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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 just a few completely different choices, however for this evaluate I examined the Mini 600 (referred to as the Mini S within the US) for yards which can be 0.15 acres / 600㎡ in dimension.
While it is from the fanciest lawnbot in the marketplace, it dealt with varied obstacles impressively properly. My dad and mom’ yard includes uneven areas, bushes, awkwardly positioned beds, and a brook; however none of those posed a difficulty for the Yuka Mini throughout checks. It navigated precisely, prevented sudden obstacles impressively properly, and by no means acquired misplaced or tried to take a swim.
I used to be additionally extraordinarily pleased with the mowing itself. It left the yard wanting far neater than if I’d lower it manually, with the grass evenly trimmed and faux-stripes created by the logical mowing route. It operated quietly sufficient that I may fortunately learn a ebook close by, and whereas not precisely lightning-fast, it has proved sufficiently speedy to deal with 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 fundamental and a bit of unintuitive. The directions supplied for setup aren’t clear sufficient for lawnbot newbies – who also needs to word that discovering a great place on your cost station and RTK receiver is vital. During checks I additionally discovered the bot would generally lose connection, needing to be carried again to inside Wi-Fi vary earlier than it could possibly be instructed.
Nevertheless, as soon as I’d managed to get every little thing up and operating, 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 neater than ever. Overall, for the worth it is a very strong funding.
That’s the quick model; learn on for my full Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate.
Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate: value & variations
- List value: from $1,099 / £849 / AU$1,499
- Launched: February 2025
- Available: US, UK, AU, Europe
In the US, you may have just a few 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’ll be able to 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.
In the UK and Australia, you may have the Mini 600 (reviewed right here) for £849 / AU$1,499. If you may have a barely bigger backyard, you’ll be able to go for the Yuka Mini 800 for £1,049 / AU$1,899. I’ve noticed reductions in all territories; it is not too troublesome to keep away from paying full whack in case you’re affected person.
While not an particularly low cost buy, I feel it presents respectable worth for cash. Build high quality is strong and efficiency is dependable, and this compact lawnbot actually is a giant effort-saver.
In phrases of rival manufacturers, Husqvarna’s bots are geared in 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. However, it is a completely different type of bot as a result of it makes use of self-drive automotive tech relatively than satellites to navigate, and subsequently is considerably simpler to arrange.
- Value for cash rating: 4 out of 5
Mammotion Yuka Mini specs
|
Product: |
Yuka Mini S (US) / Yuka Mini 600 (UK) |
|
Recommended garden dimension: |
0.15 acres / 600㎡ |
|
Max garden dimension: |
0.2 acres / 800㎡ |
|
Cutting width: |
7.5in / 19cm |
|
Cutting top: |
0.8-2.4in / 2-6cm |
|
Drivetrain: |
2-wheel drive |
|
Max zones: |
15 |
|
Incline potential: |
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㎡ |
|
Charge time: |
90 minutes |
|
Mowing time per cost: |
55 minutes |
Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate: design
- Relatively compact, light-weight bot with 5 slicing blades
- Comes with an RTK receiver and cost station (storage roof is additional)
- AI-equipped, front-mounted digital camera for object avoidance
The Mammotion Yuka setup includes three components: a cost station, an RTK receiver and the lawnbot itself.
Let’s begin with the robotic. It’s 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 slicing top, some easy press buttons, and a giant pink emergency cease button. There’s additionally an AI-powered digital camera to assist with object identification and avoidance. The entire factor 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 slicing deck that holds 5 ultra-sharp blades. Mammotion has thoughtfully included a ridged grip part at the back and front – properly away from these blades – to allow you to soundly and securely decide up the robotic, if you must transfer it previous an space that is not accessible by driving. It’s compact and lightweight sufficient that the majority able-bodied individuals ought to have the ability to carry it with out an excessive amount of bother.
The battery tucks behind the bot and is removable, ought to you must change it additional down the road.
The cost station is the place the bot returns to dock. It’s a black plastic base with raised cost contacts, and plastic floor screws are supplied to safe it into the bottom. It’s doubtlessly price investing in a “garage roof” to supply safety; regardless of being waterproof, extended publicity to the weather will certainly restrict the lawnbot’s lifespan in the long term.
You’ll wish to take into consideration the place the cost station will dwell earlier than shopping for. It cannot 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. While it does not want line-of-sight to the lawnbot (it can talk through radio sign), it does want at the least some view of the sky, in order that the bot can speak to the satellites when docked. I struggled to seek out someplace appropriate initially.
Finally, the RTK station. This primarily helps make the satellite tv for pc positioning information extra correct, and is vital if you do not need your bot to finish up in a flower mattress. It seems like a small-ish rounded dome with an antenna protruding downwards – not too obtrusive, however I set it up in my dad and mom’ 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 feel she has some extent.)
You’ll additionally wish to work out the place the RTK station will dwell earlier than making your buy. It’s greatest positioned excessive up, with a transparent view of the sky in as many instructions as doable. It additionally must be linked to an influence supply.
There is an possibility which means you need not 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 usually comes with a subscription charge. I didn’t check this feature, and I’m unsure 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 slicing and impressively quiet in use
- Navigation was correct all through my testing interval
- Setup and preliminary use could be complicated in case you’re not accustomed to lawnbots
Moving on to how properly the Yuka Mini carried out in observe. I’ll begin with setup, and the outcomes of my slicing checks.
