20 outperforms the competition. It is intended for yards of up to 2,180 sq. Ft. and it tilts to 8.5o.
With the Robomow RX20, one of the things we love is that it’s Alexa-enabled. It can enter the ecosystem of your smart home , allowing you to program it alone through voice commands. Or, using a mobile app or web app, you can monitor the mower. The configuration process is fast and painless.All you need to do is peg wire around your mowing area’s perimeters and set a weekly mowing schedule. It also has a built-in rain sensor, a reduced level of noise, and a monitoring system.
Robomow RX20 Battery Powered Mower-7-Inch Mowing Width-Smart Robot Lawn Mower for Small Yards, Green
Features
- SMALL YARD CUTTING PATH: 7" cutting width ensures an efficient and effective cut in smaller yards up to 1/20 acre (2, 180 square feet) and inclines up to 8. 5 degrees
- MOWS IN DIFFERENT ZONES: Can be easily be wired to automatically travel to different zones within your yard, returning to the base station after completion
- SMART HOME CAPABLE: Joining the Alexa smart home ecosystem, Robomow will cut your grass on voice command. Operate and communicate with your mower via smart phone, web app, or voice activation. The personalized web app lets you manage your mower from any place, any time.
- EASY TO SET UP AND EVEN EASIER TO USE: Installation takes less than an hour and you are equipped with a unique one-button operation. Peg wire around the perimeters of the mowing area, set your weekly mowing schedule, and relax while Robomow mows for you!
- INTEGRATED RAIN SENSOR, QUIET CUT, AND SAFETY SYSTEM: Returns to the base in rainy weather and restarts when weather imrpoves. Reduced noise level keeps this mower working even during quiet hours. Valid code is required to operate.
Which robotic lawnmower to buy? Lawn mowing robots buying advice
The purchase of a robotic lawnmower should be carefully considered in advance, because the purchase is always a small investment. If you have not found what you are looking for when choosing our best garden robots, you should consider the following criteria before buying a lawn robot:
- Turf cut: Does the robotic lawnmower mow the lawn evenly or are mowing tracks visible on the lawn? We recommend robotic lawnmowers that mow at random, the grass is driven from different directions so that no mowing tracks are visible. GARDENA calls this function Sensor Cut. Devices such as the Bosch Indego S + 350 Connect, on the other hand, mow in systematic paths.
- Cutting height: The cutting height depends on the type of lawn. If you value a decorative lawn, you should make sure that the robot supports the lowest possible cutting height. Garden owners should note that a cut too short can be harmful to the grass plants. We recommend a cutting height of at least 3 centimeters.
- Lawn area: The available robotic lawnmower models are designed for different areas. In general, a distinction is made between solutions for small and medium-sized lawns with up to 500 square meters and models for large areas with about 1,000 square meters. If you are not sure which area the garden has, you can do it with a GPS-based area calculator like that Geo area calculator calculate.
- App control: Mowing robots work autonomously, but control via an app is more convenient when it comes to programming mowing times, for example. Without an app, this usually has to be done directly on the device. However, if you value app control, you need a networked robot so that the device can communicate with the cell phone. This is usually a gateway or, in the case of WLAN robots, via the health home router.
- Lawn edge mowing function: Since the mower is usually located in the middle of the housing, blades of grass on the edge of the working area usually remain uncut and have to be cut by hand. Worx equips most of its Landroid robotic lawnmowers with a lawn edging function. However, this is not integrated in the Landroid S300 robotic lawnmower we recommend for small gardens.
- Price: The retail price for a robotic lawnmower often deviates significantly from the manufacturer’s recommended retail price. Especially the Chinese manufacturer Worx offers a very good price-performance ratio with its affordable models. Thanks to the long life cycles of the robotic lawn mower, older models can also be purchased cheaply. A good example is the GARDENA smart SILENO tested by Stiftung Warentest in our 2024 robotic lawnmower leaderboard.
