STIGA A 1500 robot lawn mower: does it work?

Jump to

• Before and after images
• Review short cuts
• Is it easy to set up?
• Is your garden right for this robot?
• Customer service
• How loud is it?
• Is it waterproof?

The STIGA A 1500 Robot Lawnmower: review

What's in the box?

• Docking station and reference station
• STIGA A 1500
• Reference station fixing bracket
• 5 mt extension cable for reference station
• Charger
• 7 Docking station pegs
• 1 tool for docking station pegs
• 4 blades and 4 blade screws

The technology

The STIGA A 1500 robot lawn mower is one of the first to be cable free and to use active guidance system (AGS), a technology patented by STIGA. It uses the same sort of GPS technology in your phone (4G) to transmit data to the robot so it plans its cutting path, remembering the course you have asked it to take.

The limitations

If the robot doesn't have a clear sight-line to the charging base, it doesn't matter. The only thing it does need is clear access to the sky: the 'reference station', or base and charger for the robot, needs to be away from any overhanging tree, or large buildings. But you can position the receiver within the station separately and mount it on a wall. While it works on phone signal, in fact you need very little phone signal in order for this to work.

There was a moment during our six weeks of testing when the mower inexplicably stopped working and I had to contact the STIGA mower manager to help me reboot the entire mower and the app settings. However I am assured that the robot I tested was a pre-production unit with an early version of the software. There have been three generations of the software since I tested this in April, so the supplier says any issues have been ironed out.

Is it easy to set up?

One of the great things about this robot lawn mower is that it is very little fuss. In comparison with laying cables in your lawn for the robot to follow, the set up on the STIGA A 1500 is simple. STIGA even gets a 'STIGA dealer' to do the set up for you and guide you through the app and how to use the mower once it's set up.

The app

The app is easy to use, and once you have done the initial programming at set up, there's very little that you need to do afterwards. At programming, you manually drive the mower around the perimeter of your lawn using arrows via the app, which the robot then 'remembers' and from that, it makes its journey, depending on what it's already cut, how high the grass is, or what time of day it is.

The app allows you to set the robot's running times, and days, but the time required to cut the lawn is actually calculated by the app, so the number of hours it works is automatic. You can check what your robot is doing, via the app, from anywhere in the world, and get the mower to stop, if you need to.

Is your garden right for this robot?

If your garden has lots of nooks and crannies, and corners, then this is probably not the right mower for you. In an ideal situation it would be in a garden that is fairly uniform in shape. My garden is on the small size and has lots of different parts or sections to it. It did the job of mowing my central lawn (64 m2) very well, but the mower would have found the section of my lawn with apple and pear trees in it too confusing.

How was the cut?

I come from the lesser-intervention angle of gardening: a lawn mower is not the easiest way to my heart. That said, I was actually mightily impressed with the level of cut on the mower, its even spread, the variable height adjustments and by the end of our mowing period, our lawn looked about 80 per cent better than it had done.

Review short cuts

How does it deal with obstacles?

While the technology is new and exciting, this mower isn't going to be able to make it's way in the world all on its own. If you leave things in its way it will try to go around them, but it's likely to get stuck.

Does it do edges?

No. Like any robot lawn mower, it cannot do edges because having the blade too close to the edge of the machine would be too dangerous.

Near to power?

While the robot itself is cable free, and there are no cables needed in your lawn, the dock, or charging point does need to be near a power cable. You'll need a powered up shed, or extension cable.

Does it mulch?

Yes, it throws the cuttings straight back onto the lawn which will feed your grass and encourage greener, more healthy grass in the future.

What about the cost of electricity?

Yearly, the cost of power to the robot is on average around £10-£15 a year. It certainly didn't make a dent in my electricity bills for the time I was testing it.

How loud is it?

This mower is very unobtrusive and very quiet. I barely noticed it was there.

Customer service

It took Gary, the STIGA area sales manager, around an hour to set up, although on average the robot takes about three hours to be installed. If you need help afterwards with your mower your point of contact is the original STIGA supplying dealer.

Is it waterproof?

Yes, the STIGA A 1500 can work through rain, and you don't need to worry about it being left outside with no cover. We had a couple of huge downpours and it was absolutely fine. It's even fine to clean with a hosepipe.

Before and after images

Other robot mowers to consider

Gardena Sileno Life

Key specs

• Cutting capacity: 1000m2
• Bluetooth: Yes
• Incline: 35 degrees
• Automatic charging: Yes
• Noise level: 58dB

The Sileno prides itself on its ability to work in tight spaces with accurate manoeuvring meaning that intricately designed and shaped lawns can be recognised, understood and navigated including confined pathways down to 60cm in width.

Of course there’s a Bluetooth app for controlling and programming your perfect mowing schedule and – the clue is in the name – the Sileno is one of the quietest mowers around.

Pros: Works well in tight, intricate spaces, large range, waterproof. Cons: Price.

Bosch Indego S+ 500

Key specs

• Cutting capacity: 500m2
• Bluetooth:
• Incline:
• Automatic charging: Yes
• Noise level: 63dB

The Bosch Indego S+ 500 has a range ofg 500m2, app control for programming a schedule, Alexa and Google Assistant control, and a weather analysis feature, pulled from the internet via its own (free) cellular data connection, that looks at live weather data and works out the perfect schedule for your next cut.

The LogiCut feature sends the machine in neat parallel lines to achieve its tasks rather than the more haphazard ‘keep going until every bit has been touched’ used by every other mower.

It can negotiate pathways (between guide cables) as narrow as 75cm so setting out a pathway for it to travel from one lawn to another is possible, plus it’s nice and quiet at 63db output.

Pros: LogiCut mowing lines, smart features, narrow paths. Cons: Cables.

Husqvarna Automower 405X

• Buy now from Husqvarna (£1,899.00), Husqvarna (£2,099.00 with installation kit)

Husqvarna's Automower 405X feature GPS, allowing your mower to know where it is and thereby waste less time and energy hunting out fresh turf.

It’s on board data connection means that it will receive updates ‘over the air’ automatically to keep its navigation software bang up to date, and its Weather Timer sensor adjusts its mowing intervals according to the weather and the growth of the lawn.

This powerful package is perfectly topped off with a range of 600m2, the ability to cope with 20 degree slopes.

Pros: GPS tracking, automatically updates, lawn-mapping. Cons: Price.