Are robotic and automowers good?
Are robotic lawnmowers and automowers good? To answer it definitely we will look at all the factors we should consider.
Wasted time mowing the lawn?
Mowing the lawn for many of us is an unwanted chore. This chore eats into our spare time. This time we would prefer to spend, enjoying our gardens with our families. Our lawns in Ireland and in other countries are larger than many of us need or like. Although in this many had no choice because of planning regulations. I accept for some people mowing the lawn is an enjoyable experience especially if they have time on their hand.
How much time?
For me in my garden I mulch the grass currently and when cutting starts fully in April I would need to cut the lawn at least every week between April & October. That is 30 to 35 cuts yearly. Each cuts takes 1.5 hours so a total time spent is 52.5 hours cutting. Now add time spent getting fuel and bringing the mower to be serviced. Now time spent on keeping the lawn is 60 hours per year approx. Wow that’s a lot of time when you break it down.
This time comes out of our spare or family time so there is a cost there also. The other point to note is that this time for most of us it has to be when we are not working our days jobs. So evenings & weekends. What happens (which it inevitably will in Ireland) if it rains when we need to mow? The job gets postponed. Squeezed in when we can putting us and our mowers under even more pressure, because the grass won’t stop growing and wait for us!
Bring in the robotic lawnmowers!
Robotic lawnmowers however are the answer to many of our problems. 10 years ago, the idea of these mowers seemed crazy but now they are commonplace. They are rapidly replacing the fuel burning ride-on mowers and push mowers. The technology is improving every year and these machines now really are the answer to many peoples headache of weekly mowing.
What are the benefits of a robotic lawnmowers?
- Time saving for the home owner. In my example above you can see the saving that there would be for me. Check your own time and think what would you do with that time?
- It will cut in even when raining the only advice is to not let it out when there are ponds on your lawn. They are very light so they will not compact the lawn.
- Robotic lawnmowers are more environmentally friendly than internal combustion engines. They run on rechargeable lithium ion batteries. So we are not burning fuel to maintain our lawn.
- The are virtually silent. You all know an annoying neighbour who start mowing just when you are planning to get your only lie on of the week.
- Money saving. Remember burning fuel costs money every time you mow. Fuel is also getting more expensive all the time. We also save on service costs. There are no fuel or oil filters to change. Robotic mowers have 30 or less parts. A ride-on can have up to 2500 so service costs are greatly reduced. Servicing a robotic mower really amounts to a clean and a blade change annually best done by a manufacturer’s main dealer.
- Now the horticulturist in me thinks about lawn quality. So what is the lawn quality like when using robotic mowers? Well the lawn quality is better. The best sports surfaces are mown continuously. Think golf greens, tennis court, soccer pitch etc. This cutting is done with extremely sharp blades. Only cutting a tiny amount each time, exactly what you get with a robotic mower.
I have some more questions?
People have many questions when purchasing an automatic mower.
- Are they safe for pets and children? Yes, perfectly safe. Built in sensors protect from any accident.
- Do people steal robotic lawnmowers? Yes. They are not stolen often anymore because they cannot be used in anybody else’s garden. Also, an app on your phone gets an alert if somebody tries to steal and it then finds it for you much like the find my phone app.
- How to I change the height setting and time of cutting? All from the app on your phone.
- Are they value for money? Everybody needs to do their own maths here but factoring in the lawnmower operator’s time, fuel, servicing and service costs I have found the savings to be substantial over time.
- Does it work in all gardens? yes, but if you have split areas of grass there need to be direct access between the two areas of at least 1mt wide. Also, if you are planning new areas in the garden or new flower beds best to wire around those at the start. Or the area can be re-wire when finalised.
- Do automowers damage trees? Large trees are picked up by the mowers sensors which divert the mower away. You should wire around small trees and saplings.
- Do robotic mowers cut at night? Automower’s cuts day and night. You set the timings on the app.
- Can a robotic mower pass over kerbs? No. Kerbs must dropped down to allow clear access between areas.
- What keeps the mower in my garden? These machines are set up in an area and work within simple guide wires set up around the perimeter of the lawn. They cut your lawn within these wires.
- Are the guide wires visible? No. Guide wires are buried underground and out of sight.
Robotic lawnmowers, the best brand?
I have no personal experience of using any of them. Having spoken to Andy Walsh after sales manager of Husqvarna Ireland about the Husqvarna Automower I believe this will be my choice when I get one. My reason for this is that they are the original robotic mover. In fact Husqvarna have been developing and improving them since 1998 and the innovation keeps improving. So Automower looks like the best robotic lawnmower available. If you want a full in depth run through the Automower range listen to a Master My Garden podcast with Andy, who knows robotic mowers inside out.
Conclusion:
So things considered, I believe a robotic mower is a superb choice. They give you back time valuable time and I can’t think of a better feeling than sitting in your garden with a beer and watching this little machine cutting your lawn to perfection.
Until the next time
Happy Gardening
John
