This Husqvarna Automower 430X review was done to help you decide if this mower is all hype and no substance for a jacked-up price just because it’s a robot or if it is good value for money.
We love robots but let’s be honest, they are very expensive so they should do the job right.
I am usually very critical of these expensive automowers and after conducting my research on Husqvarna Automower 430X, regardless of the price, I am still very impressed by its performance. While robotic mowers are very cool to look at, many of them are just that, cool toys to look at.
They often cannot handle a real lawn and just get stuck and confused looking like a lost puppy on your lawn. Is this Husqvarna automower any different from the rest? Well, we completed our updated review. Take a look at our results.
C-ELMR Product Review 100002
Product: Husqvarna Automower 430X Robotic Lawn Mower
Company: Husqvarna
General Market Price: Estimated USD 2699.95 at Husqvarna Website -Subject to change
Where to buy New for the best price:
Guarantee: 2 Year Warranty (1 year on battery)
The price of the Husqvarna almost triples that of the best review done here so far based on quality for the price, which is the WORX WG794 28-volt Landroid Robotic Lawn Mower review. It is below USD 1000 so whenever I see these high priced mowers like Robomow and Ego, I use WORX as the minimum standard because it is a really sweet deal for the quality in that little bott.
What is the Husqvarna Automower 430X and how does it work?
So the Husqvarna Automower 430X is from a series of automowers available from the Husqvarna company that has the intelligence to work independently to cut your lawn. This is the second to last one in the line of robotic mowers at Husqvarna.
The latest is the Husqvarna Automower 450X – Robotic Lawn Mower
These mowers work by using a low voltage guidewire and a very intelligent user interface to cut your lawn.
Your only task is setting up the user interface and the charging station connected to the guidewire which sets the parameters for your 430X bot to work. After that, you will have an almost maintenance-free yard for years.
Unlike the WORX WG794 robotic mower, the Automower 430X also has a GPS that uses a satellite connection to communicate with your phone. So you can change settings and monitor it from your phone from anywhere.
Take a look at the YouTube video below that the Husqvarna company placed on YouTube showing how the Husqvarna Automowers are expected to work
These are the areas of the Husqvarna 430X robotic lawn mower that we will be focusing on:
- Design and Power
- Ease of use
- Performance and Efficiency
- Durability
- Ease of locating replacements for wearable parts
- Customer service support from the company
- Value
CURRENT DEAL ALERT!
Reality Versus Expectations
Throughout this review, we will be looking at how well the mower actually works Versus how well the company claims it will work. We will use the video above from Husqvarna and the specs above as the company claims and videos and other reviews from actual customers as a basis for reality.
Design
Here are the specs on the Husqvarna Automower 430X. What do these specs mean for your lawn? This is explained below.
This mower was designed with 20 years of automower experience behind it. Although it has a stellar design, it also has its flaws.
The Good:
User Interface – The technology that free-spirited automower owners cannot live without
What is special about this interface is that it can be monitored from your phone. Landroid has to be manually programmed each time you want to change a setting.
You can go on a vacation to Paris and change the settings on your mower while it is at home working for you. There is an app you can download called Automower Connect that allows you to monitor your automower from anywhere you are.
You can get the app on the iOS App Store or Google Play for Android phones. It also has an app for the apple watch phone.
You can also track where the automower has been, using satellite imagery of your lawn and a heat sensor pattern.
If you cannot get the app, you can opt to get text message updates.
The mower also comes with a remote in the case that there are any areas that you would like to do a special cut.
Spiral cut feature – Do you have flower beds?
The spiral cut feature allows the automower to move in perfect circles. This is great not only to look at. The spiral cut feature is an especially useful mobility and flexibility feature for people who have flower beds weaved into their lawns.
If you have a flower bed or few, your Husqvarna will automatically switch to spiral mode around your flower bed and switch back when it moves away from it.
Take a look at this Husqvarna automower cutting in spiral mode
The bad
We are yet to discover a flaw with the design
Power – What kind of power is this robot packing?
Power and Performance – How did Husqvarna pull off a 5-star rating?
What matters here is how well the mower can handle lawns with slopes and ditches and somewhat high grass, in the rain, without underperforming.