- costs: As with a petrol lawnmower, the blades of a robotic lawnmower also have to be changed more often, which should not be forgotten before buying. For larger gardens this is e.g. B. necessary every one to three months, depending on wear. A pack with enough blades for a three-time complete change from the original manufacturer costs an average of 15 to 20 euros. However, the robotic lawnmower costs are quickly lower than with a petrol lawnmower.
Which is the best robotic lawn mower?
The best devices to which we made a recommendation in 2024 include:
- GARDENA SILENO city 250
- Worx Landroid S300 (WR130E)
- Worx Landroid M500 (WR141E)
- GARDENA SILENO city 500
- Yard Force SA500ECO
- Gardena 4069 R80Li
Gradients in percent correspond to how many degrees?
The gradient that the devices master is usually given in percent. For a better overview, we have converted the most important slopes of the garden robots into degrees:
- A 25 percent gradient corresponds to approximately 14 degrees
- A 35 percent gradient corresponds to approximately 19 degrees
- A 40 percent gradient corresponds to approximately 22 degrees
- A 45 percent gradient corresponds to approximately 24 degrees
- A 50 percent gradient corresponds to approximately 27 degrees
How does installing a robotic lawnmower work?
Most robotic lawnmowers work with a boundary wire that defines the work area like an electromagnetic fence. Except for the manufacturer HUSQVARNA, almost all manufacturers include sufficient installation material. HUSQVRANA relies on contractual partners for the installation.
The laying is not difficult, but it involves a one-time effort: a cable must be laid in the lawn and tapped with hooks in the lawn. Robotic lawnmowers without a perimeter wire are based on traditional above-ground “limiters” such as fences or tiles. Preparations are also necessary for these robotic lawnmowers, e.g. B. the attachment of decorative palisades as a stopper. In practice, however, the solutions with cables have prevailed.
The installation works as follows:
- Draw a layout plan for the boundary wire on paper. The perimeter wire must start at the charging station, enclose the lawn and lead back to the charging station. The wire must not cross or be interrupted.
- Set up the charging station and supply it with electricity
- Lay the perimeter wire according to the plan and tap it onto the lawn with a hook. Alternatively, the cable can also be laid underground. To do this, lightly prick the laying section with a spade, lay the wire in the gutter and then tap the earth over it with your shoe. We recommend laying below the turf, as this protects the cable better.
- For robotic lawnmowers with guide cables, also lay them. The guide cable divides the lawn area and is used by the robot to find the charging station. In some cases, as with GARDENA devices, it also guides the robot through narrow spaces in the garden.
- Place the robotic lawnmower in the charging station and charge the robot’s battery, then switch it on.
- Usually, the PIN code is now assigned to the robot first. The smart models also set up the app and connect to the gateway or the Internet.
Which gardens are robots suitable for?
Our large robotic lawnmower comparison shows that the right choice needs to be carefully considered. A good robot lawn mower costs a few hundred euros, so many garden owners have to ask whether the investment is really worthwhile. In our opinion, the answer is definitely “yes”. An automatic mower is a worthwhile investment for the following people:
- Robotic lawnmowers for people with pollen allergy: Allergies are becoming more common in the population. Garden owners who are allergic to grass pollen and who usually suffer from hay fever from the end of April to the beginning of October are particularly affected. A robotic lawnmower removes the annoying lawn mowing from this group of people with a petrol lawn mower.
- Robotic lawnmowers for the elderly: Mowing the lawn is often difficult for older people with joint and back problems, as this is not just a matter of making a move with the lawnmower, after which the grass clippings must be collected and disposed of with the rake. A robot lawn mower makes this work obsolete. It continuously mows the tips of the grass, which then sink between the blades of grass and act as fertilizer.
- Robotic lawnmowers for people with little free time: Lifetime is precious. In a fast-paced globalized economy, there is often little free time to spend on the terrace with family or friends rather than pushing a rattling petrol lawn mower through the garden in the summer heat. A lawn mower robot is the perfect solution for stressed garden owners.
