Ranking of the best robotic lawn mowers for 2020

Taking proper care of your garden is not an easy job. However, thanks to robotic mowers, it can turn from a troublesome occupation into a pleasure. Robotic lawn mowers differ from standard lawnmowers, first of all, by their almost complete independence, because the word “robot” itself implies that the device is capable of operating autonomously. An automatic lawn mower can itself determine the start and end time of work, and the owner should only set a conditional schedule and approve the boundaries of the area to be cultivated. Creating such a scenario for the car will be enough to make the grass in the garden look like it is being looked after by a professional gardener.

Lawn mower robots: general information

All the work of the robotic mower is almost imperceptible and silent. The only proof that a robot was working on the site is the neatly and evenly trimmed grass cover. The owner of the lawnmower can stop the robot at any time and redirect it to another site or change the operating mode. Regular models are controlled from the base station, while premium models can even be controlled using a smartphone from anywhere in the world.

The considered automated lawn mowers on the domestic market appeared relatively recently, but have already gained popularity among certain segments of the population. In addition to their complete autonomy, they are also capable of cutting grass with high quality: spent grass stalks do not fly in all directions around the site (like in manual gasoline mowers), but remain a neat path behind the robot and soon turn into useful fertilizer. Their cutting block rotates very quickly, so the cut grass is transformed into an extremely fine cut (mulching effect), so there is no need to remove the cut stems later.

The robotic mowers are powered by rechargeable batteries. Artificial intelligence independently calculates the future load, depending on the conditions set by the owner of the scenario (grass height, processing area), and if it does not have enough charge, it will promptly drive up to the base to recharge, and then continue the program.At the same time, it should be noted that quite powerful batteries are used even in budget models.

Prerequisites for efficient operation of the robotic mower

The most important condition is that the site must be very even - slopes are permissible, but pits and various small obstacles in the form of stones, bumps, small garbage heaps are extremely contraindicated for an "automatic gardener", because they can easily damage his main tool - rotating knife. In principle, a similar main condition can be attributed to any lawn mower, and for robots, specific conditions are also needed:

• The grass that needs processing should not initially be tall - smart machines mow the lawn often, but little by little;
• It is necessary to limit the area to be treated in advance - for this, a special cord is used, which is supplied in the kit. It is laid along the boundaries of the processed area and the robot will not be able to cross it. The cord is usually painted green and is hardly noticeable on the lawn. Moreover, after a year it grows into the ground and does not spoil the appearance of the site at all.

Routing the restraint cord is the most time-consuming procedure when preparing a robot for work. It should be borne in mind that it must be laid in relation to pedestrian paths and terraces so close that the machine does not damage its knives and their hard surface. The same applies to the walls of outbuildings - from them the cord must be laid at a distance of about 30 cm. Large flower beds, water obstacles (for example, ponds) are also limited for the automatic assistant at the same distance. But freestanding trees with a small trunk diameter can be skipped - the automatic sensors are able to identify such obstacles on their own and avoid a collision. The principle of operation of the limiter cord is that a small magnetic pulse passes through it, which signals the robotic mower about the distance to the border. The automatic gardener uses the same cord to find his way “home”, that is, to the base station for programming and recharging.

Design and technical features

The machines are usually wheeled, equipped with rotating blades for cutting grass and have a high-strength and shock-resistant housing. The case is designed to protect the internal components and mechanisms of the device from negative external influences, and also prevents possible contact of a person or animal with rotating knives. The robot body contains:

• Electric motor;
• Battery;
• Working knives;
• Various sensors;
• Control controller.

The power supplies used in modern models are equipped with a powerful and durable battery that can withstand multiple charging cycles. In some ways, it can be compared with a power bank for smartphones, because the dimensions allow it to be maximized for efficiency. In its manufacture, as a rule, lithium-ion compounds are used.

Several electric motors are installed in the design of the device at once - some are responsible for movement, the second - for the rotation of moving knives. This separation of control allows for better performance.

The brain of the apparatus is the control controller. The main functions (for example, the need for timely recharging) are set by the manufacturer by default, while others (for example, the time and area of ​​processing, the height of the grass cut, the turning angle in the event of an obstacle) can be set by the user.

The wheels of the machine are equipped with lugs, so it is able to move both on dry and on wet ground. With their help, he overcomes steep climbs and also gently descends from them. Often the large rear wheels are driving, while the small front wheels are responsible for maneuvering.