Slope management
- It can go up and down slopes of up to 45% without compromising on the quality of the cut and without crossing the boundaries set by the guidewire.
- Even if the guidewire is set horizontally across the slope and the automower is coming downhill, it does not cross over. This has been a major design flaw in other automowers.
Also, take a look at this YouTube video showing how the Husqvarna 430X Automower handles a steep slope after rain
2. Heights of grass cut:
- It cuts between 0.8 to 2.5 inches off the top of the grass so you can set it to cut at 2.5 inches at first then adjust it again to do a second trip getting it lower if you wish. This leaves clippings of grass that you do not need to rake.
- This mower can cut very high grass without stopping
This is a YouTube video showing Automower 430X at work in high grass
Ease of Use – The installation process is time-consuming!
It is not that hard, just very time-consuming.
- You sketch the area you intend to let your automower work then you decide where you can place your charging station.
(It should be placed on a flat surface close to a power outlet with a clear path for the automower to travel home)
- After this, all you need to do is lay your guidewire to tell the mower its limits.
While laying the wire does not take a genius, it takes patience.
The Husqvarna 430X Automower is recommended for lawns up to 0.8 acres so let me just tell you that it will take a while for you to layout your wire around the parameters especially if you have a very intricate lawn with narrow connections, trees with trenches around them and flower beds.
I would hire someone to do it but you might have the patience to get it done by yourself. Good luck with that. Added to that, you have to measure the distance between each peg that you place and the edge of your mowing area to ensure that it is at least 14 inches away from the edges.
Overall, going through this process once is nothing compared to the trouble and time wasted mowing your lawn for two to four hours weekly or bi-weekly, especially in the rainy season.
These are the instructions given by Husqvarna to install your guidewire and charging station.
For those who bought the automower without the installation kit, Installation kits are available on Amazon.
Efficiency -How well does the mower live up to the Husqvarna company’s claims?
Husqvarna 430X automower can cover up to 0.8 acres at maximum efficiency just like the manual said. A lot of companies promise that their mowers can cut grass on slopes well but this is rarely the case.
- Landroid often gets stuck in patches on your lawn while Husqvarna seems to have it covered. The 430X does better in patches because it not only turns but it accelerates whenever it is attempting to get out. Most mowers simply turn about in the patch then give an alarm after which you have to go and rescue it.
- The quality of the cut by Husqvarna 430X is pretty good. It gets your grass evenly done even in tall grass so you do not have to do a pre mowing before letting your Husqvarna loose on your 0.8 acres. It is however advised that you do so. This thing isn’t a miracle worker for your extremely overgrown grass!
- Unlike many other mowers including the WORX Landroid 794, Husqvarna 430X can mow around sharp corners and make patterns with sharply cut edges.
- The weather sensor allows the mower to work at maximum efficiency even in extreme weather and seasonal conditions because it automatically adjusts its programming the suit the weather and the season. Husqvarna cuts more often in the rainy season because it knows that the grass will be growing faster. Smart little bot.
Durability – How long will your fancy robotic mower actually last?
There is a 2-year warranty on these mowers but it depends on where you buy it. The sellers I mentioned above are covered.
The blades can be sharpened every month or so but if you need replacements you can buy them online or call Husqvarna and ask for a dealer near you.
This mower is waterproof unlike most electric mowers, so it will not melt in the rain like the others.
Nobody has complained about these automowers falling apart so far, so you are definitely getting a durable mower.
Ease of locating replacements for wearable parts
The good
If you need replacement parts, Husqvarna will direct you to the nearest dealer. You can also buy them on eBay or Amazon.
The bad
Dealers are located few and far in between and if you need to get an expert to fix it, I have seen complaints that said the dealers where they live do not have the expertise needed but you can call Husqvarna and ask about your area before purchasing.
Customer service support from the company
Value – Is this Husqvarna 430X automower worth the purchase?
After considering all the pros and the cons of the Husqvarna Automower 430X, I still say it is a bit too pricey. It is a great automower, no questions there. It is the best quality I have seen for its price so far but I still don’t know why they have to be so expensive. Maybe that is just me being cheap because this is an awesome mower.
The maintenance cost is very low so that is a plus. The mower will pay for itself in a few years if you currently hire someone to cut your lawn, plus the added free time you will have to do other things is invaluable.