- Robot lawn mowers for lawn lovers: When you think of the famous “English lawn”, you don’t think of perfectly evenly cut lawns where no mowing edges are visible. A robotic lawnmower makes this possible without great effort by continuously trimming the lawn to the desired lawn length.
What does a robotic lawnmower cost?
The manufacturers’ recommended retail price for the devices featured in our leaderboard starts at around 700 euros. Retailers sell the devices significantly cheaper, as our list of the best offers shows. If you want to buy a good robotic lawnmower, you should plan around 500 to 2,000 euros. There is good quality for this, as our 2024 best list shows. The limits are open upwards. HUSQVARNA sells its devices, for example, through specialist dealers who take over the installation. Due to the high UVPs, unfortunately no HUSQVARNA AUTOMOWER model made it into our comparison. Worth seeing: the all-wheel-drive model HUSQVARNA AUTOMOWER 435X AWD with swiveling rear for an MSRP of 4,999 euros.
How does a robotic lawnmower actually work?
Robotic lawnmowers are lawnmowers that maintain lawn areas fully automatically. The heart of the mowers presented in our robot lawn mower Review overview is the electric motor and battery that drives the electric lawn mower and the knife mechanism. Various sensors help the device to avoid obstacles and not leave the lawn area.
Differences between robotic lawnmowers and traditional lawnmowers
- Mowing pattern: The robotic lawnmower uses a random mowing pattern compared to the traditional lawnmower. In traditional lawnmowing, the person behind the lawnmower usually pulls one mowing path next to the other. It is important that there is no space between the mowing paths when the grass is mowing. A robotic lawnmower mows according to a free movement pattern. This means that as soon as it hits the boundary wire or an obstacle, it turns around at a certain angle, resulting in an overlapping random zigzag mowing pattern.
- Mowing time: A traditional lawnmower is mostly used when the grass has become “too long”. Then the excess length is cut off with a lawnmower, collected with a rake and disposed of in the compost heap. With the robotic lawnmower, collecting the grass clippings is not necessary. The robot continuously mows the renewable grass tips, the only millimeter long grass tips then fall to the ground between the blades of grass and sink into the ground. The user can specify at what times the robotic lawnmower should mow. Modern devices even create their mowing plans automatically.
What do robotic lawnmowers need a boundary wire and guide wire for?
Again and again the question arises, what is it with perimeter wire and guide cable? The answer ist quite easy:
The boundary wire fences the working area of the robotic lawnmower as well as obstacles. As with an electric train, the cable must form a closed loop that starts and ends at the charging station. It is therefore important to plan the routing of the cable on a paper before laying it. The move involves a bit of work, but also a nice weekend health home improvement project that is not really difficult. Once the robotic lawnmower is installed and in operation, it quickly makes up for the time invested.
A guide wire is usually nothing more than a boundary wire. It divides the garden into different sections for the robot. For example, when mowing from the east side to the west side, it hits the guide cable in the middle. If he now knows that his battery is low, he can find his way back to the charging station halfway along the guide cable. In addition, the subdivision with a guide cable helps to calculate more random mowing tracks, since it divides the garden into two sub-areas, so to speak
What should the garden look like for a robotic lawnmower without a boundary wire?
The garden for robotic lawnmowers without boundary wire should be enclosed by a fence so that the device cannot become independent and mows the neighboring garden. A decorative palisade can also serve as a border or, if a shrub or a flower bed is to be delimited, a broad strip of bark mulch. It is important that the robot can recognize where it should mow and where it should not.
Which sensors does a good robotic lawnmower actually need?
The minimum configuration of sensors that a robotic lawnmower should bring with them include:
- Collision sensor: If the robotic lawnmower encounters an obstacle, it turns and takes a different mowing path
- Lift sensor: Switches the mower off as soon as the robotic lawnmower is raised, thus avoiding injuries
- Inclination sensor / Tilt sensor: The tilt sensor, sometimes called the tilt sensor, helps to determine the angle of incline and thus prevents the robotic lawnmower from overturning on too steep an incline
Do you need an app control for a robotic lawnmower?
No. An app control for a robotic lawnmower is not absolutely necessary. The advantage is that it mows the lawn independently, even when you are not at health home. Nevertheless, an app control offers advantages: If you know, for example, that children are playing in the garden, you can conveniently switch the mower off in time using the app. Another application example: If you are at work and know that a storm or heavy rain is coming up, the device can be ordered into the charging station via the app. It is not for nothing that the smart SILENO city set has become one of the most popular robotic lawnmowers with app operation.
What happens to a lawnmower’s mowed grass?
In contrast to a traditional petrol-powered lawn mower, robotic lawnmowers do not have a grass catcher. This is due to the lawnmower robot’s continuous mowing. Before installation and commissioning, it is advisable to mow the lawn again in the traditional way and to manually dispose of the clippings. If the grass is already too high, this could overwhelm the robotic lawnmower.
If the mower is placed on a freshly mowed lawn when it is started for the first time, it can start working without any problems. If the grass grows above the set cutting height, the robotic lawnmower will cut it off as soon as it moves over it. The cutting height can be set in different steps, it typically ranges from around 30 to 60 mm. The tips of the grass fall to the ground and serve as mulch for the lawn. The clippings therefore provide it with nutrients. This increases lawn health and the lawn no longer needs to be fertilized. Another positive side effect is the increased protection against dehydration.
Is a robotic lawnmower protected against theft?
A robotic lawnmower costs a few hundred euros, which raises the question of whether the devices are protected against theft. The anti-theft protection of a robotic lawnmower is different. The following protection functions and sensors help to protect the robotic lawn mower from theft:
- PIN function: Like a smartphone, many robotic lawnmowers have a PIN function to unlock the robotic lawnmower. This is assigned by the user when the device is started up. If possible, the PIN function should not be publicly accessible.
- Tilt / lift sensor: Robotic lawnmowers equipped with a tilt sensor stop operating as soon as they are lifted or tilted. You then need to enter your PIN to restart.
- Alarm sound: Some robotic lawn mowers are also equipped with an alarm sound that is activated as soon as the robotic lawn mower is lifted while driving or leaves the mowing zone.
- GPS: Robotic lawnmowers with GPS give an alarm as soon as they leave the mowing zone and switch to lock mode. The GPS system also allows geo-tracking so that the robot can be found more quickly in the event of theft. Worx and some HUSQVARNA robotic lawn mowers can be retrofitted with a GPS module from the Worx range of accessories.
What are the advantages of robotic lawn mowers?
The biggest advantage of a robotic lawnmower is that it takes over the lawn care completely autonomously. Once the robot lawn mower has been set up, the owner doesn’t have to worry about anything for the rest of the gardening season. This also applies to charging the battery. In contrast to other technical devices, you do not have to manually connect the robot to the battery charger. The robotic lawnmower finds its way back to the battery charging station by itself and continues lawn care automatically as soon as the battery is recharged. Compared to lawnmowers that are still powered by gasoline engines, the environment also benefits from using an automatic mower, as it does not produce any emissions.
Neighbors will be happy about the enormous noise reduction, because the robotic lawnmowers work almost silently, in particular the GARDENA robotic lawnmowers in our review overview were able to distinguish themselves here with low noise levels below 60 dB (A). The garden robots can also do their work on Saturdays and Sundays as well as at lunchtime and in the evening without the garden owner having to expect nasty calls from his neighbors.
Owners of a robotic lawnmower can look forward to more free time, which means more time for family and friends. Instead of mowing the lawn yourself while sweating, turn on the gas grill and play a game of boccia with friends while the robot lawn mower quietly goes about its work.
Robotic lawn mowers that also have app control, such as the smart SILENO city Set from our overview, also offer their owners the option of controlling the robotic lawn mower remotely. If you are z. If, for example, you are still in the office and learn that a bad weather front is approaching at home, you can control the robotic lawnmower in the charging station using the app and interrupt the mowing process.
