Gardena Minimo vs City – Detailed comparison
The robotic mowers are a perfect solution for homeowners to save their time. They can cut the grass daily per schedule or automatically choose the working days based on the grass intensity growing. Their sharp blades do not require complicated maintenance; you do not need to collect the grass after mowing. With remote control, your yard will be perfect for the time when you return home from work or vacation.
The number of advantages of a robotic mower is almost innumerable; the essential question is how to choose a proper one. The German Company from Ulm Gardena produces garden tools from the 1961 year, 2007 they became a member of Husqvarna Group the leader in mower production.
They presented two attractive models, Gardena Minimo and City, that perfectly suit homeowner needs for automatic mowing.
Gardena Minimo vs City Comparison table
Main Differences Between the Models
In the comparison table for Gardena Minimo vs. City robotic mowers, you see some differences between models, which is helpful when you define the model that better suits your lawn and expectations. The main differences are presented below:
- The recommended maximum lawn slope for Minimo is only 25%, while City can mow with a slope of 35%.
- The GARDENA SILENO Minimo is designed for medium and big yards in 0.12 acres, while the GARDENA SILENO City Size is only for small and medium-sized in 0.06 acres.
- The GARDENA City has better control possibilities from the mower’s body; it has a 2.1″ monochrome display and more buttons than GARDENA Minimo, only with a keypad.
Detailed Products Review
1. GARDENA SILENO Minimo 5400 sq ft
Gardena Sileno Minimo is an accurate robotic lawn mower made from polypropylene. It works autonomously for 70 minutes from 1 Li-ion battery charged from a charging station for 60-75 minutes.
In the box, you can find a grey mower itself, a detailed manual (also available on the website) with a registration card, a charging station with a base plate (IPX5), a low voltage 9.8 ft cable with a power supply (depends on the market) to connect the charging station to electricity, boundary (980 ft) and guide wire (490 ft) on one reel (the same type), a ruler to install wires correctly, and assembly details (screws, connectors, couplers, stakes).
On the top, there is no display, but there are several control buttons: a keypad for setting the direction of the mower with LED status indicators and an ON/OFF button. Near the buttons, a separate big orange STOP button is located. On the bottom is a compartment for the battery, a rotating small back rear wheel; on the right and left are two big front wheels, and in the center is a disc with three blades.
Gardena Sileno Minimo as other Husqvarna mowers is easy in installation:
- Find a perfect spot for a charging station in a shade and on a level of the whole garden for the mower to come safely for charging. On a base plate, there are small holes to allow water to drain. You should put a separate station on the plate. In front of the station should be at least 2 m and no magnetic objects nearby. The recommendation is not to park the station in the middle of the lawn, preferable on one of its ends. Do not forget to connect your station to the electricity (100-240 V AC) with an available cable and a power adapter.
- Set the boundary wire for the mower to know where not to go. You can put the wire on the grass or under several cm of soil. When the mower comes to this wire, it receives a signal from it; it turns and goes in another direction. If you put two wires together, that means the robot mower can cross it safely.
- Set the guide wire to guide the mower to remote parts of the lawns or narrow passages as it moves randomly. It also shows the way back to the charging station when the battery is low or when you hit the corresponding command. The wire should be diagonal on slopes (up to 25%).
- The wires can be connected with the blue connectors. Do not forget to connect the boundary and guide wires with clamps to the charging station (the guide wire in the middle, boundary wire on the left and right of it). The green light LED on the charging station tells you that all wires are installed correctly. A flashing light tells about a problem. Screw the base plate to the ground firmly.
- Start charging the mower. Turn on the mower for at least 3 minutes and connect to it with a smartphone application. All settings should be chosen there. After scheduling and choosing the required parameters Gardena Sileno Minimo, can start mowing.
If required, you can purchase an additional accessory weatherproof cover that protects the mower from sun, rain, dirt, and leaves. It is a plastic cover that is installed on your charging station.
- Effective work for 70 minutes
- Auto return function to the charging station
- Quietest in the class (58 dB(A))
- Simple cleaning with a garden hose
- Weatherproof (IPX5) and can work under any weather conditions, including rain
- Guiding technology not to repeat mower paths during the mowing cycle
- Can go through passages up to 24 inches
- Spot cycle cutting
- With a properly installed guide wire, the mower is not trapped in a dead end
- Remote control with a smartphone application
- Safety PIN-code
- Quite expensive
- Boundary and guide wires should be installed for proper work
- Only 9.8 ft (3 m) of low-voltage cable in the package; a longer one should be purchased separately
- No display on the mower itself
- On the mower, only simple control functions; the rest is in the smartphone application
2. GARDENA SILENO City 2700 Sq Ft
There is not much difference in the appearance of Gardena Minimo vs City. GARDENA SILENO City is also made from polypropylene. Mainly the changes are in the brain of this model and some control features.
