I let a modular yard care robot mow my lawn – here’s my verdict after a month

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Yarbo is a modular yard care robotic beginning at $5,000.
• It does properly caring for big yards with complicated layouts because of its tracked design, and its modular options make it straightforward to make use of year-round.
• The Yarbo is without doubt one of the costliest robotic mowers in the marketplace; it offered a number of connection points, and its attachments are heavy and hulking.

The Yarbo is without doubt one of the most visually interesting robotic mowers I’ve seen. It is extra of a modular yardwork assistant with a wide range of  makes use of than a single-purpose machine. It may well act as a lawnmower, leaf blower, and even as a snow blower, because of the completely different attachments it comes with. 

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The Yarbo Core is powerful sufficient to tow as much as 3,500 kilos and may observe you across the yard to wherever you are working. It’s also possible to drive it round utilizing the app or the included distant management and add different instruments to the included tow hitch, like a dethatcher, aerator, and extra.  

I have been utilizing the Yarbo for a number of months, however I encountered too many points that required troubleshooting to get this assessment out any earlier. For instance, the primary time I examined the mower module, the rotating disc that holds the blades broke. Upon researching this concern on-line, I discovered it is extra widespread than I anticipated, as there are various experiences of the identical downside taking place to extra customers. 

The disc is product of plastic and seems to have hit a protruding tree root that stands proud about an inch from the bottom. This similar spot had been lined by a number of different robotic mowers earlier than and after the Yarbo, and none have ever had this downside. 

Fortunately, Yarbo remediated the problem instantly and despatched me substitute discs. Whereas the brand new disc was product of the identical materials, it withstood my tough yard’s panorama and hasn’t damaged once more, so I chalked up the primary one’s demise as a freak accident.

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I did not get snow after getting the Yarbo, so I have not been capable of successfully take a look at the Snow Blower Module but. Nonetheless, my Yarbo struggles reemerged after I determined to check its leaf blower module, so I could not get it arrange.

The concept of getting a robotic leaf blower sounds improbable, particularly for big yards with lots of bushes. My yard backs as much as the woods, so I get far more leaves within the fall than I would like. I attempt to mulch them as my mower cuts the grass, however there are such a lot of that I finally need to pile collectively an enormous amount with a rake. 

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My Yarbo Core, the robotic to which you connect the completely different modules, had points with the lateral and rear cameras. The Yarbo app confirmed the entrance digicam working as supposed, however the left, proper, and again cameras weren’t detected. I am unsure in the event that they had been experiencing a difficulty, however the model and MAC (Media Entry Management) addresses for them are lacking. 

The error code for the malfunctioning cameras was labeled as “3”, which Yarbo’s analysis web page signifies as ‘Digital camera ping failed’ or that the digicam module is not reachable. The Yarbo’s cowl is detachable, so you may connect the Robotic Mower module. Although the sight of the Yarbo’s innards is a bit jarring the primary time, Yarbo ensures the quilt ought to defend every thing from the weather. You need to keep away from leaving the quilt off and by no means use excessive water stress to wash the unit. 

I may nonetheless steer the Yarbo round with the distant management, even when it was a bit slower than my different go-to distant management mower, the Mowrator. Nonetheless, I could not get it set as much as mow and run autonomously. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Ultimately, I can not actually let you know how good a robotic mower the Yarbo is when it runs autonomously, although I hope to proceed troubleshooting the problems I’ve skilled with it to date. It really works properly if you steer it with the app or distant management, and may minimize grass and mulch leaves after piling them collectively. 

I can not wholeheartedly suggest the Yarbo as an autonomous robotic mower with out utilizing it as such on a schedule. Sadly, the delay related to my troubleshooting the varied points I encountered stored me from attending to that time. 

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That being stated, the Yarbo Core is a promising system as a yard assistant, particularly as a consequence of its compact dimension, towing capability, and skill to steer it wherever you need it to go. You possibly can management it remotely with the snow blower or leaf blower module, or connect a tow-behind aerator to aerate your garden. I am trying ahead to testing the leaf blower as soon as my unit’s points are resolved, and can replace this assessment because the testing course of continues.