Best Remote-Control Mower
Maybe you’re not ready to give up control of your mowing, but you’re sick of pushing that machine around. The Mowrator S1 is a slightly crazy remote-control mower that just might be what you need. I thought the S1 sounded like a daft idea, but it turned out to be far more fun than I expected. If you loved playing with RC cars in your youth, you’ll get some nostalgic joy from cutting grass with this beast of a mower, and it is oddly satisfying to cut the lawn this way. I tested the four-wheel-drive model, which can handle varied terrain, but there are also cheaper two-wheel-drive models available for smaller, less challenging lawns.
The S1 is incredibly heavy. Seriously, get some help lifting it out of the box. Setup is quick and easy, just screw the wheels on, plug in the battery, and fire up the remote-control console. I expected the Mowrator to be slow, but this thing has some serious va-va-voom. It’s fast and responsive, handling much like a giant RC car, and that’s exactly how the control console feels, too, with two joysticks for easy maneuvering and a small touchscreen to tweak settings. With plenty of cutting width and a gear stick to choose your preferred height, it’s quick and easy to mow a lawn. I’m able to drive it through my side gate and along the path to mow my front lawn too.
On the downside, it is not autonomous. To fire it up, you hold down both shoulder triggers and tap the start button onscreen. Let go of the triggers, and it stops automatically. I had to turn the sonar alerts off, as it was refusing to mow the edges of my lawn, but it does detect obstacles reliably and cuts off for safety. The S1 warns you to be safe every time you start it up, but I have concerns about it being dangerous in the wrong hands. It always stopped when it detected an obstacle during my testing, but sometimes only after it collided with something. It’s heavy, too, so drivers will need to concentrate. While the Mowrator doesn’t allow for the laziness of an automatic mower, I was pleasantly surprised by how fun it was to use, and even felt a little disappointed when the job was done. It’s an odd device, and it’s pricey, but for the first time in forever, I’m looking forward to mowing my lawn again.
| Specs |
|---|
| Max area: 1.12 acres (48,787 square feet) |
| Cutting height: 1.49 to 4.29 inches (38 to 109 mm) |
| Cutting width: 21 inches (53 cm) |
| Max slope: 40 degrees |
| Navigation: Remote control |
| Noise: 55 to 65 decibels |
| Battery: 145 minutes on a full charge, 90 minutes to recharge |
Mowers I Am Currently Testing
I just started testing the Anthbot M9 ($899), which is newer and cheaper than the Genie 3000 below, but it has been a mixed bag so far. I’ll update this guide with more detailed impressions once I’ve had more time with it. After that I have the Stiga A6V and the Sunseeker X7 Gen 2 to test.
Other Robot Mowers I Tested and Liked
With a sleek design and a mixture of 360-degree lidar for 3D mapping and a camera with AI vision, this mower proved very effective. Setup was straightforward, and there’s no need for wires or an antenna, though I did have to adjust the map manually. You can set multiple areas, and its navigation is generally very good. It mowed in neat lines, successfully avoided thin posts for the badminton net and other obstacles, and completed an excellent edge pass at the end. With some of the closest edge mowing I’ve seen, I was all set to recommend this mower, but then it got stuck. A couple of times, it seemed to be stuck, then managed to free itself, but an uneven problem spot proved to be its nemesis, and it chewed up a patch of grass trying to get free. Eventually, I had to make that spot a no-go zone. This mower is still worth considering, particularly if you see it on sale; just be prepared to tweak the map. The 2000 covers up to half an acre. If you have a quarter of an acre or less, the Mova Lidax 1000 ($1,299) is much cheaper but has the same features.
Photograph: Simon Hill
Husqvarna Aspire R6V for £999: While the reliable Husqvarna 410XE Nera was my top pick for a long time, you can get more affordable mowers now, without the hassle of RTK antennas. The Husqvarna Aspire R6V is just such a mower. It uses a combination of GPS and AI vision with a camera on the front. It was easy to set up and map the lawn in the app, but you will need a good Wi-Fi signal across your yard for it to work effectively. I was a little disappointed in the sensitive obstacle avoidance, as it left large uncut strips around the edges of my lawn. I was able to reduce the verge a little with some tinkering, but it was still larger than the recommendations above. Note: This model is currently not available in the US.
