Robot Lawn Mowers Put to the Test | Consumer Reports
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ย. 2015
- Should you consider turning your grass over to a robot lawn mower? Consumer Reports compares robots from Husqvarna, Worx and Robomow to a Honda self-propelled mower. For additional reviews, tips, and recommendations check us out at www.ConsumerReports.org and Subscribe to our TH-cam Channel: bit.ly/1Nlb1Ez
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Hello Consumer Reports. We definitely want to thank you for reviewing our Landroid. Having a trusted well known company like Consumer Reports testing our product says a lot about our brand making an impact on the lawn and garden market. Having a robotic mower does take time to install and set up but pays off in the long run. Thank you for pointing that out. We do appreciate the honest feedback. Thanks again from WORX and keep up the good work.
I've had the RL800 robot for over 15 years, in that time I've replaced my gas mower 3 times. A more accurate comparison for price against riding mowers or a lawn service , in which case the robot comes out less. Also it's so quiet I hardly notice it and can run at night. It gives me time to do other chores, also I travel for work so it keeps the lawn so my house doesn't look abandoned.
Hello everyone. Automower installer here in Easley SC. In order to
understand how the Automower works, you can't compare it to a
traditional mower because it works differently. Once installed and
cutting the grass daily for several hours per day (timer depends on the
yard size, it's complexities and type of grass) It then never has to cut
tall grass again because the grass never gets a chance to get long.
Just like any plant, when you cut more than 10% at one time, you keep
the plant in shock and un-healthy. When the Automower cuts 1/8" to 1/4"
of the blade length, there are many positive results. The grass gets
healthier, you never have dead grass laying on top of the lawn, you dont
get thatch buildup, the tiny bits of grass that do drop, turn into food
fast and create an even moisture barrier meaning the grass needs less
watering. There are even some lawn pests like fire ants and moles that
don't like the daily movement of the Automower, so they leave the area
being cut. Other benefits include, the lawn is always cut, no more big
smelly mower in the garage, the maintenance drops to near zero. Instead
of keeping up with the mechanics of a traditional mower, (oil, filter,
spark plugs, gas ETC) Your maintanence becomes about $12 per year in new
blades and you change them with a phillips head screwdriver. If you do
need your dealer, the current heaviest model (cuts 1-1/4 acre) weighs 30
pounds. Just put it in your trunk and take it to the dealer. After 2
years of selling and installing the Automower, the only ones we've had
come in are damage from outside sources.
All this said, Automower is
not for everyone or every property. If you love to ride or push a mower,
Automower is not for you. Some grass types are too much for the current
models (the company is working on those) It cuts random, so no
striping. (although, even customers who were concerned with lines, are
very happy with the carpet-like appearance the Automower offers)
The
mower does do what the manufacturer claims. It's funny to read what
folks who have no experience have to say about this 23 year old
technology. Yep, Husqvarne has been selling them since 1995. Now that
there is an app that connects the owner to the mower, sales are blowing
up. With a 60 day money back satisfaction guarantee, most folks should
be able to consider the chance that the product is the real deal.
I liken it to the microwave, folks didn't think they wanted one, once owned, they do not want to be without it.
Happy mowing.
Easley Lawn and Garden
864-859-1678
Bought a worx robot 2 years ago. People pulling their cars over to take a closer look. People stopping by to ask if it's worth it.
I tell them take a look at my lawn. I save almost $1,500 a year on lawn service. It's not perfect, but the money saved fits in my bank account perfectly. Freshly cut lawn by a riding mower definitely looks much better, but the money saved in my account is definitely making me feel better.
This Fair And Balanced™ review brought to you by Honda™
Honda now makes a robotic lawn mower.
PLOT TWIST!!!
Given that it's graded by turf grass science people, they're probably upset by the tearing left by the robo mowers. Something that most people don't care about.
I'd rather have the honda (wait, I already do), but do most of my mowing with a manual reel. I guess the honda is too modern for me (that's not really true, either - but the reel is fun, like a toy, and more stimulating to use).
Wait, I guess the kind of people who would spend $2400 on a robot mower might be the kind who are so competitive with their neighbors that they might actually care about grass with brown tips.
I wouldn't. But I'd care about wasting $2400 on a battery mower.
