I hate mowing the garden. First off, an unlimited expanse of unproductive grass is a waste—why have grass when you could possibly have a backyard, or an orchard, or all types of different helpful crops? That I’ve to push round a tool simply to keep up this inexperienced wasteland makes it doubly insulting.
Fortunately, this summer time I unleashed the Husqvarna 435X AWD automower on my garden. Now I by no means have to consider mowing it once more.
Robot Love
The Husqvarna 435X is the high-end, all-wheel-drive model of the corporate’s robotic lawn mower line; Husqvarna has less-expensive fashions that may accomplish the identical factor. The 435X prices extra as a result of it is particularly designed to deal with sloping yards and tough terrain, each of that are panorama options on the home I lease.
The outcomes of the 435X far exceeded my expectations. Admittedly, my expectations had been low: Just make it so I haven’t got to mow the garden. The 435X is able to way more than that. I by no means bumped into issues, apart from getting hung up in fallen tree branches infrequently. In over six months of testing, that was the one hassle it ever had. It produced the healthiest, most well-manicured garden in our space. Every supply person who got here to our home requested about each the garden and the curious creature roaming it.
The secret to the 435X’s lawn-care prowess lies within the spinning razor blades. Yes, the 435X is an automatic robotic outfitted with spinning razor blades. (I at all times made some extent to be well mannered and sort to it, in hopes that it’s going to spare me within the inevitable robotic rebellion.) Because it mows way more repeatedly than you or a garden service would, the 435X cuts tiny items of grass at a time. This is the key to a wholesome garden. When you let grass get lengthy and then mow it again, you allow vital piles of reduce grass behind—even when you use a catcher. These piles smother the grass that is attempting to develop, opening the ecological playground of your yard to weeds.
There is one secret to getting the proper garden out of your robotic helper: Change the blades repeatedly. Husqvarna’s official advice is to vary your blades each one to 2 months, with the caveat that it’s going to differ relying on the kind of grass and soil at your home. I discovered each two months to be about proper. For testing functions, I let it go significantly longer, and the standard of mowing suffered. I additionally discovered that it is good to examine repeatedly to ensure all of the blades are nonetheless there. I twice misplaced blades to branches that had fallen and handed beneath the automower.
The different factor you’ll nonetheless must do is evident any garden particles. At my home, the garden is shaded by some 100-year-old pecan timber. They’re fantastic for shade, however they drop branches fairly repeatedly within the wind. Those hung up the 435X if I did not clear them. Still, selecting up the occasional tree department is a small worth to pay.
