Boundary Wire

The OriginalNavigationMethod.

A buried perimeter wire carries a signal the mower follows. It's the oldest, most proven and most affordable navigation method — and the least flexible.

Conceptual illustration. Implementation varies by manufacturer and model.

How it works

Boundary-wire mowers detect the signal loop at the lawn's edge and turn when they reach it. Installation means burying the wire (or pegging it down), and changing the mowing area means moving the wire. It's reliable and cheap, but every layout change is a physical labor project — which is why newer yards increasingly go wire-free.

Patch's Note

Boundary wire is bulletproof but inflexible. Every layout change means physically moving the wire.

Mowers with this navigation