@@daw162 the reel actually cuts the grass the way golf course turf managers prefer, like a scissor, with two blades. The Honda cuts well when the blade is freshly sharpened. It still doesn't have two blades but it seems to work. As you said, most people don't care about the tearing. Personally, the set up and laying down lines for invisible fencing, and the fact that it requires flat area, sounds like a lot of trouble for something that doesn't do a good job and needs your attention. Its like a Roomba for your yard, but with dangerous blades?
Thanks Consumers Report for a great review and thanks for giving prices
so this is an endorsement for a honda push mower not a robotic mower test... should probably change the title
Being an engineer this was one of my ideas, however instead of perimeter wires you can use ultrasonic radar sensors or other type of instrumentation with right frequency to control the robot. But the most basic fun would be a powerful fuel gas powered RC lawn mower with different type of tracks so it would go through obstacles with ease and fun to control.
How do you even sharpen the blades? And does it break easily? cuz that thing looks delicate
Very useful thanks I was going to get one
I seen one of these running around a yard, while at one of my stops along my truck route. Looks like an aimless bump and go type thing and it gets stuck a lot.. glad i didn't pay for one... is this the glorious future we envisioned as kids?
Good video ...
How do they do if you have some standing water in the yard? Can they deal with low hanging limbs of a pine trees? Can they deal with larger lawns, can you use several at one time working as a teem?
I've never seen such a bad review of robotic lawn mowers. The beginning is laughable: you start up the manual mower and complain that the robotic mower needs a few hours of installation. Come on, you only need to do that once. You need to assemble a manual mower too, you need to fuel it (didn't see that in the video) and once it is set up, the robotic mower doesn't need any attention. Does your manual Honda mow your lawn when you are on holiday, or do you have to bother your neighbours to do that? Count the hours you spend mowing your lawn with the manual lawn mower and see the hours you save each week for many many years.
But that is what you get when you let "grandpa" do the review. He probably reasons rotary dial phones are superior to smartphones because they don't function directly after plugging in and the smartphone requires a sim card, charge time, entering a pin code and searching for a signal before they function :P
they did not even compare the 4 models.. at all.. they just said, nope get a honda push mower
I agree. This is a pathetically transparent attempt by a conventional mower manufacturer - evidently Honda - to counter the consumer move to robotic mowers. In allowing this, 'Consumer Reports' unmasks itself as a paid-for-hire shill for the highest bidder.
Do they not think consumers - savvy or not - see through this?
Laughable. Do they not think everyone knows that the cut is determined by blade sharpness? Conventional lawnmower blades get dull too.
Derp.
When is this gonna be on BattleBots
I got the Honda several months ago.....it's still the best =))
Honda makes robotic mowers too.
LOL, i own that Honda, but I'm lazy and would like a robot to mow.
Yoh guys -
Anywhere I can find some basic technical information on how these commonly works ?
I've had a robotic mower (name not mentioned, name not nagged) that fails to start, even though everything is up to spec pr the book of installation, maintenance and fault findings.
It appears not to see the field from the boundary wires, like the wire was disconnected, thus it wont start.
But the wire is OK, approx 3.2 ohms in the circuit and the charger works, as both the charger and the mower itselfs has green "OK" lamps lit.
Cool, A Roomba for my backyard
Too bad iRobot didn't call their robotic lawn mower the "Mowba."
You just ruined it. I named my Roomba "Stupid", so I guess my robot mower would be named "super stupid". :)
Might want to do another video like this. There are MUCH cheaper "China direct" robot mowers coming out that are worth looking into.
can i buy
Gracias ta bueno
Some people like the stripes, I prefer when the lawn does not have stripes, it feels more natural.
The comment about robot mowers shredding grass is only fair for brands with small razor blades & the reason is the blades get dull and their cutting edge is too small for thick grass types. The small razor blades have to be changed about once per month. Those brands should not be used on St. Augustine, Centipede, Zoysa and Kentucky Blue Grass. The only grass they are safe to use on is Fescue. A brand such as Ambrogio (LawnBott) has a blade that can be sharpened. It is razor sharp and has a cutting edge in the 2-3" range. It is made from more durable materials and typically needs to be sharpened only once per year. It is reversible for many models, which can be done mid-season. Ambrogio's blade is suitable for all grass types.
