I got a roomba for christmas, one of the higher end models with upgraded mapping/navigation. The concept is great and it works well enough to justify (imo) the $700 price tag, but it doesn't work well. It fails more often (clogs, stuck, doesn't find its way back) than it works as intended from start to finish. Still beats regular vacuuming myself so I'm keeping it but the idea of putting lawnmower blades on that thing is just scary.

That said, mowing the lawn is a chore. I do it myself, generally once a week(ish) when the lawns are growing well, less when the climate is less favorable. I'd prefer a landscaping company do my yard, but finding/hiring one that does a good job at a reasonable price and is reliable has just been too much of a challenge to bother with. I currently have a self propelled Honda mower, I got it because it was supposedly "the best" per the collective wisdom on the internet and it is pretty good, does a much better job with leaves and such than any other mower I've had. Lawn products are something I would only investigate purchasing on an as needed basis, like when stuff breaks and needs to be replaced.

Hypothetically, if there was a self mowing product that worked well, could navigate the hill I have in my front yard, and could be trusted to not kill people I'd buy it in a heartbeat at $700 or even double that.

#6

$800 is conveniently almost EXACTLY how much I charge to complete surveys. I take PayPal.

Most the questions you ask seem to be general marketing questions for lawn equipment than a specific product.

How efficient is it? If it's running 6 hours/day "searching" for blades of grass, it's going to waste a lot of fuel and really piss off the neighbors.

"remote control the lawn mower for more hands-on control"

That's a very funny oxymoron. You might want to rewrite that phrase.

FWIW, there's no way I would take a dangerous machine like a lawn mower in an open space like a front yard, allow it to operate independently and automatically.

1. Chore, but qualifies as exercise.
2. Toro rotary. At the time of purchase, the company produced quality products. I prefer it because it is not Naderized.
3. Landscaping services will tear up the lawn trying to make tight bends with large machines.
4. No
5. Probably not cost effective. And how much will be the price of the "company servicing" that might need to be extensive. Are you thinking of a future with Elon? Some automobile company?
6. No.
7. Not applicable
8. Yes
9. When it needs it, but not more than once a week.
10. Rate is zero per decade.