The robotic lawnmower advantages summarized at a glance:
- More time for friends and family
- Automatic lawn care for the perfect lawn
- The robotic lawnmower charges itself
- No more noise from neighbors
- No emissions compared to a petrol lawnmower
- Automatic mulching of the lawn through continuous recutting
- Convenient remote control via mobile phone app
What are the disadvantages of a robotic lawnmower?
When it comes to robotic lawn mowers, one shouldn’t hide the disadvantages. At least at the beginning, the devices require a more intensive study of the facility. So z. B. be careful about laying the boundary wire. Which places in the garden or obstacles should be excluded from the working area of the robotic lawnmower, e.g. B. Flower beds or sandboxes? In the planning phase, you still have to work with “paper and pencil”. The garden owner must then lay the boundary wire and set up the charging station for the robotic lawnmower in a place that is as protected as possible with access to a power supply. Overall, you should plan a good weekend or several days for the project. So if you don’t enjoy doing-it-yourself projects, you should use a specialist for the initial start-up.
For many, the second disadvantage is obvious: The relatively high costs and the additional costs that may arise for the installation by an expert. However, a robotic lawnmower should be seen as an investment. Although the acquisition costs of a robotic lawnmower seem very high, in our opinion the advantages outweigh this – especially when it comes to large areas. In addition, robotic lawnmowers are usually in use for several years, so that the costs – in relation to their useful life – are low.
Users should also not forget that after a long vacation the lawn has to be cut again with a conventional lawnmower if the robotic lawnmower was inactive during this time and the lawn has grown too high on the areas to be processed. The reason for this lies in the concept of continuous grass recutting already described, in which only the tips of the grass are mowed.
Another disadvantage of robotic lawnmowers is complicated gardens, which means lawns through which paths run or where there are narrow spaces. Many obstacles can also make the mower’s job difficult.
The robotic lawnmower disadvantages summarized at a glance:
- High installation effort for commissioning the robotic lawnmower
- Relatively high acquisition costs
- Traditional mowing is necessary after long breaks
- Post-processing may be necessary in complicated gardens
- How loud are robotic lawnmowers in practice?
Traditional robotic lawnmowers can usually not be ignored and anyone who lives in rural areas is also familiar with the critical look at the clock when the neighbour’s lawnmower motor can suddenly be heard outside. The electric motors of the robotic lawnmowers have a huge advantage here on their side. The volume of the robotic lawn mowers included in our overview is between 58 dB (A) of a SILENO city and 67 dB (A) of a Landroid S300 (WR130E). For comparison: the volume of a petrol lawnmower is around 90 dB (A) and above. According to experts, long-term exposure to the ear can cause hearing damage from a volume of around 85 dB. A volume of 60 dB, on the other hand, corresponds to the sound pressure of a TV at room volume at a distance of one meter.
If a robotic lawnmower approaches the 70 db (A) limit and the garden is in a densely populated area, garden owners should set the mowing times so that they are e.g. B. pause at night. Because especially in the summer months or in warmer weather, many house residents sleep at night with the windows open or tilted.
Can children and animals get injured on a robotic lawnmower?
It is the horror of parents and animal lovers: Cut off toes or paws when curious children or cats come into contact with the knife mechanism of a running robotic lawnmower. With most devices with the knife mechanism in the middle, the risk of injury is minimal, as the robots are often very low and react well to obstacles. A built-in lift or tilt sensor also automatically switches the robot off as soon as z. For example, a curious child tries to lift the robotic lawnmower to see what’s underneath.
It could be more problematic if the cutter mechanism is attached to the side so that it can cut as close as possible to the lawn edges. Incidentally, in the review of the robot lawn mower by Stiftung Warentest in issue 5-2018, all tested models were downgraded because they failed in the finger test, in which the testers simulated a lying child. Therefore, owners of a robotic lawnmower should make sure that the robotic lawnmower takes a break when there are children or small animals in the garden. If you have a lawnmower robot that can be controlled via smartphone, you can comfortably pause the robot from your armchair or order it back to the charging station.
