Tag: Robotic lawn mower

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My Experiment With Budget Robotic Mowers (Mind Blown)

robotic mower comparison

Robotic lawn mowers are here to stay whether you like it or not. But they are REALLY expensive compared to a normal mower.

That’s why I went on Amazon and bought the three top selling robotic lawn mowers for under $1,000. Ones that are still in the reasonable price range that may make not having to go out into the heat and mow for an hour worth it. I put these to the test and had them do a three-way battle for the best cut for the best price.

The results were…interesting. Here are the three

budget friendly robotic mowers under $1,000, ranked:

  1. Husqvarna Automower 115 H Robot mower
  2. Worx Landroid S 20V WR 165 Robot lawn mower
  3. Gardena Sileno Minimo Robot mower

My experience with robotic lawn mowers

Frankly, I am just a normal dude who really likes mowers. I’ve used a billion gas powered push  mowers, dozens of battery powered mowers, but NEVER a robotic mower. Until now.

But I think that helps you realize I am not a biased source here. I do not have stake in a robotic mower company. I was not paid to create this review – and I didn’t even get these for free (am I doing something wrong?).

I know a thing or two about mowing the grass, though. And that will help me provide a super unbiased review of my experiences with these three robotic mowers. Let’s get started.

Testing out budget-friendly robot mowers

I looked at a few factors when ranking these mowers, so let me break down each one, how I tested it, and how it ultimately performed.

Breaking down the Worx Landroid S 20V Robotic Mower

The Worx Landroid is powered by a 20V battery, which took about 60 minutes to charge each time it made it back to the base station. This one is able to mow about ⅛ of an acre, or about 5400 square feet. If you have no clue or context for what that means in your lawn, you can go to www.measuremylawn.com and get it figured out really quickly.

The height adjustment on this goes all the way down to 1.5 inches all the way up to 3 inches, which is easily adjustable using a knob on the top of the mower. You may note right off the bat here that this isn’t an acceptable height for folks with tall fescue or other grass types that require you to mow high. At 1.5 inches, you’re at a great height for bermudagrass or warm season grasses. This one can also do a 20% slope, which was the lowest of the three. This means it isn’t a great mower for steep lawns or bumpy backyards. It also has a cutting width of about eight inches, which is less than half the width of a normal residential push mower.

This one is available on Amazon for sale right now for a really good price.

Gardena Sileno Minimo: Overview

The Gardena Sileno is the one I had the most reservations about going into this. I’ve done a ton of reviews of Worx products and Husqvarna products, but have never heard of Sileno. I had to get this one because it is one of the top sellers on Amazon for under $1,000.

Much to my surprise, this thing is manufactured by Husqvarna. The charging station even has “Husqvarna” written on the side. The Sileno Minimo takes about 65 minutes to fully charge and runs for about 65 minutes until it heads back into the charging station. Gardena’s Sileno Minimo covers about ⅛ of an acre, which is exactly the same as the Worx above.

The height setting on this one was tough, which cuts between 0.8 inches and up to 2.0 inches. This cut height is ideal for warm season grasses but will get you into major trouble for longer grass types, like transitional or cool season grasses (think Tall Fescue). 

This thing was tiny though – with a cutting width of about 6.5 inches which is well below the Worx which means it will take a while longer to cut the same amount of grass as the Worx above. At a really good price over on Amazon – this one is cheaper than the Worx and still in a decent price range. 

Lastly, I couldn’t really get the mobile app to work on this thing. 

Husqvarna Automower 115 H Robot Mower: Analysis

The Husqvarna Automower is the “OG” of the robotic mower space because Husqvarna has been at this for a while and has a full spectrum of more expensive (but better) robotic mowers.

The specifications on this one are quite a bit more impressive. It takes about 60 minutes to charge but can cover 0.4 acres, which puts it well above the Worx Landroid and Gardena Sileno Minimo robotic mowers. The Automower also had a noticeable speed difference and zoomed across my yard relative to the other two mowers.

The height adjustment settings on this one go from 2 inches to 3.6 inches – putting it in a much better category for cool season grasses and overall making it great for both cool and warm season grass. The Automower can also handle a slightly steeper slope – rating at 30 degrees of incline before spinning its wheels. 

Best of all, the Husqvarna Automower has a 9 inch cutting width which is the widest. It also comes in at the lowest price point – right at $700 on Amazon. 

Ranking Robotic Mowers Based On My Backyard Experience

Alright – now that I’ve provided an overview, here are my rankings of the most affordable robotic lawn mowers on Amazon.

3. The Gardena Sileno Minimo

It was basically unusable on my cool season grass so it didn’t get the best chance. Besides it not fitting my lawn, it was extremely buggy, the app never worked, and it was slow and tiny. Even in a short, warm season grass – this thing would be a total wimp compared to the other two.

When I first got it, I could barely get it to operate and spent a bunch of time on the phone with customer support who tried to get me to do a hard reset on it or plug it into my USB drive of my computer. It was a really hectic process and it ultimately couldn’t get the job done.

It also doesn’t have a screen so its hard to operate it without the app (which never worked). If you are interested in learning more, you can check it out on Amazon.

2. Worx Landroid S 20V Robotic Lawn Mower

Coming in at number two is the Worx Landroid. I liked the rugged look of this one but it only cuts up to about 3 inches, which isn’t going to cut it in my lawn. It also kept getting stuck and lost in my yard. It was essentially an expensive turtle that kept getting flipped over on its back. 

It made it through my lawn eventually, but needed a lot of support to get the job done. Overall, the power isn’t there with this one. I was able to download the app on this one that let me schedule the cuts and also had a funny “party” mode. 

I did like the height adjustment knob on this one that was really intuitive, but overall I can’t give the Landroid the number one spot. This one is still pretty good and goes on sale on Amazon from time to time.

1. Husqvarna Automower 115H Robot Lawn Mower

The Husqvarna Automower 115H took the top spot in budget robotic lawn mower rankings based on my experience. It looks sort of goofy, but I’ll be darned – the mower worked. As compared to the Worx, which stalled out a few times, the Husqvarna was really good at “unstucking” itself. Whenever it got into a tough or tight spot, it could always find its way out and never needed my assistance.

It was cutting so fast and often, which was surprising to me, but it did a great job and really turned me from a skeptic to a bit of a believer in robotic mowers. If you want to spend some more money, you can grab a better Automower – but for the money – this one cannot be beaten. 

You can grab this one for a really low price on Amazon, where I got mine.

Final thoughts: Would I use a robotic mower forever?

I really thought these things would totally suck and was happy to be proven wrong. The Husqvarna was pretty cool but also did a great job and my lawn looked awesome.

In the long term, I would not use a robotic mower. Regardless of how good of a job they can do, I love putting the sweat equity into my yard and doing it myself. If you’re like me, then you understand.

The basics of how these robotic mowers work

Here are a few things I learned that all of these things have in common. They are all way more alike than they are different, but have nuances that ultimately make one better than the other two.

  1. They’re basically giant Roombas with razor blades attached on a spinny disk
  2. They mow in random patterns all throughout your lawn
  3. They are almost constantly running when they aren’t charging
  4. Most require boundary wires to set up the perimeter (all of these do), but others use GPS technology to set a perimeter
  5. Your lawn gets cut…….eventually
  6. Each mower has all the controls you need on top of the mower itself 

Setting up the robotic mowers

Unboxing and setting up the robotic mowers was basically the same thing over and over again. The cheaper (under $1,000) robotic mowers all use boundary wires. I believe the high-end robotic mowers have some sort of GPS technology that keeps them in a defined area.

But these cheaper ones have boundary wires and stakes that are used to define the perimeter of your yard. You simply put the stakes into the boundary wire and hammer them down. You can bury them if you’d like, but I didn’t find that necessary as the grass and soil will overtake them after a bit of time passes. One major differentiator in this process is that the Husqvarna Automower and the Gardena Sileno Minimo both require a guidewire that tells the mower how to get back to the charger, whereas the Worx Landroid uses the outer perimeter wire to get it back home to the charger. 

Each of these robotic mowers had the exact same setup process – including the perimeter wire, stakes, and instructions on how to set up the mower via an app that they like you to download. One tip to keep in mind with the boundary perimeter wire is that you will want to be cautious not to clip it with your weed eater or edger. 

I have to give the advantage in this section to the Worx Landroid robotic mower. Not having to set up the guidewire back to the charging station made the process a bit more straightforward and saved me some time.

