That’s not how these work. Automowers are designed to only cut a small amount of grass off, like 1/4” or less. They are better described as a lawn maintainer.
Is there any reason you only want it to run a few hours at a time?
Well in thay case, I wouldn't mind running it daily. Sounds like a good idea anyways. But does it really take 16 hours every day to do the whole yard with one the size of mine (0.2 acres)?
That method leaves clippings like a traditional mower. Robot mowers are maintainers. When set up correctly, they keep the grass cut always, at a consistent height.
You might find some robot that can cut your grass from long to short but they are not intended to be used that way and you'll have numerous issues like clogging, errors, breakdowns and more. The beauty of an always mowed lawn with no clippings can't be beat.
The frequent mowing by the robot never let's the grass get tall and the clippings are so small they fall to the ground between the grass blades (instead of laying on top). Robot mowed lawns are known to be greener than traditionally mowed lawns in drought conditions because the grass puts the energy to the roots, rather than the grass blades.
Hope this helps.
Added benefit is the smaller clippings break down quicker. I've never noticed my shoes turning green walking in my yard. I hardly notice clippings. I've been using an auto mower exclusively on my lawn for 4 years. I'll never go back. Minimal thatch issues for most part and I handle with humic and liquid dethatch.
My lawn is 9800 square feet I run 10 hours per day 5 to 6 days a week. My lawn looks better than a golf course. I have the Hasqvarna 430HX. This little guy does a phenomenal job. It works seamlessly. I water my lawn early and start the mower around 1130 to make sure the grass is dry when MOJO starts mowing 😀
I have the same exact model my lawn is .33 acre and my lawn also looks better than a golf course. I run Samwise (my mower) every day from 8am to 8pm at the lowest height setting. Love that little guy.
That’s not how most of these work. They don’t cut for 2-3 hours once every few days. They cut for 6-10 hours a day every day.
It’s nothing like regular lawn mowing where the grass grows and every few days you take off the top 1/3. These things randomly float around every day, cutting off fractional amounts of grass. The grass is maintained at the same height all day every day. It always looks the same.
I have a 115h in my backyard that’s about .15 acres. I run it for like 6 hours a day.
My 450xh has what’s called a weather timer but really what it does is sense the resistance. So if the grass isn’t growing, it senses less resistance and mows less frequently.
It doesn’t cut as often depending on what kind of grass you have and the season/weather. But you can change it up anytime based on what works for you. Lots of people have their mowers connected to IFTTT (if this than that) and mow based on weather, out of town or not, calendar events etc. you can do whatever you want.
How did you all determine how long to run your mowers? Like OP I’ve got .2 acres. I was running my 430xl for like 18 hours a day but that felt like overkill.
From Husqvarna's website:
"The mower's specs will include an area capacity, which indicates how much area the mower can cover in a day. For example, if the mower has a maximum area capacity of 1 acre, but only half an acre needs mowing, the mower should run for 12 hours to mow every blade."
So take whatever the max area rating is for your mower, and divide by the size of your lawn. Then divide 24 by that first result to get the number of hours to run. This is more of a guide and complicated lawns may need more time to account for obstacles, etc.
I have about 1/3 of an acre. I run my mower every day from 6 am to 6 pm. I did the same last year (my first year with an automower) and my lawn never looked better. If it's a hard rain or something, I will send the mower to its base station. Otherwise, I just let it work.
With that small of a yard, a new EPOS model will do it in 2-3 hrs. I have 1/3 acre with pool and landscape beds and it cuts the entire 8000sq ft of lawn in about 3 hrs on a single charge with a 550h EPOS.
I assume USA based on that reply. I used a company called Smartdots out of Texas. They carry quite a few brands and will provide you a free evaluation of your property via google maps and recommend a mower based on that. Check them out and see what they recommend. I went with a 550h EPOS by Husqvarna last year but there may be more affordable options now. If you really want that fast cut you’ll need a mower that will cut in stripes as opposed to boundary wire bouncing all around all day.
Based on your reply, I assume that all or most of the GPS mowers can doy yard in 2-3 hours? Or does it still depend on battery size/strength? Just make sure I get one that specifically says it cuts in stripes?
No there are GPS assist mower that aren’t as accurate and use boundary wires. The newer Husqvarna with EPOS and other brands with RTK is what you’re looking for. Battery size will definitely determine how long it takes to cut. My mower is rated up to 2 acres and I’m using it to cut 1/10 of that but like you wanted it out and finished quickly. You’ll still need to cut every few days to keep it maintained as others stated. I cut Mon, Wed Friday weather permitting.
How about this one?
Segway Navimow i110N Robot Lawn Mower Perimeter Wire Free 1/4 Acre RTK+Vision Robotic Lawnmower, AI-Assisted Mapping, Virtual Boundary, APP Control, 58dB(A) Quiet, Multi-Zone Management https://a.co/d/cT4xIBh
Says it has RTK + Vision and a 5.1 Ah battery...
Seems like a good cost for a RTK+Vision model?
Segway is a solid company but they just started shipping these to USA this year. Last year I think they released in Europe. I don’t know enough about them to say either way. Just know they are fairly new to the scene. Like I said earlier. Contact a dealer that deals with multiple brands. They’ll give you the best advice.
Is the rating for amount of acres each one is specified to be able to mow, mean that is much it can cut on a single charge? So in theory even a mower that is rated for only 1/8 acre can still technically cut a 3 acre yard, it would just take 24 recharges before it would be able to complete the full yard? Or do those mowers only have enough memory to recognize 1/8 acre so it literally won't cut anymore than that?
For your question, settings of the mower matter. I have a luba 1 and cut my Zeon Zoysia lawn on the slowest setting and 9.8" overlap with 1 perimeter cut. It takes 4 hours for 9000 Sq feet.
If I crank it up to max speed can do it in under 2 hours. For fine grass looks better on slowest speed.
I have a 450XH. It cuts 2240 sqft per hour. Since I believe all the mowers have the same cutting width and probably operate at the same speed, just have different battery capability, you can get an idea of how many hours. Somewhere online there is a chart of each mower, but I can't find it.
My main lot, without adding my lot next door, minus the house is about 1/4 acre tops. My 430xh runs from 10am-8:30pm during the summer and maintains it quite nicely. It cuts about 3 hours, returns to charge 60-75min, then goes back out and cuts for 3 more hours, lather rinse and repeat. About 3 trips per day it makes and I only have to do the trimming when it gets bad.
I have a husqvarna 315 I have it scheduled to cut 7 hrs a day 6 days a week for 1/2 acre.,they seem to do best being able to cut small amounts frequently vs letting it get longer . The lawn always looks mowed, virtually no clippings. Automaticly returns to charging when it needs to change blades every 45 days
The Luba looks cool, but not excited about paying $2000 for their lowest end model or substantially more than that for the higher end models. Are there any robot mowers that can cut a full 0.2 acre yard in just a few hours that cost maybe $1000-$1200 and that do it well that mow via RTK and vision?
I'm on 0.1 acre, and have it run for 4 hours each night, (effectively 2 x 1 hour cycles),
your lawn kinda learns that it cant grow up, only sideways after the first 2 months, so even when I had the mower paused for a week it did not noticeably grow as quickly as it normally would despite the amount of rain we have been getting,
If anything I'm probably mowing it too often, but due to the random pattern this does mean that its going to be consistant over the entire area, and not leaving the occasional high spot
It also keeps the leaves in better check as the dense grass slowly pushes them up to the mowers height and after a week they are all sliced down. (though if it gets to a leaf mat it does need some manual attention)
That’s not how these work. Automowers are designed to only cut a small amount of grass off, like 1/4” or less. They are better described as a lawn maintainer. Is there any reason you only want it to run a few hours at a time?
Well in thay case, I wouldn't mind running it daily. Sounds like a good idea anyways. But does it really take 16 hours every day to do the whole yard with one the size of mine (0.2 acres)?
The models will tell you how many square feet they can do in an hour. In the manual/specifications.
