Should I Buy a Robot Mower with Wires or Virtual Boundaries?

 

It’s fair to say that robotic mowers are driving a genuine revolution in lawncare. Far from being a gimmick, their high spec but user-friendly designs have clearly struck a real chord with businesses and homeowners alike. And they might be expensive in comparison to traditional lawnmowers but, in terms of the work they’ll save you and quality of their finish, robot mowers still represent excellent value for money.

Yes, there’s no doubt about it – robot mowers are here to stay.

How Does a Robotic Mower Work?

Once installed, connected to the manufacturer’s app and issued with its mowing schedule, a robotic mower will cut a lawn without any manual intervention. When you desire, you can control and monitor its operations through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or the machine’s physical control panel, but the robot mower is still a genuinely autonomous machine.

Sure, you will need to clean it, check for wear and tear, and occasionally replace the blades, but a robotic mower is perfectly capable of carrying out its work with minimal fuss. And when its battery charge drops to a certain level, the auto mower will comfortably find its way back to the charging station, so that it’s in prime condition for its next shift at work.

Are Robot Mowers Safe?

Yes, robotic mowers are completely safe. Manufacturers equip them with features like collision sensors, lift and tilt detection, PIN-coded locking systems, and emergency/ anti-theft alarms, all as a matter of course. They are not in the slightest bit dangerous, and so perfectly suitable for families who have young children or pets.

What’s more, as auto mowers operate with zero emissions, they’re kind to the environment too.

Wired vs Virtual Boundary Robotic Mowers

There are two main types of robotic mower: those that work using a boundary wire and those that are GPS enabled, and use virtual boundaries.

Wired robot mowers were the first on the market. They operate by using built-in sensors and a perimeter wire. Typically buried just below the surface of the ground, this wire marks the outer edge of the lawn, so the robot mower will never stray beyond it.

An automatic lawn mower with GPS does not need a physical boundary wire. Instead, it is guided by virtual boundaries, thanks to its satellite navigation system(s) and various supporting technologies. These might include a combination of things like Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) positioning, AI vision capability, cellular signals and Wi-Fi.

Advantages of Wire-Guided Robot Mowers

All other things being equal, robot mowers that use boundary wires are cheaper than full GPS models. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have inferior technology because some wired automowers boast incredible specs. It’s just like for like, pound for pound, you tend to get more for your money.

Wired robot mowers’ other main advantage is that they are not reliant on GPS and other signalling. Because factors like the weather, radio frequences, reflecting surfaces (e.g. trees and tall buildings) and intentional jamming can disrupt GPS signals, this makes them the more reliable of the two in gardens with GPS blackspots. That said, it’s important to note that the best wireless automowers do have technology that helps them overcome this issue.

Disadvantages of Wired Robotic Mowers

There’s no getting away from the fact that wired automowers are difficult to instal. And to fully benefit from their edge-trimming features, you’ll need to lay the boundary wire very carefully.

In fact, even if you’re extremely practically minded, we’d strongly recommend that you get the job professionally done. (We can arrange this for you.)

Also, although it is possible to move or adjust the boundary wire, it’s not the easiest of jobs, particularly as the wire’s optimal position is just below the lawn’s surface. Therefore, if the wire ever needs tweaking, you redesign your garden or move home, you’ll either have a difficult task on your hands or need to incur the cost of a professional visit.

Finally, accidents do happen. Should the wire become severed, otherwise damaged or the connection somehow lost, this will dramatically affect your robot mower’s performance.

Advantages of GPS Robot Lawn Mowers with Virtual Boundaries

GPS automatic lawn mowers with virtual boundaries are much easier to instal. There are no wires involved, boundary or otherwise. In some cases, before the first mowing session, you’ll have to use the manufacturer’s app to remotely control the auto mower around your lawn’s boundary. This is simply to introduce the machine to its working area. In other cases, just a few taps on the app and you’re good to go.

Not only are they simple to instal, GPS lawn mowers with virtual boundaries also give you complete mowing freedom. Changing the layout of your garden? No problem. Moving home? Again, no problem at all. As only virtual boundaries are in use, the whole process can be conveniently arranged from the comfort and convenience of your smartphone. And if you have a more complex lawn, perhaps one that’s divided into sections, a robot mower with GPS is far more readily equipped to cope with it.

On lawns without large reflecting surfaces, GPS controlled lawn mowers are usually more accurate in their work too. They are also the best type of robot mower to manage very large areas. Firstly, this is because GPS has an exceptionally powerful reach. Secondly, the sheer extent of the wire required on an extra-large lawn could make a wired robomow impractical.

A virtual boundary GPS robotic lawn mower’s final advantage is that there’s less that can go wrong with it. No wires means no hassle. Once you’ve bought the GPS grass cutter and installed the app, as long as there’s a reliable signal in your garden, you shouldn’t encounter any problems.

Disadvantages of GPS Guided Robotic Lawn Mowers

As touched on before, GPS guided mowers are more expensive than models that use wires. This is to be expected as they are newer to market and tend to boast more advanced technology. Therefore, if you’re on a budget, GPS guided lawn mowers might be beyond your price range.

Also, there’s no escaping the fact that while GPS is extremely reliable, signals can be blocked in certain areas. So, if your property includes very tall buildings or trees, this could potentially hamper your mower’s operations, causing it to miss out certain parts of the lawn. That said, a robot mower with GPS/ virtual boundaries usually has an AI-assisted camera and advanced algorithms to help rectify the problem.

So, Which Is the Best Robot Mower to Buy?

Robotic lawn mowers with GPS and virtual boundaries might be newer to market than wired models, but that doesn’t automatically mean they’re going to completely supersede them. Many of the world’s leading manufacturers are still producing both types of lawnmower, and their apps will ensure your machine continues to receive ongoing upgrades, whether it’s wired or not. In short, it’s perfectly feasible for both wired and wireless robot mowers to co-exist.

However, that doesn’t mean we’re going to try and dodge the question of which type of robotic mower is best to buy at this moment in time…

If you are operating on a strict budget, you are better off buying a wired robot mower. Should the majority of your garden be covered in large trees, this will also probably be the case.

In all other circumstances, on balance, we would recommend choosing a robot lawn mower with GPS and virtual boundaries. They’re just so simple to use.

Contact Ron Smith for Robotic Mowers

Whichever option you choose, two things are absolutely certain…

Firstly, you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for amongst our outstanding range of robot mowers for sale. Within this category of our website, you can narrow down your search by price, popularity, manufacturer, and more. Naturally, you can also choose to solely search for the best GPS lawn mowers that use virtual boundaries.

The second certainty is that you will hugely benefit from chatting to one of our friendly, Hereford or Worcester-based experts before you buy. Once you’ve told them the size and layout of your lawn, they’ll be able to help you reach a properly informed decision and talk you through the next steps on your robot mower journey. So, don’t delay, speak to a Ron Smith Robot Mower Expert today.