Common questions about robotic mowers

Here are some common questions I had before I bought and tested these robotic mowers.

How much does a robot lawn mower cost?

Robotic lawn mowers have extremely high ceilings, but for residential use you can grab one for $700-$5,000.

Are robotic lawn mowers worth buying?

Robotic mowers are worth buying if you hate cutting your grass and want to spend more time doing other things.

Why are robotic lawnmowers so expensive?

Robotic mowers have a ton of tech inside that make them really expensive despite being so small.

What are the disadvantages of a robotic mower?

Robotic mowers have limited cut heights, don’t cut your lawn in a specific pattern, and can be quite expensive.

Do robot mowers cut well?

Robot mowers actually cut pretty well but not in a specific pattern.

How long do robot mowers last?

The jury is still out, but robot mowers likely last between 5-7 years.

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Ultimate Robotic Lawn Mower Buying Guide

Robotic lawn mowers still seem like a crazy concept, but just about every major mower manufacturer is moving in this direction. If you’ve ever used a robotic vacuum, you can understand what is appealing about a robotic lawn mower. 

You set it and forget it. You can leave for work and come home to a clean floor, or in this case, a mowed lawn. 

So we spent weeks scouring the internet, talking to manufacturers, and reviewing trends to compile the ultimate buying guide for robotic lawn mowers. We will also take a look at some of the robotic lawn mowers from all of the major brands. 

Bottom Line: Robotic lawn mowers are here to stay and will only improve in technology. My favorite robotic lawn mower that I have tested is the Husqvarna Automower because it is super durable, efficient, and hassle-free. You can grab it for a great price on Amazon.

Ready? Let’s get started.

What to look for in a robotic lawn mower

Robotic lawn mowers are becoming more common and look and sound the same, except they have drastic variations in price. Yikes. So how do you know what to look for when comparing? I’ll say a big part of this comes down to convenience and the associated bells and whistles, but here are definitely some non-negotiables. 

Cutting height and width

Please don’t buy a robotic lawn mower that can’t cut your grass. Sadly, there are some options out there that max out at 2.5 inches of grass length. If you have fescue or other transitional grasses that are supposed to stay at least 2.5 inches long, you will be in steep trouble.

Cutting height and width of robotic mowers is extremely important for assessing how the machine will be able to cut your lawn. The bigger cutting height, the taller the grass it can take. Measure twice, buy once. 

Width is also a consideration. The average push mower width is about 21 inches. Most of these robotic mowers are less than a foot wide, often boasting cutting widths of 9 inches or so. Take this  into account if you have tighter nooks and crannies or a wide open yard. The larger the cutting width, the more efficient the mower will operate.

Run-time and maximum yard size

Robotic mowers operate using a rechargeable battery. They can’t run all day without having to charge. If you have a larger yard, there may be times when the mower has to stop mid-way through a cut to recharge for over an hour. Not the best time to have visitors over with a half-mowed lawn! 

Most robotic lawn mowers have the recommended yard size displayed, so make sure it vibes with your yard size. 

Ease of use

This is a super broad category, but how easy is this to use. The number one reason people buy these is because they want to take mowing their lawn off of their plate. If the robotic mower is adding a bunch of set-up time, moving around, re-calibrating, etc. it may be more trouble than it’s worth. 

The set-up process is generally laborious for every one of these. Many also come with an app that notifies you of the job progress. Make sure these are seamless to use and make your life easier, not more complex.

Safety features

Obviously super important to have a safe robotic lawn mower. The last thing you need is a puppy puree after a horrific robotic mower incident. Each of these have safety features but make sure they are thoughtful about your specific needs: kids, animals, gardens or anything else of importance. See if there’s a way to have a remote kill-switch to make it stop on command. 

Needs to be safe for these little guys!

Advantages of robotic lawn mowers

Robotic lawn mowers can be EXTREMELY convenient. Once they’re some of the coolest tools on the planet, with a few exceptions. If everything is humming along nicely, you can get your yard mowed to the exact specifications without lifting a finger – and it can even mow in the rain. 

