You spend a pretty penny on your robot lawn mower, so you want to make sure it is safe when it is out doing its job in your yard. But let’s face it, someone could easily come along and just pick the robot up and walk off with it.
My neighbors use theirs in the front yard, right up against the road, where anyone could pull their car over and just grab it and throw it in the trunk.
So what is to stop people from stealing your robot lawn mower? Let’s get into it and hopefully we can make you feel more secure about your purchase. Or, if you are thinking about buying a robot mower, hopefully we can help put your mind at ease about your future purchase.
Theft Prevention For Your Robot Lawn Mower – The Built In Security Features
Robot Mower Alarm
Most all the robot mowers you’ll find on the market today come with a built-in alarm system.
Your robot mower will be set up with a PIN code that you have to enter before you can remove the mower from its docking station or while it is actually out cutting the lawn. If the code isn’t entered and someone lifts the robot mower up, the alarm will sound and alert you.
Most mowers only allow for a few second to enter the PIN code before the alarm is set off.
The volume and tone of the alarm will vary, depending on the brand and model of robot lawn mower you go with. Hopefully the alarm will be enough to scare off any would-be mower thieves.
PIN Code
As mentioned above, most, if not all, robot mowers on the market have a PIN code that must be entered before you can use the machine.
Usually, it is a 4 digit code that the owner comes up with and sets up after setting up the device for the first time.
Be sure to pick something you can remember. It is also a good idea to write the code down somewhere, just in case you forget it.
Also, be sure to pick something that isn’t super easy to guess or figure out. Using the code 1234 probably isn’t the most secure option for a PIN code on your robot mower.
Much like with your smart phone or other devices, if someone enters the PIN code incorrectly a certain number of times, the robot will not be useable. You will get locked out for a certain amount of time.
Most models allow you to pick how many failed attempts it takes to lock out an attempted user. Feeling really confident on your fine motor skills….go for just 1 attempt!
Base Pairing Your Robot Lawn Mower
There are some models on the market, typically the more expensive ones, that offer a form of base pairing. What that means is the robot mower can only pair and recharge with one specific base.
So if someone were to steal the robot lawn mower from your front yard, they will have no way to charge it for future use. They would need to break into your garage and also steal the base unit. Unless a robot mower thief does a lot of research, he probably isn’t going to know that or think that far ahead.
What If Someone Steals Your Robot Lawn Mower
What happens if a mower burglar finds away to bypass all the security measures that are set up on your robot lawn mower and actually makes off with the machine? Now what?
Luckily, there are still some security features that could help get your robot mower back, or at least make it worthless to the thief.
GPS Locating And Recovery
Most of the robot lawn mower manufactures use some level of GPS in their smart mowers. This is how your robot mowers knows to mow in certain areas and not others and knows which areas it hasn’t mowed yet.
But, this feature can also act as a security backup should your mower go missing one day.
Buy pulling up the app on your smart phone or the manufacturer’s website, you should be able to locate your robot lawn mower at anytime.
This could be very handy if your mower goes missing and you need to track it down.
Here is an example of one such case, where the unit’s GPS led police to the stolen robot mower, outside of Denver: GPS in stolen automatic lawn mower leads owner, police to Loveland storage unit and possibly more ill-gotten goods
This hopefully goes without saying, but should you track down the suspected robot mower thief, do not try to confront them yourself or steal back your missing mower. Call the authorities and let them do their job.
Device Blacklisting
Ok, they got past the PIN code, because you left it at 1111, and the on-board GPS locator isn’t finding the device. All is lost, right?
Well, unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like you are getting the device back. But, you can at least take one last measure to make it so they can’t enjoy their new robot lawn mower.
Call the manufacturer and tell them what happened. They will then blacklist the unit. By doing this, you make it nearly impossible for the thief to get the machine serviced.
Should they take the unit to get service, they will be denied and hopefully the shop will alert the authorities of the stolen device.
I know it doesn’t really do anything to replace the unit you lost, but maybe it at least gives some comfort knowing that you are messing up the bad guy’s day.
More Ways To Secure Your Robot Lawn Mower
Don’t just rely on the manufacturer’s installed security measures. There are plenty of steps you can take to help increase security in your yard, and therefore keeping your robot mower safer.
Security Lighting
I personally think every yard should have some form of security lighting set up. Not only does this illuminate the yard should you need to run to the shed for something after the sun goes down, but it also deters would-be trespassers.
I am a big fan of the Ring security system, lights and cameras, but there are so many options out there. Just check out Home Depot or Amazon.
You can grab some quality motion lights for under $40 that work amazingly.
Now you may be saying to yourself, ‘Ok, yes lighting is helpful, but who mows at night?’
Good point. But that doesn’t mean that some owners aren’t having their device out there in the dark. Plus, the idea of using motion lights isn’t just to protect your robot lawn mower. It is more to prevent unwanted visitors from entering your yard in general.
Outdoor Security Cameras
Much like the use of motion lighting, I think security cameras should be part of every home’s security system.
There are so many brands and options out there now, you can easily find a great quality camera that will not break the bank.
I use these motion lights with the camera built in from Ring. They are a little bit more expensive, but if you use the Ring system for your home they are an amazing addition with superb quality and reliability.
Should You Insure Your Robot Mower?
It will depend on your homeowners insurance company if it is an option to add your robot lawn mower to your policy. Not all companies will have this option.
It is a relatively expensive piece of equipment, so it is something you may want to consider. Just make sure the cost to repair or replace the device is worth what the added cost to your premium would be.
I do not insure any of my robots. I am not saying that is the best way to go about it, just sharing some personal insights.
Extra Steps To Keep Your Robot Mower Secure From Theft
- Only schedule the mower to run during the day.
- Run the robot mower when you are home and keep an eye out.
- If you run the robot lawn mower at night, be sure to install some security lights and possibly some cameras.
- If you go on vacation, let your neighbor know to keep an eye out. Or, ask your neighbor if they mind mowing the grass while you are gone.
- Please don’t advertise that you got a new fancy robot lawn mower on social media.
Final Thoughts On Security For Your Robot Lawn Mower
When you spend thousands of dollars on anything, you hate to think about someone coming along and stealing it. Unfortunately, there are some sucky people in the world.
Luckily, most robot lawn mowers do come with an array of built in security measures. Unfortunately, none of them can necessarily prevent someone from walking off with your automatic mower.
To keep your robot mower safe, I suggest you run it only during the day time, when you are home. If you do run it in the evenings or maybe when you are away on vacation, it is best to have security lighting and cameras set up.
