# Robotic Mowers for Large Lawns



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

Topic inspired by @HungrySoutherner and @osuturfman.

Has anyone considered robotic mower options for maintaining acreage?

The current Husqvarna Automower models will only mow up to about 1.25 acres, but it sounds like they are about to scale up with the Ceora - designed for golf and sports fields:











Alternatively, it looks like the Ambrogio L400i Deluxe will mow up to 5 acres:


----------



## Ware (Jan 28, 2017)

The Ambrogio L400i Deluxe is only $16,900 on Amazon. :lol:

That sounds like a lot, but the types of mowers most people would buy to maintain several acres aren't exactly inexpensive.


----------



## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

I'm not considering anything that needs a wire. I see the commercial units don't need them. So I figure it won't be long until they make residential units that don't need the buried wire.


----------



## osuturfman (Aug 12, 2017)

Ware said:


> The Ambrogio L400i Deluxe is only $16,900 on Amazon. :lol:
> 
> That sounds like a lot, but the types of mowers most people would buy to maintain several acres aren't exactly inexpensive.


It begs the question: Do you want to drink beer while on the mower or watch the mower while you drink beer?


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Not sure if I like the random cut path although maybe that's changing. But I could definitely watch it while drinking a beer.

Agree with @ionicatoms on the buried wire.


----------



## HungrySoutherner (May 29, 2018)

osuturfman said:


> Ware said:
> 
> 
> > The Ambrogio L400i Deluxe is only $16,900 on Amazon. :lol:
> ...


I'm a huge fan of sleeping while the mower does the work.


----------



## HungrySoutherner (May 29, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> Not sure if I like the random cut path although maybe that's changing. But I could definitely watch it while drinking a beer.
> 
> Agree with @ionicatoms on the buried wire.


The Ceora models can be set to mow regular patterns or mow in random mode. I've lived with the Husqvarna 450x for 2 seasons and you don't see the random pattern in the turf at all, if anything its a benefit because the grass is being mowed from so many different directions it gets stood up and cut well so its groomed.


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

HungrySoutherner said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > Not sure if I like the random cut path although maybe that's changing. But I could definitely watch it while drinking a beer.
> ...


Thanks. That's good to know. I've been interested in these particularly for space saving in the garage. I wonder how it does around dog poop?


----------



## HungrySoutherner (May 29, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> HungrySoutherner said:
> 
> 
> > pennstater2005 said:
> ...


I have 2 dogs and try to keep most of the poop picked up, but when its hit it not really that big of a deal. It will get on the wheels and has to be hosed off if its mowing wet, other wise it keeps mowing and eventually dries and falls off the wheels. I've been told by other guys that mow tall that it can get smeared under the mower and has to be cleaned off eventually but its not going to stop the mower. It's not much different if you were reel mowing and don't want poop in the reel or on the drum.


----------



## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

The boundary wires on a large property would definitely become a problem when you have to troubleshoot a break. Shouldn't be too much longer before the tech will trickle down to the larger home owner units and they can just use GPS. If I had a large open property I would probably use the 450x and just install the thickest solid wire I can find.

If you are using PGR you may be able to get a little more coverage out of the mower than stated. My battery life went up significantly when I cut on the lowest setting and started using PGR. I think the mower moves more efficiently through short cut turf.


----------



## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

I am considering a robomower for a few years down the road once I have had time to transform my entire area into a leveled, and irrigated lawn. I don't mind the time I spend on a zero turn, but I could certainly use more time to spend on other aspects of lawn care, such as fertility and other chemicals, and not spending time mowing would allow more time for those things.

I think with a large property, getting a robomower wouldn't allow me to get rid of any equipment. I am still going to need something to pull my 41 gallon sprayer. And I want to get a tow behind aerator as well.


----------



## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

Deltahedge said:


> I think with a large property, getting a robomower wouldn't allow me to get rid of any equipment.


This is a fascinating observation; for a small property, I think replacing a traditional mower would be a big plus.


----------



## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

ionicatoms said:


> Deltahedge said:
> 
> 
> > I think with a large property, getting a robomower wouldn't allow me to get rid of any equipment.
> ...


Exactly. You could get rid of the mower, and use a backpack sprayer for any chemical applications you need. Maybe there is an assumption that people aren't applying chemical or fert, or aerating properties once they reach a certain size?