The box contains the same pieces of details; a mower, a disassembled IPX5 charging station (the station, the base plate, the 16.4 ft low-voltage cable, the adaptor), boundary (980 ft) and guide wires (490 ft), a ruler, assembly parts (couples, stakes, connectors, screws) and a manual with a registration card.
On the top of the mower is an additional cover for an orange controller (a knob with five positions), setting the cutting height, buttons, and a display. The buttons are a keypad required to set the four directions, menu and mode buttons, and a power button. Near the cover, there is a big orange STOP button. The display shows all settings and battery status. To access the menu, you need to enter a PIN code; for five incorrect entries, the mower will be locked for a time. It also has a time lock that locks the mower if you do not enter a PIN code in 30 days. On the bottom are three wheels (2 big front wheels and one small rear wheel), a disc with three blades, and a compartment for the Li-ion battery.
The Gardena Sileno City is equipped with a lift, tilt, and frozen soil sensors. The weather sensor is not required, as it can work even in the rain. But in a thunderstorm, it is recommended to disconnect the electricity from the charging station to reduce the damage to electric components. With a lift sensor, the mower stops blades, but if you need to carry it for safety reasons, push the STOP orange button for free seconds and carry it with blades out from the body. The frost sensor pauses the mower to protect the lawn. With smart SensorControl functions, the mower will choose the cutting time (low/mid or high) depending on the grass height.
The installation process is identical to Gardena Minimo and consists of the same steps:
- Installation of the charging station
- Installation of the boundary wire
- Installation of the guide wire
- Connection wires to the charging station
- Connection and settings in the smartphone application.
To correctly choose the correct place for the charging station and protection of all obstacles with required distances, it is recommended to make a detailed blueprint, to make the process easier. Please remember that the mower cannot cut the whole 0.06 acres in one mowing cycle; it will be a constant automatic change from mowing to charging. The recommended operating time for such an area is 6-7 hours (not including charging). But as this mower is very silent, it will not distract you. If you have two separated areas for mowing, you can install their boundary wire there as well, but you need to manually carry the mower to this area and back for charging.
The accessories made by other Manufactures are not recommended for the Gardena mowers; their compatibility is not guaranteed. So, if you need other cables or weatherproof protection, purchase only Gardena products.
- Accurate work for 65 minutes
- Auto return function to the charging station for 75 minutes
- Display on the body and a lot of buttons for control
- Smartphone application for detailed setting installation
- Can climb up to 35% slopes
- Can work in the rain (IPX5)
- PIN code protection
- Easy cleaning with a garden hose
- Patented mowing algorithm
- One of the quietest in the market; 57 dbA
- No smart features
- No alarm for anti-theft protection
- Manually need to carry for separated areas for cutting
- Boundary and guide wires need to be properly installed
- Middle price
Buyer’s Guide
To summarize all pros and cons of both Gardena models and the most high-quality robotic mowers, check the below table to understand better the advantages of such a mower purchase.
Disadvantages
- For separate area cutting, you need manually carry the mower
- Simple anti-theft protection; only PIN code
- Yard slope is limited to 25-35%
- Expensive
- Not all models have smart features and smartphone application
- The length of low-voltage, boundary and guide wires cannot be enough for your yard; additional materials should be purchased
In continuation of differences and in addition to their detailed description, please see below the face-to-face differences between Gardena Minimo vs City robotic mowers.
Design and construction
GARDENA SILENO Minimo
This model’s primary colors are light and dark grey with blue highlights and a big orange button on the top. On the top near the button is located a keypad only. The oval body dimensions are 20.5 x 13.4 x 8.7 Inches, and the weight of 13.4 pounds.
For carrying the mower, an ergonomic handle is made. In addition to a mower in a box, you purchase a disassembled charging station with a low voltage cable of 9.8 ft (3 m), guide and boundary wires.
GARDENA SILENO City
This oval model is mainly from two colors; grey and dark grey with a blue insert and a big orange button on the top. Near the top are a lifted cover hiding a monochrome display, a keypad, several buttons, and a knob for setting the cutting height.
The mower dimension is 21.65 x 14.96 x 9.05 Inches, and the weight is 16.0. pounds. The comfortable handle for moving and washing is on the backside. In a mower box additionally, you receive a charging station with a low voltage cable of 16.4 ft (5 m), guide and boundary wires.
verdictThe appearance of these two mowers is similar. The same color pattern, but GARDENA SILENO City has wheels protected with a plastic bumper and an additional cover for a display and buttons. The bottom part of the mowers is the same disc for three blades, a battery compartment, and three wheels. The higher weight and dimensions of the City model do not impact the efficiency, and thanks to the handle, both models are easy to carry. The more significant plus of GARDENA SILENO City is that the low-voltage cable connecting a charging station to the power is almost twice longer. So, GARDENA SILENO City is preferable in this comparison.
