Robotic Lawn Mower Brands and Models Guide

Last update: September 2017

The following is a list of all known robotic mower brands, and the notable models that they are associated with. Any corrections can be emailed via the main site. Enjoy!

AL-KO

Robolinho / Solo

These are made in Germany, and are at the expensive end of the spectrum. That said, they do hang their reputation on the mature technology used, and slightly complex electronics which includes rain detection so it only mows in fine weather.

The AL-KO Robolinho and Solo models also feature a double decker blade, which they claim reduces build up of cuttings. This build-up, in, for example, the Flymo 1200R (and related Gardena and Husqvarna mowers) can cause damage to the rubber dampers, so anything that reduces it is a good idea.

Other than that, due to non-standard blades, you could expect lifetime costs to be a bit higher than the more mainstream mowers. There's also no return wire, so expect to see the mower bumping around the edges of the lawn as it tries to find its way home.

Bosch

Indego

The Bosch Indego was one of the first robotic lawnmowers to make an appearance in Europe, alongside Husqvarna (selling variously as Gardena, Flymo, etc.) and the Worx Landroid. For a while these were the 'big three' that could be seen side by side in continental garden centers.

The Indego was different from the market leader, Husqvarna, in the design: it followed the perimeter wire, rather than having a return wire, and could be programmed to cut in stripes. It also docked forwards, and reversed out, rather than the opposite, as was the trend at the time.

Recent models add GSM connectivity, so you can monitor your lawnmower from a distance, as well as boosting security by always knowing where it was last seen.

Robomow

Also going under the 'Friendly Robotics' moniker, the RX, RS, RC series cover everything you could want from a mower. Smaller, cheaper models for small lawns, up to workhorses designed to mow across multiple zones.

The more expensive versions boast app connectivity, GPS tracking and all manner of custimisation, as well as increased autonomy between charges and the ability to handle farily steep slopes.

Stiga

Global Garden Products produces several robotic mower products under the Stiga brand, in two categories called Autoclip and Alpina.

Autoclip

Again, at the low end, all you really get is a mower with a rain sensor (so that it stops if it gets too wet), but the higher end models come with all manner of bells an whistles including GPS support.

The cutting is provided by a solid 4 point blade, offering 8 cutting edges, which is different from many of the available makes, which seem to have more or less all decided on three blades spinning on a plate. However, these do break easily, and maybe Stiga are on to something with a more robust, albeit dangerous and expensive to replace, blade.

Alpina

The Stiga Alpina seems to have been design for rugged terrain with slopes up to an impressive 45%, with the same cutting equipment as the Autoclip range, just a bit more robust.

Husqvarna

Husqvarna consistently refer to themeselves as the world leader, and there's no reason to doubt them. They pioneered mass market robotic lawn mower design, and usually set the standard for high quality, affordable robot mowers.

Automower

The Husqvarna Automower brand is now in it's third iteration, and it is fair to say that the innovation continues, with app support, GPS, and an emphasis on silent, efficient cutting. It's also one of the only models of robotic lawnmower that uses a return wire to steer the machine home when it is in need of charging the battery.

Flymo

The Flymo 1200R (for example) bears more than a passing resemblence to the original Automower; in fact, I would go so far as to say that it is a rebadged version of my own Gardena R40Li. Confused? Don't be, they're all part of the same great group that brought us cutting edge mowing in the first place!

Gardena

My own robot mower is the excellent Gardena R40Li: a rebadged second generation Husqvarna Automower. Gardena continues to commission models from the parent company, and is one of the big three that can often be seen in continental garden centres, alongside Bosch and Worx models. 

John Deere

Tango E5

Based on the pictures, the John Deere Tango mowers are built to last. They have opted for a single blade, which looks rather like the traditional mulching blade I had in my old Viking lawn mower. Again, built to last, but one has to wonder how efficient such a large spinning chunk of metal will be on a device designed to cut frequently and little.

