Summary
The Flymo EasiLife 500 is a robotic mower built in the UK and designed for lawns up to 500m². It has a cutting width of 16cm, height adjustment from 20mm to 50mm, has 3 good quality pivoting razor blades for a precise and clean cut. The Flymo EasiLife 500 has an onboard keypad and LCD display and can also be controlled via the a smartphone app. This robotic mower comes supplied with a charging station, 150m of boundary wire and 200 pegs.
The EasiLife 500 robotic lawn mower will cut 500 square metres of grass with complete autonomy. A trilogy of small blades cut through grass with great precision, and the various on-board sensors keep the machine safe.
Specifications
- Rating: 9.5/10
- Lawn Coverage: 500m²
- Cutting Width: 16cm
- Height of Cut: 20mm to 50mm
- Noise Level: 58 dB
- Max Incline: ± 35% (19.3°)
- Mowing Time: 65 minutes
- Charging Time: 60 minutes
- Voice Service: None— Bluetooth connectivity to the EasiLife App
- Weight: 7.3 kg
- Number of Accessories Available: 4
Main Features
- Quiet Mowing
- 18 V Lithium-Ion Battery — 2.0 Ah
- Bluetooth Compatible
- Flymo Mobile App
- LawnSense and FrostSense for optimised cutting schedule to the weather and lawn growth conditions
- Anti-theft, PIN-Code and Alarm
- Adjustable Cutting Heights: 20mm to 50mm
- Smart Dock for Self-Charging
- Dual Area and Spot-Cut Functions
- 3 Pivoting Blades
- Small and Lightweight
- 2-Year Warranty
- Collision Sensors
- Weather Sensors
- Border Wires
- 4 Option Extras
Optional Extras
- Docking Cowling
- Wheel cleaning brushes
- Cable connector box
- Blade Set
The EasiLife 500 relies on a range of sensors to run around a lawn and keep the operation safe. This unit comes with a roll of wire that acts as an invisible radio boundary around the limits of the lawn. First-time owners will need to install this wire with the grass staples supplied.
Dual zones and no-go areas can be set up around your property, but you need to use the same loop of wire to make the perimeter. There are also sensors to adjust for changes in the weather, collision sensors that instruct the machine to turn around, and tilt sensors.
Power System
Flymo EasiLife robotic mowers use the same 18V 2.0 Ah battery across their range. These are lithium-ion batteries, which last around an hour of run-time and take about the same amount of time to recharge.
Lithium-ion batteries do have a maximum limit to the amount of times they can be charged. However, you should get several years of use, depending on your schedule, before the battery needs replacing. But when the cells come to the end of their lives, EasiLife batteries are readily available and easy to change.
Charging Station
A charging dock comes with the EasiLife 500. This dock sits on the lawn as a place for the mower to park, recharge, and also sends the boundary signal around the loop wire for the mower to follow. The dock needs to be either near the home or near an outdoor socket to power it.
Flymo also sells a dock- roof to keep the mower and dock clean and dry when bad weather rolls in. The dock and the mower pair with each other, to make the robotic mower unusable in someone else’s dock, if they chose to steal it. This is additional safety feature.
Blade
The blades are steel and considered a consumable. There are three blades, and all three are pivot mounted to prevent damage to them if they happen to hit an obstacle. Flymo sells these blades as a set of three, but you can find them as larger and less-expensive packs from third-party manufacturers.
Height Adjustment
The cutting height is simple to adjust on the EasiLife 500, with a small dial on the top of the machine, near the control pad. This dial offers heights from 2cm to 5cm — you cannot change the height with the EasiLife App.
Flymo EasiLife 500 Video
To give you a visual representation of this Flymo EasiLife 500, please see the video below.
Mowing Features
LawnSense
This is one of Flymo’s many smart technologies, which aims to preserve the machinery and to give you the best lawn. The program calculates the best times and duration to mow the lawn. LawnSense gives the grass time to recover from earlier cuts and allows the mulched grass to fertilize the lawn.
FrostSense
Cold air, and in particular frost, can take a large toll on plants. And cutting grass in freezing conditions can have a lasting negative effect on the performance of your lawn. FrostSense adjusts the scheduling of the mower and pauses mowing if the temperature goes below 5o C.
Spot Cut
Flymo have include a feature they call Spot Cut, where the user can lift the mower to an area that needs more attention and then choose this mode. Spot cutting directs the mower to move in a spiral pattern out from the overgrown spot before it reverts to normal mode.
