Robot Mower Maintenance Checklist UK 2026: The Practical Schedule (Weekly → Seasonal)

A UK maintenance checklist to keep a robot mower reliable: cleaning, blades, docking checks, wet-weather care and seasonal adjustments.

Robot mower maintenance is less about “servicing” and more about preventing the few predictable failure modes: dull blades, wheel traction loss from debris, and docking issues caused by mud or shifting ground.

The weekly 10‑minute routine

• Check blades for damage and replace if dull.
• Clear grass and mud from wheels and underside.
• Confirm docking is smooth and repeatable.
• Scan for new obstacles: toys, hoses, loose edging.

The monthly reliability check

• Review error history in the app and fix repeat issues.
• Inspect station approach for softness or slope creep.
• Check boundary integrity or mapping accuracy after landscaping.
• Look for turf wear patterns near corners and station routes.

For common fault patterns, keep the troubleshooting guide bookmarked.

Seasonal adjustments (UK reality)

Spring

Growth accelerates. Increase runtime and stay on top of blades. Wet spells are common, so monitor wheelspin and reduce tight-turning wear zones where possible.

Summer

Growth often slows. Reduce runtime and deep clean wheels and sensors. This is a good time to tidy station cabling and make small boundary tweaks.

Autumn/Winter

Reduce runtime or pause during very wet weeks to protect turf. Clean more often because mud builds up and affects traction and docking alignment.

Most common installation issues seen in UK gardens

• Docking reliability problems: the station is placed on a slope, in a tight corner, or on soft ground that shifts seasonally.
• Wheelspin and turf wear: wet clay plus repeated tight turns, especially during long wet spells.
• Missed strips and “uncut triangles”: raised borders, sharp corners and narrow passages limit how close the mower can work.
• Repeat “stuck” alerts: a single terrain hotspot that needs levelling or exclusion rather than repeated rescues.

What professional installers assess before recommending a setup

Installers listed in our UK dealer directory typically measure slope percentage, assess drainage, check narrow passages and turning zones, and plan a docking approach that stays reliable year-round.

Local context matters. Clay-heavy lawns and compact layouts are common in areas like West Yorkshire and Surrey, which can change the “best” setup for traction, turning behaviour and schedule choices.

Manufacturer reality (neutral): brands such as Mammotion offer models aimed at different garden types, but your outcome is driven more by suitability and installation quality than by the logo on the mower.

When to call an installer

If docking fails repeatedly after cleaning and station adjustments, or if you have persistent “stuck” alerts in one area, an installer can often solve it by changing approach geometry or adjusting exclusions. Find help via the dealer directory.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I replace blades?
It depends on conditions. Many UK owners do ‘little and often’ — especially on gritty edges or rough lawns.

Can I run the mower in heavy rain?
Some owners do, but wet clay can cause wheelspin and turf damage. Use a wet-week plan and reduce runtime when ground is soft.

What’s the fastest sign something is wrong?
Repeat errors in the same location — treat it as a terrain/setup issue to fix once.

A quick 5‑minute garden audit you can do today

Walk the boundary and mark anything the mower must not touch: steps, ponds, sharp drops, low windows, fragile borders.

Identify where the mower must turn: tight corners and narrow passages drive real-world performance far more than total area.

Take 6–10 photos for an installer: charging power point, narrowest corridor, steepest slope, wettest corner, and any raised edging.

How to compare quotes without getting tricked by ‘cheap’ installs

Ask what is included: boundary routing or mapping, station placement, app setup, first-week tuning, and follow-up support.

If one quote is far lower, it often excludes time-consuming design work (islands, exclusions, corridor tuning) that prevents future call-outs.

Get assumptions in writing. Good installers state what could change after a site survey.

The practical ‘set-and-forget’ target for

UK ownership

Aim for a schedule that keeps the lawn consistently short in daylight hours, then reduces runtime during very wet weeks to protect turf.

Treat the first week as tuning. Small boundary offsets and station adjustments are normal and usually solve repeat problems.

If the mower fails in the same place twice, fix the spot (level, firm up, exclude). Don’t hope it ‘learns’ out of it.

