LawnBott LB3500 Appearance and Design Review
It is quite obvious that a lot of thought went into designing the outer appearance of the LawnBott LB3500. It reminds me of an Italian sports car. It is one thing to look at photos, but it is entirely different to see the real thing in person. The photos don’t do it much justice.
The LawnBott LB3500 is 26 inches long, 19 wide and 11 inches high. The low profile of this robotic lawn mower ensures it will mow under hedges. The 19” width is less than most push lawn mowers and a lot less than riding mowers. The narrow width means it can reach more areas of the yard. The more areas it can reach, the less trimming. But do not let the small size fool you. The LawnBott LB3500 can mow more than 1-acre lawns and the LawnBott LB3500X can mow 2-acre lawns. Multiple units can be installed for 3+ acre lawns.
The outer shell not only looks good, but its primary functions are to keep water out, withstand bumps from objects, and protect the insides – all in which it does very well. The plastic may look fragile from photos, but believe me – it is as tough and rugged as a lawn mower should be. Since the LawnBott will be outside most of the time, the shell is designed to withstand UV from the sun and is fade resistant. I have to admit the glossy finish concerned me until it bumped into our concrete wall. Much to my surprise, it did not leave a scratch. Is it scratch resistant too?
On top of the LawnBott LB3500 are 3 dome nuts, which can be removed by hand to access the 360-degree bump sensors. The two-rear dome nuts dual as charging contacts. The orange arrows are for looks and do not seem to serve any other purpose.
 The adjustable rain sensor consists of two probes on the back of the mower. Adjustments can be made by simply turning one of the probes with an allen wrench. The closer the probes are – the more sensitive to rain. This is a brilliant and simple design.
The mower's response to rain can be set via the menu, which include: ignoring rain, resuming after rain or wait until the owner resumes future sessions.
In our test, the rain sensor worked wonderful. Within moments of rainfall, the mower stops the blade and immediately goes back to the charging base. The display will read “RAIN” until several hours after the rain has cleared, which turned out to be just enough time to allow the grass to dry. I found the default setting to be perfect.
The keypad is completely sealed. There is no chance of water getting inside the keypad.
The LCD emits a cool blue backlight, which is easy on the eyes. The 2-line display interface is user friendly and big enough to read while standing.  I had no problems with navigating and finding options on the menu because it is straightforward. The primary buttons are the three centered directly under the LCD screen. Up arrow and down arrows change the values and the Enter button advances to the next option.
Buttons
Emergency Stop - Shuts down the mower immediately
On – Power Button
Off – Turns off the LawnBott
Start / Pause – Pause is standby mode. Start is for manually starting the mower.
Charge – Sends the mower back to the charging base or forces a session
- Scrolls through options
+ Scrolls through options
Enter – make selection and advance to next menu
When the handle or these metal strips are touched, the blade stops turning. The locations are strategically placed where a person will most likely attempt to pick up the LawnBott.
In our test, the sensors worked as promised. Not only does the blade motor shut off, but the blade actually stops spinning in less than a second. If you touch the sensor without triggering the bump (obstacle) sensors, the LawnBott will continue to roll forward. After a few seconds, the mower will stop and emit warning beeps before it restarts the blade. We discuss this and other safety features in more detail in the Safety section of this review.
 The new larger LawnBott wheel is designed to improved traction over the previous generation models. On surfaces that are flat, inclined and has minor dips and holes, the notched wheels did an excellent job without the optional spiked wheels.
If you have steep hills or your terrain is rough, the spiked wheels are a must have. Spiked wheels give the ultimate in traction.
The optional spiked wheels for the LawnBott LB3500 screw directly on top of the regular wheels in pre-drilled holes. They can be mounted on the outer, inner wheel or both sides.
If you order your LawnBott with spiked wheels, LawnBotts.com will install them at no additional cost.
The LawnBott is fully electric and the parts are at the top of their class. After many years of continued use, the mower wouldn’t need much repair if any at all. But that didn’t stop LawnBott from designing the LB3500 easy enough for the end-user to replace parts. To open the LawnBott LB3500's cover, simply loosen the two screws underneath the front by hand.
Upon looking inside, you will notice how simple the mower is designed and how easy it is to access the parts. The chassis is surprisingly very sturdy and thick.
The major parts are: two wheel motors, one mowing blade motor, main board, and three obstacle sensors.
 The 360 degree obstacle sensors (on the right) consist of three disc centered by springs. When the shell is moved, these sensors trigger a switch. Once triggered, the mower will stop, reverse then go in another direction.
The only tools needed for a complete rebuild are allen wrench set, screw driver, adjustable wrench and maybe a pair of pliers. Special tools are not required to service the unit.
Image on the left:
A. Double lithium battery
B. Braces for additional batteries (LB3500X)
C. Mowing motor
D. Perimeter Wire sensor
E. 360 Degree Obstacle sensor boards
F. Proximity sensor board
G. Blade height adjustment wrench
H. Alarm Board
Image on the right:
1. Drive motors
2. Main board (the brain)
The LawnBott LB3500 has room for 2 additional lithium batteries that expand coverage to 2 acres – in which we call the LawnBott LB3500X. The brackets (B) are in place and pre-wired for easy addition of the extra batteries. If you order the LawnBott LB3500X from LawnBotts.com, these batteries will come pre-installed.
According to the LawnBott headquarters in Italy, the LB3500 will be able hold an extra 4 batteries – there is certainly room. But with just the double lithium battery it can mow for about 5 hours. I am estimating that the run/charge time cycles will only allow for a maximum of 2 extra batteries found in the LawnBott LB3500X. Because there is only 24 hours in a day, I am having my doubts how an additional 4 batteries can be a benefit outside adding extra weight.
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LawnBott Proximity (Touch) Sensors