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Mammotion Yuka Mini: two-minute evaluate
The Mammotion Yuka Mini is a comparatively compact, easy and inexpensive robotic mower for small to medium-sized lawns. There are a number of completely different choices, however for this evaluate I examined the Mini 600 (known as the Mini S within the US) for yards which might be 0.15 acres / 600㎡ in dimension.
Whereas it’s miles from the fanciest lawnbot in the marketplace, it dealt with numerous obstacles impressively effectively. My mother and father’ yard includes uneven areas, timber, awkwardly positioned beds, and a brook; however none of those posed a problem for the Yuka Mini throughout exams. It navigated precisely, prevented surprising obstacles impressively effectively, and by no means obtained misplaced or tried to take a swim.
I used to be additionally extraordinarily proud of the mowing itself. It left the yard wanting far neater than if I might minimize it manually, with the grass evenly trimmed and faux-stripes created by the logical mowing route. It operated quietly sufficient that I might fortunately learn a e-book close by, and whereas not precisely lightning-fast, it has proved sufficiently speedy to sort out the garden dimension for which it is designed in an environment friendly method.
The spectacular efficiency is hampered considerably by the model expertise. The app feels primary and slightly unintuitive. The directions offered for setup aren’t clear sufficient for lawnbot newbies – who also needs to observe that discovering a great place to your cost station and RTK receiver is vital. Throughout exams I additionally discovered the bot would generally lose connection, needing to be carried again to inside Wi-Fi vary earlier than it might be instructed.
Nonetheless, as soon as I might managed to get all the pieces up and working, I discovered myself forgetting the minor ache of setup in a short time. I actually cannot overstate how a lot effort and time this little bot has saved over the previous few weeks, and the garden seems to be neater than ever. Total, for the value it is a very strong funding.
That is the quick model; learn on for my full Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate.
Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate: worth & variations
- Record worth: from $1,099 / £849 / AU$1,499
- Launched: February 2025
- Out there: US, UK, AU, Europe
Within the US, you’ve a number of choices within the Yuka Mini vary. The equal to the mannequin I’ve reviewed right here is the Mini S, which prices $1,099 and is designed for yards of 0.15 acres / 600 sq. meters in dimension. Alternatively, you may go for a H-series mannequin, which might cope with taller grass. In that line is the Mini 600H for $1,099 or the Mini 800H for $1,299.
Within the UK and Australia, you’ve the Mini 600 (reviewed right here) for £849 / AU$1,499. You probably have a barely bigger backyard, you may go for the Yuka Mini 800 for £1,049 / AU$1,899. I’ve noticed reductions in all territories; it isn’t too troublesome to keep away from paying full whack in the event you’re affected person.
Whereas not an particularly low cost buy, I believe it provides first rate worth for cash. Construct high quality is strong and efficiency is dependable, and this compact lawnbot actually is an enormous effort-saver.
When it comes to rival manufacturers, Husqvarna’s bots are geared in the direction of bigger yards. At time of writing, it has its Automower 115H (which might mow as much as 0.4 acres) for $699.99, then costs hop straight as much as $1,999.99 for the Automower 415X (as much as 0.37 acres).
The Eufy E15 is appropriate for yards as much as 0.2 acres and is far pricier, at $1,799.99 / £1,499. Nevertheless, it is a completely different form of bot as a result of it makes use of self-drive automotive tech somewhat than satellites to navigate, and due to this fact is considerably simpler to arrange.
- Worth for cash rating: 4 out of 5
Mammotion Yuka Mini specs
|
Product: |
Yuka Mini S (US) / Yuka Mini 600 (UK) |
|
Really useful garden dimension: |
0.15 acres / 600㎡ |
|
Max garden dimension: |
0.2 acres / 800㎡ |
|
Reducing width: |
7.5in / 19cm |
|
Reducing peak: |
0.8-2.4in / 2-6cm |
|
Drivetrain: |
2-wheel drive |
|
Max zones: |
15 |
|
Incline means: |
50% / 27 levels |
|
Waterproof: |
IPX6 |
|
Lawnbot dimension (L x W x H): |
20.7 x 16.3 x 11.1in / 52.5 x 41.3 x 28.1cm |
|
Lawnbot weight: |
23.4 lbs / 10.6kg |
|
Mowing space per cost: |
0.04 acres / 150㎡ |
|
Cost time: |
90 minutes |
|
Mowing time per cost: |
55 minutes |
Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate: design
- Comparatively compact, light-weight bot with 5 chopping blades
- Comes with an RTK receiver and cost station (storage roof is further)
- AI-equipped, front-mounted digital camera for object avoidance
The Mammotion Yuka setup includes three parts: a cost station, an RTK receiver and the lawnbot itself.
Let’s begin with the robotic. It is pretty compact in dimension, with a plastic higher shell and two chunky, deep-tread wheels to assist it traverse uneven floor. On the highest is a big management panel that features a knob to manually modify chopping peak, some easy press buttons, and an enormous crimson emergency cease button. There’s additionally an AI-powered digital camera to assist with object identification and avoidance. The entire thing is waterproof to IPX-6 (i.e. it is going to be advantageous even in a downpour).
