Does the robotic lawnmower need to be cleaned?
10.05.2021
Robotic mowers ensure an accurate lawn cut every day. Of course, lawns sometimes get wet and grass clippings stick particularly well to the robot. Leaves are susceptible to getting caught in the wheels. No garden owner can do without occasionally cleaning the practical garden helper. Nevertheless, compared to other types of lawn mowers, robotic mowers are extremely low-maintenance. In addition, cleaning effort can be significantly minimized by considering some features already at the time of purchase.
Why is cleaning the robotic lawnmower important?
A dirty robotic lawnmower not only runs significantly louder but sooner or later operates on reduced power. Furthermore, the robot fails to cut cleanly and needs a substantial increase of energy. In the worst case, corroded contacts mean that the battery no longer charges as usual and the robot spends an above-average amount of time at the charging station. Hence, it is highly recommended to maintain and clean the robotic lawnmower regularly.
Reduce cleaning effort with practical features
With some models, weekly cleaning of the mowing deck is urgently required, while with others, a 14-day rotation may suffice. Cleaning is needed even less frequently if you choose a model that removes large portions of lawn mulch directly and automatically. Extremely helpful features to reduce the need for cleaning include:
- A self-cleaning mowing deck; it reduces cleaning to a minimum. Some robotic lawnmowers are already equipped with this extremely practical feature at the factory.
- If the robotic lawnmower does not have this feature, a mulch remover can sometimes be retrofitted. This also significantly reduces cleaning intervals.
What to bear in mind when cleaning the robotic lawnmower
- First, turn off the safety switch which prevents the device from starting accidentally.
- Wear gloves when changing the blades or cleaning the mowing deck. Otherwise, the risk of getting cut increases.
- Of course, cleaning intervals depend primarily on weather conditions and frequency of use.
- Part of regular cleaning is also checking the blades to ensure that they produce perfect results over time.
- While the top side is quite rain resistant, the bottom side cannot tolerate running water. Therefore, refrain from cleaning with the garden hose.
What cleaning work is required regularly
| Wheels | Grass debris tends to collect on the profile or between the wheels and housing. This prevents traction and generally, the device no longer runs as smoothly. Grass clippings or leaves can easily be removed with a coarse brush, a stick or even some compressed air. |
| Top side of housing | This is where dust and dirt accumulate in particular. Just wipe away with a soft cloth. |
| Mowing deck | Grass residue always collects on the underside of the robot. Damp grass, in particular, adheres well and clumps together when drying. It is particularly recommended to remove these before they have completely dried. A coarse brush or spatula are particularly suitable for this purpose. |
| Loading contacts | If the charging contacts become dirty or corroded, the power consumption of the battery is delayed. As a result, the robot spends more time at the charging station and area out decreases. It is often sufficient to wipe the contacts with a damp cloth. If they become slightly rusty, fine sandpaper will do the trick. |
| Loading station | The robotic lawnmower, as well as the charging station, always need care. Here, too, attention should be paid to the charging contacts. Naturally, it doesn’t hurt to remove coarse dirt from time to time. |
Further maintenance work on the robotic lawnmower
In addition to cleaning, further maintenance work is also expected. This mainly concerns the regular replacement of the blades. Depending on the manufacturer, this is necessary every 4-6 weeks. Sometimes it only needs to be done once per season.
The battery performance decreases after about 3-5 years. This is usually noticed by the fact that the robot is at the charging station more often than average. Moreover, a full-capacity charge will no longer be reached. When this occurs, the battery needs to be replaced.
Software updates contribute significantly to the performance or can also increase it significantly. It is recommended to regularly check the manufacturer's website for updates and install them if necessary.
As low as the cleaning and maintenance effort of a robotic lawnmower may be, no device can do without care if the cutting performance and energy consumption are to be kept constant in the long term. However, with some practical features and accessories, the time for regular cleaning can be further reduced.
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