Once a bit of a joke amongst gardeners and lawn enthusiasts, recent years have seen advancements in robot mower technology making them a more viable option for those wanting a less hands-on approach with garden maintenance.
If you don’t enjoy mowing the lawn or find it physically a challenge, the convenience alone may be a considerable advantage. Generally, they work by installing a boundary wire which marks out an electric perimeter to define the mowing area. They can be quite an expensive initial outlay, as basic models are around £400-500 and more advanced versions easily going over the £2000+ mark. We would also recommend getting professional assistance in installing and setting up the machine, though this does also come with additional expense. Given their expense, luckily most models have some form of anti-theft devices, including PIN code activation, alarms and GPS tracking. Most models have control panels to enable you to programme to mow to your exact specifications, with higher range models even having app connectivity to put control in the palm of your hand.
Robot mowers tend to work best on regular, flat and even lawns, unless you choose a four-wheel drive model which is suitable for banks. They take a little and often approach to cutting with most types programmed to come out 6 or 7 days per week to mow and keep your lawn looking beautiful, this creates very few noticeable grass clippings. This does mean initially the overall results are slower and less visible, as they may need to return to charge before the entire lawn has been mowed. Some will mow in random directions around the lawn to avoid any noticeable tracks or bending of the grass in certain directions whereas on others set mowing paths are followed. A little and often approach is beneficial for the overall health of the grass as it avoids stressing it.
Due to their compact size, most models mulch the clipping into very fine pieces and returns them to the lawn rather than collecting them. We don’t generally advise leaving clippings on the lawn, as if too much organic material is left to rot down, it may decompose slowly and increase risks of lawn disease. However, robot mowers are cutting frequently enough that only a very small amount of grass is cut and deposited on the lawn, which should break down quickly and provide valuable nutrients and moisture to the lawn.
Their smaller size does mean there is a compromise on power, and they won’t be able to handle larger pieces of lawn debris like twigs and stones, so you’ll have to keep an eye on the lawn and keep it relatively clear.
Summary
Robot mowers are a safe choice as you don’t have a power cable to worry about and models contain a variety of safety features to avoid collisions and automatically cut off power if lifted off the ground.
Pros
- Convenience, especially if you are not able bodied or a very busy person with no spare time to mow.
- Ensures regular cutting, beneficial for the health of the grass
- Most include safety and anti-theft features
- Improved battery life
- Keeps lawn healthy
Cons
- Quite expensive initial outlay
- Maintenance and repairs can also be expensive
- Less powerful
- Perimeter wires can be accidentally broken when aerating or doing other lawn maintenance.
- Most models not good on slopes or multiple lawns.
