In this article I will explain exactly what robotic mowers are and why you need one in your life.
To put them into perspective, I’ll compare some of their features with those of the conventional mower (but if you want a more in-depth comparison of the two then read my Robotic Vs Manual Mower post).
With this newly found information you will realise just how much robotic mowers can actually benefit your life. Instead of making time to mow the lawn, that can be a strenuous and at times annoying task, you can relax, enjoy yourself and just get on with life.
A robotic mower really will make a huge difference to your lifestyle and your garden, so it’s about time you knew all about them. By reading on below you will familiarise yourself with the advantages of a robotic lawn mower.
What Is A Robotic Mower
A robotic mower is a self-propelled and independent lawn mower. It requires no input from you and drives around your lawn using a series of sensors, with a little help from a perimeter wire and state-of-the-art navigation technology.
It can also map out the size and shape of your lawn, so that no area of grass is left untouched. So that it keeps up this high standard for weeks, months and years to come, it has a built-in memory system to remember and plan the best route for your specific lawn. Who says that robotic mowers can’t learn?
Robotic mowers also don’t need you to set them on their way each mow. Instead all you need to do is setup the exact days and times you want them to work. This is done during the initial installation (right before the first mow). For most modern models you can program them, or make any changes you want i.e. cutting height, from the comfort of your sofa using a mobile phone app or, as some people may still prefer, use the control panel on top of the bot. Using the mobile phone app is a convenient feature especially during autumn, when the last thing you want on a freezing cold day is to play about with an even colder lawn mower.
However that is just a very simple introduction to what they can do. Below I’ll be going into much more detail on all their main features and exactly how they will benefit you.
Cutting Quality
OK so robotic mowers may be safe to use and due to their built in safety features such as PIN & Alarm System, lift and tilt sensors, alerts and notifications so they won’t get stolen, but can they actually do a better job compared to a standard push mower? Well, that’s a bit of a difficult question because it depends on the time frame you are looking at.
During The Short Term
Whereas the robotic mowers only take off the smallest of grass clippings. But don’t worry, this is not because it is faulty, in fact this is deliberate and I’ll explain why a little further on.
Now in terms of the final result from the first mow, you will probably find that the standard push mower will leave your garden looking less uneven compared to the robotic mower. So you could say that it does a better job (assuming you are very thorough with the mow), but only slightly.
However this is entirely dependent on you. If you aren’t any good at mowing, then you will struggle to maintain your lawn properly and this poor mowing will likely carry on for the following few months. So if you consider yourself a poor mower then you will probably prefer a robotic mower.
Over The Long Term
This is where the robotic mower takes over and begins to flourish. Over the next few months, even weeks, after you have installed the new robotic mower you will see significant differences in the quality of your lawn. It will begin to look much more even, greener and on the whole, just a lot healthier.
But how does it do this? I’m glad you asked – let me explain.
As I mentioned earlier, all robotic mowers only cut off tiny little grass clippings each mow. The reason for this is that these little clippings act as a mulch that fertilises your soil when they begin to decompose. Once cut, the grass is small enough to fall all the way down to the bottom of your soil allowing essential nutrients to be passed to the root system, which in turn improves the health of your grass. This results in much healthier, greener and fuller grass growth. Giving you a much better looking lawn.
There’s also a bonus. Because the grass clippings are so small, you don’t need to go and pick them up after every mow. In fact you won’t even see them. Many people think that they will stick to their shoes and feet, this is not the case. All you will need to do is sit back and enjoy the free natural fertiliser do its thing.
The same, however, cannot be said for standard push mowers. Because you’ll only be mowing about once every week, the grass with be left to grow much longer than it would with the robotic mower, then in order to get it back to the length you want, you have to cut much longer grass clippings. Remember it is not recommended to cut more than 1/3 of the total length of the blade, as this could lead to poor grass quality, disease and bold patches.
Of course, this could leave your lawn looking a little more rugged than you’d like. It is not very desirable and possibly a good reason why the robotic mower is a better option for you compared to a standard push mower.
Please do remember that cordless and electric push mowers can also be purchased with a mulching plug, if required. Of course they do an amazing job, however the main difference still remains in terms of the frequency of mowing i.e. weekly vs daily and its benefits we already discussed.
The Best Way To Think
I hope this is obvious by now, but you’ll only see the true potential of the robotic mower over the longer term. So don’t expect your garden to look like a golf course in a week (although give it a couple of months and you’ll be pretty close). It’ll take some patience, but it’ll be well worth it.
The results these robotic mowers produce will be far superior compared to anything you’ll be able to do yourself. But don’t take this to heart, they’re just that good.
