Cost per season, cut quality and the lawns where a robot simply fails.
By Tom Brennan, Garden & Outdoor Editor · Published August 13, 2026 · 2 min read
Photograph: JJ Skys the Limit / StockSnap
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Both mowers cut the same 1,200 m² lawn on alternate halves for a full season, so the comparison is like-for-like on soil, weather and grass mix.
The robot half was visibly denser and finer-leaved by midsummer — frequent light cutting encourages tillering. The push-mown half looked better for the first three weeks and then lost ground.
Narrow gaps under 70 cm, steep banks, deep shade and gardens with loose toys or hosepipes. Every stall we logged came from one of those four.
The robot cost more up front but nothing in fuel or servicing; blade sets are cheap. Over five seasons the gap narrowed to roughly the price of one premium push mower.
Neither machine edges. Budget for a line trimmer whichever route you take.
Wire-free boundaries and genuinely hands-off lawn care for large, complex gardens.
Best for: Large lawns with awkward shapes
Price band last checked 2026-08-07. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.
A 56V self-propelled push mower with petrol-class cut quality and no fuel, plugs or fumes.
Best for: Lawns up to roughly 800 m²
Price band last checked 2026-08-14. Live pricing arrives with our retailer feed.
| Price | $4,000 – $5,000 | $600 – $750 |
| Score | 8.8 | 9 |
| Best for | Large lawns with awkward shapes | Lawns up to roughly 800 m² |
| Warranty | 2 years | 5 years |
The verdict
A robot mower wins on open, awkwardly shaped lawns where mowing is a weekly chore you resent. A good self-propelled push mower wins on small lawns, heavily planted gardens and anywhere you want stripes and a clean edge.
Methodology
Every product here was tested in a working home against standardised tasks. Scores are the mean of five measured criteria and are never adjusted for commercial reasons. How we test · How we review.
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We cut the same three lawns weekly for a season and logged runtime, cut quality and clipping distribution.
Feeding, scarifying, aerating and mowing heights — timed to the grass, not to the calendar page.
Wire-free boundaries have arrived and they change the calculation.
We cooked identical food on both, blind-tasted the results, and timed the whole process door to plate.