Honda MIIMO HRM310 robot mower review

Costing the same as a 2nd hand compact car, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 Robotic Lawnmower is one of the most expensive robomowers currently available. Able to cover lawns ups to 1,500 m², you can effortlessly keep your lawn looking pristine.

 

At the heart of the unit is a fast-charging Lithium-Ion battery, ensuring durability and stability. Charging takes 30 minutes and the MIIMO is set-up to automatically dock when the battery is getting low. It produces zero emissions and is cheap to run.

 

Thanks to the Li-Ion batteries, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 is very quiet, you can enjoy the garden while it works and you won’t disturb the neighbours!

 

It navigates using a combination of onboard sensors and perimeter wire, ensuring every blade of grass is cut while avoiding obstacles. The 4 modes allow you to tailor its operation and can be activated using the control panel on top.

 

The inbuilt yearly lawn care program ensures your lawn is constantly being trimmed in the spring and summer, yet in autumn and winter, it reduces its activity, working in harmony with the lawn’s natural cycle.

 

Like most robotic mowers, the HRM310 uses 3 blades that attach to an adjustable plate creating a cutting width of 22 cm. However, unlike most, this plate is raised or lowered depending on the lawn’s natural contour. The result is a superior cut.

 

As clippings fall to the ground, rather than being collected, the lawn continues to be mulched as key nutrients seep back into the grass. (i.e. nitrogen, potash and phosphate).

 

While there’s no app or onboard Wi-Fi, the onboard controls are easy to understand and programme. A built-in anti-theft alarm system ensures this robotic lawnmower is secure.

 

The Honda MIIMO HRM310 compares favourable to other leading robotic lawn mowers, even if there are cheaper and better models out there. 8/10

 

 

 

 

 

Design

Using a specially formed plastic polymer, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 is built to last and is waterproofed to IPX4 specification. Finished in a subtle mix of charcoal grey and white colours. The unit weighs 11.6 kg and measures 55 cm (w) by 64 cm (d) by 29 cm (h).

 

At first glance, you might miss the two control panels which are hidden on top. Under the first door is the cutting height control which moves the blades between 2 to 6 cm depending on how it’s set. A large red stop button sits in the middle of the two panels.

 

Below the stop button is another door which covers the LCD screen and control panel, keeping these essential controls from the elements. These controls allow you to start or stop the unit, programme when and how it cuts, and set the alarm, amongst other features.

 

Turning the Honda MIIMO HRM3100 over reveals 4 wheels, the front pair is smaller than the rear, allowing it to maintain it’s balance while moving around the garden and on inclines/declines.

 

In the centre is the adjustable blade plate with 3 blades. At the front is the charging contacts and at the rear is a carry handle for easy movement.

 

Finally, the docking station which connects to the boundary wire, creating a loop and also has charging point which the robomower slides up to, allowing the Honda MIIMO HRM310 to easily recharge.

 

 

 

 

Features

As an autonomous robot, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 is designed to mow your lawn without needing much input from you. It can handle lawns up to 1,500m² and is designed to easily deal with slopes up to 45%.

 

Designed around a 1.8Ah Li-ion battery, which takes 30 minutes to charge yet provides 40 minutes of run time once full. When the battery dips below 30%, the unit automatically returns to the dock and starts to recharge.

 

This long-lasting battery is combined with a near-silent motor, means it only produces 62 dB in noise and efficient to run with zero emissions. You can set this robomower to mow around the clock without disturbing you or, more importantly, the neighbours!

 

Using a combination of bump and lift sensors, and boundary wire, the MIIMO intelligently navigates around your lawn while avoiding obstacles. If you decide to move the unit while it’s running, the sensors will detect this and will force the unit to stop.

 

In terms of mowing, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 uses 3 blades which together create a cutting width of 22 cm. These blades sit on an adjustable plate which can be move between 2 and 6 cm using a simple dial system. It’s 3 selectable mowing settings allow you to tailor the cut.

 

All you need to do is set the timer and mowing setting using the control panel, then relax as sit MIIMO does the mowing! It will also feed all clipping back into the ground, ensure your lawn is continually mulched with key nutrients.

 

One of the major concerns when buying a robotic lawnmower is theft. Thankfully, Honda has included a sophisticated anti-theft alarm system which ensures if someone tries to steal it, they can’t operate it.

 

 

Set-up

As you have to lay boundary wire, setting up the Honda MIIMO HRM310 will take a while. You could have a Honda dealer install it for you but this will be an additional expense. In addition to 200 metres of wire are 200 pegs, used to hold the wire in place.

