Robot mower

They do already. Mine can be varied from 60mm down to 20mm.

This is specifically for the 10,000m2 version. Smaller capacity ones cost quite a bit less and close to your 2k

This may be a daft question - probably is - but how does this work? Do you have to use some sort of app to set the boundaries?

Yes they do, you can define exactly where you want to cut. It is also possible to effectively drive the robot around the edge of the boundary to define an area - this is called Walking the Dog.

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Given no smartphone, that is definitely a better option! Thank you @Mat_Davies

Thank you all for your input. We are thinking of going for a wi’fi /blue tooth mower to avoid putting wire in place. Several available in a range of prices. We usually tend to buy medium priced items to start with and see how it goes.

No judgements, everybody has the right to spend their money on whatever they want, but it seems to me that robot mowers and robot vaccume cleaners are going a bit too far, perhaps examples of decadance gone a step too far. Sorry to upset those of you who have bought these things, everyone is free to make their choices. It just seems that in a world where some people don’t even have enough water or food

There again, there has never been equality in the world and there never will be, it’s human nature that things are that way.

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I would say the same about posh cars, new clothes, long haul flights, expensive hotels, and so on.

One earns one’s money and it’s between you and your conscious what you spend it on.

In case people aren’t aware France give very generous tax breaks for charitable donations.

ImpĂŽt sur le revenu - Dons aux associations et organismes d'intĂ©rĂȘt gĂ©nĂ©ral | Service-public.fr.

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But if you can’t get someone to mow the lawn, or do it yourself for whatever reason, then you need another solution.
What I find dreadful are self service tills, they are cutting jobs done mainly by women and at the weekend often by students.

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I would agree with you if the normal tills were all being manned (or womanned). But our local Leclerc rarely has more than 50% of its normal tills in use. So - either Leclerc can’t get more staff or they have a strategy of not employing more people, the self-service ones are a godsend.

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I have one, though not a robot and not used by me. But I am so pleased to live where it is the norm not to have carpets as I can easily sweep the whole house with a broom in half an hour.

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Hi Badger. How do these wonderful beasts cope with rough terrain? We are clearing our jungle and the land doesnt really have a slope but is full of dips and troughs. Thanks

I don’t own a robot mower, but they’re certainly not my idea of decadence! Do you feel the same about that most common of domestic labour saving devices - the automatic washing machine? And if not, why not? Surely the two appliances have a great deal in common.

OTOH, some might consider it ‘decadent’ to have a water intensive English style lawn in the South of France.

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We are starting to look at robot mowers as we are not coping with the garden these days. If something/someone else was looking after the grass bit, we could concentrate on the other sections


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Don’t have one of those either, but it was mainly on the grounds of space. Instead we have an upright one which spins but doesn’t dry. However, it is temperamental and refuses to spin and drain if it isn’t a full load. Fortunately the least amount of sun in our south facing veranda dries clothes very quickly. If I get stuck with large sheets I take them to the machines in Auchan car park, 3€ for 20 minutes and all dry and warm.

I only go at lunch time though, no self respecting French person is away from the table at that time. :rofl:

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I bought a Bosch robot lawn mower. Twice! It was a nightmare from start to finish. I first selected Bosch as I had bought a lot of their gear which seemed to be ok. There was this
great offer to install it as well. I sent off plans and photographs full of expectations. It was February. Despite continued pleadings no one came until April. He spent the day pegging out wires and then declared that the lawnmower did not work. He suggested I sent it back for repair. I have been down that route before so I returned it for a refund.
I checked Qué Choisir for a replacement and found that the Bosch was the most suitable for me.
So I bought another one, after all lightening doesn’t strike twice?

Wrong. That one didn’t work either.

I got my money back, eventually but not without major hassles from Bosch, Leroy Merlin, and Geodis, the carrier.

My conclusion is that I will have to pay to have my grass cut ( I’m 85 an have cut grass long enough). Robot mowers I assume work well on nice rectangular suburban lawns but not my back yard which features trees, irregular borders and lumps of rock sticking out of the ground. There just is not the technology yet to meet the claims.

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You cant condem a type of tech based on bad service but yes to avoiding Bosch in favour of something else.

If you get a registered entreprise to do it and keep the bill, you can get 50% back in tax rebate.

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Obviously there are limits but our land is not a silky smooth lawn - it’s an old field that has been mowed for about 20 years with no kind of seeding or treatment.

Large grass clumps will need to be dealt with, & any obvious potholes, but we found that it’s best to let the mower find where it has problems. Usually the fix is just dropping some molehill soil into a hole, or maybe grading around a tree root that has broken through the surface.

To be clear, a decent robot mower will work on some very rough surfaces, which will gradually soften with the the constant deposition of micro clippings from the fine cutting.

We’re not in the south, but wet & green Normandie. We’ve noticed even in dry conditions the fine cutting of a robot leaves the grass green, as opposed to standard mowing which seems make the grass go yellow.

I’d never set the mower to scalp mode & I’ve never watered grass


I totally agree. Not having to cut grass is very liberating!

In terms of cost I reckon that spreading the initial investment in a decent robot 8 seasons ago works out at around 450€ per year including servicing every couple of years, & 3 or 4 sets of blades every season. Hopefully that annual cost will continue to reduce as the mower shows no sign of major wear & tear.

The electricity used for charging is minimal.

See previous comments. The right mower will deal with all of the hurdles you have put up in your comment. It might require some initial work, but in the long term you’ll benefit.

There definitely is.

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Wow that is amazing! Thank you :grinning: