{"id":999,"date":"2023-11-06T11:06:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-05T22:06:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/?p=999"},"modified":"2024-02-13T09:49:28","modified_gmt":"2024-02-12T20:49:28","slug":"the-pros-and-cons-of-using-a-robotic-lawn-mower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-a-robotic-lawn-mower\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pros and Cons of Using a Robotic Lawn Mower?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"the-pros-and-cons-of-using-a-robotic-lawn-mower\">The Pros and Cons of Using a Robotic Lawn Mower<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><h2>Table of Contents<\/h2><nav><ul><li ><a href=\"#the-pros-and-cons-of-using-a-robotic-lawn-mower\">The Pros and Cons of Using a Robotic Lawn Mower<\/a><ul><li ><a href=\"#who-is-this-post-written-for\">Who is this post written for? <\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#how-much-does-a-robotic-lawn-mower-cost\">How much does a robotic lawn mower cost?<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#how-to-set-up-a-robotic-mower\">How to set up a robotic mower.<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#safety-issues\">Safety issues<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#how-secure-are-robotic-mowers\">How secure are robotic mowers?<\/a><\/li><li ><a href=\"#the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-using-a-robotic-mower-in-your-lawn-care-business\">The advantages and disadvantages of using a robotic mower in your lawn care business?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"who-is-this-post-written-for\">Who is this post written for? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>We will be looking at using a robotic mower for home use as well as lawn care business operators I will discuss the pros and cons for each in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a lawn care business owner, I have noticed that robotic mowers have become more common over the last few years. The only real downside at the moment is the setup cost and battery life.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We all know that electricity is environmentally friendly and we get the warm fuzzies when thinking about doing our bit to save the planet there have been a couple of good reasons not to go batteries powered. At least on a commercial basis anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two main reasons for a slow commercial uptake were.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robotic mowers have their own charging stations and are designed to run without an operator and this makes them a lot more attractive to the lawn care industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The only real barrier left (commercially at least) is price, and the prices are doping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeing this has made me start looking at the possible uses of robotic mowers in domestic or commercial situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How long has the robot lawn mower been around?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><keywordmarkbgr>Robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> have been around since 1995. The first <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> on the market was made by Husqvarna and is called the solar mower. It was electric, automated and solar. You can check that out in the video below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Husqvarna Solar mower\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/whf3CMzmzNQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Today they have docking stations and larger batteries so when they get low they simply head back home to recharge.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robotic mowers are just starting to catch on in America but they have been popular in Europe where the market has been steadily growing by around 20% per year since 2012.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932835\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><keywordmarkbgg>Pros and Cons<\/keywordmarkbgg> of <keywordmarkbgr>Using a <keywordmarkbgr>Robotic<\/keywordmarkbgr> Mower<\/keywordmarkbgr>?<\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>A <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> is a small <keywordmarkbgr>mulch<\/keywordmarkbgr> mower that moves in a random pattern within a pre-programmed area. It does not need to catch the grass because it will <keywordmarkbgg>trim<\/keywordmarkbgg> the grass a little at a time on a regular basis. Doing this means that you will not get visible <keywordmarkbgg>grass <keywordmarkbgg>clippings<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgg> left and it will <keywordmarkbgg>keep your <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy><\/keywordmarkbgg> tidy. It will quietly work away at around 60-70Db and you will be able to have your <keywordmarkbgg>mower work<\/keywordmarkbgg> anywhere between 2-5 hours a day depending on the size of your <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h3><strong>How a <keywordmarkbgg>robotic <keywordmarkbgg>lawnmower<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgg> can benefit your <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>In theory, you should get a better quality <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> with a <keywordmarkbgg>robotic <keywordmarkbgg>lawnmower<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgg> as they will do a lot of things that your domestic or commercial mower will not. Some of the major benefits are listed below<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>No visible cut pattern<\/strong> &#8211; Because the mower is continuously changing directions you will never get a pattern showing. <keywordmarkbgr><keywordmarkbgg>Robotic <keywordmarkbgg><keywordmarkbgg>mowers<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgr> <keywordmarkbgg>mow<\/keywordmarkbgg> in random patterns. Doing this is actually the best way to\u00a0<keywordmarkbgg>mow<\/keywordmarkbgg> a <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy>, but it cannot be done by hand as it would be counterproductive as it would require running over areas you have already done so it would take hours. Anyone <keywordmarkbgg>mowing<\/keywordmarkbgg> a <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> by hand usually takes the path of least resistance. This can eventually leave tracks, especially on an odd-shaped <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>No soil compaction<\/strong> &#8211; A <keywordmarkbgg>traditional mower<\/keywordmarkbgg> weighs a lot more than a <keywordmarkbgm><keywordmarkbgg>robot<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgm> mower so it tends to compress the soil over time. This means that it can need aeration every now and then to keep it in good condition. Grass does not grow as well in compressed soil. If you <keywordmarkbgr><keywordmarkbgg>use a <keywordmarkbgg>robotic<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgr> <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgg>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgy> mower it greatly reduces the need to aerate a <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Diseases<\/strong> &#8211; As a <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> is constantly travelling around all parts of the <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> are <keywordmarkbgg>mowed<\/keywordmarkbgg> on a regular basis. This greatly reduces the chances of diseases as the <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> is healthy and in optimum growing condition.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong><keywordmarkbgr>Mulching<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/strong> &#8211; This is extremely healthy for a <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> but not always practical. The usual method of <keywordmarkbgr>mulching<\/keywordmarkbgr> involves cutting the <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> on a weekly or biweekly basis. This is not the best way to <keywordmarkbgr>mulch<\/keywordmarkbgr> as the grass is longer and does not <keywordmarkbgr>mulch<\/keywordmarkbgr> as well. It may tend to clump or <keywordmarkbgr>mulch<\/keywordmarkbgr> unevenly. <keywordmarkbgr>Using a <keywordmarkbgr>robotic<\/keywordmarkbgr> mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> will eliminate this problem by giving a light cut daily. The fine bits of <keywordmarkbgr>mulch<\/keywordmarkbgr> this produces will fall back into the <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy>, therefore, feeding it and promoting healthy growth.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Weeds<\/strong> &#8211; A <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> left too long or cut too short can develop weeds. When a <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> is cut daily at a set height this discourages weeds as this is not a good environment for them. Also, your mower can get stuck if it is not run on a regular basis and the <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> gets too overgrown. The photo below was taken by a friend of mine when he reduced a <keywordmarkbgm><keywordmarkbgg>robot<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgm> mower using his battrie-powered mower.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"692\" height=\"444\" class=\"wp-image-2891 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/324507808_576268304365179_108551277324032477_n.jpg\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/324507808_576268304365179_108551277324032477_n.jpg 692w, https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/324507808_576268304365179_108551277324032477_n-300x192.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 692px) 100vw, 692px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"t-1664864932836\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Giving instructions to your <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> using an App<\/h3>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>You can use a <keywordmarkbgg>smartphone<\/keywordmarkbgg> app to control things on your mower and it will also inform you if there are any issues. Having this kind of control while you are not home gives you more options. For example, if a storm is coming you can send your <keywordmarkbgg>mower back<\/keywordmarkbgg> to the charging base. Therefore reducing the risk of damage.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>There are quite a few things you can adjust with the app but the main ones are<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n\n<\/p>\n<li>Adjusting the <keywordmarkbgg>cutting height<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>Modifying or changing the Schedule<\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>Setting your mower not to <keywordmarkbgg>mow<\/keywordmarkbgg> an area<\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>Sending you <keywordmarkbgg>mower back<\/keywordmarkbgg> to base.<\/li>\n<p>\n\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932837\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How much does a <keywordmarkbgg>robotic <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgg>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgy> mower<\/keywordmarkbgg> cost?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>When <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> first came onto the market, they were quite expensive. As time has gone on, they have dropped in price a bit, but I still feel they have a way to go before they become a practical option for a <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care company.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>The most quality <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> will range in price from $2000 to $4000 dollars. This makes it quite a significant initial investment for anyone going ahead with a purchase. This could work out well for homeowners but not so much for <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care operators.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>For a private homeowner getting an entry-level could solve all their <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care issues and end up saving them money. The edges will still need to be done on a regular basis so it is not going to solve all the problems but it will help. If you were going to pay someone to <keywordmarkbgg><keywordmarkbgg>mow<\/keywordmarkbgg> your <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy><\/keywordmarkbgg> with a <keywordmarkbgg>conventional mower<\/keywordmarkbgg> around\u00a020 times a year at $35 per visit you would be spending around $700 a year. If you were to get 10 years out of your mower you could save over $5000 over the life of the mower.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>I will cover the financial considerations of setting up <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> for a <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care business at the end of this article where we will dive deeper into that subject.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932838\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to set up a <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr>.<\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>When you get your <keywordmarkbgg>new mower<\/keywordmarkbgg>, it may have wire supplied with the machine, or you may have to purchase it severally. This <keywordmarkbgg>boundary wire<\/keywordmarkbgg> will now need to be set up around the circumference of the <keywordmarkbgg>mowing<\/keywordmarkbgg> area. You will also need to put it around anything like flower beds or any other area where you do not want the <keywordmarkbgm><keywordmarkbgg>robot<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgm> <keywordmarkbgg>lawnmower<\/keywordmarkbgg> to go.