Everybody loves a green, manicured lawn, but unless you use a professional landscaping service you likely have to spend a fair amount of time and energy every week to keep your yard looking good.
Or, you can kick back with a cold one and watch the Honda Miimo HRM 310 ($2,499) do it for you.
The Miimo is a sleek robotic lawn mower that uses an advanced sensor system, multiple programming options, and an onboard computer to cut your lawn with very little input on your end.
It's extremely quiet and worked well in our tests, but it lacks some of the extras you'd expect to find in a $2,500 lawn mower that must be professionally installed.
Design and Features
Honda offer two Miimo models that are identical in size and design.
The HRM 310, reviewed here, goes for $2,499 and is rated for lawns up to 0.37 acres in size, while the HRM 520 goes for $2,799 and is rated for lawns up to 0.75 acres in size.
Both mowers use a three-blade cutting mechanism that provides an 8.7-inch cutting width, and both use the same 2500rpm motor.
The razor-sharp blades cut grass into an almost powder-like mulch that adds nutrients to your lawn and does not require any bagging or raking.
The Miimo is powered by a 22.2V/1,800mAh lithium ion battery that provides 30 minutes of cutting time, and the 520 uses a 22.2V/3,600mAh battery that provides up to 60 minutes of cutting time.
Unlike the Robomow RS622 and the Husqvarna Automower 310, the Miimo does not connect to any mobile devices and does not offer a mobile app or a remote control.
All programming is done with the onboard control panel.
It can handle slopes of up to 25 degrees and has an adjustable cut height of 0.8 to 2.4 inches.
The motor is extremely quiet: it puts out 58dB in Standard mode and 55dB in Quiet mode.
The HRM 310 measures 10.8 by 21.7 by 25.4 inches (HWD), weighs 25.6 pounds, and sports a gray-and-white plastic shroud that protects it from the elements.
As with the Robomow RS622, it uses a floating deck design that allows it to conform to the contours of your lawn and has built-in sensors to detect the perimeter wires that keep it from wandering away.
It also has built-in safety sensors that will shut the mower down if it comes in contact with any solid object, but it lacks a rain sensor like the one that comes with the Worx Landroid mower.
Although the Miimo can run while it's raining, it shouldn't be exposed to puddles or standing water, so if you want to interrupt its scheduled work cycle you'll have to go out in the rain and stop it yourself using the onboard controls.
Similar Products
EGO Power+ Lawn Mower (LM2001)
Black and Decker 40V MAX Lithium 20 In.
Mower (CM2040)
The Miimo comes with a charging base, 656 feet of perimeter wire, a bag of plastic perimeter wire stakes, wire connectors, six extra blades, and a comprehensive owner's manual.
Although the Miimo can be self-installed and in fact comes with instructions that show you how to measure and lay down perimeter wire, Honda insists that an authorized dealer perform the installation and configure the mower for optimal performance, adding to the already-high cost.
When you order a Miimo a Honda dealer will come to your house to do a site check and will present you with a written estimate for installation based on the size and complexity of your lawn.
For example, installing the Miimo on my relatively small 1,950 square foot front lawn carried a $200 installation charge.
Larger lawns with impediments such as trees and flower beds will require more time and will be more expensive.
At the time of this review, Honda is offering a $500 installation credit when you purchase a Miimo, but that deal expires at the end of the year.
The top of the mower contains a large red Stop button, a control panel door, and a dial for adjusting the cutting length.
Pressing the button immediately shuts down power and opens the control panel door to reveal the 18-button keypad and the 2.7-by-1.5-inch LCD used to program the Miimo and manually turn it on and off.
The Menu screen shows the current time and day and contains six sub-menus: Work Timer, Lawn Setup, Diagnostics, History, System Settings, and Setup Wizard.
The Work Timer menu allows you to program specific days and start times for the mower to do its thing.
You can have it start at different times on different days and set up two operating cycles per day if you prefer to have the mower go out in the morning and again at night.
There's also a Seasonal Timer setting that you can configure to accommodate for faster and slower growth rates for each season, and a Quiet Timer that adjusts the blade and wheel speed to make the mower run more quietly.
In the Lawn Setup menu you can choose between Auto mode (timed) and Manual mode (untimed).
In Auto mode you can choose one of three mowing patterns (directional, random, mixed) and enable things like Edge Cutting, which sends the mower out twice a week to cut the area close to the perimeter wire, and Spiral Cutting, which tells the mower begin cutting in a concentrated spiral pattern when it encounters thicker grass.
Here you can also configure up to three start points for each day of the week.
This is ideal for larger, more complex lawn designs as it allows the mower to begin cutting at different areas of the lawn to ensure a uniform look.
