Miimo makes its debut

Honda announced its entrance into the U.S. electric market on Thursday with the robotic mower Miimo. Introducing the mower at the SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-in & Expo in Lakeland, Florida, Honda showcased everything from its marine offerings to the HondaJet to their line of handheld landscape equipment and generators.

Miimo uses a boundary wire that can be installed either above or below ground, to maintain lawns with a continuous cutting system. “Micro-computer sensors and wire keep it where it needs to be,” said Adrienne Hall, senior product planner.

The mower features a cutting width of 8.7 inches with a height range of 0.8 to 2.4 inches. “The blades go both ways, so the blade stays sharper longer,” said Nina Bryson, senior manager of marketing and marketing research.

Users can choose from three mow patterns and set up to five mowing zones. A seasonal timer allows users to set Miimo to mow more or less often, depending on the weather and growing conditions. It can handle slopes as steep as 25 degrees, after which, it will shut down.

The robotic mower cuts less height from grass more frequently and disperses the clippings, eliminating cleanup needs.

“Miimo is a maintainer and it maintains throughout the year,” Bryson said.

Miimo is available in two models:

• The HRM 310 can mow for up to 30 minutes with a 22.2-volt/1.8 amp-hour battery. It will recharge in 30 minutes. It weighs 26 pounds. It’s ideal for up to half-acre areas.
• The HRM 520 can mow for up to an hour with a 22.2 volt/3.6 amp-hour battery. It will recharge in 60 minutes.

It’s ideal for areas up to three-quarters of an acre. When Miimo reaches less than 30 percent battery life, it will head back to its charging dock to reload, and then head back out into the field.

Sensors keep the mower moving if it bumps into objects, and if lifted, an alarm will sound and it will shut down. A PIN code set by the user will then be required to restart the mower.

Miimo has been available in Europe for several years and will be available for purchase in the U.S. in June at select Honda Power Equipment dealerships nationwide, excluding California.

Although it hasn’t been introduced yet to the public, Honda has run it through their “product familiarization program,” making it available to its staff and dealers. “So far, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback,” Hall said. “You set it and forget about it.”

The HRM 310 will have a price point of $2,499 and the HRM 520 will be $2,799. Both come with a two-year warranty.