These Robot Lawn Mowers Will Cost You a Pretty Penny… But Save You So Much Time!
Yes, there’s such a thing as a robot lawn mower!
You’ve probably got a ton of projects this summer, so why not save some energy with a robot lawn mower that does the hard work for ya?
If you’re looking to have the ultimate convenience and would rather relax or grill up some burgers while your grass gets a trim, then keep reading to find out which robot lawn mowers are the best to buy right now… and exactly how much each one will cost you!
1. Best All-Around: MowRo 4.0 Ah Lithium-Ion 9.5in Autonomous Robotic Lawn Mower
Ideal for lawns up to 0.4 acres.
- Buy it at Home Depot | $899
If you have a standard yard size of 0.4 acres or less, this is the perfect robot mower for you! It has a safe auto-stop feature that allows it to back up and find an alternate route if it runs into objects. If inclement weather takes over, it also has a handy rain sensor so it knows when to return to the docking station. Plus, it can still cut on slopes up to an impressive 30 degrees, making it perfect for folks with uneven lawns.
Here’s what one reviewer said about her MowRo Robot Lawn Mower:
“The razor blades seem to do a great job cutting my grass down. I did not do a pre-mow…I wanted to put the mower to the test. It did great! Now with the mowing every 48 hours, only millimeters of grass is taken each time, which keeps it looking awesome and healthy. It mulches the grass further providing nutrients. Talk about a win-win.
One night I watched it mow, only to be surprised by a pop-up thunderstorm. It quickly realized it was raining, made its way to the boundary wire, and followed it home to the charging station. It then resumed mowing the following day at my scheduled time. Pretty awesome! I must say that I am fascinated by it. It definitely saves me time because I am only needing to edge my backyard.
My backyard is no lush green oasis–it is very uneven, has multiple areas of roots, dead patches from dog urine, a small area with a steep incline–but have no fear, the MowRo tackles it all without any issues. I am impressed.”
2. Best Technology: Worx WR140 Landroid M 20V 7 Inch Electric Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower
Ideal for lawns up to 0.25 acres.
- Buy it from Amazon | $999.99
With a cutting range of 1.5-3.1 inches and a 3-blade cutting & mulching system, the Worx Landroid M will ensure your lawn stays both trimmed and healthy! The mower is also pretty smart by having WiFi connectivity and automatic software updates, so you don’t have to worry about having the latest tech.
Here’s what one reviewer said about their Worx Landroid L mower:
“I did a lot of research on robotic lawn mowers in general, and this mower in particular, before buying one.
Since my wife and I hate mowing the lawn so much, we decided to take a risk and get this mower. We’re glad we did! As mentioned by other reviewers, it takes a couple of hours to set up your wire perimeter, but after that, it’s just a little fine-tuning and then it’s pretty hands-off. Our mower rarely gets stuck and it’s awesome watching it work out in the hot sun while we stay cool indoors.”
3. Best All-Terrain: Husqvarna Automower 315X with GPS
Ideal for lawns up to 0.5 acres with steep slopes.
- Buy it from Amazon | $1,799.99
If you have an uneven yard that requires a powerful mower for slopes and other terrains, this one will cost you a pretty penny–about $1800 to be exact–but it may be worth it to you for the time saved.
Made by Husqvarna, this mower can handle it all, including slopes up to 40 degrees (one of the steepest on the market), a cutting range of 0.8 to 2.4 inches, and it even has lights so it can run more safely at night.
Here’s what one reviewer said about their Husqvarna 315X:
“We got the Husqvarna Automower about a month and a half ago and we have loved it. We went away for three weeks and when we got home, our year was flawlessly maintained. It’s been awesome. And, as a military spouse with a deployed husband, it is so nice not to have to worry about mowing the lawn on top of everything else. We run it at night, and it’s so quiet that no one can hear it. It docks itself back when it’s done and we are able to keep track of it when we aren’t home by using the app, which is super convenient.
I even was able to change the length of the cut and how often it runs from across the country! My husband loves telling me he ‘mowed the lawn’ when he starts it on his app overseas. It’s safe to use around pets and kids, too- it will stop when it feels any obstruction lifting it up (like curious kids), and the blades are a good adult-sized hand length underneath so you don’t have to worry about it harming anyone with sharp spinning blades
It is totally worth it to have. It takes away one huge chore for us, especially living in southern California when we have to mow all year-round. One of the best tools we have in our house!”
4. Best Splurge: Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD
Ideal for lawns up to 0.9 acres.
- Buy it from Husqvarna | $4,799.99
If you’ve got a large yard–and a budget to match–the Husqvarna 435X is the best option out there. Unlike many of the robot mowers on the market, this one can mow almost an entire acre’s worth of grass in only one charge. The all-wheel-drive design also means it can make sharper turns and tackle hills with ease. This model is probably way overpowered for smaller, flatter yards, but you may find it worth the cost if your property requires a lot of extra TLC.
Better yet, Husqvarna includes a professional installation service in the price of the mower. Considering how difficult some boundary wires can be to install (this has been a pain point for folks with other robot lawn mower brands), the professional installation is a major bonus!
