I tested the EUFY E18: a efficient robotic mower

From what I understood, a robot mower was not always easy to use. Depending on the model, it was necessary to install an antenna or bury cables. Then stuff a manual exploration of the terrain in radio control mode in order to teach the robot what he could mow and what he had to preserve. Discouraging, especially for a lazy like me. But that was before.

Engineers had the idea of taking the electronics of a robot vacuum cleaner and sticking it on an electric mower engine. On paper, it stuck well: a robot vacuum cleaner knows how to go on its own, recognize and avoid obstacles. So why could he not mow?

This is exactly what the P’tits guys from Eufy, a great specialist in robot vacuums, thought of which you have already been told about the Citron press. Neither one nor two, they created the E18, the brand’s first foray into the field of automated mowing.

And as chance does things well, I have access to a garden, right at the time of the launch of the E18 … So I did not hesitate to take it in testing!

Beautiful as a mower, solid like a truck

The EUFY E18 does not go unnoticed. The device is bulky and inspires a feeling of solidity. His robust conception inspires confidence, even if we tell ourselves that we will have to look a little to find a place. In fact, no need to widen your head for too long: the base must be installed directly with the lawn to mow. I would have preferred to accommodate it under the awning so that it is protected from the weather or the sun. I naively thought that she could join the lawn alone, but this is not the case (for the moment). Damage.

If your garden is made up of two separate parts, you will have to buy a second base. It will then be necessary to lug the robot to the other base when you want to mow this area. Not very practical, but it works. The discovery phase of the mowing space is fully automated. The robot strolls alone, like a large, and detects flower beds, trees and even domestic animals.

The mower uses V-FSD 1.0 technology (Vision Full-Self Driving) d’Anker, which completely eliminates the need for buried cables or RTK antennas. The initial installation is indeed not very complicated, provided that the installation location is covered by domestic wifi. Fortunately, EUFY has planned the blow with an integrated 4G module which compensates for the possible absence of Wi-Fi. To use it after the trial period (activated at the same time as the mower), it will be necessary to take out a subscription of 19.90 euros per year.

Eight months without mowing

E18 has also intrigued Nini, the almost centenary turtle that lives in the garden. She went to him several times during learning. But, as it avoided it thanks to its detection mechanism, it quickly disinterested. The garden of this test is about 150 m2, a large part of which is occupied by bushes and trees.

Problem: the grass had not been mowed for 8 months, which made it look like the garden in a meadow. Although it is specified that The E18 will not be effective if the height of the grass exceeds 9 cmI still launched the location, then the mowing, just to see. I ended up with a lot of “false positives”, especially fairly high or dense wild plants, such as dandelions. The mowing was therefore not very effective, but it allowed me to clear the ground. I then took a manual mower to finish the work.

In the process, I relaunched a new exploration, just to see the difference. The resulting card was significantly closer to reality than the first. Strangely, some places have been indicated “to avoid” when this was not the case.

This is due to the color of the grass, which frankly shooted yellow following the heat waves of this early summer: it was not recognized as lawn. I corrected this by adding thanks to the card editor of the compulsory passage areas. It also makes it possible to configure prohibited areas, thus avoiding that the mower will venture into unwanted or dangerous areas. This functionality effectively complete the 3D obstacle detection system.

The following mowing, made two weeks apart, were satisfactory. It took the EUFY E18 almost 40 minutes to overcome the fifty square meters covered with lawn. I was especially surprised by the silence of the mowing, especially compared to the noise made by a traditional mower. The navigation system behaved perfectly.

Visually

The machine adopts a systematic approach in parallel lines, very different from the random movement of traditional mowers. Trajectory planning can be adjusted from the application, as is the mowing height. The quality of cut is one of the strengths of this E18. The blades are designed to effectively slice the dense and slightly damp grass.

The E18 provides a uniform and clear mowing, with an intelligent detection system ensuring that no area is forgotten. The 4200 mAh battery provides Autonomy reaching 90 to 110 minutes. In my case, this largely represents a complete session. If necessary, the robot would have returned from itself to the base in order to recharge.

Automated piloting is based on traditional cameras Rather than Lidar. It is therefore impossible to start a nocturnal mowing, the app opposing it firmly. The obstacles are intelligently detected and bypassed. An uprising sensor provides additional security: If the robot is lifted from the ground, the mowing immediately stops. The cutting height is adjustable between 25 and 75 millimeters, allowing to adapt to different types of lawn and aesthetic preferences. The cut grass is not picked up: it is not useful, because it is literally sprayed during the cut. And to be honest, it’s even beneficial (see box)!

The robot shares the same application as brand products. It is overall rather well done, even if its translation sometimes leaves something to be desired. It offers real -time mapping and programming of mowing sessions. We can follow in real time the advances of the mowing on the card and stream on the screen of the smartphone what the mower sees. Practical to verify that it does not do anything!

4G, GPS and rain detector

We quickly mentioned it, connectivity is mainly based on domestic WiFi (in particular the initial configuration or updates of the internal software. A 4G chip and an internal GPS are also planned to ensure follow -up in the event of a faulty WiFi signal. PUSH notifications allow you to be informed in real time of events: start and end of mowing, problems detected, return to the basis.

on the left, the general switch; On the right, the location for Airtag. Both take place under the machine © Marc Mitrani for Pressron Press

On this subject, the robot detects the showers using a sensor and returns cautiously to its charge station to protect itself. It will get out when the time is more lenient, respecting a dry period (adjustable via the companion application) so as not to damage the lawn. Mowing programming can be adapted every day of the week, with customizable time slots.

Last but not leastthe security aspect has been the subject of all attentions. If it is raised while it is at rest, the robot will emit a dissuasive sound alarm which can only be deactivated from its owner’s smartphone. In case of disappearance, It remains traceable thanks to 4G and GPS. It even has accommodation for an Apple Airtag, just to facilitate its location a little more. Knowing that Eufy also sells her own tags, competitors of those of Apple, I find it surprising that they are not integrated into the mower (this is what the user manual asserts, in any case) …

EUFY E18 robot mower: Press-citron opinion notice

At the end of this test, I can only be won over by the Eufy E18. Both simple to master and effective, this robot mower shines with its simplicity of implementation and the quality of its service. EUFY indicates that the E18 is designed for an area of 1200 m2 max. If we have “only” 800 m2, the E15, sold a little cheaper, will do the trick.

As attractive as it is, the E18 is not perfect. It cannot work after dark, its base must imperatively be installed in the garden and the companion application still deserves some improvements. The EUFY E18 is officially sold for € 1799. This very high price can cool purchasing ardor, even when it benefits from promotions. When this test is carried out, it is sold for € 1499, a reduction of 300 euros. Its little brother The E15 is offered at € 1399, € 100 less than its catalog price.

The purchase is justified for large area laws, but surely not for my modest 150 m2 of my garden. Too bad, because it allowed me to have a well maintained lawn without really taking care of it. Hopefully the price of this type of product will be quickly revised down, as was the case for that of vacuum robots.

📍 To not miss any Citron press, follow us on Google News and Whatsapp.