Let’s be honest: mowing the lawn isn’t a chore that most of us get excited about. All of that time in whatever weather, the time that could be better spent with family, and lost energy from so much physical effort.
You might be wondering if it’s worth it to put a robotic lawn mower on the task.
But you might have some questions, like:
- Isn’t the technology too new?
- Aren’t they super expensive?
- How well do they actually work?
Today, we’re going to help you figure out whether or not a robotic lawn mower is worth it for you.
PROS
Your lawn will be Healthier
After using a robotic lawn mower for a couple months, you’ll notice your lawn is healthier than your neighbor’s.
When you use a traditional lawn mower, you don’t mow the lawn as frequently as you would with a robotic lawn mower, creating more stress when you DO go to mow. You might end up trimming too short, and leaving lumps of clippings on the lawn.
In fact, Super-Sod shows some clear differences between grass cut by robotic vs traditional lawn mowers.
Robotic lawn mowers are simply better for the health of your lawn. Since robotic mowers mow the lawn more often, they do a gentler job. Plus, you increase natural soil fertilization, as robotic mowers produce “micro-clippings” (so small that the human eye cannot see them) that disperse across the grass and fertilize the lawn.
A Wired review said it best, ““After the first week, my lawn looked OK. After two weeks, it looked much better. After a month, it looked fantastic.”
Robotic mowers are Eco-friendly
Traditional lawn mowers have a bit of a negative impact on the environment. In fact, they account for around five percent of air pollution in this country.
With robotic lawn mowers, it’s all electrically powered. That means no more gas emissions. Being purely battery-powered, you’d be doing not just your lawn, but the air a huge favor.
they Save Time and Money
The technology in robotic lawn mowers has greatly evolved over the last two decades. We’re at the point where you can command your mower from the comfort of your couch.
The most time-consuming aspect of owning a robotic mower is the initial setup. You need to lay perimeter wire to provide the mower clear mowing areas.
While that may take a few hours depending on the size of your lawn, you do it once and won’t have to redo it again. Alternatively, you could have our Autmow professionals install for you.
Once the perimeter is set up, the mower does its thing. Once it’s set up, you’ll save money you otherwise would have spent on a landscaping company. As Gardenista puts it, “If you’ve been paying landscapers to keep your lawn looking like an emerald carpet, you’ll realize significant savings in a year or two.”
At a full charge, your robotic mower will continuously mow your lawn for at least an hour straight, depending on the battery size. When its battery starts getting low, it guides itself to its docking station to charge.
The most effort you’d have to do is flip it over if it gets stuck somehow, or spray water on the blades to clean it. Super simple and time-effective.
What’s even better is that while robotic mowers have a higher upfront cost, the return on investment and savings on maintenance are drastically higher. Matthias of Robolever has a chart outlining the significant overall cost difference between a robotic vs gas-powered lawn mower.
They’re significantly Safer
Your robotic lawn mower could run into a cat, a dog, a toddler — and still not hurt anything. That’s how safe they are.
They also have numerous sensors. Some include collision detection to prevent hitting obstacles and blade switch-offs when someone or something gets too close or the mower is lifted.
With a traditional mower, the blades run at much more dangerous speeds. And they don’t automatically shut off in critical situations. That leaves a higher risk for injuries to you or kids that are playing around.
In contrast, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, “Lawn mower-related injuries can be devastating. They can result in serious injuries, amputations or even death. Common lawn mower-related injuries are deep cuts; loss of fingers, hands, toes, or feet; broken and dislocated bones; burns; eye injuries; soft tissue damage; and sprains or strains.” Every year, approximately 6,400 people end up in emergency rooms every year because of their traditional lawn mower.
With a robotic lawn mower, you don’t have to worry about this anymore.
You have Various Options to Choose From
No two lawns are exactly the same. Some are small in an urban area, some are huge in a rural area, and many are uneven. Regardless of what kind of lawn you have, there is a robotic mower that can handle the job.
If you have slopes in your yard, you’ll want to look for mowers that have good traction or all-wheel-drive. Robotic mowers with these features often can cover slopes between 20 to 40 degrees. They’ll also be useful for lawns that have a few dips in them.
If you have a medium-sized lawn with objects like trees or patio furniture, look for a mower with extra object sensors.
If you live somewhere where theft occurs, look for a mower with additional theft protection features. Some include GPS tracking, alarms, and passcodes to prevent use by someone else.
CONS
Yes, there are some downsides to robotic lawn mowers.
Cost Might be prohibitive
We’ve mentioned that robotic mowers have a fantastic return on investment in the long run compared to traditional mowers. The tradeoff are the higher upfront costs.
It’s rare to find a robotic lawn mower under $1,000 that meets your needs. There are some, such as most of Gardena’s lineup, but you might miss a feature you might really want. Many others have a starting price of around $2,000. Some may even cost thousands more than that.
You Might Miss Manually Mowing The Lawn
The objective of robotic lawn mowers is to give you an excellent-looking yard without any physical effort from you. That means no more exerting yourself in the harsh summer heat.
However, we understand that some like the bonus workout. All that hard work and sweat gives you the pride and satisfaction that you made the lawn look great all on your own.
No Stripes
One of the most aesthetically pleasing things about a freshly mowed lawn you’d miss is the stripes. Depending on how you manually mow, you can create artistic lawn stripes to make your lawn look cool for a few days.
Robotic mowers give an even cut all around the lawn. There are no stripes, just an entirely leveled trim. That could feel boring or unappealing to you.
Determine What Matters to You
Lawn care is hard work, and many people don’t enjoy it. It takes away precious time that could be spent elsewhere and leaves you feeling drained. But some may enjoy the satisfaction of keeping up a beautiful lawn.
Think about what you want and need with your lawn care chores and use this pro/con list to help you decide if robotic lawn mowers are worth it.
