Can I use the robot mower when it rains?

A robot mower is a silent helper that saves you time and effort. It mows your lawn autonomously on scheduled days and times, alternating between working and pausing to recharge its battery. Are you wondering whether you can use your robot mower in the rain? Today we will answer this question, then explain why it is not advisable to mow wet grass.

Robot mowers also work in the rain

The robot mowers are waterproof. In terms of the protection offered by the body against the ingress of liquids, the Oleo-Mac models are IPX5 rated: this means that the battery and other components that make it work are well protected against water jets pumped from any direction, so from this point of view, you can use them without any problems even in heavy rain.

However, it is best to avoid using a robot in bad weather, especially during thunderstorms or heavy rain: this is why robot mowers are usually equipped with sensors, which return the machine to its charging station in case of rain. For example, with the R 500i, R 1000i, and R 2000i Oleo-Mac robot mowers, you can activate and deactivate the rain sensors from the Oleo-Mac Robot Mower free app, which you use to manage the robot remotely.

Alternatively, you can stop mowing at any time and have the robot return to its charging station directly from the app, or by pressing the Home button on the control panel on the body.

Choose a dry and sheltered location for the charging station. As an accessory for Oleo-Mac robot mowers, you can purchase a special cover that you can install on the charging station itself to protect the machine from bad weather, sun, and dirt.

Why it is best not to mow the lawn in the rain

Although robot mowers work in the rain, we do not recommend mowing while it’s raining. The robots can move and mow on wet grass, but if it is muddy or waterlogged, the wheels can slip and crush the grass, damaging it. In addition, the passage of the wheels will compact the damp soil, compromising its structure.

Oleo-Mac robots can handle slopes of up to 36%, but if the grass is wet, they may slip. To increase traction, you can fit special metal grip wheels, which will soon be available as accessories.

Furthermore, if the lawn is wet, the quality of the cut will not be optimal because the robot’s blades will struggle to work effectively. The weight of the water makes the grass more resistant to cutting and causes it to bend, and once cut, the wet clippings stick to the cutting deck, hindering the movement of the blades. The result is therefore an uneven and inconsistent cut. Last but not least, rain causes the robot mower to get dirtier, which means you have to clean it of chopped grass and mud.

Therefore, both for the look and health of the lawn, and to avoid the robot mower becoming harder to clean, it is best to mow when the lawn is dry. For the same reasons, we do not recommend watering and mowing the lawn at the same time: make sure that the sprinklers and the robot are activated at different times – or better still, on different days.

Speaking of lawn health, here are our tips:

• Yellowed and patchy lawn? Here’s how to solve the issue.

• Heat and water shortages cause problems for grass: here’s how to mow your lawn in summer.

• Is your grass suffering from thatch or moss? Here’s how to aerate it.