Guides
Plain-English explanations of how robot mowers work and what to check before you buy, written for UK gardens.
Start here
Whether one is worth it, how they work, and the big decision: wire or no wire.
5 min read
For many UK lawns a robot mower is worth it: it takes mowing off your to-do list from spring to autumn and keeps the grass consistently short. It's a poorer buy for very small or very complicated gardens, lawns in heavy daytime use, or if the upfront cost would stretch you. Here's how to decide.
7 min read
A robot mower is a small battery mower that cuts a little and often, finds its own way around the lawn and goes back to its charging station when it needs power. This guide explains the parts, the four ways mowers find the lawn edge, how they deal with obstacles and weather, and what they still can't do.
5 min read
Perimeter-wire mowers are cheaper for a given lawn size and don't depend on satellite or mobile signal, but the wire takes effort to lay and can be cut. Wire-free mowers are quicker to set up and easy to change, and mow in neat lines, but depend on a clear sky view, mobile or Wi-Fi coverage, or cameras and LiDAR. Here's how to choose.
5 min read
Wire-free robot mowers find their way using satellite positioning (RTK), cameras, LiDAR, or a mix. RTK is precise on open lawns but weak under trees and beside tall buildings; cameras need light and a visible lawn edge; LiDAR measures fixed features and works in the dark but needs something to measure against. Hybrids combine them. Here's how each works and which suits your garden.
6 min read
Robot mowers cost from under £200 to over £6,000 to buy, with most mainstream models between about £600 and £2,500. Running costs are low: electricity is typically a few pounds to the low tens of pounds a year, blades are the main consumable, and some connected models add a data plan after the free period. Here's what to budget for.
6 min read
A robot mower saves you time every week but costs more and needs setting up; a cordless push mower is cheaper, simpler and handles rough grass. How they compare on cost, time, cut quality, lawn size, slopes, noise and upkeep, and who each one suits.
Photos: Yarbo Global, Myrin van Putten, T, Bernd Dittrich, Sarah Agnew, Marc Pell / Unsplash
Your garden
Slopes, awkward layouts, patchy signal and the wildlife that shares your lawn.
7 min read
Front and back lawns, a path down the side of the house, trees, beds and awkward corners: how each type of robot mower copes with a complicated garden, what the zone and passage specs mean, and what to measure before you buy.
5 min read
Robot mower slope ratings are given as a percentage: the rise divided by the horizontal distance. A 100% slope is 45 degrees, not vertical, and a 45% rating is about 24 degrees. This guide explains the maths, shows how to measure your own lawn with a spirit level and a tape, and explains why you should leave a margin for wet grass, side slopes and edges.
5 min read
Network RTK mowers get their satellite corrections over the internet instead of from a base station in your garden, usually through a built-in 4G connection, sometimes through your Wi-Fi. That makes setup simpler, but it means coverage across the lawn matters and some models have data plans after a free period. Here's how to check your signal and what to look for in the small print.
6 min read
Robot mowers can injure hedgehogs, which are active at night and curl up rather than run. What the research shows, why daytime-only schedules matter, what obstacle detection can and can't do, and how to make a lawn safer for wildlife.
Photos: Annie Spratt, James Read, Kristiina Klaas, Lukas Seitz / Unsplash
Owning one
Setting up, protecting it from weather and theft, blades and winter storage.
7 min read
Installing a robot mower comes down to three jobs: putting the charging station in the right place with safe power, telling the mower where the lawn ends (with wire, or by mapping it in an app), and setting a sensible schedule. This guide walks through each step for wired, RTK, network RTK, vision and LiDAR mowers, with the mistakes to avoid.
5 min read
A robot mower garage is a roof over the charging station. It isn't essential, but it can keep sun, rain, leaves and bird droppings off the mower and its sensors. What a garage does and doesn't do, what to check before buying one, and what the manufacturers' own garages cost.
5 min read
Most robot mowers cut with small pivoting razor blades on a spinning disc; a few use fixed blades. How the types differ, how often to change them, what replacement packs cost from the manufacturers, and how to fit them safely.
6 min read
A robot mower sits unattended on the lawn for hours, so security matters. How PIN codes, alarms, GPS tracking over 4G and geofences work, what they can and can't do, and how to check your home insurance covers a mower left outside.
5 min read
When to stop mowing in autumn, how to clean and store a robot mower and its battery over a UK winter, what to do with the charging station, wire and RTK antenna, and a simple maintenance routine for the rest of the year.
Photos: Luis Rodriguez, Ries Bosch, Elena Rouame, iMattSmart, Jürgen Venakowa / Unsplash
Reference
RTK, LiDAR, perimeter wire, dB(A), IPX and the rest of the jargon on spec sheets, each explained in a sentence or two.
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