What Time of Day Should Robotic Mowers Run?

I have dealt extensively with the question of what time of day a robotic mower should ideally mow, and would like to share my findings with you here. This is a very important question, as it is crucial for a healthy and well-tended lawn and you can avoid problems with neighbors or authorities. What time of day is best for the robotic mower to mow?

The best time of day to mow with the robotic mower is in the morning between 7:00 and 11:00 o’clock. At this time of day the fewest problems occur. On weekdays most people are at work at this time, the children are in kindergarten or school, and the temperature outdoors has not yet reached its peak.

Time of Day and Weather Are Important to Consider when Mowing the Lawn

When mowing the lawn, the time of day and the weather are important factors that must be taken into account in order to maintain a well-kept and healthy lawn. For example, too much heat and sunlight will damage the blades of grass in the freshly cut areas.

At the same time rain can be a problem. However, unlike conventional lawnmowers, it is not absolutely necessary for robotic mowers to cease mowing when it rains. Some mowers are even supposed to mow slightly better in wet conditions.

In Summer, your robotic mower should not drive in the blazing midday sun, as this can damage the lawn. It is also not good for the robotic mower itself to be exposed to too much heat. However, unlike a conventional lawnmower and as mentioned above , you can also mow in the morning when the lawn is still wet from the dew.

Noise Emission Laws and Regulations

Noise regulation is probably one of the most important factors when it comes to determining the best time of day for you to be mowing your lawn. Even though robotic lawn mowers are much quieter than gas-powered or tethered electric lawn mowers, it is important to be aware of what the maximum permissible noise levels in your state are.

If anyone in your neighborhood reports excessive noise levels to the authorities, this could lead to a visit by the police or other law enforcement agencies, after which noise level recordings will be made from the dividing line (fence or wall) between your property and that of your neighbor’s. Based on the findings thus obtained, fines may be issued and you could be required to implement corrective measures.

Ordinance levels in the US were set in 1972 by the EPA’s newly established Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC) and have not been updated since then. If you would like to read more about noise level ordinances in the US, here are two links that may be of interest:

To be perfectly honest, it is highly unlikely that you will be receiving any noise complaints from neighbors if you are using a robotic lawn mower, since most robotic lawn mowers today produce less than 70 dB (generally between 55 to 65 dB), especially if you are using one of the super quiet models, such as the Husqvarna Automower 430 X (58 dB) or the McCulloch ROB 1000, which is the quietest one I have reviewed so far and produces just 57 dB of noise! Come to think of it, at these levels, it is unlikely that even your neighbor’s dog will complain about your robotic mower’s noise levels (and that applies to night mowing too), but it is always safer to check with them first, just in case.

You can also read our other article, “How Loud Are Robotic Lawn Mowers?” if you would like to learn more about robotic lawn mower noise levels and just how much quieter they are than gas-powered or traditional electric lawn mowers.

Again, remember that informing yourself about permissible noise levels in your state is your own responsibility. So please mow responsibly and be courteous to those around you, even if you are already the proud owner of a robotic lawn mower.

What Time of Day Should the Robotic Mower Run?

The following graphic is intended to provide a rough overview of the time of day at which it makes sense to run the robotic mower. However, this is also linked to the individual circumstances, so you should also read the explanations that follow.

Different during the day for mowing with a robotic lawn mower

In the Morning

  • 6:00 – 11:00 a.m.
  • No problems

In most cases this is the best time to use the robotic mower. Most people are at work and can therefore not be disturbed. Meanwhile, children are often at daycare or school and pets are usually in the house or with their owner. Nocturnal critters such as mice are slumbering in their nests.

This time of day is also excellent for robotic mowers and lawns, because the sunlight is not yet too strong to damage the freshly cut lawn or overheat the robotic mower.

In short, you run the lowest risk of disturbing or hurting someone else during this time of day. However, you should check whether this is appropriate for your situation. Perhaps you have a neighbor who sits on their porch in the morning and feels disturbed by your mower, or your pets romp around in the yard in the morning. In this case, a different time of day may be appropriate.

Lunchtime

  • 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Lunchtime is particularly problematic in midsummer for mowing the lawn. The intense heat and sunlight causes considerable damage to the freshly cut lawn. The result is a yellowish, dry and unkempt lawn, as it loses a lot of moisture through evaporation at the sensitive cut edge and burns.

