A robot mower does best on a lawn that has been tidied once before it starts. Most of this is a one-time job.
Before it arrives
- Mow it short the old way. Robot mowers are built to trim a little often, not to take down a week of growth. Start them on a lawn already at or near the height you want them to keep.
- Walk the whole lawn. Fill holes and ruts the wheels could drop into. Pick up sticks, stones, dog toys and garden hoses. Anything left out will be in the mower’s way every day.
- Look at the edges. Where the lawn meets a bed, a wall or a fence, notice how much of a strip the mower will miss. Edge performance varies by model, and makers list it on their spec pages. Plan on a string trimmer for the last bit, or lay a flat mowing strip of pavers it can ride on.
- Measure the narrowest gap. Side gates and the path between front and back are where installs go wrong. Compare the gap with the mower’s width and any minimum passage listed by the maker.
- Check the slopes. Note the steepest bank and compare it with the model’s slope rating. Our robot mower guide explains percent versus degrees.
Picking a home for the base station
- Fairly level ground at the edge of the lawn, with open grass in front so the mower can drive straight in.
- An outdoor outlet within reach of the power cable, and a route for the cable that a string trimmer won’t catch.
- For RTK models with a yard antenna: a spot with open sky. Trees and the side of the house block satellites.
- For app control: a Wi-Fi or cell signal you’ve actually tested at that spot, on your phone, standing where the station goes.
The first week
Map or wire the lawn following the maker’s setup guide, then watch the first few runs. Look for spots where it gets stuck, edges it misses and areas where it hesitates. Adjust the boundary, add a no-go zone, or fix the ground.
Keep children and pets indoors or off the lawn while it runs until you know how it behaves.