Let’s find out if the R80Li robotic lawn mower is the right one for you in this Gardena 4069 R80Li review.
The Gardena 4069 R80Li is a game changer for those with small to medium size yards. Robotic lawn mowers are great for those who don’t always have the time to mow or have a general lack of enthusiasm for lawn maintenance.
For those seeking excellent cutting of their lawn with minimal fuss, the Gardena R80Li robotic mower may well be the answer.
Capable of dealing with lawn sizes of 800 sq. meters in almost complete silence and with zero emissions, the R80Li is an autonomous lawn mower designed to simplify your life.
- Amazon Alexa and Google Home Compatible – No
- Mobile App – No
- GPS Tracking – No
- Yard Size – 800 Square Meters, 0.2 acres
- Max Incline – 25% (14° degrees)
- Cut Height – 0.7 inches to 2 inches (20-50mm)
- Battery Charge Time – 50 Minutes
- Typical Mow Time on Single Charge – 65 Minutes
Let’s get into the details of this popular model.
Gardena 4069 R80Li Features and Benefits
The Gardena 4069 R80Li isn’t the most fully featured, premium robot lawn mower on the market. But in some ways this simplicity allows you to reap the full lawn mower benefits of a robot without a steep learning curve.
Cutting Patterns and Modes
Most robot lawnmowers work on the same principle, mow the lawn daily and a little at a time. This method results in a lawn that is always at the perfect length and produces grass clippings so fine they are simply absorbed back into the lawn to act as a natural fertilizer and promote future growth.
One great cutting feature that the R80Li has is its SensorControl System (Sileno+). This system senses how quickly your lawn is growing and automatically adjusts its mowing schedule to suit. It doesn’t give lawn stripes, but still leaves an impressive cutting of the lawn neatly.
Lawn Size and Cutting Deck
This lawn mower is designed to work with small to medium-sized lawns of up to 0.2 acres. This size limit is dictated by the mowing times it can handle on a single charge, although where it isn’t able to do this, it simply returns to its docking station, recharges and sets off again!
The cutting deck is the area underneath the robotic lawnmower where the cutting blades spin as it mows. In the case of the Gardena R80Li machine the cutting deck size is 17 cm.
It consists of 3 pivoting razor blades configured using a floating deck. This design allows the preferred cutting heights to be easily adjusted. In the case of the R80Li, this is done by adjusting a rotary knob with a maximum cutting height of 2 inches.
Handling Different Types of Lawns – Flat, Slopes, Ditches
This lawn mower robot can handle slopes up to 25%, however, sloped lawns can affect the time it can mow on a single charge.
It can also be configured to only mow areas of the lawn that you want it to by setting the lawn mower boundary.
All automowers use boundary wires to configure its mowing area. These wires can be used to exclude areas of your garden like flower beds, bushes, ditches, and areas of water.
The R80Li has a respectable cutting capacity, able to cut medium lawns. You’ll be thankful you have this nifty model. It’s not just made for cutting season, but can be used for the majority of months each year.
Setup and Installation
In many ways, the Gardena 4069 R80Li ‘s simplicity and ease of installation are a couple strong advantages.
As with all robots, you’ll first need to use the supplied perimeter wire to lay down the perimeter of the mowing area, avoiding obstacles. You’ll also need to lay down guide wire to help the R80Li find its way back to the dock.
After the guidewire installation, you’ll need to select where to place the charging station, which should be within range of a power outlet and out of direct sunlight.
The mower can then be charged, its mowing schedule set using the simple onboard interface, and off it mows!
Design and Build Quality
This robotic lawnmower has a rugged and weatherproof design that is manufactured to be a strong machine of high quality and performance.
Gardena designs its robot mowers to look like a simple device, but in reality, they’re packed with extra features to match the more expensive devices.
The designers have ensured that it is simple to run and maintain. It’ll be able to stand up to the rigors of the natural elements and keep cutting for years.
Battery Life and Power Source
The Gardena 4069 R80Li is equipped with a lithium-ion battery for power. On a single charge, the mower’s running time is about 60 – 65 minutes, though this can vary due to the environment.
In practice, charge times are about an hour on the charging dock. You can expect a battery to last in the range of 3 to 5 years, before you’d need to replace the battery. Not bad when compared to how often you’d have to top up a gas mower.
The charging station will require to be within range of a power outlet, the supplied low voltage power cable is 10 meters long.
Mower Controls and Programming
There’s no accompanying mobile app with this mower, so all the setup and programming is done through the intuitive control selection panel on the mower itself.
The setup is easy, once the boundary wire is installed, simply program the device with the size of your lawn and set the appropriate mowing time to allow the automower to cover the entire lawn.
For instance, if you have a 500 square meter lawn, the R80Li can cover about 50 sq. meters an hour, so you’d set the mow time for ten hours.
Safety and Security
The mower has built-in safety and anti-theft features that instantly stop the blades the moment the mower is lifted or tilted thanks to its lift sensors and tilt sensors. Those safety features helps put my mind at ease if I need to look under these sizable machines for any stuck grass cuttings.
It features installation lock which restricts its operations to its original installation location.
The R80Li also requires a PIN code to start it after it has been lifted. It does have an alarm built-in that you can set to sound for anti-theft protection.
Noise Levels
This silent robot lawn mower gives you the option to run it through the night without incurring the wrath of your neighbors. It has a sound level of 60dB, which is about the noise level of a normal conversation.
That gives you the ability to have company over while the robotic lawnmower does its thing. No more loud noises from the average gas-operated lawn mower.
Weather Protection
The Gardena R80Li is an all-weather mower that works well still in damp weather conditions. However, in extreme weather conditions, it’s best practice to take it indoors.
Even though the outer shell protection is waterproof, don’t forget the parts underneath. These pricey machines should be taken care of to prolong its life cycles.
Maintenance and Cleaning
This is a low maintenance device, however to ensure the continued safe operation of your mower it is recommended that you periodically check the blades and replace as required.
When you’re getting less than perfect cutting results, check various parts of the mower. When you do pick up the mower off the ground, be careful with your hands touching the blades.
Check the wheels and make sure there aren’t any potential items that could cause entanglement issues. The gardena R80Li isn’t the fastest machine, but you don’t want to have it slowed down either by something stuck on the wheels.
Check and clean the underside of the robot mowers. And every few years, check the battery condition and replace the battery as needed.
Accessories
There are a number of accessories available for this model, including extra boundary wire, replacement blade discs, batteries, and a storage bag. Some are purchased separately, so double-check the package you’re getting and what comes with the robot mower.
Gardena 4069 R80Li Pros and Cons
R80Li Pros
- Very Quiet
- Emission Free
- Theft Protection
- Simple to set up
R80Li Cons
- No rain sensors
- No smart technology integration
Gardena 4069 R80Li Review – Final Thoughts
The Gardena 4069 R80Li is a simple-to-use robot lawn mower that may suit people that don’t need fancy tech features, but still want their yard to look good 365 days a year.
If you’re looking for more robot mowers, check out these other reviews:
