Boundary wire or wire-free?

By the Gladeburn team

Sources awaiting check

Work it out for your lawn

Worked example

For an enclosed lawn with clear path and patio edges, heavy tree cover and a house close by:

  • LiDAR suits it: LiDAR doesn't rely on a satellite signal, so trees matter less.
  • Boundary wire could work: Wire doesn't need a satellite signal, so trees and buildings don't matter.
  • Camera vision could work: Clear edges, such as paths and patios, suit camera vision.
  • Hybrid could work: A hybrid can cover the corners where one method alone struggles.
  • RTK satellite isn't a good fit: Tree cover near the lawn can weaken or block the RTK signal.

Source: Manufacturer documentation, awaiting check

Wire-free mowers save you laying a boundary wire, but each type needs something from your garden in return: a clear view of the sky for RTK, clear lawn edges for cameras, fixed features for LiDAR. This decider weighs your answers against those needs.

How it works

Each tech starts with a score, and your answers add or take away from it: tree cover counts against RTK, soft edges against camera vision, a wide open lawn against LiDAR, and not wanting to lay wire against a wire model. The result is our rule of thumb from each tech's published limits, not a test result, and the reasons are shown with it.

FAQs

Will RTK work under my trees?

Partly, often. RTK needs a clear view of the sky, and heavy canopy can weaken the signal under it. Many gardens with a few trees are fine; a lawn mostly under branches is where a hybrid, vision or wire model may cope better. Check the model's own guidance.

Is boundary wire out of date?

No. It's the longest-established type, it works under trees and beside buildings, and there's the widest choice of models. The trade-off is the time it takes to lay, and finding breaks.

Read the guide: Wire vs RTK vs vision

Sources