When I reviewed my first robot lawn mower back in 2015, I thought the Robomow RS622’s $1,800 price was a bit over the top, but Husqvarna’s latest and greatest, the $5,199.99 Automower 435X AWD, really gave me a good case of sticker shock. This sleek machine uses all-wheel drive to tackle steep hills and rough terrain, and pairs GPS mapping with a pivoting all-wheel drive assembly to navigate complex landscaping layouts. It's very quiet and does an excellent job of cutting, and it can be controlled with a mobile app or with Alexa and Google voice commands. It also works with other smart devices using IFTTT applets. You’ll need deep pockets to afford it, but in return you’ll get the most advanced robotic lawn mower on the market. That said, if you’re looking for a more affordable alternative, our Editors’ Choice, the Worx Landroid M 20V Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower WR140, will save you a bundle and offers Wi-Fi connectivity and solid cutting performance. Design and FeaturesWith its narrow headlights, black and silver finish, and oversized wheels, the Automower 435X AWD looks more like a mini Corvette than a robot lawn mower. Weighing 38 pounds and measuring 11.4 by 21.7 by 36.6 inches (HWD), it’s the largest robot mower we’ve come across and is designed to handle lawns of up to 0.90 acres. It uses AWD (all-wheel drive) technology to navigate hills and slopes with up to a 70-percent (35-degree) angle and is equipped with GPS, cellular, and Bluetooth radios. The mower comes with a docking station, an AC adapter, spare blades, a quick start guide, and a user manual. The front end contains two large wheels, the aforementioned LED headlights, a stop/start safety handle, and a jog wheel and color panel for configuring, starting, and pausing the mower. The dial is also used to do things like adjust cutting height, schedule cutting times, change the PIN code, enable geofencing theft protection, and enable GPS mapping. The back end portion of the mower is separate from the front and the two parts are connected to each other via the safety handle. The rear end uses a pivoting mechanism that allows its two smaller rear wheels to turn and steer the mower. There are two blades at the far end of rear assembly that charge the mower when it is docked in its base (it backs in to the dock). As with the Automower 315X, the 435X uses a three-blade rotating disc mechanism to cut grass. It has an 8.7-inch cutting width and a cutting height range of 1.2 to 2.8 inches. The mower is powered by two rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that supply up to 100 minutes of cutting time and require 30 minutes to recharge. The mower will automatically return to its base when it detects a low battery level. The motor has a 62dB sound level rating and spins the blades at 2,475rpm. The 435X can be controlled manually using the onboard jog wheel, or with the Husqvarna AutoConnect mobile app for Android and iOS devices. It can also be controlled using Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, and it supports IFTTT, an online platform that allows you to create applets to have smart devices interact with each other. The mobile app opens to a Dashboard screen that show the mower’s current status (Parked, Mowing, Paused, Returning to Base), the battery level, the cutting height, and the next scheduled start. Below the mower are Park and Start buttons, and below these are Schedule and Map buttons. Tap the Schedule button to program the mower to come out at a certain time on specific days, and tap the Map button to view a satellite map of your lawn with red lines depicting where the mower has been. A small gear icon at the bottom of the Map screen opens a Map Settings panel where you can enable/disable the movement path lines, set a geofencing  radius, and toggle between Satellite and Map views. Tap the three-bar icon in the upper left corner to adjust the cutting height, connect to IFTTT, view usage statistics, buy spare blades, and configure your account settings.Installation and PerformanceAs with the Husqvarna Automower 315X, you can install the 435X AWD yourself or have it professionally installed for a fee. Pricing depends on the size and complexity of your lawn area. If you do decide to go the DIY route, you’ll have to shell out another $99.95 for an installation kit that comes with 500 feet of perimeter wire, 300 plastic spikes for securing the wire in the ground, and assorted wire splicers and connectors.I had representatives from a local Husqvarna dealer come by to replace some of the older perimeter wire on my lawn. One technician used a neat gas-powered machine to lay the new wire, while another tech installed the base station. The installers were friendly, knowledgeable, and professional, and had the job finished in less than an hour. When I installed the Landroid M 20V, it took me a couple of hours on my hands and knees laying wire and hammering in stakes.  I downloaded the AutoMower Connect app, created a PIN number, and paired the mower with the app using a Bluetooth connection. I programmed the mower to come out at 11:00 a.m. every other day and cut for an hour, and set the cutting height to 4 as I like to keep my lawn relatively short.The 435X AWD did a remarkable job of keeping my lawn neatly manicured. It consistently adhered to my above-mentioned schedule, always stayed within the perimeter, and had no trouble navigating a good-sized crater left in my lawn due to a recent tree removal. The mower is exceedingly quiet and moves significantly faster than other models such as the Landroid M 20V and the Honda Miimo HRM 310. The GPS-guided mapping feature made sure that my lawn was cut completely and evenly. The mower never had a problem returning to the base and docking itself for charging, and it never failed to stop when it bumped up against an object such as a large rock or a ball that made its way onto my lawn. I had no trouble starting, pausing, and sending the mower back to its charging base (parking) using Alexa voice commands, and my IFTTT applet to have the mower pause when an Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera detected motion worked perfectly. ConclusionsThe Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD is easily the most expensive robotic lawn mower we’ve tested, but it’s also the most advanced. It uses all-wheel drive technology and a pivoting rear-wheel assembly to climb hills, work its way through complex landscapes, and navigate uneven terrain, and its GPS mapping software ensures that your lawn is cut evenly and efficiently. The mower fits seamlessly into your smart home ecosystem as it works with Alexa and Google voice commands and interacts with other smart device using IFTTT applets. Moreover, the 435X worked wonderfully in testing and its onboard controls and mobile app make it a snap to program. If the 435X is too rich for your blood, however, our Editors’ Choice, the Worx Landroid M 20V Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower WR140, is much more affordable and offers very good cutting performance, Wi-Fi connectivity, and GPS tracking. Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD Specs Connectivity Bluetooth, Cellular, GPS Cutting Time 100 minutes Charging Time 30 minutes Start Points 5 Lawn Coverage 0.9 acre Sound Level 62 decibels Cutting Width 8.7 inches Mobile App Yes Rain Sensor Yes Anti-Theft Yes Remote Steering Yes Best Smart Lawn Mower Picks Further Reading

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