It looks like they only function on grass that doesn't actually need cutting.
The idea is that you have them mow daily or every other day so they actually cut very little at a time and you always have a fresh looking yard.
Day 1 (Honda test ) I cut my grass went to the pub had a pint came back and had a nice cup of tea. (total time 2 hours)
Day 2 (Robot Lawn Mower) Made the boundary (total time 2 hours)
Day 3 (Robot Lawn Mower) Turned on, tried to cut grass ,after 40 minutes went back to base,emptied box, got chainsaw and killed Robot Lawn Mower.
Went to the pub had a pint came back and had a nice cup of tea. (total time 2 hours 45 minutes)
Amusing, but not based on fact. As a simple example, the robot mower has no box to empty.
You could be put on a no-fly list. You know what they say about people that kill and maim dumb animals and electronic gadgets. But,,, that was really a mercy killing, so you're forgiven. :)
For 1200 it better look like amazing and better look excellent
I am holding out for solar-powered robotic sheep.
Living in Michigan a small lawn is a minor deal - 30 minutes a week in the summer.
Winter snow on the other hand ...
Like manual mowers are so hassle free, sure okay. You can definitely see the picture they are trying to paint.
Anyone know if there is a robot lawn mower that uses sensor stakes instead of a wire?
GPS - Huskvarna.
I remember when sheep cut the grass lol what next?
That's right plus you got fertilizer and warm clothing things robots can't do
Even Steven I think lawns are wasteful environmental damage imo
OK, but what's a better alternative that's neighbor and HOA-friendly.
robo mower i can see being good if ur yard is under 700sq ft
$2400...That's funny.
Better have a GPS locator in it for when it gets stolen.
With the safety concerns the government wouldn't let this progress much further than it currently is.
I find a riding mower is quick and easy. Also, it looks like the robot only works on perfect lawns that don't need to be cut.
You have to start out with the lawn the right length and the robots keep it at that length.With a riding mower you need large space to keep it, gas, oil, maintenance,...
First robot vacuums but now theres robot lawnmowers
Shrubbery and native plantings are much more interesting than a green carpet, and less work.
What was the purpose of this video?
I guess walking behind a mower for hours at a time is some people's idea of time
well spent... Solar powered commercial mowers to keep the side of the road cleared has to happen...
I have been getting the impression of late that Consumers Report has lost some of its objectiveness. I am not convinced it is free from agenda driven reports. Like the recent 103 rating for the Tesla model S.
"Tesla Model S P85D Breaks the Consumer Reports Ratings System"
Shouldn't the expensive price be a reason to rate it lower?
Why would it be if it's relatively inexpensive compared to other similar cars? what do you grade it against? It's certainly not something to compare to a camry.
I don’t understand why manufacturers are not putting the same size wheels on front and back the mowers may not get stuck if the wheel were the same all away around
A drone for just as much money can navigate in three dimensions (not two), avoid obstacles at 15 miles per hour, identify people, track a direction, and much more (4k video). 14 year olds, in robotics classes, make robots that navigate and fight each other in completion while stacking blocks, and gathering balls in bins. These mowers are not serious robots. They are 1980 tech toys. Put the robot on a standard mower for power, standardization, and manufactring efficiency. Then let the robot watch you mow your yard one time, and let it do it better for years after that. You can still mow manually, take it some place else for infrequent mowing, use it for commerical applications on 50 homes, let the homeowners association mow 50 homes and keep you out the process entirely. These mowers are 25 years past what is technically available now.
So this is a Honda add?
+LeatherandLuxury Cars If the product is legitimately good, what's the problem?
It's not an ad for Honda's robotic lawn mower.
Ryushi Shiratori the product is not good tho
K so... no rating... no recommendation. Just a this is what they do set of comments?
I guess that's what you get for a free utube video
What planet does CR live on? The Husqvarna cuts with razor blades, nothing cuts grass cleaner! The grass you show was not cut with the robotic mower. My yard is rough and steep, no other mower cuts it like my Husqvarna. Reports like these are why I never subscribe to CR.