A robotic mower will keep up the same standard throughout all the years to come with almost no effort from you. No matter rain or shine, they’ll just keep on mowing 24/7 or whatever you program them to do. Some people want them to cut at night only, so during the day they have the lawn all to themselves.
Best Selling Robotic Mowers
Last update on 2023-12-05 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Physical Effort (Or Lack Of)
Probably the most valuable benefit of a robotic mower is that it completely removes the physical act of manual mowing. If you are beginning to struggle with maintaining the lawn by yourself, you’ll love this. No longer will you have to drag out the normal mower from the shed or garage and push it along your garden. Instead just have a rest and relax.
Many people worry about the the initial installation and set up of a robotic mower. I can tell you that anyone with basic DIY skills will be able to run a perimeter wire around their lawn and any obstacles i.e. flower beds that they want the mower to avoid. The configuration can be done simply using a phone app or tablet or on the robotic mower panel itself, then simply press the GO button and you are ready to go.
The annual maintenance on a robotic mower is less compared to a petrol mower. Let’s not mention all the time you will be saving not mowing the lawn each week.
For anyone with physical disability or just a busy lifestyle, a robotic mower is the perfect option.
If you have a sloped lawn and are concerned that your robotic mower will not be able to deal with it, do not worry. All robotic mowers are able to deal with varying degrees of slopes, just make sure you check this prior to purchasing one. Some models also come with a 4 wheel drive.
Hay-fever suffers will also receive an added benefit. Robotic mowers can completely eliminate contact with grass clippings, meaning that they will no longer need to be put through the wars every time their garden needs to be tidied up.
With a robotic mower, once installed, you will have lots of additional time to do whatever is important to you, just remember that the robotic mower was responsible for it!
Mobile Phone Control (for iPhone & Android)
Even though this is more suited to those with busy lifestyles it can certainly be useful to everyone. It completely removes manual labour from gardening.
All you have to do is download the corresponding app and connect it to your robotic mower. You can then alter mowing times, cutting schedules and many other things. The mower will follow your instructions without any help from yourself. It will also send you stats and reports so you can see its progress. Some of the robotic mowers you can control like a toy car.
Some of the apps are more comprehensive than others, some are more focused on safety than others. With the built in GPS tracking system, if someone does manage to take your robotic mower, you can follow their every step. There’s also a SMS text alert system, which sends you a message if anything goes wrong.
Even if they are slightly different, they is no denying that this is brilliant technology that removes all the extra work from you. There is no need to work up a sweat, you can just sit back and watch Netflix whilst your robotic mower is working away!
Safety
Letting loose a little machine with spinning blades to drive around your garden independently can sound a little dangerous, especially if you have kids and pets.
Even though this is primarily to help navigation, it provides reassurance that you and your family are safe to use the garden while it’s at work.
If at any point you wanted to lift it up while it’s mowing (you know when you are showing off your brand new toy to friends), you can do so with complete confidence. Whenever the mower is lifted or tilted, its sensors will automatically turn off its blade, therefore you won’t get any nasty cuts to your hand or fingers.
As an extra precaution, the majority of mowers have been built with small blades that don’t even reach the edge of the base. So if the blades don’t stop, due to mechanical malfunction perhaps, they will still cause no threat. This is much safer than conventional mower with one huge blade.
Also, if anything does go wrong, all models have stop buttons on their control panel.
Also the majority of models will send you messages, alerts and notifications to warn you if someone is misusing them, or using them when they shouldn’t be.
Also it is down to you to program your mower, so for example if you have a party planned for Saturday, you can get the mower to mow in the evening or night time only on that day. You have full control.
So have no fear, the robotic mower is completely safe to roam around without your supervision.
Environment
Robotic mowers will cause a hell of a lot less pollution than the standard petrol mower. They are all electrically powered so don’t give off any nasty emissions. Unlike the petrol mower which probably does just about as much good for the environment as your car.
They are also very quiet, meaning you can put them to work whenever you want. Whether it be at night after you get home from work, on a Sunday morning before you wake up or even during the night. No matter when, a robotic mower will not be disturbing anybody while it works away. It will simply fit in to suit your lifestyle.
Also when you are away on holiday, the robotic mower can keep on working keeping your garden in pristine condition for when you return.
Theft Prevention
OK so robotic mowers can be quite expensive, so it’s understandable that you may be uncomfortable leaving it outside during the night. After all, you don’t want someone jumping over the fence and nicking your brand new robotic mower.
So it’s a good thing that they are all provided with PIN and alarm security systems. This does mean that you will have to punch in a code every time you want to re-program it, but as you will only have to do this a few times per year (i.e. during season changes), this shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience to prevent theft and make sure you sleep well at night.