Anthbot Genie 3000 for $1,589: This often-discounted mower was my budget pick for a while, but mowers have moved on, so you can get better performance without the satellite antenna now. It offers auto-mapping, but the remote-control option works better. The mower cut my lawn effectively, but even after repeated map updates, it left an uncut verge. The obstacle avoidance works well, and it cuts in neat lines. It had no issues returning to charge or following a schedule. The voice that says it has connected or started mowing began to annoy me, but thankfully, it can be turned off. There were some glitches with rain alerts that prevented it from mowing, even long after the rain had stopped. I also experienced some flaky connection issues with the GPS, and it occasionally got stuck. While there is support for multiple areas, the mower often struggled picking up a signal in my front yard. Ultimately, this is still a decent mower when discounted, provided you have a modest-sized, straightforward lawn.
Eufy Robot Lawn Mower E15 for $1,799: This is another wire-free mower, but instead of relying on satellite navigation, it uses a camera system to automatically map lawns and avoid obstacles. It can cover up to 0.2 acres (8,700 square feet), cut from 1 to 3 inches, and handle up to 18-degree slopes. It is also fairly quiet and has GPS tracking, but you must have Wi-Fi coverage in your backyard, or you’ll need a 4G data subscription. I found the setup lengthy due to a firmware download, but the mapping and the first cut were decent. The E15 can only run during the day, and it doesn’t cope very well with inclines. I also found it frequently failed to cut the edges of the lawn and doesn’t perform well if the grass is damp. I wouldn’t recommend it at full price, but it seems to get frequent deep discounts.
Avoid These Mowers
EcoFlow Blade
Photograph: Simon Hill
EcoFlow Blade: While it was easy to set up and cut my lawn nicely without the need for any boundary wire, the EcoFlow Blade sometimes struggled with GPS navigation and ended up stuck in a flower bed. It also left an untouched strip around the edge of my lawn. The object avoidance was solid, and it can be automated in the app, though it occasionally failed to start a scheduled cut for me. EcoFlow seems to have discontinued this model, though it is still on sale in Europe. Probably best to avoid.
Yardcare E400
Photograph: Simon Hill
Yardcare E400: Curious about the budget end of the robot mower market, I agreed to try the Yardcare E400, but this mower was an unmitigated disaster from start to finish. It’s a boundary wire model, so you must run wire around the area you want mowed. Yardcare suggests it can cover up to 4,300 square feet and cut grass between 0.8 and 2.4 inches. The problem is that it gets stuck frequently and struggles to even get on and off its charging station reliably. After trying multiple fixes to no avail and going through customer support, I had to conclude that this model has a serious design flaw.
How Do Robot Lawn Mowers Work?
Perhaps counterintuitively, the setup instructions for your robot lawn mower will likely tell you to start by cutting the grass. Robot mowers mostly can’t deal with long grass. Unlike traditional mowers, these robots don’t collect grass cuttings; they mulch instead, and they are designed to cut frequently, keeping your lawn short and simply leaving the cuttings on the ground, which can also improve lawn health. Most robot mowers are designed to run two or three times a week during the growing season (from late spring to early fall).
They have rechargeable batteries onboard and can last from half an hour to several hours on a full charge. They return to the charging base and recharge automatically when their power runs low. Most mowers have simple controls, a small display, and an emergency stop button. You can generally start and stop mowing, set schedules, and create or edit mapped areas using the onboard controls or the companion mobile app, very much like a robot vacuum.
What Features Should I Look for in a Robot Mower?
There are many factors to consider in choosing a robot mower, and the best choice for you often depends on your yard.
Lawn Size and Shape
Robot lawn mowers are generally rated to cover a specific square footage, with wider coverage requiring models with larger batteries. Alongside yard size, you should consider the shape and topography of your lawn, as most robot mowers will struggle with steep inclines. While you can often map out separate areas so your robot mower can mow front and back lawns, for example, it will generally need you to lift and carry it between those areas. If you have an uneven garden or steep slopes, look for a four-wheel-drive (4WD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD) mower and check the manufacturer’s rating for inclines.