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Normally the wire is buried but it is possible to staple the wire on top of the grass provided you have <keywordmarkbgg>cut the grass<\/keywordmarkbgg> in that area short before you started. This can save you a huge amount of time with setup. The wire will also disappear from view over time as the grass grows over it.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>You will still probably need to allow somewhere between two to six hours to set everything up depending on the method you use and the difficulty of the yard. The good news is that you only need to set it up once.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>There are other ways of setting the <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgg>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgy> <keywordmarkbgg>mowing<\/keywordmarkbgg> area apart from wire but these tend to only be available on the more expensive machines.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>These methods can include.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n\n<\/p>\n<li>GPS<\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>Beacon &#8211; Infrared, ultrasound or another directional broadcast can identify a corner or barrier through which the unit should not pass.<\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>Radio control<\/li>\n<p>\n\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932839\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Questions asked before <keywordmarkbgg>buying a <keywordmarkbgm><keywordmarkbgg>robot<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgm> mower<\/keywordmarkbgg>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"t-1664864932840\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">What size <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> can I <keywordmarkbgg>mow<\/keywordmarkbgg>?<\/h3>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>From what I have seen there is a direct collation between the price of a machine and the amount of area it will cut. An entry-level machine at around $2000 will cut about 2000 sqft or 600 sqm. This may not sound like a large area but do remember that your sections are not all <keywordmarkbgy>lawns<\/keywordmarkbgy>. By the time you have taken into consideration the house, garage and gardens you may have your section size down by 75%.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>The top-of-the-line machines will do a <keywordmarkbgg>large <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy><\/keywordmarkbgg> of up to 16000 sqft or 5000 sqm, and that is a lot of space. If you happen to have a <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> that is larger than that or a large commercial <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> that is not a problem you can pair up two machines to work together.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h4 id=\"t-1664864932841\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Flat <keywordmarkbgy>lawns<\/keywordmarkbgy> and <keywordmarkbgg>sloping<\/keywordmarkbgg> <keywordmarkbgy>lawns<\/keywordmarkbgy>.<\/h4>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><keywordmarkbgr>Robotic <keywordmarkbgg>mowers<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgr> are designed to <keywordmarkbgg>mow<\/keywordmarkbgg> up to a 45-degree <keywordmarkbgg>slope<\/keywordmarkbgg> but you will not get this feature with the cheaper machines. If you have a problem visualizing a 45-degree <keywordmarkbgg>slope<\/keywordmarkbgg> (as I do), then you can refer to the image below. It is steeper than you would think.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" title=\"45 degree angle. \" src=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/651px-Positive_angle.svg_.png\" alt=\"45 degree angle. \" width=\"239\" height=\"220\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"t-1664864932842\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How long does the battery last?<\/h3>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>The amount of working time between charges <keywordmarkbgg>depends on the make<\/keywordmarkbgg> and model of your machine and also the temperature (if you have a NiMH battery). Most mowers will run for two to three hours before heading back to the <keywordmarkbgg>charging station<\/keywordmarkbgg> by means of the shortest possible route following the <keywordmarkbgg><keywordmarkbgg>perimeter<\/keywordmarkbgg> wire<\/keywordmarkbgg> on the <keywordmarkbgg>edge of the <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy><\/keywordmarkbgg>..<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Your <keywordmarkbgg>charging station<\/keywordmarkbgg> will need a power source, and it is also advisable to place it in a shady place at the lowest point possible in your garden.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<p>The battery should last for a couple of years before you will need to replace it. Some mowers allow you&#8217;ll need to replace the battery yourself and some will require going in so a technician can do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is a video of how Husqvarna mowers work now<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Husqvarna robotic mower for every garden\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5r7kjwEmngw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"t-1664864932843\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">The <span style=\"background-color: #bee4c7;\">cons of<\/span>\u00a0a robotic mower<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Edging is sometimes required<\/strong> &#8211; Your machine may not be able to get all the edges on the property. You may require a <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/recommended-gear\/line-trimmers\/\">line trimmer<\/a> to get a perfect finish. To be fair, you cannot get the edges with a <keywordmarkbgg>push mower<\/keywordmarkbgg> either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>You will not be able to get a striped <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> effect<\/strong> &#8211; If this is the look you want on your <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> you are not going to achieve it with a <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Your mower could get tangled up or stuck<\/strong> &#8211; This isn&#8217;t so much a problem if you are home. You could get a notification on your phone and you can step outside and sort the issue. However, if you are out you are going to have to wait until you get home.