 

As the wire connects to the dock, creating a loop, it’s best to position this first. Ideally, you’d power the dock using an external plug as it requires power continually. In terms of position the dock, it needs clearance of a metre to either side and in front. So can’t be placed in a corner.

 

With the dock positioned and fixed to the ground, start to lay and peg the wire. If you have an obstacle you’d like the MIIMO to avoid, then you’ll need to run the wire around it, leaving a 5 cm gap. This should ensure the unit doesn’t try to cut within that area or bash into objects.

 

With the wire in place and connected into the dock, it’s time to get your Honda robomower set-up and charging. The basic set-up wizard takes you through setting the date, time and a PIN code. You can also configure the unit to your garden size as well as when you want it to mow (days and hours).

 

You’ll need to leave it to charge and adjust the cutting height. It’s then worth watching the first time it mows your lawn to ensure it doesn’t get stuck or bump objects and that the finish is up to your standards.

 

After the first mow, you may want to adjust the cutting height and the boundary wire so that the result is more in line with your expectations.

 

 

 

 

Performance

The majority of robot lawnmowers offer one mode, taking away your ability to fine-tune the performance. On the Honda MIIMO HRM310, there are three cutting modes. it’s worth trying all and deciding which is the best for your lawn.

 

Modes

Random mode

As the most typical mowing style for robomower, random is ideal for larger gardens, irregularly shaped lawns, or if your lawn has plenty of obstacles. Moving in straight lines, it covers the garden using an unpredictable pattern.

 

Directional mode

Perfect for lawns with little obstacles that are fairly rectangular. Using neat, diagonal zig-zags, the robomower cover every blade of grass.

 

Edge cutting mode

This mode requires the boundary wire to be easy to circle as it follows the wire around the lawn ensuring the edge is cut first. After which, it turns to a directional pattern ensuring the complete lawn is mowed.

 

Again unlike most robot mowers which struggle with edges or cutting too close to an obstacle, this mode puts the Honda into a different league.

 

Spiral cutting mode

Designed to cut long grass down to size, this mode increases the load on the blades. This creates enough downward force which drives the Honda MIIMO HRM310 to cut in a spiral pattern with a diameter of up to 3 metres. Once it’s dealt with the long grass, it will return to a normal cutting pattern and cover the entire lawn.

 

Overall cut

With plenty of different modes, it’s worth experimenting to find what will work best for your lawn in general. Of course, we’d recommend using the edge cutting mode as it will deliver the best overall result.

 

For larger lawns, you will probably need to strim the edge and around objects to ensure a tidy lawn.

 

Rain

A consideration that is easy to overlook is rain. Sadly, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 doesn’t automatically stop and dock when it starts to rain. nor does the dock effectively protect it from the elements, despite it claiming to be designed for year-round use.

 

So you need to be watching for rain and run out and hit the stop button on top. This will automatically dock it until you restart the unit. It’s also worth investing in a robomower garage as this will protect the dock and mower from the elements.

 

Operation

A surprising element is the lack of control options. You only operate the Honda MIIMO HRM310 using the controls on the unit, and while they are easy to use, for the price you’d expect more. There is no reason why Honda couldn’t include built-in Wi-Fi and a smartphone app.

 

This lack of controls means you can check the unit’s progress externally including if it encountered any faults or issues.

 

 

Is the Honda MIIMO HRM310 worth buying?

Overall, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 is a mixed bag. It does offer a few unique features yet lack some that we feel the price tag warrants.

 

There are 2 main issues which stop it from scoring higher and one minor point of irritation. We dislike that Honda recommends getting a dealer to install and configure the unit. This is somewhat unnecessary and expensive.

 

Putting this minor irritation to one side, the two major issues are protection from the element and control options. We’d expect a robomower of this price to be able to sense rain and then dock, thus protecting the unit from water damage.

 

It would be nice to have an App for smart devices which would allow remote operation including issue reporting. Again for the price, this should be standard.

 

In terms of the good, there’s plenty that makes the Honda MIIMO HRM310 worth purchasing. we like the fast-charging battery, which comes complete with a fantastic charge to use ratio.

 

It’s highly versatile both in terms of configuring the cut to your preference and the cutting modes themselves. Our favourite mode is the edge cutting mode as it provides a superb cut all the way to the boundary, something most robomower struggle with.

 

Another worthwhile feature is the year-round mowing schedule which aims to keep your lawn in check throughout the year without needing much input from you. Of course, any robot lawnmower will never completely replace you but the Honda MIIMO HRM310 gets close!

 

On balance, if you can overlook the negative points, the Honda MIIMO HRM310 robomower is worth buying. 8/10