Investor · VT · Member since 2021 · 3 posts · 0 votes
Hi, i just bought a multi, and there is a substantial size lawn... I'm trying to decide if it is worth trying out robo-mower (like Husquarna automower) makes sense...
Pros: 1. given the cost of landscaping service, I will break even after one season 2. It is quiet and does not disturb tenants 3. lawn looks better and healthier (supposedly) 4. if i schedule it to mow at night, it will (hopefully) keep deer away
Cons: 1. this thing will require monthly service - just basic cleaning and blade replacement (those are very cheap) 2. risk of theft is low where I am, plus I'll add it to the property insurance, so this is a minor "con" 3. myself (or someone else) needs to get it out of the basement in the spring and put it away in the autumn.
I wonder if anyone already uses them and can share their mileage. Thanks!
It's that "For safety reasons, keep pets and small children away from the lawn while the mower is operating" that doesn't work for me. I can tell you right now that some idiot with more time on his hands than brains is going to try and ride that sucker while drunk out of his mind. It's hard to overcome stupid and stupid is everywhere. It's just not "robo" enough for me - or "stupid proof" to use it unattended.
It's that "For safety reasons, keep pets and small children away from the lawn while the mower is operating" that doesn't work for me. I can tell you right now that some idiot with more time on his hands than brains is going to try and ride that sucker while drunk out of his mind. It's hard to overcome stupid and stupid is everywhere. It's just not "robo" enough for me - or "stupid proof" to use it unattended.
Your biggest con is that you are operating what can be dangerous equipment in a public area without supervision. That is asking for a lawsuit and one I'm not entirely sure your insurer would protect you against, since there is probably some type of clause in there regarding negligence - and I would say letting an unattended robot with a 3000 RPM spinning blade wander around your common area is negligent. Your only real "pro" here might be saving money; virtually no one cares that someone shows up once a week to cut the grass.
If you decide to do this (I think you should forget this idea altogether) you better have a good conversation with your insurance agent first.
Auto doesn't mean unsupervised. Where I see this potentially working is you plan to do the lawn service yourself anyway, and set this up to mow while you do the other items, effectively making the task take half the time and saving all of the cost of a service. That allows it to be a bigger benefit for you to take on than it would be if you physically had to do the entire job yourself.
These things are built to shut off as soon as you lift or tilt them, and don't automatically restart after without me pressing a button in its app... So getting to the moving blade is next to impossible.
Having said all that, even if all hurdles were addressed and if my insurance agent would bless this (big if, agreed), I found a show-stopper: as an owner of this thing i have to clean all fallen branches and other debris. Needless to say, wind blows and branches drop, so I think it isn't something that can work completely independently while i'm away on a hypothetical beach island.
Sigh. I thought i found something i could automate :)))
Managing a lawn crew is a heck of a lot easier than managing a robo cutter. If something goes wrong you can fire and hire a new crew. Once you buy into a system you are kind of stuck until you get frustrated enough. Plus the maintenance you need to do with it etc....Just hire a human crew, support local jobs and the local economy....it needs it after this past year.
I've been using 2 AutoMowers for 2 years. Highly recommend the use of them. Danger to anyone else is little to none, my yards look the most manicured on the block, tenants love to watch them work, maintenance is at most 2 times a year. I still stop by once a week, mostly just a drive by at this point. Every 2 to 3 weeks I have my string trimmer with me and buzz around for 10 minutes.
What sold me was getting time back as I was the guy that mowed, and the payback or break even was and is less than 1 year.