Sensors used in robotic lawn mowers

Sensors are installed in their design, which are responsible for:

• Detection of the boundaries of the processed area;
• Interaction with the cord-limiter;
• Identification of an already processed area of ​​the territory;
• Determination of any unplanned obstacle with a height of more than 10 centimeters (by and large, if the site is surrounded by a fence, then this function can work as a limiter of the processed boundaries);
• Detection of rainy weather - if frequent drops hit the device case, it will receive a command to immediately return to its base station and turn off. Premium models can even send information about the beginning of rain to the owner in the city on a mobile phone. At the same time, there are modern samples that have such a moisture-resistant case that they can continue to work in hail and rain;
• Recording the fact of the apparatus overturning in case of an accidental collision with a low obstacle - in this case, the rotation of the knives instantly stops in order to avoid their breakage;
• Detection of unauthorized use - indeed, the robot is very easy to steal - you can just pick it up and carry it away. But it is practically impossible to use it on another base, because the device has a "friend or foe" identification system. In case of an attempt to use the robot on a foreign base, it can send an SMS message to the owner about this with its GPS coordinates and stop working. A similar security system is installed on expensive models. Cheaper options recognize their base by a password: that is, the robot simply will not work with the new base until a new password is entered.

Among other things, the majority of modern manufacturers have developed a special mobile application for their lineup, which allows you to fully control the “smart gardener” remotely using a smartphone or computer. Through it, you can track the battery level, the percentage of completion of the current task, and even manually move the robot around the site.

Basic technical nuances and parameters

Power - the higher the value of this parameter, the higher the productivity of the device and the wider the cutting width.

Time to mow - it is limited by several factors. It is not recommended to give large volumes of work to the machine when it is raining and the grass becomes damp. The point is not that the auto-gardener will not be able to mow it, but that such grass is poorly mulched and, accordingly, will then rot for a long time, "shining" on the freshly mown lawn with dark heaps. The same applies to setting the mowing time for early morning, when the grass is abundantly watered with drops of morning dew.

Cutting height - this parameter must be set depending on the used model of the device and the lawn grass cover. Usually, robotic mowers cut grass at the level of 20 - 30 millimeters, the most powerful models are able to reach the bar of 60 - 80 millimeters. It is always worth remembering that each variety of ornamental grass for a lawn has a certain limit, below which it cannot be cut. Otherwise, it will begin to dry out and instead of a green grass carpet, there will be yellow straw. Typically, no more than one third of the grass must be cut for normal healthy growth. To adjust the height of the knives in expensive models, a corresponding function is provided in the menu on the base or in the application, and in more budget versions, the height will have to be adjusted manually using tools.

Mulching and used knives

Mulching is the process of finely cutting the cut grass. Robots do not pick up the grass behind them, but leave it behind, so the grass must be chopped to such an extent that small residues of it must lie between the stems so that they are not visible on the lawn. It is they who will serve as future humus. The degree of mulching is directly dependent on the power of the engine and the knives. Knives should be made of durable material, have an optimal shape for a particular grass cover, be perfectly sharpened, and have a long cutting edge. The quality of mulching will also increase with a special deck, that is, the cavity above the knives in the body of the apparatus.The deeper this cavity is, the more efficient the grinding is.

There are two types of knives in robotic mowers - floating, which are a disc with drop-down blades and all-metal in the form of a cross or an asterisk. From the point of view of mowing quality, all-metal ones will be preferable to drop-down ones. But it is very easy to damage them if the robot runs over an accidentally left rake or falls on a short but hard stone or a fragment of a brick. However, both knives are usually made of high-strength stainless steel. Among other things, the all-metal knives, made in the form of a star, do an excellent job both with a chopper function and with a fan function for sucking in stems. But floating knives do not require additional chopping - they already cut the grass finely.

Cutting area boundaries

All "smart gardeners" are designed for the processing of a certain area - this information is indicated in their characteristics. There are models that are capable of mowing complex patterns on the lawn. In any case, the area of ​​operation of the machine must be limited by a special cord-border, one end of which must come out of the base station, and the other must adjoin it. If there are several mowing areas on the site, which are crossed by footpaths, then to cross them using the same cord, it is necessary to lay a corresponding passage with a width of at least 1.5 meters. Further, on the base, it is necessary to mark this area with a special marker, as it does not require processing - when driving over it, the robot will turn off the rotation of the knives.