Here’s what one reviewer said about their Husqvarna 435X:
“The Automower has been the most amazing yard tool that we’ve owned yet. It does all of the work for us when it comes to cutting the grass, so it significantly cuts down on the time that we are spending outside working. The app is easy to use, the installation process was really easy, and our Automower has been doing a great job! It’s easy to change the blades on the Automower and it requires very little maintenance other than that, which is amazing. I highly recommend it!”
Since you won’t be landscaping, here are some fun home DIY projects for your newfound free time!
I want one of these so badly but we are waiting a few years for the tech to improve and the price to drop. I have about 2 acres cleared but it’s got a ton of slopes and plenty the current tech on the market can not handle…and with my luck the damn thing will drive right into my pond and chop up a prized koi on it’s way down…lol.
Same here! We have 4 acres. Too many slopes and obstacles.
I have seen a video of one that can handle slopes and overgrown brush – looked cool but I did not look at the price!! I am too dreaming of the day I can have one for my tiny yard!!!
Would be nice. We mow our 5 acres and our neighbors 5 acres
One way to get fresh sushi, LOL
Lol sushi comment!
My poor husband hates mowing and I’m always longingly looking at riding mowers for him, but I’m pretty skeptical about a robot mower after owning a robot vacuum, especially with a retention lake in our back yard. Maybe one day…
I literally laughed out loud as I am sitting alone in my office at work. People in the areas near me must think I’m crazy! Your description of events to unfold with the robot mower is hilarious!
Haaahaaa! This post made me chuckle out loud. I love it. I Soooo needed this laugh today!!
We bought our auto mower about 4 years ago and will never go back. You still need to edge, but it’s so freeing! And the clippings are so small because it runs all the time that you hardly ever see them, even on wet feet! We hope to upgrade to the auto mower that doesn’t need boundary wires.
Wow! That does sound awesome. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Are there any that you do not need to install the wiring around the perimeter? Also wondering how easy it will be for someone to grab and take it while outside.
I wonder the same thing. The theft prospect makes me uneasy to spend so much money and then leave it outside.
These have alarms on them that when picked up will pierce your ears. It’s super loud. IF by some chance they manage to get past the deafening sound, they can’t get past the GPS-enabled security feature. It knows when it’s not home and won’t run anywhere else. They would have to take it to a dealer to get reprogrammed, and it would come up stolen. I have zero concern about this thing being stolen.
And the guide wire question from Mary: there is new technology that is set to come out later this year where you won’t need guide wires. Once that comes out, we’ll upgrade.
Thanks for the information, that makes me feel better!
Thanks so much!!
Hey Where do you live?? When y’all upgrade contact me In Louisiana where you can actually see the grass grow it grows that fast. I’m interested I. Second hand mover!!!
Findlaurie@yahoo.com
Nice to know there are good safety features, but sadly ours would stolen by tweakers…#PNW
Honda also makes one called miimo gets the job done! Obviously a higher price tag but for those that are used to the quality of Honda mowers and generators now they can go the automatic route! This is life changing and as others mentioned it does require you to trim still and do areas not in perimeter. The Honda one we have the dealer actually came out and installed the wire, showed us how to use it, and watched to make sure it did what it needed to do! Can’t beat true customer service from a mom and pop shop! If I would’ve bought it at a box store it would’ve gone back!
Just sent this to hubby…. he seriously HATES yard work but a lawn care service really isn’t in the budget. This might be!!
Hi. I have a few small trees, fig plants, etc. and a trampoline that I put that black paper stuff under so grass wouldn’t grow. Do these work with stuff in the yard or only on blank yards?
You can put the guide wires around where you don’t want it to mow (flower beds, your trees, etc.). It also, at least our Husqvarna, has bump guard, like a Roomba, so if it hits something it just moves away. Ours has a GPS technology that tells it where it’s mowed and where it hasn’t, so if it hits and moves away, it goes back there to try again later. We put the guide wires around our tree mulch beds so it doesn’t disturb the mulch. You can also increase or decrease the amount of distance it goes over the wires so if you want it to push closer to an edge you can.
I would love one. My only concerns is how it handles fallen leaves. Is it able to mow leaves or just “goes around” leaves. Thanks for your help!
That I am not sure about. We live in a new neighborhood with hardly any mature trees. I would imagine it would cut them though. In the fall we don’t have to rake, but maybe that’s because the mower eats them and I don’t even notice?! 🙂
That is the only bad thing we’ve noticed with ours. It tends to “mulch” them up. About once a month, my husband goes out and mows over the leaves. Of course, it only picks up leaves because the grass clippings are so tiny. If you don’t care about mulch leaves, it’s not a big deal, but we like a clean look!
How on earth can this be safe? Just wondering?
Just curious…what do you think is unsafe about it? The blades are covered and in the center of the unit, the unit bounces off anything it hits…we’ve had it for years, with three small children, two dogs, two cats, and countless neighbors and babies. There’s been zero issues, except for maybe a broken frisbee it ran over.
I was wondering how this would work with having a dog. We pick up our dogs poo before mowing or playing outside but it seems like this mower would be like the roomba nightmares you heard about lol Do you just make sure it is picked up before running the auto mower?