Seems like this video comes to you courtesy of Honda... Why even compare two completely different kinds of mowers? Ridiculous.
Had pine cones in the yard so robot was out....no GPS yet either
wtf .no solar panels..???
If you can make these things work in combination with a powderized fence for them that would also act as a insect barrier but you would play sit around the yard where you don't want them to go flower beds Etc it would have a radioactive type field on it and nothing dangerous of course nothing more than maybe cat litter is type of Diatomaceous Earth bugs have a Tennessee to die with it in it but you and circle the yard where you want these mowers to mow and you have a fleet of them in a trailer I'm talking a lawn mowing service utilizing robots and that would leave the human one human able to do multiple yards relatively quickly programmed designs in the lawn line trimming and weeding in a very short time idea for the robot lawnmower designers
Wake up and smell the coffee!!! I have a very large lawn area and I invested less than #1000 for a riding mower about 20 years ago. No sweating, no walking behind a mower, and now waiting forever for one of those little robot jobs to cut the entire lawn. Plus, no idiotic wire to lay out just waiting for pets or humans to trip or get hung up on! My riding mower also has mulching blades and a 38" cutting area so I don't have to worry about raking leaves. I've also had the same 22" cut push mower for small jobs, and it's lasted me about 20 years. Take care of them and they run forever! This mower also has a mulching blade for leaves and grass. I use it to trim after I give the lawn a haircut with my riding mower.
The wires are buried. A first they may show, but the grass grows round/over them very quickly and after a week or two it is difficult to know where exactly they are. As to taking care of your mower - I take care of my robot which has been an enormous household help now that I can barely walk. It has a 27cm wide cut and does not take all day - just a couple of hours and is so quiet that it could easily be set to mow overnight.
It paid for itself in the first year because I did not have to pay someone to do the mowing. My neighbour did have a man with a mower come but after a spell of wet weather she would have to wait until he decided to come. In hot weather he still came weekly although the grass should have been left a little time to recover. Believe me.my lawn looks far superior.
Occasionally I have to go out and trim the difficult bits in odd corners, but this could easily be sorted out by concreting in those tiny spaces, or by growing a small plant such as low growing heather.
I bought one of these robo-mowers. I regret that.
+rkhrahmani care to elaborate?
The main problem was uneven cut and the fact that is took too long to finish my yard. I had to do it two days in a row each week to get closer to an even cut. Also, the cut damaged the grass since it was not sharp. The battery had a short life and it needed to be replaced. The customer service was very bad. I had to leave voice mail several times and never got a phone call back.
+rkhrahmani Hahah, I had gas blower and won't start and just shuts off when worked over 10 min. Now I got electric, battery operated Kobalt blower and trimmer and I'm so happy with it. If they make self propelled lawn mower, I'll replace my Husquarna with it .
No noise smelly gas engines anymore. I hate to keep canisters with gas in my garage along with lawnmower
U mean then
I'd rather cut my lawn, to a lot of us it's not a chore.
It may not be a chore but it is for sure a waste of your time
I have a 1 acre lot, and my mower logs ~24 hours per year, That's just .06 hours per day, or .4 hours per week. The growing season is very long here in Louisiana. You can probably half that for Ohio or Michigan.
Make it fight a croc
If Amazon were to buy one of these companies, they'd be able to bring the price down to $200.
Yeah and it would probably show you ads while you're relaxing by the pool.
Bruh I saw another that was like 5k wtf
Did you know people waist over 10,000 hours of there lives lawn mowering?
Are you hiring for people to mow? Lol
0:26 I can not believe americans says Husky-barna To HusQvarna.
No deep learning?
They never show the robot actually cutting the grass. If I don't see it pe doing the actual job before and after with no editing it doesn't make me buy it.
This is an industry propaganda, robotic lawn mower have a way better cut than the honda, as they us lots of small raisor blades, the honda i a massive blade that rips the grass.
Husqvarna is world's leader and #1 seller in robot lawn mowers. Learn more at www.husqvarna.com/us/products/robotic-lawn-mowers/
How can these robotic mowers be so useless?? AI revolution clearly still some way to go ... I imagine it is due to cost of sensors, which will presumably drop going forwards?
