Sunseeker is bringing its excellent onboard intelligence to three new robot mower models now on display at the Equip Exposition landscaping convention in Louisville, KY, including a new top-of-the-line model that’s capable of handling spreads of up to 3 acres.
The manufacturer announced the entry-level X3, the mid-range X5, and the beast with the staggering range described above—thanks in part to being equipped with two 10Ah batteries—the X7 Pro. That all-wheel-drive model is the big brother to the Orion X7 TechHive reviewed earlier this summer. The AWD X5 slots in right behind existing X7 and can mow up to half-acre yards; it has the same 5Ah battery as the base model X7.
The rear-wheel-drive X3, meanwhile, has a 7.87-inch cutting radius—roughly half that of the X7—and carries a 4Ah battery. It can handle up to 0.2-acre yards.
The only features missing from Sunseeker’s lower-end X5 and X3 models are enhanced Wi-Fi, in-app cutting-height adjustment, and dual cutting plates (most robot mowers use a single plate). The best part of the Sunseeker platform, its onboard AI, remains. This is typically one of the first corners a manufacturer cuts when focusing on cost reduction to build a more-affordable product, so we’re very excited to see how these new mowers perform.
Sunseeker
Sunseeker
Sunseeker
The move to reduce prices without sacrificing features should help Sunseeker gain some market share here in the U.S. Robot mowers have been around for more than a decade, but they’ve only achieved widespread acceptance in Scandinavian countries to date; Americans have largely stuck by their traditional mowers.
While some of this has had to do with home-field advantage (market-leader Husqvarna is based in Sweden), prices have also been a barrier. Just 5 years ago, the average robot mower cost several thousand dollars. Today, you’ll find capable models going for less than $1,000. While Sunseeker didn’t immediately announce prices for these new mowers, filling out its product line with two models below the $2,400 X7 (and just one above it) indicates the company is looking to expand its appeal.
What’s more, the company also announced a new S-series of robot mowers that will be sold at retail (e.g., home improvement stores). The X-series will only be available at authorized dealers.
The growing season is rapidly coming to an end, but we hope to get Sunseeker’s new robot mowers in for testing next year.
We’re not attending the Equip Exposition in person this year, but we’ve reached out to Sunseeker to ask about pricing and will update this story with those details as soon as we hear back.
