The perfect lawn with a robotic lawnmower: myth or reality?
Spring seems to have just begun, but the long-awaited summertime is on its doorstep! The hot days outside the town, cozy picnics in the shade of trees, active games with children in the fresh air and romantic “dates” on the veranda of the house with a view of the garden… For gardeners, summer is also the time to be active, looking after the grounds and keeping the plants, flower beds and lawns beautiful! Whether or not you can keep your lawn in perfect condition without doing much of anything, we’ll talk about that below.
Nowadays in everyday life there are more and more robotic devices that are ready to replace many hours of cleaning, work for a pleasant pastime with family, friends or, for example, with a book. Gardening is no exception. Automatic irrigation systems are a striking confirmation of this. And if they are no longer uncommon for many residents of our country, robotic lawnmowers are a fairly new phenomenon in the world of garden care. And as anything new, it raises a lot of questions, the most important of which is: do these robots really work efficiently? The perfect lawn with a robotic lawnmower: Myth or reality? Let’s try to find out.
What is a robotic lawnmower and what do manufacturers usually promise?
A robotic lawnmower is a battery-operated device that takes care of your lawn while you rest or not at all. Manufacturers guarantee an excellent lawn, the device works in various weather conditions and even on sloped areas. The device is equipped with a special program in which the owner enters all the necessary data and tasks for the robot. And then he begins to work independently according to the plan and returns to the loading site at the end of the session. You can program the robot so that it mows the lawn only on weekdays or at night, then it will not be distracted from its peace of mind during the day and on weekends. Robots differ in size, battery power, configuration, availability of additional functions (such as mowing a claim), and all these factors, of course, you need to consider when choosing a particular robot model for your area.
What are the nuances? What should you pay attention to before starting the robot?
First of all, it is necessary to prepare the construction site before starting work. The preparation includes the installation of the base station of the robot with a connection to the power grid, laying the border circuit and the supply cable, on the basis of which the lawnmower carries out the process of mowing. It is also important to consider that the lawn must still be, slopes are acceptable, but the hills and pits will not allow the robot to effectively perform its task. At the same time, the grass should not be high. The principle of the robotic lawnmower is “more often”. It needs to be driven regularly, it does not carry much grass at all, but due to the frequency it keeps the “green carpet” neat and helps it to get thicker each time. The robots leave the cuttings on the lawn in the form of mulch, which decomposes and becomes an extra fertilizer.
The most important advantages of a robotic lawnmower are
In fact, it turns out that it is not at all difficult to meet all the requirements for operating a robotic lawnmower. The only disadvantage of the equipment is its price (on average from 50 to 100 thousand rubles). But it will pay off with interest, and you can see this for yourself by testing the robot on your plot.
Let us highlight the main advantages of the robotic lawnmower, why it is still possible to purchase such a smart “friend”:
- Saving personal time and labor costs due to the automated operation of the device;
- Easy programming and management, as well as adjusting the cutting height;
- As a result, the perfect condition of the lawn at all times;
- Robots are not afraid of water, so you can wash them with a hose, cleaning the body, blades and wheels of dirt, dust, remnants of grass, and leave them outside all season. When it rains, robots equipped with special sensors are sent to their plot to avoid mowing the lawn with mulch in bad weather.
Today, there are several major manufacturers of robotic lawnmowers. For example, the German brand GARDENA has been developing this direction since 2012 and for the 2019 season introduced the new GARDENA SILENO life model. Its blades cut the grass cleanly and, thanks to the SensorCut, it follows a special path without streaks on the lawn. The cutting height can be easily adjusted without tools. The device is equipped with an intuitive user interface, complex calculations and programming are not required. It is available in three versions, with recommended cutting areas of 750 to 1250 m².
Based on this data and the test results of the device, we can confidently say that the perfect lawn with a robotic lawnmower – is not a myth, but a reality! The world of high technology is developing rapidly, based on unique developments are created gadgets and devices that we need in our daily lives. And they make our lives more pleasant and joyful. This is so great – after all, there is nothing more wonderful for science than to become part of people’s daily lives in applied form!
