Tired of cutting the grass? Worx may have conjured up the perfect solution for those wanting an extra hour of sleep on Sunday mornings, announcing the Landroid, a completely autonomous robotic lawn mower.
The robotic lawn mower was first introduced in 1969, it was dubbed ‘MowBot’, and included many features of today’s most popular robotic lawn mowers – but how far have they come since then?
We all have the one friend, parent or even the inquisitive grandparent who seems to accumulate these odd and obscure gadgets. Rather than saving them time, or money, they usually create added confusion, stress and result in a headache with a lighter bank account.
Special Holiday Pricing Update: In case you missed it, the Landroid is available here. If you have been on the fence, now is the time to lock in the promotional prices this Holiday season.
With the prominence of the robotic vacuum cleaner, and robotic technology improving rapidly, have we potentially reached a point in time where an autonomous robot can perfectly manicure our lawns?
The premise of the Landroid is simple – the Landroid is fitted with a sensory system similar to those in robotic vacuums and follows a path based on a wired perimeter of your lawn.
When the Landroid feels low on battery, it returns to its docking station to recharge and then it proceeds to mowing the lawn as required.
The Landroid runs 7 days a week giving your lawn a continuous manicured look by giving the grass a trim on a routine basis as opposed to traditional mowers that take off substantial amounts of grass on a less frequent basis.
Out of the box, the Landroid is preset to “hit-the-ground-running” with pre-programmed settings, and charge. In the Landroid’s box you’ll also find an 180-metre roll of green copper wiring and 200 supporting pegs, to bury the wiring in the lawn, which will eventually be hidden by overgrowth.
Laying the copper wire is the most tedious part of the process, however getting this step right is crucial to the success of the Landroid.
If you invest time in ensuring the wire is nailed deep, to avoid the Landroid catching the wire and subsequently cutting it, and is neatly placed around the perimeter of your lawn, you could end up with pristine lawn that is rivaled by your neighbours.
A Closer Look at the Landroid
Take a look at the impressive specifications Worx have built into their automated lawn mower, the Landroid.
| General | Worx Landroid |
| Cut surface/ hour | 1,000 m² |
| Maximum Incline | 35% |
| Noise Level | 63dB |
| Type of Blades | Interchangeable knives/ blades |
| Dimensions | |
| Cutting height (min-max) | 2 – 6 cm |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 370 x 260 x 550 mm |
| Weight | 8.3kg |
| Working width | 18cm |
| Features | |
| Delineate method | Delineate cable |
| Cable length | 180m |
| Battery life | 60 min |
| Charge time | 90 min |
Impressive Key Features
Worx have fitted the Landroid with an array of outstanding key features that include artificial intelligence, which allows the Landroid to make decisions and mow narrow passages often missed by other robotic lawn mowers.
Programming: Programming your robotic lawn mower has never been easier with the Landroids smartphone app, allowing you to plan out your weekly mowing schedule with ease – you can even program the
Landroid to mow the lawns at night, as the Landroid is extremely quiet and completely environmentally friendly, producing zero emissions.
Lawn Navigation: If you’re slightly concerned about your uneven turf, you can put your mind at rest, as the Landroid is fitted with sophisticated electronics allowing the Landroid to manicure your uneven turf with ease.
And don’t worry if you’ve left a dog toy out on the lawn either, the Landroid’s built-in shock sensor system allows the Landroid to sense and navigate obstacles.
Key “Pros” of the Landroid
Customizable Cuts: Different lawn lengths, for different folks. You can program your Landroid to cut your grass anywhere between 60mm and 20mm in length, and it’s set fairly easily with an accessible knob on top of the Landroid.
This feature can be great for different occasions and allows you maintain your personalized lawn.
Rain Sensor: Another great aspect of the Landroid is its rain sensor, we all know that rain and mowing the lawns don’t mix, the Landroid knows this too, and it retreats to it’s docking station for a charge during a rain shower.
The Landroid is weather proof however Worx recommend storing the Landroid’s base under shelter for maximum protection.
Safety Measures: Safety is paramount for families, and bringing an autonomous lawn mower, with razor sharp blades into the home can be an unnerving idea.
The Landroid has been fitted with state-of-the-art safety features including a safety sensor that will immediately stop the blades if the Landroid is ever lifted up during operation and is built so that the blade is located far from the outer edges.
Superior UI/UX: The user interface and technology of the Landroid is quite impressive too. Worx have future proofed the Landroid so that when new software and updates become available, you can easily download the software and update your Landroid – it’s almost as easy as updating your smartphone!
The user interface is simplified to allow ease of use and also includes PIN number security features.
Potential Drawbacks of the Landroid
Fencing/Edging: As with any new home robot, nothing comes completely flawless. When it comes to fencing or hedges the Landroid seems to have trouble cutting the edges, so you’ll still require your whipper snipper for now.
This problem seems to be due to a navigational issue as the Landroid has also been known to drive up fences, in some cases, getting confused and turn itself off.
