The Next Generation of Robotic Lawn Mowers Will Do More Than Just Mow
The next batch of robotic lawnmowers will be able to do much more than just mow. I’ve had the pleasure of testing robotic lawnmowers for the past six months, and even in that short time I’ve seen innovation happen. (For example, Mammotion and Segway have finally implemented their lawn-printing capabilities.) I’m usually on the lookout for new models, and you know exactly what kind of nerd you are when giant yard robots with names like Mowrator get you excited.
First generation lawn robots are great for regular lawns.
For those of us with suburban or even city lawns, most robotic lawn mowers will do just fine. The good ones (and there are a lot of bad ones, it turns out) handle dips and turns in your lawn, aren’t bothered by a bump here and there, and can handle multiple areas of your yard, even crossing paths and driveways. These robots use a variety of different methodologies, from LiDAR to RTK (various positioning technologies), but their goals are the same: cut down grass less than five inches or so to a level acceptable to the HOA, and do it reliably on schedule without you having to do it. the need to own or operate a conventional lawn mower. Beyond suburban lawns there are pastures that most lawn mowers can’t handle, and that’s where models like the Yarbo and the aforementioned Mowrator come to the rescue.
For larger lawns or overgrown areas, you will need a more powerful lawn mower.
These new robotic lawn mowers are beefier and more powerful, with the Mowrator weighing 120 pounds and the Yarbo weighing even more at 200 pounds. They’re significantly larger than even the Mammotion Luba 2 , the largest robotic lawn mower I’ve tested previously, and it weighs less than 40 pounds. You’re unlikely to use these larger models on a small area of your lawn – it’ll be like using a vacuum cleaner on a cloth. However, if there is overgrowth somewhere, from stubborn weeds to blackberry vines, these machines can eat them up more efficiently than a herd of goats, and they seem to do it quite easily.
Earlier this month, I took the Mowrator out into the field to do the only thing I could think of: mow crop circles in an empty field. I was shocked at how well it crossed the ground and how much fun it was. You don’t have to have pasture either. If you have a large lawn or anything over 4,000 square feet of land, I understand that it may make sense to upgrade to a larger model. However, the standard robotic lawn mowers that used to seem so advanced to me now seem a little plain to me. They’re just mowing.
The best new products for all seasons
These new, larger models come with some cool new features. The Mowrator automatically collects the grass clippings, tows them behind the mower, and then drops them wherever you want them. It also vacuums up leaves and even has a mulching attachment so you can completely wipe off the leaves before throwing them away. The Yarbo, a more traditional robotic lawn mower, isn’t content with being taken out of storage just for the summer—it can be turned into a leaf blower, snow blower, and snow blower (I actually need snow this winter so I can test it outside). What I’m most looking forward to, however, is driving the wagon to Yarbo and having the robot haul compost and mulch all over my yard instead of the Amanda-bot (who’s tired). Yarbo can tow 3,500 pounds and just “follow you.”
These Lawn Robots Create Accessibility
These new models of robotic lawn mowers point to the growing presence of robots in the yard, which helps with both labor and accessibility. More importantly, the cost of these robots (Mowrator starts at $3,000 and Yarbo at $3,500) can be spread across multiple homes (assuming you get along with your neighbors), which can help make them more affordable. While you might not want to clear the sidewalk of an entire block, you might not mind having the job done by a machine that creates accessible sidewalks and eliminates the need for labor for those who have difficulty doing so. Putting all that aside, these robotic lawnmowers are a lot of fun to use and make doing those chores seem a lot less disgusting.