Robot vacuums are becoming more common in recent years. There are many options available, from simple floor cleaners to those equipped with AI-powered cameras. A few companies believe that robotic lawnmowers will follow a similar trend. Husqvarna is a brand that has been leading the way in these products.
This company is known for producing power tools for outdoor projects. The Husqvarna AUTOMOWER430XH was put to the test at my rural farmstead. I am ready for these devices become more common.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER (430XH) review: Price and availability
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER430XH was released in 2019 at $3299.95. This mower is available from multiple retailers such as Amazon, Lowes Home Depot and Husqvarna. The lawnmower’s price has fluctuated since its launch, but it is now available at $2499.99 from many of the same launch retailers.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER® 430XH: What’s great?
I was skeptical and excited when I was offered the opportunity to review a robotic mower. As I was when my first robot vacuum cleaner arrived, I’m still excited and skeptical about the prospect of using it. best robot vacuum cleaners. It’s because it gives my family time back and takes care of a task that I would rather not do.
I had the same hope as for a vacuum lawnmower. I enjoy mowing my lawn, even though it can be tedious at times. It is a pleasure to have a machine that can do the job. Although I live on five acres of rural Kansas, I expected a robot mower that could take over my entire property.
Robot lawnmowers could have the same impact on our outdoor spaces as their indoor counterparts.
Husqvarna is a company I am familiar with as I have used several of its outdoor power tools. Most people are familiar with Husqvarna for its tools. However, Husqvarna has a long history of making robots. This company has been manufacturing these tools for 25 years. It was not only a celebration to commemorate the time, but also to celebrate the 10th anniversary for Curiosity, the Mars robot. Automowers models beeped Happy Birthday and flashed lights on August 5, 2022. Husqvarna provided me with a compatible model, 415XH to test the event. Here’s a LinkHere’s a video.
The Husqvarna AUTOMOWER is one of their larger consumer models. You get many of the same features as basic robot vacuums like compatibility with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, mapping and spot mowing. Instead of using spinning brushes, the three blades are spinning and can be used to create a 9.45-inch path around your yard.
It also has sensors that allow it to balance the mower and stop it if it is tilted or lifted. The Husqvarna AUTOMOWER430XH requires that you set some boundaries and guide it, not like a vacuum, which will automatically start vacuuming when it is fully charged.
| Husqvarna AUTOMOWER 430XH | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 29.5 x 24.8 x 13.5″ |
| Weight | 32.4 pounds |
| Batteries | 5 Ah, 50 min charge time, 145 min run time |
| Reduce width | 9.45 inches |
| System of cutting | 3 pivoting razor blades |
| Reduce height | 2 – 3 inches |
| Lawn size | .8 acre, 1,432 sqft/hr |
| Maximum slope | 45° |
| Connectivity | Cellular, Bluetooth |
| Safety | GPS Theft Tracking, PIN Code, Alarm |
| Sensors | Lift, Tilt, Ultrasonic |
| Boundary wire is required | ✔️ |
| Weather resistant | ✔️ |
| Smart features | Google Assistant, Weather Timer, Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Map Locator |
| Warranty | 2 years |
There are two choices when it comes to installing an AUTOMOWER. As someone who likes to do it all myself, I chose to install the mower myself. The 430XH box contains 2461 feet of loop wire, extra wire blades, connectors and loop wire couplers, as well as labels, charger station, ground anchors, and the mower.
One word of advice: Before you start installing loop wire, make sure you walk your property and have a clear plan of where Husqvarna AUTOMOWER is going to cut the loop wire. Laying the wire will save you time and frustration.
Although it was not an enjoyable task, installing the loop wire on a July day that reached 100 degrees was necessary for the mower’s operation.
The loop wire is used for two purposes — be the boundary and guide for the mower. We used every inch of the wire provided to cover as much as possible in our yard. We secured the wire on top the ground using ground stakes. The mower’s boundary can be as high as eight inches. For the guide wire, we then ran a wire from the charging station to the corner.
