Everything I Learned From Testing Several Robotic Lawn Mowers
I’ve been doing an experiment for the past six weeks. Twice a week at 5:00 p.m., each house on the block has its own robotic lawnmower, which begins mowing the yard, just as everyone in the neighborhood heads out for their nightly walk. My neighbors’ willingness to lend me their lawns was a great opportunity to test different robots on different lawns, but it also became an amazing social experiment in learning how people feel about robots. Most people were fascinated, stopping to watch the robots at work and asking questions, gathering in small groups to chat on the corner. But they also caused consternation in the Nextdoor threads—several people expressed disapproval of the bots, saying they thought they were elitist and a waste of money, and in some cases were willing to tell my neighbors so directly. However, I am impressed by how robotic lawn mowers have brought my neighborhood together. It’s not just that the spectacle of robots has gotten people interacting with each other both in person and online, but by using robots on more than one lawn, I’ve found that a robotic lawnmower can be shared with neighbors. Here are a few more observations that I realized.
Remote control is very important
Robotic lawnmowers define boundaries in a variety of ways. Some require a boundary wire around the mowing area, and even some cordless lawn mowers still require physical RFID tags (a common tracking system that works similar to Apple AirTags) that you scan into the app, place around the yard as landmarks or to create a “no ” Go zones. While physical markers may be the most accurate way to identify mapped areas, according to Scott Porteous, robotics product manager at Husqvarna (one of the oldest lawn mowing companies), I would add that they also require a lot of work. install. Wireless lawn mowers that use GPS are simpler and only require you to guide the robot around the edge of your property once using the app’s remote control feature; the robot then locates the interior of that space. You can also use the remote control to move the robot if you need to later, either to new locations or if it gets stuck. If I were shopping for a robotic lawnmower tomorrow, regardless of price, I would look for one that uses this method of setting without any physical markers.
Additional anti-theft tactics must be used.
For the first few weeks, I watched the mowers during each run, ensuring they returned to their docks—I was concerned that the light on each robot acted as a beacon at night. They each had stickers that I made explaining that once they left the area they would be useless. I had what I thought was the anti-theft feature enabled on all my lawn mowers: I enabled the feature in every app and even sometimes received a false alert that the Navimow across the street had gone beyond its boundaries. But I looked out the window and clearly saw him in the garage, freezing while charging. Over time I relaxed. After all, these aren’t toy cars—they’re big, heavy, and sitting on someone’s lawn. Then Lyuba 2 disappeared. Someone swiped it like it was a morning mowing, right off my neighbor’s lawn, and I didn’t get any notification and no camera caught it.
This is how I came to understand the fallacy of the anti-theft functions. While robots usually stop working when they leave an area, it appears that GPS does too. Most robots allow you to install a 4G card, but the reason for this was not well explained in the instructions: it is seen as a way to simply extend the signal in case the Wi-Fi in your area does not work. However, it turns out that the only way robots can communicate outside of property is through LTE; without this you will not be able to find them. (It turns out that many people place an Apple AirTag in the robot to help find it.)
Once we realized Lyuba 2 was missing, I opened the app expecting to get GPS data on where she was, but the app still thought she was in the neighborhood. Mammotion technical support was not very helpful either in understanding the need to act quickly or in finding a robot. So, if you are considering purchasing a robot for your front lawn, take as many extra safety precautions as possible. To get started, install a camera that covers the entire area, as well as a tracking tag – and just in case, install a 4G card. I’d even test the anti-theft protection by picking up the bot and taking it overseas, making sure you get notifications and everything is set up correctly. Additionally, many people attach their robot to a location other than the front of the house, such as the garage or behind the house. You may have to be sure to open the garage or gate for the robot when it gets to work, which means it’s less autonomous but probably safer. Considering the investment, you may also want to consider adding your robot to your homeowners or renters insurance policy.
Robotic lawn mowers work best on simple lawns.
While some bots, like Luba 2 , are excellent at climbing hills or obstacles, and some, like Navimow , can include a pin, robotic lawnmowers really need a flat, level area to operate on. The fewer obstacles the better, especially small obstacles such as lights, flagpoles or shepherd’s hooks that require the mower to navigate around a small footprint. Smaller mowers struggle with dips and hills. Chances are, you’ll spend at least a little time tidying up your yard to make your robotic lawnmower work more efficiently, whether that means leveling it, giving your flower beds more recognizable boundaries, or removing small obstacles like bird feeder posts. The more open space you have for your robotic lawnmower to operate, the more efficient it will be.
If you need lawn paths, buy a heavier lawn mower.
Interestingly, for many people, one of the most valuable aspects of mowing the lawn is the stripes it leaves behind on the lawn. Heavier mowers leave a mark regardless of what powers them, so small, lightweight robots are less likely to leave a mark, unlike heavier robots like Luba. However, due to the weight, none of the robots will leave the same impression as a lawnmower or even a lawnmower.
I’ve never enjoyed mowing the lawn, so making this chore easier with a robot was great for me. But choosing the right robot to make your yard more lawnmower-friendly is important, and you need to make sure it’s less accessible to potential thieves. However, I’m excited about how these robots will evolve over the next few years, just like robot vacuum cleaners, and I’m glad mine gets the job done so I don’t have to.