Robomower RL 1000 - Advice, comparisons, news, reviews and prices.

The RL 1000 is the latest version of a mower developed by Friendly Robotics. Today, the grass-hungry gizmos are sold in more than two dozen countries.

The Robomower is the ultimate in mowing convenience! It is a fully automatic lawn mower, designed to mow your lawn completely by itself. It is designed for residential lawns and can handle any lawn that a traditional gas or electric walk-behind mower can handle, regardless of the shape, slope or type of grass.

To keep the device from mowing every yard on the block, a thin wire is pegged close to the ground or buried up to 6 inches deep around the perimeter of a property. The wire is connected to a small battery powered current source called the Perimeter Switch. Eventually grass will grow over wires and pegs, protecting and concealing them. When switched on, the Robomower reads a signal from the wire and registers the boundaries of the yard. Then it starts moving in a roughly triangular pattern, changing directions when it reaches the perimeter wire or bumps into a tree or another obstacle. It does it until every square foot of the lawn has been cut. At the end of each operation, when the RoboMower returns to the docking station, the perimeter switch will turn itself off.

Because its movement is basically mindless and random it will not produce a tidy straight mow marks and it will take two to three times longer than would a human being.

The RL 1000 improves upon its predecessor, the RL 850, thanks to the addition of a timer that can be preset and the docking station that allows for true automation. The Robomower will stay in its docking station, charging its battery and awaiting until the specified time. It will do it automatically for you, day after day and week after week. When it is low on the battery, the RL 1000 will go back to home base for a fill-up, and then resume cutting until the job is completed. Recharging typically takes 24 hours, so the RoboMower is ready to run the next day. Typically, however, customers run the unit as often as they used to cut their grass with a conventional mower, i.e. once or twice per week

RoboMower can also be started up by pressing the green button on the unit. It travels on the lawn in a systematic criss-cross pattern covering the lawn several times from side to side to ensure that the entire yard is covered and the grass is cut from several angles. RoboMower is provided with an integral manual controller that is used to drive the unit from the storage area to the lawn before operation and back to storage after operation. The manual controller also allows the user to use RoboMower as a manual mower in order to cut areas of the grass that could not be reached in the automatic operation if necessary

If you are worried about thief - it weights 80-plus - rather heavy for a thief to run with it. You can also make it password protected: it has a feature that allows it to be turned on only after a four-digit code has been entered.

It's no louder than a rotary sprinkler, so it can run at night and not annoy the neighbors. Blade settings are adjustable, and cut grass is converted to a super-fine mulch that decomposes quickly, helping to fertilize the lawn.

The RoboMower features a battery powered three blade, 21'' powerful cutting system equivalent to a 5.5 HP gas mower. It is a dedicated mulching mower that mulches better than a traditional mower thanks to its Triple-Chamber-Mulching system and the 5800 RPM blade speed. Grass is cut into very small clippings that are buried into the roots of the lawn where they decompose and act like natural fertilizer. The results are a better looking lawn and it eliminates the need to collect and remove the clippings.

The Robomower uses an onboard navigation system, monitoring its position relative to the wire around the lawn. In addition, it is always aware of its current driving direction and distance traveled. This is done by means of an internal compass-like device. This device provides the data to the mower and uses this information to determine the next most efficient path for the mower to take.

The setup is quite easy, involving staking a wire down to the perimeter of your lawn. An setup video is available and a small ruler to help guide you in the setup. The average setup will take approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.

Obstacles or other areas within the lawn that should not be accessible to the mower are handled in one of two ways. If the object is rigid and at least six inches tall, the mower simply bumps into them, as the bumper sensors will detect the small impact and cause the mower to change direction. Other areas, like a flowerbed or swimming pool, are excluded from the cutting area by using the same wire as installed on the perimeter. The object is simply looped out during setup of the perimeter wire.

It can even cut on a slope without flipping over, provided the grade is no steeper than 15 degrees.

Generally speaking, it takes from 2 to 3 times longer for the Robomower to mow than a walk-behind mower.

Suitable for lawns up to 16,000 SF

Depending on grass height and type, but normally up to 4 hours of run time per charge. 4 hours will cut from 4,000 - 6,0000 square feet, depending on conditions. The average US lawn has less than 5,000 square feet of lawn (grass).

When properly maintained, lasts two to three years/seasons on average.

Future Robomower models may incorporate GPS technology to help the robot map and navigate space more efficiently. And while the manufacturers say that a little drizzle won't hurt the Robomower, they're working on a sensor that will alert it to water droplets on its shell, sending it back to its docking station to wait out a storm.

It Comes complete with everything needed to install and operate including 2 C cell batteries for the perimeter switch. Robomower runs off of a 24v drop and go power pack, eliminating noise gasoline oil and exhaust. Patented Triple Chamber Mulching action. Robomower is 12.5in high 35in long and 26in wide. Adjustable cutting height from 1.5in to 3 1/2 in. Unit includes - RoboMower - 3 Blades - Perimeter Switch w/ batteries - 200 Pegs - 500 ft of Perimeter Wire - Battery Pack and On Board Charger - RoboRuler - Users Manual 2 year warranty on mower and 1 year warranty on battery. Features Include: Docking Station for automatic recharge 21 inch width cut Programmable mowing times Theft Deterrent System Variable Entry Points from edge

The latest Robomowers now ship with a rain sensor and illuminated, anti-glare LCD screen on the manual controller and installation DVD.

It doesn't mulch fall leaves, unsell you upgrade it.

Is it? What should you do if a robot with three razor sharp blades spinning at 5,800 rpm starts racing toward you? Do nothing. It will just bounce off you and go another direction. Over 72,000 emergency room visits involved lawn mowers in 2005. ZERO involved robotic lawn mowers.

Tips Remove the batteries if the device is not used, remove sticks and do not make rounded corners around buildings.