I've Tested Robot Mowers For Years - Here's My Expert Advice For Every Yard Type

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Your gait matters much than nan robot mower's brand.
• Navigation type tin make aliases break a robot mower.
• Match nan mower to your terrain, budget, and obstacles.

A robot section mower is rather an costly purchase, and 1 that shouldn't beryllium made lightly. There are aggregate factors to see earlier you take a robot mower, beyond nan brand's claims of keeping your gait trim and tidy. From your gait layout to nan navigation type, robot section mowers are not created equal.

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I've been testing robot section mowers for astir 3 years now, since they became wide popular. In that time, I've learned nan ins and outs of really robot mowers operate, what sets them apart, and what you request to cognize earlier committing to a model.

How to take nan correct robot section mower

Robot section mowers are designed and built for very circumstantial purposes and circumstances, truthful it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. I'll spell precisely what will thief you find if a circumstantial exemplary is correct for your yard, truthful you tin see this a checklist.

It's not astir nan mower, it's astir nan yard

The TL;DR is nan type of gait you person astatine location will find nan robot section mower you choose. 

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Don't wed a marque aliases exemplary simply because you've heard bully things astir it -- make judge it's a bully fresh for your circumstances first. You tin take nan correct robot section mower for your yard, but you can't make your gait activity pinch conscionable immoderate robot.

1. Boundaries and navigation

Robot section mowers usage different types of navigation exertion that person evolved pinch nan thief of artificial intelligence (AI), improved processors and sensors, and much tin algorithms.

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Here are nan different types of navigation that robot mowers use:

Wired bound

A robot mower pinch a wired bound is nan oldest navigation exertion for this type of device. With this technology, you hide a bound ligament astir nan perimeter of your lawn. The robot mower is engineered not to transverse this wire, truthful it stays wrong that beingness boundary.

• Pros: The beingness bound offers reliable navigation. It's besides go inexpensive arsenic different technologies person grown much popular.
• Cons: Setting up a bound ligament is labor-intensive compared pinch different options.

Best wired bound robot mowers:

• Husqvarna iQ Series
• Husqvarna Automower 430X

GPS/NetRTK navigation

Some robot mowers usage outer navigation to create and instrumentality to a map, which is simply a amended action for larger yards than ligament boundaries. While GPS/RTK robot mowers initially utilized an antenna for outer connectivity, newer NetRTK exertion intends robots nary longer require a abstracted antenna. This alteration simplifies nan robot mower's setup process.

NetRTK uses a web of fixed GPS stations to thief nan robot make speedy corrections and support a map's accuracy wrong a mates of inches. Instead of relying connected a azygous GPS guidelines antenna, NetRTK uses aggregate stations to cross-check nan robot's location successful existent time.

• Pros: GPS antennas aren't arsenic labor-intensive to group up arsenic wired boundaries. Newer models don't require antennas.
• Cons: While setup is easier, GPS/RTK antennas require a comparatively clear position of nan entity and tin beryllium nan astir costly navigation type.

Best GPS/NetRTK robot mowers:

• Mammotion Luba 3
• Segway Navimow X4

Visual navigation

The latest navigation exertion for robot mowers combines LiDAR sensors, cameras, and AI algorithms to alteration nan robot to respond to its surroundings successful existent time. This type of "drop-and-mow" navigation tech is nan easiest to group up of all, arsenic it typically only requires plugging successful nan mower and adding it to nan app to representation your yard.

• Pros: Without a ligament aliases an antenna, these robots are little costly and easier to group up than GPS and NetRTK models.
• Cons: This exertion is still evolving, truthful you whitethorn brushwood issues pinch nan robot drifting retired of your gait aliases into areas it shouldn't go, specified arsenic plot beds.

Best ocular navigation robot mowers:

• Ecovacs Goat A3000

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

2. Price and fund

Your fund tin importantly constrictive down nan database of robot mowers you choose. Consider erstwhile a robot section mower makes sense, for illustration erstwhile you already salary for section work for a mean aliases ample yard, and erstwhile it whitethorn not, for illustration if you person a mini section and really bask cutting it.

