Robot Mowers - Frequently Asked Questions

These are the questions that we get asked most frequently. If you have a question that is not covered, ask it on the Forum or Contact Us and we’ll answer it. If it’s a good question, we’ll add it to the list and give you 5% off your next purchase.

Trying to decide on the best robot lawn mower for you? Have a look at our guide to choosing the right mower.

frequently asked question
No, stripes are created by the rollers on the back of mowers.  Robot mowers don’t have rollers and don’t cut in parallel lines. Nearly all robot mowers mow in a random pattern i.e. they set off in a straight line and when they turn ( due to the edge of the lawn or an obstacle), they turn in a random direction and set off again.  Some use technology (mainly GPS) to try and ensure that they don’t cut the same area twice, some cut in spirals when they sense particularly long grass.
To get a great lawn, the trick is to cut ‘little and often’. The recommendation is to never cut more than a third of the blade of grass off in one go. A robot mower will normally be scheduled to cut every day to ensure the grass stays at a constant height even when it’s growing fast (it can grow up to 3-5 cms per week). Using traditional mowers, most people don’t have time to ‘cut little and often’  but most robot mowers (excluding the Ambrogio L60 Elite & Elite S+) mow based on a user specified schedule (my mower goes out everyday) so they take the ‘little and often’ to the extreme.
As the mowers are cutting little and often, you don’t need to collect the clippings (mulch), in fact mulching is a great way to return nutrients to the soil. You’ll need around 25% less fertilizer by mulching with lawn clippings.
Most robot mowers (excluding the Ambrogio L60 Elite & Elite S+) require a perimeter wire which is laid around the edge of the lawn. An electrical pulse (very low voltage) is sent down the wire and when the mower reaches the wire, it turns around (just like it has encountered an obstacle). If the power goes off, the mower stops so there is no danger to your flowers.
It doesn’t, unfortunately nobody has invented a robot strimmer …yet! Most Ambrogio mowers do a regular cut along the perimeter wire to minimise the amount of edge cutting required, but you will still need to trim the edge from time to time.
Firstly you need to ensure that you buy a robot mower that can cover the total area you need, secondly that it is built to handle more than one area and thirdly that it can move from one area to another.
  1. The manufacturer will state the area the robot will cover.  You can’t say that you have two 600 sq. m. lawns but you’ll use a 600 sq. m. mower and move it between the lawns every other day.  You have 1200 sq. m. so you need to buy a mower that handles that…..sorry! Use our measure my lawn page to find out.
  2. Each mower will say how many areas it can cover, our mowers cover between 2 and 8 areas (e.g. the L35 Deluxe)
  3. The perimeter wire needs to enclose all the areas in a complete loop.  Where the mower goes from one area to another, it needs a corridor to follow (all the Ambrogios need a 1m corridor).  You need to be able to lay the perimeter wire along the corridor (i.e. not solid concrete) and the robot needs to be able to grip (i.e. not shingle).
Have a look at our test garden and see how complex and area can be managed.  If you are not sure, Contact Us, there are not many areas that we cannot come up with a solution for.
Robot lawn mowers can mow in the rain so long as they are cutting the grass every day i.e. it is not too long.  Some makes have rain sensors which allow you to send them back to the base when it rains, but this feature is usually configurable. We advise putting your mower into storage for the winter as the grass is not growing and the ground usually gets very soft. We put ours away in October/ November and get it out again in March/ April…it depends on the weather and lawn conditions. You can use a robot mower when a conventional mower would be too heavy and damage the ground.
A lot of conventional mowers create an updraft when working so not only do they cut the lawn but they suck up leaves etc. into the path of the blades. Robot mowers do not do this so, although they will cut leaves which are grass height, they will not clear your lawn of leaves.  On the plus side, your robot mower will keep the grass short all the time so the leaves should not get caught up in the grass and will hopefully blow away.

We have a black labrador.  When she first saw it, she barked at it when it went past but after half an hour, she just ignored it – now she barely notices it.

