After robot vacuum cleaners, which roam around the house cleaning different surfaces, the arrival of robot lawnmowers was the obvious next step. And in this area, the connection is even more important than in home cleaning: obstacles, bad weather and uneven ground make it more complex. The Parkside PMRDA 20-Li Robot Lawnmower It performs very well in these areas. Although there are some details with room for improvementLet’s go step by step.
The first thing was Installing the perimeter wire is a must, but more tedious task than reading the instruction manuals. The manufacturer’s recommendation is to bury it about 5 mm deeper for aesthetic reasons rather than for operational reasons: the lawnmower will not cut them unless they are well above the ground. If we make sure that it is flush with the ground, there will be no problems. For this we have a total of 350 stakes that allow us to “fix” the cable.
The first “problem” is that it is 200 meters of cable and very quickly and easily it gets tangled and makes the task complexespecially if we don’t have someone to help us stretch it. Perhaps a rotating wheel, like those used with hoses, would be a good idea. Our choice was to lay the cable around the entire perimeter of the garden (about 250 square meters, with several trees inside) and leave a couple of meters for corrections. Then we installed it. It’s a tedious task, but if we follow the carpentry maxim of “measure twice to cut once” is done relatively quickly.
The robot, among its accessories, has a small ruler to measure the limits: you have to leave about 30 cm between the limits of the garden and the cable. This is one of the cons of the lawnmower (robotic or not) … of all of them: always There will be a small part at the limits that is very difficult to cut. and you will have to resort to more localised systems, such as a brush cutter. This is where you have to be more precise to avoid damaging the robot or cutting into areas that you don’t want. Again: it takes time, but it is essential.
Then there is the programming: date and time to be able to connect to the Parkside application and be able to control certain parameters remotely. Of course, the distance is valid as long as we, mobile and lawnmower, are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. In this section, we still have to It lacks options to get more out of the robot.
Now, let’s move on to its function: mowing the lawn. The first surprise is that, if we are used to a cleaning robot, this one is nothing like it. It is much more “chaotic”: it does not have a fixed route, He goes completely on his own, like a capricious R2D2. While it is hypnotic to watch at first, it must be admitted that the choices it makes are surprising, as it is not based on parallel paths or anything like that. But after a few days, this choice shows its effects: the grass does not show traces of paths or areas that are more populated than others or with different shades of green.
The fact that It does not have brushes, the blades are very sharp and it does not “save” what it has cut. (it is “minimized” and acts as a natural fertilizer), has a lot to do with this. If we add to that that we can program it to cut at the hours that best suit us, that we can select five different cutting heights and that We can activate it whenever we want (the more often the better: you will cut less and maintain the grass better), the advantages are many.
It has a rain detector (it returns to the charging station automatically) and the good thing (especially for those of us who live in the north of Spain) is that the sensor can be deactivated if the rain is very light and we still want it to remain operational. It is not the best, but it still works correctly. And, obviously, like cleaning robots, when the battery runs out or the task is finished, it returns to the charging station.
As for the battery, this depends a lot. The first cut may take longer than the following ones, but once you get used to it, you cut less and less and need to depend less on the battery. It can easily happen, four hours or more, without us knowing that it is cutting off. Not only is it completely independent, it is also surprisingly quiet. A big plus, as we can be in the garden without any problem while it is cutting and we won’t have to raise our voice.
It detects trees and furniture automatically, there was no problem with this. Except for very steep or muddy areas due to rain, it has very good grip and behaves well on uneven surfaces. And It does not pose a danger to pets or small children.…Unless you lift it off the ground or put your hands under the cutting surface.
Includes three cutting modes, The first is manual or on the entire surface, basically it is letting it do its job. The second option is defined areas. You can Select up to five, if we want to leave a different height and finally, spot cutting, for those hard-to-reach areas. Interesting detail: the screen has a pin to prevent someone from accidentally turning it on. Or from using it if it is stolen.
It also includes a Stop button that stops the blades instantly. The charging station comes with screws to fix it to the floor. This is perhaps one of the most difficult choices: where to put it. The “problem” is that it has to be inside the delimited area to cut. And this area is rarely covered from the rain. In our case we had a small overhanging roof that provides protection, but this is not always the case. Building a shed is not effective. Perhaps an area, 20 cm wide (the cutting surface) and one metre long, could be set up in front of the charging station, so that it does not cut in that section and can be put under cover.
Verdict: In its price range, it has no competition. There are other robotic lawnmowers that are better in some areas, but if we have a garden to enjoy, if we don’t want to waste time, if we want it to stay in good condition and we don’t want to spend a lot (or rather, we want to spend little), the Parkside PMRDA 20-Li Robot Lawnmower is the best option.