Flip it over and you will find two smaller entrance wheels and a spinning chopping deck that holds 5 ultra-sharp blades. Mammotion has thoughtfully included a ridged grip part at the back and front – effectively away from these blades – to allow you to soundly and securely choose up the robotic, if it’s worthwhile to transfer it previous an space that is not accessible by driving. It is compact and light-weight sufficient that almost all able-bodied folks ought to have the ability to carry it with out an excessive amount of hassle.
The battery tucks behind the bot and is removable, ought to it’s worthwhile to change it additional down the road.
The cost station is the place the bot returns to dock. It is a black plastic base with raised cost contacts, and plastic floor screws are offered to safe it into the bottom. It is doubtlessly value investing in a “storage roof” to offer safety; regardless of being waterproof, extended publicity to the weather will certainly restrict the lawnbot’s lifespan in the long term.
You may wish to take into consideration the place the cost station will reside earlier than shopping for. It could actually’t go simply anyplace, however the literature that comes with the lawnbot is not nice at explaining this. The cost station must be someplace comparatively flat, with a transparent path to mowing areas, and entry to an influence outlet. Whereas it would not want line-of-sight to the lawnbot (it’s going to talk through radio sign), it does want not less than some view of the sky, in order that the bot can discuss to the satellites when docked. I struggled to search out someplace appropriate initially.
Lastly, the RTK station. This basically helps make the satellite tv for pc positioning information extra correct, and is essential if you do not need your bot to finish up in a flower mattress. It seems to be like a small-ish rounded dome with an antenna protruding downwards – not too obtrusive, however I set it up in my mother and father’ backyard and the suggestions from my mum was that she wished it wasn’t white, as a result of it stands proud an excessive amount of and spoils her view. (I believe she has a degree.)
You may additionally wish to work out the place the RTK station will reside earlier than making your buy. It is best positioned excessive up, with a transparent view of the sky in as many instructions as potential. It additionally must be related to an influence supply.
There may be an choice meaning you needn’t set up the RTK receiver. The Yuka Mini can map and navigate utilizing a “NetRTK and 4G module” – on the time of writing it is free to make use of, however this added performance sometimes comes with a subscription payment. I didn’t check this selection, and I am undecided if it is appropriate for any backyard or if there are necessities.
- Design rating: 4.5 out of 5
Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate: efficiency
- Neat, even chopping and impressively quiet in use
- Navigation was correct all through my testing interval
- Setup and preliminary use might be complicated in the event you’re not conversant in lawnbots
Transferring on to how effectively the Yuka Mini carried out in follow. I will begin with setup, and the outcomes of my chopping exams.
Setup
The Yuka Mini was the primary robotic garden mower I might examined, and I discovered preliminary setup somewhat painful. Info is missing from Mammotion (I really feel this space might do with enchancment), so in the event you’re on this boat too, put together to do a little bit of unbiased analysis earlier than embarking on setup. The important thing issues are to search out a great place to your cost station and RTK receiver, as I’ve mentioned above.
With that carried out, it is a case of mapping your house. There are two choices right here: guide (for advanced mowing areas) and automated (for easy areas with clear boundaries). My mother and father’ yard, the place I examined this bot, consists of numerous grassy areas. The primary one consists of uneven areas of inexperienced, massive mid-lawn beds, and has a brook working down one facet, so I mapped it manually.
This concerned driving the bot fastidiously across the perimeter of the garden, utilizing my cellphone because the distant management. As soon as I used to be carried out, I added no-go zones round any fastened obstructions (timber, beds, patio areas) throughout the garden, once more by driving over and round them. In the event you’re used to robotic vacuums, this mapping course of feels rather more old-school, however there isn’t any denying it is fairly enjoyable.
The yard on the entrance of the home is easier, with no waterways for the bot to fall into, so I took an opportunity on automated mapping. I used to be impressed – the lawnbot mapped the house rapidly and found out the borders of the beds precisely. Notice you could’t map very small areas.
I added routes between related areas, to allow the bot to search out its method again to the bottom. For some areas – for instance, that entrance yard – it wasn’t potential to create a path again to the cost station. I used to be nonetheless in a position to map and mow these areas, however I needed to carry the robotic again to the cost base space as soon as it was carried out, and it might yell at me that the robotic was tilted as I did so.
Reducing and navigation efficiency
I used to be very impressed with this robotic’s chopping efficiency. It mowed every garden zone neatly and evenly, leaving fake stripes in its path. It appeared to take a logical path, too, mowing in parallel strains over the primary physique of every garden space after which looping across the perimeter to catch the perimeters.
There have been very sometimes slim strips between strains that remained uncut, however these might be taken care of by remote-control mowing after the duty was full, or (extra generally for me) left to be caught on the following mowing session.
The Yuka Mini additionally proved very quiet in operation, and considerably quieter than a conventional mower. I used to be in a position to fortunately sit on a solar lounger on the patio and skim my e-book whereas it took care of the adjoining garden – absolutely, the perfect situation anybody is hoping for after they buy considered one of these.
