I admit, I was a little jealous when Kenny installed his Husqvarna 115H Automower across the street from my house. My inner sense of justice knows I'm more on the road than he is and could really use something like this. So when he suggested that I give the Worx Landroid L robotic lawn mower a try, I hit upon the idea of spending lazy Saturdays relaxing with my wife and watching the robot do yard work.
advantage
- Better price than Husqvarna and Stihl with similar performance
- Optimize wires after installation Set it and forget it
- 20V power supply can be easily replaced when needed (uses same battery as Worx 20V tools)
- Includes Find My Landroid GPS with 1 year of cellular coverage
- Collision avoidance, digital fencing and specially designed garage accessories available
shortcoming
- More limited than upgraded models with GPS mapping
- No professional installation is available for users who prefer it
Install
The Worx Landroid L uses the boundary line system to find its way around your lawn and back to the charger. You'll want to install the wire completely around the inner and outer boundaries, including any landscape elements you want to create the island around.
It sounds more complicated than it is, everything you need is included in the kit. The mower itself doesn't generate as much lift as a standard gas or battery-powered mower, so you can run the wire directly over the grass. The clips in the kit hold the wire firmly to the ground, and before long your grass will be growing on it.
If you're really concerned about surface wires, you can bury them 2 inches deep.
install expectations
The entire installation process takes approximately 4 hours, depending on the size of the lawn and how well planned it is. Generally, it goes like this:
Set up the base on a flat surface
I keep mine in the back yard, and even though the included power cord is 32 feet long, it's pretty close to a power source. The mower requires 32 inches of clearance to enter the charging base and 12 inches of clearance to exit the charging base.
install wires
For areas near boundaries, such as walls and steps, you will need to install the wire 10.2 inches from the edge. You can allow 4 inches of clearance in areas where the mower can drive. Since there is no blade lift, you can let it go over the edge of the mulch bed. Push down a clip every 32 inches and around corners.
Let the mower charge
The two contacts on the charging stand need to make contact with the matching contacts on the mower. Once they do, it automatically charges. The Worx Landroid L uses the same 20V battery as its power tools, and you can always replace it with a new one if needed.
set cutting height
There's a dial on the top of the mower that sets your height from 1.6 inches to 3.9 inches, so you have a good range to cover most types of grass.
settings app
You can write a full review on the app only. For now, let's stick with the fact that it's pretty user-friendly, if you're used to smartphones. Here you'll set up mowing areas, and you can map your lawn, set mowing schedules, and more.
Relax and watch Worx Landroid L at work
Well, not really. While the mower is working your yard, you need to watch it for any problems or snags that you weren't expecting. Once you're confident the mower will work all the way around the perimeter, you can relax.
Some of the user manuals and quick start guides are rubbish, but I was able to use Worx' to complete the installation without calling Kenny for a consultation (although he did help me with the layout plan).
main features
enable GPS
Most entry-level robotic lawnmowers don't include GPS, but Worx now does. While it won't help map out the most efficient pattern for your lawn, it does help keep track of where your mower is. Here are some highlights:
- via cellular data connection (1 year included)
- Provides real-time notifications and status updates
- Notifies you if the mower leaves the mowing area
- Allows remote locking of lawn mower if stolen
More optional add-ons
- ACS Collision Avoidance System ($249): This accessory (included with our test model) uses ultrasonic signals to detect and avoid objects before the mower hits them.
- Landroid Garage ($129.99): Even a little rain won't ruin your lawn mower, but it will last the longest if you protect it as much as possible.
- Digital Fence ($129.99): This genius system relies on magnetic barriers to separate areas you don't want to mow without bringing in borderlines to create an island. Easy to install and remove, perfect for temporary borders.
narrow corridor friendly
If your mower needs to get through a tight space, you can do it. Since you set the mowing area based on the distance from the charger, the mower follows the boundary line at the distance you tell it to. Just set up an area on the other side of a narrow hallway and the mower will get there.
cut to the edge
With proper installation, your Worx Landroid L can cut nearly 2 inches from any border.
