Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Worth the Investment?

Many people like to relax in their lush, perfectly groomed lawns. But did you know average mowing labour costs in the UK range from £12 to £50? That urges the need for smarter ways to manage the hassle: robotic lawn mowers. These compact machines automate the work of keeping your lawn tidy with less hands-on effort, with features like app controls, smart mapping and self-charging docks. Before you upgrade to a robotic mower, you might be wondering if they can truly replace traditional mowers and whether they are worth the money.

Are Robot Lawn Mowers Worth It?

Yes, robot lawn mowers are worth it if you're looking to save time, cut down on long-term expenses, and keep your garden looking consistently neat with less effort. A robot lawn mower is a portable device that trims your grass automatically. It follows a programmed route, cutting tiny amounts frequently.

Unlike traditional push or ride-on mowers, it operates quietly so you can sit back and relax while it does all the work itself.

To justify the investment, consider the convenience of how little attention they need from you. Once set up, you can schedule them and remotely control through an app. Perfect for medium to large gardens in typical British homes, they’re a smart and convenient upgrade for busy households.

What Are The Benefits Of Robot Lawn Mowers?

By automating lawn care, robot lawn mowers bring benefits from saving you time, take the hard work out of mowing, and even help your lawn stay healthy. Meanwhile, these user-friendly machines work quietly and require less maintenance compared to traditional models.

Automated Operation

Once you’ve set the schedule, the mower follows and trims your garden. You can manage everything from your phone, from changing the time, setting no-go zones like pools and flower beds, to adjusting the cutting height. Features like intelligent mapping, obstacle avoidance and self-charging dock, all help the device to operate smoothly by itself.

Saving Time

Instead of spending hours each week cutting grass, a robot mower frees you up for relaxing or spending on things you actually enjoy, like cooking a delicious meal for your family and friends.

User-Friendly

Robot mowers are simple to set up, and you can manage most functions through an app. Compared to standard push or self-propelled mowers, these robots are more user-friendly for older adults and individuals with mobility issues, who often find mowing a physically demanding task.

Quiet Operation

One of the main drawbacks of basic mowers is their noise, which results from the gas engine's combustion process. In contrast, mowing robots operate quietly thanks to its battery, giving you the freedom to run it during the day or even at night.

Eco-Friendly

Since they run on batteries, robot mowers don’t pump out emissions like gas-powered ones. Besides, the blades cut grass into fine pieces, which decompose quickly and return nutrients to the soil as a natural mulch, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers that can be harmful to the environment.

Less Maintenance

Maintenance of a traditional mower can be time-consuming with oil spills, fuel stains, or spark plugs in the gas engine. Plus, when its performance deteriorates, you may need to call for professional services to inspect the entire machine. Meanwhile, a robotic mower like GOAT O800 RTK only requires a simple flush to clean. When a certain component needs your attention, it will send an alert to your phone, saving you a lot of work.

Savings Over Time

While robotic lawn mowers come with a higher price tag, the upfront cost is worth it for the savings you'll enjoy later: saving on fuel, reduced need for service calls, and no more pushing a heavy mower in all weathers, which saves you effort and expense over time.

Improves Lawn Health

Frequent trimming is a fantastic way to encourage denser growth, stimulate root development, and prevent weeds from taking over. Robot mowers keep your garden groomed while also helping to prevent pests and diseases by promoting better air circulation within the grass.

What Are the Common Concerns About Robot Lawn Mower?

While robot lawn mowers benefits you and your garden in a lot of ways, it comes with a few drawbacks, and it's good to know what you're getting into. Things like the upfront cost, occasional upkeep, or how well they handle slopes and narrow paths, are all worth thinking about.

High Upfront Cost

With advanced technologies and AI-powered features, robotic mowers may initially seem pricey, with costs ranging from £500 to over £4,000.

However, it saves you a remarkable amount of time and physical effort. Plus, you won’t need to fuel them with gas or book service calls, making the overall cost easier to justify.

Maintenance and Repairs

Typically, these auto machines do not require your intervention except regular maintenance.

With GOATs, this part become simple since the waterproof material simplifies the cleaning process with just a quick flush. You also receive reminders and repair alerts via the app.

Battery Life

Powered by battery, some models may find it difficult to cut large gardens.

GOAT O800 RTK, on the other hand, cover up to 1/5 acre,cutting between 140 and 180 sqm per hour. It returns to the dock and charge when the battery level is low, then keep mowing from where it left off until the job is done.

Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance

Not all robots are great around flower beds or tight corners, but GOAT O800 RTK handle this well. Not only the LiDAR-enhanced RTK navigation (LELS) a 2cm positioning precision, but its intelligent edge recognition also supports navigation in narrow path as tight as 0.7m ¹ and slope climbing up to 24°².

To dodge obstacles like raccoon, its AIVI 3D Obstacle Avoidance can detect over 200 objects using AI Vision and 3D-ToF LiDAR, helping to trim along edges and maneuver tricky spots.

No Grass Collection

Due to its lightweight design, robot mowers often don’t bag clippings. Instead, the small bits they leave behind work as mulch, feeding your lawn naturally and cutting down on garden waste.

Weather and Seasonal Limitations

Generally, you should not mow a lawn when it's rainy or icy, as doing so can damage both the grass and the machine. The GOAT O800 RTK features an upgraded IPX6 waterproof rating that withstands exposure to all weather conditions, including the UK’s frequent rain.

FAQ

Disclaimer(s):

1. 0.7m: This refers to the experimental result operated by ECOVACS Laboratory, that ECOVACS GOAT O Family is able to go through the path as narrow as 0.7m. Actual result may vary depending on factors such as grass type, lawn size, terrain, and other environmental conditions.
2. Slope climbing up to 24°: This refers to the experimental result operated by ECOVACS Laboratory, the maximum slope of the GOAT O800 RTK working area is 45%, which corresponds to approximately 24°.