Battery
GARDENA SILENO Minimo
The GARDENA Minimo is equipped with one 18 V/2.0 Ah Lithium-Ion battery. Its mean energy consumption at maximum use is 3.5 kWh. The runtime is up to 70 min, and charging is up to 75 min.
GARDENA SILENO City
The GARDENA City has one 18 V/2.0 Ah Lithium-Ion battery. Its mean energy consumption at maximum use is 2 kWh. The runtime is 65 min, and the charging time is 75 min.
verdictEven though both mowers are equipped with the same battery capacity, the mowing and charging duration is different. The charging time is the same, but the SILENO Minimo model can work 5 minutes longer, so this is a plus.
Lawn requirements
GARDENA SILENO Minimo
The GARDENA SILENO Minimo can climb the slopes 25% (at the end of the mowing zone where boundary wire is located only 10%). The designed lawn size is 0.12 acres.
GARDENA SILENO City
The GARDENA SILENO City can climb the slopes up to 35% (for edges with the boundary wire, only 10%). The designed lawn size is 0.06 acres.
verdictThere is no winner in a comparison of Gardena Minimo vs City, as the Minimo is designed for bigger yards with less slope, while City is designed for small yards with more significant slopes. The choice really depends on your particular lawn geometrics.
Cutting system
GARDENA SILENO Minimo
The heart of the Minimo mower; its cutting system is presented with a disc with three pivoted sharp blades on the bottom. The disc rotation speed is 2670 rpm. The grass cutting height limitations are 0.8 – 1.8 inches. No manual choice of cutting height is provided.
GARDENA SILENO City
The City cutting system is presented with three sharp blades on the rotating disc on the mower bottom. The disc rotation speed is 2500 rpm. The grass cutting height limitations are 0.8 – 2 inches- cutting height. You can set the cutting height with a knob located under the top cover. During the first week of use, it is recommended to set the maximum value (5) and then decrease it.
verdictDespite the fact the same three blades move faster on the Sileno Minimo mower, this model can cut grass height only up to 1.8 inches. While Sileno city can cut the grass up to 2 inches, you can manually adjust with a known cutting height. This excellent feature allows you to create nice circles or stripes on your lawn. That means that GARDENA SILENO City has a more interesting cutting system.
There were all differences between these two models; the other technical parameters such as remote control, smart features, noise level, auto-return function, and many others are compatible.
How to choose the Best Robotic Lawn Mower
After reading all the technical characteristics of Gardena Sileno Minimo and City, the question arises, which parameters are the most essential and which can be neglected as less essential. So, the proper choice of robotic lawn mower should be based on:
- Size and slope of the yard. Some can mow big yards with small slopes, and some vice versa. It is obvious that the whole yawn will not be cleaned within one mowing cycle; it usually is a 5-7 mowing/charging cycle for the full size. The size is limited with boundary and guide wires; longer wires will not be supported.
- Battery capacity. The bigger capacity allows reducing the number of mowing/charging cycles.
- Cutting system. It would help if you determined the maximum height of your grass to cut and its growing intensity. This will affect the rotation speed of the blades, their type, and installed (if possible) the cutting height.
- Type of control system. The variety is always better. The best combination is the opportunity to control from the body and remote control or smartphone application.
- Availability of smart technologies. If you are a fan of the smart home system, you might like your mower to be integrated into such one.
- Noise level. If you prefer mowing at night, your mower should be equipped with night vision or LED front lights and should be noiseless.
- Theft protection. As mowers work outside the home, on the lawn without fences, and have a charging station, it is vital to have strong theft protection. Typically, it is a PIN code, alarm, blockage if the mower is transferred outside the boundary zones, and your smartphone application notifications.
- The warranty. The longer is better.
Even though the list is long, Gardena mowers, for example, will be a good choice for all technical parameters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the theft protection for Gardena Sileno models?
What is the preparation of the lawn for effective grass height of the Gardena Sileno City?
How to clean the GARDENA SILENO Minimo?
Can I change the battery to another Manufacturer with high capacity for Gardena Sileno City?
Conclusion
The detailed comparison of Gardena Minimo vs City showed that there is no leader between them. As these models have a similar design, construction, working patterns, batteries, and runtime, similar cutting system. The main differences are in the designed value of lawn size and slope, the height of your grass on the lawn, and the opportunity to control the mower from the body. So, your choice should be based primarily on your specific lawn, its size, and its slope. You will be glad to purchase any of these models.