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Toys<\/strong> &#8211; You will have to get your kids to pick up their toys if you don&#8217;t want the mower chewing on them. You are going to have to pick up any large sticks or similar items as well. Again you will have to do that with a normal mower anyway but the difference will be that the <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> will require this daily, not weekly or biweekly.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>leaves in autumn<\/strong> &#8211; If the leaf fall is light your mower shouldn&#8217;t have too many issues if you <keywordmarkbgg><keywordmarkbgg>mow<\/keywordmarkbgg> the <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy><\/keywordmarkbgg> daily but if the tree does a big dump overnight then you may run into problems. You will need to rake that by hand so your mower can keep on working.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Fruit trees<\/strong> &#8211; You will need to keep on top of this as well. If your tree is dropping a lot of fruit you will need to collect it before the mower does.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hoses<\/strong> &#8211; You won&#8217;t be able to leave the hose out anymore. However, you could go fully automated and get a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2DF2Moy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">self-winding hose reel<\/a> as well.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"t-1664864932844\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dealing with the weather.<\/h3>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Some <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> will not work on <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/how-to-mow-lawns-on-a-rainy-day\/\">rainy days<\/a>, but most of them will work fine in light rain or drizzle. If the weather starts getting too bad, you can always pull out your phone and send the <keywordmarkbgm><keywordmarkbgg><keywordmarkbgg>robot<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgm> <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgg>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgy> mower home anyway.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>From a technical point of view, you should not be cutting wet grass anyway, but as <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care operators, we don&#8217;t always get a choice. As long as the <keywordmarkbgg>blades<\/keywordmarkbgg> are not blunt, you should not have an issue. Because the <keywordmarkbgy>lawns<\/keywordmarkbgy> are cut daily, this will also help reduce any damage.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<p>You are probably going to want some sort of cover over your charging station.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can check out the latest Robotic mowers on <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3sS79JY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3sS79JY\">Amazon<\/a> here.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Battery Charging unit\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Webp.net-resizeimage-1.jpg\" alt=\"Battery Charging unit\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932845\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Safety issues<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>In general, there are fewer accidents with robotic than <keywordmarkbgg>traditional mowers<\/keywordmarkbgg>. You could argue that this is because there are more <keywordmarkbgg>gas-powered mowers<\/keywordmarkbgg> around but the fact is that <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> are safer. They need to be.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Being autonomous and having <keywordmarkbgg>blades<\/keywordmarkbgg> spinning at high speed is a dangerous combination. There is a vast difference between an out-of-control <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> and an out-of-control vacuum cleaner. This would have been the first issue addressed when the machines originally came on the market.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/29395756\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">US National Library of Medicine<\/a>, There were an estimated 934,394 <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgg>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgy> mower injuries treated in U.S. EDs from 2005 to 2015, with an average of 84,944 injuries annually. Hopefully, with the right <keywordmarkbgg>safety features<\/keywordmarkbgg>, <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> can bring this number down.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p><keywordmarkbgr>Robotic <keywordmarkbgg>mowers<\/keywordmarkbgg><\/keywordmarkbgr> come with a lot of <keywordmarkbgg>safety features<\/keywordmarkbgg> such as a collision detection system. They also have <keywordmarkbgm>sensors<\/keywordmarkbgm> that will turn the machine off if something comes too close and an orientation <keywordmarkbgm>sensor<\/keywordmarkbgm> that will turn the <keywordmarkbgg>blades<\/keywordmarkbgg> off when the machine is picked up or rolled over.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>They also have bumpers that turn the machine when it strikes something so your trees and pets should be safe. If anything is in its path the machine simply bumps into it and heads off in another direction.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>They have been running some tests in Finland and have had some safety issues with small children and cats. Here is an <a href=\"https:\/\/yle.fi\/uutiset\/osasto\/news\/robotic_lawn_mower_injures_pet_in_western_finland\/10321793\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">article<\/a> about that but you may need to translate the page. There is also a link there to a safety test that they ran on six <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> in Germany and two out of eight machines failed to detect crawling children. (They did not use real children in the test)<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>I am not sure that anyone is going to let their children crawl around outside while the mower is running, but there is a simple solution to this any way you could run your machine at night. They don&#8217;t make much noise and will quite happily work away while you sleep.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932846\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How secure are <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr>?<\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>If your machine is working at night when fewer people are going to see it that should reduce the temptation for would-be thieves. However, grabbing a <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> and running off with it will not be of any use to them anyway.