The Best Robotic Lawn Mowers For Your Landscaping Needs

What are the best robotic lawn mowers for your yard? There are a number of different options to sift through to make the right choice

By Rick Gonzales | Updated 2 years ago

Who doesn’t love the smell of a freshly mowed lawn? The look of a newly shorn front yard with its perfect edges is something to behold. The problem with this is the time it takes out of your Saturday to have your lawn be the envy of the neighborhood. True, you can hire a landscaping service to keep up appearances, or you can spend all day walking up and down the yard pushing (or riding) a bigger rig. Or you could invest in one of the best robotic lawn mowers and be the envy of the neighborhood and also the talk of the town.

WHAT IS A ROBOTIC LAWN MOWER?

So, you say you haven’t a clue as to what the best robotic lawn mowers are all about? Well, appearance-wise they are similar to a Roomba, just for the outdoors. A typical robotic lawn mower will be on a plastic chassis that has on it a battery, mounted mower heads, drive motors, and a circuit board or perhaps two that help the lawn mower navigate the area in which you need mowing. It can calculate ground speed, the direction it needs to travel, the tilt of the lawn, and even any obstacles that may present themselves.

You may be wondering, just how do these best robotic lawn mowers find their way across the lawn and not run off into the street or into the neighbor’s yard? A wire perimeter prevents this from happening. After you purchase the robot lawn mower, you (or the dealer) will bury wire in your lawn that represents the cutting perimeter that your robotic lawn mower will follow. This wire is usually staked down with stakes that resemble those used for camping tents.

Similar to a Roomba, this wire leads the robotic lawn mower back to a charging station for when the lawn mower is low on juice. This wire and charging station is not only meant to charge the robotic lawn mower but to also send an electrical charge through the wire. The lawnmowers are equipped with sensors that tell the lawn mowers that the job is done or that the power is low, so it knows to return to their base.

Other than cutting grass, the best robotic lawn mower’s resemblance to the old gas-fed push lawn mower is null and void. With the push mower, it employs a single (maybe two) large blade that cuts an inch or more off the top in one single pass. The best robotic lawn mowers are more like a nice, clean, comfortable shave. Most robot lawn mowers use multiple fold-away steel blades as they traverse the land. They sheer away small amounts of grass at a time, most times taking many passes to get the job done. What you get from this, though, is a timed cutting response that will keep your lawn looking immaculate.

HOW LONG DO ROBOT MOWERS LAST?

Obviously, these robotic lawn mowers run on battery power. So, the main concern would be just how much cutting time do you get from one charge? Well, the best robotic lawn mowers use rechargeable batteries. Depending on the type of robotic lawn mower you need, in which your yard size will be the determining factor, you can get an entry-level robotic lawn mower that handles small yards, and the battery will last 30 minutes. For those bigger, more complex, and larger yards, you can find a robotic lawn mower that can work for over four hours.

This also goes for charging times. It all comes down to mower size and battery capacity. Charging times can run anywhere from 30 minutes all the way up to two hours. Now, if you’re a smart robotic lawn mower shopper, you may find a model that comes with two batteries so you can charge one and not miss out on any cutting time.

DO ROBOT LAWN MOWERS WORK WELL?

The ability of the best robotic lawn mowers comes down to make and model (or how much money you’re willing to spend), what type of yard one has (elevation changes, obstacles), and also how many twists and turns the lawn mower may face. On a normal run-of-the-mill-type yard, these robotic lawn mowers work splendidly. They provide a nice, clean shave, can be programmed to hit hard to get to spots, and make clean edges. They can do everything a walk-behind mower can do. And if your lawn is a little more complex, the work still can get done, but you will just need a lot more pre-planning before you let the robotic lawn mower loose on your lawn.

Remember, the larger the lawn or the more angles it provides, means the more wire that has to be laid down. More wire means there are more opportunities for the wire to somehow break. You could be digging and not realize you’ve cut the wire or even those pesky little ground rodents may find the wire to their liking.

HOW MANY ACRES CAN A ROBOT MOWER MOW?

