Our Experiment: The Best Robot Lawn Mower and Remote Control Mower

Technology has progressed beyond belief in the past few years. With artificial intelligence, reusable rockets, and virtual reality becoming more advanced every day, it's natural to look outside and wonder if it's time to upgrade your trusty lawn mower. Scouring the internet, it's easy to find robot lawn mower reviews from American homeowners — our team at Mowrator is here to bring you a different perspective.

How does the modern automated mower perform under the careful eye of a lawn mower business with decades of experience in robotics and AI? Let's put the Husqvarna Automower 115H Robotic Mower, Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD, and Mowrator S1 Remote Control Lawn Mower 4WD to the test and review them.

Key Takeaways

• Most robot mowers work with a boundary wire, which is often difficult to set up without professional installation.
• GPS robotic lawn mowers offer greater flexibility, but still suffer from malfunctions, unintuitive software, and high prices.
• Remote control lawn mowers strike a balance between being easy to use and allowing the control that appeals to many modern U.S. homeowners.

Are Robot Mowers with Boundary Wires Useful?

 

Yes, robot mowers with boundary wires are useful. If you started with a typical gas-powered push mower, the idea of a robot mower that takes care of your lawn care likely sounds fantastic. No more walking under the hot sun, slowly going deaf as the guzzling engine shreds through your grass — your handy robot mower takes care of it now.

Sadly, when it comes to a robot lawn mower that uses boundary or perimeter wire, that's not always the case. We reviewed the Husqvarna Automower 115H Robotic Mower, an automated lawn mower that impressed us in certain respects, but clearly had limitations. Let's start with the positives:

• The Husqvarna saves a lot of time around the yard. This is echoed online, with a Reddit user noting that they freed up 4 hours every 2 weeks on lawn maintenance.
• The Husqvarna Automower 115H Robotic Mower is quiet, has a high cut quality, and is relatively inexpensive at $699.99 for the 4G version and $1,199.99 for the Bluetooth option.

In our tests, it proved pretty great for smaller lawns around 0.4 acres. However, we continually felt its lack of Wi-Fi connectivity and GPS was limiting. You may feel powerless with this autonomous mower, which brings us to the most prominent negative aspects of the Husqvarna Automower 115H Robotic Mower:

• The setup time and work required for the boundary wires are extensive. If you have an irregular shaped lawn, setting up the wire around your lawn by yourself can take very long and be extremely frustrating.
• If you don't chip in for professional installation, you'll likely mess up the mapping around the edge and just give yourself more work to do.

If you're planning to purchase one of the new robot mowers, it's best to avoid models that need a boundary wire. While the robot mower can handle itself fine once you've set it up, it's difficult to get right. The mower might get stuck, lost, or mow your garden if the wire to keep it enclosed is not set up properly.

Should I Get a Robot Lawn Mower with GPS?

Yes, purchasing a robot lawn mower that uses GPS technology offers several advantages over mowers that require installing a physical boundary wire. We took a look at the Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD for you, an entirely autonomous robot lawn mower that works without perimeter wire. Overall, the introduction of a GPS system makes your life a lot easier for lawn care.

Models like the Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD and Segway Navimow i110n are great robot lawn mowers, boasting a wide cutting width (15 inches) compared to most other robot mowers and GPS RTK navigation. This navigation system is a game changer that lets the mower move around your lawn without missing spots or wandering outside assigned borders. If you're like us, you still hardly let the mower out of your line of sight in fear of the worst.

Robotic lawn mowers with GPS still have their drawbacks, however, so you may experience the following issues when you mow the lawn with models like the LUBA 2 AQD and Segway Navimow:

• Software and connectivity issues
• Overheating battery at high temperatures
• High price
• Difficult-to-use software

Are Remote Control Lawn Mowers Better than Robot Mowers?

Yes, some remote control lawn mowers provide superior slope handling, precision cutting, and ease of use when compared to robot mowers — significant features that will affect your mowing routine. When you look for a mower, you may begin to see remote control lawn mowers advertised alongside the best robot mower on the market today. In our review, we also took a look at how our own S1 Remote Control Lawn Mower 4WD held up against the robot mowers in independent online reviews.

The Mowrator S1 4WD has several amazing features that put it on par with any robot mower around today, including its all-wheel drive system, slope handling of up to 75% (37°), and intuitive remote controls. We received a stellar review from PCMag which mentioned our S1 4WD's ability to mow through tough grass — even on a 30° slope in their neighbor's yard.

What's more, you can control the mower more precisely than a robot lawn mower and reap the benefits of your expertise. Driving the mower has never been more fun than with a remote control, all the while the Mowrator acts as a robot vacuum that mulches and disposes of leaves and grass clippings in an instant.

Is a Remote Control or Robotic Mower the Future of Lawn Care?

Yes, remote control and robotic mowers are looking more like the future of lawn care in 2024. These autonomous and semi-autonomous lawn mowers make lawn mowing a breeze and free up time you can spend with your family or on other hobbies you enjoy. As technology improves, your chances of buying a mower will increase as great features become more abundant and cheaper over time — especially with this market’s 12.5% CAGR. In fact, the robot lawn mowers market is expected to reach $3,462.23 million by 2034.

What to Look for in a Robot and Remote Control Lawn Mower?

When you're looking for a remote control or robot lawn mower that gets the job done and saves you hours of time out in the hot spring and summer sun, you should be looking for the following:

• Lawn Type and Terrain Compatibility
• Superior Cutting Performance
• Advanced Navigation and Boundary Setting Options
• Lasting Battery Life and Fast Charging
• Smart Features
• Safety Features
• Reasonable Price

If you're looking for a remote control or robotic lawn mower for your home, why not check out Mowrator's selection of remote-controlled lawn mowers and accessories?

Robot Lawn Mower Reviews FAQs

What is the life expectancy of a robot lawn mower?

The life expectancy of a robot lawn mower is around 10 years. However, the life expectancy of a robot lawn mower can vary depending on several factors, including the quality of the model, maintenance practices, and environmental conditions.

Do robot mowers use a lot of electricity?

Robot lawn mowers are generally very energy-efficient, so they do not use a lot of electricity. Looking at the annual consumption, 0.1 acres consumes about 35 kWh per year, which costs around $4.55 annually (assuming $0.13 per kWh). This jumps to $24.05 annually for 1 acre (185 kWh) per year.

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