Put your feet up and leave mowing the lawn to a HI-TECH TRIMMER
Lazy gardenerSPECIAL
VIRTUAL BOUNDARIES
Handling lawns up to 1,500m 2, this smart cookie uses GPS technology to set its cutting area, so no need for any boundary wires. Controlled via an app, mowing schedules can be set and altered remotely. With a maximum gradient of 45% and choice of seven cutting heights, it’ll cope with a wide range of lawn conditions. Segway H1500E, £1,899 mowwithus.com
Robotic lawnmowers used to be the preserve of affluent gardeners with acres of grass – but not any more! There are now models tailormade for smaller lawns and tighter budgets, bringing all the advantages of these clever little machines into the reaches of us modern gardeners. While it’s still a major purchase, a robo-mower will pay back the investment in units of time – but that’s not the only reason to buy. Regular mowing is the single most important aspect of lawn care to achieve the lushest swathe. And while you won’t want to be pushing a lawnmower around that often yourself, a robo-mower embraces this little-and-often approach, leaving your lawn looking its very best.
HOW DO THEY WORK?
Robotic lawnmowers are powered by rechargeable batteries (usually lithium-ion) and use a charging station, dock or home that it returns to once it’s finished cutting or the battery is depleted and needs recharging. The charging station uses a mains electricity supply, so needs setting up within reach of a weatherproof power outlet.
It’s relatively quick and simple to get started, depending on the size and shape of your lawn and whether there are any obstacles to manoeuvre around. Most mowers are kept from straying by an electronic perimeter wire, unobtrusively laid around the lawn edge just under the surface of the turf. This also helps orientate the mower, and guide it back to the charging station. A few of the latest models, such as the Segway H1500E above, use a virtual boundary that’s set up using an app.
To set up the mowing programme, most models have simple push-button controls and some can be customised remotely via a smartphone app or virtual assistant such as Alexa. You can then also get status updates, such as whether the mower is charging or cutting, even when you’re away from home.
You don’t need to worry about the clippings either. Because robot mowers cut the grass so regularly, the clippings can be left on the lawn as a mulch to return nutrients to the soil. Some mowers have fast or double blades that chop the clippings finely and, like a mulching mower, blow them down into the grass.
Most robotic lawnmowers come with all you need to install the mower and set it up, but do check what’s included, especially if your lawn isn’t a standard patch as you may need to purchase different accessories.
WHAT TO CONSIDER