Depending on the model, you will find that robotic lawn mowers will start with the ability to slice up 0.20 acres of lawn. Some of the best robotic lawn mowers will start from there and will get you up to 1.25 acres.

Another thing that determines how much lawn your new robotic lawn mower can cut is its cutting deck. By this, we mean the undercarriage of the mower. The best robotic lawn mowers designed for small yards will cut a path about 7 inches in width. Some of the bigger, wide-bodied robotic lawn mowers can get you a clean path as wide as two feet. Again, it all comes down to need.

DO ROBOT MOWERS MULCH LEAVES?

The quick answer concerning leaf mulching and the best robotic lawn mowers is yes, they can mulch leaves. Their design, though, is simply to make your yard look pristine with its cut. So, if leaves are laying on your lawn, your robotic lawn mowers will handle their business. But, if you have big piles of leaves, don’t expect even the best robotic lawn mowers to be able to get into that pile and make mincemeat out of them.

Most robotic lawn mowers offer a cutting height starting at 2 inches and will max out at 3.5 inches. With that in mind, you can see why large piles of leaves simply won’t work. Plus, with the design of the lawn mower and how they work, they aren’t built to take a pass over the leaves, turn around and do it again. The wiring isn’t designed to work that way.

One more thing – the best robotic lawn mowers (as you will soon see) are not cheap animals. They are pricey and your desire (we should think) would be longevity. You are going to want to keep your robotic lawn mower at tip-top so you can get the most bang for your buck. Taking on leaf piles is probably not in the lawn mowers best interest. What will be in its best interest, though, is a routine cleaning.

DO ROBOT LAWN MOWERS GET STOLEN?

As we mentioned, the best robotic lawn mowers can be a pretty serious investment. They are designed to run across your lawn with no worries and no supervision. No supervision means you do not have to be present in your front yard for it to work. Sadly, your lack of presence means they can be very attractive to those who would like to purchase the best robotic lawn mower with a five-finger discount.

Thankfully, these lawn mowers come equipped with a number of special features that make thieves think once, twice, or three times about grabbing it and running off. Security features not only prevent theft, but if one is actually taken, it makes recovery much easier as well.

The first thing to know is that all robotic lawn mowers come with a pin code. This code ensures that only the purchaser is the authorized owner and can use the lawn mower. Users will select a pin code before the mower is used for the first time. If needed, the code can be changed at any time. This pin code access can be (and should be) set so the only way the mower works is to input the code. A few incorrect attempts will completely lock the robotic lawn mower.

Another security function is an alarm. Most robotic lawn mowers offer this feature. They work if a lawn mower is lifted off the ground and it hasn’t been turned off and the pin code entered. If this happens, an alarm sounds and does not stop until the pin code has been put in.

Base pairing is one more security option. This means that your robotic lawn mower only works by being paired with its base. If the mower is stolen, it won’t work because it doesn’t have the base. For the most part, these features have deterred thieves and robotic lawn mowers are at minimal risk of being stolen.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST ROBOTIC LAWN MOWER FOR YOU

What things must you consider before dropping down a significant amount of cash for the best robotic lawn mower? First things first, take a look at your yard. Not just your front yard, but your back yard as well. How big are they? What sort of nooks and crannies present themselves? How easy will wire set up be for your yards? Saving money is always a priority so if you can complete the wire setup on your own, the easier on your wallet it will be. But remember, wire setup can be time-consuming.

Other things you may want to consider would be rain or even the watering of your lawn. In either case, it could cause the grass to clump up while your robotic lawn mower is in action, so you need to determine if your model can handle that. And since we just talked about it, what type of security features does your unit possess? While most thieves haven’t really found the benefit in taking one, this doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

THE BEST ROBOTIC LAWN MOWERS

With all of the above in mind, we have found a few of the best robotic lawn mowers. Our list isn’t the end-all, but it offers a nice start in determining which model to choose. As you will see, we haven’t chosen these by price, but instead by ability. Ultimately, you will determine the price point that works best for you and your yard.

