The first time I watched the iGarden L AWD mow my lawn, I did something I had never done while the grass was being cut: I sat down to dinner.
That may sound like a small thing, but anyone who maintains a lawn knows that mowing it is one of those chores that seems to consume more time than it should. You put it off, the grass gets too long, you finally find the time, and there goes an afternoon. Keeping to a strict Saturday schedule, as my Dad insisted for me when growing up, keeps things on a steady pace (until Buffalo winter sets in, and then another chore reappears…on a far less-regular basis).
With the iGarden L AWD, I was sitting at the dinner table while the lawn mower was doing the work.
In fact, that was the caption on the video I sent to my extended family: “Eating dinner while I cut the lawn.”
The response was predictable: “No way.”
Check out the 30 second video here.
When family members subsequently visited, I showed them the machine in action. Their reaction was similar. A few days later our gardener arrived for his weekly visit. He noticed that the lawn had already been cut since his previous visit and wondered why. I brought him over to see the iGarden unit.
He looked at it silently for a few moments, clearly skeptical. Then he finally said:
“Maybe I should get one of these and just sit in the truck.”
That may be the best product review I’ve heard yet.
Getting started takes some patience
Getting the iGarden up and running wasn’t completely effortless. Setting up the app and pairing it with the mower took some time, and there was a learning curve involved in understanding how the app’s piloting function works.
The piloting feature essentially allows you to guide the mower around the perimeter of your property so it can learn where it is supposed to operate. It took me a little while to get comfortable with that process, but once I got a feel for the steering and the unit’s responsiveness, I was gleefully guiding it around the outer edges of our back lawn.
I could then essentially let the mower go about its business.
That distinction is important. There is a difference between a robot lawn mower that requires you to continually intervene and one that you can set up and then largely leave alone. My initial experience with the iGarden has been much more toward the latter.
It’s not your father’s robot mower
The L AWD is a considerably more sophisticated machine than the early generation of robot lawn mowers that depended on boundary wires buried around the property.
The iGarden uses 3D LiDAR, cameras and other sensors for navigation and obstacle avoidance. It also has all-wheel drive, which allows it to handle slopes of up to 70 percent, or approximately 35 degrees, according to the manufacturer. Our house sits up a bit higher than the back lawn, and I had some trepidation. But the mower navigated the slope with ease.
My next test: the front yard
My backyard is only the beginning.
I plan to use the channel function in the app to program the mower to travel to the front yard, where I have three separate sections defined by sidewalks, the curb and the driveway.
I asked iGarden folks about exactly this kind of situation. The company says the L AWD can handle multiple areas rather than being limited to two zones. Several models on offer from the manufacturer handle up to 80 zones, but my more humble lawn only has four zones, so I can sit back and relax.
Indeed, the unit’s three year warranty provides much comfort about such innovative technology.
Where does it live?
I also wondered whether the mower could remain outdoors, moored at its charging station.
The answer is yes, although iGarden recommends a sheltered location when possible. The mower can travel between the charging station and the lawn automatically, so a garage or covered structure is ideal if you have one.
I’m considering an old doghouse as a sort of robotic garage during the mowing season. It would provide protection from the elements while still giving the mower easy access to the lawn. Once winter arrives, I’ll bring the unit to the garage. Time to start scanning Facebook Marketplace for a viable used doghouse.
Kudos to the designers for the sleek look of the iGarden L AWD. In keeping with the massive strides being taken by Chinese car makers, even a lawn mower can look cool.
The talk of robotics is becoming more pervasive. Robotics is huge behind the scenes in manufacturing and distribution; have you ever seen an Amazon warehouse or a big port?
As to homeowners, I have already written happily about my George Jetson experience when it comes to feline maintenance with a robotic kitty litter.
I am very pleased to enter the next phase: robotic lawn care. The iGarden L AWD is the ideal solution. Program it once, and sit back with your salmon dinner.
More detail here.
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