You‘ve probably seen robotic vacuums diligently cleaning homes, but did you know there are also robotic mowers that can automate lawn care? Robotic mowers provide hands-free grass cutting and efficient yard maintenance through advanced programming and sensors.
Two standout products on the market are the uniquely designed Daredevil Lawn Mower and the ever-popular Husqvarna Automower line. But these robotic mowers are vastly different. The remote-controlled, gas-powered Daredevil tackles rugged terrain, while the self-guiding, battery-powered Husqvarna handles routine grass trimming.
Let‘s dive into a detailed comparison of these two technologies to see how they stack up across key factors and determine the better robotic mowing solution.
Daredevil vs. Husqvarna: Side-by-Side Overview
| Daredevil | Husqvarna Automower | |
| Price | $3,500 | $2,500 |
| Width | 21.5 inches | 9.45 inches |
| Weight | 286 pounds | 32.4 pounds |
| Power Source | Gas engine + battery | Battery |
| Automation | Remote-controlled | Fully automated |
As shown above, the robust Daredevil is much larger and heavier than the compact Husqvarna. The Daredevil‘s gas engine powers the steel mower blades while its battery runs the independent track motors. It mows via remote control instead of autonomously navigating.
Conversely, the Husqvarna Automower is a lightweight, automated, battery-electric solution designed for set-it-and-forget-it grass cutting.
These different designs inform the terrain handling capabilities, maintenance needs, attachments/accessories, and total cost of ownership between the two mowers.
What’s the Difference in Operation?
Looking past specifications, it’s clear the Daredevil and Husqvarna operate in very distinct ways.
Daredevil Mower
The Daredevil mower resembles a rugged miniature tank. Its dual tracks provide all-terrain traction, while the Kohler CH440 engine generates powerful torque to spin steel blades beneath the 21.5-inch wide mower deck.
Instead of programming aautomated routes, users manually control the Daredevil via remote control – similar to a hobbyist RC car. Buttons steer the independent tracks, raise/lower the deck, engage the blades, and accelerate forward or reverse. The remote range reaches up to 750 feet.
An integrated battery powers the dual electric track motors for supplemental mobility. The onboard alternator charges the battery during gas engine operation so no manual charging is required.
In summary, the Daredevil leverages builder-grade components for intense, go-anywhere mowing capabilities under complete user control. Think of it like an off-road utility vehicle for your lawn.
Husqvarna Automower
In contrast, Husqvarna Automowers are self-guided, cutting grass gradually over time. Beneath the 9.45-inch wide chassis, spinning tri-blade razors carefully shear grass blades – rather than a traditional horizontal blade hacking vegetation. This frequent, gentle trimming maintains an optimal lawn height each day.
The mower navigates using programable logic, satellite tracking and obstacle detection sensors to methodically cover the yard. Automowers dock themselves when needing a 60-90 minute charging break, then resume mowing until achieving the desired coverage. Overall operation is extremely low maintenance compared to gas counterparts.
With integrated drivetrain, cutting reel and smart CPUs compressed into a lightweight frame, the Automower epitomizes automated grass cutting for residential applications. Just set the schedule and let it roam freely!
Unique Terrain Handling Abilities
When evaluating a robotic mower purchase, assessing the terrain capabilities is crucial. Yards have diverse landscape features – from open grassy expanses to hills, slopes, narrow passages and obstacles. The ideal mower adapts well to the owner‘s unique property.
The tank-like Daredevil tackles the toughest terrain thanks to fat treaded tires providing ample traction. Steering flexibility from differential power delivery across two tracks enables maneuvering garden beds, trees and tight spaces while attacking steep grades. Gas power carves through dense lawn growth. Extra ground clearance keeps the underbelly safe from scraping.
Comparatively, Husqvarna Automowers excel at basic grass cutting but struggle on challenging topography. The chassis sits nearly flush to the surface, risking high-centering on rises or scraping downhill slopes. Tight turns elicit strain, causing more himming, hesitating and backing up. Automower models max out at 45% grade handling. Without all-wheel drive, wet grass poses traction challenges. Wheels slip more readily than aggressive treads when pathways narrow around landscaping.
Ultimately, the Daredevil‘s advanced mobility empowers mowing terrain the Husqvarna simply cannot traverse. This off-road dexterity does come at the expense of self-guided operation near structures. Careful owner oversight is mandatory when maneuvering the Daredevil across sidewalks, under shrubs and alongside buildings to prevent accidental collisions and property damage – whereas Husqvarna‘s sensors automatically brake upon approach obstructions.
Choose the Daredevil for ultimate rough terrain capability from the hands-on control approach or pick the Husqvarna for autonomous mowing of flat, wide-open grass with safety around delicate garden structures and hardscapes.
Maintenance and Upkeep
Convenient, hassle-free ownership is why customers purchase robotic mowers. But how much work do the Daredevil and Husqvarna require between mowing sessions?
The Husqvarna needs virtually no maintenance thanks to simplified electric operation. Other than occasional underbelly scraping or debris clearing, owners practically only interface with the docking/charging station. Infrequent blade changes are easily completed via online guides. Built-in troubleshooting keeps runtime disruptions minimal.
Comparatively, the Daredevil inherits added complexity supporting rough ground traction, high vegetation intake and continuous power delivery. Engine oil levels necessitate monitoring. The undercarriage collects more accumulated gunk requiring periodic cleaning. Shearing bolts act as sacrificial breakpoints safeguarding gearboxes and shafts – but sheared bolts must get replaced to resume work. Tracks wear down eventually as well. And ongoing battery health maximizes driving range.
