GPS Lawn Mowers: Everything You Need to Know
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When you need to mow those large areas of land, you might think that robotic lawn mowers are out of the question. However, there are plenty of durable robot mowers that can handle those big spaces. Some even have those special features that you can find on a smaller model. Here is our list of the best robot mowers for large lawns.
There’s nothing that’s quite so satisfying but also so annoying as mowing the lawn. Sure, when you’re done it looks great. But depending on the size of your lawn, it can take ages to get it looking nice. And since the grass never stops growing, you usually have to do it at least once a week, which gets old, fast.
Luckily, a GPS lawn mower can reduce this hassle and get your lawn looking the way you want it in no time at all.
However, when it comes to robotic lawn mowers, GPS is still a rather undefined feature. It has a lot of potential, but it’s still being incorporated into the various models in different ways. Some of the best robot lawn mowers in 2022 don’t have GPS. Yet you can get it, and it will make a lot of sense for many people to do so.
Read on to find out everything you need to know about GPS lawn mowers:
Why Do You Need GPS in a Robot Lawn Mower?
At first though, you might be wondering to yourself: why does my lawn mower need a GPS? It’s not like I am riding it to the grocery store!
True, you’re not. But that’s not the purpose of GPS, at least not when it’s on a robot lawn mower. Instead, GPS is, in theory, supposed to remove the need for perimeter wires.
As the name suggests, these are wires that run around the perimeter of your property. Under current technology, the robot lawn mower uses this wire to map out its path, and also to make sure it doesn’t wander off to the neighbors property.
This is a really reliable way to do this, but it’s also costly and time consuming. Most manufacturers will recommend you let them do this, which can cost between $500-$1,000. Of course, you could do it yourself, but it will probably take you all day if not more, and you may not even set it up correctly so as to maximize your robot lawn mower’s performance.
The need for a perimeter wire is a serious limitation to the capabilities of robot lawn mowers, which is why people are becoming increasingly interested in using GPS robotic lawn mowers.
In theory, if the mower is equipped with the right GPS, then it could simply use the map to figure out which lawn is yours and where it needs to mow, removing the need for all that costly setup.
However, currently, GPS technology simply isn’t good enough for this to work. At the moment, GPS can only get your location within a few meters (6-10 feet). This is great when you’re driving in a car. But when you’re trying to precisely cut your grass, you need to be more accurate.
So, while GPS has tremendous potential when it comes to robot lawn mowers, it is currently not being fully used.
Tracking and Adjusting
Despite the fact that they can’t make full use of the technology, many robot lawn mowers still come equipped with GPS. This allows them to be tracked on the corresponding mobile app so that you can check up on the mower’s progress, find it if it does get lost, change its route, etc.
From there, you can use the app to adjust certain things. For example, maybe there’s an area of your lawn where you want to leave the grass longer. You can follow your GPS lawn mower and then when it gets to that area you can raise the mower deck and get the length you desire.
Compared with what is possible, this makes GPS on robotic lawn mowers a bit of a let down. But it’s still a really useful feature that comes equipped on many of the top models that will be desirable for many different consumers.
Robotic Lawn Mowers that Use GPS
Now that you have a little better idea as to why GPS is often included on a robot lawn mower, let’s take a look at a few of the models that have this option and do a good job incorporating it into the design.
Ambrogio L400i Deluxe
What sets this particular robot lawn mower apart from the competition is that it is the only model on the market that does not require a perimeter wire. Instead, by using GPS and other sensing technologies, this mower can figure out its path without any help.
In addition, this mower packs an uber-powerful battery, one that allows it to cut lawns of up to five acres, which is about five times as much as some of the other top models available. It also has the ability to communicate with other robot lawn mowers so that it can work together with them to cover an even wider area, another exclusive feature.
However, despite all these exciting features, this is one of the most expensive robot lawn mowers on the market. Currently, it retails for around $18,000. But this massive price tag means you will have access to features that many other mowers don’t, which might just be enough to make it worth the expense. If your budget is closer to one or two thousand dollars, keep reading.
Worx Landroid M WR147
Another GPS lawn mower you can buy is the Worx Landroid M WR147. With a retail price tag of around $1,000, this is a much more affordable option. However, while it comes with GPS, it does still need a perimeter wire. In this case, GPS is only useful for you to track the machine’s progress, reroute it when you need to, and also see where it’s already mowed, among other things.
This mower has a lot of other things to offer, though. For example, it is able to cover an area of a quarter acre, which is fairly typical when it comes to robot lawn mowers. Also, it can climb a slope with a grade of up to 20 percent and comes equipped with rain sensors (you can mow in the rain but it’s a lot harder and ruins the mowers’ battery).
All of this, plus its more affordable price tag, makes the Worx Landroid M WR147 an excellent GPS lawn mower.
Husqvarna Automower 430x
A third option for a GPS robot lawn mower is the Husqvarna Automower 430x. Made by one of the leading brands in lawn care equipment, buying this mower means you’ll be buying from the best.
This particular model, which comes equipped with GPS (though still requires a perimeter wire) is on the pricier side of things (MSRP is around $2,600) but it’s a quality machine loaded with features.
It can cut up to 0.8 acres at a time and can climb fairly steep slopes with up to a 24 percent grade. It’s also got rain sensors to make sure it’s mowing at the right time, and it has other sensors that ensure it won’t run into any new obstacles and damage itself.
Plus, it comes with an excellent app that allows you to monitor and control all aspects of your mower right from the comfort of your phone.
Overall, while it’s on the more expensive side, the Husqvarna Automower 430x is one of the best GPS lawn mowers you can find on today’s market.
Start Your GPS Lawn Mower Today
GPS lawn mowers are very much the wave of the future. The technology is still somewhat new, but they promise to make mowing lawns much easier, quicker, and energy efficient. Currently, GPS is used to help enhance performance, but new applications are on the way. But what are you waiting for? Stop sweating about your lawn and start your GPS lawn mower today!
