Over the years, I’ve tested a handful of robot lawn mowers. Most include a base station, require a Wi-Fi antenna be set up on the lawn, utilize a cellular connection, and are programmed and controlled with a smartphone app. This makes them a bit complicated to set up, but ultimately allows homeowners to mow their lawn without having to lift a finger. As you’re about to discover, the LawnMaster OcuMow robot lawn mower (model VBRM601YCM) works a bit differently. It’s much less complicated to set up and use. It’s also more affordable than many competing robot lawn mowers.
The folks at LawnMaster provided me with a review unit of its OcuMow robot lawn mower, which is designed for a smaller size lawn (up to 1,000 square feet) per battery charge. A more powerful OcuMow robot ($550 on Amazon) is available for homeowners with larger lawns to maintain.
So, does this $500 robot lawn mower actually work? Can it save a homeowner a lot of time and energy by making cutting the grass on a regular basis an automated process? How does the LawnMaster OcuMow compare to competitors when it comes to performance, quality, and usability? After several weeks of hands-on testing, these are all questions I’m about to answer in this in-depth review, so keep reading.
LawnMaster OcuMow Robot Lawn Mower
Specifications
- Price: ($400 on Amazon).
- Cutting System: 3 pivoting blades.
- Cutting Width: 6.3 inches.
- Water Resistance Rating: IPX4.
- Obstacle Avoidance: Ultrasonic sensors and camera.
- Anti-Theft Protection: Yes.
- Average Battery Life: Up to three hours.
- Battery Recharge Time: 100 minutes.
- Interchangeable Battery Option: Yes.
- Coverage Area Per Charge: Up to 1,000 square feet.
- Climb Slope: Up to 19-degrees.
- No Go Function: Yes, using included (above ground) magnetic wires.
- Onboard Controls: Yes (with no mobile app required).
- Operating Volume: Up to 68 decibels.
- Cellular, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth Connectivity: No.
- Weight: 13.4 pounds.
Pros
- Uses optical navigation technology that includes multiple sensors and a wide angle camera.
- Operates up to three hours per charge (enough to cover about 1,000 square feet).
- Two ultrasonic sensors allow the robot to detect and avoid obstacles.
- Offers adjustable cutting heights.
- The deep tread wheels allow the robot to travel up and down a slope that’s up to 19-degree.
Cons
- Does not cut along edges.
- A lawn's perimeter must have defined hard borders, hedges, or raised edges.
- Only 30 feet of magnetic wires for a virtual fence are included.
Who Will the LawnMaster OcuMow Model VBRM601YCM Appeal To?
I’d recommend the LawnMaster OcuMow to a household with a smaller size lawn (less than 1,000 square feet) that’s well defined with borders around the perimeter. It’s also well suited to less tech-savvy and budget-conscious people who don’t want to deal with teaching a robot to accurately map out their lawn, or have to pair the robot with a smartphone using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and potentially a cellular connection.
There’s Something Important You Need to Understand About This Mower
The LawnMaster OcuMow is less expensive than many other robot lawn mowers because it relies on less technology to do its job. The model I tested is for smaller lawns, but there are some additional caveats. The robot works best on lawns that have clearly defined edges or borders.
If this doesn’t describe your lawn, you’ll need to place magnetic border strips wherever you do not want the robot to go. You get 30-feet of magnetic border strips and stakes, but more can be purchased separately. The robot has built-in sensors and a camera that allow it to identify grass, pavement, trees, and obstacles, but if there’s no defined border between a lawn and a flower bed, for example, the robot won’t know how to avoid it.
Unlike other robot lawn mowers, this one does not require or work with a smartphone app. It also does not rely on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or a cellular connection for navigation, or to remotely control the device. Instead, all of the controls are conveniently located on the top of the mower.
Unboxing and Setting Up the LawnMaster OcuMow Robot Lawn Mower
The LawnMaster OcuMow comes with a fully-assembled robot mower, a battery charger, one rechargeable battery, an extra set of blades, a security key, 30-feet of magnetic border wire, and 12 stakes for keeping the wire in place on top of your lawn. Upon unpacking the robot, plug in the charger and fully charge the MX 24V battery. The battery will likely be at least partially charged, but a full charge will take up to 100 minutes. When the LED light on the charger is solid green, you know the battery is fully charged.
