The Robomow RS612 is the most expensive robotic lawn mower we looked at. While it’s a good model, there isn’t much to recommend it over our top pick, the Husqvarna Automower 315, or other similarly priced machines.
You can install this robot mower system yourself, and all the components you need come in the box. However, be prepared to spend a good amount of time installing it – depending on the size of your yard, it takes about three to four hours to install the system. Other robot lawn mowers we reviewed let you opt for professional installation, and we would like to see Robomow offer something similar in the future.
You can program this model to mow in four separate zones, each with its own frequency and height settings. This lets you give special attention to spots in your yard that need a little extra TLC.
Once everything is installed and programmed, this robot lawn mower takes care of itself. It runs for about 45 minutes starting from a full charge, and when the battery gets low, it automatically returns to its station to power up. The RS612 can take anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes to fully recharge. While that isn’t too long, it isn’t particularly fast compared to other robot lawn mowers.
The Robomow RS612’s blade design is slightly different than those on three other mowers we reviewed. Rather than small razor blades, the Robomow RS612 uses two triangular blades to cut the grass. This makes them a bit easier to change, since you can just snap them on rather than dismantling the bottom of the unit with a screwdriver.
This robot mower is also marginally louder than other models we reviewed. It’s guaranteed not to exceed 74 decibels, which is about as loud as a garbage disposal. For comparison, our top pick produces 65 decibels and the quietest only about 57 decibels. So, while it probably won’t wake up your neighbors, it has the potential to get annoying for people hanging out in your yard.
The Robomow RS612 can handle lawns up to .25 acres, making it suitable for small to average-size lawns. However, that’s a relatively small maximum area compared to our top pick, which can mow .37 acres or more.
One thing to note about this robot lawn mower is it’s very heavy – about 44 pounds. This shouldn’t be too big of a deal, since you don’t have to pick it up very often. But it might tough for a kid or older person to bring it indoors during a storm or for the winter months.
The warranty period on this model is only one year. That’s short for a machine this expensive – less expensive models have two- or three-year warranties.
The Robomow RS612 is expensive but doesn’t stand out in any other way. It doesn’t cover as much area as our top pick, has a relatively short battery life and is louder than all other robot mowers.
