When I tested my first robotic lawnmower, the Husqvarna Automower 430XH, almost two years ago, I gained the opportunity to control the time and still get a beautiful lawn.

OK, I don’t really have control over the time, but the robotic lawnmower takes over one of my biggest weekly tasks and gives my family and me more time together. Husqvarna Automower 430XH opened my eyes to the time savings a robotic lawn mower can offer. Since then, I’ve tested more advanced autonomous models with important new features like GPS control.

Your lawn serves many purposes: it provides a cooling effect, a place to gather, and more, it also serves as a doormat for your home. Even when temperatures rise and the summer heat begins to steam the grass, there are proper ways to mow your lawn so it continues to thrive. But all of this takes time, and I don’t have it. Between two kids, a job, and now a move, I’ve had to outsource my lawn care.

The result? A beautifully maintained – not just cut – lawn and even more Time for summer fun.

If you are curious about adding a robotic lawn mower to your garden and outdoor arsenal, here is my experience with two new robotic lawn mowers, the Segway Navimow i110N (US$1,299) and Mammotion Luba 2 AWD ($4,099) and why they’ve become my secret weapon for a perfect summer.

I started with a robotic lawnmower without GPS and it was frustrating

Husqvarna offers Advanced options than the Automower 430XH, which was my first foray into robotic lawn care. Now it resembles a more budget-friendly Robot vacuum cleaner.

Like less advanced robot vacuums that don’t have modern lidar (a type of laser mapping), the Automower 430XH didn’t have GPS guidance and mapping and required the installation of a physical boundary wire. This wire acts as a virtual wall that the mower “bounces” off of, helping it find its charging base. While this ultimately gets the job done, the mower often got stuck on objects, mowed over things my kids had left in the yard, or got lost on the way home.

The randomness not only left strange mowing marks in my yard, but also bumps. That might sound like a complaint, but I’m still glad I wasn’t the one mowing. It also means I’m much happier now, because like robot vacuums, there have been a lot of advancements and new players in the robot lawn mower category.

The best thing about modern robotic mowers is the integration of GPS technology, which allows the mowers to mow an entire lawn with ease, both during initial setup and while mowing. Aside from the time I save by not mowing the lawn myself, the mowers are significantly quicker to get up and running than mowers that require a boundary wire.

Thanks to GPS control, using robotic lawnmowers is a pleasure

These improvements include replacing annoying boundary wires with GPS-controlled mowing, as well as enhanced object recognition, improved efficiency and ultimately a more beautiful lawn with less work. Two robotic mowers that I am currently testing are the Segway Navimow i110N and the Mammotion Luba 2 AWD 10000H. Both have strengths and weaknesses and are far from perfect, but they have become essential tools for my lawn care and lifestyle.

Segways Navimow is ideal for smaller lawns

The $1,300 Segway NavimowThe robotic lawnmower’s navigation is limited to a quarter acre of mowing area due to some onboard memory limitations. That’s not much of my 5-acre country property. I found the perfect part of my lawn for it after driving it like an oversized, very slow RC car with my OnePlus Open Phone as remote control. I set up a mowing schedule and the Segway robotic lawnmower does the rest. This Navimow saves me about 30-45 minutes of mowing twice a week.

Mammotion Luba 2 can handle 2.5 hectares of farm

This means that the rest of my regained time comes from the Mammotion Luba 2 AWD 10000H. This particular model can mow up to 2.5 acres. Again, no wires are required, and although it’s slower than a remote-controlled car, the Luba 2 AWD can travel surprisingly fast up to 4 feet per second. The AWD part of the name means this robotic mower has all-wheel drive, which helps it tackle more challenging lawns. Mammotion’s mower has two cutting decks, compared to Navimow’s single deck, can cut down from 4 inches to 2.2 inches, and has far more customization controls. This souped-up model costs more than $4,000.

Hands-free, perfect lawn

Perfectly manicured lawns with mowing stripes and checkerboard patterns are not very common in Kansas, but I have them this spring. It is not uncommon for friends of mine to call me a “high-tech redneck,” with all my Smart devicesand they may be right, but I don’t stress about having to mow my lawn. I don’t have to work all day and then spend hours mowing my lawn in the summer heat. I can use my weekends for family camping trips, ball games, and more.

Even high-end robotic lawnmowers have bad days

Both the Segway Navimow i110N and the Mammotion Luba 2 AWD 10000H have quirks and occasionally require human intervention to keep moving. Sometimes a stick gets stuck in the wheel or the mower deck, causing the mower to stop and I have to remove it. Sometimes the mowers forget how to get back to the charger or get stuck in a clump of grass and have to be moved manually. These problems are not mechanical in nature and have never taken more than a few minutes to fix.

Whether you’re considering a smaller, entry-level robotic lawn mower or a more sophisticated model to take care of your garden, there are a few factors to consider before purchasing to ensure you get the best experience possible.

Robotic lawn mowers are becoming more common. As technology improves – particularly advanced GPS control – and prices drop, it’s a good time to treat yourself to one. They’re a real splurge, costing anywhere from $600 to well over $5,000. Will I still enjoy mowing the lawn? Sure, but only when I feel like it, not because I have to.

Check this out: How to prepare your lawn mower for the season

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