Cleaning: what to do, what not to do

Do: clean wheels and underside with a brush, remove compacted debris, wipe sensors if accessible.

Don’t: blast with a pressure washer unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it; water ingress creates avoidable failures.

After a muddy week, clean the station approach area too — many docking faults are actually ‘mud at the last metre’.

Maintenance that improves lead quality (what to tell installers)

If you’re requesting service, report patterns: ‘fails docking after rain’, ‘stuck at the same corner’, ‘misses this zone’.

Patterns help installers diagnose design issues quickly, which reduces cost and improves outcomes.

If you bought recently, ask whether a small boundary tweak or exclusion would eliminate the problem entirely.

Quick checklist for robot mower maintenance checklist uk 2026

• Write down your steepest slope and narrowest passage.
• Identify any wet corner after rain and decide whether to exclude it.
• Plan a station location with a clean approach route.
• Get assumptions in writing from installers.

Notes for UK gardens in 2026

Wire‑free systems are improving quickly, but the deciding factor is still suitability: corners, canopy and docking approach. Treat setup as a design task and you’ll get a better finish with fewer interventions.

Maintenance and turf health: avoiding wear and tear

In wet UK weeks, turf wear usually comes from repeated tight turns in the same place. If you see wear, reduce runtime temporarily and address the cause: widen the turn zone, firm up the ground, or exclude the hotspot. Maintenance isn’t only cleaning the mower — it’s managing how the mower interacts with the lawn.

Docking maintenance: the small habits that prevent big annoyances

Most docking problems are not “electronics failures”. They’re approach-path problems: soft ground, mud build-up, or a slight misalignment that becomes worse over time. Keeping the last metre of approach firm and clear is the quickest win.

What to record (so faults are easy to fix)

Keep a short log: error message, location, weather, and what changed in the garden recently. A good log turns a two-hour diagnosis into a ten-minute fix.

What to send with your quote request (so you get useful answers)

• Photos of the steepest slope, narrowest passage, and wettest corner.
• Where power is available for the charging station.
• Any hazards: ponds, steps, drops, fragile borders.
• Whether you want day-only mowing (wildlife/pets) and any quiet-time rules.

Then use Get 3 quotes and compare the design approach, not just the price.

Technical note

For robot mower maintenance checklist uk 2026, the reliable outcome comes from matching constraints (slope, drainage, corridors and edges) to a navigation approach, then tuning the first week. The mower should dock reliably, avoid repeat bumps, and maintain a consistent cut height rather than trying to “catch up” after missed days.

UK scenario examples (how these issues show up in real installs)

Scenario 4: The edge expectation gap

If your borders are raised, a small strip is normal. The quickest improvement is either making one key edge flush (where you care most), or accepting that a quick trim pass every couple of weeks is part of ownership. Designing for reliability beats chasing perfect edges everywhere.

Scenario 5: The quote comparison trap

Quotes are only comparable if the assumptions match. If one quote doesn’t include zone setup, exclusions, or week-one tuning, it may look cheaper but create future cost. Ask each installer to describe, in writing, how they’ll handle your steepest slope and narrowest passage.

Scenario 3: The ‘invisible’ docking problem

Docking failures often look random because they happen after hours of mowing. In reality, the last metre of the approach route is soft or uneven. The mower arrives slightly off-line and can’t align. Level and firm the approach and most ‘mystery docking errors’ disappear.

These scenarios are why suitability-first planning matters. If you want confidence before purchase, use Get 3 quotes and share photos of the tricky areas.

Technical appendix: questions to ask (and what ‘good’ answers sound like)

• “How will you prevent repeat stuck alerts?” Good answer: identifies likely hotspots and proposes levelling, exclusions, or boundary tuning.
• “Where will the station go and why?” Good answer: level ground, clear approach, firm surface, safe power routing.
• “What changes in wet weeks?” Good answer: runtime reduction, avoiding soft corners, and protecting turf.
• “What tuning is included after install?” Good answer: a defined handover and follow-up window.

Use the dealer directory to find installers who talk in specifics rather than slogans.