Q: Are you selling robotic mowers?
A: We do sell robotic mowers. Our store is below. If you don't want to buy a mower we also offer a subscription service to lease a robotic mower instead of using a traditional lawn care company. Green Outdoors will install the robotic mower and it stays on your lawn from March through October. Each mower has one job; to keep the lawn freshly cut, every day.
Q: Do I have to push any buttons to make it start or stop?
A: Nope. As a matter of fact, you don't even have to think about (or even see) the mower. That's our job! The mower is put on a regular schedule, with input from the customer, that will give it enough time to cut the lawn but also stay out of the way of the customer. For many of our customers, the mower is only allowed to cut between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The mower will only leave it's charging station during these hours and returns, on its own, when the job is done. If the mower needs more juice to finish the job, it will charge itself before heading back out to finish the job. The mower also automatically adjusts the frequency of mowing based on the amount of grass it is cutting. If it feels it is working too often, it will notify Green Outdoors and the mower will take a little more time off.
Q: Do these things even work?
A: Yes! After discovering robotic mowers in 2017, Green Outdoors purchased and tested multiple different mowers and have narrowed it down to the top mowers. Whether you want to buy your own robot or use our subscription service, we can help you choose the right make and model for your needs.
Q. Does this pick up dog waste, too?
A. Unfortunately, no. Maybe next year.
Q: What if I have a fence?
A: The mower does not have the capability of opening gates, unfortunately. However, a locking automower gate is currently in research and will be available soon. Similar to a RFID chip dog door, the gate will unlock and allow the mower to move through only when the mower is within a certain distance. Since our mowers often cut at night, this means the gate will be locked all day to keep pets in and other animals out. The accessory will add an extra fee to the installation. That price will be known soon and we will be excited to share this information when it is known! If a fence is the only thing that is stopping you from using GObomow, don't hesitate to let us know. We could put two mowers on your yard until the technology is available!
Q: What about my dog barking and clawing?
A: We understand every dog is different! Some dogs don't mind the mower at all. For every other dog, we would suggest having the mower only mow at night while the pets are asleep. There is almost always a way to make it work!
Q: How does the mower know to stay out of my neighbor's yard?
A: The main component to keep the mower in your lawn is an underground boundary wire, similar to an invisible dog fence. This is the bulk of the installation. The mower is also assisted by GPS to map your yard. It uses this map to make sure it gets to all parts of the yard during its scheduled mowing time. It also helps with theft.
Q: What happens when someone comes and steals the mower out of my yard?
A: Since the mower lives in your yard and not inside, we understand this worry! Most of the mowers are equipped with GPS and other devices that keep track of the mower's whereabouts. Depending on the severity of this concern, we can make sure you are equipped with the right mower.
Q: How is it healthier for my lawn?
A: One, the mower is much lighter than commercial mowers and noticeably lighter than even push mowers. This means less soil compaction in your yard giving grass a better chance to out-compete weeds. It also means less ruts and damage from zero-turn mowers. Two, grass doesn't respond well to being cut only once a week, especially during the spring and fall months. Did you know that you're never supposed to cut more than 1/3 of a grass blade off? This can lead to unhealthy grass that consistently uses more energy and nutrients to grow quicker to try to produce a seed head before next week instead of focusing on root growth. When the grass is cut consistently, it responds by growing a deeper root system and spreading horizontally, leading to a more full and drought-tolerant lawn. The mower mulches grass clippings back in to the yard. Mulching is healthy for your lawn because you recycle the nutrients of the cut grass blade back in to the soil. Since the mower cuts every day, the clippings are a fraction of an inch. This means they don't sit on top of the remaining grass like you often see from commercial mowers and they also decompose quicker to speed up the recycling process. Lastly, the battery powered mower is much healthier for the environment than combustion engines. This means, as we replace more and more lawn accounts with the GObomow service, the air quality will improve in our local community leading not only to a healthier lawn, but a healthier lifestyle for everyone!
Q: It is actually quiet enough to mow at night?
A: Yes! The mower is below all local city noise ordinances. It makes close to no sound at all!
Q: Does it mow in the rain?