There is obvious bias at consumer reports. I used to subscribe to them. There are many gas powered mowers so why did they say Honda?! Also just from my research the robot mowers are in continuous operation and it takes time to get the cut right.
They mentioned the honda because it was their top tested "classic" lawn mower... Didn't you listen?
Johan Bogg , internet troll you are. My post is six months old and I don't care what they said about Hondas! They are still biased.
Tony Davis neither answering on an old comment or stating why they mentioned the Honda makes me an internet troll.
Johan Bogg you are a troll no doubt about it.
fossil25 great, and that makes you?
I'll stick with my Honda lawn mower.
the honda never works
I would rather just do it myself instead of a robot doing it for me.
I have one word to say...
LAZY
Horrible review. You focus on the time it takes to setup the robomowers but don't mention the time it saves you once setup... Seems like this was sponsored by Honda.
Consumer Reports is an uninformed robotic lawn mower hating publication that chose the wrong brands for their test. This test is incredibly biased and did not include the Ambrogio lawnbot (a.k.a. LawnBott), the best mower out there. But it's obvious that it wouldn't matter if they tested a robot that resolved every one of their complaints, they would find another reason to hate it. It's time for the "old guard" at Consumer Reports to retire and for some fresh new thinkers to come in. Then we could get a test that is actually helpful to consumers.
I wonder what they would think of the robotic lawn mowers that have come out since this video was made.
CR is such a joke. Comparing robo mowers to push mowers is apples to oranges and therefore makes no sense. Does CR think its readers/viewers don't know the difference b/w a robo mower and a push mower? This video made me laugh... and reminded me why I don't sub to CR.
Not sure I follow. Why doesn't it make sense to compare the two? Both are designed to do the same thing. Cut grass. It's easily understood that one does it manually and the other does it automatically (after some programming). This video is intended for those who are on the fence about whether or not to buy a robo mower.
What the hell was that? It basically says robotic mowers suck, just mow it yourself. Useless.
Why? Is this necessary? This puts people like me and other lawn guys out of potential jobs!
Erik M nah not when you run a business
True, but I love what I do, its a passion I always had, and love going out to cut lawns!
Tboy The Rapper I totally agree with you. They need to stop with this robot bs taking everyone's jobs. The same thing will soon be happening to truck drivers (self driving trucks) seriously?! Soon I guess there will be no need for lower class blue collar working people. Sad...
Kingofcriptin Boy I'm not sure how old you are... but being a teenager... by the time I get to retiring age, the only job left will be sitting on your couch... robots will build robots and robots will fix robots no jobs left
Erik M Cutting Grass Kicking Ass Making Cash
Robot lawn mowers are not worth it yet
Lol they are.
yikes - what about washing machines ! You could do the washing by hand if you only believed in saving money. However, I bought my robot as a half price special offer, and it has been far better value than either of my hand mowers.
Wouldn't it be cheaper and better to pay a local kid to mow the lawn with a good mower, rather than a robot mower? She or he would probably do a better job and be more thankful than the robot?
+Stephen Woods Most local kids don't do that much anymore. When they do very poor quality. You can have a professional do your .5 acre lot for under $800 a year. Some people enjoy cutting the lawn. If you hate it just pay a pro. 2 hours of your time or $60 for a crew of 6 or 7.
omg its so hard to walk behind a lawn mower oh geez yeah lets make something that turns humans even lazier
Fine, but I seems to be allergic to the dust from mowing the lawn, nearly killed me, so have bought a robotic lawnmower - should I have hired someone else to mow the lawn?
Let's just all go back to the middle ages then eh? Simplifying something in your life does not make you lazy but gives you more time to do things that you enjoy.
Charlie Holmes you are shortsighted
Do you use a self-propelled mower? Why, is it that hard to just push one? Are you that lazy?To heck with you. Time is money and I love technology.
Yeah right! I hate gasoline motors they are a mess, noisy, smelly and high maintenance!
These are horrid, they are killing hedghogs and critters, and have no business mowing and cutting anything without man held control. Cruel robot, Ban them!
Walking is good for you. And reel human-powered mowers are cheaper to buy and use. Not to mention quieter and less stinky.
if you really hate mowing, install a synthetic yard; th-cam.com/video/XwtrBJjnogE/w-d-xo.html