Buying Guide
Don't StartWith the Robot.Start Withthe Yard.
The biggest buying mistake is shopping for a mower before you understand the yard. Here's the order that actually leads to a good decision.
1. Measure the grass
Start with the actual mowable area — the grass the robot will cut — not the total lot size. Subtract the house, driveway, garden beds, sheds and any non-grass surface. A one-acre lot may have a quarter-acre of actual lawn.
Mowable area drives battery range, mowing time and whether a single mower can cover it in a day. Overestimate and you'll buy too much mower; underestimate and you'll buy too little.
Patch's Note
Measure mowable lawn, not the entire lot. The robot mows grass — not your driveway, garden beds or house.
2. Find the hard parts
Walk the yard and note every complication: slopes (and how steep), trees and shade, narrow passages, separated zones, fences, curbs and drop-offs. These are the constraints that eliminate mowers from your shortlist.
The hard parts — not the easy parts — determine which mowers work. A mower that handles the hard stuff will handle the easy stuff. The reverse is not true.
3. Choose navigation, then compare
Boundary wire, RTK, vision, LiDAR or hybrid — each fits a different yard. Open sky favors RTK; heavy trees favor vision or hybrid; tight spaces favor LiDAR or a nimble vision mower. Choose the navigation family first, then compare mowers within it.
Finally, compare the machines on capacity, slope, installation, connectivity and warranty. Read the complete product dossier and check retail availability before you buy. Take the quiz if you want a head start.
Yard Size Calculator
Measure the Grass.
Your lot isn't your lawn. Tell us the total property and roughly how much is actually mowable — we'll convert it to real acreage and show which mowers' documented coverage fits.
Subtract the house, driveway, beds, shed and any non-grass surface.
Your mowable lawn
0.41acres
A weekend yard — most mid-range mowers cover this.
Mowers whose documented coverage fits
Patch's Note
Measure mowable lawn, not the entire lot. A 0.75 acre lot with 55% mowable grass is a 0.41 acre job for the robot.