Nope. I go out maybe twice a week to pick it up. It stays where placed 🙂 Sometimes you can tell it’s been run over, but it doesn’t spread everywhere, like we had happen with a roomba. That was a horrible day. Horrible.
Omg, I had never heard of the roomba horror stories, I can’t even imagine what your horrible day was like…glad to hear the mower doesn’t cause problems though!
i’m pretty sure traditional mowers have had way more dangerous accidents than robot mowers.
We pay our awesome lawn guy $20 a week to mow, weed whack and edge. The price of that thing would be paid off in a year. But unfortunately it only mows.
We considered the cost difference as well. I like that the mower cuts 24/7 so our lawn is always clean, rain or shine. Some of our neighbors that use a service look scraggly by the end of the week. Plus, there’s little to no chance weeds could grow. I think we’ve picked a dozen dandelions in the few years we’ve been running the mower. Also, and I am not saying it’s a claim they should make with these, but once we got the auto mower, we stopped having vole damage. I don’t know. I’m happy with the purchase and grateful no one has to mow and bag and get grass clippings in my house.
Would this work like a roomba if it runs over dog poop?
I haven’t noticed any benefits with this for dog poop. Our poop doesn’t sit on top of the grass, it falls into it, so I think it’s out of the way of the blades. If it runs it over, it doesn’t seem to stick to it like when my room a found a pile.
$20?! What a deal! I live in Florida and it’s at least $35/ week. Lucky you
So do you have to have one in the back yard an one in the front? My back yard is 100% fenced in, it wouldn’t be able to go back and forth w/out someone moving it/opening the gate…
We actually never had the mower with a fence, but. I can see that being a problem. We are scheduled to have our fence installed in July though. My husband said we might have to open the gate to let it out or modify the fence to have a flip up so it can pass through.
Does anyone know how well they work on hills? Our side yards are pretty hilly.
I think they do a pretty good grade but they make special wheels you can get for extra traction if needed.
For those of you that have the robot lawn mowers… how loud are they?
Sooooo quiet. You don’t know it’s running. You hear the slicing of a blade every now and then if it gets a thick patch of grass but it’s sneaky quiet.
Very quiet. My daughter has one and she sits outside while it’s mowing and we FaceTime.
I am waiting for one that does larger areas and also that can be programmed to cut patterns such as the baseball stripe or checker. It would also be great if it could do more than one job, edging, aerating and even rolling.
I was an au pair in Germany 13 years ago and my family had one of these (Husqvarna) and it worked beautifully then. I am sure they have only improved since then!
Oh my gosh!! I was just talking to my husband about why something like this didn’t already exist, haha. Guess it does.
For Christmas last year, my husband was asking for a robot weed remover for the garden. I told him – what? I didn’t do a good enough job last summer? This is too funny. The weed remover is next perhaps!
We just got one about two months ago and are very pleased. We went back and forth on deciding for about a year and explored every option. We finally went for it! Now we have time to trim and work on our beds. Our yard looks great too! We figured the price we’d pay with a lawn company just to mow our acre, the robot mower pays for itself it 1.5 years AND we have a 5 year warranty!
I love that you thought about this and you compared the savings! I’d LOVE to have one! Thanks for letting us know, Donna Graham!
Thanks, good idea, though I will keep my lawn guy, it’s reasonably priced, zero maintenance and I get a smile from him after each mow! 😁
We have had to more expensive robomow robotic mower for over 4 years. Had to have it serviced a couple of times but it was covered under the warranty we bought. It actually does out whole main acre even though it is built for up to 3/4 acre. I have to say for us it has been well worth it. Even when it has run into problems we would do it all over again because we live in Florida where lawncare can be brutal and even dangerous for people with health conditions. The local lawn guys that are supposed to be reasonable in price wanted a $100 a cut… that is not something I was willing to keep shelling out for. So after a year this item more than paid for itself and it is still going strong to this day. We have a couple of little hills it can handle just fine. As for the baby trees my husband doesn’t even bother putting the line around them for the mower to avoid he just keeps old car tires and put the around the baby tree as a bumper and it works great and when the tree is big enough to withstand a bump every now and them from the mower we just lift the tire off of it and place it around the next baby tree. We did buy the add on tire traction eventually because the mower would get stuck in the sand but forty bucks and problem solved, it is rare that it gets stuck anymore. We have two kids, two dogs, and a cat with no problems. They know to avoid the mower. And no it is not noisy, we actually run it at night for convenience and to keep it out of the blazing Florida sunshine. When this one breaks down I will gladly shell out the money for a new one because I doubt lawn service prices have gone down in the last 4 years.
Am I the only one envisioning walking outside one day and this thing is just going crazy chasing the neighbor in circles 🤔
We have a Husqvarna and it works pretty well. My husband tried to install the guide wiring himself, had trouble, and the rep came out and helped. The mower does get stuck places a couple of times a week and we have to go rescue it. To my chagrin, my husband puts hats on it for holidays. Last Halloween he mounted a big spider on top. He even named it Barry. We get many people stop and look at it as they drive by.
That’s awesome!