The robot mower market is interesting. Unlike traditional mowers or power equipment, there are many new and unproven startup companies offering robot mowers for home use.
Many of these launch on Kickstarter or other crowd-funding platforms and can generate millions of dollars in funds before they even release a product.
While this does help push the technology further in a shorter amount of time, some of these startups never deliver on their big promises. Sometimes, they never deliver a product at all, which can upset the original contributors.
Thankfully, if risking your money on a startup brand isn’t exactly your thing, there are a few trusted brands producing high-quality robot mowers for home and commercial use.
One of those brands is Husqvarna. You’re no doubt familiar with Husqvarna and its longstanding position in the world of lawn and garden equipment.
Husqvarna was quick to enter the robot mower market in its infancy and they’ve been producing solid robot mowers for years now.
Below, we’ll go over the line of Husqvarna robot mowers and explain why they are some of the most trusted robot mowers available today.
Husqvarna Started Making Robot Mowers in 1995
Most people believe that robot mowers were introduced in just the last few years. While that may be true for a majority of brands that get a lot of attention, it’s not the case for Husqvarna.
Husqvarna’s first production robot mower was their Solar Mower in 1995. Not only did Husqvarna innovate with the first robot mower, but the Solar Mower also used solar panels to provide power.
Due to its shape, it was also sometimes called the Turtle Mower. However, the design used for the original Solar Mower is still the basis for a majority of mowers being built today.
The Solar Mower was a big hit when first launched and was featured in magazines and TV shows around the world.
The First Generation Husqvarna Automower
Due to the success and reception of the Solar Mower, Husqvarna engineers worked for three years refining the technology.
The result was the first generation Husqvarna Automower in 1998. The Automower line would become Husqvarna’s premier mower and the company continued to engineer the product using the latest technology as it emerged.
Second and third-generation Automowers would follow. Technology such as GPS assists, remote control, and all-wheel drive were all added to the Automower lineup.
The result was an evolving product line that offered a mower for almost every budget and also for different lawn configurations and sizes.
What Makes Husqvarna Robot Mowers So Trusted
With so many newer companies entering the robot mower market, consumers are often left with questions about longevity or support. With Husqvarna, a lot of those concerns can be put to rest based on their long-track history.
Below are some areas where Husqvarna offers a strong value proposition compared to newer robot mower brands.
Support
Robot mowers are one of those products that can attract two very different types of buyers. On one hand, you have the buyer who loves to be an early adopter of new technology.
These users generally don’t mind fiddling around with new technology and working out a few bugs here and there. For them, that’s all part of the fun.
However, the other type of consumer expects their robot mower to work exactly as advertised, right out of the box.
This means different support requirements for each type of consumer. If you fall into the latter category, then Husqvarna offers far more support than newer robot mower brands or startups.
Unfortunately, with many newer robot mower brands, it’s very difficult to get a hold of someone if something goes wrong or if you need assistance.
There’s also the issue of spare parts. Being such a large, worldwide brand, you can find replacement blades and other consumables easily when it comes to the Automower.
The same goes for replacement batteries or other components.
Overall, Husqvarna provides a level of support that many newer robot mower brands simply can’t match. The Husqvarna dealer network and support infrastructure provide many ways for you to find solutions to any problems or questions you have with your mower.
Tested Technology
Husqvarna has been receiving customer feedback since 1995. Since that time, they’ve learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t when it comes to robot mowers.
This means that the latest Automower you buy has been tested and proven in the real world on lawns around the world.
Many newer robot mower brands and startups are often on their first-generation mower. While they can still produce a great mower, there is no track record or history to ensure the product will last or that the features work as intended.
This isn’t to say that every Automower works perfectly in every lawn environment. However, there is a level of real-world testing when it comes to the Automower that other brands just don’t have.
Solid App With Regular Updates
One issue that comes up often with newer robot mowers is the quality of the app. The app can make or break a robot mower, especially during the initial setup process.
