Not all lawns are flat and smooth and if you habitually mow your sloping lawn with a push mower or ride-on mower then you will know that it can be exhausting work.
A robotic lawnmower built for uneven ground is an ultra-convenient way to maintain grass growth in areas with a noticeable slope.
Uneven ground and hills can be an obstacle for the most robust mowers, but some models are built to mower for slope and can even deliver a beautifully cut lawn when mowing on a slope.
If this all sounds like an appropriate solution for your garden, this short article looks at how robotic lawnmowers cope with hills, valleys and everything in between and cove the features and provide examples of robotic mowers that are up to the task.
Hills and rough terrain can be a challenge for robotic mower
No matter what type, a robot mower cuts efficiently on slopes and uneven terrains by evenly trimming grass.
Most robot mowers will work very well on slopes and hills, but may start slipping, and may stop cutting the grass if they are on too steep or uneven of a surface.
The last thing you need is the scalping of your hills…
If you have been dealing with a bumpy lawn for a long period of time, you will be aware that the uneven nature of the lawn does not cooperate with larger, traditional mowers.
One specific aggravating issue is with scalping that occurs on the rises of the lawn as the mower goes over them.
The high spots become shorter than the surrounding area which creates a displeasing balded look and may encourage the growth of weeds.
Robotic mowers are generally small enough to accommodate the lay of a bumpy lawn and can usually manage at least an 8.5-degree slope.
Mowers with large drive wheels will handle the undulations and be able to climb slopes while cutting consistently.
Understanding gradients and percentage slopes
When shopping for a robotic mower that can manage hilly lawns, checking its ability to mow on a slope or gradient is important.
Manufacturers provide the maximum slope or working gradient of their robot mowers, which can help you choose the model that will work best for your yard.
Here is a short overview of the three types of measurements for slopes you might see: degrees, gradient, and percentage:
- Gradients are expressed as a ratio in the format of Y: X – this is just the rise in ground level (Y) and the length of the run (X).
- Slope percentage is also a calculation of the rise and run of the lawn. You divide the rise by the run and multiple that figure by 100 to achieve a percentage that you can refer to in assessing a robotic mower.
- Slope angle in degrees is a little more complicated and has a few maths formulas but also based on rise and run.
To select the right mower you will need to know the slope of hills and gradients in your yard
To determine the proper mower, you need to find the slope of your site. Finding the slope of your property isn’t a hard but it can actually be fun and practical to do on a sunny afternoon.
All you need are some sticks, string, tape measure, and some high school math.
3 key features of robotic mowers that help them handle slopes
Robotic mowers that are designed for hills and slopes have characteristics which makes mowing and climbing up your hills easy.
There are features that you should look for in a robot for hills and rough terrain:o
Wheels
Mowers with wheels capable of handling angles typically have larger and rugged wheels that can hold the ground and get adequate traction that will allow the mower to be dragged up the slope.
Mowers with four-wheels might do better than three-wheel mowers that don’t have the same traction at the leading edge.
Rain sensors
When wet, the slope poses difficulty to robotic mowers as the slope tends to become slippery and prevents adequate grip and cut of the grass.
Onboard rain sensors will make the mower return to its charging station when the rain starts, so it only runs when the grass is dry on the qualifying slope.
Center of gravity
With a lower center of gravity, these mowers help hold onto grass on inclines, instead of slipping or in some cases, flip back.
Automatically adjusting blades
Some mowers have a suspended mowing deck which moves up and down while mowing over uneven ground. This allows the mower to cut uniformly even on rough surfaces.
Examples of robotic mowers that are great for hilly lawns
While robots designed for cutting grass should be able to mow a bumpy lawn, there are some better options than the rest.
Here are a couple of robotic mowers that do a great job on rough sloped lawns:
Husqvarna Automower® 115H
Technical specifications
- Cutting width/height: 8.7 in/ 2 in to 3.6 in (5 cm/ to 9.1 cm)
- Maximum lawn area mowed: 700 square feet (65 square meters)
- Maximum gradient: 30 degrees
- Battery: Lithium-ion
- Working time: 60 minutes
- Weight: 20.7 pounds (9.07 kilograms)
- Warranty: 1-year warranty
Description
When it comes to robotic mower innovation, Husqvarna has a totally fair leg up on the competition and can perform exceptionally well on many surfaces, even on slopes of 30 degrees.
These fancy robot mowers have a low center of gravity and hefty wheels with considerable tread that allow it to negotiate hilly areas with confidence.
The front-wheel-drive features allow the mower to climb and the smaller back wheel allows for extra maneuverability.
WORX WR165 Landroid S Robotic Lawn Mower
Technical specifications
- Cutting width/height: 8 in/ 1.5 in to 3 in (20.32 cm/ 3.8 cm to 7.6 cm)
- Maximum lawn area mowed: 5445 square feet (506 square meters)
- Maximum gradient: 20 degrees
- Battery: Lithium-ion
- Working time: 3.5 hours
- Weight: 49.9 pounds (9.07 kilograms)
- Warranty: 3-year limited warranty
Description
The WORX Landroid is a fantastic multi-purpose machine with features that are indulgent with respect to the difficulties faced in certain scenarios with a lawn like slope and edges.
The strong motor and ample rugged wheelbase means this mower can handle a quick cut on a 20-degree incline without hesitation.
With an efficient brushless motor, the cutting time and capacity is dressed for uneven ground, as the lower-like mowers would be challenged.
If a robotic lawnmower is a must for your rough terrain, you may need to tackle your lawn so the bot can mow it.
If high and low spots in your lawn are problematic for your robotic mower, it may be time to make some bold choices to level and landscape your lawn.
Topsoil is usually not an option as a layer of at least 1 centimeter thick or more will suffocate existing grass.
Instead, if possible, you can level the mounds of your lawn by removing the complete mound of soil and turf and relaying it and watering it in.
Once it is all leveled you will have much more confidence that your robotic mower won’t get stuck on its routes.
Alternatively, you could salvage the steepest parts of your lawn by planting a flower bed or stepped rock garden and let the mower do its job on the rest of the lawn.
Rounding up
When it comes to mowing inclines, robotic lawn mowers are generally good at mowing slopes and gradients to a level standard of cutting. However, on truly hilly grassed areas less robust models may struggle to cope well enough with the work.
In some cases, if your lawn is full of bumps and hollows, even leveling the lawn out and re-turfing might be the best option for a lawn, more normal to maintenance with a robotic mower.
Knowing the slope of your lawn will help, or knowing the use of features like those on a Landxcape robotic mower, manage mowing on an incline better.