This wire provides a stronger current that helps the mower locate it and get the 430XH back at the charging station quickly. Husqvarna uses the loop wire to create islands around areas where it doesn’t want to go. This includes brush piles, trees, and gardens.
After the guide and boundary wires had been installed, it was now time to plug them in to the charging station to charge everything. I switched on the Husqvarna Automower 430XH’s main power and connected it to the charger. It started charging while it was charging and then booted up. Google Pixel 7 Pro.
You can monitor your mower’s power status, location, and schedule mowing. The app also gives you a lot of insight into your mower’s accomplishments. You can view stats such as the distance your AUTOMOWER®430XH has traveled, how long it has taken to charge, cut and search for a base station, among others.
The app is not something you will use often but the functions are well-thought out and easy to access.
You’ll receive a notification via the app if your mower is stuck or lost. It’s great that the map can be pulled up to show me where the bot is having trouble. The AUTOMOWER® 430XH’s geofence can be shown on the map.
Geofence acts like an invisible bubble that covers your property. You can adjust both the size and the coverage area. You will be notified if the robot is removed from your yard. If the battery is low, the mower will keep track of its location and decrease its GPS pings.
It’s a great lawnmower. It is pretty good. It is quiet. Like spooky quiet. You have to listen closely to the mower’s motor turning the blades, even if it is quiet outside. After watching a football match, my brother and I were outside chatting when the mower came up to us and scared us.
My wife and I watched the mower for a while when it first started. It is not capable of cutting grass from the chute, so it is difficult for me to see how it is doing. This is true unless the grass is very high. The mower will cut in a spiral shape if it encounters an area that is especially overgrown.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER® 430XH runs very quietly. Although it is quiet, it does not disturb you during operation. However, it makes it easy for you to forget it is running. You could be run over if it forgets.
The mower will cut until it reaches the boundary wire. In the app, you can select how far the mower will cut past the wire. The mower will move around when it comes in contact with solid objects. The included wire can be used to create “islands”, or areas where the mower shouldn’t go. This can be done with the included wire, and it is very helpful for trees, bushes, and gardens.
Unlike robot vacuums that tend to clean in an orderly pattern, the Husqvarna AUTOMOWER 430XH doesn’t — at all. The mower’s mowing path is totally random and doesn’t make sense. But the mower knows exactly where it is and doesn’t know where. The mower will eventually cover the entire yard. My yard was mowed manually from mid-July to the end of October.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER-430XH Review: What’s wrong?
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER (430XH) is an excellent device to automate lawn cutting. It works well and the app complements it very well. There are some issues that can be encountered right away.
This is boundary wire installation. It is tedious and labor-intensive to lay the wire. Installing the wire is easy if you live in an area that does not get too hot or receives a lot of rain. It is difficult to install the wire in Kansas in July, as I did.
While installing the boundary and guidewires is not a difficult job, it can be without the right conditions.
Another aspect of wire installation that can affect the amount of work involved is how many wires you use. You can install the wire in just a few hours on a small lawn with fewer obstacles. My wife and I took ten hours to complete the job if we had to deal with adverse conditions.
If you don’t feel like doing the work yourself, consider having it done for you. You can’t avoid the installation of the wire. This is important because the mower won’t work if the wire is not installed in a complete loop. If the boundary wire breaks, the AUTOMOWER®430XH will cease to function.
The display on the mower will show “No Loop Found”, so that you know at least why it isn’t cutting the grass. The charging station also has an LED light that displays its status. This includes whether the boundary wire loop has been broken. The location of the break remains a mystery. If you’re lucky, you will find the break by the mower. It’s a lot of walking to locate the break. You can also purchase equipment to tone it.