We also have horses in neighbouring fields, their initial nervousness soon disappeared,  now it’s funny to watch them stand there and follow it with their heads.

If you are concerned, we do offer a unique solution, the Amico tag. This stops the blades turning when it approaches your pet .

As for their poo, if you don’t manage to pick it up in time,  it’s still better than a normal lawnmower since the chances of the wheels running over it are less as the wheels aren’t as big as a lawnmower and there is no roller – it won’t stop the machine running.

All robot mowers need a permanent power source (all except the Ambrogio L60 Elite & Elite S+).  They normally come with a transformer to plug into a 13A mains socket and a low voltage (normally around 20v) to connect the transformer to the base station. We would recommend putting the transformer inside (i.e. in the dry) and then running the low voltage cable to the base station.  Sometimes that’s not possible, so we would put the transformer in a dribox (or similar). Remember to think about where your power will come from when choosing the site for the base station.
Most mowers cope with quite steep slopes (20 – 45%) however read the literature carefully and check if it affects the maximum area they can cover! Our newest model, the Ambrogio QUAD, copes with 75% slopes. Normally a mower will cope with a much steeper slope in the middle of the garden than at the edge (around the perimeter). Also be aware of sudden changes in height that would cause the mower to get caught e.g. the front of the mower hits the slope as the wheels haven’t got there yet.
If your garden has trees then it’s not a problem. If the trees do not have any protruding roots then you can just let the mower bump into them as they would do any other obstacle. If the roots are protruding then it could cause the robot to ‘ground out’ i.e. lift the wheels off the ground.  This can be solved quite easily by either creating islands with the perimeter wire so the mower keeps away from the tree or by putting a raised barrier around the tree so it bumps off it.
Installation involves laying a perimeter cable and installing the base station (except for the L60). Both of these are possible to do yourself and we have a number of installation videos to help you. If you have a large garden i.e. requires a long perimeter cable or have multiple areas then it’s worth contacting us to discuss whether you need a professional installation.
There are 3 main considerations when choosing a model:
  1. The area you need to mow – you can use our Measure My Lawn page to measure or have a site survey.
  2. How many areas you need to mow – Areas are connected lawns which the mower can move between.
  3. How much time do you want to be ‘robot free’ – e.g. if you only want your robot to mow overnight, you need to ensure that it will cover the area within the hours of darkness.
Have a look at our guide to choosing the best robot mower.
Unfortunately, a robot mower can look inviting to a thief as it is an expensive piece of equipment and do occasionally get stolen. If you are worried about theft, make sure you buy a model that has security features as this will ensure that if it does get stolen, it will be traceable and useless to anyone but yourself. Also check your insurance, you might think that it is covered by your house insurance but many don’t.
If the perimeter wire is buried, the likelihood of the wire being broken is low however it does happen. Whilst you may have expected rabbits in the garden to cause a problem, it’s the deer and weasels that tend to break the wire…or someone putting a spade through it! There are a number of ways to find a break.  The most likely places for a break are joints in the wire…always use a good quality connector  (we supply them with our kits –  never join and tape them) – look at the joints first. Walk the perimeter and look for obvious disturbances…after an installation, I normally walk the perimeter and take a video so that I know where the wire is. With older mowers, you can use an AM radio to find a break, newer models work on a different frequency so you need another method – see YouTube “How to find a wire break in a underground dog or pet fence using an AM radio for FREE!” If all else fails, call in the professionals…we use a special tool to locate breaks.
Although a number of manufacturers and third parties sell covers, the mowers are built to be outside with no cover during the season. You may want to buy a robot mower garage/ kennel for security reasons or so that you can paint it the same colours as the surrounding buildings…that’s fine, just make sure that you buy one which suits your mower i.e. big enough and won’t get in the way of the mower. We would suggest installing the mower first and then thinking about the garage after you have seen it working.
There are a number of factors to consider when looking at the cost:

The initial purchase and installation cost

Robot mowers are generally more expensive than traditional electric or petrol powered mowers although for large gardens, they can be cheaper than a ride on mower that covers a similar area.