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A robot section mower tin beryllium budget-friendly ($500-$1,000), midrange ($1,000-$2,000), aliases premium/high-end ($2,000-$6,000).

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

3. Size of your gait

Robot mowers are designed pinch different specifications to screen a wished acreage successful a azygous day. That doesn't mean they'll do it connected a azygous charge, but each has a definite artillery size that, mixed pinch nan cutting width, should beryllium capable to screen an area wrong a day's work.

Find retired nan size of your lot, not your home's footprint, to find which robot mower is champion for you. Most US suburban location tons are 0.25-0.5 acres. The batch size for your location is listed connected onshore surveys, but you tin besides look up your location reside connected existent property sites, for illustration Zillow and Realtor. These sites see nan home's acreage successful nan description, which is useful if you're a renter.

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Here are immoderate of nan top-performing models that I urge successful each size category:

0.10-0.25 acres

• Mova LiDAX Ultra 1000 - $1,049
• Mammotion Yuka Mini 2 1000H- $1,559

0.25-0.75 acres

• Mammotion Luba 3 1500H - $2,499
• Ecovacs Goat A200 - $2,000
• Eufy E18 - $1,400

0.75-1.25 acres

• Segway Navimow X430 - $2,499
• Mammotion Luba 3 3000H - $2,799
• Dreame LiDAR 3500 - $2,650

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

4. Yard terrain

As I mentioned above, nan measurement your gait is built will beryllium nan determining facet successful which robot mower you buy. Hilly terrain tin beryllium a large situation for robot section mowers and will apt require a exemplary pinch all-wheel drive, for example.

Flat aliases mildly sloped yards

Many inexpensive robot mowers are well-suited to grip level aliases moreover mildly sloped yards. These robot mowers execute good connected mostly level lawns:

• AirSeekers Tron
• Yardcare E400

Uneven terrain

A gait pinch aggregate slopes, trees, and wide unsmooth terrain requires a mower that tin grip unevenness without sliding aliases getting stuck. Multiple areas successful my gait person proved challenging for aggregate robot mowers, but here's an AWD action that useful connected unsmooth terrain:

• Mammotion Luba 3

Multiple sections successful a gait

While robot mowers activity champion successful a azygous continuous space, galore yards person aggregate sections. Here are immoderate examples of robots that person done good successful my sectioned yard:

• Mammotion Luba 2
• Segway Navimow X4

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

5. Obstacles

The obstacles successful your gait tin thief constrictive your choices for a robot mower, arsenic they mostly find nan type of navigation champion suited to you.

For example, a LiDAR robot mower tin do a bully capable occupation of navigating your yard, but it whitethorn not beryllium perfect for yards without fences aliases for yards pinch plot beds without beingness borders. Some LiDAR models will instrumentality to your map, but this type of navigation isn't arsenic reliable arsenic wired boundaries.

Yards without galore obstacles, for illustration rocks, trees, toys, pets, and plot beds, do good pinch astir types of robot mowers, provided that they are suited to grip nan terrain accordingly.

Considering obstacles, present is what I recommend:

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

6. Ease of usage and attraction

How easy your robot mower is to usage and support is important erstwhile choosing a model. Most group who bargain robot section mowers want a instrumentality that makes nan grass-cutting task easier, not harder. Research nan mower's reviews and what users opportunity astir nan apps that power them earlier checking retired your online cart.

From nan setup, mapping, and installation to nan application, maintenance, and distant operation, immoderate robot section mower you take must fresh into your regular and your level of tech-savviness.

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The level of engagement you want successful your robot mower's attraction will mostly dangle connected your choice. You'll person to switch nan mower's blades each 1 aliases 2 months, depending connected usage. It's besides important to cleanable your mower a fewer times per season, pinch immoderate models allowing you to usage h2o hoses to do so.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET