iMOW 4 EVO
Limited evidenceRead the findings →STIHL's boundary-wire robot mower, built for sloping lawns and controlled by app over mobile data. It suits buyers who want a dealer to install and service it. There's no satellite guidance or camera, so the wire takes an afternoon to lay.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in STIHL’s range
- iMOW 3 EVOSmaller EVO model for lawns up to 500m²
- iMOW 4 EVOThis model
- iMOW 4Earlier version without app control or mobile connection
- iMOW 5 EVOLarger-bodied EVO model for bigger lawns
- iMOW 6 EVOLarger EVO model for lawns up to 3,000m²
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What we know
STIHL documents the iMOW 4 EVO in the specifications: lawns up to 1,000m², 45% slopes, a 20cm cut from three swinging blades, ultrasonic sensors and app control over mobile data. Its installation guidance in STIHL UK covers the perimeter wire and what a dealer sets up, so you know what to check. Searches in English and German turned up only retailer listings and review round-ups that repeat the spec sheet, and we don't count those.
A wire keeps it on the lawn
Every iMOW, this one included, follows a perimeter wire laid round the edge of the lawn and around beds, per STIHL UK. You can lay it yourself with the wire and fixing nails, or have a STIHL dealer install it along with the dock and mowing plan. Separate lawns need to be joined by the wire or given a second dock. Low, flush edges can be set up so it cuts right to them; along walls it runs as close as it can.
How it cuts
Three freely swinging blades on a disc spin fast to cut a 20cm strip, and STIHL says this gives a cleaner result in less time than the older iMOW 4, per the specifications. The grass is mulched back into the lawn rather than collected. Cutting height runs from 20 to 60mm and can be changed in steps from the app.
Sensors, slopes and control
Ultrasonic sensors let it approach obstacles gently and mow close to them, changing direction on contact, and tilt sensors adjust its speed on uneven ground, per the specifications. STIHL rates it for 45% slopes, or 50% with an upgrade kit. You can control it over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi at home, or over the mobile network from anywhere, and it tells you what it's doing through spoken messages.
What's not checked yet
Nobody independent has tested the iMOW 4 EVO yet, so these are the questions for a dealer: how even the cut is and how much it leaves along the edges, whether it's really quicker and cleaner than the older iMOW 4, how it grips a 45% slope, and how well the sensors handle obstacles. For now those all rest on the specifications.
Our take
Should you buy the iMOW 4 EVO?
Best for: Sloping lawns where a dealer can install a boundary wire. Skip it if: You want a mower with independent tests of this exact version.
Consider it if you want an established brand, a dealer to install and service it, and a proven boundary-wire mower for a sloping lawn up to 1,000m². We can't yet point to an independent test of this exact model. If you'd rather skip the wire, a camera or satellite mower such as the Segway Navimow i208 AWD is quicker to set up. For a small, awkward lawn, the GARDENA SILENO city is a quieter wired alternative.
The iMOW 4 EVO is the smaller-bodied of STIHL's app-connected EVO mowers, one step above the iMOW 3 EVO and below the larger iMOW 5 EVO. Like all iMOW models, it keeps to your lawn with a perimeter wire that you or a STIHL dealer lay around the edge. STIHL rates it for lawns up to 1,000m² and 45% slopes, or 50% with an optional kit. Three swinging blades on a spinning disc cut a 20cm strip, and ultrasonic sensors let it slow down before it touches obstacles.
The trade-off is the wire and the lack of navigation tricks. There's no satellite guidance or camera, so installing it takes an afternoon, and any change to the lawn means moving the wire. In return you get app control from anywhere over mobile data, adjustable cutting height from the app, and dealer installation and servicing.
Where to buy
Where to buy the iMOW 4 EVO in Australia
No verified retailer listed 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?
Yes. Like every iMOW, it follows a perimeter wire laid round the lawn, per STIHL UK. You can install it yourself or ask a STIHL dealer, who can also lay the wire, set up the dock and programme the mowing plan.
Will it cope with my slope?
STIHL rates it for 45%, or 50% with an optional upgrade kit, and says tilt sensors slow it on uneven ground, per the specifications. We haven't found an independent test on a real bank yet, so ask a dealer about your particular slope.
Can it handle two lawns or a narrow passage?
Yes, if the areas are joined by the perimeter wire or you add a second docking station, per STIHL UK. With a second dock you have to carry the mower over each time. STIHL says clever turning lets it work in narrow spots, per the specifications.
What happens when it rains?
A rain sensor detects wet weather, and you choose in the app whether it keeps mowing or pauses, per the specifications. STIHL's guidance in STIHL UK adds that an interrupted mow resumes in the next active period, which protects the grass from being cut wet.
How close does it cut to the edge?
It depends on how the wire is laid. Along low, flush edges such as paths at ground level, the wire can be placed so it cuts the edge cleanly, per STIHL UK. Along walls and raised terraces it runs as close as it can, so expect some trimming there.
How noisy is it for neighbours?
STIHL says its iMOW mowers run at no more than 60dB(A), per STIHL UK, which is typical for a robot mower and quiet enough for most gardens. There's no independent measurement of the iMOW 4 EVO yet.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
SILENO city (250 to 600m², basic and smart)
Why consider it: Another boundary-wire mower from an established brand, very quiet and good with narrow strips and side passages.
The compromise: Laying the wire takes effort and it leaves a strip uncut at the edges.
i2 AWD
Why consider it: All-wheel drive for bumpy, sloping lawns up to 1,000m², with no wire and usually no aerial to fit.
The compromise: You'll still need to strim the edges.
Landroid Classic (boundary-wire range)
Why consider it: Long-running boundary-wire mowers that testers found quiet, neat and good value.
The compromise: You still have to lay a wire first, and the reviews are a few years old.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the iMOW 4 EVO?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Sources
- STIHL: iMOW 4 EVO product page (Germany) ↗Manufacturer
- STIHL UK: iMOW robotic lawn mower technology ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Search YouTube for STIHL iMOW 4 EVO ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.