A: We understand that every lawn is different, so the best answer is it can mow in the rain, but also has a rain sensor and can be programmed to delay mowing, if needed. Some lawns soak in rain better than others. In this case, we would suggest allowing the mower to mow, no matter what. The mower is light and won't be destructive like commercial mowers or even push mowers and boots. Other lawns with different soils may not respond as well to rain. In this case, we will program the mower to wait 24 or even 48 hours after the rain to continue on it's normal schedule. Even in this case, your lawn will be cut as soon as it is appropriate, unlike our conventional mowing service which then has to play catch-up from the previous day(s) schedule before we can get to yours. This eliminates frustrating rain delays for both the customer and Green Outdoors!
Q: What is my yard has a steep slope?
A: Our mowers can handle up to a 37 degree slope with ease. If the slope is in the middle of the yard and the edges where the mower turns are less than 30 degrees, the slope can be even steeper. If you can push mow the slope, chances are this mower can handle it! Sloped yards are one of the cases that we would suggest a longer rain delay and will be happy to program the mower this way!
Q: How much energy does it use?
A: We are trying to narrow down on this number. We recorded the mowers using an average of $0.10 to $0.20 cents a day during the active growing season. This came out to about $4.30/month during these months. These numbers were recorded using an individual power meter, between the charging station and outlet, for accuracy. However, this was an average of all brands we were testing. The husqvarna offers more energy saving features than the others, including completely shutting down the loop signal (boundary wire) when the mower is in the charging station. On smaller yards, this means the cost will be even lower because the mower will only be out a couple hours a day. We will record energy use again this year to get a more accurate number on the husqvarna mowers! For now, we at least know the cost is similar to the cost of gas to cut the lawn weekly for the year.
Q: How big of a lawn GObomow service?
A: The max lawn size for GObomow is about 30,000 square feet or a lot size of an acre. The mower can actually cut about an acre and a quarter a day, but only in the case of a perfect square. If you have a bigger lawn, this does mean that the mower schedule is less flexible and will have to cut more often. If your lawn is bigger, we'd be happy to go over other options for you, including using multiple mowers. Although the cost may be much different than stated above, there is almost always a way to make GObomow work for you!
Q: Do you offer this service outside of Johnson County?
A: The bronze package is offered up to 40 miles from GObomow's home, in Merriam, Kansas. At this time, the Silver and Gold package is only offered in Johnson County, Kansas or within a 10 minute drive of existing GObomow lawns. At this time, this includes some parts of Wyandotte County, south of I-70 and some parts of Missouri west of 71 highway, south of I-70, and north of 435 (The East-West stretch 435, south of downtown). If you are outside our area, we can still recommend a mower and we can help you in the buying process.
Q: If I schedule a consultation, is there any obligation?
A: None, at all. Part of the consultation is for us, to make sure your yard is suitable for a robotic mower. We will be very honest and upfront about this. We believe it much better to tell you if we see potential problems on your lawn and not get you as a customer than it is to sell you the install and service and run in to multiple problems that we will have to fix. After we ensure you that your yard is suitable for GObomow, we will give you an exact price for everything and leave. This gives you time to consider if a robotic mower is right for you! We won't even contact you for a week, and then will do so by e-mail so you don't feel any pressure! It is important to us that both parties are completely sure that GObomow is right for you before you pay a dime!
Q: Is there a way to pay only during the active growing season?
A: We do offer an 8-month payment plan for the silver package! The silver package on the 8-month payment plan is $189.99/month for lawns under 10,000 square feet, with the first bill sent out April 1st. and the last bill sent on November 1st.
Q: How long is the contract?
A: At this time, Green Outdoors does not require you to sign a long-term contract for GObomow! Since the installation is paid up front, if you want to cancel at any time after that, you can! The final bill will be sent on the 1st of the following month, and Green Outdoors will pick-up the mower and base station so you don't even have to return them. However, if you are on a 12-month payment plan and cancel, but then wish to restart the service, there will be a restart and re-installation fee to do so. This is only in place to ensure customers don't cancel the service every October to not pay over the winter months then start the service again in March. The restart and re-installation fee will include the full installation cost of $349.99, a software update fee of $200, and any applicable storage costs, equaling at least $100/month. Suffice it to say, if you plan to cancel during the winter to save money and then start back up, it will cost you more money in the long run. If you don't want to pay during the winter months, we would be happy to go through the options with you, including our 8-month payment plan!
Q: Do I have to pay the installation cost every year?
A: Nope. The installation cost is a one-time, up-front fee to cover the boundary wire install for your system. The second year and beyond, you will only pay the monthly rate for GObomow!
Feel free to send any more questions using the entry form at the bottom of this page or by directly e-mailing bobby@greenoutdoorskc.com.