How to cut a lawn so it grows lush and without gaps
Lawn mowing is not just a seasonal endless marathon of healthy gardening, but the most important part of keeping your lawn healthy and beautiful. Improper mowing will quickly turn your lawn into a brown and unsightly field. In addition, without regular mowing, even a perfect lawn will turn into another streak of weeds in a season.
Lawn mowing is not good for your lawn or your home. Mowing your lawn promotes grass growth. That is, how you mow your lawn, when you mow it, and what you use to mow it are crucial to making sure your lawn grows thickly, has no bare spots, and looks lush and healthy.
Why we mow lawns
Plant energy is controlled by photosynthesis, which is the capture of carbon from the air, solar energy and water from the soil to grow roots and green plants. Cutting the tops of herbaceous plants stimulates further growth. The result: a thicker lawn with strong, healthy roots that will push out weeds and make your lawn comfortable enough for children to walk barefoot and play.
But as anyone with dried-out brown patches, a sea of mowed weeds, or a clearing with tufts of grass can attest, a lot can go wrong in this process.
How to choose the right lawn mower
There are different types of lawn mowers that can be used for lawn care. Buying the right mower depends on the size of your lot, your budget, and your personal preferences.
1 Determine whether your plot is flat or has elevation differences, including various hills and lowlands. For areas with steep slopes and little space, there are three-wheeled mowers such as the STIHL RM 3 RT. It’s a side-discharge petrol lawnmower that’s easy to manoeuvre between beds and around trees.
2 Do the math. Lawn care requires a certain amount of strength and stamina. This can be compensated to some extent by a lawn mower. Modern high-performance lawn mowers from European manufacturers usually represent the perfect balance between price and physical effort.
effortless mowing: The STIHL RMA 339 C cordless mower
3 costs . A lawn mower can be a very expensive purchase. With this criterion, it is logical to consider the experience and reliability of the manufacturer, the possibility of repairing the equipment, the warranty period offered and the modern developments associated with it.
Modern models include additional options: a mulching blade, which cuts and distributes the grass into small pieces, and a grass catcher box, which collects the mowed grass.
Cordless technology has become indispensable in today’s lawn equipment industry – lighter, more comfortable, more maneuverable, and quieter.
Here’s how high-quality battery technology works
One lawnmower is not enough to take care of your lawn. The new STIHL FSA 57 cordless brushcutter is indispensable for mowing and edging lawns near fences, paths and borders, or around trees and bushes. Equipped with the AK system battery and the cutting attachment, the lightweight technology, which weighs only 3. 5 kg, the technology is particularly practical. Lawn care is not dependent on a power cable, does not require hearing protection and does not produce any irritating emissions.
The mower can be equipped with either a mowing head with low-noise line ( AutoCut C 3-2 ) or a mowing head with plastic blades ( PolyCut 3-2 ). No tools are required to switch between the mowing heads. The length of the boom and the angle of the handle can be adjusted according to the user’s height and individual needs. In addition, the non-slip, soft-grip handle provides a comfortable grip.
Maria Savelieva, Product Manager at Andreas Stihl Marketing, explains the intricacies of the STIHL FSA 57 brushcutter:
Unfortunately, not all areas can be tackled with a lawnmower. Therefore, the Stihl FSA 57 cordless roll mower will be a good addition in any area where a lawn mower cannot easily reach flower beds, under trees or along fences. The mower is also ideal for taking care of small areas and lawn edges. Thanks to the limiting clamp, the bark of trees will not be damaged when mowing obstacles. The STIHL FSA 57 can be equipped with a corded mowing head and with polymer blades, which extends the range of tasks they can perform in the field. Cordless equipment is very quiet so it won’t disturb your neighbors. Another convenience: one Ak-System battery is suitable for various STIHL devices: lawnmowers, aerators, power tillers, saws, power tillers or blowers. So if you buy one battery and charger together with your power tiller, you can gradually expand your garden maintenance equipment with the same battery system, which saves you money on the second purchase.
The powerful 36 V lithium-ion rechargeable battery of the AK battery system provides the power required for operation and can also be used for operating all other gardening equipment of the AK system. The AK 10 battery is recommended for the STIHL FSA 57. A single battery charge is enough to cut more than 600 m of lawn edging.
The elasticity and robustness of the line get you out of hard-to-reach places between flowerbeds, curbs, fences, rocks and other obstacles.