Using Worx Landroid L in the real world
One of the great talking points about any robotic lawn mower is whether or not it works. The short answer is that the Worx Landroid L works exactly as it was designed to. Whether it's right for your yard depends on its limitations.
Running and Charging
As long as you give your lawnmower enough time to mow, it will give your lawn a fresh mow every day. You won't get those fancy mower reel lines, though. With a brand new 4.0Ah battery, I get about 2 hours of run time, and it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to charge. So if you want 8 hours of actual cutting time, plan to schedule it within 14 hours of the day.
cutting force
Ideally, the bladed blades of a lawn mower will only mow 1/4”–1/2” of grass at a time, but it’s more powerful than it looks. I started with a few podocarp clippings, about 1/4 inch thick. Our little droid ran over with no trouble and quickly cut it off at the base.
Anti-collision system
The ACS system does an excellent job of avoiding obstacles in the yard. The system turns it off when it is in low power mode or whenever it receives a command to return to home. As the lawn mower enters and exits the charging station along the boundary wire, ACS cannot help it navigate the obstacle and reacquire the wire. So if there are objects like trash cans outside, you need to lay boundary lines around them.
This limitation is the same when it is in Cut to Edge mode and needs to follow the borderline.
unfriendly terrain
As far as terrain goes, we had no issues. Florida is very flat and our yard is no exception. However, my boundary line is very close to the street and having to use the wheels on sloped curbs is not a problem, nor is getting in and out of our water meter box.
If your lawn has a higher elevation, you can look forward to Landroid's dual brushless motors and powerful treads to handle slopes of up to 35%.
set it and forget it
Once you understand the system's limitations, the Worx Landroid L is really a set-and-forget robot lawnmower. You still need to take care of some string trimming and edging. With a lawn mower, you can finish basic lawn care at halftime, then head back to the living room for the second half of the game.
WORX WR150 and WR155
WORX has updated its line of Landroid robotic lawnmowers with some new features. Probably the best way to introduce them is to show you the difference between the Worx Landroid WR155 and the WR150 robotic lawnmower we tested. Among the features, note the larger battery, the LCD control panel, and the newer model's landing gear that you can hose down. We also like the blade height system, which automatically raises the blade to provide more clearance for the Landroid. This helps robotic mowers avoid certain situations that would hinder other mowers.
| WR150 | WR155 | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | 4.0 ah | 6.0 ah |
| control Panel | to lead | LCD Monitor |
| bluetooth connection | No | Yes |
| WiFi connection | Yes | Yes |
| Automatic Blade Height System | No | Yes |
| Hose friendly undercarriage | No | Yes |
| price | $1199 | $1399 |
price
The Worx Landroid is one of the most affordable robotic lawnmowers on the market. Prices start at $999.99 for the 1/4 acre version and $1199.99 for the 1/2 acre version. Both versions now come with a GPS unit as a bonus.
For our test, we added the ACS sensor, bringing the total to $1449.99. Kenny has previously touted Husqvarna's $1599 115H Automower as the best value robot mower out there, but I think the Worx Landroid L is also worth considering. The big difference is that Husqvarna includes their professional installation. If you're willing to do the work yourself (it's really not that difficult), you can get some extra functionality, or save a few hundred dollars with Worx.
the bottom line
I was really impressed with the performance of the Worx Landroid L robotic lawnmower. Its user-friendly installation only takes a morning or afternoon—a small price to pay for saving you hundreds of dollars over entry-level models from brands like Husqvarna or Stihl.
There are models for lawns up to 1/4 acre or 1/2 acre, and these recommendations are solid. You need moderate technical skills to install and set up operations through the application. If you're happy to find a way to get around your smartphone, then you can handle this.
Worx Android L Specifications
- Model: Worx WR155 (tested like WR150)
- Power: Worx 20V battery (4.0Ah included)
- Charging time: 90 minutes
- Cutting area: up to 1/2 acre
- Cutting Width: 9″
- Height Range: 1.6″–3.9″
- Noise level: 63 decibels
- Maximum inclination: 20°
- Weight: 22.9 lbs
- Dimensions: 25 x 17.5 x 8.86 inches
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: $1399.99
Check it out for yourself on Worx's website.
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