Equip Expo 2026: Turn-Free Robot Mowers and One-Battery Yards Steal the Show

Robotic Mowers Steal the Show at Equip Expo 2026

Equip Expo is built for landscapers and dealers, but according to MakeUseOf's coverage of this year's show in Louisville, Kentucky, some of the most interesting gear was aimed at homeowners. Robot lawn mowers picked up all-wheel drive and camera arrays, and the publication's roundup singles out three autonomous lawn mower designs that point to where smart mowing is heading.

Sunseeker Elite X8 Plus: Three Sensing Systems and a Zero-Gap Claim

MakeUseOf reports that Sunseeker brought its full X lineup to Booth 1190, with the X8 Plus as the preview people most wanted to see. According to the report, this robotic mower stacks three sensing technologies:

Network RTK positioning for centimeter-level accuracy in open areas
Solid-state LiDAR for obstacle detection
Stereo cameras to cover what the other two miss

Sunseeker calls the combination AONavi 3.0, which MakeUseOf says is exclusive to this model for now.

The headline feature may be EdgeZero 2.0. Many robot mowers leave a strip of uncut grass along driveways and beds that owners still trim by hand, and Sunseeker claims the X8 Plus closes that gap to zero. MakeUseOf says it wants to see the feature work on a real border before fully believing it, though it describes the demo-yard slope runs as convincing. The mower uses all-wheel drive to climb 80% grades and is rated for lawns up to two acres. Pricing and a ship date have not been announced.

TerraMow X AWD: A Robot Mower That Doesn't Turn Around

MakeUseOf says most robot mowers pivot at the end of each pass, while the TerraMow X AWD shifts sideways and drives the next strip in reverse. TerraMow calls this Shuttle Drive. The idea, as MakeUseOf explains it, is to protect turf: repeated end-of-row pivots are where heavy mowers can scuff grass and compact soil, and mowing in both directions removes the turn.

The specs cited in the report include:

A 42V all-wheel-drive chassis with dual suspension and dynamic torque distribution
Handling of 42-degree slopes, roots, and ruts
Six cameras, front and rear, feeding the TerraVision 2.0 system, backed by nRTK in open ground
A 900W cutting system with three discs under a 20-inch deck

MakeUseOf adds a caution about the sales channel. The X AWD launched on Kickstarter in June at $2,699 against a $3,599 retail price, and the publication notes that crowdfunded mowers have a mixed record on delivery. It also says the hardware it saw looked finished.

Toro HAVEN AM75: Wire-Free Mowing From a Familiar Brand

According to MakeUseOf, the Toro HAVEN AM75 was the surprise of a booth better known for lawn tractors. The autonomous lawn mower navigates by LiDAR, builds its map from boundaries drawn in an app, and skips the buried perimeter wire that older robot mowers still need. Toro rates it for lawns up to 0.75 acres, which MakeUseOf says covers a typical suburban lot.

The publication contrasts this with most of the wire-free robots it saw in Louisville, which target two-acre properties and are priced accordingly. It frames the AM75 as a fit for homeowners who want a known brand and a nearby dealer. Toro's display also included a redesigned 50-inch TimeCutter zero-turn and a 24-inch Power Max HD snow blower. Pricing for the AM75 is not disclosed in the report.

Beyond Robots: Snow, Batteries, and Walk-Behind Mowers

Robotic mowers were not the only story. MakeUseOf also covered:

STIHL SFA 120: The company's first battery snow thrower, a 22-inch single-stage unit running on the new AP 300.0 P pack, which is IPX5-rated and rated to work at -4°F. STIHL claims a throw distance past 30 feet and a 13-inch maximum clearing depth. The kit with battery and charger lists at $899.99; the bare tool is $699.99.
STIHL AK homeowner line: Refreshed AK 10, AK 20, and AK 30 packs on a shared 36V platform, with the AK 30 S gaining a 35% bump in peak power over the outgoing pack.
DEWALT 2X20V MAX XR 21-inch RWD mower kit: Due in November, running on two 20V MAX packs that DEWALT rates for up to 90 minutes. Pricing wasn't announced.

What This Means for You

If you're shopping for a robotic mower, the show suggests the field is splitting by lawn size and terrain. Based on MakeUseOf's report, the Toro HAVEN AM75 targets smaller yards of up to 0.75 acres with a wire-free setup, while the Sunseeker X8 Plus and TerraMow X AWD aim at larger or tougher properties with all-wheel drive and multi-sensor navigation.

Edge trimming is one to watch. If Sunseeker's EdgeZero 2.0 claim holds up in real-world use, it could cut down on hand trimming, but that is a manufacturer claim