OcuMow (16 and 18)
LawnMaster's cheap, camera-guided robot mowers for small, simple lawns: no wire, no mapping and almost no setup. Testers found them quick to start and neat, but they mow at random and can't do edges.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
OcuMow is LawnMaster's budget range of robot mowers. A camera on the front recognises grass, and sensors spot hedges and raised edges, so there's no wire to lay and nothing to map. The OcuMow 16 is a drop-and-mow robot for lawns up to 150m²: you charge its battery indoors, set it down and let it run. The OcuMow 18 adds a charging dock and a schedule, for lawns up to 800m². Both use LawnMaster's 24V battery, which fits its other cordless garden tools.
The catch is that your garden has to suit it. Borders need to be clear, such as paving, gravel or bark at least 35cm wide, or a raised edge, and a path across the lawn cuts it in two. The mowers wander at random, can't follow an edge, and you set them on a small screen and dial.
LawnMaster also sells OcuMow AMB16 models with a dock, one of them with an app.
Our take: Buy one if your lawn is small, flat and neatly bordered, and you want the simplest, cheapest way to stop mowing. The OcuMow 16 suits a small patch with no outdoor socket; the 18 is better if you want it to run itself. For a complicated layout, several lawns or neat edges, spend more on a satellite-guided mower such as the Segway Navimow i1.
Where it sits in LawnMaster’s range
- OcuMow (16 and 18)This model
- LawnMaster OcuMow AMB16-400Smaller auto-charging model with a dock
- LawnMaster OcuMow AMB16i-600Auto-charging model with an app
What reviewers found
Two home tests, one of each model. Trusted Reviews tested the OcuMow 18 and found it the fastest mower to set up it had tried, with a good cut and quiet running, but fiddly settings, poor edges and clumsy docking. EasyLawnMowing tested the OcuMow 16 on a 100m² front lawn and was pleasantly surprised: it covered the lawn in about three hours and spotted the borders easily. Both stress that it needs a simple lawn with well-defined edges.
Trusted Reviews, hands-on, Apr 2025 (tested on the OcuMow 18) · EasyLawnMowing, hands-on (tested on the OcuMow 16 (VBRM16); Tested on a 100m² front lawn)
Almost no setup
Trusted Reviews had the OcuMow 18 mowing within minutes of opening the box: clip the dock together, screw it down, plug it in, slide in the battery and press play. That was faster than any other mower it had tested. The OcuMow 16 is simpler still, per EasyLawnMowing: there's no dock, so you charge the battery indoors in about an hour, set the mower on the lawn and choose a mode.
Your borders must suit it
The camera looks for anything that isn't grass. Trusted Reviews and EasyLawnMowing both note that flat borders like paving or gravel need to be at least 35cm wide, or raised edges at least 6cm high. Trusted Reviews found it turned away from freshly dug beds and even from plants in a grassy border without needing the magnetic strip. But a path across the lawn splits it into two areas, and you'll have to carry the mower between them.
A good cut, done at random
Trusted Reviews found the cut very good and as tidy as other robots it had tested, though the random pattern left small patches that got caught next time. Two or three runs a week covered the lawn. EasyLawnMowing found the OcuMow 16 finished its 100m² lawn in a little over three hours with no missed spots. Neither can follow an edge, and Trusted Reviews needed a strimmer every week or so.
Docking and bumps are weak
Trusted Reviews found the OcuMow 18 poor at docking: it found the dock but often missed the charging contacts and had to back up and try again, though it always got there. It also ran into a seed tray on the lawn, since it doesn't recognise objects, and once sat spinning its wheels in a divot. EasyLawnMowing's OcuMow 16 turned away from a robot mower left on its lawn.
Quiet, but fiddly to set up
Trusted Reviews measured the OcuMow 18 at 52.2dB, quiet enough to sit in the garden while it works. Setting schedules on its small screen and dial is laborious, though you'll likely do it only once. The OcuMow 16 has no schedule at all, and EasyLawnMowing notes it has no rain sensor, so you'll need to fetch it in if it rains. Both have lift sensors that stop the blades.
Trusted Reviews tested the OcuMow 18; EasyLawnMowing tested the OcuMow 16 (VBRM16), which has no dock or rain sensor. Nobody has tested the app version of the OcuMow 18 yet.
Prices
Where to buy the OcuMow (16 and 18) in Australia
Not sold in Australia. Switch market above, or see the alternatives below.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a boundary wire?
No. The camera and sensors find the lawn's edges, per Trusted Reviews. The borders need to be clear, though: at least 35cm of paving or gravel, or a raised edge of 6cm or more. The OcuMow 18 comes with magnetic strip to block off problem spots, per the specifications.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
Not on its own. Trusted Reviews found a path across the lawn splits it into two areas the OcuMow 18 won't cross, so you carry it over and start a manual cut. EasyLawnMowing notes the OcuMow 16 is light at 6.6kg, with a carry handle.
How close does it cut to the edge?
Not close. Trusted Reviews found the OcuMow 18 can't get near the edges or follow a border line, and it needed trimming every week or so. LawnMaster itself says you'll need a grass trimmer for the edges, per the specifications.
What happens when it rains?
The OcuMow 18 has a rain sensor that sends it back to the dock, and it restarts after a delay you can set, per Trusted Reviews. The OcuMow 16 has neither dock nor rain sensor, so EasyLawnMowing says you'll need to bring it in yourself.
How noisy is it for neighbours?
Quiet. Trusted Reviews measured the OcuMow 18 at 52.2dB, low enough to sit out in the garden while it runs. It only works in daylight, per the specifications, which also helps protect night-time wildlife.
Compare with
Landroid Vision AI
Another camera-guided mower with no wire, aerial or map; testers found it the easiest robot to set up.
It also mows at random, and edges vary by garden.
E15 Robot Lawn Mower
Camera-guided with no wire or aerial, and one of the quickest mowers to set up, for lawns up to 800m².
Testers with bumpy or damp grass had it slipping and getting stuck.
i1 series (i105E, i105N, i108E, i110N)
A small wire-free mower with a tidy striped cut and an easy app, for lawns up to 800m².
It leaves a strip at the edges, and its aerial needs open sky.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a OcuMow (16 and 18)?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.
- Trusted Reviews: LawnMaster OcuMow 18 Robot Mower Review · 4 / 5Hands-on · Tested on the OcuMow 18
- EasyLawnMowing: LawnMaster VBRM16 OcuMow Review – Drop and MowHands-on · Tested on the OcuMow 16 (VBRM16) · Tested on a 100m² front lawn
- LawnMaster (Cleva UK): OcuMow 18 product pageManufacturer
- LawnMaster (Cleva UK): OcuMow 16 product pageManufacturer