You may be surprised to learn that many owners with robotic mowers want a garage for their precious gardening friend. You may want to know how this is possible as they have their own docking station for charging. It is simple, the docking station is within the garage providing protection from the rain, sun and frost for both the station and robotic mower.
It will keep up the same standard throughout the years to come, all with very little effort from you. No matter rain or shine, the robotic mower will keep mowing.
Great Looking Lawn With No Grass Clippings
As I said before robotic mowers are able to work on a daily basis to suit your schedule. This is not what you would be able to do or anyone else even if you paid them.
Robotic mowers will do exactly what you want them to do and when.
As they mulch the grass cuttings, cut very small pieces of grass that drop to the soil, providing valuable nutrients and moisture and acting as a natural fertiliser. Not only is this process free of charge but also more environmentally friendly, resulting is greener, thicker and healthier lawn for you and your family to enjoy.
Many people worry about grass clippings sticking to their shoes and being brought back to the house. Well this is not the case, definitely something you do not need to worry about.
Also many modern robotic mowers are highly customisable and can be extended with many add-on features to deal with future increased demands and more complex lawns (Voice Control, Off Limits, Anti-Collision System etc).
Conclusion
There you go, hopefully this article has highlighted everything you need to know about robotic mowers. Not only can they get you better results than the common mower, but they will do it completely on their own with no effort from yourself. They allow you to get on with the, perhaps, more important things in life and give you the much needed time off when you just aren’t feeling that great. They truly are the way to go in the future (the Scandinavian countries have discovered this many years ago).
Now that you have a good, although brief, understanding of a robotic lawn mowers ability, I think it’s time for you to move onto the next stage… learning exactly how they operate.
In all honesty I don’t think this stage is completely necessary, you could still find the perfect mower just on everything I’ve provided you above, I just think it’s best practice to do so. With what I’ve told you already, you won’t get to fully appreciate the potential and power of these products. That’s why it’s important to go in a little deeper.
So to continue on in a more effective manner, make sure you click on my article How Do Robotic Lawn Mowers Work. Here I go through the three main factors that contribute to robotic lawn mowers operation – the Navigation System, the Charging System and the Cutting System. In this article, I explain how all three work and why they are important, making it as easy as possible for you to understand.
If you have decided to purchase a robotic mower, below I have included the best mowers I have tested for small, medium and large gardens.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it and if you’ve got any questions then please leave them in the comments box below.
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.
Hello…
Fantastic site, I am looking to buy a cordless lawn mower and enjoyed reading the reviews. I noticed that you mention that regular lawn trimming is necessary on some of them. Are there any particular ones you can recommend for people like me who don’t manage to do it so often??? My grass is on bumpy terrain and its up to my ankle!!!
Hi Melanie
Thanks for your message.
Unfortunately with all robotic mowers there will be some trimming required around the edge of the lawn.
Some will claim they cut to the edge but there will always be some trimming to do close the the boundary fence or wall.
Many thanks
Mark
It is good to know that a robomower will not require us to drive it around but does it on its own using a series of sensors with help from a guide or perimeter wire and modern navigation technology. That is really a very good invention as you can still do other tasks while it is mowing the lawn by itself. Since that is what it can do, we’ll probably consider having one because we have a wide lawn that needs proper, regular mowing.
Hey Mark, this article saves me a lot of time in deciding what to go for. Call it premature but I was looking for a lawnmower for next year when I will move to a new place. The robot lawnmower is a real eye-opener. The technology is amazing and its concept appeals to me. Just imagine being away for a week or two and not having to worry if the garden will become a mini jungle.
Yeah Jude, they are fantastic machines and really worth some consideration if you’re planning on moving to a new place!
That’s so cool. I’m glad to see the safety feature, when I first realized what it was my mind immediately went to all the different horror movie scenarios that could relate to this product. In general this product looks awesome. I’d love to have one… I bet it would do a way better job on our lawn than the people we pay way too much to do it and I don’t actually know what we pay them, but I imagine this would pay for itself in only a few months.
Haha don’t worry Bear there won’t be any horror movie moments in your garden with one of these!
Yeah that’s totally right, as these are powered electrically you do save money over the long term compared to another petrol mower or someone you pay. Not only that but they will do a better job of it as well giving you great value for money.
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad to see your interest in the product, and considering how good of a job they do and that prices are coming down across the board, you’ll definitely want to buy one in the near future!
Good morning we are producer in Italy of garage and covers for robots Cutting unit skew send you our catalog
Our product has been tested and svilupatto for about 3 years
Also in collaboration with the tagliarba robot manufacturers
We are available for any information
special conditions for drop shipping
Hi Marco, just had a look at your site and your products look great – especially the Cube garage! At the moment I’m not interested in drop shipping but I’d be happy to give one of your products a review and post it here on the blog, and then of course link back to your site at the end, or to your dealers if you’d prefer.