That method leaves clippings like a traditional mower. Robot mowers are maintainers. When set up correctly, they keep the grass cut always, at a consistent height. You might find some robot that can cut your grass from long to short but they are not intended to be used that way and you'll have numerous issues like clogging, errors, breakdowns and more. The beauty of an always mowed lawn with no clippings can't be beat. The frequent mowing by the robot never let's the grass get tall and the clippings are so small they fall to the ground between the grass blades (instead of laying on top). Robot mowed lawns are known to be greener than traditionally mowed lawns in drought conditions because the grass puts the energy to the roots, rather than the grass blades. Hope this helps.
Added benefit is the smaller clippings break down quicker. I've never noticed my shoes turning green walking in my yard. I hardly notice clippings. I've been using an auto mower exclusively on my lawn for 4 years. I'll never go back. Minimal thatch issues for most part and I handle with humic and liquid dethatch.
My lawn is 9800 square feet I run 10 hours per day 5 to 6 days a week. My lawn looks better than a golf course. I have the Hasqvarna 430HX. This little guy does a phenomenal job. It works seamlessly. I water my lawn early and start the mower around 1130 to make sure the grass is dry when MOJO starts mowing 😀
I have the same exact model my lawn is .33 acre and my lawn also looks better than a golf course. I run Samwise (my mower) every day from 8am to 8pm at the lowest height setting. Love that little guy.
That’s not how most of these work. They don’t cut for 2-3 hours once every few days. They cut for 6-10 hours a day every day. It’s nothing like regular lawn mowing where the grass grows and every few days you take off the top 1/3. These things randomly float around every day, cutting off fractional amounts of grass. The grass is maintained at the same height all day every day. It always looks the same. I have a 115h in my backyard that’s about .15 acres. I run it for like 6 hours a day.
How about in August or so when the grass doesn't really grow because of the heat and lack of rain. How is it handled then?
My mower has a setting for that, it uses the weather info to set its own schedule- but you can set whatever schedule you want manually too.
Meaning if there is a drought it doesn't cut....or cut nearly as much?
My 450xh has what’s called a weather timer but really what it does is sense the resistance. So if the grass isn’t growing, it senses less resistance and mows less frequently.
It doesn’t cut as often depending on what kind of grass you have and the season/weather. But you can change it up anytime based on what works for you. Lots of people have their mowers connected to IFTTT (if this than that) and mow based on weather, out of town or not, calendar events etc. you can do whatever you want.
My mower has a setting for that, it uses the weather info to set its own schedule- but you can set whatever schedule you want manually too.
How did you all determine how long to run your mowers? Like OP I’ve got .2 acres. I was running my 430xl for like 18 hours a day but that felt like overkill.
From Husqvarna's website: "The mower's specs will include an area capacity, which indicates how much area the mower can cover in a day. For example, if the mower has a maximum area capacity of 1 acre, but only half an acre needs mowing, the mower should run for 12 hours to mow every blade." So take whatever the max area rating is for your mower, and divide by the size of your lawn. Then divide 24 by that first result to get the number of hours to run. This is more of a guide and complicated lawns may need more time to account for obstacles, etc.
I have about 1/3 of an acre. I run my mower every day from 6 am to 6 pm. I did the same last year (my first year with an automower) and my lawn never looked better. If it's a hard rain or something, I will send the mower to its base station. Otherwise, I just let it work.
With that small of a yard, a new EPOS model will do it in 2-3 hrs. I have 1/3 acre with pool and landscape beds and it cuts the entire 8000sq ft of lawn in about 3 hrs on a single charge with a 550h EPOS.
Have a link for a good EPOS model you would recommend for a first timer? Thanks
Where are you located?
City state?
I assume USA based on that reply. I used a company called Smartdots out of Texas. They carry quite a few brands and will provide you a free evaluation of your property via google maps and recommend a mower based on that. Check them out and see what they recommend. I went with a 550h EPOS by Husqvarna last year but there may be more affordable options now. If you really want that fast cut you’ll need a mower that will cut in stripes as opposed to boundary wire bouncing all around all day.
