The Automated Lawn: Are Robot Mowers a Smart Investment or a Costly Tech Gimmick?

Lawn care is essential, but for many homeowners, it’s also a time-consuming hassle.

Some people hire services to tackle the yard work for them. Others have leaped into the future, with robot mowers becoming the latest must-have for homeowners across the country.

“Robot mowers have been popular in Europe as lawns are simpler there. As technology has advanced, however, they’ve increased in popularity in the U.S.,” says Steve Uljua, senior robotics product manager at Kress in Charlotte.

So, should you splurge on a robot to mow your lawn?

It all depends on your yard, lifestyle, and budget—because letting the robot take over might not actually be cheaper than you think.

How do robot mowers work?

Robotic mowers are designed to maintain your lawn at a regular cadence by mowing multiple times a week. And unlike traditional mowers, they’re extremely quiet so you can have them operating in the early hours of the morning or, in some cases, at night. 

“Since robot mowers usually mow multiple times a week, your lawn can maintain a consistent height at all times,” explains Bryan Saxton, communications manager at Navimow in Bedford, NH.

At a basic level, a robot mower uses advanced positioning and navigation technologies, along with a cutting mechanism to position itself on a lawn and mow. 

“New robotic mowers largely operate using virtual boundaries, often via on-property antennas, apps, or mapping carts, instead of the complicated and fragile physical boundary wires that previously had to be installed and maintained,” says Uljua. 

According to Saxton, modern products can handle most yards, even those with steep slopes and complex layouts, thanks to technologies and advancements like all-wheel drive (AWD) and LiDAR, NRTK, and Vision navigation.

The benefits of these gadgets for your yard are significant.

“You can expect improved turf health as frequent mowing encourages deeper root growth and denser grass. Also, you won’t need to water your lawn as match and the fine grass clippings will be returned to the soil, allowing for natural fertilization,” says Uljua. 

Robot lawn mowers can also add more hours into your day by taking an essential yet often time consuming task off your plate.

“Robotic mowers can be set to a schedule, so you rarely have to think about lawn maintenance. You can wake up in the morning or come home in the afternoon to a fresh-cut lawn,” Uljua adds.

Who could benefit from them?

In the past, robot lawn mowers were only suitable for homeowners with relatively flat square or rectangular shaped yards.

“Thanks to advancements in technology, however, even those who have many slopes and hills in their yards could benefit from these gadgets,” Uljua explains.

If you’re a working professional, busy parent, or older homeowner who wants to save time and money in the long run, a robot mower could be a real game changer. 

It might also be a smart investment if you’re an allergy sufferer, environmentalist, frequent traveler, or simply appreciate advanced tech and don’t have the desire to mow the lawn yourself. 

Are they worth the cost?

Robot lawn mowers can run you anywhere from $700 to $5,000 or more.

While their initial cost is high, it’s actually comparable and in some instances less than other types of lawn mowers, especially when you consider the typical warranty of three to five years.

“A gas-powered ride-on mower costs between $1,500 to $4,000. Add battery power and this figure goes up by about $1,000. A gas-powered push mower falls between $250 to $500 and batteries increase the price by about $100. When it comes to lawn care and landscaping services, $900 to $5,000 annually is typical,” explains Uljua.

According to Saxton, most homeowners who invest in a robot lawn mower break even within one to two years. 

“After that, you're essentially getting paid for your time back,” Saxton adds.

Some companies who sell robot lawn mowers offer calculators on their sites so you can quickly do the math and determine whether it’s worth it for you.

Potential tradeoffs to keep in mind

As with most gadgets, robot lawn mowers require a bit of maintenance. 

“The blades should be replaced roughly every four to six weeks and can easily be changed using a standard screwdriver,” says Uljua. 

Theft may also be an issue but fortunately, many modern mowers now include anti-theft security features that automatically initiate GPS location services for up to seven days if the mower is removed from its boundary.

In addition, Brandon Seymour, owner at Granuly Organic Lawn Care in Wellington, FL, points out that although the maneuverability of robot mowers is impressive, the cutting power just isn’t that great compared to traditional mowers. 

“Even the torque from a 160 cc gas push mower (which is very modest), has roughly five to six times the torque compared to most robotic mowers. So unless that unit is running on schedule, without missing days, it’ll have a hard time cutting through thick, overgrown grass,” Seymour says.

If you get three to four days or heavy rain, Seymour recommends having abackup mower on hand because most residential robotic mowers will clog and not be able to run.