Override
The weather may have changed for the better after a week of heavy rain — and now the grass is getting out of control. The Override option tells the mower to ignore scheduled commands and to start mowing the lawn.
Second Area
Many lawns have small islands of trees or planters and even ponds dividing the lawn. The wire loop can be set to go around all these obstacles. Second Area — tells the mower that it will be mowing, without being able to get back to its charging dock.
When the mower finishes the Second Area, it will signal the owner with an alarm to say that it needs help to get back to the dock.
Park
This function is on the EasiLife App and instructs the mower to ignore the scheduling and go back to base. This may be useful if you have children or pets that want to go onto the lawn to play. This puts the machine into standby of up to 12 hours on a 500-square-meter lawn.
Mulching
EasiLife 500 has mulching mowers; they do not collect clippings, nor do they have side chutes where you would have to rake up the clippings later. The idea is that you can fertilize the lawn with the grass clippings and reduce the amount of fertiliser you use. Win/win situation.
There are many benefits to mulching, please see my article on the benefits of mulching on the link below.
The Benefits of Mulching Lawn Mowers
One of the benefits of a random path mower is that it will return to an area and continue to mulch the clippings on each pass.
Rain Sensor
The mower is waterproof and will cope with light-spray from a hose or the rain, as will the dock. Mowing in the rain is bad for the lawn — the blade may begin to pull clumps of grass out.
Wet grass will also stick to the underside of the machine and may stop it from working. A rain sensor via the LawnSense facility tells the mower to ignore all programmed commands and return to base until the grass has had time to dry.
Flymo EasiLife App & Installation
Flymo has developed a smartphone App, which is downloadable from Google Play. This App is a quick and easy way to set up schedules — and to see manuals and the status of the mower. The user can also program a mowing schedule or choose to send the mower back to the dock.
Control Panel & Setup
After the installation of the EasiLife App on your smartphone, there are some simple procedures to follow to get the hardware up and running:
- Plan and place the charging dock near a place where you can give it power, and where it will not get in the way.
- The dock needs to be at an angle to the grass boundary opposing it.
- Using the supplied wire, a continuous loop needs to run the border of the lawn— at least 25 centimetres from the border’s edge.
- This wire must form a loop around the lawn and back to the dock. The installer must use the same wire if they want to create dual lawn zones.
- The mower also needs a single guidewire, which leads into the centre of the lawn, for the mower to trace back to the dock.
- Program the mower with a schedule and activate the Bluetooth connection to your phone.
These instructions help users to reach the basic level of mowing. There are more in-depth settings in the user manual.
Below is a video showing the setup process of this Flymo EasiLife 500.
Safety Features
The EasiLife 500 has standard safety features to prevent accidents and to protect the machine from theft.
Lift & Tilt Sensors
These sensors help to make the mower safer when left unattended. If the mower hits an obstacle that lifts one or all the wheels from the lawn, the sensor signals the motors to stop. The motors will also stop if the mower goes beyond its 35% (19.3°) incline limit.
PIN & Alarm System
If someone lifts the mower, an alarm will sound; this is to prevent someone else from programming the mower and to deter theft. The owner needs to enter the PIN-code to stop the alarm from sounding.
Entering the wrong PIN-code 5 times in a row will block the panel. To unblock the control panel, you will need assistance from a Flymo technician.
Lawn Mower Garage
Whilst your robotic mower is completely fine working in the sun and rain, you do have the option to build or purchase a lawn mower garage. If you are not building one yourself, then there are many different designs and options available. Most robotic mower manufacturers will have a dedicated docking station roof, that will provide some protection from the rain and sun, however you can take it one step further and have a completely bespoke design. To see what can be achieved see my article Top 9 Best Robotic Lawn Mower Garage Ideas.
Warranty
There is a 2-year warranty on all EasiLife robot mowers. This warranty covers all issues, with exceptions such as using third-party mowing blades.
Flymo EasiLife Comparison Table
Last update on 2024-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Flymo EasiLife 500 Operations Manual
Click here to access the Flymo EasiLife 500 Operations Manual.
What’s Included in the Box?
- Flymo EasiLife 500
- Charging Station + Lawn Screws
- Waterproof Power Supply + Low Voltage Cable
- 150 Metres of Loop Wire
- 200 staples for the Loop Wire
- Connectors for the Loop Wire
- User Manual
Pros and Cons
Conclusion
The EasiLife 500 is for those who have busy lifestyles or lack the physical ability to push a mower around. This is a quiet machine, so you can sit, talk, and watch the mower run around without having to shout.
