Robot lawnmowers have finally reached a point where they can take a significant chunk of work out of maintaining a yard. But they are not yet set-and-forget machines. If you don’t want these autonomous cutters to tear up your lawn or wander into a neighbor’s yard, you still need to keep an eye on them. With some oversight, however, they can eliminate one of the most time-consuming chores of homeownership.

This summer, I tested five of the latest robot mowers on my three-quarter-acre property in coastal South Carolina. The landscape is flat but far from simple: sandy soil, centipede grass, and an abundance of trees. In previous years, robot mowers struggled on this property, often getting stuck under oak trees or losing their satellite signal. But the new crop of mowers has improved dramatically, thanks to advances in navigation and maneuverability. My lawn has never looked better, and my spouse, who had sworn off robot mowers after an earlier mishap, is now a convert. His riding mower has been idle for over a month.

The consistency of these robotic mowers is impressive. Running daily and shaving just a few millimeters at a time, they encourage a noticeably lusher lawn. I walked out on it barefoot this morning, something I’ve never done before. The mowers work quietly around the clock, without disturbing pets, wildlife, or neighbors. They also create neat, professional-looking lawn lines that add to the curb appeal.

What’s Better This Year

The key upgrades in this generation are network RTK navigation, fallback navigation systems, and improved all-wheel-drive. RTK, or real-time kinematic positioning, is the satellite technology most automowers have adopted as they’ve ditched boundary wires. It uses stationary ground-based reference antennas along with GPS to provide location data accurate to a centimeter or two. For years, RTK mowers required a dedicated antenna placed in the yard with a clear view of the sky. Trees, a neighbor’s house, or your own roofline could block the signal and render the mower useless in certain areas.

The good news is that most new models now offer NetRTK as an option. This taps into a network of existing RTK reference stations through a cloud connection, requiring only a Wi-Fi or 4G connection on the mower. In my testing, most models worked out of the box without installing the antenna. However, coverage varies by location, so you’ll need to check if your home is within a covered area. These mowers also use secondary navigation tech, such as lidar or vSLAM, to keep on track when the satellite signal drops. This combination largely solved my previous problems with mowers getting confused under dense tree canopy.

What Still Needs Work

Despite the improvements, robot mowers are far from perfect. These are autonomous machines with blades, and leaving them unsupervised carries risks. One mower in my test spent three days methodically destroying a patch of lawn before I noticed. Another chewed through two outdoor extension cords. Several models dug sandpits in bare patches of the yard, and one attempted to climb up a small tree. Obstacle detection is better across the board, but it still has a long way to go. Hoses, cables, and cars remain challenging; my family now knows to check under the mower before driving away.

No manufacturer has really solved gates yet, either. I still had to manually open my gate to let the robot mow the full property. And while every manufacturer currently advertises NetRTK coverage as free for the lifetime of the device, relying on a cloud service to mow your lawn is a potential vulnerability. Finally, automowers remain expensive, and long-term durability is an open question.

Like robot vacuums, there are countless models on the market now. The right one depends on the size of your yard and its specific challenges. To find the best mower for my situation, I tested four top-of-the-line models capable of handling my backyard’s terrain: the Husqvarna 420 IQ ($3,299), Mammotion Luba 3 AWD 3000 ($2,799), Segway Navimow X430 ($2,499), and Dreame A3 AWD Pro 2500 ($3,099.99). I also tried the entry-level Roborock RockNeo Q110H ($1,299) on my front lawn, which is a more typical suburban setup.

Segway Navimow X430

The Segway Navimow X430 is by far the best mower I tested. This 60-pound machine looks like Darth Vader’s dog, but it performed like a champion. It was the only mower that didn’t get stuck once. Its four-wheel drive combined with impressive suspension rolled over potholes, sticks, rocks, and even small branches. It navigated around my chickens and across the tall, uneven transition from the front yard to the backyard. It was the only bot that could mow both areas in one trip, with the gate open.

The X430 uses a combination of RTK, vSLAM, and vision-based technology to navigate. It covered my entire property without getting lost or stuck. Its “xero-turn” maneuverability lets it pivot smoothly without damaging the grass. The dual-disc, 17-inch cutting width means it mows wider swaths, and it finished most of my backyard in under three hours, nearly twice as fast as the competitors. I also appreciated the remote-control mowing feature, which is handy for tidying edges and navigating sensitive areas like flower beds.