Finally, even with the grippy tires, the AUTOMOWER® 430XH is prone to getting stuck and caught on objects easily. Although my yard isn’t perfect, it has more than a few dips, sticks, roots and other issues. It’s not bad, but it’s also not terrible. The mower can handle small twigs very well, and it can also go over steep hills. It will require assistance if it manages to stick a bigger object between its wheels, or get in loose dirt.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER-430XH is powerful, but I was surprised at how easily it got stuck in dirt.
Given that the mower can handle wet grass at an angle, a shallow, wide hole with loose dirt will almost always capture it. I would see signs of struggle when I went to rescue the 430XH. There were ruts and spirals in the dirt that tried to escape, but it couldn’t. If your yard is full of tree roots or loose dirt, it’s a good idea to create an island for the mower.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER 430XH review: Competition
Husqvarna has been involved in robotic lawnmowing for some time. But, Husqvarna is only now beginning to be challenged by other manufacturers. Worx, a brand that makes affordable lawnmowers and power tools outdoors for some time, is now making Worx. The Landroid L is comparable in cutting area to the AUTOMOWER 425XH.
The Landroid L can cut up to.5 acres. The Husqvarna model is only.8. It uses a brushless motor for the floating disc and wheels. While the Worx mower’s boundary wire must be installed, there are many accessories that can assist you. For example, the ACS anticollision system that attaches directly to the mower to increase its ultrasonic detection capabilities. This allows it to sense objects and avoid bumping into them. If you don’t buy the ACS, the device will respond as the AUTOMOWER® 430XH.
Worx Landroid L features an 8-inch cutting track and a maximum height of 3.5 inches. The mower can be controlled from your smartphone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The mower does not come with GPS, so you will not be able track its location or see where it is on a map. Worx offers add-on accessories that can solve this problem. The Landroid L costs about 5% less than the Landroid L. Amazon: $1300(opens new tab)However, it won’t cover as much area as the 430XH.
Gardena is another popular choice. This company is part Husqvarna, so it has solid backing. Although Gardena mowers have the same productivity as Husqvarna, they offer slightly less features and a lower mowing capacity. These mowers will cost you much less than the AUTOMOWER. 430XH. The SILENO model 15108-41 is rated at just under half an acre and has an 8.7-inch cutting track. Although there is no Wi-Fi and GPS onboard, the companion app allows you to control the mower from your smartphone if it’s within Bluetooth range.
The mower has tilt sensors, lifts, and PIN code protection. The boundary wire will be installed to mark Gardena’s lawn area. The SILENO Life weighs only 18.3 pounds. It is easy to store and transport. You won’t be capable of cutting large lawns with the SILENO Life, but this might be worth looking into if you have smaller yards.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER® 430XH: Should you purchase it?
If you are…
- It is not necessary to manually mow your yard.
- One acre is not enough to have a yard.
- Your yard is clean and free from debris.
This is not something you should buy if…
- It’s not necessary to run a border wire.
- You have exposed the roots of the tree.
- A yard is larger than an acre.
The Husqvarna AUTOMOWER® 430XH I tried was all it could handle. The mower was able to keep the grass green and healthy. The robot had very little downtime. The robot had to be running almost continuously in order to keep up. It will be able to do great work if your yard is under an acre. Assuming your yard is already neat and tidy, there should not be any loose dirt.
I have really enjoyed this mower. This mower saved me so much time. You will need to run a fence wire in order to use the mower. Although it is not difficult, it is not an easy task. You will need to add the cost of installation to your purchase if this is not something you are willing to do.
While robot lawnmowers may not be cheap, their prices will likely drop. Does this mean that the Husqvarna 430XH AUTOMOWER is not worth it or something else? No. It is amazing. However, the cost is prohibitive and I wish that I could use GPS to define my mowing area. It is possible to save time and money by having a robot lawn mower in your yard.
Husqvarna AUTOMOWER 430XH
Mowing lawns can be tedious and time-consuming, regardless of how small or large the yard is. Husqvarna AUTOMOWER430XH can manage medium-sized yards with ease and will help you to get more of your time back. It takes some time and money to get started.