It is also good that Flymo has started you off with everything you need to get the machine up and running. The battery seems small, considering the size and the price. But this machine will charge fast and will keep coming back to finish the job, regardless of how long it takes.
This Flymo EasiLife 500 will not cut completely to the edge (only the bigger brothers have this functionality). To achieve a complete cut to edge, you are going to periodically need to trim your edges. To do this you will need to use the Best Cordless Grass Trimmer to suit you and your lawn’s requirements.
You be asking what is the difference between the Flymo EasiLife 350 and the Flymo EasiLife 500. They are identical robotic mowers in terms of size, battery, features, functions, number of pegs and boundary wire, however the 350 is for lawns up to 350m² and the 500 is for lawn up to 500m². So how is this possible, I hear many of you asking? It’s all down to how the robotic mower is programmed and software limitations. The Flymo EasiLife 350 will mow for up to 7.5 hours per day and the Flymo EasiLife 500 will mow for up to 11 hours per day allowing it to cover more lawn area.
Should You Buy This Model?
There are not enough reasons to justify paying the difference between this machine and the EasiLife 350 or even the EasiLife 200. You get some more grass staples to hold the boundary wire in place and the machine will cut up to 500 m squared. The limit of the EasiLife 350 is 350 m2, and the limit of the EasiLife 200 is 200 m2.
These limitations seem to exist as software fixes — since the owner needs to put the lawn area calculation into the EasiLife App. If you have the choice in terms of the size of your lawn, in my opinion it would be better to save your hard earned money and purchase the EasiLife 200.
Where Should I Purchase This Flymo EasiLife 500?
Hopefully this review has made it clear to whether or not you should purchase this Flymo EasiLife 500 model. If you consider everything I’ve talked about then I’m sure you will make the right decision.
Amazon have the best prices that are difficult to match and probably the most reliable delivery system on the web with easy returns.
- Utilises a 18 V battery so it can tackle your lawn with ease
- A 16 cm cutting width and 20-50 mm cutting height ensures a neat and tidy finish to your lawn
- Self-mulching, this lawn mower drops your grass clippings back into the lawn - acting as a natural fertiliser for a healthier, greener lawn
- Cover the garden without the restriction of a power cord, for ideal freedom and flexibility
- Utilises an irregular mowing pattern to ensure full coverage of any garden shape
Last update on 2024-10-13 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Other Flymo EasiLife Robotic Mowers
Not sure if this Flymo robotic mower is for you?
Here are reviews for the other new Flymo robotic lawn mowers.
Flymo EasiLife 500 FAQs
How much boundary wire comes with the Flymo EasiLife 500 Robotic Lawn Mower?
200m
What is the maximum slope gradient this Flymo EasiLife 500 Robotic Lawn Mower can work with?
35% (19.3°)
Where do all the grass clippings go?
The grass clippings are mulched and are small enough to fall down to the soil. This process naturally fertilises your lawn making it more healthy and greener.
How does the EasiLife 500 charge itself?
The Flymo EasiLife 500 will automatically return to the charging station when the battery is getting low. Once recharged the mower will automatically start mowing again.
Is the Flymo EasiLife 500 safe around children and pets?
Yes, this robotic has a range of safety features such as tilt and lift sensors that make this mower safe.
As a seasoned expert in the field of garden power tools, I have dedicated over a decade to working with and reviewing a wide variety of lawn mowers. My extensive experience has allowed me to gain a deep understanding of the benefits and limitations of different types of mowers and garden tools.
Over the years, I have honed my skills in writing informative articles and creating helpful videos for various blogs and publications. This has given me the ability to not only recognise what makes a good lawn mower, but also to help you choose the perfect garden tool for your specific needs and requirements.
With my wealth of knowledge and expertise, I am confident that I can provide you with valuable insights and recommendations when it comes to selecting the right lawn mower for your lawn. So, whether you're looking for a battery cordless, electric, petrol, or robotic mower, you can trust in my expertise to guide you towards the best option for your garden.
So you say that the EasiLife 200/350/500 are the same physically, just the software that controls the cuttable area is different via the number of daily operating hours. Is there a way to change the software?
Hi Brian, as far as I know there is no way to change the software. Also please note that the boundary wire and pegs vary depending on the model number.
The 500 is currently on special offer and therefore cheaper than the smaller 350.
Kind regards
Mark