The Worx Landroid is to lawn mowing what the Roomba is to vacuuming. If you’ve ever thought about how useful it would be to have a fully automatic robotic lawnmower, it’s finally here. With some preliminary setup, the Landroid will determine the perfect mowing schedule for your lawn and keep it neatly trimmed.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Landroid: how it works, the pros and cons, and whether they’re worth investing in right now.

How Does It Work?

Worx Landroid
Product image: https://www.worx.com/landroid/au/

The Landroid is a fully autonomous lawnmower. It uses cloud computing to judge several parameters for your lawn, including the growth rate, temperature, sunlight, water supply, grass species, soil composition, weather, size of lawn, and lawn nutrition, and decides the best mowing cycle for your lawn. Then it will stick to the schedule and keep your lawn perfectly trimmed automatically.

The Landroid utilizes a Worx PowerShare battery and brushless electric motors (which are more efficient and longer-lasting than older, brushed varieties). The Landroid needs to be connected to your Wi-Fi to run. It uses the internet for updates to run its programs (such as auto-scheduling) and stay in constant communication with the charging station.

The Landroid charges using a small charge station that can be installed directly into the lawn. The charging station allows grass to grow into it so that it fits neatly with the lawn. It has a sleek design and can be installed anywhere along the boundary wire.

The charging station is where the boundary wire begins and ends. The boundary wire is required to tell the Landroid where to work. The wire is installed at ground level so that the grass can grow over it. The wire emits an electromagnetic field that communicates with the Landroid and prevents it from crossing over to the other side.

Cost, Models, and Customizable Features

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Product image: https://www.worx.com/landroid/au/

There are several Landroid models which are all suited to different sizes and types of lawns. The Landroid website offers a configuration tool that helps you decide the model and extra features that you will need for your mower. The cost ranges from around $1,000 for the smallest model (¼ acre) to almost $3,000 for the largest (½ acre plus GPS).

The Landroid is fully customizable, and depending on your needs, there are various add-ons that you can include, such as:

  • Anti-Collision System (ACS): The Anti-Collision System uses ultrasonic sensors to detect obstacles. They use the same grade of sensors used in cars. Once an object is sensed, the Landroid will steer around it.
  • Virtual Fence: Worx also offers a “digital fence” that can make creating off-limits areas much easier, especially in small areas far from the boundary wire. The digital strip simply gets installed as a perimeter beneath the grass and emits a magnetic field that is detectable by a sensor installed on the Landroid.
  • RadioLink: RadioLink provides radio connectivity to the Landroid if your Wi-Fi signal doesn’t reach the full way around your garden. Usually, home Wi-Fi won’t have the necessary reach---especially with larger lawns.
  • GPS Anti-Theft Device: This accessory provides a “Find My Landroid” feature as an anti-theft measure, meaning that if the Landroid is stolen, it might be tracked and recovered.

There is also a Landroid Garage, a small outdoor housing for the Landroid that will protect it from the weather.

Pros and Cons of the Landroid

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Product image: https://www.worx.com/landroid/au/

The Landroid has several pros and cons. It comes stacked with features that ensure that it does its job well, but its design has some limitations.

Pros of the Landroid

  • Wildlife Protection: You can set the Landroid to only work during daylight hours to protect nocturnal animal species that may be present.
  • Slope Sensing: The Landroid can judge slopes and surface quality to control its movement accurately on many kinds of surfaces.
  • Weatherproof and Water Sensing: The Landroid is waterproof and can work in any weather, but it can also sense whether the grass is wet and will wait until it has dried to continue mowing.
  • Right-to-the-Edge Cutting: Landroids boundary wire and trimming design means that it’s able to cut your lawn right to the edge, unlike some other robotic lawnmowers on the market.
  • Adjustable Grass Length: You’re able to set the mower to any height so that you can cut your grass to your preference with the adjustable dial on the Landroid.
  • Safety Stop: If the Landroid is lifted, the blades stop automatically and immediately to prevent injury.
  • Noise Levels: The Landroid is incredibly quiet, especially compared with traditional petrol mowers.
  • Voice Control: The newer Landroid models include voice control. Simply press the stop button, and the Landroid will ask you a question, listen to the responses, and behave accordingly.
  • Alarm: The Landroid features an anti-theft alarm.

Cons of the Landroid

  • Boundary Wire: Unlike a Roomba, a Landroid requires a boundary wire to be installed around the lawn that needs mowing. This is a time-consuming process to get perfect, and imperfect installations can result in the Landroid missing sections or leaving an outside strip of long grass.
  • Wi-Fi Limitations: For most people, Wi-Fi doesn’t cover their entire lawn, and Worx’s RadioLink upgrade may be necessary at extra cost to the customer.
  • Relatively Easy to Steal: Because the Landroid is completely autonomous and houses itself at the charger when it’s not in use, it is quite easy to steal if used in open unfenced areas such as front yards.
  • Getting Stuck: Some users report that the Landroid quite often gets stuck and needs to be manually maneuvered back into a good spot.

Is a Landroid Worth It?

If you’re looking for a robotic lawnmower, a Landroid is a great choice. It’s cheaper than some market alternatives, including Husqvarna and Automower, and receives good reviews.

If you’ve got a relatively simple lawn and some extra cash lying around, a Landroid could be a great investment. Many users work out how much time it would save them per week and use that calculation to determine whether a robotic mower is a good investment or not.