Robotic lawn mowers are changing the lawn care game. It makes the lives of homeowners and landscaping professionals so much easier. For a decent investment upfront, you gain so much time back and save money in the long run.
These time savers have been thriving in Europe, especially Western Europe. And there’s no signs of slowing down. The market for robotic lawn mowers in Europe is set to reach the USD equivalent of $1.25 billion dollars by 2027.
So why aren’t they super popular in the U.S.? Continue reading and you’ll see why.
They’re Pricier Than The Push Mower At Home Depot.
One of the first things that steer people away from robotic lawn mowers is the price tag being higher than traditional lawn mowers.
Prices for the cheapest lawn mower start at around the mid $600s. The amount of coverage you’d get for that price is enough for a small urban yard. For larger yards, you’d easily have to pay well over $1,000.
The average reel mower and gas-powered mower would cost around $100 and $300, respectively. And these mowers can handle most lawn sizes.
While that may strike fear into people’s bank accounts, they fail to realize that the high price of a robotic lawn mower is an investment. The costs to recharge these mowers are far cheaper than it is to refuel traditional mowers.
With traditional mowers, you have to consistently buy fuel for them. As gas prices fluctuate, so will the budget for refueling. Robotic mowers hardly make a dent in your electricity bill annually; on average, you’d spend $20 a year recharging robotic mowers.
Additionally, every few years, you’d have to spend a little bit extra on replacement batteries due to wear and tear. But in the long run, you see significant savings in your lawn care budget.
Even better, you gain back your time. All of that time and energy lost (and tiredness gained) operating regular mowers is gained back right away with robot mowers.
The Installation Process
A common concern with robotic mowers is if they’ll venture away from your lawn. This is possible, but that’s why manufacturers include perimeter wire in the box. These wires set up the boundary for the mower to operate. Once the mower senses the wire, it’ll change direction so that it stays within your yard without venturing on its own.
However, installing the wire is a pain. If you have a large yard, you could spend a good afternoon installing all of the wire. Even worse, if there are a lot of obstacles on your lawn like trees, flower beds, bushes, or furniture, you’d have to accommodate for all of that.
That’s why having an expert install the mower for you might be ideal. Autmow has certified installers qualified to set up your robotic mower to save you even more of your time. Click here to view certified installers near you so you don’t have to do this task yourself.
Read: benefits of a professional install vs trying to do it yourself
They Don’t Collect Trimmings
When a traditional mower cuts the lawn, it collects the trimmings into its bag. That leaves your lawn mostly clear, and you just empty the bag once it’s full.
Robotic mowers don’t do this since they don’t have a bag to collect trimmings.
Despite this fact, it’s actually a good thing that robotic mowers don’t collect trimmings. The grass trimmings fall back into the soil and act as a natural fertilizer. This leaves the soil and the lawn greener and healthier. And the trimmings are so small that you won’t notice a mess.
You’ll see great results in no time. One sign of great results includes the lack of lawn patches. Robotic mowers have a higher cutting height than traditional mowers; they won’t “pull” the grass as it mows, meaning less damage done to the yard’s surface. That’s very beneficial for uneven lawns.
Read: mowing uneven terrain with a robotic lawn mower
Because you can run robotic mowers more frequently, you won’t have to worry about the grass getting too tall for there to even be a messy lawn.
The Unfounded Fear That Robotic lawn mowers Get Stolen easily
One of the biggest pros of robotic lawn mowers is that they’re much lighter than traditional mowers. That means you don’t have to strain yourself pushing the mower all across the lawn for an hour.
For lawn care professionals, that’s good news because that means it’s easy to transport.
But that also gives the perception that it’s easy to steal.
Thankfully, with the ever-evolving tech built into robotic mowers, theft is the least of your concerns. Most, if not all, robot mowers come with safety features such as:
- PIN unlock: if someone were to try to steal it, an alarm would go off. And that alarm won’t stop until the PIN that you set is entered.
- GPS tracking: using your phone or smart home, you can see your mower’s location from anywhere.
- Bluetooth/app connectivity: if you see that your mower isn’t where it’s supposed to be, you can command it to stop running or sound its alarm off.
Read: What happens if someone steals your robotic mower?
Many Americans Take Their Time Adapting to New Tech
We, as humans, like to stick to what we know or what we’re used to. That stands true with new technology as well.
In America, not many people are quick to try new tech. Factors like household income and age play major roles in this.
Higher income allows some comfortability in buying new –often expensive– gadgets. People higher up in age are less likely to be interested in science and tech compared to young people. Younger, probably extroverted, adults are more likely to be early adopters for new tech.
Whether new tech gets popular or not depends on how much early adopters spread the word about the new tech.
“I Have a Big Lawn”
Many people share the misconceptions that robotic lawn mowers are best served on tiny, postage-stamp lawns. This is no longer true, as there are plenty of robotic mowers that can handle the big task.
Some good choices for your big lawn include:
- Husqvarna Automower 430X or 450X
- Ambrogio L250I Elite
Read: the best robotic lawn mowers for large lawns
Mowing a lawn manually can take you a little over an hour per acre. But robot mowers have battery lives that last well over an hour, especially the ones designed to mow big lawns. Some robot mowers will keep going for two hours, which should be plenty of time to mow your entire lawn.
They Don’t Leave Stripes
One small disadvantage to autonomous mowing is that you don’t get to make pretty stripes on your lawn. Robot mowers don’t mow in a straight line; they mow around spots that may take additional mowing, sometimes in a circular motion.
As a result, the grass is completely even.
While you miss out on lawn stripes, you gain a greener lawn. If appearance is what you’re concerned with, we think greener, less patchy grass is worth the loss of stripes.
That being said, robotic mower technology is evolving day after day. Soon, you won’t have to miss out on lawn stripes.
Show Your Neighbors Why Robotic Mowers are Great
All these things that come with using robotic lawn mowers pale in comparison to the many benefits that come with owning one. Lead the charge around your block in making robotic lawn mowers popular.
Have questions about whether a robotic mower is right for you? We are North America’s robotic lawn care specialists and we would love to help you find the right machine for your unique needs. Click here to reach out!