Today, you need to interact with the app for the majority of the setup process. From pairing the mower to the app and setting up boundaries and zones, the app is a critical part of the mower.
Husqvarna has one of the best apps in this regard. It feels polished and premium as soon as you install it.
Other brands can use more generic apps, with some even having room for branding from other OEM manufacturers.
The Automower Connect app also receives regular updates and there is tailoring for each Automower model.
Overall, the Husqvarna app is one of the better ones on the market. It’s not always perfect and issues can still pop up. But the experience is far superior to many newer robot mower brands.
Competitive Pricing
A lot of the pricing advantages of Husqvarna simply come from the economics of scale. They are a large company and sell quite a few Automowers.
However, they aren’t always the cheapest mowers out there and you can often find less popular mowers for less money, especially online.
However, when comparing the value proposition, Husqvarna’s are very competitively priced. Considering the support and overall quality of the product, the Automower lineup is very reasonably priced.
Options To Fit A Variety Of Lawn Environments
Another positive aspect of the Husqvarna robot mowers is the variety in the product lineup.
Instead of just offering a few mowers that mostly differ in range, Husqvarna offers several options.
Of course, they offer a different range options for their Automower. But beyond that, they also offer a choice of navigation methods. They also offer different drivetrains from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive. This choice is great if you have a lawn with a lot of rolling terrain or inclines.
There’s also a high-cut option for those who prefer higher-cutting heights.
Husqvarna isn’t the only brand to offer such variety. Ambrogio also has a strong lineup with many options. However, a majority of robot mower brands, especially newer brands, often only have a few options that are mostly based on total range.
If you want a wide selection of robot mowers to choose from, there are few brands that compare with Husqvarna
The Husqvarna Robot Mower Lineup
There are 17 total robot mowers in the current Automower lineup. There are 9 classified as residential mowers and 8 commercial mowers. However, many of the commercial mowers are applicable for larger or more complex residential lawns.
Wire Guidance
A majority of the Automower lineup uses a perimeter wire as the navigation system. While this may seem like a drawback, a perimeter wire does give you the most consistent performance once installed.
The perimeter wire is easy to install and installation help is available through the Husqvarna dealer network and third-party installers.
The perimeter wire is simply laid on the surface of your lawn and held down with small stakes. It does not have to be buried and you don’t have to dig up any area of your lawn.
However, if you want a wire-free installation, Husqvarna offers the EPOS Automower.
Husqvarna EPOS Models
The EPOS or Exact Positioning Operating System is Husqvarna’s wire-free robot mower technology.
There is one residential EPOS model and several commercial options.
These mowers use a combination of satellite signals to mow within an area of about 2-3 cm of accuracy.
With these mowers, you do not have to install a perimeter wire and instead, you guide the mower around the perimeter of your lawn using the Automower Connect app. The mower learns your lawn’s perimeter and can operate autonomously after the initial setup.
As with many wire-free robot mowers, you do need a good satellite signal in your area. So any overhanging trees or structures can interfere with the performance.
Vision-Based Models
The newest technology in robot mowers is using vision-based systems such as LiDAR SLAM (Light Detection and Ranging/Simultaneous Localization and Mapping).
While this technology shows a lot of promise, it does have some issues and isn’t always completely reliable.
Husqvarna does not currently offer a 100% vision-based mower. Although EPOS systems don’t use a guidewire, EPOS doesn’t rely on a vision system for 3D mapping and navigation.
Husqvarna will likely release a vision-based mower in the near future, but as of now, they do not currently offer this technology.
Final Thoughts On Husqvarna Robot Mowers
Overall, Husqvarna is one of the most trusted brands in the relatively new robot mower marketplace.
Their breadth of models, customer support, and competitive pricing make them a strong choice for both residential and commercial options.
If you’re in the market for a robot mower, you should consider Husqvarna, especially if you want something with the most reliability and a level of service and support that only a large, trusted manufacturer can provide.
Where to Buy
You can purchase Husqvarna robot mowers from the Husqvarna website or from Autmow (Save 5% with our coupon).