The cost of your time (or maybe your gardener’s time)

This is where the big saving is found. If you have a gardener, how much do they cost – £20-£30 an hour in our area.

If you mow the lawn yourself, how much do you value your time and if you had that extra time, what would you do with it…probably other household jobs but that’s another story. Apparently we spend on average 2 months of our lives mowing.

The cost of fuel

 Robot mowers cost approx £20 – £40 per year to run, that wouldn’t run your petrol mower for long!

Cost to the environment

In the US, it was reported that petrol mowers represent Petrol mowers 5% of U.S. air pollution. Hopefully it has decreased since that report but it is still significant. 

Key Features of Robot Mowers

Robotic Mowers have been in use for over 20 years and although we do not seen them very often in the UK are very prevalent in mainland Europe.

Ambrogio is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary as a robot mower manufacturer this year.  Although there are a number of makes available, most work on the same principles and have similar features.  When one maker introduces some new feature, other makes will follow and with the ability to update the software on the mower remotely on a lot of machines, it all happens fairly seamlessly. 

I have endeavoured below to outline the key features, what they mean and if they matter.  It doesn’t matter if you end up buying an Ambrogio, Robomow, Hasqvarna or other make, make sure that you understand what it’s features are if you need them.

Lawn Size

Most manufacturers will quote the maximum lawn size that a model can cope with but what does that really mean.  It is usually based on the maximum performance of the batteries, but there are other considerations to consider:

  • Complexity of lawn – the more complex the lawn, the longer the mower will take to mow it.
  • Number of areas – if you have a number of connected areas, it may take longer for the robot to get to an area (or back again) which will increase the amount of time it is travelling (not cutting) and hence reduce the cutting time.
  • How much time do you want with a robot free lawn – some manufacturers work out the maximum size lawn assuming that your robot will mow 24 hours a day (including charging time).  The reality is that the amount of time required to cut your lawn will vary through the growing season but do consider how much robot free time you want.
Use our Measure My Lawn page as a starting point.

Self-installation

Self Install video for robot lawn mowers
Play Video

You can install your robot and base station yourself. 

Remember that you will need somewhere to plug it in and the power supply unit needs to be protected from sun and rain.

If you have a large amount of perimeter wire to lay, it can be a back-breaking job so it may be worth asking about a professional installation.

Security

Although it is possible to have your docking station inside an out-building, it is not practical in the majority of the cases.  Even if you can manage this, your mower will still be outside for a large amount of the time mowing.

Most models have features which will deter anyone who takes a liking to your mower:

  • Geofencing – this will notify you if the mower goes outside of a pre-set area
  •  Tilt/ lift alarm – this will sound if the mower is picked up

Whilst these are deterrents, always check your house insurance to ensure that your mower is covered.  I found that whilst a number of insurance companies didn’t even know what a robot mower was and why you would want to leave it outside, it was fairly easy to get cover.  Have a look at our blog about insurance.

Cutting Height

Whilst it is possible to change the cutting height remotely on the 4.0 Elite  and 4.36 Elite, on the rest of the models it is manual.  Having previously used a traditional mower where I changed the height according to where I was mowing and how frequently I mowed, I wondered if that would be a problem?

As the mower cuts the lawn frequently, the grass stays a fairly consistent length so there is no reason to adjust it. The only time that I have changed the cutting height is at the beginning of the season where I had to start mowing with a high cutting height as the grass was long and gradually reduce it.  The perfect solution would be to install the mower before the season starts and start cutting early…life isn’t always perfect.  The other thing I found was that as the robot mower is much lighter than a traditional mower, it is possible to mower earlier in the season when the ground is too soft for a traditional mower.

