Buyer’s Guide to Lawn Roomba

Lawn mowers are as diverse as McDonald’s menu. Whether you search online or in a physical store, you will get dizzy from many choices, be it gas, battery, or electricity-powered.

Even for a tiny lawn or a backyard with a vegetable garden, there is a lawn mower to keep the grass in top condition. Put your regular grass cutter away and check out some of our recommended lawn mowers.

Buying a Lawn Mower: Things to Consider

There are many factors that you need to weigh before searching for effective Roomba lawn mowers. The robot that you need to buy must address the following issues:

Yard Size

First thing first- measure the area that the machine will mow. Measure only the square footage of the lawn, not of the property. Don’t include the house’s square footage, driveway, landscaping beds, and any other non-grass feature. The lawn area accounts for about half of a residential lot’s square footage, occasionally even less.

Light-duty lawn mowers are ideal for lawns up to 11,000 sq. ft; midsize robots for properties up to 22,000 sq. ft.; and big lawn mowers for a yard that measures 43,560 sq. ft.

Terrain Control

Regular robot mowers run on flat lawns and slopes with an inclination of up to 15%. A modern model is more adaptable in yards with gardens, stones, paths, and/or steeper slopes. For a tricky terrain, look for a brand with collision detection systems, GPS, multi-zone programming capabilities, and bigger and robust wheels.

Height of Mowing

The proper mowing height of the machine will depend on the grass type, weather conditions, and landscape. Warm-season grasses such as Bermuda, zoysia, and centipede need mowing when they reach 1 to 3 inches. Cool-season grasses such as fescue, bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass must be 2.5 to 4 inches tall to be ready for mowing.

Controls

A low-voltage electric perimeter boundary wire set at the lawn’s margins and around permanent impediments such as trees, posts, and buildings keep robot mowers in the yard. The tool’s computer program tells it when to mow and recharge. Simply configure the mowing schedule and blade height, and the lawn mower will handle the rest. Many robotic lawn mowers are Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi enabled, allowing you to program them via a smartphone app.

Battery Life and Power Source

Robot lawn mowers charge themselves automatically at a home base station. The base station provides the charging port and boundary wire hub. To keep the mower within boundaries, the same power source that charges the battery also provides a low-voltage current via the boundary wire. The electricity is supplied by a single power cord hooked into a nearby GFCI home outlet.

These mowers are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, while others are powered by lead acid batteries or other kinds. A robot lawn mower may run for 1 to 2.5 hours per battery charge, depending on its performance. Typically, batteries require 30 minutes to an hour to recharge. The typical battery life of a robotic lawn mower is three years.

Noise Levels

Robotic mowers create an average of 50 to 70 decibels, like the sound levels of a quiet refrigerator, a calm conversation, or the noise inside a 60-mph car. A gasoline-powered type is 50% louder than a robot lawn mower.

Security

Small lawn mowers can be easily stolen if they don’t have any security features. This is why several models require a personal identification number (PIN) before they turn on. Others include alarms, security warnings, and GPS tracking, which activates if the unit is removed from the owner’s property.

Security Features

Robot lawn mowers have safety essentials to keep the user and others in the cutting area safe. The machine moves gently so that pets, children, and others can avoid being hit. As the mower approaches a barrier, collision sensors pause or reroute it. An automatic shutdown prevents the blades from rotating if the machine is lifted. In addition, the mower features recessed blades set away from the machine’s edges to decrease the possibility of cutting hands and feet that get too close.

Weather Defense

Rain sensors on certain robot lawn mowers halt, skip, or delay planned mowing under wet conditions. In other robots, you need to change the schedule manually. Others connect to a weather app, which turns off the machine if the app can detect rain.

Our Top 5 Picks

In maintaining your yard, we recommend the following models:

Husqvarna Automower 315X

Husqvarna, a Swedish company famous for its outdoor equipment, provides a selection of robot lawn mowers of various shapes and sizes. Automower 315X is a high-end, feature-packed model. This model works with a smartphone app that allows you to start and stop the mower, track its progress, set schedules, and see where the machine is. It is user-friendly, has an excellent cutting performance, and has quiet operation.

Worx Landroid M 20V

Worx Landroid M 20V is known for its excellent performance, ease of use, and quiet operation. It has GPS and Wi-Fi connectivity and an amazing mobile app, earning it praises from many tech review sites.

However, Landroid is one of those models with connections on the body’s side rather than the front or rear. It must be correctly positioned when it’s being recharged; otherwise, it will continue tracking around the perimeter wire without stopping.

Honda HRN

The Honda HRN with a 166cc engine is a push-type mower. It has two cutting blades in a 21-inch stamped steel deck that can be adjusted with levers to provide the ideal cutting height for any season or terrain. It has a bagger attachment to collect clippings, but you can also use the mulching feature to re-feed the grass.

The wheels at the back are connected to the drive motor to propel the machine forward. You can adjust the pace with the clutch attached to the handle. Hold the throttle down and slide the button to get the ideal walking speed.

Ego Power+

Depending on your yard’s terrain, the machine will have 45 and 60 minutes of run time on a full charge, making it ideal for tiny suburban properties. It also has a bagger attachment for collecting grass cuttings and a mulching option for re-feeding your lawn between treatments. It has an adjustable throttle to match your walking speed. The side lever can adjust the cutting deck to 6 different heights.

Cub Cadet Ultima ZT1

Cub Cadet Ultima boasts a 50-inch, triple-blade cutting deck made of steel, making it ideal for expansive yards. It has a regular side discharge chute, but you may purchase a bagger unit or mulching kit to collect clippings easier or re-feed the grass. You may also buy a haul-behind wagon or snow plow attachment for all-year use, such as transporting bagged leaves or removing snow from the yard.

Read Also: 5 Benefits Of Ride-On Mowers