As soon as all the pieces was arrange correctly, I did not encounter any points with navigation; the lawnbot by no means obtained misplaced or ended up someplace it shouldn’t be, and it reliably returned to its base as soon as a job was full – or if it ran out of juice mid-mow. It had no hassle traversing actually fairly steep floor, and was in a position to mow fairly near the sloped fringe of the brook with out taking a dip. (Initially, I left a big border for worry the Yuka Mini would go for a swim, however as soon as I might used it for some time and seen how effectively it navigated, I shifted the perimeter nearer to the water.)
Object avoidance is strong, too. If I stood in entrance of the bot whereas it was mowing, it might duly pause and make its method round me earlier than persevering with.
- Efficiency rating: 4 out of 5
Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate: app
- App is okay however on the essential facet, and lacks some fine-tuned controls
- Not probably the most logical structure, with some capabilities onerous to search out
- Purposeful, as soon as you’ve got found out the quirks
Most management for the Yuka Mini comes through the companion app. Total I discovered it advantageous, however not wonderful. I am extra used to testing robotic vacuums, and compared to a lot of the robovac apps I’ve used, the Mammotion app felt slightly clunky and simplistic. Settings aren’t all the time the place you’d look forward to finding them; there have been some spelling errors within the textual content (not the tip of the world, however indicative of a scarcity of care); and the directions weren’t all the time clear.
For instance, the bot is seemingly designed to straddle the perimeters of paths, so you do not find yourself with an uncut border. I anticipated this to be an choice you possibly can toggle on or off within the app, nevertheless it’s not. (It is solely appropriate for paths which might be completely flat, and those in my check yard do not match this requirement.) There is a first rate vary of adjustment choices, however they’re slightly tucked away and never accessible if the bot has misplaced connection to the web.
The map can also be very simplistic; only a chopping space, with nothing else specified. I imagined you would possibly have the ability to point out a tree, a flower mattress or a pond – if to not modify how the lawnbot behaves at that border, then not less than that will help you perceive the place you might be on the map. This isn’t an choice, nevertheless.
I discovered if I used to be a great distance from the lawnbot, the app would commonly lose contact. If the robotic wasn’t chopping on the time, I might have to hold the bot again to inside Wi-Fi vary earlier than I might instruct it. If it was chopping on the time, it might proceed on with its job, however I could not watch its progress. This felt slightly dangerous, though I suppose I might solely be getting very primary info anyway.
All that stated, as soon as I might found out the place issues had been, the app was usable and did what I wanted it to. Middling marks.
Do you have to purchase the Mammotion Yuka Mini?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Ranking |
|---|---|---|
|
Worth |
Not low cost, however comparatively inexpensive available in the market, and there are offers available. Product feels top quality. |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
Comparatively compact and light-weight lawnbot. Navigates utilizing satellites and an RTK receiver, though there may be additionally a paid-for 4G navigation choice. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Efficiency |
Neat, quiet and thorough mowing, and dependable navigation and object avoidance. Setup slightly complicated. |
4 / 5 |
|
App |
Reasonably primary, barely unintuitive and lacks advantageous controls, though typically does what you want it to do. |
3 / 5 |
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
Mammotion Yuka Mini: alternate options to think about
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 |
Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD 1000 |
|---|---|---|
|
Really useful garden dimension: |
0.15 acres / 600㎡ |
0.25 acres / 1,000㎡ |
|
Max garden dimension: |
0.2 acres / 800㎡ |
0.3 acres / 1,012㎡ |
|
Reducing width: |
7.5in / 19cm |
15.7in / 40cm |
|
Reducing peak: |
0.8-2.4in / 2-6cm, mechanical |
1 – 2.7in / 2.5-7cm, motorized |
|
Drivetrain: |
Two-wheel drive |
All-wheel drive |
|
Max zones: |
15 |
10 |
|
Incline means: |
50% (27°) |
80% (38°) |
|
Waterproof: |
IPX6 |
IPX6 & IPX7 |
|
Lawnbot dimension (L x W x H): |
20.7 x 16.3 x 11.1in / 52.5 x 41.3 x 28.1cm |
27.2 x 20.2 x 10.7in / 69 x 51.3 x 27.3cm |
|
Lawnbot weight: |
23.4lbs / 10.6kg |
37.7lbs / 17.1 kg |
|
Mow time per cost: |
55 minutes |
120 minutes |
How I examined the Mammotion Yuka Mini
I arrange the Mammotion Yuka Mini in my mother and father’ yard, which incorporates three important grassy areas. There are numerous obstacles, together with patio areas, beds in the midst of the garden, timber and a brook. I set it up utilizing the directions offered (supplemented by my very own analysis, when that did not go to plan), mapped the world, and ran a number of mowing exams over the course of some days. It was then used as the first mower over the course of the month that adopted, with me visiting commonly to verify on progress. I assessed it primarily based on the neatness of chopping, accuracy of navigation, and ease of use.
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