Bosch Indego S+ 500 Review

The master navigator

By Lawnbot on 6 May 2021
Bosch Indego S+ 500 Review
Our Verdict
The Bosch Indego S+ 500 is a decent entry-level mower, packed with all the relevant features you'd expect from a robotic lawnmower in 2021. The most impressive aspect of this robotic mower is the LogiCut intelligent navigation system, which makes a big difference in overall mowing performance. Apart from that, this model is pretty overpriced when compared with other models in its class with the same set of features.

Price Range: $1750/£930

Max Mowing Area: 500m²

Max Slope: 16º

Battery Life: 60 Minutes

Warranty: 2 Years

Features
Design
Performance

PROS

+Voice Control

+Mobile app compatibility

+LogiCut intelligent navigation

+Good lawn results

CONS

-Manual software updates

-Manual cutting height adjustments

Best Deals Today

Bosch Indego S+ 500

bosch indego s+ 500 garage

Bosch Indego S 500 Garage

$179

Automower blades

Bosch Indego Replacement Blades

$24

Quick Review

The Bosch Indego S+ 500 works best on complex smaller gardens of up to 500m². Equipped with some advanced features, including LogiCut, an intelligent navigation system, auto-scheduling, auto-recharging and a well developed mobile app. The LogiCut intelligent navigation systems allow the Bosch Indego to mow in a structured and calculated pattern instead of a random configuration like some robotic lawnmowers. This model can tackle hills and slopes of up to 16°, which isn't overly impressive compared to other robotic mowers in its class. With all of the S+ 500's wireless capabilities, such as voice control and mobile app monitoring, you're still going to need to manually update the software every so often by downloading the update onto a USB and then plugging it into your robot mower, which is a bit inconvenient, especially if you've spent extra for the wireless upgrade.
Bosch Indego S+ 500 Review

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Specifications

  • Main Features

    Warranty: 2 years

    Lawn Size: Up to 500mº

    Maximum Slope: 16º

    Mobile App: Yes

    Voice Control: Yes

    Wifi Connected: No

    Auto-Charging: Yes

    Auto-Scheduling: Yes

  • Cutting

    Cutting Range: 3-5cm

    Cutting Width: 19cm

    Cutting System: 3 pivoting cutting blades

  • Battery

    Mowing Time: 60 mins

    Charging Time: 60 mins

    Battery Type: Lithium-Ion

    Battery Voltage: 18V

    Battery Capacity: 2.5Ah

  • Noise

    Noise Output: 65db

  • Safety

    Life Sensor: Yes

    Tilt Sensor: Yes

    Emergency Stop: Yes

  • Security

    Pin Code: Yes

    Alarm: Yes

    Gps Tracking: No

  • Dimensions

    Size: 445 x 364 x 202 mm

    Weight: 7.7kg

Lawnbot Rating

4.6/5 Stars

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Pricing

The Indego S+ 500 will set you back around AU$1200-$1900, depending on whether you decide to get the regular S model or decide to upgrade to the S+. This seems a bit expensive at first, but you're mostly paying for the Indegos smart LogiCut system, which is more advanced than other robotic mowers.

indego s 500+ on grass

Bosch Indego S 500 Performance

Let's take a look at how the Bosch S+ 500's smart LogiCut navigational system and AutoCalendar work together in the real world.

Bosch Indego S+ 500: Cutting Power

We were impressed with the Indego S+ 500's cutting performance. Overall the mower leaves a nice and neatly trimmed lawn. One of the advantages of the LogiCut navigation is that the Indego S+500 leaves nice, straight adjacent lines through your lawn instead of crisscrossed lines left by conventional robotic mowers.

Bosch Indego S+ 500: Mow-to-charge Ratio

The mow-to-charge ratio on the Indego S500 is a decent 1:1. On average, it's going to get around 60 minutes of mow time per charge and will need another 60 to recharge fully. Not the best in the market but definitely not the worst.

bosch indego s500 charging

Bosch Indego S+ 500: LogiCut System

Arguably the best feature that the Indego S+ 500 has to offer is its advanced LogiCut navigation system which helps it mow in a row-like formation instead of a somewhat random configuration used by other robotic mowers.

bosch indego s500 logicut

Theoretically, this should be a far more efficient way of mowing. However, it can be hard to split test different robotic mowers.

How Does the Indego S+ 500 Handle RoughtTerrain?

This model can handle slopes of up to 16º, which is well below the market average of 22º. Needless to say, the Indego S 500 is best suited to flat surfaces.

See How the Bosch Indego LogiCut Works!