This section also has a Lawn Layout section where you enter information such as the size of your lawn, perimeter length, and docking direction.
Use the Diagnostics menu to check the wire signal strength and to make sure the mower stays in range of the base station.
Here you can also test the range of each starting point.
The History menu lets you check statistics such as total operating and charging time, and any faults or errors that have occurred.
In System Settings you can select the menu language, adjust the screen contrast, set the data and time, and configure anti-theft settings that include a beep alarm that sounds when the mower is picked up, and a custom anti-theft PIN number that you have to enter to regain control of the mower if it is stopped manually while operating or removed from its dock.
The Setup Wizard is used to enter lawn layout parameters, start points, and timer information.
Installation and Performance
A Honda service representative arrived at my house and began laying down perimeter wire.
He connected the wire to the base, powered up the Miimo, and spent several minutes programming it using the Setup Wizard.
He then performed a test run to verify that the mower stayed within the perimeter and was able to return home to its base without any obstructions.
All in all, the installation took a little more than two hours.
The Miimo did an excellent job of keeping my lawn looking neat.
It never missed a scheduled cutting day and always made it back to the base for charging after 25 minutes or so of cutting.
It needed around one hour to cut my lawn, which is pretty much in line with the Robomow RS622's performance.
The Miimo cut my edges cleanly and left no spots unctouched in any of its complete cycles.
It also navigated a couple of sizable divots without getting stuck, and always stopped when it came in contact with objects placed in its path.
It was extremely quiet in operation as well.
Conclusions
If you're ready to invest in a robotic lawnmower, the Honda Miimo HRM 310 is definitely worth considering.
It offers several programming options and variable cutting lengths, and it performed wonderfully in our tests, cutting evenly and leaving no noticeable clippings or tire tracks behind.
And it's very quiet, so you can schedule late-night cutting cycles without disturbing your neighbors.
That said, its $2,500 price tag makes it the most expensive robotic mower we've come across, and once you factor in the cost of professional installation, you're looking at a sizable investment for a mower that lacks some of the features that you get with more affordable options, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity, a mobile app that lets you control the mower from your phone, and a rain sensor.
If smart features are a deal breaker, check out the Robowmow RS622.
It can be controlled from your phone and offers remote steering, is quiet and efficient, and costs hundreds of dollars less than the Miimo.
Everybody loves a green, manicured lawn, but unless you use a professional landscaping service you likely have to spend a fair amount of time and energy every week to keep your yard looking good.
Or, you can kick back with a cold one and watch the Honda Miimo HRM 310 ($2,499) do it for you.
The Miimo is a sleek robotic lawn mower that uses an advanced sensor system, multiple programming options, and an onboard computer to cut your lawn with very little input on your end.
It's extremely quiet and worked well in our tests, but it lacks some of the extras you'd expect to find in a $2,500 lawn mower that must be professionally installed.
Design and Features
Honda offer two Miimo models that are identical in size and design.
The HRM 310, reviewed here, goes for $2,499 and is rated for lawns up to 0.37 acres in size, while the HRM 520 goes for $2,799 and is rated for lawns up to 0.75 acres in size.
Both mowers use a three-blade cutting mechanism that provides an 8.7-inch cutting width, and both use the same 2500rpm motor.
The razor-sharp blades cut grass into an almost powder-like mulch that adds nutrients to your lawn and does not require any bagging or raking.
The Miimo is powered by a 22.2V/1,800mAh lithium ion battery that provides 30 minutes of cutting time, and the 520 uses a 22.2V/3,600mAh battery that provides up to 60 minutes of cutting time.
Unlike the Robomow RS622 and the Husqvarna Automower 310, the Miimo does not connect to any mobile devices and does not offer a mobile app or a remote control.
All programming is done with the onboard control panel.
It can handle slopes of up to 25 degrees and has an adjustable cut height of 0.8 to 2.4 inches.
The motor is extremely quiet: it puts out 58dB in Standard mode and 55dB in Quiet mode.
The HRM 310 measures 10.8 by 21.7 by 25.4 inches (HWD), weighs 25.6 pounds, and sports a gray-and-white plastic shroud that protects it from the elements.
As with the Robomow RS622, it uses a floating deck design that allows it to conform to the contours of your lawn and has built-in sensors to detect the perimeter wires that keep it from wandering away.
It also has built-in safety sensors that will shut the mower down if it comes in contact with any solid object, but it lacks a rain sensor like the one that comes with the Worx Landroid mower.
Although the Miimo can run while it's raining, it shouldn't be exposed to puddles or standing water, so if you want to interrupt its scheduled work cycle you'll have to go out in the rain and stop it yourself using the onboard controls.
