Sunseeker Elite X5 test - a good friend of your greens

From those that require a boundary wire to those that mulch the grass using a satellite signal and supporting technologies such as various sensors and cameras. Only robotic lawnmowers with lidar are still eluding us, but their turn will come.

We are actually looking for a replacement for a robotic lawnmower that has blown its 15th candle and deserves a rest. This time, the Sunseeker Elite X5 robotic lawnmower took over the mowing duties, looking to the sky for a reliable satellite signal, and on the ground, relying on built-in cameras and vSLAM technology.

Sunseeker Elite X5 price and specifications

• Sunseeker Elite X5: €1,899 (currently reduced to €1,804) at Slovenian distributor Rotar

Also available is the X3 model for smaller greens (up to 800 m²), X3+ (up to 1200 m²) and X7 for larger (up to 3000 m²) and X7+ for the highest (up to 6000 m²).

Sunseeker Elite X5 – you will never consciously choose to mow by hand again

Robotic lawnmowers are an investment, but when you consider how much work they save you, it's a lot easier to pull €1,899 out of your pocket. In fact, it's no more expensive than a classic lawnmower, except that you still have to guide it manually. With a robotic lawnmower, you can sip your coffee and watch your neighbors still manually mow their lawn.

If you've never seen a robotic lawnmower in action (we recommend visiting an agricultural fair), don't worry about the installation. It's the same as a regular robotic lawnmower, except that instead of laying a boundary wire around the lawn, you'll cover it with a satellite signal using the included RTK station. You need to place the latter in the most optimal location, where there are no interferences, otherwise you'll have problems with the connection.

When it comes to the charging station, our first instinct (as with robotic vacuums) is to hide it somewhere so it doesn't ruin our beautiful lawn. Just don't hide it too far away, as it still needs to communicate with the RTK station if you want the mower to do its job properly and not wander off to your neighbor's. If possible, it's best to have both stations in the same location and for the RTK station to have an unobstructed view of the sky.

AONavi, RTK GNSS, vSLAM... How does it navigate the green?

The Sunseeker Elite X5 works with the AONavi navigation system, which combines RTK GNSS and vSLAM technology. RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) is a satellite system where the lawnmower cooperates with an installation (reference) station. The reference station calculates corrections for the GNSS signal and transmits them to the lawnmower in real time. This way, the lawnmower achieves centimeter-level accuracy when determining its position in the garden. At the same time, the system uses vSLAM (visual simultaneous localization and mapping). vSLAM means that the robot uses a dual camera to create a map of the surroundings. The camera detects reference points in the surroundings (lawn edges, trees, garden furniture, etc.) and uses the collected data to determine its location.

This approach has several advantages. RTK provides very precise navigation in open areas, while vSLAM provides reliable operation in shaded or partially obscured areas of the garden, where the satellite signal can deteriorate. vSLAM thus enables smooth movement even among bushes or along the edges of the lawn, as the mower uses a camera to "recognize" the area in front of it and adjusts its direction accordingly. However, vSLAM has one significant disadvantage. Since the camera requires light to operate, the mower will not start working at night or when visibility is poor. It will also warn you about this when you want to set a schedule.

This isn't a big problem with a lawnmower, as you'll likely set it to mow while you're at work. The only thing that would be nice for the weekend would be if it could mow while we're sleeping.

In the field, the Elite X5 automatically plans cutting paths: it measures the shape of the garden, detects edges and creates an efficient, gap-free cutting pattern. The mower cuts in parallel lines for an even cut, just like you see on golf courses or in front of a hotel. This way, the grass really looks like it was mowed by a professional.

During operation, the mower uses 3D Vision AI, which simply means that the camera and built-in algorithms recognize obstacles in front of it. It automatically detects more than 200 different obstacles (toys, branches, small animals) and avoids them in time. In the past, mowers had to crash into an obstacle for the sensor in the bumper to detect it, now this happens without a collision.

The Sunseeker Elite X5 also has all-wheel drive (AWD), which improves stability on uneven ground and allows for tight turning circle control when cutting grass edges. When cutting edges, we recommend leaving a few centimetres more room to manoeuvre when you start, as this reduces the chance of the mower missing the boundary. Mow the area around edges or sensitive areas (trees, gardens, etc.) by hand.

After the initial cramps, she was reliable

So far, with every robotic lawnmower, we have had to give the robot time to get to know the surroundings, where it can roam and especially where it can't, what obstacles it can expect, whether there is a slope or uneven area... Before you judge whether the robotic lawnmower was a good purchase, give it at least a week (even better, more) to get used to the surroundings. After the first mowings, we noticed empty areas on the map where the robot did not mow. We don't know exactly why (perhaps it misdetected an obstacle, the grass was too high...), but it eliminated the shortcomings with each subsequent mowing.

It cuts systematically and according to a set pattern, which you can partially adjust in the app. The green where we tested it does not have much layered terrain. Most of it is flat with only a small slope, which the Sunseeker Elite X5 easily overcame. Because it has all-wheel drive, the manufacturer says it can overcome slopes of up to 60 % (up to 30°).

The mower slalomed through obstacles – it detected bushes, chairs and even people in time and slowed down. When the cameras caught a toy or tool that we had intentionally left on the grass, it stopped the cutting disc, made a detour and continued mowing. However, caution is not superfluous and it is better to clean up as a precaution.

The X5 really stands out with its quiet sound during operation. Compared to conventional petrol lawnmowers, it is almost imperceptible. Even under heavy load, for example when mulching thick grass, the noise was moderate, averaging around 60 decibels.

The Sunseeker Elite X5 can mow for approximately 80 minutes on a single charge (depending on terrain, grass height, etc.). When it runs out of power, it automatically returns to the charging station, recharges (takes about an hour) and continues where it left off. If your lawn is at the upper limit of its range (2000 m²), will likely need at least two cycles (maybe even more) to mow.

In case of rain, the robot automatically stops, takes a well-deserved rest and waits for the sun's rays. You can purchase an additional 4G module to track the location of the mower in case it is stolen by thieves. However, you do not need it to control or monitor the mower.

If you want to adjust the cutting height, you will need to use the physical button on the mower.

In the app (Android/iOS) you can set up to 8 mowing zones with different schedules. Our lawn didn't need more than one zone, but we set up several no-go zones, such as around the fireplace.

"Leave me alone, I have everything under control"

The Sunseeker Elite X5 lawn mower, like similar robotic lawn mowers, is almost completely autonomous. After the initial setup and a few days of observing that the map is appropriate, you can forget about mowing forever. Clean the lawn mower regularly, maintain the blades and your grass will always be green and tidy. We were also very satisfied with the robotic lawn mower in general. The promises of centimeter precision, avoiding obstacles, overcoming slopes and tidy mowing were fulfilled. The price is high, but even the competition (Husqvarna, Eufy, Mammotion, Dreame ...) is not significantly cheaper for this square footage, or some are even more expensive.