How does a robotic lawn mower steer through the garden?
In addition to the boundary wire, which acts like an invisible fence on the robotic lawnmower, there is also a guide wire that marks the way to the charging station. This guide cable, which is also laid a few centimeters underground, serves as a guide system for the robot lawn mower. For example, if the robotic lawnmower detects that the battery is running out, it looks for the connection to the guide wire on the areas to be mowed and traces it back to the charging station. At the same time, the robotic lawnmower can follow the guide wire in tight spaces. This must then be done by the user. B. be laid as exactly as possible in the middle between two stones. Of course, the bottleneck must also be wide enough for the robotic lawnmower to pass through. Garden owners should consider such circumstances in the planning phase. If necessary, the garden design must also be adapted a little to the needs of the robot. In practice, however, this is less time-consuming than it sounds in theory. Who z. B. as a child who liked to tinker with an electric train or spent hours working on a construction kit, you will also enjoy installing the robotic lawnmower system in your own garden. Die-hard robotic lawnmower fans are expanding or working on their own robotic lawnmower system as a hobby.
Once the mower infrastructure has been set up, the robot mower controls itself on its own. Different processes are used depending on the manufacturer.
- GARDENA robotic lawnmowers: The SILENO and SILENO city models use a boundary and guide cable for orientation. The areas are mowed randomly.
- Worx Landroid robotic lawnmower: Manufacturer Worx has made its Landroid robotic lawnmowers of the 2019 generation WLAN and cloud-capable. Most models also use weather information to create the daily mowing plan and use AIA technology to control the areas to be worked: If the robot lawn mower detects an obstacle or a narrow point, it tries to stay in the forward direction instead of turning around, which is an efficient one Routing is permitted and the crossing of areas that have already been mown is prevented.
- YARD FORCE robotic lawnmowers: The YARD FORCE robotic lawnmowers also rely on the tried and tested guidance system via boundary and guide cables as well as changes of direction as soon as the robot hits an obstacle or reaches the boundary cable.
- HUSQVARNA, STIHL, VIKING, ROBOMOW robotic lawnmowers: The robotic lawnmowers from the manufacturers STIEHL, HUSQVARNA and ROBOMOW orient themselves on the boundary and guide wire and change direction as soon as the shock sensors register an obstacle or the boundary wire.
Does a robotic lawnmower need a rain sensor?
Many robotic lawn mowers have an integrated rain sensor, which ensures that the robotic lawn mower detects when it is raining and automatically withdraws to its charging station. The reason is to prevent water from penetrating the electronics and the high level of pollution that arises when garden owners let their robotic lawnmower mow wet grass. Anyone who has ever mowed damp grass with a gasoline-powered robotic lawnmower knows how quickly the blades and underbody of a lawnmower can stick to grass.
There are, however, exceptions: manufacturer GARDENA, for example, does without a rain sensor in its SILENO robots. The sophisticated design of the SILENO robotic lawnmower is practically insensitive to wet grass and dirt. Owners of a SILENO can clean the health robot mower simply by hosing it down with the garden hose. Nevertheless, a rain sensor has advantages, as it also protects the robot from severe storms, for example, by sending it back to the battery station in good time. Another plus point: less maintenance is required due to less pollution.
What garden sizes can robotic lawn mowers handle?
In theory, the working area of a robotic lawnmower is only limited by the boundary wire. The difference in the lawn to be tackled lies in the battery power. This is made up of the battery capacity of the robot lawn mower and the power of the battery charger. The larger the battery, the longer the robotic lawnmower can maintain the mowing process, but the performance of the charger is almost as important, because the faster it can charge the robotic lawnmower, the faster the robotic lawnmower is back on the lawn and can mow the grass.