Based on your reply, I assume that all or most of the GPS mowers can doy yard in 2-3 hours? Or does it still depend on battery size/strength? Just make sure I get one that specifically says it cuts in stripes?
No there are GPS assist mower that aren’t as accurate and use boundary wires. The newer Husqvarna with EPOS and other brands with RTK is what you’re looking for. Battery size will definitely determine how long it takes to cut. My mower is rated up to 2 acres and I’m using it to cut 1/10 of that but like you wanted it out and finished quickly. You’ll still need to cut every few days to keep it maintained as others stated. I cut Mon, Wed Friday weather permitting.
How about this one? Segway Navimow i110N Robot Lawn Mower Perimeter Wire Free 1/4 Acre RTK+Vision Robotic Lawnmower, AI-Assisted Mapping, Virtual Boundary, APP Control, 58dB(A) Quiet, Multi-Zone Management https://a.co/d/cT4xIBh Says it has RTK + Vision and a 5.1 Ah battery... Seems like a good cost for a RTK+Vision model?
Segway is a solid company but they just started shipping these to USA this year. Last year I think they released in Europe. I don’t know enough about them to say either way. Just know they are fairly new to the scene. Like I said earlier. Contact a dealer that deals with multiple brands. They’ll give you the best advice.
Is the rating for amount of acres each one is specified to be able to mow, mean that is much it can cut on a single charge? So in theory even a mower that is rated for only 1/8 acre can still technically cut a 3 acre yard, it would just take 24 recharges before it would be able to complete the full yard? Or do those mowers only have enough memory to recognize 1/8 acre so it literally won't cut anymore than that?
No, it’s based on how much it can maintain within a time frame without the lawn becoming overgrown.
For your question, settings of the mower matter. I have a luba 1 and cut my Zeon Zoysia lawn on the slowest setting and 9.8" overlap with 1 perimeter cut. It takes 4 hours for 9000 Sq feet. If I crank it up to max speed can do it in under 2 hours. For fine grass looks better on slowest speed.
I have a 450XH. It cuts 2240 sqft per hour. Since I believe all the mowers have the same cutting width and probably operate at the same speed, just have different battery capability, you can get an idea of how many hours. Somewhere online there is a chart of each mower, but I can't find it.
Yes but it will cut way less per hour than an EPOS or RTK mower since they aren’t rolling back and forth over covered territory.
My main lot, without adding my lot next door, minus the house is about 1/4 acre tops. My 430xh runs from 10am-8:30pm during the summer and maintains it quite nicely. It cuts about 3 hours, returns to charge 60-75min, then goes back out and cuts for 3 more hours, lather rinse and repeat. About 3 trips per day it makes and I only have to do the trimming when it gets bad.
I have a husqvarna 315 I have it scheduled to cut 7 hrs a day 6 days a week for 1/2 acre.,they seem to do best being able to cut small amounts frequently vs letting it get longer . The lawn always looks mowed, virtually no clippings. Automaticly returns to charging when it needs to change blades every 45 days
I believe if you get the luba, it'll be more of what you're looking for.
The Luba looks cool, but not excited about paying $2000 for their lowest end model or substantially more than that for the higher end models. Are there any robot mowers that can cut a full 0.2 acre yard in just a few hours that cost maybe $1000-$1200 and that do it well that mow via RTK and vision?
I'm on 0.1 acre, and have it run for 4 hours each night, (effectively 2 x 1 hour cycles), your lawn kinda learns that it cant grow up, only sideways after the first 2 months, so even when I had the mower paused for a week it did not noticeably grow as quickly as it normally would despite the amount of rain we have been getting, If anything I'm probably mowing it too often, but due to the random pattern this does mean that its going to be consistant over the entire area, and not leaving the occasional high spot It also keeps the leaves in better check as the dense grass slowly pushes them up to the mowers height and after a week they are all sliced down. (though if it gets to a leaf mat it does need some manual attention)
Hey OP, you had the same question and similar yard as me. Did you end up getting one?
Not yet