Copper Wiring Can Cause Problems: It’s also worth that noting, for those of you with young children and pets, to be mindful of the copper wiring until it’s completely embedded in the overgrowth, as children and pets are often found tampering with the wire.
Any damage to the wiring can severely affect the results you’ll see with the Landroid.
Some Initial Supervision Required: A supervised trial run would also be recommended for new customers to ensure the Landroid doesn’t get confused mowing your lawn, as confusion can sometimes lead to the Landroid turning itself off – I’d image after the trial run the Landroid should be trusted to be completely autonomous.
Cost: The Landroid still isn’t the cheapest home robot on the market either, setting you back a considerable amount.
For those of you who are budget conscious this home robot might have to be put on the waiting list, although I’d expect to see a price drop in the robotic lawn mower market as they become increasingly popular.
Final Thoughts: Is the Worx Landroid Ready for Prime Time?
Landroid is a great product and the amount of time and effort it could potentially save you is undeniable. The Landroid is designed to incorporate elements of simplicity in it’s of use and automation whilst providing you with perfectly manicured lawns, 7 days a week.
I think the technology might have a few little tweaks until it’s flawless, but these updates will come in the near future and with Landroids software update ability, purchasing the Landroid might be a good place to start.
I’d only recommend the Landroid for small to mid-sized backyards, at this stage, on relatively simple terrain combined with a supervised trial run to ensure smooth sailing.
Whilst the Landroid isn’t a magic solution for cutting your lawns, and still has a few flaws, if you’re in the market for a new lawn mower and you’re sick of mowing the lawns – you should definitely consider the Landroid.
Hi Patrick,
Thanks for the informative review.Do you think the landroid might be O.K. on large acerage? I’m on a ranch down in TX.
Lester56
Lester,
It really depends on how large, but seeing as you mentioned a “Ranch” I’m assuming it’s pretty big. Worx only advertises the machine as good for up to 1/4 an acre, so relatively small parcels.
In theory, yes it should work. The two things to keep in mind are 1) The Landroid will have to return to base to recharge every so often. This is where the quarter acre limitation comes in. 2) You will have to mark out and dig in the perimeter wire (comes with about 590 feet). 3) The Landroid has a sensor to return to base in the event of rain, this might be difficult over a large area. The device is waterproof to an extent, but should not be left out in the rain indefinitely.
For anything over 2 acres, I’d probably recommend waiting for a more robust long range system to be released. You can piece together a perimeter system above and beyond 1/4 acres, but it will get tricky at a certain point.
I’ll continue to monitor this space and post new reviews and updates as the robotic lawn mowing niche develops. I would point you in the direction of the Robomow series, however they are also capped out at 1/4 acres.
Thanks Pat,
I ended up purchasing one for my daughter, with her birthday being tomorrow. I shall let her trial it and see how she goes with it.
Please do let me know. I’ll be curious to see how it works. We had some trouble with the perimeter/demarcation setup. You’ll want to nail in the wire as close to the edges as possible, otherwise you will have a lot of edging to go back and do (particularly near houses, fences, walls, etc…).
I just got mine, very frustrated you can’t seem to find the location to check for firmware updates. So not sure if they have updates, or going to. Manual website just redirects to main Worx website.
Have mine running for 2 years now. Issues with the perimeter being on a slope, but overall well worth it. Have updated my firmware. Go to worx.com, navigate to “lawn mowers” on left side of page, choose “landroid m cordless…”. On the new page at the bottom is a rider “software update”. Click on it. On the new page at the bottom is the download link. At the moment the firmware is called “hypericum 3.1”
I have alot of trees. Is this an issue? I was reading somewhere that if it gets confused, it shuts off. I have a little over 1/4 acre which is divided by the driveway. It says it avoids trees and lawn furniture, but will it mow around them?
I would like to get one due the fact that i travel alot and my wife just isnt in the mood to be cutting the grass. I, on the other hand, consider myself to be a bit anal about a nice lawn and its a little frustrating to have to spend an extra hour or two just because the lawn hasnt been kept up. I know i want one, but i just can not seem to find any info about the tree issue.
Thank you
Hi Daron,
Thanks for the question. In theory, yes, the Landroid should be able to handle trees. However, it does depend a lot on the layout and so many little unique lawn characteristics.
It works – but don’t expect a 100% hands free experience. Even on “easier” lawns, I’ve seen it get stuck sometimes. I’d say corners, shrubs, trees, hills, etc… all can be potential problems. Unfortunately, there is no easy answer as to exactly what will cause a problem
Here’s what I do: with current robot mowing tech, I am comfortable with an 80% solution. I.e. you will sometimes need to get it unstuck. On Saturday’s, I can do other household chores while the robot does it’s thing. IF it gets stuck, I can take a minute to get it back on track. It’s still a MUCH better use of my time than sitting on/pushing a lawn mower around for half my morning. In your instance, I would not be totally comfortable traveling and leaving the device to function UNLESS you have established a few good trial runs with you there.
Best advice I have is to try it out and return it if it doesn’t work for your lawn/lifestyle.