Or rather, a robot that does the job for you. Every day, sometimes twice a day, without you even having to ask.

And after just two months on the Irish market, the Auto Lawn Mower is already whizzing around 1,000 gardens in Ireland. All by itself.

"Our only problem is keeping up with demand, " said Patrick McCann, the founder of Auto Lawn Mow Ltd Ireland. "I set up the company in February and last month our sales had quadrupled to 1,000 orders. When people actually see them working, they go wild. No human intervention at all. Just press the button in February, and take it back in at the end of autumn. Done.

And because it cuts the lawn on such a regular basis, you get an effect like a golf course in your garden."

The Auto Lawn Mower comes in three different models, with the most sophisticated . . . which is capable of mowing up to one-and-a half acres a day . . . retailing at 2,500. This price comes with the promise of never having to mow the lawn again. But does it work?

"I think it's perfect, " said Marie Carthy from Co Longford, who bought the lawnmower last month to take care of her mother's garden.

"I used to have to go around with the ride-on. But this is brilliant. Sometimes you see it working and you'd hardly believe it. All we need now is something to do the ironing."

Cavan man Tony MacFadden is also enthralled with his new purchase, which works diligently every day on his half-acre of land. "It's great altogether, " he said. "I was online trying to find a decent ride-on and the prices were all around 4,000. So then I saw this and asked Patrick to come down and give me a demonstration."

MacFadden was duly impressed with the Auto Lawn Mower's talents. It starts off in a little custommade cabin, where it automatically recharges its batteries at the end of every day's cutting. The lawnmower costs just 7 a year to operate, making it an environmentally friendly option for any green-thinking gardeners.

"It gave me a bit of a shock, the first morning, " said MacFadden. "I was leaving for work and there it was, whizzing around the garden.

Like a little dog. My brother lives next door and he was straight over to me asking what the feck was that thing in the garden. He thought I was mad. Of course, he's getting one put in himself now."

As it cuts, the robot tests the grass to determine when it will need to mow again. This means, depending how fast your grass grows, it may be out cutting twice a day or not at all. MacFadden's model seems to be particularly enthusiastic.

"I see it about twice. Once in the morning and again in the evening. It'll probably be out again around 9pm tonight. It's great to see it scooting about the place and the lawn is perfect. I'd normally have to spend about an hour a week mowing, the wife's a bit of a stickler about her lawn. But now I don't have to think about it at all. And it's so funny, if it starts to rain, it runs straight back into the little house."

The mower is programmed so that if a drop of rain hits its body, it immediately returns to its hut. It can handle slopes of up to 27 degrees and still keep cutting, and it also has a 'smart spiral' programme, allowing it to detect where the grass is growing faster or thicker than other areas . . .

such as around a tree. The thicker the grass, the harder it works."

"Honestly people just love it, " said McCann. "We've actually had lots of neighbours who are living in estates pitching together to buy one. There'll be, say, four houses side by side. They cut a little hole in the back of their hedges, and the lawnmower will make its way through the gap and cut all their lawns, every day. It's unbelievable really."