If this sounds good to you then drop me an email at mark@easylawnmowing.co.uk and we can discuss the details.
Thanks for the comment and I hope to here from you soon!
Great site I really like the fact that you augment your content with video and you content was informative. Here in the US we don’t appear to have the selection of mowers you guys have there. Please take some time to run your site to Google PageSpeed Insights as it appears that you page loads a little slow and Google will rank you lower for non responsive (mobile) sites.
I would add more social links to the page. It also appears that you have from outgoing links on your page but be careful of outgoing links only to affiliate pages because google will penalize you for too may links to affiliate sites. So please add links to authority site and sites with high domain authority.
Thanks for the feedback Keith.
I’m make sure to check out Google PageSpeed Insights and make sure I don’t over use affiliate links.
Cheers :-)
I started researching these robotic lawn mowers after seeing one in my neighbor’s garden. What a huge time saver and sanity saver!
I’ve been fed up with pushing around my heavy old petrol mower and had no idea that there was an easier way! And from the looks of it, they are not so much more expensive than an ordinary mower.
It’s great to read that they actually do a good job rather than just being a ‘gimmick’ that ends up breaking down
Thanks for the great article!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it Clare!
If you really find manual mowing a real pain then these mowers will be perfect. And in terms of price, they actually are quite more expensive (which obviously deends on the type of mower). However when you look over the long term, as these robots are electrically powered they will save you money. So don’t be too put off by the buying price, just know they’ll be worth it – and not just for money.
Thanks for the comment and if you need any help finding a mower then just let me know ;-)
Hi, Mark. I must admit this is the first time I heard of robomowers. I usually hire someone to do this on a monthly basis (finding excuses like no time to mow the lawn myself etc.). So this may be another option that I can look at. I went through your list of affordable models and I have two questions:
1) Will it be durable enough to last for at least a year if I get it loose on my lawn (small plot – about 2,000sq. ft to mow) on a once a month basis?
2) When the contractor filled up the area with top soil, it wasn’t done properly and the lawn is not even – when you walk on it is like walking over a ‘foot reflexology path’. So with this uneven level, will this affordable model be able to ‘leveled itself’ and mow continuously and not stop, turn off its blade and recalculates’. If it does, it will be doing this most of the time due to the uneven surface.
Looking forward to your reply, Mark. Thanks.
Great questions there Mazlan.
These machines can most definitely last over a year. In fact they could last much longer than that and still mow your garden 4-5 times per week (which is recommended). This does rely on you maintaining them properly – like changes the blades and cleaning it regularly (monthly basis will be fine) – but this is not much trouble and will only take about 5 minutes.
And in terms of your garden, this shouldn’t be too much of a problem either. It will be very unlikely that your mower will get confused because of a couple of bumps so you’re all good there. However I do recommend you go for a Robomow model as they are equipped with a ‘floating deck’.
So unlike most models, their blades can move up and down. So it can reach the bottom of those little bumps in your garden without a problem.
I hope this helps and if you need anything else then please just ask!
Hey Mark, Just the other day a friend of mine told me about robot lawn mowers, so I had to do some research on my own and check these little buggers out for myself.
At first, I didn’t think a robot mower could mow a lawn as good as I do, yep I’m one of those finicky people when it comes to my lawn, I mean I’m always looking for ways to improve my lawn from year to year. And I never get tired of mowing, now that I’m retired, and of course I do get a winter break, so I’m good and ready for spring to come around and start all over again.
I also never use a catcher and with a good mulcher there is little clippings left, and you’re right about the clippings helping the lawn to be healthier.
So after reading your article here, I can see where these robot mowers could actually do a better job on the lawn than I do, with them only cutting a small amount off the top with razor sharp blades that would help give the lawn a better-looking cut, and the lawn would always have that fresh looking mow job.
You have done a very thorough job here on covering everything one should need to know about these. But I don’t think I’m ready to give up on mowing the lawn just yet, but maybe one day of I will let a robot cut my lawn for me knowing it will do a fabulous job for me.
I’m glad I caught your article here, great job,
Kim
Yeah Kim I get you. Most people will take pride and joy from maintaining their garden themselves and treat it like a hobby. Which is a great thing and I totally understand.
I just think these particular products are meant for those who either struggle with maintaining the lawn, don’t have the time or (like me!) can’t be bothered. So you probably don’t come under that bracket but maybe keep these products in the back of your mind for the future!
I really apprectiate you taking the time to read the article and I love that you’re happy with it.
Thanks again,
Mark