Setup
The Yuka Mini was the primary robotic garden mower I’d examined, and I discovered preliminary setup relatively painful. Information is missing from Mammotion (I really feel this space may do with enchancment), so in case you’re on this boat too, put together to do a little bit of unbiased analysis earlier than embarking on setup. The key issues are to seek out a great place on your cost station and RTK receiver, as I’ve mentioned above.
With that finished, it is a case of mapping your area. There are two choices right here: guide (for complicated mowing areas) and automated (for easy areas with clear boundaries). My dad and mom’ yard, the place I examined this bot, consists of varied grassy areas. The essential one consists of uneven areas of inexperienced, giant mid-lawn beds, and has a brook operating down one facet, so I mapped it manually.
This concerned driving the bot fastidiously across the perimeter of the garden, utilizing my telephone because the distant management. Once I used to be finished, I added no-go zones round any mounted obstructions (bushes, beds, patio areas) throughout the garden, once more by driving over and round them. If you are used to robotic vacuums, this mapping course of feels rather more old-school, however there is not any denying it is fairly enjoyable.
The yard on the entrance of the home is less complicated, 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 area shortly and discovered the borders of the beds precisely. Note you could’t map very small areas.
I added routes between linked areas, to allow the bot to seek out its approach again to the bottom. For some areas – for instance, that entrance yard – it wasn’t doable 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 finished, and it might yell at me that the robotic was tilted as I did so.
Cutting and navigation efficiency
I used to be very impressed with this robotic’s slicing 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 traces over the principle physique of every garden space after which looping across the perimeter to catch the perimeters.
There have been very often slim strips between traces that remained uncut, however these could possibly be taken care of by remote-control mowing after the duty was full, or (extra generally for me) left to be caught on the subsequent mowing session.
The Yuka Mini additionally proved very quiet in operation, and considerably quieter than a standard mower. I used to be in a position to fortunately sit on a solar lounger on the patio and browse my ebook whereas it took care of the adjoining garden – certainly, the best situation anybody is hoping for after they buy one among these.
Once every little thing was arrange correctly, I did not encounter any points with navigation; the lawnbot by no means acquired misplaced or ended up someplace it shouldn’t be, and it reliably returned to its base as soon as a activity was full – or if it ran out of juice mid-mow. It had no bother 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 concern the Yuka Mini would go for a swim, however as soon as I’d used it for some time and seen how properly 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 approach round me earlier than persevering with.
- Performance rating: 4 out of 5
Mammotion Yuka Mini evaluate: app
- App is ok however on the essential facet, and lacks some fine-tuned controls
- Not essentially the most logical format, with some features exhausting to seek out
- Functional, as soon as you’ve got discovered the quirks
Most management for the Yuka Mini comes through the companion app. Overall I discovered it advantageous, however not superb. I’m extra used to testing robotic vacuums, and compared to a lot of the robovac apps I’ve used, the Mammotion app felt a bit of clunky and simplistic. Settings aren’t at all times 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 at all times 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 possibility you can toggle on or off within the app, nevertheless it’s not. (It’s solely appropriate for paths which can be completely flat, and those in my check yard do not match this requirement.) There’s an honest vary of adjustment choices, however they’re a bit of tucked away and never accessible if the bot has misplaced connection to the web.
The map can be very simplistic; only a slicing space, with nothing else specified. I imagined you may 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 at the least that can assist you perceive the place you’re on the map. This will not be an possibility, nonetheless.
I discovered if I used to be a great distance from the lawnbot, the app would frequently lose contact. If the robotic wasn’t slicing on the time, I’d have to hold the bot again to inside Wi-Fi vary earlier than I may instruct it. If it was slicing on the time, it might proceed on with its activity, however I could not watch its progress. This felt a bit of dangerous, though I assume I’d solely be getting very fundamental info anyway.
All that mentioned, as soon as I’d discovered the place issues have been, the app was usable and did what I wanted it to. Middling marks.
Should you purchase the Mammotion Yuka Mini?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
Not low cost, however comparatively inexpensive out there, and there are offers available. Product feels top quality. |
4 / 5 |
|
Design |
Relatively compact and light-weight lawnbot. Navigates utilizing satellites and an RTK receiver, though there’s additionally a paid-for 4G navigation possibility. |
4.5 / 5 |
|
Performance |
Neat, quiet and thorough mowing, and dependable navigation and object avoidance. Setup a bit of complicated. |
4 / 5 |
|
App |
Rather fundamental, barely unintuitive and lacks advantageous controls, though typically does what you want it to do. |
3 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t purchase it if…
Mammotion Yuka Mini: options to think about
| Header Cell – Column 0 |
Mammotion Yuka Mini 600 |
Mammotion LUBA 2 AWD 1000 |
|---|---|---|
|
Recommended garden dimension: |
0.15 acres / 600㎡ |
0.25 acres / 1,000㎡ |
|
Max garden dimension: |
0.2 acres / 800㎡ |
0.3 acres / 1,012㎡ |
|
Cutting width: |
7.5in / 19cm |
15.7in / 40cm |
|
Cutting top: |
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 potential: |
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 dad and mom’ yard, which incorporates three essential grassy areas. There are varied obstacles, together with patio areas, beds in the midst of the garden, bushes and a brook. I set it up utilizing the directions supplied (supplemented by my very own analysis, when that did not go to plan), mapped the world, and ran a number of mowing checks 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 frequently to test on progress. I assessed it primarily based on the neatness of slicing, accuracy of navigation, and ease of use.
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