Remove the robot from the box and make sure no packing materials are still attached. When the battery is fully charged, insert it into the back of the robot. Also, make sure the orange security key is firmly inserted. Without this key, the robot doesn’t operate.
Next, walk around your lawn and figure out what areas do not have clearly defined edges, hedging, or a raised border (at least 9.84 inches tall) around the outer perimeter. The robot can identify paving and trees on its own. For areas without a defined edge or border, it’s necessary to place the magnetic border wire across those areas and secure them in place with the supplied stakes. The border wire goes above the lawn, so do not bury it.
As you’re preparing your lawn to be mowed, be sure to pick up or remove objects, such as sprinklers, gardening tools, toys, or decorative lawn fixtures that could get in the robot’s way. Also, clear large piles of leaves, and make sure there are no pools of water or mud for the robot to drive through, since these could damage the robot.
I noticed that the three blades located underneath the mower are rather small, but very sharp. If any of them get damaged as a result of the robot rolling over something it should not have, like an exposed tree root or rock, be sure to replace the blade immediately. One set of extra blades come with the robot lawn mower. Additional replacement blades are sold separately (15 sets with corresponding replacement screws cost $25 on Amazon).
Based on the smaller size of the blades and their placement, the LawnMaster OcuMow has a cutting width of just 6.3-inches. As a result, it takes a while for the robot to completely mow an entire lawn. So while you might be able to get the job done using a traditional push mower (like the Toro Flex-Force Power System 6-V Max 22” Recycler Lawn Mower) in less than 30 minutes, the robot might take 2.5 to 3 hours. The benefit, however, is that using the robot requires zero manual labor.
Using the LawnMaster OcuMow Robot Lawn Mower
The very best thing about the LawnMaster OcuMow is its simplicity. When you’re ready for the LawnMaster OcuMow robot to do its thing, lift it up using its built-in handle and place it on your lawn. Using the black dial on top of the robot, set the desired cutting length (between 1-inch and 2.5-inches).
Next, press and hold down the Power/Start button for three seconds. There are two cut modes to choose from – Auto or Spiral. Make your selection, and then press the Power/Start button again. Assuming you see a solid green light in the center of the button control panel on top of the robot, it is ready to work.
At any time, simply press the large red Stop button located on top of the robot to immediately shut down its motor. Since there are very sharp blades located beneath the robot, When you lift it up, proceed with caution. For safety sake, I recommend either removing the battery or the safety key before transporting it. And wear gloves when handling or replacing the blades.
LawnMaster OcuMow Robot Lawn Mower
My Final Thoughts: Is the LawnMaster OcuMow Model VBRM601YCM Worth It?
There are three things I absolutely love about the LawnMaster OcuMow. First, its design and bright orange and black color scheme make it stand out and look sporty. Second, this is an affordable robot lawn mower compared to many competitors. And third, this device is extremely intuitive to set up and operate.
Keep in mind, it’s nowhere near as feature-packed as many of the smart robot lawn mowers that cost three to five times more, and this model is designed for smaller size lawns. That said, it handles its main task – to mow a lawn – rather well. The robot itself generates less noise than a traditional mower. However, it takes its own sweet time getting the job done.
I highly recommend sitting outside and closely monitoring the robot the first time you use it. After that, you can set it up and allow it to do its job autonomously. I really like how lightweight this robot is. The built-in handle makes it very convenient to transport. When not in use, keep the robot indoors (in a garage, shed, or basement), and be sure to recharge the battery while indoors, too.
For the price, the LawnMaster OcuMow is a convenient gadget that can make keeping your lawn nicely manicured. Since it does not trim edges, you still need to do this manually using an optional string edge trimmer, such as the LawnMaster 24V 12” Cordless String Trimmer ($93 on Amazon).
You can save some cash by purchasing the LawnMaster OcuMow robot and string trimmer as a bundle on Amazon for $480. Extra batteries for the robot are sold separately for $44 each on Amazon. Based on my testing, I discovered the LawnMaster OcuMow is a well-designed product that performs admirably, as long as you understand its capabilities and limitations.
