For homeowners with a large lawn, taking care of the lawn might be very time-consuming, especially during the spring and summer. That’s the reason why robot lawn mowers have become more popular and I even see some landscaping companies started using them to reduce the workload. I have a 0.5-acre lot and I often have to spend at least an hour every 1-2 weeks mowing the grass. This is not really an enjoyable experience since my lawn is complex and uneven. Fortunately, I got the SUNSEEKER ELITE X7 robot lawn mower for testing and was excited to try it out to see if I could reduce the time spent for this chore.
Disclosure: We received the robot as a courtesy for review purposes. However, the review is intended to provide honest, unbiased insights about the product, based on personal experiences and observations.
Unboxing & Setup
Upon unboxing, the package includes the mower unit, a charging station, a separate RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) base station with its holder, a power charger, a user manual, and spare blades. The overall plastic construction feels quite solid.
Setting up the SUNSEEKER is actually easier than I expected. I started by placing the RTK base station, which requires a clear, unobstructed view of the sky for optimal satellite signal reception. The provided 49-foot RTK power cord offers flexibility in finding a suitable location. Then I found a flat area to place the robot mower along with its charging station. Both stations need to be plugged in. The robot is rated IPX5 for water resistance, so you can place it outdoors, as long as it is not standing on water.
Finally, you can go ahead and set up the robot via the app. The process involves guiding the mower around the perimeter of the desired mowing areas, allowing it to construct a virtual map. The X7 supports the definition of multiple zones and no-go areas for obstacles like flowerbeds or play structures. Features like “AI-assistant Mapping,” which can automatically identify lawn edges, and “Auto Boundary Optimization,” which can refine user-mapped boundaries, help simplify this process.
Navigation
Once mapping is complete, the X7 combines RTK positioning with VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) for navigation. The precision is quite impressive as it adheres to the established virtual boundaries and moves with a parallel pattern. It features binocular Vision AI which is trained to detect and avoid over 200 types of real-world obstacles. In practice, the system often effectively identifies medium objects, instructs the mower to slow down and reroute its path to continue mowing. It can navigate around common yard items, including pets as well. Notice that if you have dense and tall grass, the robot would avoid it as well.
Cutting Quality
The ultimate measure of a robotic mower is its cutting performance. The ELITE X7 is equipped with dual floating cutting discs with 6 small blades in total; They could provide a 14-inch cutting width. It delivers an even and consistent cut, and the result actually looks quite professional with distinct stripes. The cutting height can be adjusted via the app from 0.8 to 4.0 inches. The “Ride-on Edge” feature contributes to cleaner, more precise boundary cuts.
My lawn has some steep slopes and I am surprised the X7 can handle them all with the All-Wheel Drive (AWD) system. It is rated to handle slopes up to an impressive 70% (35°). The AWD provides the necessary traction and stability to climb up inclines without slipping or stalling. These are the areas that I often struggle with my traditional lawn mower as pushing it up the slopes is exhausting. Moreover, the floating cutting deck allows it to adapt to uneven ground, minimizing scalping on high spots and ensuring a consistent cut in dips.
Another advantage of the X7 is the silent operation; It maintains a noise level of approximately 60 dB, so it can run without causing significant disturbance. As a comparison, battery-powered or gas mowers operate at 70-95 dB. Like most robotic mowers, the X7 mulches clippings back into the lawn; This is beneficial for turf health but you won’t be able to collect the clippings.
You can schedule the X7 to mow automatically but I don’t use this feature because it is recommended to clean the lawn before running the X7. I often have to check the lawn for rocks, tree branches, or pet droppings before starting the mower. The auto-recharge function ensures that when the battery runs low, the mower autonomously returns to its charging station and, once sufficiently charged, can resume mowing where it left off.
There is a built-in rain sensor which might be useful because you wouldn’t want to mow wet grass. If it detects rain, the mower will come back to its base, protecting the unit and ensuring cut quality is not compromised by wet conditions.
The X7 is equipped with a 5Ah battery, typically offering around 1 hour of mowing time per charge. For my lawn with uneven surface and slopes, it needs to come back to the base once to complete the entire area. I have a 0.5-acre lot but the actual lawn size is just around 0.12 acre. Therefore, the robot can mow my backyard in one charge, then it comes back to the base for recharging, then it can complete the work in the front yard. Recharging the 5Ah battery generally takes between 1.5 to 2 hours.
The app runs fairly smoothly and I have no problem creating the map, editing existing boundaries post-mapping, or controlling the robot remotely. The user interface and language are not really easy to understand, so I had to try a few times to understand how it works.
Final Thoughts
After extended use, the most significant benefit of the SUNSEEKER ELITE X7 is the substantial saving in time and physical effort for lawn care. My lawn looks consistently well-maintained with professional-style stripes. It is suitable for medium lawns of around 0.5 acre. It works well with dense grass, significant slopes or uneven terrain. The price tag of over $2,000 is quite an investment but it gives me more free time; Besides, I totally can justify the cost because lawn care services charge me at least $150 per visit.
