The rise of the robotic mower

The global robotic mower market is set to rise to $1.3billion this year. That’s a lot of mowers! While they aren’t new, it’s easy to understand why they are growing in popularity, especially as the technology becomes more affordable.

Reasons to invest:

• For many there is a certain joy that comes from mowing their lawn and a lawn mower or ride-on will always be an essential piece of machinery to maintain their gardens. But for others, mowing is a chore they could do without. The longer lawns are left the bigger the job will be too, creating even more of a reason to avoid it. For those people, a robotic mower takes the pressure away from having to do the work and it can keep a lawn looking tidy without the owner even having to think about it.

• Robotic mowers can improve the quality of your lawn, as it cuts little and often and mulches, putting nitrogen back in the soil.

• With many more gardens becoming an extension of the home, with more outdoor furniture and designed spaces, storage is often a problem. Without a shed or outhouse, storing a lawnmower can be troublesome. A robotic mower simply needs space for the docking station where it can recharge. It is designed to be kept outdoors.

• Not everyone is capable of mowing a lawn and it would be a shame for many to turn to artificial grass or paving slabs in order to maintain their gardens. The elderly and the less able can still enjoy their natural environments with the help of a robotic mower. Dealerships will often be able to support in its set up too, taking away the stress that can come with installing a piece of technology like this, especially for the not so tech savvy.

3 things to consider before buying

• Discuss what size lawn you have and any features of your garden with the dealer, for example does it have any steep slopes or potential hazards? These are important factors when picking the right robotic mower. It might even be useful to draw out your lawn with measurements to share with the dealer on the day. Robotic mowers are designed especially for larger areas and it is surprising what ground they will cover, but it's useful to discuss your requirements first.

• Consider your budget. When you are investing in something like this it is important to make sure you pick the right model as it is a considered purchase. If you need it to cover a considerable area of lawn, you’ll most likely need a higher spec/ heavier duty model for example.

• Can the dealer set it up for you and do you understand how to change the settings? You may wish to change the date and time of cutting, as well as the cutting height at different times of year. It’s worth being clear from the outset how to make the adjustments.

Check out our lawn expert Laurence Gale’s previous blog where he road-tested a robotic mower here: https://bit.ly/3iWnWSJ

And finally you can see the robotic mowers from leading manufacturers including Husqvarna, Kress, Cub Cadet, Ambrogio, Stihl, John Deere and Honda, starting from £799 available at your local dealership here: https://www.gardentrader.co.uk/robotic-mowers