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>For starters, the moment they pick up the machine a piercing alarm will sound. They will need to type in the pin number of the machine to stop it. Even if they are mad enough to throw it in the car (alarm and all) and drive off with it would be a pointless exercise as they would need a pin number to start it. They would also be missing all the accessories needed such as the wire and the <keywordmarkbgg>charging station<\/keywordmarkbgg>.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"461\" src=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Robotic-mower-saved-by-battrie-powered-mower-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2892\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Robotic-mower-saved-by-battrie-powered-mower-1.jpg 819w, https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Robotic-mower-saved-by-battrie-powered-mower-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Robotic-mower-saved-by-battrie-powered-mower-1-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932847\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The advantages and disadvantages of <keywordmarkbgr>using a <keywordmarkbgr>robotic<\/keywordmarkbgr> mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> in your <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care business?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>We will examine some of them here.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>At face value, the thought of pacing a <keywordmarkbgm>robot<\/keywordmarkbgm> on a customer&#8217;s <keywordmarkbgy>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgy> and then charging a weekly fee may sound like a good idea there are some drawbacks. When you look at the investment versus return it still does not quite have the numbers to make it work.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>While Most <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care operators would not hesitate to spend $2000 on a mower, there is one major drawback. A <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> will only service one property. A small round of forty clients would require forty mowers, laying the boundary and guide wires. A huge investment of time and money so the return wouldn&#8217;t be that great.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>If you were going to hire or purchase a mower at 5% over three years, your repayments would be around $60 a month. You have lost money if you are charging $700 a year for the job.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>I think there could be a lot of advantages in setting up <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> on customers&#8217; <keywordmarkbgy>lawns<\/keywordmarkbgy>, but I feel that the price would have to drop below $1000 a unit to make this variable for most <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care businesses.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Some of the advantages would be<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n\n<\/p>\n<li>You have a 24\/7 worker<\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>You could manage multiple machines one big job using your phone. Husqvarna has a <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mower<\/keywordmarkbgr> fleet service manager.<\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>There is a huge market<\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>It is cheaper than <a href=\"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/hire-someone-to-help-you-in-your-lawn-mowing-business\/\">hiring someone<\/a><\/li>\n<p>\n\n \n\n<\/p>\n<li>It is hard to find good workers in <keywordmarkbgg>traditional <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy><\/keywordmarkbgg> care businesses and machines just get on and work.\u00a0<\/li>\n<p>\n\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"t-1664864932848\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>There is already a <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care company leasing <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>The is a startup that is rolling out <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> across the US called Robin. This business started in 2016. They are using a franchise model so it may be an interesting option for an existing <keywordmarkbgy><keywordmarkbgr>lawn<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/keywordmarkbgy> care business to explore. The entry-level for this business at the time of writing is around $54K.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>This is a link to their franchise page if you would like to read more \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/mowbot.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mowbot<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Their current charge-out rate for <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr> starts at $99 a month.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"t-1664864932849\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">A new take on <keywordmarkbgr>robotic mowers<\/keywordmarkbgr><\/h3>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>There is another option that I haven&#8217;t talked about here.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>This is an interesting new development by a company that uses traditional equipment but replaces the drivers with <keywordmarkbgm>robots<\/keywordmarkbgm>.<\/p>\n<p>You can read more about that in this article about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.therobotreport.com\/electric-sheep-robotics-215m-autonomous-lawn-mowers\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Electric Sheep robotics.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>Now would you let one of these loose on your lawn?\u00a0That might be the way of the future.<\/p>\n<p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n<p>What do you think?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Pros and Cons of Using a Robotic Lawn Mower Who is this post written for? We will be looking at using a robotic mower for home use as well as lawn care business operators I will discuss the pros and cons for each in this article. As a lawn care business owner, I have [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3450,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,24],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=999"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3609,"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/999\/revisions\/3609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=999"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=999"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=999"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}