Viking

Part of the Stihl group, Viking are well known for their white and green mowers, and the iMow represents an extension of this tradition into more modern lawn care products.

iMow

This is another model with a solid blade rather than swinging blades, which looks rather like the one that I once had on my own push along mower (the traction broke in the first season, and I never repaired it.)

The menu system looks more complete and comprehsive, not to mention comprehensible than, for example, the older generation Automowers, and there are a number of models to choose from, each with its own specific footprint.

The latest 'C' models now also come with app based control, and attractive, low profile docking stations. Like the Automower, the iMow backs up against the charging station, which is against, rather than along, the perimeter wire.

Denna

Created by the Hangzhou Favor Robot Technology company, Denna robotic lawn mowers are EN certified for sale in Europe, and represent the low cost end of the market. Reading the user guide reveals the origin; like other Chinese imports it is occasionally esoterically written.

Nonetheless, these seem to be pretty capable units, based on standard perimeter wire technology and with four spinning blades. They aren't the prettiest, though, available in a range of garish colours and a blocky design.

Cubcadet

Part of the E P Barrus group, Cubcadet don't make a big thing of their robotic lawn mowers, so you have to dig a bit to find them.

Lawnkeeper

These aren't immediately available on their web site, but they are revealed in a simple web search. Bearing the label 'Powered by Robomow', the mowers are zoned, use a perimeter wire, and have brushless motors (at the top end) but little else is known about them at this time.

Honda

Honda has a good reputation in both robotics and mowers, so it was only a matter of time before the two were combined.

Miimo

The interface fr theHonda Miimo is one of the best on the market. Otherwise, it's a farily conventional mower, with three swinging blades, in Husqvarna style, and has the usual perimeter wire arrangement for delimiting the mowing area.

As with other mainstream brands, high end models have app connectivity, random cutting and decent seasonal scheduling.

iRobot

Famous for the Roomba robotic floor cleaning device, iRobot wanted to use the same kind of technology for their robotic lawn mowers but came into a few problems because their radio based technology clashed with other outdoor users.

Terra

This fabled machine has yet to make an appearance, and if iRobot follow their usual approach to navigation, it will be based on a localised GPS-style system. Watch this space.

Worx

Positec launched the Worx Landroid in competition with Husqvarna, and found themselves the subject of a patent infringement lawsuit brought by the Husqvarna group.

Landroid

The Worx Landroid, like many others, has a three blade system, perimeter wire and a few neat twists such as border mowing and a rather discrete vertically mounted charging station. This last is rather more aesthetically pleasing than some of the competition's and Landroid usually sits comfortably alongside the Indego and Automower models from Bosch and Gardena in many European garden centres.

Belrobotics

These are big, professional mowers that cover golf courses and other grassy outdoor areas; acquired by Yamabiko, the have yet to make a mark on the comsumer market.

Toro

iMow

The Toro iMow has three solid blades and reconditioned 2002 models can be found in the marketplace. No more recent mowers have been found to date. One wonders if the name, blade arrangement and other features make it a distant relation of the Viking iMow...

Zucchetti Centro Sistemi

Ambrogio

Under the parent Zucchetti Centro Sistemi, Ambrogio have been in the robotic mower business for over 15 years, and have 14 models to prove it!

The Ambrogio models are slightly different in that they use grass sensors, and GPS rather than a perimeter wire. Now, I'm not a huge fan of relying on either of these technologies, but I have a friend who has successfully deployed a first generation model with lawn sensors to good effect.

The range has three distinct markets: home, semi-professional, and professional. This last seems to be aimed at the automatic tending of huge lawns, with pre-programmed, GPS-controlled cutting paths and brushless motors to make it capable of servicing areas of up to 30,000 square metres.

Wiper Runner

Probably related to the Ambrogio, these do not feature on ZCS' main site, and little is publicly available on them. However, they look like capable, safe, easy to use mowers, according to the manuals that were found in a deep search online.

They're not cheap, however, when compared to similarly specified models such as the Flymo 1200R, Gardena R40Li or Husqvarna Automower.

End of List.