A 5000
Limited evidenceRead the findings →The biggest wire-free mower in STIGA's satellite-guided A range, with a wide cut and two batteries. It's aimed at very large, open lawns with little clutter. It has no camera, so expect to clear the lawn before it runs.
Updated
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Where it sits in STIGA’s range
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What we know
The A 5000's details come from STIGA's product page. For the parts it shares with the smaller A 1500, the satellite navigation, the app and the lack of a camera, we've added what Gardens Illustrated and Instalki found when testing that model. They liked the cut and found the navigation workable once set up, but the robot ran into things. Its wider deck, twin batteries and slope rating are specific to the A 5000.
Gardens Illustrated, hands-on, Six weeks, Jun 2023 (tested on the A 1500; Tested before launch on a pre-production unit; A review of the smaller A 1500, cited only for the navigation, app and sensors both share) · Instalki, hands-on, Over two months, Sept 2024 (tested on the A 1500; Polish-language review; tested on a 300m² garden; A review of the smaller A 1500, cited only for the navigation, app and sensors both share)
Built for very large lawns
STIGA gives the A 5000 two 5Ah batteries, up to four and a half hours of cutting per cycle and a 150-minute recharge, for lawns up to 7,000m². It cuts a 26cm strip with six pivoting blades, against 18cm and four blades on the A 1500, and unlike the A 1500 it can set a different cutting height for each zone. It weighs 11.9kg without its batteries.
Same satellite navigation as the A 1500
Like the rest of the range, it follows a virtual boundary using satellite positioning and STIGA's guidance system, which plans mowing around when the signal is strongest, per STIGA. A reference aerial comes in the box, and STIGA also offers an antenna-free setup. Instalki, testing the A 1500, had to raise that aerial off the ground to stop connection drops, and found mapping by joystick in the app took practice.
No camera, so clear the lawn
The A 5000 has obstacle sensors but no camera, per STIGA. Testing the A 1500, which works the same way, Gardens Illustrated found it tried to go round things but was likely to get stuck, and Instalki had it drive over small objects and climb a low border into a bramble bed. Expect to clear toys and tools before it runs, and to map beds as no-go areas.
Cut quality, edges and rain
Both A 1500 testers praised the cut: Gardens Illustrated found it level and even, and Instalki said the lawn always looked perfect, though a 10 to 15cm strip stayed along borders. It has rain sensors and an IPX5 cover, per STIGA, and STIGA rates it slightly quieter than the A 1500, at 57dB(A) guaranteed.
Still to be proven
Nobody independent has tested the A 5000 itself, so a few things are open: how it copes with a real 7,000m² lawn, whether the wider six-blade deck cuts as cleanly as the A 1500's and leaves the same strip at the edges, whether the heavier mower handles obstacles any differently, and how the twin batteries and slope rating hold up. All of those come from STIGA for now.
Our take
Should you buy the A 5000?
Best for: Large, open lawns with a clear view of the sky. Skip it if: You want a mower with independent tests of this exact version.
only for a very large, open lawn with little clutter, and you would be buying on STIGA's word. The Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD NERA has two long tests behind it, and the Segway Navimow X4 series held its footing on hills for three testers.
The A 5000 is the biggest mower in STIGA's satellite-guided A range. It cuts a wider 26cm strip with six blades where the A 1000 and A 1500 use four, carries two batteries, and STIGA rates it for much larger lawns, more zones and steeper slopes than either. Like them it needs no boundary wire and uses a built-in mobile connection that STIGA includes free.
What is known comes from STIGA's product page, plus two tests of the smaller A 1500, which shares its navigation and app. Those testers loved the cut but found it ran into things because it has no camera, and the A 5000 has none either. So it suits big, open lawns you can keep clear, with beds mapped as no-go areas.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a boundary wire?
No. It follows a virtual boundary set by satellite positioning, per the specifications. You map it by driving the mower round the lawn edge in the STIGA.GO app, which Instalki found takes some practice on the smaller A 1500.
Does it need a clear view of the sky?
Yes. It relies on satellite positioning, and the reference aerial needs open sky. Instalki had to mount it higher to stop signal drops on the A 1500. STIGA also lists an antenna-free option, per the specifications, which neither A 1500 review tried.
Will it cope with my slope?
STIGA rates it for 50%, per the specifications, a little more than the A 1500's 45%. None of the reviews we use tested either figure on a real slope, so treat it as a claim for now.
How close does it cut to the edge?
We don't know yet. None of the reviews we use covers its 26cm deck, per the specifications. On the smaller A 1500, Instalki found a 10 to 15cm strip left along borders, so plan on some trimming by hand.
Is there a subscription for 4G or anti-theft?
No. STIGA includes connectivity free, per the specifications, so there's no data plan to buy, and the mower has an app lock, theft alert, and lift and tilt sensors. You'll need mobile coverage across the lawn.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
Automower 435X AWD NERA
Why consider it: Wire-free with all-wheel drive for up to 5,000m², and two long tests found a very even cut and dependable running.
The compromise: It runs over small objects and leaves a strip at the edges.
X4 series
Why consider it: Three tests found the X4 series fast, sure-footed on hills and kind to the turf.
The compromise: It's heavy, too wide for narrow gaps, and edges are its weak spot.
A Vista range (A 6v to A 140v)
Why consider it: STIGA's newer range adds a camera, with sizes up to 14,000m², and testers agree the cut is excellent.
The compromise: The camera, the app and the setup all drew real complaints.
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 A 5000?
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
Editorial reviews
- Gardens Illustrated: STIGA A 1500 Robot Lawn Mower: does it work? ↗4 / 5Hands-on, Six weeks · Tested on the A 1500 · Tested before launch on a pre-production unit · A review of the smaller A 1500, cited only for the navigation, app and sensors both share (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
- Instalki: Stiga A 1500 review (in Polish) ↗Hands-on, Over two months · Tested on the A 1500 · Polish-language review; tested on a 300m² garden · A review of the smaller A 1500, cited only for the navigation, app and sensors both share (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
Sources
- STIGA: A 5000 product page (UK) ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Smartlawns Ltd: Stiga A5000 complex multi zone garden ↗
- Search YouTube for STIGA A 5000 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.