What is the best robot lawn mower in Australia?

November 14, 2025

What Is the Best Robotic Lawn Mower in Australia?

When people ask, “What’s the best robotic mower?” they usually expect one simple answer. But the truth is, there is no single best robotic mower for every lawn in Australia. The best mower for your yard depends entirely on your lawn size, slope, layout, tree cover and how often the mower can run.

I’ve spent over 30 years in the lawn care industry, working as a horticulturist, contractor and now supplier and installer of robotic mowers across Australia. I’ve seen what works long-term and what fails quickly in real Australian conditions.

This guide explains how I personally determine which robotic mower is the right fit for each situation.

How I Decide Which Robotic Mower Is Best for a Property

The Key Factors I Check First

When someone contacts me, I ask about:

Lawn size
Slope and terrain
Lawn type and density
Tree cover and shade
Number of lawn areas
Distance between zones
Whether irrigation runs across the lawn

These factors matter more than brand loyalty or marketing claims. A mower that performs brilliantly on one block may struggle on another.

The Best Robotic Mowers Based on Property Type

Best robots for Sloped Residential Lawns

For slopes, traction and wheel size matter. Small drive wheels and light frames of two wheel drive mowers tend to slip.

My top recommendations:

Mammotion Luba 2 AWD X Series for larger sloped properties
Mammotion Luba Mini for smaller suburban slopes
MoeBot AcreEater for sloped lawns up to around 6000m²

These units have the grip and drive power needed to avoid slipping or getting stuck on gradients.

Best Robot Lawn Mowers for Large Open Acreage

Once lawns go beyond a couple of acres, mowing efficiency becomes more important than features.

Over 5 acres: FJ Dynamics RM21
Strong, fast, capable of mowing large areas without daily runtime.
2 to 5 acres: Kress KR236 or KR237
Reliable RTKn navigation without needing on-site antennas and very low maintenance.

These are workhorse machines, not toys.

Best Robotic Mowers for Complex Suburban Yards

When a yard has multiple garden beds, pathways and narrow access points, mapping accuracy matters.

Segway Navimow i-Series
Works well in tighter zones and handles complicated layouts with clean edging and minimal hassle.

Charging station placement and tree cover still matter—but for small tricky spaces, this is a strong performer.

Best Robot Mowers for Commercial Sites and Sports Fields

This depends on whether the mower can run during the night.

Secure site with night mowing allowed:
Kress KR236 or KR237 is ideal. Quiet, efficient and requires minimal supervision.
Daytime-only mowing window, needs faster cut:
FJ Dynamics RM21 is better. It mows quickly and has the power to manage thick or fast-growing turf.
(Because of its size and power, someone should be nearby—but they don’t need to stand over it. They can be whipper-snipping, bin collecting, etc.)

Brands That Are Not Always the Best Fit

Some brands have strong reputations based on their petrol history but struggle with modern satellite navigation.

For example, EPOS-based systems (like some Husqvarna models) can lose positioning under heavy tree cover or beside large buildings. Many customers choose these because of the familiar brand name, but Australian yards often include gum trees and shade—which affects signal lock.

Other brands simply perform better in those conditions now. It’s not about loyalty. It’s about results.

Real Case Study: Choosing the Right Mower Matters

The Weekender Problem in the Southern Highlands

A customer had a weekender property. The lawn surface was uneven with small hollows. A smaller robotic mower (like a KR236) could run daily — but if it got stuck while the owner was away, the grass would be too long by the next visit.

Instead, I recommended the FJ Dynamics RM21.
It:

Mows fast
Handles uneven ground
Doesn’t require daily operation

The owner now arrives every weekend to a tidy lawn — without worrying whether the mower got stuck on Tuesday and left the lawn long by Saturday.

Choosing the right mower is not about features. It’s about how the property is actually used.

Why the Cheapest Robotic Mower Can Cost More Long-Term

Cheap robotic mowers often:

Have poor warranty support
Use lighter drive components
Struggle with complex edges
Lose satellite lock under trees
Need constant rescue and supervision

By the time a customer replaces batteries, boards or motors, they’ve often spent more than the cost of a reliable unit.

A good mower should reduce work — not add to it.

The Feature Most People Overlook

Capacity rating on the box does not account for:

Obstacles
Narrow corridors
No-go zones
Multi-zone routing

I have seen a 3-acre property with almost 100 no-go zones and the mower’s effective capacity was reduced by nearly half. Real-world performance depends on layout, not just the total area.