Who this mower is suitable for and why Husqvarna beats the other expensive brands
- Elderly
- Disabled
- Busy individuals
- Looking to spend more time with the family
- People who hate mowing
- Do not feel secure allowing strangers to cut your lawn
- lawn size of up to 800 sq ft with slopes.
- Connecting lawns
- Complicated garden with narrow passageways.
- Travel a lot – mower can be monitored from your phone or computer.
If you are looking for a review of an Automower then you are obviously trying to save the time where you would normally spend hours cutting your lawn. So any automower that functions well will fill this gap but why would you choose to go with this brand? Well, four things really impressed me with this mower:
- It is weatherproof so It will work 7 days per week, rain or shine without any complications. So if you want to get more time for yourself but you do not want to compromise on the quality of your lawn, this little guy will be working for you day and night.
- It is 100% safe so if your neighbor tries to take it, not only will an alarm go off, but you can use the GPS to track anywhere it ends up from your phone so nobody wants to mess with this little guy. If you have kids or animals who play on the lawn, it stops if it comes into contact with them and turns away and goes back to work. It does not destroy your kid’s toys so if they accidentally leave it in the grass, it will not tear it to shreds.
- It has low maintenance costs. It ends up paying for itself in three of four years and it is durable so it will last.
- The most important factor is that this thing is just downright impressive. It gets your lawn neat, plush, and healthy whether you have a lot of slopes or a nice and flat lawn with a lot of flower beds, connecting gardens, sharp turns, you name it. And best of all, it gets it done so quietly at only 57dB without leaving any noticeable impressions in the grass. If you do not see it you will forget it’s there until someone says “wow, dude, your lawn is amazing” And who doesn’t want to answer “Oh that, thanks. My 430X robotic mower is out there mowing somewhere (sips tea)”
Summary
Cons and Complaints from buyers
These are the major flaws we found with the Husqvarna 430X based on the design and the complaints from buyers:
-
- Customers say Husqvarna automower 430X costs an arm and a leg at a market value of USD 2699. While there are more expensive mowers with less appealing features, this mower is still on the high side. New Husqvarna automower 430x mowers are available on Amazon and eBay. Click on the image below to see what other people who have purchased the automower are saying about it on Amazon.
2. It does not get to the edges if there is a wall or other obstacle at the edge of the lawn because the blades are tucked away under the mower for your safety so you will need to manually whip the edges into shape every month or so.
Pros and Praises from buyers
- Can handle patches in your lawn that other automowers like Landroid will get stuck in.
- It can be monitored from your phone anywhere you are in the world.
- You do not have to stop the mower in the rainy season as it is weatherproof.
- It does not leave clumps of grass in your yard for you to rake. It leaves small clippings that are great for your lawn in terms of soil water retention and fertilization.
- Low maintenance cost so it basically pays for itself in a few years if you are currently paying someone to cut your lawn.
- It does not leave very noticeable tire marks in your grass. It runs in all directions leaving a smooth finish.
- It has zero harmful emissions.
- It turns pretty well to avoid getting stuck after meeting an obstacle and does not take forever and a half to navigate its way out of tight spaces. That gets me and other customers very annoyed to watch so-called intelligent robotic automowers fumbling for minutes to get out of a corner.
- It goes over slopes that other mowers at higher prices are incapable of handling.
- It is very safe to use as the blades stop when lifting or tilting the mower.
- Can cross over to different sections of your lawn through tight spaces as seen in the video above. A lot of robotic mowers find it hard or impossible to do this.
What do you think about the Husqvarna Automower 430X? Is it worth the price? Do you have one? What are your complaints?
Related Posts
Husqvarna Automower 430x Review Results
-
Power
-
Design
-
Performance
-
Efficiency and ease of use
-
Durability
-
Ease of locating replacements for wearable parts
-
Value
-
Customer service support from company
Summary
This might be my inherent cheapness talking but these things are really pricey! I am usually very critical of these expensive robotic mowers but after conducting my review on Husqvarna Automower 430X, I am very impressed by it and I will show you why. This is one of the best I have seen at this price but the price is right up there with the quality and performance. Worth every penny based on what I have seen from these mowers.