How Do Robotic Lawn Mowers Work

• What is a robotic lawn mower?

• How do robotic lawn mowers work?

• Tips in buying robotic lawn mowers

• Five best robotic lawn mowers you can check out today

Let us get started!

What is a robotic lawn mower?

A robotic lawn mower is a machine that mows your lawn on its own. All you need to do is to turn it on, and it will move around your yard by itself. 

It looks like a vacuum cleaner with no handle. The robot has wheels, and underneath it are rotating blades that cut grass while the robot is moving. 

The first mower of this kind was made in 1969. The first brand and model was called MowBot. It weighed 125 pounds and sold for $800 at that time. If you think about it, that is equivalent to $5600 in today’s time.  

The first models in the late 1960s could work for three hours. They had coverage of up to 3,000 square feet or 280 square meters. 

It was not until 1992 when a new one was patented. This time the lawn mower was solar-powered. Now, robotic lawn mowers can do better than their predecessors. They are equipped with more features, better blades, and they can mow in a systemic pattern.  

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How do robotic lawn mowers work?

So, how do they work? 

The advanced mowers today use wires and sensors. Before you can use the machine, you need to install wires around the edges of your lawn. These wires serve as the perimeter, so the robot does not go over the edge of your lawn. 

These wires transmit signals to your robot. As the robot comes closer, it knows not to cross that boundary.  You can install the wire on pegs around the lawn, or you can bury them underground up to five centimeters deep.

There is another wire you need to install called the guidewire. You connect one end of the guidewire to the perimeter wire, and then the other end to the charging dock.  

The guidewire tells the robot how to navigate its way back to the charging dock. Once the robot is in the charging dock, the robot can now charge. All robotic lawn mowers today are battery-powered.  

As far as the performance is concerned, the robot has blades underneath that spin. Some models have two blades, and some have three. Different blades also have different cutting width.

So, how does it know where to cut?

Since the machine has a program, the first thing it does is to “talk” to the perimeter wire. Once this is done, the robot now knows how big the yard space is, and an algorithm will calculate how best to mow the lawn systematically, instead of randomly. 

These robots also have sensors. They know if the blade is still cutting through something, and will only move if it “feels” that the blade is no longer having contact with the grass.    

As far as the connections are concerned, they connect to their charging stations trough radiofrequency. They follow this frequency via the guidewire and the perimeter wire. Advanced robots use the internet.

The ones you can buy today have mobile apps. They connect via Bluetooth or the internet. From the app, you can turn the power on or off.  

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Tips on buying robotic lawn mowers

Now, how should you buy a robotic lawn mower? If you browse in Amazon, you will be surprised that there are hundreds of robotic lawnmowers to choose from. A single brand may have at least five models? 

So, how should you choose?

Here are some tips: 

• Lawn size – your lawn size is the first thing to consider before buying a lawn mower. Some can only work on small yards, while bigger and more expensive ones can cover up to 360,000 square feet.
  

• Controls – do you want a mobile app or not? Are you ok with Bluetooth or do you need to connect via wifi? Your choices will affect how you buy your lawnmower. Not all of these robots have the same connectivity types and ranges.
  

• Features – there are robots that have rain sensors. They have can detect rain, and if they do, they will come back to their charging docks and stop working. There are also those that have special security features, such as a child lock system. 

Understand your needs, preferences and the condition of your yard. Some mowers don’t do well on slopes, while others can. Make sure you check the features and ensure they will work in your situation before you buy the robot. 

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Five best robotic lawn mowers you can check out today

To help you further, there are lawn mowers that I strongly recommend. These are: 

1. Worx WR153 Landroid

This one is a mower that can work half of an acre. It has a 9-centimeter cutting disc, plus it has an app. 

Here are the main features:

• Uses the GPS navigational system; you can locate your robot if it goes missing from your yard

• The battery is 40v; also compatible with 20v

• Has a patented AIA tech that allows it to navigate through narrow pathways

With this robot, you can customize your mowing schedules. It can also detect obstacles and bumps. If it does, it backs away so it does not damage the obstacle, which could be a chair. The best feature is that it can also mow slopes of up to 20 degrees incline. 

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2. Husqvarna Automower 115H

Husqvarna is one of the most reputable brands of robotic lawn mowers. This particular model comes with a DIY installation kit. 

Here are the features: 

• Works with wifi; manage the robot while you are away

• Boundary wires can be buried underground

• Works quietly; you can mow at night if you want

• Works under the rain

• Can work on yards up to 0.4 acres

This robot can also mow on slopes but only up to 17 degrees. As far as the grass is concerned, it can cut grass up to 3.6 inches in height.

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3. AHELT-J

While this is not a known brand, it does offer some cool features. Its cutting power is 130 watts, and it has a reasonable working time of two hours.

Here are the features: 

• Has anti-theft password; people cannot use it without a password

• Has an intelligent safety detection; it detects circuit overload and shuts down to prevent fire

• Automatic re-charging; you no longer have to tell it to go back to the charging dock

The robot has rain protection. It cannot work in the rain. But once it detects rain, it will go back to the charging dock. The app works via wifi, and you can use the app to control the device.

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4. SHPEHP Mowing Robot

This is a budget robotic lawn mower that can compete against other known brands. Like the previous model, it has an anti-theft password feature. 

Here are the other features:  

• Can control wheel for all operations with no guidance from you

• Has blade safety control; if an obstacle is detected, the blade will stop spinning

• Can estimate a load of electricity in the circuit; the motor will stop if an abnormality is detected

• Has an app that you can control via wifi

The app allows you to control the robot and command it to mow, walk, avoid obstacles. You can also use it to turn it on or off.

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5. Ocean Robotic Lawn Mower

The last of my recommendation is another budget robot. This one allows you to set a schedule for mowing; the robot will do its job on schedule even if you forgot to tell it to do so.

Here are the other features:

• Rain sensor; will stop working if the humidity is high

• Bump sensor; can detect obstacles and will reverse its direction if it bumps into something