Yarbo Pro Brings Power, Mulching Blades To Tackle Tough Summer Lawns

As summer kicks into high gear, the limitations of using a robot mower to maintain my lawn is apparent whenever I step outside.

My thick Florida grass is plagued by fuzzy patches where my robomower cut imperfectly. That could be from wet grass (common in a state that gets regular afternoon thunderstorms), dense lawn growth, dull blades, or (more likely) a combination of all three.

The mower I currently have tackling my verdant summer lawn, the Yarbo Lawn Mower, employs 10 individual razor blades on two cutting disks. And while it’s a fairly effective solution overall, those tiny blades wear down and get dull quickly. Because there are 10 of them, they’re a chore to replace. And the mangled edge of my middle finger can attest to the fact that replacing them is not without risk.

So that’s why I was thrilled this week when Yarbo announced a Pro version of its Lawn Mower module that ups the power and gives you the option for actual mower blades instead of razor blades.

Made for “Pro” Lawns

From Yarbo’s press release:

“The Lawn Mower Pro is also able to tackle dense, fast-growing warm-season grasses common in regions like the southern U.S. and Australia, delivering powerful performance and efficient year round mowing. The Yarbo Mower Pro will feature an upgraded mowing deck that offers superior durability, minimizing wear and helping users cut down on maintenance costs over time.”

The new Yarbo lawn mowing unit will be able to deliver the kind of cut that isn’t just preferred but required in places like golf courses and parks (hence, the “Pro.”) Hopefully this will also give exacting users the ability to refresh their machine by sharpening a pair of mower blades (instead of going through the process of tediously replacing 10 individual razor blades).

What’s great is that this is available as an add-on module. Yarbo’s system gives you the option to buy new modules as they’re produced rather than have to ditch an entire drive system because a few components were upgraded. Though some enthusiasts are arguing that the Yarbo Pro Module is what the company should have developed as their mower to begin with.

However, I can attest that the original Yarbo Lawn Mower Module is perfectly capable on less challenging lawns. When the weather was drier and my lawn wasn’t as dense, the Yarbo Lawn Mower maintained my yard without issue. It’s only been as summer has truly kicked in that I’ve noticed a drop in performance (that could probably be restored if I was more vigilant of my maintenance of the Yarbo itself).

What’s Pro About It?

Don’t let the Pro descriptor lead you to believe this is just for commercial mowing needs. Yarbo is delivering what many robomower enthusiasts have wanted for years — actual mower blades. But until now, there’s not been a viable solution, just promised bots that have been crowd-funded but are still in production limbo.

The press release has an impressive list of upgrades:

• Enhanced 300W motors [up from 150W] delivers up to 2520W peak power for heavy-duty mowing.
• Wider cutting height range cuts warm-season grass as low as 0.8in (max 4in) with base spacer.
• Optional straight blades suitable for overgrown grass over 6in after long vacations.
• Reinforced cutting disc handles tough terrain and hard obstacles with less risk of damage.
• Efficient blade fence design resists clogging in wet or dense grass conditions.
• Upgraded rain sensor with larger electrodes and shorter sensing distance for better accuracy.

What does all that mean? The Yarbo Pro will be able to deliver a more consistent mow that’s more like a conventional lawnmower. It’ll also be able to handle more real world scenarios, like overgrown and wet lawns. I’m especially appreciative of that living in a place where it rains nearly every day, so my grass is always one or the other.

What may deter you is the price. The Yarbo system is the most expensive automatic mower on the market. The Yarbo Core and Pro Module together are over $5,000. Just the Pro Module on its own is $1,699 (and that’s early bird pricing, it’ll go up to over $2,000 after launch).

Not having to buy a whole new system is nice, especially given the versatility and capability of the Yarbo Core. It’s the only yard robot I’ve tested that has been able to successfully complete its tasks multiple times without user intervention. But it’ll be a bit before you see a proper ROI. Though some might say not having to give yourself heat stroke every weekend is worth way more than the hardware itself.

As of the publishing of this piece, there’s just a few Early Bird pre-order spots left, after that pricing will jump back up. You can find out more on the Yarbo site.