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Robotic Lawn Mower Comparison Guide: The Best Mower
The first question that we get usually is "Which mower is the best?"

What you really need to know is:
Which mower is best for YOU!
Deciding on the best mower is basically a logical decision process. They are all quality products. Lot size, the shape of the grass areas, the number and severity of grades and the existence of barriers such as fences all play a part in selecting a robotic lawn mower. In some cases, two different mower models have been put on the same property due to unusual requirements. In most cases installs are easy. If yours turns out to be a tough one, we can help you get it right.
Lot Size

This is the best place to start. Sizing a robotic lawn mower to your lawn is fairly basic. First you need to know how much ground you are dealing with an then subtracting the areas that will not be mowed such as the house area, driveway, flower beds, pools and so on.

Square footage to acreage equivalents (approximate):
(all are approximate to make calculation easier and a true acre = 43,560 square feet)
1/4 Acre = 11,000 square feet
1/3 Acre = 15,000 square feet
1/2 Acre = 22,000 square feet
2/3 Acre =29,000 square feet
3/4 Acre = 33,000 square feet
1 Acre = 44,000 square feet

If you know your property size, choose it from the above. In many cases, choosing one "size" lower (on the list) will represent the actual grass area and will get you close enough. Remember: It is always better to purchase a mower slightly oversized to ensure that it will do a satisfactory job.

Shapes and Obstacles
Odd shapes are normally not a problem unless they are extreme. Narrow areas are more of a concern as well as the number of obstacles. A lawn comprised of many small grass paths is not robot friendly nor is a large grove of trees. These areas can be excluded if you want since you can choose the area where the mower travels. Long narrow areas of less than 3-7 feet (depending on model) or areas exceeding the robots specifications may still have to be maintained manually. If this represents a small percentage of the lawn area, at least your robot can do the rest. A robot works best on a typical lawn with a scattering of trees and bushes. If you have "island" beds in the inner area of you lawn or a pool, you can keep the mower out of these areas by placing a loop of perimeter wire around them. This will also keep the mower out of your flowers. If you have a dog that likes to dig holes, the mowers will not work well for you since you will be constantly having to rescue it. Raised tree roots should either be graded in or excluded from the mowing area using the perimeter wire. As a mower travels towards a tree it can "bottom out" as the root rises near the trunk.
Hills and Grades
Do you have a good number of hills or are they steep? This can affect the area that can be maintained since more energy is required to climb the hills. As you can see in the graphic below, grades can be checked with a bubble level, a piece of wood and a tape measure.
Note: The wired perimeter border should never occur across a downgrade of more that 10 degrees. If this is exceeded, the mower may slide across the wire when trying to reverse itself and stop with an error.
 

OK, now that you have an idea of what works and what won't, we can move on to the mowers themselves.

You Can:
Scroll Down to choose by lot size and characteristics
Click Here For a Lawnbott Robomower Cost Comparison
BigMow is in a league of its own at 3 to 5+ Acres Capacity.

 
Select a Mower By Lawn Size and Characteristics
If you do not have fence or walls separating grass areas, don't mind maintaining some areas manually or have enough grass area on either side of an obstacle to use two mowers:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 1 depicts a lawn where the mower can freely move to all areas. If you have small separated areas or steep hills, they may need to be maintained by you with a traditional mower. Example 2 depicts a lawn where two mowers are used as independent systems. Your lawn area Vs cost would decide if this is a viable option.

Under 15 degrees grade maximum: (use above method to check your grade)
1/4 to 1/2 Acre
Lawnbott LB2110
(automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Lawnbott LB2150 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Robomow RM-200
(best for 1/5 acre or less or a few separate smaller areas)
Robomower RM-400 (best for 1/4 acre, automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Robomower RL-850
(best for 1/3 acre or less or a few separate smaller areas)
Robomower RL-1000 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)

Up to 27 degrees grade maximum: (use above method to check your grade)
1/4 to 1/2 Acre
Lawnbott LB2150 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Lawnbott LB3210 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Lawnbott LB3250 ( automatically starts mowing by schedule)

1/4 to 3/4 Acre
Lawnbott LB3210 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Lawnbott LB3250 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Lawnbott LB3500 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)

1/2 to 1 Acre

Lawnbott 3250 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)
Lawnbott LB3500 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)

1 to 13/4+ Acre
Lawnbott LB3550 (automatically starts mowing by schedule)

 

If you have barriers that a robot cannot pass, like a fence or wall separating grass areas and you don't want to maintain anything manually:
Note: Fences that are more ornamental than for security can be cut to allow the mowers to pass under while following their perimeter wires. Paved surfaces can be crossed by placing wires in expansion joints or scoring the surface, placing the wire and securing with a suitable caulk. This will allow them to behave like those in examples 1 and 4. Please contact us for more information.

Example 3
Example 4
Example 3 depicts a multi-zone lawn where one mower is used to maintain all of the areas, each on a different day. If the total area of zones 2 and 3 are small enough, they can both the mowed on the same day. A Lawnbott must run daily or semi-daily. It would not be a good choice here unless the other zones were very small. Example 4 depicts a lawn where zones separated by a barrier are linked via a gateway in the perimeter wire. In some cases where the lawn does not have barriers, this tactic can also be used to allow the mower to reach a separate zone via a path or to improve coverage.


Under 15 degrees slope: (use above method to check your grade)

1/4 Acre and under with barriers:
Robomow RM-200
(best for 1/5 acre or less or a few separate smaller areas)
Robomower RM-400
(best for 1/4 acre, automatically starts mowing by schedule)

1/4 to 2/5 Acre with barriers:
Robomower RL-850 (best for 1/3 acre or less or a few separate smaller areas)
If you have separate areas, you simply drive the mower to them using the standard manual controller, activate the perimeter wire signal and press go.
Robomower RL-1000
Runs one area automatically and can be run in additional areas like the RL-850 above.

1/2 to 1 Acre with barriers:
Robomower RL-1000 (two units, one for each area)
Lawnbott LB2110 (two units, one for each area)
Lawnbott LB2150 (two units, one for each area)

Up to 27 degrees grade maximum: (use above method to check your grade)
1/2 to 2+ Acre with barriers:
LawnBott - Click the link to see all models. (two or more units, one for each area).
 
To sum things up:

The layout samples above are for reference. We realize that your lawn may differ quite a bit from those shown and would be happy to advise you as we have for so many others in the past.

Help us to help you:
We utilize a number of online aerial photo sources for reference when a reasonably clear image is available. Click a link below to find the best image available. If you find a suitable view, please let us know.

MSN Maps (usually the best)
Google Maps (if street view is available, this can sometimes give as a view of grades)
Google Earth (usually good but requires a software download)

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Questions?
The call is on us! Toll Free: 866-392-3766