What Lawn Mower Should You Buy?

Now I assume you’ll be able to guess which way I’ll be swinging, considering what our site is about. But I’m not writing this just to try and make a sale, there really are many genuine reasons why robotic lawn mowers are better than petrol mowers.

And, to be fair, there are some which make petrol mowers better than robotic mowers.

My aim is to make the facts as clear to you as possible, so outlined below are the main differences between the two.

Ease of Use

The majority of robotic lawn mowers only require a little help from the user during installation.  All you have to do is setup the perimeter wire around your lawn and do some simple programming.   This shouldn’t take too long but will depend on the size and shape of your garden.

The robotic mower will then calculate the most suitable route using multiple sensors and then get straight to work.  At this point you can put your feet up and watch it go.

Most robotic mowers can also be connected and controlled via an App on your mobile phone.  The App allows you to change the cutting height, mowing schedule, mowing route and various other things, all from the palm of your hand.  Keeping effort at an absolute minimum.

This feature will be extremely useful for those with a busy lifestyle or even when away from home.  Making cutting your grass as convenient as possible.

With a petrol mower you have to get it out of the shed and push it around every square inch of your grass.  This can be a really strenuous and time consuming task.  Clearly the robotic mower is much easier to use and far less physically stressful.

Time Saving

As mentioned before, during the installation process some simple programming is required. This set up takes a little time but only has to be done once (provided you have done it correctly). Or instead you can contact the retailer of the robomower and get them to do this for you.

This will cost a little extra but is well worth it as the pro with have the best equipment and expertise to the job the first time without problem. They will probably give some advice as well on how to use the robot in your garden and some stuff to look for. This will save you a lot of time and stress longer down the line so is probably the best course of action.

You can then set which days and times you want the robotic mower to operate.  So, even when you’re not at home, it will get to work mowing your lawn.  It also has a built-in memory system which remembers the most efficient route for your garden. Therefore, there is no need to continually reset it.

This could give you an extra 1 maybe even 2 hours free time per week to spend doing whatever you want.

With a petrol mower more of your free time will be taken up mowing.  However, the robotic mower will take a longer time to cut your lawn. So you may be left a little frustrated when look at your lawn while it is half cut with the robomower sittings in its charging station.

This could be considered a point to the petrol mower but as the robotic mower will save you all the physical effort, I have to say that it is a winner for me.

Also, this slow and steady approach will actually benefit your garden as well. By cutting the lawn a little and often, and by only taking small little clippings from the grass, the robomower will actually improve the look of the garden. Over time you will notice the grass beginning to get more even, a little greener and much healthier.

So don’t get worked up about it taking a while. This is done deliberately for the benefit of your garden.

Power Efficiency

As they are so light and powered by electric motors, robotic mowers are extremely energy efficient.  They use very little power for each mow and some even have an ‘Eco Mode’ which reduces power usage even further. Meaning they will spend less time charging and more time cutting your grass.

Instead of you having to replace a battery every few weeks, robomowers recharge themselves as well.

With the mower you’ll get a charging station which you’ll connect to an outdoor power supply and to the mowers boundary wire. So whenever the robomower is running low on charge (either while out on a mow or inbetween mows) it will automatically recharge without you having move an inch.

As we all know petrol prices seem to be continually rising these days.  So the running cost of a petrol mower will also continually rise.  After several months the total cost of fuel may actually add up to initial cost of your petrol mower.

So again, the robot mower betters the petrol here too.

Environmental Effects

Let’s just cut to the chase here, there’s no way a petrol mower can compete with a robotic mower in this respect.  All robotic mowers are powered by electrical motors and batteries. This means they will not pollute the atmosphere with harmful emissions as petrol mowers do. Electrical power systems are also very quiet, meaning no noise pollution either.

It’s an environmental win, win.

The added bonus of almost silent operation means they are can work at any point during the day or even at night, without disturbing you or your neighbours. Whereas you might be getting a few complaints the next morning if you try to do this with a petrol mower. And I assume you value sleep a little more than garden maintenance, so using a petrol mower during the night would just be impractical.

Cut Quality

Keeping your garden in great condition takes quite a lot of time, effort and self-discipline.   Trying to fit a weekly cut into your summer schedule can be difficult and the last thing you want is your grass growing too long making it look untidy and unloved. That’s where automatic mowers come in to their own.

They follow your every command no matter the weather or how busy you are. They will mow your lawn as often as it takes to keep it looking its best. Some models even automatically adapt their cutting schedule so that it only cuts when needed. Conserving power and cutting your charging costs. Then if you’re unsatisfied with the results you can easily re-set it to something more suitable.

Most models also sense when it begins to rain, and retreat back to their charging station, preventing damage to your grass and the mower.

Now, the petrol mower is definitely capable of producing a beautifully cut lawn but is entirely dependent on you.  That’s not to say that you’re bad at cutting your own lawn, it’s just that you are going to have some bad days. Maybe you had a lot to do in work, maybe you’re unwell, maybe you’ve something on your mind or maybe it’s just one of those days.  Whatever it is you’re just not feeling great.

So you probably won’t have any interest in cutting the grass. Meaning you leave it there to grow just that little bit longer.

This is one situation where a petrol mower can be a real nuisance and a robotic mower can be a saviour.

Compatibility with Sloping Gardens

It has to be said that there are some areas where the petrol betters the robotic.  For example, most robotic mowers cannot cope very well with slopes – unless you decide to purchase a high-end model.

So if you’ve got a hilly garden then they may not be the mower for you.  Your petrol mower will, of course, take steep slopes in its stride.  It will just take a little more effort on your part to push it up and down the hill.

Definitely a point to the petrol mower.

Lawn Coverage

Some robotic mowers may miss some areas of your garden.  Now I don’t mean in the centre of your garden for everyone to see but around the edges near the fence and bushes.  This is actually one of the main problems recurrent in all robomowers and no manufacturers of yet have solved it.

Because the perimeter wire is cutting off these areas, the mower cannot reach them.  This will mean you may have to get out your trimmers every few days.

But with your petrol mower you can ensure that each individual area is cut just how you like it.  Another point to the petrol mower.

Verdict

Even though the petrol mower can save you a little, unexpected work and can mow on large slopes.  The robotic mower is just much more useful and valuable.

It takes much less effort to use, it works continuously no matter how you’re feeling and frees up your spare time to do whatever you want.  It is definitely some of most useful technology around at the moment and they’re unmatched by any other mower out.

But that is just my opinion (and I guess some facts), I’m not the one purchasing this product. This kind of purchase requires some thought so please take into account all of these factors before making your choice.  After all, you don’t want to invest in something that doesn’t give you everything you were looking for.

To find the perfect one for you have a read of my reviews right HERE. They go through all the features and functions associated with the robomower. I’ve even made recommendations at the end of each review to help you figure out if that particular model suits you best.

But make sure you read more than one before purchasing. You want to get as much information as possible before making this decision.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy my reviews!