Aiming to remove the drudgery from landscape care, the Mowrator S1 Remote Control Lawn Mower brings convenience to the act of lawn mowing by melding robotic technology with a hand-held wireless remote control. The brainchild of a former employee of drone maker DJI, the industrial-strength robot mower features an 18AH battery, up to 2.25 hours of runtime, and a remote control not unlike those packaged with DJI aerial drones.
Mowrator plans to start shipping the mowers to consumers in July 2024, and will offer both 2WD and 4WD versions. They are priced at $2,249 and $2,899, respectively, during the current Father’s Day promo.
Robotic, Not Autonomous
Autonomous robot mowers, such as the Husqvarna Automower 450XH, are akin to robot vacuums: They can be set to smartly operate automatically within a virtual yard boundary but don’t require constant attention from a human operator. The Mowrator S1, on the other hand, requires human control at all times, making it more suitable for yards where the terrain, layout, and general complexity varies and where the homeowner wants more control.
Mowrator S1 has an array of front and side ultrasonic sensors for automatic collision avoidance to prevent encounters with obstacles, people, and pets (again, not unlike a drone). When a sensor is triggered blade rotation stops instantly. Similarly, if its rear discharge chute is opened during a mowing operation, a sensor will stop blade rotation to prevent debris discharge.
There’s also an assisted driving mode, a form of cruise control where the mower uses its onboard inertial measurement unit (IMU) and realtime data to navigate along a straight mowing path. But generally, one will navigate by using the two joysticks and zero-turn buttons (see next paragraph) on the remote control. So yes, you will want a clear line of sight to the mower at all times while mowing (again, not unlike flying a drone).
Zero Turn, Anyone?
All the rage in high-end residential and commercial riding mowers, zero-turn radius capability is built into the Mowrator S1 for instant U-turns at the touch of one of two buttons on the remote control. Furthermore, this ability to instantly pivot in place 180° also enables easy steering around obstacles, turning corners, and following variable arcs in the yard.
Battery Technology
Mowrator S1 is fitted with a 56V architecture and 18AH lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery. The manufacturer says the battery takes about 90 minutes to acquire a full charge, and has a charge/discharge cycle life of 1500. The estimated 2.25 hours of runtime can be affected by the height and species of grass, the type of 21-in. blade installed (normal blade, optional high-lift blade, or optional mulching blade) and the slope of the terrain. Runtime can be as high as 3.2 hours on lawns that are maintained frequently (meaning, where there is less grass height or less density to contend with).
The battery can be easily lifted out of the unit for charging via a built-in handle. A 600W fast charger is included, and is rated at IP65 for high dust protection and resistance to low-pressure water spray.
Certainly, Mowrator sized the battery to handle large lawns if desired. They say a 1.125-acre lawn can be mowed on a single charge. Maximum speed on a flat lawn is 3.5 MPH (right at walking speed, by the way), which translates to about 0.5 acres per hour.
Construction, OTA Updates, and More
The unit appears to be built to last, with a welded tubular steel wraparound frame and a reinforced aluminum alloy deck. Mowing height can be manually adjusted on the mower chassis, ranging from 1.8 to 4.6-in. on the 2WD model and 1.5 to 4.3-in. on the AWD model.
Over-the-air (OTA) software updates are also part of the package, whereby a smartphone tethered to the Mowrator remote control facilitates the network connection and updates. A super-quiet noise level of 63 DB at 3 meters means they are barely louder than normal conversation when operating.
Mowrator says the all-wheel drive model can tackle a 75% slope (37°) while the two-wheel drive model can manage a 45% slope (24°). So, choose the 2WD model if you have a flatter yard and less elevation fluctuations.
For more info and to place an order, visit the Mowrator website.