Here are some advantages to robotic lawn mowers:

  • Able to cut lawn to exact length
  • Quiet and can mow at night
  • Connect to your smartphone or even Alexa
  • Self-charging feature available
  • Able to mow in the rain
  • Can connect to other apps to sync up with watering schedule
  • Tons of safety features

Disadvantages of Robotic Lawn Mowers

Robotic lawn mowers are really cool tools, but with every rose comes a thorn (or more). Let’s check out some of the downsides to owning a robotic lawn mower:

  • Expensive, much more than traditional mowers (5-10x)
  • Difficult to install
  • Can’t bag your grass well
  • Can’t stripe your lawn (runs in random patterns)
  • Unknown durability
  • Unable to perform most maintenance yourself

Robotic mowers essentially take away the control you have over your yard. Similar to robotic vacuums, they often run in random patterns, which means your grass will get cut but not appear in neat rows. This also doesn’t replace trimming and edging your yard, which are the final steps of making a decent looking lawn. 

The Future of Robotic Lawn Mowers

Despite some of the negatives associated with robotic lawn mowers, their future is promising. Just about every lawn tool brand we’ve spoken with (including Greenworks, Husqvarna, Worx and more) are investing heavily in autonomous lawn mowers. Worx even recently announced an upgrade to their top-seller Landroid model that includes a neural network. And these are not just for homeowners.

Massive dollars are flowing into commercial, robotic mowers that simply require landscapers to drop them off in certain locations and pick them up when the yard is done. A future landscaping company might simply be setting robotic mowers in various properties, then picking them up at the end of the day. 

Thanks to the folks at Custom Market Insights!

Robotic lawn mowers as a percent of the total lawn mower market are expected to dominate, growing from a sliver of the market today to around a quarter. The overall market growth is extremely impressive as people look to save money on lawn care by ditching landscapers and going robotic.

There also may be new lawn tool entrants from companies like Shark or iRobot who already have the technology to create a safe, smart sensor that could create a safer robotic mower. 

4 Best Robotic Lawn Mowers: 2024 Edition

Now that we have a good picture of what you’re going to get with a robotic mower, let’s break down some of the best residential robotic mowers on the market. Obviously quality is important here, but I want to make sure it’s balanced by still being relatively affordable. 

1. Husqvarna Automower 115H

While this robotic lawn mower isn’t the fanciest one on the market, it has all of the bare minimum basics at an extremely affordable price. When I think of Husqvarna products, I automatically assume high quality but also higher price. 

But man, the Automower is changing the game. For reference, Husqvarna has some robotic mowers that go for about 10x the price of the 115H. While it is designed for smaller yards less than half an acre, it can handle tall fescue and other grasses up to 3.5 inches tall. This is going to be great for those of us that live in transitional or cool season grass zones.

Grass zones to help explain robotic mower length.

Here are a few other features we liked about the Husqvarna Automower 115H:

  • Automatically makes its way back to the charger
  • Super quiet
  • Onboard display lets you set the schedule directly on the mower
  • The price
  • Theft protection
  • Control from any app-capable device
  • The price…again

So for a robotic mower, this is a really good price. For a Husqvarna robotic mower, this price is ludicrous. If you are wanting a low-risk way to dip your toe into the water, this is the easiest and most affordable way to get quality. 

You can grab this straight from Husqvarna or get it on Amazon for a really good price.

2. Worx Landroid L Series Robotic Mower

Worx is the biggest surprise of the bunch. The tool company known best for making products that are affordable and light-duty randomly came out with a really, really nice robotic mower. What I love about Worx’ Landroid L model is that it uses rechargeable batteries that can also be used with their other lawn tools. Not only does this help it run for a long time (up to ½ acre), but can be popped off when you need to use a Worx weed eater or other Worx tools.

Landroid is popular!

Worx was way ahead of the game when they started working on robotic mowers, and many thought they were crazy. But their Landroid series is one of the most popular (if not the most popular) robotic mowers on the market. They have several different models as a part of their Worx Landroid S series as well, which we’ve reviewed and compared extensively.

The main downside to the Landroid is the same common downside to a lot of robotic mowers – you have to lay a wire to help it way-find around the yard and back to the charger. Newer, auto-sensing robotic mowers will become the wave of the future.

Either way, the Worx Landroid robotic mower is a great starting point and can be found on Amazon for a really competitive price.

3. Stihl iMow RMI 422 PC-L Robotic Mower

I love Stihl’s line of products outside of their recent battery-powered line. But it looks like they’ve actually put quite a bit of thought into their new iMow Robotic mower. It is definitely one of the more tech-enabled robotic mowers on the market, giving you a peek into the future of this technology.

