The life of a reviewer can be tough. Tennyson once said, “’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all”, but he never had a robot lawn mower. Trying out amazing gadgets you can never afford to buy is awesome, but after a summer with the Husqvarna Nera, the thought of returning to a manual mower has me distraught. Sometimes it is better not to know what you’re missing.
The Husqvarna Automower 410XE Nera (£3,097) is about as swanky and feature-packed as robot lawnmowers come. The closest equivalent model sold in the US is the slightly more capable 450X EPOS bundle ($5,900). With a thoughtful design and satellite navigation, these lawnmowers are designed to be the ultimate hands-off chore busters, quietly and efficiently keeping your lawn regulation height without complaint—and more importantly, without you having to lift a finger.
Robot Wars
I can’t see a robot mower without thinking about the Robot Wars show, but Husqvarna’s design is smart- and classy-looking, with built-in headlights and a big H for the Husqvarna logo like you’d find on the front of a car. It has two big back wheels with thick, knobbly tread to ensure easy traction on slopes and muddy ground. (It can handle slopes up to 30 degrees.)
The Nera’s two front wheels are like multidirectional office chair casters. They are cleverly set back so that the front edge, which contains three spinning razor blades, overhangs to extend out over the edges of your lawn and eliminates the uncut grass verge that most robot mowers leave behind, because they can’t get close enough.
Even though there’s no need for boundary wire, setting up the Nera 410XE took a wee while, as you must find a good position for the satellite aerial and charging base, connect them both, check you can get a clear signal, and run cable to plug everything into an outlet. I had the help of a Husqvarna rep, but the process is something you could easily do yourself. The limitation of this mower is that it needs an open line of sight to the sky. Tall buildings, trees, and other obstacles will prevent it from navigating accurately, so if you have dense woods around or near your garden, it is not suitable for you.
Photograph: Simon Hill via Husqvarna app
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