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Interested in a Robotic Lawnmower but debating the value? Read on for some tips, information, and reasons to buy or not buy one of these devices. First a quick list of pros and cons with more descriptions found below.Pros+No more mowing the lawn!+Keeps the lawn a beautiful, even height+Easy to forget that lawn mowing was even a chore at one point+Incredibly quiet+Inexpensive to maintain+Excellent customer service+Mulches so finely you can't even tell+Does not leave lines in the lawnCons-Initially expensive-Only covers relatively small lawns-Annoying to set up yourself (although they always come with installation now)-Service centers aren't always close (but it can be mailed to one, so that's helpful)-Occasional issues means you have to help the mower out manually-Edges need to be done with a trimmer still-Always mulches, so leaves and debris stay in the yard, you have to rake on occasion if you have treesSHOULD I GET A ROBOTIC MOWER?Alright, time to get to why you WOULD want to buy one of these mowers. If you value time more than money, you will be either hiring someone or looking at purchasing one of these. If you want a perfectly even lawn all the time, then this is the only option. One of the surprising factors recognized as an owner of a robotic lawnmower is I forget that a lawn isn't supposed to be exactly the same height all the time. The only way you can tell how it should be growing is by looking at the edges, otherwise you could never tell the lawn is actually growing. As I have a separate front lawn, I have to manually place the lawn mower up there due to a fence that separates the two which I don't want to modify. I put the lawn mower out front every other day or so, but when I forget and notice that grass has grown it's actually a surprise and I think the lawn is out of control. Then I look at my neighbors and realize that it's still an exceptionally well maintained lawn.Customer service from Husqvarna is top notch. I had an issue with my mower with a latch that was sticking. I called in and they told me where the service center was. Even though the center was close, a 30 minute drive away, they still offered to send it understanding that these are purchased to save time. Fortunately as we discussed the issue we came upon a solution to fix the problem without taking or sending it in. I do appreciate how much they care. They also log every issue with the specific mower so they know it's history in case any other problems arise.WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT OWNING A ROBOTIC MOWER:Here's some things that you should know about robotic lawn mowers in general. This (the 315X) and many do not contain external sensors. Meaning they can't "see" anything. It's very important for them to so do, as all consumer robotic lawnmowers I've seen use low voltage boundary wires. This does mean that you have to have a wire placed around the perimeter of your lawn. The upside is that you can tell the mower to go exactly where you do and don't want it. If you have a garden without a border, no problem, the wire will keep it from driving in there.The lack of sensors means the mower's senses are limited to electrical signals from the border wire and bump sensors from the shell of the mower. The entire mower is hiding underneath a plastic shell, if the shell is pushed in any direction the mower knows this and will try to avoid the obstacle. It is in no means "smart," but this is a very effective method of navigation. These mowers use similar algorithms to the way a Roomba functions, as it uses a specialized pattern of random paths which guarantee full lawn coverage.Is the mower fast? Nope, it doesn't need to be. It mows constantly. Mine is schedule to run 8 hours a day, which it probably runs for about 4 (between charging). On the weekends it's allowed to go out for 16 hours. Since it's always mowing, it goes over the same places a lot, but I've never seen any missed areas since I've run it. The X series does have GPS and it will note areas with tighter paths that lead to patches of grass and automatically go to those spots to clean them up.Will it bother you if it's mowing while you're outside? If you don't like the look of it, maybe. If you're worried about hearing it, good luck, it's almost completely inaudible for a short distance (3 m / ~10 ft away). To say I'm impressed with how quiet the mower is, is a complete understatement. You really just have to find a video demonstration and listen to it yourself.Maintenance! Is very easy so far. I've hardly had any issues with the mower. The basic maintenance includes changing the blades (which are basically razor blades) with a screwdriver. It's very easy and takes under 5 minutes. The blades very inexpensive, amazingly, at under $5 for a replacement set for OEM or you can find them for about $1 a set on Amazon. Cleaning the body of the mower under the shell is the other semi-regular task. This is done with brush. You can pop the shell off (just be careful of the front cable for the lights) and then brush all the dirt / grass from under the mower quickly.A final quick note on the things to know section is that the mower is IPX4 rated for water resistance (not PROOF). It is fine driving around it in the rain, but it cannot be submerged in water. Do not hose the mower off as it's not designed for that. The worst that happens in the rain is that grass can collect in the wheels and give it less traction. That's really about it though. It's been through quite a few storms happily mowing away.WHY WOULDN'T I GET A ROBOTIC MOWER?Here's the real question. They sound very helpful, so why wouldn't you get one? The primary reason is the lawn size. Robotic lawnmowers are limited to their mowing speed and efficiency. When a lawn is too big, it'll outgrow the lawnmower's cutting capability. You can go to Husqvarna's website to get help with how much each model can mow. The 315X is rated for 1600 meters squared (~0.4 acres). They can go up to 5000 meters squared (~1.25 acres), but you have to get the larger mower. If you have the money, I would recommend one of the larger ones anyway because they are faster and will be out of the way more frequently. They also handle varied terrain better.The main reason I could find that someone might not get one of these aside from the expense is the fact that these mower can only mulch. They have tiny blades to cut only grass. If you have trees or plants that frequently leave debris on the lawn, you'll have to take care of this yourself. Where small stick and leave will typically be sucked up into a regular mower due to the suction force, robotic lawnmowers use a spinning plate with tiny blades which create no suction. It also clearly never bags your lawn. The mulch is very fine and you'll never notice it, so there's no need. I do need to walk out and pick up sticks and other debris to keep the lawn clear. Leaves, if left, will eventually become tiny pieces and disappear or be blown away, but I prefer to rake them up.Robotic lawnmowers do need a helping hand if they run into an issue. They are not perfect and do get stuck on occasion. Mine has gotten stuck on top of a rock once (which I moved) and on a gutter drain, which I adjusted the wire. In both cases the mower just complains over the mobile app to tell me it's stuck and sits there waiting for help. If I'm at work, it just has to wait there all day. These occurrences are rare now that I've adjusted the wire for problem areas and considering how much it drives around all day every day, it's very impressive. The downside is this means that for a remote location (say a second house), it's probably not ideal unless you live close enough or can rely on someone to help it if there's a problem.Finally, these robotic mowers are expensive. That's the main reason most people won't get one. I find it to be worth the expense, but it's a matter of weighing it against how much you value your own time. I hope they come down in price so eventually more people can get them. I think they are excellent devices and save valuable time. Also the noise pollution of regular mowers I find to be annoying, but I also like to record ambient outdoor noise, so that's on me for caring about the sound around me, most people won't be bothered by this.CONCLUSIONRobotic lawnmowers aren't for everyone, but I do think they're for more people than own them at the moment. I think a lot of people would appreciate what they get from having a robot caring for their lawn constantly. I would highly recommend picking up one of these mowers. Husqvarna is an excellent brand and very much care for their customers. Their customer service is top notch, but you do pay a premium. That premium gives you value in the form of piece of mind if something is a problem.Hopefully this helped you make an informed decision on a large purchase.I purchaces this machine on 04/02/2020 and with a large installation kits for my rather complex 0.4 acres lot. It cut the grass evenly and make my lawn looks pretty well.The local dealer is willing to install for me even though I buy it from Amazon, and they charge $600 for labor and material. Because of the pandemic of coronavirus, I decide to install it myself.The installation is not a complex job. But it is a rather hard job for a senior. I have to nail down to the ground 550 meters of boundary wire. The large kits provide 400 meters of wire, I have to purchase another 150 meters wire to complete the instalation.The Operalnal Manual and Quick Guide come withh the machine is poor. It recommend customer to look into Complete Operational Manual on Husqvarna's website. But, searching their website, I got at least 10 results. None of them named Complete Operational Manual for 315X. I have to open them one by one. At last, I got it. Its name is Operational Manual Husqvarna Automower 310/315/315X (English).You must read carefully every words. I missed a note said that the water accumulate in a hole will damage the machine if it is too deep (it does not say how deep). Then, I have to re-wire to avoid a ditch for rain drainage because the machine have to work 7 hours everyday to cover my lawn in a week. It has to work during rain.The local dealer, Super Sod in my area, is good. They answered my questions. That makes my installation smoother. And, I purchase extra wire and accessaries from there.My machine can only install one guide wire. It cannot find the charge station from some areas, and stop there until its battery ran out.Amazon's description does not mention how many guide wires may be connected to the charge station. I must have two. The Husqvarna's video for installation says it may connect two guide wires to it. I called Husqvarna. The tech support said she never heard of 2 guide wires and don't know the video. I searched their website, and can't find any charge station with 2 connectors for guide wires. I have to return the machine to Amazon.I think with GPS and more memory capacities in the machine it is easy to solve the problem. Also, when it have to go to charge station, it may be programed to follow exactly the boundary wire and keep cutting the edge of the lawn, instead of wandering randomly. In these two ways, Husqvarna may quit using guide wire.Below is for reference only. I put the charge station inside my flower bed. The front edge of it is at the border of the flower bed and the lawn. This means that at both sides of the station is mulch.I build a cover for the station, which fully cover the machine and the station. The machine have to enter and back out withing the angle between 170 - 190 degrees. It works. The first time, it backed out smoothly, but tried 6 to 7 times to enter. Later on, it only tried once and got into the station. I think this way looks better.I bought a 430X and liked it so much, that I ordered a315X for a smaller area and I just love it. There is a chance I get a third mower, it's not cheap!Great machine