For customers seeking true hassle-free ownership, the minimally fussy Husqvarna Automower is undoubtedly less maintenance than the hands-on Daredevil. But with involved upkeep comes maximum terrain tackling capability and thicker vegetation chopping from the Daredevil.
Available Attachments and Accessories
Expandability through attachments can enhance functionality. The rugged Daredevil accepts multiple add-ons converting tasks beyond mowing. Its burly chassis capably operates attachments matching a compact tractor – like aerating, towing yard waste wagons/carts, grading scrape blades, rotating brushes and even mounting winter plows. An included sprayer accessory dispenses liquids up to 30 feet.
Conversely, the Husqvarna exclusively mows grass. No 1st party attachments expand capabilities into additional lawn care domains…for now. Third parties do sell aftermarket add-ons, like GPS phone app integration allowing remote status checks and manual operation overrides. But core functionality remains defined to automated grass cutting.
So if you seek a versatile year-round robotic platform with multi-use attachments beyond grass clipping, the attachment-ready Daredevil provides more flexibility.
Cost Considerations
With manufacturers‘ suggested retail pricing, the Daredevil carries a steeper $3,500 upfront investment versus the Husqvarna‘s $2,500 price tag. Is the extra grand worth it?
Factoring in usage costs over a 10-year ownership window helps contextualize overall affordability using some assumptions:
- Yard: 1 acre
- Season: 30 weeks (partial year)
- Gas for Daredevil: $4/gal after taxes @ 3 gal/week = $1,440 over 10 years
- Electricity for Husqvarna charging: $.12/kWh after taxes @ 4 kWh/week = $156 over 10 years
This means the all-in cost differences are:
- Daredevil: $3,500 + $1,440 (gas) = $4,940
- Husqvarna: $2,500 + $156 (electricity) = $2,656
Accounting for energy usage, the electric Husqvarna holds over 45% total ownership cost savings compared to the gas-powered Daredevil. Factoring potential maintenance cost offsets and a longer usable lifespan, the Automower curates substantial value advantages.
However, the Daredevil‘s unique terrain mastery remains unmatched by any competitor. For customers requiring such rugged mowing capabilities, the higher operating costs pay for unbridled handling performance.
Recent Technology Enhancements
Both companies actively refine their robotic mowers with over-the-air firmware updates providing the latest features.
Daredevil Updates – April 2023
Daredevil‘s spring 2023 update focuses on navigation accuracy:
- Advanced AI-assisted mapping – Learns yard terrain details for optimizing navigation paths and obstacle avoidance decision-making
- Longer battery duration – Refined power management stretches cycles between charges
- Custom mowing patterns – Owners program specialized route patterns adapting to landscape elements like gardens and playsets
Combined, these modernizations further augment the precision, efficiency and customization possible piloting the Daredevil remotely.
Husqvarna Updates – May 2023
The signature enhancement for Husqvarna Automowers is advanced object detection:
- Radar-based sensors – Moving from older ultrasound to modern radar evaluation greatly enhances object identification range and directional awareness. This reliably stops the mower well before approaching trees, pets, structures, etc. False positive activations are reduced as well.
As navigation technologies continue maturing, customers benefit from both the Daredevil and Husqvarna product lines receiving intelligent advancements.
The Future of Robotic Mowing
With autonomous robots permeating households from vacuums to lawnmowers, expectations are high for continued innovation enhancing efficiency, customization and safety.
Daredevil focuses R&D on stretching battery charge cycles further as their next breakthrough. "Range anxiety" is a top customer complaint, so extended electric drive mobility unlocks more mowing duration and less downtime at the charger.
For Husqvarna, inventing reliable voice control steers the roadmap. Using simple spoken commands like "Return to dock" and "Start mowing" while within Bluetooth range introduces helpful hands-free interactions.
Both brands will incorporate smarter mapping backed by cloud connectivity and machine learning. By accumulating lawn measurement data from users worldwide, algorithms gradually improve navigation around novel objects and unfamiliar yard layouts. With aggregated data sets and iterative AI training comes expanded autonomous functionality.
And as premium brands demonstrate technical successes, mass market alternatives will integrate similar capabilities at more affordable price points – slowly expanding robotic mower adoption into wider demographics.
The Verdict: Husqvarna Delivers Superior Overall Value
The uniqueness of the remote controlled Daredevil affords unparalleled terrain negotiation – but at the cost of manual operation complexity and higher lifetime ownership costs compared to automated offerings like the Husqvarna Automower line.
For most residential settings with open grass layouts and modest elevation changes, spending thousands extra when a $2,500 Husqvarna sufficiently satisfies requirements makes little sense. Hands-off convenience with less monetary burden makes the Husqvarna a smarter investment that aligns better to customer needs.
However, some properties demand the rugged advantages only the Daredevil fulfills. When contending with extremely sloped trenches or navigating narrow alleys between tight plantings, the Daredevil earns its keep accessing uncompromising spaces lesser mowers cannot traverse.
Ultimately though, ongoing price drops coupled with technological advancements steadily improve affordable automation across the industry. Moving forward, Husqvarna and its peers will likely claim majority market share making robotic mowing commonplace. But niche use cases always exist for game-changing innovations like the uniquely adept Daredevil – justifying its continued role serving customers with specialty mowing challenges into the future.
