Flymo, Bosch, or Husqvarna? The Best Robotic Lawn Mowers Revealed

The robotic lawn mower is a relatively new invention, but despite this, there seem to be a large number of models on the market, and choosing between them can be difficult. In this article, we will look at the latest models from the top three manufacturers - Flymo, Bosch and Husqvarna - to see what features they have, and what sets them apart from others on the market.

In fact, the first, the Flymo 400m, as pictured here, is a little bit of a cheat, as it appears to actually be a first or second generation Husqvarna that has been painted red.

The lawn mower, or one pictured remarkably like it, but in green, has also been marketed as a Gardena on the continent.

That's no surprise, as arguably Husqvarna are the international leaders in robotic automatic lawn mower technology. Their pre- and after-sales support is also pretty good, and these re-branded models offer excellent value for money.

They operate on the perimeter wire method, as do all the models featured in this article, since GPS location automatic mowers haven't proved to be as reliable as those that detect their operating area using a wire.

In case of obstacles (flower beds, garden furniture, pets or people, etc.) the mower has a bump bar around it, which triggers an automatic process that causes the mower to reverse, turn, and resume mowing.

The Bosch Indego, pictured here, bears a suspicious resemblance to the Flymo/Husqvarna, based on their online videos showing set up and operation. There is the same docking station arrangement, perimeter wire, and the shape looks familiar.

(Observant readers will notice that it appears to be the other way round, however, with the driving wheels at the back rather than the front.)

Those two holes on the front are for docking with the charging station : the Flymo docks 'backwards' which works well, but can fail on occasion if the installation instructions haven't been followed to the letter. Docking forwards might improve on this.

It also seems that the Bosch uses ultrasound rather than a bump bar for obstacle detection. Personally, I prefer the immediate physical presence of a bump bar, but ultrasound works well, too.

Both the Bosch and the Flymo use three spinning blades for cutting, which is also typical of Husqvarna lawn mowers. The Bosch appears to be able to use a straight-line method for mowing, whereas the Flymo uses an entirely random algorithm, as does the Gardena mower, which may also be a re-branded Husqvarna, at least in appearance.

All in all, there's not that much to choose between them, and it's arguable that unless you have a  lawn that is shaped oddly, or on the larger size, it's not worth the extra money going for the Bosch. The Flymo/Husqvarna/Gardena works well on lawns that are fairly regular in shape, and smallish.

Finally, Husqvarna also put out their automatic robotic lawn mowers under their own brand name. Here's the Automower 305, which ought to look familiar.

It will comfortably mow an area up to 500 square meters, or 1/4 of an acre, which puts it in the same league as the Flymo. The Bosch will do a bit more, and copes with inclines better.

However, the undisputed king of the robots has to be the Husqvarna 230. It can mow up to 3000 square meters, and deal with 35% inclines. It's also just a little more expensive than the 305.

For those who have done a bit of research, they'll know that there is, in fact, a Husqvarna 265, too.

It has 5 blades, rather than three, can converse with a smart phone, and has ultrasonic sensors that prevent hard knocks.

It's also very expensive, and is really only for those who have large lawns, with complex shapes, several zones, and who want a minute by minute update on their mower's status via their iPhone/Android.

All in all, depending on the size of lawn, you can't go wrong with any of these. The Bosch looks like a good bet for those who have a bit more to spend, and the Flymo is perfect for smaller, squarer, flatter lawns.

However, I would be tempted to go with the Husqvarna equivalents, as they are one of the market leaders, and their technology (and design) looks to have had a heavy influence on, if not been actively used for, other leading brands on the market.