Robotic lawnmowers are becoming increasingly popular for lawn care. They save a lot of time because they can mow the lawn completely independently. In addition to robotic lawnmowers with a boundary wire, there are now also models that do not require a boundary wire. These work with sensors. The advantages and disadvantages of this are explained in this text.
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Functionality with limitation
A robot lawn mower mows green areas after installation without any further action by the garden owner. You drive alone to the charging station, charge your battery and continue mowing. The times can be flexibly programmed and the cutting height can also be adjusted. However, since a robot is not human, it is necessary to set limits for it. With a robot lawn mower with a boundary wire, a wire is laid around the area to be mowed. This is anchored to the ground with special pegs. The robot lawn mower runs along this cable and normally not beyond it. He also uses the cable to find his way back to the charging station.
obstacle detection
Examples of obstacles on lawns include:
- trees
- bushes
- beds
- decorations
- garden furniture
- building
- ponds
The boundary wire is not only laid around the obstacle so that the robot lawn mower does not drive against or over it. Because the boundary must be laid in one piece, it is necessary to run the wire to and from the obstacle. The cables are placed close together so that the signals cancel out and the robot can drive over them.
Functionality without limitation
Robot lawn mowers orient themselves differently without a boundary wire. These have special sensors that constantly monitor the environment and the underground. They are programmed to only mow green areas. If the sensor works well, paths and lawn edges are recognized as boundaries. The same applies to buildings, fences, hedges or walls.
benefits
An important advantage is obvious, there is no need to lay the boundary wire. This is very tedious, especially in crooked gardens with many obstacles. Basically, the robotic lawnmower can be placed on the lawn without a boundary wire and switched on without any further preparation. It will carry out its work and orientate itself on natural limitations. The absence of a perimeter wire leads to further advantages:
- no relocation when changing the garden
- no removal when giving up or selling the garden
- repair or replace the wire unnecessarily
- no stumbling blocks
Even short-term obstacles such as garden furniture that are left on the lawn for a while do not disturb the robotic lawnmower. It is not necessary to clear the area to be mowed before work.
A single robotic lawnmower can be used on different lawns in the garden without having to wire them around individually.
disadvantage
Of course, robotic lawnmowers without a boundary wire also have disadvantages. However, these depend entirely on the model and the sensor technology used. Good sensors recognize their surroundings better than bad ones. It can happen that the end of the area to be mowed is not recognized if paths are too narrow or edges are too low. Bed areas with low vegetation adjacent to the lawn are particularly problematic. If the mower does not recognize these areas correctly, it simply mows them.
A boundary that the robot can recognize is also absolutely necessary for the lawn areas of the neighbors if both lawns are not to be mowed at the same time.
Another disadvantage of some models is the lack of a charging station in the garden. If the battery in the device is empty, it has to be looked for in the garden and carried into the house, where it can be charged at a socket.
Appropriate Gardens
Robot lawn mowers without a boundary wire are therefore only suitable for gardens with lawns that have a natural, recognizable boundary. In addition, if possible, there should be no body of water on the site without a clear demarcation. Before the sensors detect the water surface, the robot has already driven into the pond.
It is also an advantage if there are as few obstacles as possible on the green area. The robot lawn mower recognizes these and does not drive against them, but if it has to maneuver a lot, it also consumes a lot of electricity.
Conclusion
The biggest advantage of a robotic lawnmower without a wire is its flexibility. It can be used on any lawn with natural boundaries. Models with a lack of sensors, which do not recognize limitations or only recognize them poorly, have disadvantages in particular.