The Stihl iMow is unique in that it has cellular connection that lets you control it from just about anywhere – including your phone. You can program it to have certain active times where it can quietly mow your lawn. This is a great feature for the middle of the night to ensure your lawn gets mowed without worrying about kids or animals being in the yard.

Love that they come install it.

Stihl will come install this in your yard (for a price), which makes the most painful part about robotic mowers totally gone. 

One major downside to the Stihl iMow is that it will be best for warm season grasses that stay shorter but thrive in the summer. If you have a taller grass like fescue, this will not maintain it at the appropriate length. 

4. Greenworks optimow 50H Robotic Lawn Mower

Greenworks is one of our favorite brands for traditional battery-powered lawn tools so we were not surprised to see their optimow robotic mower in our top five. One thing that I consistently love about Greenworks’ products is their commitment to quality on the essentials.

Really high quality motor.

The Greenworks optimow robotic mower has an intelligent TruBrushless mower, which is at it’s core the best motor for battery-powered tools. My other favorite part about this mower is that it is designed for transitional and cool season grasses, so it can easily maintain tall fescue and others that Stilh’s iMow cannot handle. It gets more intense:

  • 32 height options (somehow)
  • Can navigate as narrow as 2 feet
  • Blades that self-pivot away from hard objects
  • App connectivity and GPS (in case of theft)

This thing is sweet and if I know the guys at Greenworks (I do), then I know that they are going to be jumping to the number one spot VERY soon across all robotic landscaping equipment. 

You can grab their mower from their website (we have no affiliation) for a great price.

Common questions about robotic mowers

As experts in the field of all things outdoor power equipment and battery-powered lawn tools, we are often asked by journalists and industry specialists about robotic mowers. We’ve started compiling a list of the most common questions that we will continue to expand upon over time. 

How do robotic lawn mowers work?

Most robotic lawn mowers use guidewires that set the perimeter that they can mow and guide them back to the charging station. 

They then mow random patterns within the perimeter until the job is complete, taking several hours each day over the course of a week to complete. They are essentially always running on the schedule you set to maintain the height of the grass.

Newer technology from companies like iRobot will allow for sensing the area without the use of guidewires, which will be a huge step up in future models.

How much does a robotic lawn mower cost?

Robotic lawn mowers start at a little over $500 and up to $5,000 (or more).

Each company has several different models where cutting width, run-time, and programmability all impact the cost of the robotic mower. 

What are the safety features for robotic lawn mowers?

Most robotic mowers have safety features that will stop the blades when the mower is lifted or otherwise disturbed.

These mowers also have self-protective mechanisms that prevent them from taking on water damage. To keep them in a specific area, the use of guidewires as boundaries ensure they don’t wander off and cause damage.

How do the sensors work on robotic lawn mowers?

Many robotic mowers still don’t have great sensors for determining the boundary of the yard, but do use underground guidewires that serve as an “invisible fence”. Some robotic mowers have sensors that can indicate moisture and predict rain. There are even other sensors that help stop the blades when the mower is picked up.

Are robotic lawn mowers worth buying?

Robotic mowers are worth buying if you are a tech nerd who prefers to not spend time mowing their lawn.

It totally depends on how you view your yard work. I prefer to mow my lawn myself because I’m obsessed with the aesthetic of having a striped lawn. But for those that can’t stand spending their weekends doing yard work, then robotic mowers can be a great option.

How long do robotic lawn mowers last?

Robotic lawn mowers have not been around very long, so it’s hard to say. The first thing to go will likely be communication issues with the ground wires and the sensing technology, especially if the robot has a brushless motor. 

In my experience, the network connection can be spotty and less reliable – which I believe will be the least reliable function of robotic mowers in the long run, until new technology is readily available.

Why we review lawn tools

The reason we started this website in the first place was because we had so much trouble trying to find reasonable, understandable, honest reviews for lawn equipment. And it’s not cheap! After hours and hours of research, trying products and returning them, and messing up our yards – we started this site. 

How we spend our time.

As people who had to learn the hard way, we want you to know exactly what you are signing up for before you purchase a piece of equipment. That’s why we are committed to providing honest, easy-to-understand reviews that mean something. 

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