Traditional lawnmowers have been around far longer than robotic ones, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are more effective.
Traditional mowers face intense competition with the new generation of robotic lawnmowers on the scene.
There are advantages to both options, but robot lawnmowers are becoming increasingly popular, offering ways to optimize time, reduce manual labour, and automate repetitive tasks.
Robot mowers are very different from traditional lawnmowers—but how? And what are the benefits of switching to a robot option from a conventional mower?
If you’re looking for answers to these questions, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn more.
What Are Robotic Lawn Mowers?
Robotic lawnmowers are automated machines designed to eliminate the hassle of cutting grass. Unlike traditional lawnmowers, robotic lawnmowers do not require a person to push, pull or ride them to cut the grass.
Instead, these autonomous machines are equipped with special sensors and navigation systems (like GPS or Bluetooth) to identify where they need to mow and the obstacles they must avoid.
Powered by rechargeable batteries, robot lawnmowers don’t require gas, as many traditional mowers do. They’ll simply route themselves back to their charging stations when they’re out of power and need a recharge.
All of this means there’s virtually no human involvement required. At most, advanced models will need a bit of customization after purchasing to ensure the system works to your satisfaction.
When robot lawnmowers first came onto the market, they all required perimeter wires. Perimeter wires create physical boundaries below the ground surface or on the grass, outlining the lawn area you’d like to cut. The wires formed a magnetic field, sending signals to the mower to turn around when reaching the edge of your property.
Now, robot lawnmowers use more advanced technologies, eliminating the requirement for a perimeter wire. Options like the EcoFlow BLADE use high-precision GPS coordinates and X-Vision vision technology to stay within the mapped boundary, mow in an efficient pattern, and avoid obstacles like gardens, children, and animals.
Perimeter wire mowers are still popular options. But now, with virtual boundary options, there’s more freedom to choose the kind of robot mower that works best for your landscaping needs.
What Are Traditional Lawnmowers?
Traditional lawnmowers were once ubiquitous and are still commonly used around the world.
However, traditional push and riding mowers are getting upstaged by their robot counterparts due to the new breadth of features and lack of manual labour.
Also called push mowers/walk-behind mowers, or riding mowers, traditional lawn mowers are the most common type of grass-cutting machine.
Conventional mowers typically require a person to push them around the yard or ride on top and steer them to cut the grass.
Traditional lawnmowers use either gasoline or electric power. Gasoline-powered mowers have been around for decades and operate using a combustion engine that powers the blades.
They are more powerful and can cover larger yards more quickly. However, they’re also loud and emit as much greenhouse gases as a car.
Electric lawnmowers run on either cordless battery power or an extension cord plugged into an electrical outlet.
Battery-powered cordless electric mowers are becoming increasingly popular because of their convenience. Yet, they may be limited to smaller yards and can struggle to produce as powerful a cut as gasoline-powered mowers.
Electric mowers are much quieter than gas-powered ones and don’t produce greenhouse gas emissions when operating, making them more eco-friendly.
They also use less energy and require very little maintenance. However, they can take a long time to cut large yards and are more expensive to purchase.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Robotic Lawnmower?
If you’re stuck trying to decide between a robotic lawnmower and a traditional riding or push mower, here are a few benefits of using a robotic lawnmower to help you make your decision:
Flexibility
You can program your robot mower so it will only run at certain times of the day, and you can also customize the mowing settings, such as cutting height and frequency. It gives you complete control over your lawn’s appearance and mowing schedule.
Need to adjust the mowing schedule? Just reprogram it. Robot mowers like the EcoFlow BLADE use smartphone apps that make it easy to control and change processes on demand.
Reliability
Robot mowers have various safety features that prevent them from running into obstacles, pets, or people. They also have sensors that help them navigate the yard quickly and accurately — ensuring a consistent cut every time.
Safety
Sensors designed to avoid obstacles allow the mower to keep your grass cut consistently and help reduce the risk of accidents occurring while in use. Rest easy knowing your kids and pets are safe.
Plus, with models like the EcoFlow Blade that don’t require any perimeter wire, there are also no tripping hazards due to wires installed on top of the grass.
Less Maintenance
Unlike traditional lawnmowers, robotic mowers don’t require oil changes or spark plug replacements. All they need is a little charging, and you can be sure your lawn will always look pristine. There’s less need for human involvement altogether.
All you’ll need to do is spend a few minutes getting the machine set up after purchasing, then create a mowing schedule and let your robot mower take it from there!
Eco-Friendly
Batteries power robot mowers, so they don’t produce emissions or require gas to operate. It makes them an environmentally friendly option for lawn care compared to traditional gas-powered mowers.
Even one hour of use with a gas mower is environmentally damaging, emitting the same amount of nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds as driving a new car for 45 miles.
Convenience
You won’t have to worry about pushing a mower around your yard ever again!
With a robot mower, you can sit back and relax while it does all the hard work for you.
Spend hot weather days enjoying the sunshine and cold weather days warming up indoors. The lawn’s already taken care of and pristine without you lifting a finger.
Saves Space
Robot mowers are much smaller than traditional mowers — both push mower models and especially riding mower styles. Robot lawnmowers don’t have a push handle and only require the small mower and charging station.
Most only take up a few cubic feet of space to charge, leaving you plenty of space to use for other items.
Healthy Lawn
Advanced robot mowers can maintain the perfect height for your grass.
They can cut consistent paths in your yard, ensuring a healthy and lush look all year round and eliminating unsightly wheel divots or patches of grass you may miss if you’re pushing the mower yourself.
You can often adjust the blade and cutting heights on your robotic mower. However, once you start using your robot lawn mower, it won’t need to cut long grass; it will keep it at a lower height to maintain your well-cut lawn.
Quieter
Gas mowers are loud. Most have a rudimentary muffler that doesn’t dampen the sound. Their noise levels are often around 85 decibels, similar in volume to city traffic inside a car.
Robot mowers are much quieter than traditional ones. You won’t disturb your neighbourhood’s peace and quiet. For example, the EcoFlow BLADE produces less than 60 dB of operating noise — similar to the hum of a conversation.
While part of this is due to being electric-powered, it’s also due to the smaller size of the machine and its lower-profile operations.
Save Money on Maintenance
Robot mowers require less maintenance, so you won’t spend as much to keep them running.
No more worrying about refilling the gas tank or buying new blades, filters, and spark plugs, making them much cheaper to maintain than traditional mowers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Robotic Lawn Mowers Worth It?
If you value your free time, dislike the manual labour of cutting grass, want a healthy and clean-looking lawn, or care about the environment, robotic lawnmowers are worth it. Do your research to buy a high-quality model, then sit back and let your robotic mower do the work.
Final Thoughts
Robotic lawnmowers are becoming the go-to choice compared to traditional ones. They maintain your lawn without breaking the bank or sacrificing your free time. With all the benefits, it’s easy to see why they’re replacing traditional mowers.
If you’re looking for convenience, reliability, or eco-friendliness, check out the EcoFlow BLADE.
It’s the landscaping solution you’ve been waiting for to take back your time.