Similar Products
EGO Power+ Lawn Mower (LM2001)
Black and Decker 40V MAX Lithium 20 In.
Mower (CM2040)
The Miimo comes with a charging base, 656 feet of perimeter wire, a bag of plastic perimeter wire stakes, wire connectors, six extra blades, and a comprehensive owner's manual.
Although the Miimo can be self-installed and in fact comes with instructions that show you how to measure and lay down perimeter wire, Honda insists that an authorized dealer perform the installation and configure the mower for optimal performance, adding to the already-high cost.
When you order a Miimo a Honda dealer will come to your house to do a site check and will present you with a written estimate for installation based on the size and complexity of your lawn.
For example, installing the Miimo on my relatively small 1,950 square foot front lawn carried a $200 installation charge.
Larger lawns with impediments such as trees and flower beds will require more time and will be more expensive.
At the time of this review, Honda is offering a $500 installation credit when you purchase a Miimo, but that deal expires at the end of the year.
The top of the mower contains a large red Stop button, a control panel door, and a dial for adjusting the cutting length.
Pressing the button immediately shuts down power and opens the control panel door to reveal the 18-button keypad and the 2.7-by-1.5-inch LCD used to program the Miimo and manually turn it on and off.
The Menu screen shows the current time and day and contains six sub-menus: Work Timer, Lawn Setup, Diagnostics, History, System Settings, and Setup Wizard.
The Work Timer menu allows you to program specific days and start times for the mower to do its thing.
You can have it start at different times on different days and set up two operating cycles per day if you prefer to have the mower go out in the morning and again at night.
There's also a Seasonal Timer setting that you can configure to accommodate for faster and slower growth rates for each season, and a Quiet Timer that adjusts the blade and wheel speed to make the mower run more quietly.
In the Lawn Setup menu you can choose between Auto mode (timed) and Manual mode (untimed).
In Auto mode you can choose one of three mowing patterns (directional, random, mixed) and enable things like Edge Cutting, which sends the mower out twice a week to cut the area close to the perimeter wire, and Spiral Cutting, which tells the mower begin cutting in a concentrated spiral pattern when it encounters thicker grass.
Here you can also configure up to three start points for each day of the week.
This is ideal for larger, more complex lawn designs as it allows the mower to begin cutting at different areas of the lawn to ensure a uniform look.
This section also has a Lawn Layout section where you enter information such as the size of your lawn, perimeter length, and docking direction.
Use the Diagnostics menu to check the wire signal strength and to make sure the mower stays in range of the base station.
Here you can also test the range of each starting point.
The History menu lets you check statistics such as total operating and charging time, and any faults or errors that have occurred.
In System Settings you can select the menu language, adjust the screen contrast, set the data and time, and configure anti-theft settings that include a beep alarm that sounds when the mower is picked up, and a custom anti-theft PIN number that you have to enter to regain control of the mower if it is stopped manually while operating or removed from its dock.
The Setup Wizard is used to enter lawn layout parameters, start points, and timer information.
Installation and Performance
A Honda service representative arrived at my house and began laying down perimeter wire.
He connected the wire to the base, powered up the Miimo, and spent several minutes programming it using the Setup Wizard.
He then performed a test run to verify that the mower stayed within the perimeter and was able to return home to its base without any obstructions.
All in all, the installation took a little more than two hours.
The Miimo did an excellent job of keeping my lawn looking neat.
It never missed a scheduled cutting day and always made it back to the base for charging after 25 minutes or so of cutting.
It needed around one hour to cut my lawn, which is pretty much in line with the Robomow RS622's performance.
The Miimo cut my edges cleanly and left no spots unctouched in any of its complete cycles.
It also navigated a couple of sizable divots without getting stuck, and always stopped when it came in contact with objects placed in its path.
It was extremely quiet in operation as well.
Conclusions
If you're ready to invest in a robotic lawnmower, the Honda Miimo HRM 310 is definitely worth considering.
It offers several programming options and variable cutting lengths, and it performed wonderfully in our tests, cutting evenly and leaving no noticeable clippings or tire tracks behind.
And it's very quiet, so you can schedule late-night cutting cycles without disturbing your neighbors.
That said, its $2,500 price tag makes it the most expensive robotic mower we've come across, and once you factor in the cost of professional installation, you're looking at a sizable investment for a mower that lacks some of the features that you get with more affordable options, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connectivity, a mobile app that lets you control the mower from your phone, and a rain sensor.
If smart features are a deal breaker, check out the Robowmow RS622.
It can be controlled from your phone and offers remote steering, is quiet and efficient, and costs hundreds of dollars less than the Miimo.
