Husqvarna makes some of the most rugged robot mowers on the market. But they’re more than just off-road tough, they’re also highly sophisticated, convenient and effective. They can effectively take the lawn-mowing drudgery out of your weekend afternoons and free you up for more important things like napping, taking the kids out for pizza or watching your favorite team crush the opposition in the big game. Because Husqvarna makes so many high quality robot lawn mowers however it can be difficult to determine exactly which one is right for your yard. So in this guide we’re going to do a side by side comparison of two of their most popular robot mowers: the 315 and the 450x.
Comparing Two of Husqvarna’s Most Popular Robot Mowers
Before we say anything else it must be emphasized that the 450x is a much larger unit than the 315. So it’s not comparing apples and apples. The point of the comparison is to help you determine which of these robot lawn mowers will provide the features you’re after. And to some extent that will be determined by how large a surface you need to mow. That said, let’s start by comparing the basic features of each of these robot mowers.
Feature | Husqvarna 315 | Husqvarna 450x |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | 1500 m² | 5000 m² |
| Size | 63x51x25 cm | 72x56x31 cm |
| Noise Levels | 58 dB | 58 dB |
| Est mowing Time | 70 minutes | 250 minutes |
| Est charging Time | 60 minutes | 75 minutes |
| Weight | 9 kg | 13.9 kg |
| Mobile App? | Yes | Yes |
| Max slope | 22° | 24° |
| Price | Approx. $1,500 | Approx. $2,500 |
Now let’s take a closer look at the features of these robot mowers individually.
Husqvarna 315
- Power System - The 315 is powered by a single lithium-ion battery which is recharged automatically at the end of every session or when the mower detects the battery is low. Charging takes roughly 90 minutes and produces roughly 1 hour of power.
- Blades - The blade system on the 315 is a little different in that the blades only extend when the unit is underway. They’re pushed out by centrifugal force which means they’ll give way if the mower accidentally stumbles upon a rock or protruding tree root.
- Handling slopes - The slope handling capabilities of the 315 is one of its few drawbacks. Compared to other robot lawn mowers that can handle slopes as steep as 35 degrees the 315 is only rated to 22 degrees and even that is being generous.
- Spot Cutting - An interesting feature although one you’re not likely to use a lot. Basically it allows you to mow in a spiral shape to get small areas the bot may have missed.
- Narrow passage detection - The 315 scans the route ahead and if it detects a narrow passage it will calculate what it determines to be the most effective route. While this reduces the chance of the mower getting stuck it also reduces the chance of getting a thorough cut in a tight spot.
- Programming - Programming the 315 is easy. The input panel is easy to understand and relatively intuitive with a wide array of personalization options from cutting length to scheduling.
- Husqvarna App - Once you download the Husqvarna app to your smartphone or tablet you have complete control over the unit from just about anywhere on planet earth where you can get a WiFi signal. Stuck in the airport in Dubai waiting for a connecting flight? Take out your phone and mow your lawn.
- Weather Timer - In theory this feature should allow the mower to detect when your grass needs to be cut. It makes note of the length of the grass during a scheduled mowing session and if it determines there’s been a lot of growth since the last mow it will move up the time for the new mowing session. Conversely if it detects the grass has not grown much since the last mow it will put a little more time between subsequent mows so as not to overstress the lawn.
- Quiet operation - One of the major drawbacks of the push mower is the brain rattling noise they make. But because robot mowers are battery powered the noise they emit is drastically reduced. The 315 produces an ear friendly 58 decibels. Quiet enough that you can consider having it mow the lawn at night.
- Rain Sensor - Like all the best robot lawn mowers the 315 can detect when it starts raining (by measuring the moisture content of the grass). If it detects rain it automatically retreats to the charging station/base and replenishes the battery while it waits out the weather.
- Auto Stop - This is a common feature on robot mowers and it works to perfection on the 315. If there are any anomalies in operation like an obstruction or someone lifting the unit, the mower automatically shuts down the blades so no one gets hurt.
- Auto redirection - This is related to the auto stop feature. Basically if the 315 detects an obstacle ahead it will turn off the blades, change direction, begin moving and then restart the blades. It will also make a note to avoid this area in the future.
- Anti-theft - While most robot lawn mowers have a PIN feature to prevent unauthorized use the 315 actually has an alarm as well, which should scare the bejeezus out of any would-be thief.
That’s a lot of features. Now let’s see how the 450x stacks up by comparison.
- Power System - As you might imagine because the 450x is such a large unit capable of mowing up to 5,000 square meters it’s going to need more power. As such it has 2, 27V lithium-ion batteries providing the juice. Expect a charging time of 75-90 minutes.
- Blades - Like the 315 the 450x uses 3 blades driven by centrifugal force that give way when they encounter obstacles.
- Handling slopes - The 450x is a bit better at handling slopes than the 315 although with a max slope rating of 24 degrees it’s still nothing to write home about.
- Spot Cutting - The 450x features the same spot cutting option as the 315.
- Narrow passage detection - Again, the 450x has the same narrow passage detection technology as the 315 which, when it comes to usefulness, is a mixed bag.
- Programming - Programming of the 450x is just as easy as the 315. The input panel doesn’t look like it was scavenged from a piece of obsolete 2005 vintage technology. Instead it’s clean and contemporary looking and easy to use.
- Husqvarna App - Like the 315 you can program or activate your 450x using your smartphone via the company’s robot mowers app.
- Weather Timer - The ‘weather timer’ is designed to detect growth rates, which are tied to the weather in most cases. Just as with the 315 if the 450x detects unusual growth it will move the next mowing session either forward or backward on the calendar.
- Quiet operation - One of the most quiet robot lawn mowers out there. Just like its sibling the 315 it checks in at a feathery 58 dB.
- Rain Sensor - Detects the moisture content of the grass and if it suspects rain it returns to the base to recharge and wait things out. Just like the 315.
- Auto Stop - Another feature it shares with the 315 this ensures the blades stop spinning if the unit is lifted or encounters an obstruction.
- Auto redirection - When it encounters an obstruction it stops, shuts down the blades, determines an alternative path, turns, moves off and restarts the blades. Identical to the 315.
- Anti-theft - Just like the 315 the 450x will make quite a fuss if someone tries to steal it.
Conclusion:
When you’re comparing the Husqvarna 315 and 450x robot lawn mowers it’s because you’re trying to determine which one is right for the size of your particular lawn. If your lawn is, say, 1,300 m² there’s simply no good reason to spend an extra thousand dollars on the 450x since the feature sets are so similar. About the only advantage you’ll get is to be able to mow the lawn a few minutes faster, since the diameter of the cutting surface is a few inches wider. If that prospect appeals to you and the price is not an issue then go for it. On the other hand if your yard is larger than 1,500 m² the 315 simply won’t be enough to do the whole lawn. So the bottom line is that you can’t really use the 315 to do anything larger than 1,500 m², while you can use the 450x to mow any lawn up to 5,000 m². Although using it on a small lawn doesn’t really make a lot of sense.
One more thing: If these robot mowers have a drawback, it’s that neither one edges or handles inclines particularly well. As the 315 is a (relatively) affordable we don’t expect too much when it comes to these kinds of details but for the higher price of the 450x (at most retailers) we expect better.
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