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Is someone picking these up and stealing them a possible issue?


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Oh, and a robot smart sprayer would be awesome!


----------



## bosox_5 (Jun 20, 2018)

I legitimately want a robot zamboni for the winter ice rink.


----------



## Boy_meets_lawn (Sep 27, 2020)

pennstater2005 said:


> Is someone picking these up and stealing them a possible issue?


Depending on the model they come equipped with a GPS tracker. They are programed using a Pin code and the mower is synced to the base station. They also emit a loud siren when lifted or stopped. If someone took one it would be useless as husqvarna won't allow a code reset unless you have a receipt.


----------



## HungrySoutherner (May 29, 2018)

Deltahedge said:


> I am considering a robomower for a few years down the road once I have had time to transform my entire area into a leveled, and irrigated lawn. I don't mind the time I spend on a zero turn, but I could certainly use more time to spend on other aspects of lawn care, such as fertility and other chemicals, and not spending time mowing would allow more time for those things.
> 
> I think with a large property, getting a robomower wouldn't allow me to get rid of any equipment. I am still going to need something to pull my 41 gallon sprayer. And I want to get a tow behind aerator as well.


On the whole you may not be reducing the amount of equipment because of your specific property size, but you would be saving the amount of time you spend mowing and so far studies show improved turf quality because of the constant mowing, along with decreased fertility requirements with reduced thatch because of the micro clippings being left behind when the mower is working. So unless you are fertilizing every week, or aerating every week that's a huge time saving on large properties along with fuel and maintenance savings on the automower.


----------



## HungrySoutherner (May 29, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> Is someone picking these up and stealing them a possible issue?


Someone could try but they won't get very far and they will be very surprised when the police show up with the siren going off on the mower and you know exactly where they are going because of the GPS they can't disable.


----------



## Deltahedge (Apr 1, 2020)

HungrySoutherner said:


> On the whole you may not be reducing the amount of equipment because of your specific property size, but you would be saving the amount of time you spend mowing and so far studies show improved turf quality because of the constant mowing, along with decreased fertility requirements with reduced thatch because of the micro clippings being left behind when the mower is working. So unless you are fertilizing every week, or aerating every week that's a huge time saving on large properties along with fuel and maintenance savings on the automower.


For sure. I totally agree, which is why I can really see me buying one of these in a few years once I have the entire area transformed into a manicured lawn.

I was talking about it only from a point of economics for me as far as comparing the cost of a robomower vs the cost of a lawn tractor or zero turn mower. The comparison doesn't really matter to me, because at the end of the day, I would need both pieces of equipment. So it's really not one vs the other, it's one plus the other. (In my yard only. People who don't need to tow stuff for their lawn can certainly compare one vs the other.)


----------



## ionicatoms (Mar 8, 2020)

pennstater2005 said:


> Oh, and a robot smart sprayer would be awesome!


Skip the sprayer and go for lasers!


----------



## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Boy_meets_lawn said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > Is someone picking these up and stealing them a possible issue?
> ...


Interesting. I definitely didn't know about the siren.



HungrySoutherner said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > Is someone picking these up and stealing them a possible issue?
> ...


I wonder if the police would be interested in helping retrieve that. I feel like around where I'm at they wouldn't but you never know. Once the siren is going there's no way to stop it. Imagine that in your vehicle driving away :nod:


----------



## HungrySoutherner (May 29, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> Boy_meets_lawn said:
> 
> 
> > pennstater2005 said:
> ...


My Automower dealer told me about 2 customers that had experienced it. One guy that likes to collect junk on the side of the road decided the mower that was mowing looked like something he should collect, he grabbed it and put it in his truck and made it 2 blocks before dropping it off on the side of the road because of the siren and the guy caught it all on his security camera. The other incident was high school teenagers who decided to give it an attempt, got it in the car and started driving around town with it and the siren going off, police were called and when they arrived at the GPS location the kids were found with the mower still going off on the siren trying to figure out how to shut it off and got arrested for theft and the mower was returned.


----------



## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

pennstater2005 said:


> Oh, and a robot smart sprayer would be awesome!


Agreed. One that never overlaps or skips, knows it's travel speed exactly and calibrates nozzle pressure accordingly. Simply load and push go.


----------