HUSQVARNA AUTOMOWER 435X AWD ROBOTIC LAWN MOWER

PRICE – $4,799.99

WHY WE LIKE IT – As far as the best robotic lawn mowers go, this one is a beast in every aspect, including the price. It’s by far the priciest of those we are looking at, but if you have a challenging yard, with steep grades and different levels, this all-wheel robotic lawn mower is for you.

Husqvarna is a very dependable, and one of the oldest, models of robotic lawn mowers. This all-wheel baby will get you close to one full acre per charge and can easily navigate obstacles, rough terrain, and slopes that hit the 70% status. It comes equipped with LED headlights and remote object detection, and interacts intuitively with its Automower Access interface. It also has GPS theft tracking.

ROBOMOW RX20 ROBOTIC LAWN MOWER

PRICE – $799.99

WHY WE LIKE IT – If your yard is small then the Robomow may be your choice of cutters. It only hits around 0.2 acres on a single charge, but it does so nicely. This mower is high in tech as it can be integrated into your Alexa Smart Home system for voice control, meaning you can literally talk to it and tell it what to do. What also makes this an attractive mower is that you will not have to bury the wire in your yard, you only need to stake it to the surface. A small yard setup will only take you around an hour.

GARDENA 4069 ROBOTIC LAWN MOWER

PRICE – $2,831.82

WHY WE LIKE IT – This is another of the best robotic lawn mowers designed for smaller yards and gardens. It comes with three cutting blades and offers cutting heights from 0.80 inches to 2 inches. Although small, it can also handle slopes up to 35%. It provides excellent cuts, works when it rains, and has nice anti-theft protection.

WORX WR155 LANDROID ROBOTIC LAWN MOWER

PRICE – $1,452.00

WHY WE LIKE IT – Considered to be one of the best robotic lawn mowers, you won’t be disappointed with this Worx. In fact, most Worx robotic lawn mower models routinely receive high praise. The Worx WR155 offers an 8-inch-wide cutting path and can tackle slopes up to 20 degrees. It also has a rain detector so it will avoid moisture at all costs by heading back to its charging station or delaying the cut until the grass is dry.

This Worx model can be integrated by smartphone or virtual assistance and allows users an easy setup and control system. The WR155 uses a Floating Blade Disc, so when it encounters any uneven ground, it raises the blades so they don’t get stuck. If you have a larger yard, then the Worx WR155 is your model as it can clip up to half an acre.

WHAT IS THE BEST-RATED ROBOT LAWN MOWER?

The above four models are solid in their own rights. Two manufacturers, Worx and Husqvarna, appear to be the most dependable on the market, so what we consider to be the best-rated robotic lawn mower should come as no surprise.

HUSQVARNA AUTOMOWER 315X ROBOTIC LAWN MOWER

PRICE – $1,799.99

WHY IT IS TOP-RATED – The Husqvarna Automower 315X appears as the highest-rated robotic lawn mower on a number of review lists. You will immediately understand why once you get it out of the box. It is state-of-the-art and sleek looking. Sweden-based Husqvarna has done an exquisite job with its design and the technology it offers.

The 315X runs by a very well-designed mobile app that allows you to control all aspects of the robotic lawn mower. You can start or stop it, you can monitor the mower’s progress, you can create lawn mowing schedules from the app, and if you need to, you can also see where the mower is at from a map of your property that the app creates. The app is simple and very user-friendly.

The 315X has been given an IPX4 weatherproof rating, which means that if you need to or forget it’s out, the robotic lawn mower can be left out in the elements and you needn’t worry. But, if the mower is cutting when the rain begins to fall, it does not possess a rain sensor that would send it back to its base. Therefore, it does work well in wet conditions.

The top of the mower has a hatch that opens to a control panel. Another hatch hides the cutting height adjustment knob. It also has a large red stop button on the top of the mower as well. This is one impressive robotic lawn mower, top-rated, and one sure to make you happy you invested in it.

FINALLY

We are not going to lie. These are not cheap investments. If you are looking at purchasing one of the best robotic lawn mowers, be prepared to fork out some dough. Yes, there are cheap models, but remember, you get what you pay for. The best bet is to do your research. Take a look at your yard and determine what exactly your needs will be. Good luck.