- Changes
- 3
- Tracking since
- Apr 2018
- Latest
- Aug 15, 2024
- Net movement
- Classification stable
- 2024
-
Tertill retail availability narrows to direct-only as third-party stock thins
Tertill was discontinued following Franklin Robotics' merger with Harvest Automation in 2023.
Full assessment3 claims · 3 technical notes · 2 sources
Where it standsAutonomy LadderIIIIIIIVVLevel IIAssisted AutonomyHuman ReadinessReady NowNew to MarketWaitKnown IssuesNot ratedRobovations Score04055708554LimitedWhat happenedThird-party retail channels became unavailable, and product support ended. The tertill.com storefront ceased accepting new orders. Owners of existing units retain functional hardware, as the product requires no firmware updates or connectivity to operate, but no replacement parts or support are available through official channels.
Bottom lineThe product's operational design is unchanged; the setback is access, not capability.
ImpactOn autonomy
- Retail channel changes carry no autonomy capability implications
- Product hardware and navigation behavior unchanged by distribution shift
On readiness
- Reduced retail availability increases purchase friction for prospective buyers
- Direct-only purchasing removes return convenience of major retail channels
- Unclear restocking schedule adds uncertainty for replacement unit sourcing
Claim check3 maker claims checked against the record. Open one to read the finding.
Available at major retailers nationwide
Documented findingProduct is discontinued following the 2023 merger with Harvest Automation; no new units are available at any retail channelFranklin Robotics ongoing product support
Documented findingProduct discontinued following 2023 merger with Harvest Automation; support has ended. No firmware updates were possible given the product has no connectivity; hardware revisions were never announcedSolar-powered continuous operation requiring no consumables
Documented findingDocumented reality confirmed; the hardware claim holds and is unaffected by distribution changesEvidence2 sources · 0 linked
12Jun 2024Aug 2024filed 15 Aug 2024
- 1Garden Web / Houzz Forums (owner reports)10 Jun 2024named, not linked
- 2Amazon product listing (third-party seller stock history)20 Jul 2024named, not linked
Technical notes3 sections
Distribution Status
Tertill carries no Wi-Fi, app, or firmware-update pathway, so the discontinuation carries no software dimension beyond loss of support. The product’s hardware design was not revised since the original 2019 commercial release. Franklin Robotics merged with Harvest Automation in 2023, after which the Tertill product was discontinued and support ended. This is a product discontinuation, not a distribution channel adjustment.
Hardware Continuity
No hardware revision, model update, or accessory addition was announced by Franklin Robotics during this period. The cutting disk, pressure-switch height sensor, and solar charging panel remain the production configuration documented in the original launch specifications.
Buyer Impact
The product is discontinued. No new units are available through any channel. Existing owner units remain functional as the design requires no connectivity or firmware updates to operate; however, official replacement parts and support are no longer available. The tertill.com storefront is no longer accepting orders.
- 2023
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Tertill maker Franklin Robotics merges with Harvest Automation, pivots toward commercial agriculture
Franklin Robotics merged with Harvest Automation on June 7, 2023, forming a combined company operating under the Harvest Automation name.
Full assessment3 claims · 3 technical notes · 2 sources
Where it standsAutonomy LadderIIIIIIIVVLevel IIAssisted AutonomyHuman ReadinessReady NowNew to MarketWaitKnown IssuesNot ratedRobovations Score04055708554LimitedWhat happenedReporting on the deal said Tertill's maker was shifting from consumer to commercial agriculture robotics. Consumer sales continued at the time, but the pivot raised questions about how much ongoing investment the home weeding robot would receive.
ImpactOn autonomy
- No change to Tertill's weeding mechanism or navigation; the merger was a corporate restructuring.
- Franklin Robotics' engineering team joined Harvest Automation, per the companies' own statements.
On readiness
- The merged company said it would prioritize commercial agriculture products over the consumer line.
- Reporting did not describe any immediate change to Tertill's retail availability or support.
Claim check3 maker claims checked against the record. Open one to read the finding.
Harvest Automation CEO Charles Grinnell said the merger would help bring to market an innovative solution for the specialty crop sector.
Documented findingThat framing describes the new commercial agriculture line; coverage of the deal did not address the consumer Tertill product's future roadmap.Tertill co-founder Rory MacKean described the merger as joining forces to bring outdoor automation expertise to the combined company.