Navigation Type
There are a few types of navigation that robot mowers employ. We’ve tested five different approaches, though some mowers combine multiple technologies for better performance.
- Satellite: Often employing something called Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Positioning System (GPS), these mowers need a satellite signal to navigate and will have a receiver that must be placed in the open with a clear line of sight to the sky. Satellite navigation mowers are not suitable for areas with tall trees or buildings.
- Light Detection and Ranging (lidar): This technology sends out rapid laser pulses to 3D map the terrain (it is also used by self-driving cars). It enables mowers to cut grass under thick tree canopies or near tall buildings where GPS signals usually fail.
- Cameras: Cameras and onboard AI are used for obstacle detection and avoidance. AI vision can automatically map areas and cut the grass while avoiding obstacles it encounters, much like how most robot vacuums navigate a home to clean the floors.
- Wire boundary: These mowers require you to install a perimeter wire as a boundary around your lawn that marks out the border the mower should not cross. It’s a messy job that can be tricky.
- Remote control: You mow your lawn from the comfort of your home using a remote controller or an app on your phone. Some only work via remote control, while others can also cut automatically.
Power and Charging
Robot mowers generally come with large charging docks, and you’ll need to earmark a suitable spot for yours. They usually have extensive weatherproof cabling, but you will have to find a route to an outdoor socket.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
To connect to your mower and schedule a mow, update the firmware, or remote control it where supported, you need a decent Wi-Fi signal or a Bluetooth connection. It’s best to set up your mower’s charging station within range of your Wi-Fi network. Some mowers also need a strong Wi-Fi signal to operate effectively, so you might consider adding an outdoor mesh router. If you want to connect your phone via Bluetooth, you will have to get quite close.
How Noisy Are Robot Mowers?
Most robot mowers are far quieter than their traditional counterparts. You can expect them to operate at around 55 decibels, though they may go as high as 75 decibels. We only tested battery-powered mowers, but expect gas mowers to be louder. While the operation is often quiet, I did find that several mowers made annoying beeping sounds when backing up or had a loud recorded voice during setup or upon receiving a command.
Do Robot Mowers Work in Any Weather?
Robot mowers and their charging stations usually have IP ratings and can cope with rain, but you should pack up and bring your mower indoors during the winter months. Many robot mowers have some kind of rain sensor and will pause mowing when it gets too wet. Some mowers may need to be paused manually. The wheels can churn up your lawn and get caked in mud if mowers continue to labor in the rain, especially with larger and heavier models.
How Well Do Robot Mowers Cut?
Mowers of different sizes will have varying cutting widths, denoting the width of the strip they can cut on each pass. Most also have floating cutting decks that enable you to choose the length of grass you want (typically 1 to 3 inches). Many robot mowers seem to struggle with cutting around the edges of a lawn, especially if there’s a wall or fence that prevents them from getting close enough.
It’s common to find an uncut verge around the edge of your lawn, so you might need to occasionally get the string trimmer out. Every robot mower I’ve tested has also struggled to cut the area around the charging station, so I recommend placing the unit on a deck or pavement if possible.
Can I Install a Robot Mower Myself?
Yes, most robot mowers can be installed by anyone, but you might want to set aside an afternoon to work out any snags. Finding the best spot for the receiver for a satellite mower can be tricky. The mapping process can also take a while; usually, the mower will prompt you to remote-control it around the border you want to set. After the first mow, you should review its performance and make tweaks to ensure it’s covering the entire area you want to cut.
How I Test Robot Lawn Mowers
I test each robot lawn mower for at least a month, on at least two different lawn areas, assessing the ease of setup, the mapping process, automatic scheduling (where available), navigation, obstacle avoidance, and the quality of the final cut, looking for length, uniformity, and any missed patches. Where applicable, I try extra features, tweak settings in the app, and check how the mower handles different weather conditions. I also keep an eye on battery performance and charging time to ensure it aligns with the manufacturer’s claims.
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