However, you should note that the battery range always depends on the weather and the incline that the robotic lawnmower has to cope with during work. The greater the slope, the more energy is required. Weather conditions, such as mowing in the rain, also demand more energy from the robotic lawnmower. In general, the areas to be processed can be divided into small and medium-sized gardens up to around 500 square meters and large gardens from 500 to 1,000 square meters. When choosing the right robot, one should always consider whether it is a complex or less complex garden. If there are many obstacles, bumps and inclines in the lawn that the robot lawn mower has to cope with, garden owners should better choose the next stronger model. In our robotic lawnmower overview we have the respective garden sizes for which the corresponding robot is recommended in the table.
What precautions are necessary before mowing with the robotic lawnmower?
When taking precautions before using a robotic lawnmower, a distinction must be made between two different scenarios. On the one hand, the initial installation, in which the garden may have to be adapted a little to the infrastructure of the robotic lawnmower. This includes widening narrow spaces so that the robotic lawnmower can pass them or removing obstacles such as stone edges if paved paths lead through the garden. Is there a danger zone such as B. a garden pond, we recommend the attachment of an 8 to 10 cm high fence.
The second scenario concerns precautions before mowing with the robotic lawnmower after installation and during the current gardening season. Here you should z. B. from flat play equipment such as tennis or badminton rackets so that the robotic lawnmower does not run over them and damage them or take damage itself. After a storm you should check the areas that the robot travels for fallen branches or other objects and remove these obstacles if necessary. Above all, owners of a robot lawn mower should pay attention to flat and smaller objects that may not be detected by the robot lawn mower’s impact sensors (e.g. shovels or molds from a sandpit). In its Worx accessory program, Worx offers a sound sensor that detects and drives around objects without the robot having to come into contact with them. In our opinion, a useful accessory that also increases the safety of children and animals.
In the early years of the robotic lawnmower garden age, robotic lawnmowers with smartphone app control were still considered exceptional and exotic. With the smart SILENO city set, the garden robots became smart too. What makes the difference is a gateway that gardeners can use to connect the robot lawn mower to other smart garden tools such as an irrigation system. The control then takes place via a smartphone app.
The gardening professionals from Worx go one step further and have made all robot lawn mowers of the 2019 model generation WiFi and cloud-capable. Worx networks all of these robotic lawn mowers in the cloud and enriches the functions with an AI. This requests, for example, current weather data and automatically changes the current mowing program accordingly. Even voice control of the robotic lawn mower is possible, which should be particularly pleasing to users who have difficulty using the button controls and LCD display or who do not have a smartphone.
With or without smart functions. Robotic lawn mowers are designed to take care of lawn care autonomously. So if you don’t want an AI to create a plan of your own garden and send it to the cloud, you don’t have to do without a well-tended lawn even without WiFi. Smart home owners will probably prefer a smart robotic lawnmower like the Landroid S300.
Why do robotic lawnmowers mow smaller strips than petrol lawnmowers?
The average mowing width of a robotic lawnmower is around 20 cm (+/- 5 cm). The small working width of the robotic lawn mower is due to the power requirement and the motor volume. If the working width were larger, the robot would have to drive a heavier knife system, which in turn would increase the overall width of the robot lawn mower and thus its weight. All factors that come at the expense of the battery. In addition, due to its compact width, the motor must also be kept compact, which has a positive effect on the volume of the robotic lawnmower.
The working width is not the most important criterion for a robotic lawnmower because the robotic lawnmower is designed for continuous work. Gasoline lawnmowers, on the other hand, want to get there as quickly as possible, i.e. the user of a traditional lawnmower should be able to mow the lawn in a short time.
Is it necessary to manually rework the lawn with a robotic lawnmower?
Most robotic lawnmowers work very precisely. After the initial installation, the lawn should be optimally mowed after about two days, from which point the routine re-cut takes place. However, these devices also have their limits. These lie on the edges of the lawn and the edges of obstacles such as trees and correspond to the width between the outer housing of the robot and the cutting disc. These lawn edges must be reworked by hand if they interfere. On the other hand, a certain higher grass fence around obstacles or on the edge of the garden can also be visually appealing.
What happens to the robotic lawnmower in winter?
In winter, owners should keep their mowers and charging station in a dry and quiet place. This can e.g. B. the garage or the basement.
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