Documented findingMacKean moved into a chief operating officer role at Harvest Automation rather than continuing to lead Tertill specifically, consistent with reporting that described the company's direction as consumer-to-commercial.The deal was presented as a growth move combining complementary robotics technology.
Documented findingThe companies had shared an office building since Tertill's founding; Harvest Automation was the surviving entity name, and reporting characterized the move as consolidation as much as expansion.Evidence2 sources · all linked
127 Jun 20238 Jun 2023filed 7 Jun 2023- 1The Robot Report7 Jun 2023
- 2TechCrunch8 Jun 2023
Technical notes3 sectionsThe Merger
Franklin Robotics, maker of the Tertill home weeding robot, merged with Harvest Automation on June 7, 2023. Trade publications reported the deal that week; the combined company operated under the Harvest Automation name, with roughly a dozen employees.
Leadership Changes
Tertill co-founder and chief product officer Rory MacKean became chief operating officer of Harvest Automation. Helen Greiner, the former iRobot co-founder who had led Tertill as CEO since late 2020, remained on the Harvest Automation board as an advisor, while Harvest co-founder Charles Grinnell continued as chief executive of the combined company.
Stated Direction
Harvest Automation’s product line before the merger centered on the HV-100 plant-moving robot for commercial nurseries. Coverage of the deal described the combined company’s plan to develop products for the specialty-crop sector and reported that Tertill’s side of the business was moving from consumer to commercial agriculture robotics. The reporting reviewed for this entry did not specify a timeline for winding down consumer Tertill sales or support.
- 2018
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Husqvarna Group acquires 25 percent stake in Tertill maker Franklin Robotics
Husqvarna Group acquired a 25 percent minority stake in Franklin Robotics in April 2018, roughly a year after Tertill's Kickstarter campaign and before its 2019 retail launch.
Full assessment3 claims · 3 technical notes · 2 sources
Where it standsAutonomy LadderIIIIIIIVVLevel IIAssisted AutonomyHuman ReadinessReady NowNew to MarketWaitKnown IssuesNot ratedRobovations Score04055708554LimitedWhat happenedThe deal gave the startup capital and access to an established robotic-mower maker's manufacturing and distribution experience. Whether that backing translated into lasting retail support was not yet established.
ImpactOn autonomy
- No autonomy or sensing change; Tertill's weeding mechanism was unaffected by this investment.
- The investment funded commercialization, not a design or capability revision to the robot.
On readiness
- Capital and manufacturing support positioned Tertill for its planned 2019 consumer retail launch.
- No product changed hands yet; Tertill remained a pre-launch, Kickstarter-backed product at this point.
Claim check3 maker claims checked against the record. Open one to read the finding.
Husqvarna framed the deal as broadening its robotics focus beyond lawn mowers into garden care.
Documented findingThe announcement was a 25 percent minority stake, not an acquisition; Franklin Robotics continued to operate independently after the deal.Franklin Robotics said the partnership would help bring Tertill to market.
Documented findingTertill's consumer retail launch followed roughly nine months later, in 2019, per the product's own release date.The deal was positioned as validation of Tertill's weeding technology by an established robotics manufacturer.
Documented findingHusqvarna's own statement described the investment as exploratory, aimed at identifying adjacent robotic applications, not as an endorsement of Tertill's field performance.Evidence2 sources · all linked
- 1PR Newswire10 Apr 2018
- 2Husqvarna Group Press Release10 Apr 2018
Technical notes3 sections
The Investment
Husqvarna Group announced on April 10, 2018 that it had acquired a 25 percent minority stake in Franklin Robotics, the North Billerica, Massachusetts startup then developing the Tertill weeding robot. The announcement was distributed via press release and posted on Husqvarna Group’s own newsroom the same day.
Company Background
Franklin Robotics was founded in 2015 by Joe Jones, John Chase and Rory MacKean. Tertill had completed a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 and had not yet reached retail at the time of the Husqvarna announcement; the product’s commercial launch followed in 2019 at a $349 list price.
Stated Rationale
Husqvarna described the deal as an extension of its robotic-mower business, in which it said it had sold approximately 1.5 million units globally, into adjacent garden-care robotics. Franklin Robotics CEO Rory MacKean said the partnership would provide capital and manufacturing experience to help bring Tertill to market. Neither company disclosed the dollar amount of the investment.