Robot lawn mowers need regular maintenance and servicing just like any other mower or piece of equipment in your garage. If you want the device to continue to run smoothly and operate properly, it is a good idea to get a on maintenance schedule. This way you can make sure you never miss any regular maintenance and you insure that your robot mower keeps performing as it should.
Table of Contents
Do Robot Lawn Mowers Need Serviced?
Yes, you need to service your robot lawn mower on a regular basis. However, these machines are much simpler in design that your traditional push mower or riding lawn mower. There is fewer mowing parts that need regular maintenance and servicing.
Types Of Service For Your Robot Lawn Mower
When it comes to keeping your robot mower serviced and running properly, there are only a few things you need to do. Some things need done after each mow and others only need down each season. There are even a few maintenance items that you don’t need to worry about for a few years or more.
BEFORE ANY MAINTENANCE OR SERVICING, ALWAYS BE SURE THE ROBOT MOWER IS TURNED OFF AND THE BLADES AND/OR THE BATTERY IS REMOVE (IF REMOVEABLE).
Cleaning Your Robot Lawn Mower
You should aim to clean your robot mower after each use to ensure it does not get clogged with grass clippings and other debris. Failure to regularly clean your robot mower’s wheels and underparts can result in a built of grass around the wheels or blades, making it hard for the mower to operate properly.
I realize cleaning your mower after each use isn’t ideal, and, no, it isn’t going to hurt it if you clean it less often. Ideally, you should try to clean the mower at least once a week, if using it multiple times per week.
How To Clean Your Robot Mower – Cleaning your robot lawn mower is fairly easy. Flip it over so you have access to all the underparts and wheels. Then you can simply remove all of the areas of clumped up grass and anything else stuck in the wheels or around the blades.
You can use a hard brush to clean hard-to-remove clumps of grass and debris stuck around the wheels and blades.
I usually give the underside a good shot from the leaf blower after a use the brush. This helps blow away any grass that you have knocked loose so you can see what you are working with.
There have been some clumps of grass and leaves that are just really stuck and hard to remove. For those, I tend to use hard object to jab at the clump and break it up. You could use a screw driver, a chisel, or anything similar. I have even used the metal poker from my firepit before.
Once all of those stubborn clumps are removed, you can use a wet cloth to wipe down everything. This will remove and loose grass that you knocked free, as well, as remove and grime or dirt that is still lingering on the wheels, blades or anything else.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqyibs6kJoc
Replacing Your Robot Mower Blades
A sharp blade is going to cut your grass more effectively. Whether you like to sharpen the blades yourself or just swap them out when they start to get dull, it is important to keep a sharp blade on your robot lawn mower.
Imagine cutting your hair with dull scissors. If you have ever done that, it isn’t too easy….and it can really hurt. Not that your grass is going to complain, but it isn’t going to get cut as well as it would with a sharp blade. Just like dull scissors can pull and damage your hair, dull mower blades can tear and damager your grass.
Types of Blades On Robot Lawn Mowers
When it comes to the blades on robot mowers there are basically 2 styles.
First you have one solid circular disc that rotates to cut the grass.
The other types consists of more and smaller blades attached to a center disc.
If you have a model with the smaller, individual blades you will be required to change out the blades more frequently. The models that have one solid blade tend to last much longer.
Now, some newer automatic mowers actually utilize triangle-shaped blades spread out under the mower. These do seem to be very effective for keep your grass evenly cut.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5PS-u_cTXI
How Often Do You Change The Blades?
It is recommend that you change the blades on your robot lawn mower every 8 to 10 weeks. This will ensure that your blades stay sharp and give your lawn a nice and even cut.
Waiting too long to replace the blades on your robot mower can lead to poor cutting performance, torn and damaged grass, and an uneven cut.
Replacing The Battery On Your Robot Lawn Mower
Unless you are buying one of the budget options, the robot mower you pick will come with a lithium battery. The great thing about lithium batteries is that they need very little attention or care. You basically just need to charge them when they are dead and they are good to go for their expected lifespan.
Most robot lawn mower batteries will last around 3 years on average.
Replacing the battery on your robot mower is fairly simply to do. Most models are similar in how they store the battery and how they can be removed. Watch this video for more info on how to remove and replace your mower’s battery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfZcIGywfl0
Storing The Lithium Batteries – Do not store your robot mower’s battery in extremely hot or cold locations. It is best to bring them inside during very cold winters. This will prolong the life of the battery.
Be sure to keep your docking station in a good location, out of direct sunlight. This will also keep your robot and its battery working better for a longer time. Likewise, don’t leave your docking station outside during the winter if you live in Minnesota.
Final Thoughts On Servicing Your Robot Lawn Mower
Just like with any piece of equipment, it is going to last longer and perform better with regular maintenance and care. Don’t just neglect your mower and expect it to keep working like new.
Built up grass and debris can greatly affect how well the automatic mower does its job.
Likewise, a dull blade will make cutting your grass evenly very difficult for your robotic mower.
Good luck and happy mowing!
1 thought on “How To Service A Robot Lawn Mower”
Comments are closed.