Afternoon

  • 2 – 4 p.m.
  • Playing children or pets
  • Possibly strong solar radiation and heat in summer

If you have children, they may already be at home in the afternoons and may be in the yard. Maybe they play there in the afternoon with your dog or cat. In this case there are better alternatives than using the robotic mower in the afternoon. In addition, the sunlight can still be too strong and damage the lawn when it is mowed.

Early Evening

  • 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
  • No problems
  • Time span somewhat small for robotic mowers

The early evening, just like the morning, is a very good time to let your lawn robot do its work. The sunlight is no longer a problem at this time of day and small children are usually already in the house. Until 8 p.m. you can still mow without problems.

The only problem is the somewhat short time span. A robotic mower usually has to mow about every 2 days for about 8 hours, or every day for 4 hours or more to be effective. Here you should check if your robotic mower is not allowed to mow until late in the evening.

In addition, it may be natural for you to be in the yard yourself. Mowing robots are usually so quiet that you do not really find them disturbing. But you should find that out for yourself. If you like to sit in the yard in the evening and your robotic mower disturbs you, you can think about letting the robot mow in the morning.

Late Evening

  • 8 – 10 p.m.
  • Noise level: only devices below 60 dB
  • Nocturnal animals

The Equipment and Machinery Noise Protection Ordinance stipulates that equipment below 60 decibels may still be used after 8 pm. You can usually find information on this in the device description. Or you can look in our article How loud are robotic mowers. There the decibel values of some popular devices are clearly listed.

If you suspect that there is a rabbit nest in your yard or in one of the neighboring yards, you should be careful when using the robotic mower in the late evening hours. At this time, baby bunnies will be hunkered down in their nest in the grass. A robotic mower could potentially mow right over them.

You can find more information here, in the section “Danger for other yard inhabitants”: Are robotic mowers dangerous for pets

At Night

  • 10:00 p.m. – 6:00 a.m.
  • Night’s sleep
  • Nocturnal animals

Only in some cases can you use your robotic mower at night. The important thing is that you can have a good night’s rest, which means that none of your neighbors must be disturbed by your mower. When in doubt, the neighbor is always right when it comes to night-time noise issues.

The use of a robotic mower during the night is only possible with very quiet models. Furthermore, this will probably only make sense in spread-out subdivisions or more rural neighborhoods. where there is a certain distance between your yard and your neighbors’ property.

If you get along well with your neighbors, it’s best to talk to them. Inform them that you are considering having your robotic mower drive at night, but you want to make sure that your neighbor is not disturbed. You can arrange test runs with them to see if they can hear the mower from their bedroom.

In any case, special caution is required when using the robotic mower during the night, as you must not disturb the night’s rest under any circumstances. However, if no neighbor feels disturbed, it is not prohibited.

Should You Mow in the Rain?

In contrast to conventional lawnmowers, a robotic mower can also mow in the rain. According to various testimonials around the internet, wet lawns are mowed by the robot even better than dry lawns. Most robotic mowers also have no problem mowing in the rain and are sufficiently protected against rain. There are, however, some things problems that can occur when mowing wet lawns:

  • The mower unit dirties faster
  • The wheels can spin on steep places and damage the turf
  • Some models become louder when cutting wet grass

Since your lawn is best mowed three times a week with the robotic mower, it is sometimes difficult to avoid mowing wet lawns. Especially if you take other factors into account, such as children playing in the yard. In addition, the lawn grows faster in rainy seasons, so frequent mowing is necessary. In most cases it is therefore advisable to use the robotic mower even when it rains.

The Time Window for Mowing is Very Small. What to Do?

Perhaps you have decided to use the robotic mower only in the mornings, but there is not enough time to mow the lawn sufficiently? If you don’t want to change the time of day and you don’t want to use the robotic mower several times a day, the only option is to choose a larger model with more area output (if you haven’t already purchased a robotic mower).

With this area output calculator you can calculate what area output your robotic mower should have. The result of course also takes into account the hours of operation per week. So if you only want to use the robotic mower for 4 hours in the morning, you can enter 7 x 4 = 28 hours.

By the way, here you will find an overview of all robotic mowers I would recommend for the different area sizes.

Conclusion

The best time of day to use the robotic mower is in the morning. However, this depends on your individual conditions and needs. In any case, you should avoid exposing the freshly cut lawn to strong sunlight and heat. Your robotic mower will also thank you for it. Wetness is generally not a big problem except for a few special cases, and can even provide a better cut from your robotic mower.

Matthias

Matthias Müller is the founder of robolever.com. He is passionate about all topics related to automation, robotics and future technologies. At the same time he is a great nature lover and therefore fascinated by the unusual interaction between robots and nature.

03/03/2021

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