These robot lawnmowers look to be starting to make a big push into the US this year after getting into the big blue and orange boxes.

Anyone have any experience with them? Any brands that look to be worth the price?

Top tier Husqvarna robo mower is more expensive than a top consumer tier zero turn mower -- so are they good enough to reflect that expense?

On a more serious note, based on what I've seen on the Husqvarna website, I don't think they are quite ready for prime time. The Husqvarna models bounce around randomly like a Roomba.

The Honda model looks like it can be programmed to mow in different patterns.

As of now, doesn't look like there's great options for anyone looking for good lines.

My neighbor has one and it totally blows. He runs it every couple days but yet still has to mow normally. I'll watch it go over high patches or weed grass that sticks out real high and it does nothing.

Had a client wit one through a service (Robin, iirc.) Robot does the yard and they come edge and weedeat 2 times a month. She loved it and said it was cheaper than typical lawn services.

Setting something up to run remotely and follow gps tracks isn't terribly hard( done it both land, boat, and aerial vehicles), but when they fail, they fail badly. I think I'll take the little but of time a good zero turn takes to mow.

C@LAg said:

---

yeah, wait until some neighbor kid wanders into your yard to see the cool little robot thing, and somehow grabs the edge of the robot.....

kiss your homeowners insurance goodbye

---

They have very tiny blade wheels deep within the plastic core, any sort of tilt to the shell will shut it off. Pretty much impossible to get your hand under there. Still makes me a bit uneasy though.

Quote:

---

I want to know what prevents these things from getting stolen....

---

Nothing per se, but the Husqvarna won't operate without a preprogrammed PIN code that only the owner would have. If that doesn't render it useless, they also require buried guide wires and the charging base. Whoever steals it would basically just have a stolen brick sitting around.

Well, where I live people don't steal stuff for fear of being shot. But those things can't do very large lawns either from what I understand.

If it can avoid sprinkler heads it's doing better than most professional lawn services.

19 years on two lawns ! Friendly Robotics model . You must keep an eye on it - kids, stop problems .

Doesn't edge - once in a great while it will miss a small section .

Highly recommend - especially aged types like me !

Texags - so I figured there's be a few more "just do what your ancestors did and get a scythe" replies

But thanks to the few of y'all who had input. After looking at the basic info on the internet - I'm thinking the only reason I'm not seeing them everywhere is that they're expensive.

I figured it'd be like a Roomba and a battleBot had a baby -- but these things appear to do well (if you don't go cheap) - and even cover more than an acre of mowing.

Im not really seeing many people posting about having a bad actual experience with these machines - which is surprising due to the cost.

This is the stuff that cracks me up about the people who claim AI will take over in 10-20 years. I just don't believe we are anywhere close to having robots do anything extremely efficiently.

FriendlyAg said:

---

This is the stuff that cracks me up about the people who claim AI will take over in 10-20 years. I just don't believe we are anywhere close to having robots do anything extremely efficiently.

---

Well they can solve Rubik's Cube more efficiently and faster than humans

Whoopee, what else can that thing do? Looks like not a damn thing.

nai06 said:

---

FriendlyAg said:

---

This is the stuff that cracks me up about the people who claim AI will take over in 10-20 years. I just don't believe we are anywhere close to having robots do anything extremely efficiently.

---

Well they can solve Rubik's Cube more efficiently and faster than humans

---

As impressive as that is, I wouldn't exactly consider that AI.

I'm a big fan of robot labor. So far have two neato's in the house and a Dolphin in the pool. My problem with a robotic mower is you need a very specific yard configuration for it to work well.

I don't have a large amount of green space and it is all in sections. Two sections separated by a driveway in the front. Then two sections in the back yard separated by a gate and the two rear sections have a pool in the way. I doubt a robot mower can open and close gates or traverse past a pool effectively.

The one I saw from the service, had modified the fence by cutting a robot sized hole with a sensored gate thing. Did not go across the driveway.

Absolute said:

---

The one I saw from the service, had modified the fence by cutting a robot sized hole with a sensored gate thing. Did not go across the driveway.

---

Yeah my dogs would dig out of that hole in a day haha.

I would likely need two units to make it easy. Ah well I need the exercise anyway. Maybe in 20-30 years when I'm too old to mow they will be worth a damn.

KidDoc said:

---

Absolute said:

---

The one I saw from the service, had modified the fence by cutting a robot sized hole with a sensored gate thing. Did not go across the driveway.

---

Yeah my dogs would dig out of that hole in a day haha.

Mowing is what teenagers are for.
I would likely need two units to make it easy. Ah well I need the exercise anyway. Maybe in 20-30 years when I'm too old to mow they will be worth a damn.

---

Absolute said:

---

KidDoc said:

---

Absolute said:

---

The one I saw from the service, had modified the fence by cutting a robot sized hole with a sensored gate thing. Did not go across the driveway.

---

Yeah my dogs would dig out of that hole in a day haha.

Mowing is what teenagers are for.
I would likely need two units to make it easy. Ah well I need the exercise anyway. Maybe in 20-30 years when I'm too old to mow they will be worth a damn.

---

---

My son did it but he is 20 and in college now.

silverleaf said:

---

Texags - so I figured there's be a few more "just do what your ancestors did and get a scythe" replies

But thanks to the few of y'all who had input. After looking at the basic info on the internet - I'm thinking the only reason I'm not seeing them everywhere is that they're expensive.

I figured it'd be like a Roomba and a battleBot had a baby -- but these things appear to do well (if you don't go cheap) - and even cover more than an acre of mowing.

Im not really seeing many people posting about having a bad actual experience with these machines - which is surprising due to the cost.

---

No one has an opinion because we all have Mexicans who mow our lawns and don't need an AI lawnmower.

See the robot saves you 25/ week !

I enjoy mowing the grass. It's the edging that sucks!