The future today - the robotic lawnmower is here to
stay
It may be less bother with a hover but it's no bother
at all when a robot cuts your lawn for you!
Improvements In Robotic Lawn Mowers by:
klc
Robotic lawn mowers are creeping their way in to everyday American
life. Like the dishwasher, they were really more trouble than they were
worth in the beginning. But technological advances have made the robotic
lawn mower practical.
Robotic lawn mowers can now mow on a time schedule and return to the
charging base all season long without human intervention, this is the
breakthrough that makes them truly useful.
An advanced feature on at least one model is the self-programmable mode.
As these robotic lawn mowers work they determine the size of the yard
and how fast the grass is growing, when they go back to their charging
base they calculate the next time they need to come out to keep the
grass at the optimal height.
Rain sensors are becoming standard equipment. When it starts to rain or
the sprinkler system activates, they return to their charging base.
Mowing in the rain was a major complaint for early adopters.
Some robotic lawn mowers even have a wet grass detection system. Rain
sensors are a step in the right direction, but it is the wet grass
detection system that cures the problem. Heavy or long periods of rain
can leave the grass wet and the ground soft for days. Heavier robotic
lawn mowers could get stuck and dig trenches losing traction and
spinning tires. Keeping bags of sand handy was just considered part of
robotic lawn mower ownership.
Light weight lithium ion batteries allow mowers to cut longer and
recharge much faster. In fact some can recharge in as little as 4 hours
allowing the mower to go out twice a day if needed.
In addition to faster recharge times, lithium ion batteries do not have
the ‘memory’ problems associated with lead acid batteries. Basically the
memory effect is caused when a battery is not fully discharged on a
consistent basis, they remember the shortened life cycle, reducing the
useful length of time until the need to recharge.
Robotic lawn mowers have become more reliable too. The addition of
thermistors that detect when motors are overheating and less heat
sensitive circuit boards and higher quality components extend the life
expectancy past 10 years, about the same as a new quality riding lawn
mower.
Robotic lawn mowers are now pretty much maintenance free. Changing the
blade once a year and winter storage is about all the attention needed
on a routine basis.
Robotic lawnmowers are now able to handle yards as small as 1/8 acre up
to 5 acres. Depending on the model, they can handle slopes of up to 30
degrees. All major brands of robotic lawn mowers are waterproof and can
remain outdoors all mowing season long.
Residential robotic lawn mowers require a perimeter wire similar to an
electric dog fence to be laid prior to operating. Laying the wire is a
one-time event that will last the life of the mower.
Setting the perimeter wire is probably the scariest part of purchasing a
robotic lawn mower. It is not difficult to stake the wire in place. It
usually takes about 3 hours for 1,000 ft. of wire. The wire need not be
buried as the grass and roots will grow over it in about 2-3 weeks.
If the mower should cross the wire boundary it will immediately stop. So
there is no need to worry about it running away or mowing the neighbor’s
yard.
Operating the robotic lawn mower is simple, actually easier than
programming a VCR. In theory, programming the mowing schedule need only
be done at the beginning of the season. The LCD screens have full
instructions and are easy to read.
There are quite a number of internet sites that have detailed
information about specific features of the different models of robotic
lawn mowers. Hopefully this general description will give readers the
interest to look into these new appliances.
About The Author
Kerry Clabaugh runs
www.bamabots.com, a website dedicated
to robotic lawnmowers sales and education. Kerry is also interested in
your experiences with robotic lawnmowers. He can be reached toll free
(877) 383-6054
Article Source:
http://www.articlecube.com