Thinking about buying a robotic lawnmower is one place to start. I admit, a robot for mowing the lawn is not yet a mainstream idea, and deciding to buy one may put your marriage in jeopardy. But those machines have come a long way in terms of functionality and reliability in the last five years.
There are at least ten models from three or four companies available for 2008. The early models were generally limited to cutting nothing above a half an acre of grass. There are models now that can handle up to three acres. There is a new model for professionals coming out next year that will keep 11 acres all mowed and tidy.
Lack of power was an early complaint and the manufacturers of robot lawn mowers are dealing with that problem. Some of the new models this year have a rechargeable battery that has power equal to a 5.5 hp gas engine. That’s enough to cut and mulch thick grass and maybe a light coating of leaves.
Most bots today have the ability to sense when the grass is too wet to mow and even when it starts raining. The little marvel will high tail it back to its recharging shack and wait until conditions for cutting grass improve. Robots still are kept in their cutting area by a buried wire much like the setup of the invisible dog fence. Although there is a model due out next year that is kept in its territory using a laser instead of the wire. Now there is even a robot mower with four-wheel drive that can handle a 30 degree hill no sweat.
Those of us lusting for a robotic lawnmower will not get away arguing its advantages saving money. It is a pricey toy, but it does good work. There are cheaper models but I would not take the leap for any mower that was not somewhere between $700 and $2500. If the ad says programming one of these machines is easy, then that ad was written by a geek. It takes a few phone calls to the manufacturer to get the initial setup going right. After that it is easy to operate.
If you need service, there are now a number of companies offering repair service for robots. They will arrange for your mower to be picked up and returned. No more fun tinkering with that old gas engine before admitting you needed help all along.
For information about a popular robot lawn mower go to www.friendlyrobotics.com
