Husqvarna Automower 260 ACX

As if the idea of an electronic lawnmower that navigates your yard on its own weren’t absurd enough, Husqvarna has taken its Automower ‘bots to a new level of over-the-top tech advancement with the new 260 ACX, a robot lawnmower that actually has a cellular modem built in.

Why does your mower need to make phone calls?

To deal with the one problem it can’t deal with on its own: getting stuck.

Yes, the latest Automower in the fleet will send you a text message when it’s become snagged on that root, hooked on a branch, or run over the sprinkler you forgot. It dings a preprogrammed cell phone number with an automated alert, allowing you (or your gardener, if you can afford one of these) to go out and fix the issue with good old-fashioned manpower.

Like the rest of the mowers in the series, this one can handle up to an acre and a half of sod, and runs entirely on a NiMH battery pack that it can charge in about 40 minutes when it’s done. And if anyone tries to steal it – or an overly rambunctious kid flips it over – it shuts off the blades and sounds an alarm.

At the moment, this little beast is only available in Europe, where it sells for an intimating 4,000 Euros – about $5,300 USD. But if you’re willing to forego the cell feature, less advanced versions can be had stateside for less than $3,000. More information can be found over at Husqvarna.

Husqvarna Automower 260 ACX