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Vs Gardena Sileno Life 750

The Bosch S500 matches up pretty evenly against Gardena's Life 750. Both of these models are fairly similar across this board, with a few things separating them. Let's take a look...

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Vs Gardena Sileno Life 750: Features

When it comes to features and specifications, both of these models matched up fairly evenly. With both robot mowers offering auto-schedule, auto-recharging and good mobile apps, it's hard to separate the two in this category.

When comparing their max mowing area, the Indego can mow up to 500m² while the Sileno can handle areas of up to 750m².

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Vs Gardena Sileno Life 750: Battery Capacity

These mowers have almost an identical mow-to-charge ratio, with the Indego S+ 500 being able to mow for 60 minutes and needing another 60 minutes to recharge fully, and the Sileno Life 750 will mow for 60 minutes and need around 65 minutes to fully recharge.

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Vs Gardena Sileno Life 750: Safety

Safety-wise, the two models are almost identical. Both companies obviously spend a lot of time making sure that their robots are extremely safe to prevent injuries. Both robots are equipped with E-stop buttons, bump/tilt/lift sensors and instant stopping blades, making these mowers extremely safe to have around the property.

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Vs Gardena Sileno Life 750: Noise

The Bosche Indego has an average noise output of 65db and is significantly noisier than the Gardena Sileno, which will sit at around 58db.

Bosch Indego S+ 500 Vs Gardena Sileno Life 750: Pricing

The Husqvarna Automower 115H retails at around AU$2100. The Gardena Sileno Life 1250 is reasonably cheaper at around AU$1700, which is a great price for a robotic mower with its features

Should You Buy the Bosch Indego S+ 500?

All robotic lawnmower models are designed for different purposes and have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. So how do you know which one is the right fit for your household?

Don't worry. We're here to help...

 

Buy It If...

You have small backyard with obstacles

Out of all robotic lawnmowers, the Bosch has the best navigation system, which makes it perfect for avoiding obstacles.


You own Bosch powertools

The cool thing about the Bosch Indego is that you can interchange the battery with other Bosch powertools, pretty cool huh...


You want a high-quality robot lawnmower

Without a doubt, the Bosch Indego is built to last and has a good track record of not needing too much maintenance and repairs.


Don't Buy If...

Your lawn has a lot of hills

The Bosch Indego S 500 definitely is not known for its mountaineering capabilities.


You have a medium-large sized lawn

The Indego S500 was designed for small-sized yards of up to 500m².


You expect perfection every mow

Although the robotic lawnmowers are getting more and more sophisticated each year, they can still miss a patch here and there and you'll have to go out and trim a few bits and pieces from time to time.


 

Where to Buy the Bosch Indego S+ 500

Bosch Indego S+ 500

bosch indego s+ 500 garage

Bosch Indego S 500 Garage

$179

Automower blades

Bosch Indego Replacement Blades

$24

Maintaining Your Bosch Indego

Regular maintenance of your robotic mower is essential if you want it to continue working at its best! Although you aren't required to change the oil, replace the spark plug or treat the fuel, there are still a few ways to increase your robot mower lifespan, lets have a look.

*Remember, ALWAYS turn your robot mower off and remove the battery prior to conducting any cleaning and maintenance*

Keeping Your Robot Lawn Mower Clean

One of the most simple ways to improve the performance and longevity of your robot mower is by regularly cleaning it, this process only takes a few minutes every week and it definitely worth the time. Here are a couple things to do when cleaning your mower:

  • Clean any debris from the control panel.
  • Remove any build-up of grass from around the wheels and make sure they are not clogged
  • Ensure the E-Stop button is free of any debris
  • Hose under the deck to clear any excess grass
  • Carefully wipe any residue off the blades

Replace Your Lawn Mower Blades Regularly

Most manufacturers recommend changing your mower's blades every 6-12 weeks, depending on how often you mow. If you change your robotic lawnmower's blades regularly, you will notice a cleaner cut in your lawn. By having sharp blades, your robot mower will cut through grass much easier, putting less strain on the motor.

How to Install Your Bosch Indego S500

In the video below, you'll be taken step by step on how to properly install your Bosch Indego robotic mower.

Our Thoughts on the Bosch Indego S+ 500

Overall, we really like Bosch's LogiCut system. It is definitely the most superior mowing algorithm on the market today. As a result, the Indego S 500 mows effectively, efficiently and leaves a lovely finished result. When it comes to features, it has all the basics; we don't like that you'll need to manually upload an update to your Indego via USB every time Bosch decides to change something.

We hope you found this honest review helpful, and enjoy the rest of your day!

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