That speed does come with a downside: a few blades of grass go untrimmed. Also, the rain sensor relies on internet weather data, so it sometimes skips mowing because it predicts rain that never arrives. Setting up the NetRTK was a bit tricky, mainly because the charging station must be placed with a clear view of the sky, so I couldn’t put it under an awning or up against a building.

Dreame A3 AWD Pro 2500

The Dreame A3 AWD Pro 2500 is the best option if you can’t rely on RTK. Its lidar and camera-based navigation performed nearly as well as the Segway in my backyard, only getting stuck a couple of times. Since it doesn’t need a clear view of the sky, you can place it anywhere. Its sliding edge-cutting deck worked slightly better than the Segway’s EdgeSense feature in my testing. However, beware that the deck is set to a fixed 1.2-inch minimum cutting height.

In my testing, lidar was the least reliable navigation technology. Sometimes the A3 declared the job complete when it wasn’t. Lidar robots do best in fenced-in yards because they can more easily get lost and wander into a neighbor’s yard, something that never happened with the RTK robots. While the Dreame rarely got stuck, its turning mechanism wasn’t as smooth as the Segway’s, and it dug several sandpits in bare areas. I do like its “Garden Guardian” mode, which uses the camera as a roaming security guard and even warns people who cross its path. It was mildly hilarious watching it surprise dog walkers passing by the front yard.

Husqvarna Automower 420 IQ

The Husqvarna Automower 420 IQ is a good option for a standard yard. It has the longest warranty (four years), the easiest app and controls, and a modular design that promises longevity. It’s two-wheel drive, but its large wheels handle uneven terrain well. It requires an RTK antenna and offers cloud-based RTK in some areas. Its backup navigation for satellite dead spots requires installing a physical boundary wire.

I tested this model in my neighbor’s yard because their property has fewer trees and clearer skies. It navigated well, but it uses radar for obstacle detection and has no camera at all. That meant it wasn’t as good at dodging objects as the others. It ran into bushes once and tried to climb a small tree. However, if you have a large, uncomplicated, tree-free yard, it’s a solid choice thanks to Husqvarna’s broad support network, free-for-life cellular connectivity for theft and NetRTK, and impressive performance.

Mammotion Luba 3 AWD 3000

The Mammotion Luba 3 AWD 3000 combines all three wireless navigation types—RTK, lidar, and vision—making it ideal for properties with spotty GPS coverage. But it’s less nimble than the other AWD models due to lower ground clearance and weaker suspension. Its turning mechanism tore up a couple of areas in my garden, especially a damp shaded spot near the neighbors’ sprinklers. Mammotion has acknowledged the issue, saying a recent update to the turning logic caused the problem. They’ve deployed software updates to address it, but it’s a reminder that software can’t always fix a fundamental design limitation.

Roborock RockNeo Q110H

The Roborock RockNeo Q110H is my budget pick. This rear-wheel-drive mower was impressive on my flat, tree-filled front yard, although large tree roots occasionally stopped it in its tracks. Its limited range is why it costs half as much as the other models. It offers RTK and vSLAM navigation, with the option of antenna or NetRTK. The RockNeo is remarkably similar to the Segway Navimow i100N I tested last year, but with better camera-based obstacle detection, steeper slope navigation, and a wider cutting blade. It also supports manual remote-control mowing and has a built-in edge-cutting feature, though an optional add-on module is available.

Edge cutting is still very much a work in progress for all mowers. Some models do well straddling the edge, but if you have a fence or a delicate boundary, that won’t work. Companies are trying various approaches, including special attachments. For now, plan to keep your manual trimmer handy for the edges.

Robot mowers have improved significantly over the last 18 months. Advances in navigation have solved the main pain points from my previous testing, and bigger, beefier bots are now better at handling the varied terrain of American yards. The right bot will maintain your yard beautifully with minimal effort. They still need oversight and the occasional rescue, and they haven’t solved every problem, but they do take a lot of the work out of maintaining your lawn.

Source:The Verge News