Cutting Edge Technology

The mower uses the built in GPS to record where it has mown as it goes.  It uses this information to feed into it’s advanced algorithms , allows the robot to create virtual maps of your garden dividing it up into small areas (Smart Partitions – about 2m squares). As the mower passes through a square, it checks if the area has been fully mown recently, if it has, the robot continues to mow through the area. If it enters a square which has not been mown recently, it changes mode to cut in Spiral Cutting Mode pattern until the square is fully cut and then moves on. With Satellite Dynamic Memory (SDM) , Ambrogio mowers benefit from the improved coverage of a random cutting pattern, paired with the greater efficiency of focused, time saving, systematic navigation.

The ZCS Connect feature allows you to connect and interact with the robot from your smartphone or tablet.  The Ambrogio Remote App allows you to check where your robot is, tell it to mow in a different area, monitor it’s status and receive alerts. All this can be done from anywhere in the world , giving you the peace of mind that your lawn will always be looking it’s best.

Spiral cutting

Ambrogio l35 robot mower on grass
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+INFINITYSYSTEM

The new +INFINITYSYSTEM available on the Ambrogio range, allows you to run multiple mowers in the same area. Each mower maintains a map of the area to be mown and shares this with the other mowers on the lawn so that they don’t mow the same area.

This allows you to increase the area that can be mown (up to 20 acres) , decrease the amount of time taken, or both.

The mowers don’t even need to be the same model. So if you increase the size of your garden (maybe add a paddock to your garden), you can just add a new mower.  

Just look for the +InfinitySystem sign on the mowers (all mowers that mow 3500 m² and above).

+Infinity System
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+Infinity Cutting System

Warranty

All our mowers come with a minimum of 2 years manufacturer’s warranty.  Some mowers (the 4.0 Elite and the 4.36 Elite) come with an additional 4 years.  

To be covered by the warranty, all you need to do is follow the instructions and have an annual service (usually in the winter).  The Robot Mower is an authorised Ambrogio Service agent – have a look at all the services we offer.

Up to six years warranty

Additional things to consider

There are a lot of advantages of having a robot mower but there are a number of things to consider which may not be obvious, I’ve tried to make a list below but if you have any other questions, feel free to contact us:

What happens if I have leaves or twigs/ branches on the lawn

As the robot mower does not pick up grass, it will not come as a surprise that it does not pick up leaves either.  With a fixed mower blade, the mower will shred the leaves which will then blow away in the wind …remember as it cuts little and often, the number of leaves between mowings should be small. For twigs/ branches, then it’s best to pick them up, same as for a normal mower, although I’ve found that as I’ve got more time to look after the garden, it’s not a problem.

How does it cope with rabbit holes etc.

Unfortunately, we have rabbits in our garden so it was one of my concerns.  I’ve found that it will cope with most small holes in the garden, either by navigating it’s way over them or by sensing them as an obstacle and turning around.  Having said that, the best solution is to fill them in…easier said than done.  The other thing that can happen is that an animal may break the perimeter cable.  I was worried about this with rabbits but have only found it an issue with bigger animals e.g. deer (once last season).  There are 2 options, you can either just fix the break after it has happened, it’s not difficult as connectors are available and the break is usually fairly easy to find or install a thicker cable which is more animal proof.

Are all gardens suitable

Although not all gardens are suitable for a robot mower, most should be although it may be worth having a survey if you have any doubts. We may find that you need to employ some if the clever ‘tricks’ that Ambrogio provides to get round complex areas in the most efficient manner. 

I have found that I have changed a few areas over time e.g. adding a raised border around an existing flower bed to improve things but that’s just to make my life easier.

What happens if I change the layout of my garden

If you need to change the perimeter of the garden then, it’s not a problem.  I usually walk the perimeter after installation and take a video so I know exactly where the perimeter cable is.  If I have to change anything, I can go back to the video and work out where the wire is.  Then it’s just a case of digging down to the wire, pulling out the section that needs to be moved and then reconnecting a new section.  If it’s a small section then you can just peg in back to the ground and let nature bury it over time.