How Much Area Can A Robot Mower Cover?

Nobody has much free time anymore. Thus, people don’t want to waste those rare golden moments mowing the lawn. But you can’t just hire the neighbor’s kid for ten bucks to do the job. These days children have extra lessons, weekend sports activities, music recitals, and community service eating their time. Hence, the need for a robot mower. But how much lawn can they handle?

The area a robot mower can cover depends on the brand and model. Most non-commercial models are made to deal with yards that are an acre or less. However, there are commercial mowers that can deal with larger amounts. For example, the CEORA by Husqvarna can handle up to 12-acres.

Robot mowers move about people’s lawns like an outdoor Roomba. They run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Their length of operation and recharge time varies, as does the technology used to cut the grass. Hence, robot mowers have significant differences in their price. How much you need to spend will depend on the size of your yard and its configuration.

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Is My Yard Too Big For A Robot Mower?

Your yard is not too big for a robot mower. However, your yard might be too big for your friend’s robot mower. Before buying one for yourself, you need to assess your lawn. Two significant factors when selecting a model are:

How much area requires mowing?
How many areas need mowing?

Some robot mowers can only do 1/20^th of an acre and must be confined to a single patch. However, some models can handle large properties with multiple sections needing to be mowed.

In addition, not all robot mowers have the same programming capabilities. Some mowers can handle one area, and that is it. Others can easily be programmed to operate on three separate locations on a single property.

How Do I Measure My Lawn?

Property size and lawn size are never the same. Thus, you need to determine how much lawn you actually have before selecting a mower. There are various methods to do this, including:

Measuring by hand
Using Google Maps to measure
Using an app to measure
Using the plans for your property
Using a manufacturer’s “measure my lawn” website page
Having a robot mowing rep assess your property

Once you have measured your lawn, you will have the minimum area requirements for a robot mower. However, this number is only a starting point. It’s typically necessary to increase the estimated area by 30%.

Manufacturers often estimate the amount a robot mower can do based on ideal conditions: flat, perfectly square land with no obstructions or poor weather. They also assume the machine is working for a solid day, either cutting or charging. However, not all robot mowers are quiet enough for nighttime mowing. Also, there may be times or days you don’t want the mower zooming around the yard.

Thus, you will need to also factor in:

Any inclines the mower will have to navigate
Any places the mower has to double-cross to reach all parts of the yard
Any obstacles the mower has to travel around
How much time do you want the robot mower to be “off duty”

These factors not only require a mower with greater lawn coverage but can also require additional robot features.

How Much Slope Can A Robot Mower Handle?

Robot mowers can cope with a sloping garden. However, just as robot mowers have different lawn coverage areas, they vary in how much gradient they can handle.

Most robot mowers can cope with a 20% slope. A fair chunk can deal with up to a 45% gradient. However, while there are models that can have a 75% slope, they are rare and tend to be pricey.

Do Robot Mowers With Longer Cutting Time Mow More?

A robot mower with a longer cutting time does not necessarily cover a more extensive area. Robot mowers do not all cut grass at the same width or speed. The widths can vary from 7-inches to as much as two feet. Some mowers operate a single blade, while others have several.

Thus, a mower with a wider width and several blades can cut more in less time than a narrower model with a single blade.

Even mowers that cut at the same width do not necessarily cut at the same speed. For example, Greenworks Pro Optimow 50H Robotic Lawn Mower has 150 minutes of cutting time with half an acre of lawn coverage. On the other hand, the Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD has nearly an acre of lawn coverage but only 100 minutes of cutting time.

But with superior performance comes a significant increase in cost. The Husqvarna is nearly double the price of the Greenworks robotic mower.

Do Robot Mowers Take Longer On Bumpy Lawns?

Robot mowers do a faster job on smooth terrain. However, the more texture to a lawn, the bigger the “lawn coverage” is required. So while some bumps are not as big of a deal as a slope, they will add time.

Small holes made by vermin will also slow down a robot mower. In addition, depending on the hole’s depth, the machine might have to maneuver around it. Thus, it is best to fill in the holes to keep your mower working at top speeds.

Does The Shape Of A Lawn Impact The Robot Mower?

The shape of your lawn will impact the robot mower. Their lawn capacity is based on a square. This includes taking into account its need to dock and recharge between sessions, as it doesn’t mow the entire area in one go. Thus, a long and thin strip of grass will require a robot mower with a larger “lawn coverage” than the same amount of square-shaped land.

Conclusion

There are robot mowers to suit almost any size of the lawn. What type of robot mower you’ll need depends on the size of your yard, the number of obstacles, the degree of the slopes, and how many sections of lawn. In general, it is advised to purchase a robot mower with a lawn coverage of at least 30% more than your actual lawn area.

Links

https://www.robomow.com/blog/detail/can-the-robotic-lawnmower-mow-multiple-areas-or-zones

https://www.husqvarna.com/nz/learn-and-discover/is-my-lawn-suitable-for-an-automower/

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-robot-lawn-mowers