We here at Autmow listen to our fans.  (And yes, we did use the plural there: we feel confident we have at least two.)  

And one thing viewers consistently ask is for us to do robotic mower comparisons. Specifically, in the comments to our YouTube videos, people often ask us to do a robot mower review where we compare the Mammotion Luba AWD 5000, the Husqvarna 450 XH EPOS, and the Ecoflow Blade. These are three popular options for people who do not want to have to put a boundary wire around their property.

Ask, and ye shall receive.

We pitted these robot mowers against each other in an epic showdown. We created a series of very challenging tests, some pushing the mowers beyond their intended limits.

The results? They may surprise you. Check them out on our YouTube video. Or, if hearing our melodic voices is just too mesmerizing, you can read a summary below.

Robotic Mower Comparison Test #1: Map & Mow

For the first test, we put the three robot mowers on a flat surface with grass of moderate height and moderate thickness. In essence, we put the robotic mowers on an ideal mowing surface to see what they could do. We were particularly interested in the ease of the map creation/map editing process, the quality of the cut, and the speed in which the three machines would finish.

Quality of Cut

Really, all three robotic lawn mowers did a great job of cutting the grass. So, quality was a wash (especially since we put them on DEAD park grass). They took slightly different approaches, since the Luba did a border cut first and then mowed the rest, while the other two mowers took the opposite approach. But overall, we really felt that evaluating this test was just like judging The Godfather against The Godfather Part II. The differentiation was between doing well and really well.

Speed

However, in terms of speed, the EPOS actually finished first, with the Ecoflow Blade just behind. This was a bit surprising since the Husqvarna has a tendency to stop and think through its map before really delving into the task. But in this case, that little bit of pre-planning actually propelled it to victory.

Honestly, the discrepancy here was so small that it wouldn’t make a huge difference to the average homeowner. When you’re at work or living your life, mere minutes on the mow won’t matter. Still, a test is a test.

Mapping

Another factor we took into consideration was the ease of mapping.  The EPOS mapping system really is superior in this sense as well.  You use GPS pins and control where you drop them. You can make straight lines much more easily. With the Ecoflow and the Luba, maps are much harder to draw. Using on-screen joysticks makes creating straight lines almost impossible. With the Luba, you can drive it to create a map, so that gives it the edge over the Ecoflow for mapping. But still, the EPOS reigns supreme in this subcategory as well.

Similarly, in terms of editing the map if you’ve made a mistake, the Husqvarna robotic mower mapping system once again proves to be the most user-friendly. You can virtually edit those GPS pins up to one meter at a time and keep doing that repeatedly. The Luba lets you do some zone modification but not nearly as much as the EPOS. And the Ecoflow? It’s as easy to modify your map as it is for Pavarotti to sing bass.  It ain’t happening.

Our Grades

EPOS: A

LUBA: B+/B

Ecoflow: B/B-

Robotic Mower Comparison Test #2: Signal Integrity (Distance)

Next, we established a test to see how far the mowers could go away from the reference station while still maintaining a signal. 

Honestly, we pushed the mowers harder than they would likely be pushed in a real-world situation. We went up to 1,000 feet with each mower (even further with the Luba), and they all maintained a strong signal. 

To be fair, we did set up this test in ideal conditions. The number of clouds and trees were equal to the number of Valentines we typically get: zero. Still, the signal was so strong at 1,000 feet that we are confident that any of these autonomous mowers could handle a long-distance installation.

Our Grades

EPOS: A

LUBA: A+

Ecoflow: A

Robotic Mower Comparison Test #3: Signal Integrity (Obstructions)

Our next test was one that is much more realistic for homeowners. After all, as our research team diligently discovered, over 9/10 homeowners have a home on their residential property.

We put the reference station in the backyard of a home. Then, we mapped out a 54m² area on the other side of the house, underneath tree canopies. The area we mapped out was also curvy, not just a straight line, because most lawns are not perfectly straight. 

It was a beautiful cloudless day, but other than that, we made this test more challenging for the robot lawn mowers. However, it was a realistic challenge, so we were anxious to see what would happen.

Results

The Luba did lose position once under a big tree. When that happened, it did what it was supposed to do. It waited until it regained the signal, which it did after just a minute or two.

The Husqvarna EPOS passed this test with flying colors. Really, it had no problems at all.

The Ecoflow Blade robotic mower also absolutely crushed this test.  We were particularly impressed by how it saved the transport path from when we first drove it to the work area, making the beginning of the job much more efficient. We also loved how were able to adjust settings on the fly, which is a huge advantage in our review of this robotic lawn mower over the other two.

All in all, this was like choosing our favorite kid. We loved all the robot mowers equally.  Still, our job is to assign grades based on what we saw.  And we always do our job.

Our Grades

EPOS: A

LUBA: B/B-

Ecoflow: A

Robotic Mower Comparison Test #4: Can Robotic Mowers Handle Hills?

We actually have a separate blog post comparing these robotic lawn mowers on the hill because it was such a frequently-asked question. However, we also think that we should include it as part of our overall robotic lawn mower review test as well.

Putting the robotic lawn mowers through this particular test was borderline cruel. We found a big, stupid hill near our headquarters. The hill was quite steep. But, just for a bit of added fun, it was overgrown. And it had just been cut. So the whole steep slope was covered in piles of hay clumps. 

See? Big and Stupid are appropriate descriptors. 

Results

We actually sent the Luba up this nasty hill first.  Though it was a challenge, the Luba eventually made it. And once the Mammotion machine got its bearings and started making progress, it did quite well.  We feel confident that if we let the Luba attack the whole hill, the robotic lawn mower would be successful, even with the scarecrow innards all over the ground.

We should point out that we adjusted the settings on the Luba to its maximum cut height. We also shut off the object avoidance. Again, though, this was a challenge unlike almost anything most homeowners would have on their property.

The Husqvarna EPOS and the Ecoflow Blade both eventually conquered the hill as well. However, to be fair, they had the advantage of following the trail the Luba had blazed. Both of these robot mowers got stuck more than the Luba. However, we cannot call their runs failures. It did take some innovative problem solving from both machines. The Husqvarna moved backward up the hill before cutting on the way down, while the Ecoflow rocked back and forth to cut itself a turnaround spot. However, both of these robotic mowers rose to the challenge. 

If you have a steep slope in your yard, and it’s well-maintained, you might be able to use the Ecoflow or the EPOS. But we wouldn’t recommend it. The Luba would definitely be your best bet. It is rated for a 70-grade slope. Plus, it has all-wheel drive, robust tires, a low center of gravity, and two cut discs. It is much more equipped for a grassy hill than the other two.

Our Grades

We knew the Luba would be the best in this test, but we were pleasantly surprised that the other two robotic mowers held their own as well as they did. Both the EPOS and the Ecoflow Blade are rear-wheel drive, so they deserve some decent marks just for their pluck. After all, they were built for 6th grade math, and this slope test we gave them was the equivalent of AP Calculus.

EPOS: B-/C+

LUBA: A

Ecoflow: C-

Final Reflections from the Taskmasters

Of course, what people most want to know when they compare robotic mowers is “Which one should I get for my property?” Our tests prove why we always say that it depends.  If you have slopes, we recommend the Luba.  If you have a lot of tree canopies in your yard, the EPOS or Ecoflow Blade might be better. If you want the best mapping function, you definitely should go with the Husqvarna mower.

The good news? We’ve done lots of these tests and read all the specs. Contact us today, and we can help you find the right robotic lawn mower for you.

And if it will help, we are always happy to do more robotic mower comparisons by running them through our sadistic tests.  (Insert evil laugh here and imagine lightning bolts striking behind us.)