Small recommendations for choosing a robotic lawn mower

All parameters of the future automatic assistant must fully correspond to the volume of the intended work and the type of grass and the area where it is required to use it. Thus, a super-intelligent machine with multiple sensors is not required for a compact area with little field and little or no obstacles. It is quite possible to get by with a minimal set of functions. Experts advise purchasing premium models when the area of ​​the processing area exceeds 1000 square meters and it has the character of rough terrain (the presence of outbuildings, large trees, pedestrian paths, etc.). In general, close attention should be paid to the following criteria:

1. Machine power - the larger the area, the more power the robotic lawn mower will need.
2. Mowing width - if the plot has a relatively regular rectangular shape and a minimum of transitions and obstacles, then it is advisable to choose a model with a wide grip of the mower. If there are many transitions and irregular shapes on the site, then it is better to use smaller knives.
3. Features of the deck (the plate on which the knives are fixed) - the floating option, when hitting a small obstacle, will fold the knives on its own and turn off, thereby protecting the electric motor from overheating. However, this function is not needed if the area is permanently clean and level.
4. Additional functions - edge strut, rain sensor, tamper alarm, “tall grass” sensor - these functions will greatly simplify your work. However, the price of the device will increase significantly.
5. Applied batteries - experts recommend using lithium-ion technology, ie batteries "without memory", which can be recharged at any time.

Ranking of the best robotic lawn mowers for 2020

5th place: ROBOMOW RX20U

This sample is distinguished by its special cross-country ability, which is completely unusual for a two-wheeled budget robot. With its two wheels, it perfectly overcomes shallow holes and bumps. The developers have tried to fit into the economy model and the ability to mow in reverse, and the ability to work on two sites, and remote control using a smartphone. Only a small bevel width and low productivity upset. There is also no bevelling function.

• Lots of features for a budget option;
• Low price;
• Remote control method.

• Small bevel width;
• Low productivity.

4th place: GARDENA SILENO CITY 250

This mower droid won the award-winning Red Dot Design Awards in 2019 for Best Value for Money. The judges emphasized its ease of use, solid materials of workmanship and sufficient performance. A special merit was called the minimum noise level that the droid produces during operation - only 58 dB. At the same time, it is able to handle compact areas - up to 250 sq. m., perfectly bypasses the winding footpaths. The base LCD menus are extremely informative and intuitive to navigate.

• The best price / quality ratio;
• Ability to bypass irregular shapes of the cultivated area;
• Informative menu.

• Not identified (for its segment)

3rd place: WORX LANDROID M WR142E

The model is specially designed for the treatment of areas up to 700 square meters, with the correct shape. To improve performance, the machine is equipped with a reinforced lithium-ion battery suitable for the entire range of robotic mowers. A 3-blade cutting system is installed in the body, which improves the quality of mulching. Additionally, the droid has an ultrasonic sensor that allows it to detect small obstacles at an impressive distance. The system used is equipped with a GPS tracker to protect against theft.

• Improved mulching;
• Anti-theft protection;
• Ultrasonic sensor of small obstacles

• He prefers to work only with the correct shapes of the squares.

2nd place: STIHL IMOW RMI 422 P

The main advantage of this robot is its ability to perfectly overcome all kinds of irregularities in the landscape. When a slope of up to 40 degrees is detected, the adaptation of traction to the angle of inclination is automatically turned on - thus, the device may well cut even a bump. In addition, it has reinforced collision sensors, and will turn away from a large obstacle in advance. There are also forced shutdown and anti-theft functions. Works remotely only with Macintosh platforms.

• Slope detection sensor;
• Anti-theft protection;
• Forced shutdown function.

• Works remotely only on devices running iOS.

1st place: CAIMAN AMBROGIO L200 CARBON

A premium model that implements almost all the additional functions known to date. The robotic mower is capable of handling slopes up to 45 degrees, the total processing area can reach three kilometers. It is not afraid of irregularly shaped areas, equipped with four self-sharpening blades. The body contains two powerful lithium-ion batteries. It is controlled both from the base and from a smartphone, as well as from a remote control with an LCD display. The robot's body is made of lightweight, but durable carbon fiber - the device is not even afraid of hail and heavy rain. The sample is equipped with brushless type electric motors, which means a long service life. The manufacturer's warranty has been extended to 5 years!

• Full versatility;
• Five-year warranty;
• Dual rechargeable battery;
• Many additional features;
• Durable carbon fiber housing.

• Very, very high price;
• High weight (twice the standard model).

Instead of an epilogue

It is worth noting that the robotic lawn mower is, first of all, designed for people who do not like digging in the ground and prefer to spend time in the garden exclusively for relaxation. Undoubtedly, in this case, the "smart gardener" will become an irreplaceable assistant. Its functionality, in principle, can be compared with a home robot vacuum cleaner, which was also created for people who do not like general cleaning. The devices can be purchased directly from manufacturers or from authorized dealers on Internet sites - this way you can save on retail price differences.