Connected Objects

RobotUp Raccoon 2 SE: test/review

Published on: 11-11-2025 / Modified: 11-11-2025

I tested my first RobotUp lawn mower about two years ago, a product I discovered through a crowdfunding campaign. At first, it wasn’t really the kind of product I usually test, but this robot had some interesting features, such as GPS positioning. Two years later, I’m still using this robot, and my lawn actually looks better than when I used a traditional mower. Now I have the opportunity to test the RobotUp Raccoon 2 SE, which is positioned as an autonomous robot with a price likely to be lower than the model I’m currently using.

Purchase

The Raccoon 2 SE is available for pre-order on Kickstarter at a lower starting price (less than €400).

Unlike other Kickstarter campaigns I've covered in the past, I have no reservations about the reliability of the campaign or the product. The product really exists, as I have it myself, and it's very well designed, so the risk of the campaign failing is close to zero. This gives you the opportunity to purchase an innovative robot lawn mower at a competitive price.

RobotUp Raccoon SE / Kickstarter

Unboxing

I receive products from many different places for my tests, so I often get delivery notifications without really knowing what’s coming. I got a notification for this product mentioning rather large dimensions and a weight of 25 kg. Since I hadn’t received any communication from RobotUp, I didn’t make the connection. I was also expecting a wardrobe at the same time, and the size and weight could have matched. If you take a look at the photo of the box, you’ll quickly understand why I could have confused the two. The box is huge.

The robot is very well packed, and the box contains the robot along with all necessary accessories:

power supply

anchors to fix the base

bumper and mounting screws

replacement blades.

I don’t recall receiving replacement blades with the first model.

The base is slightly longer than the previous model, which is a good thing because with the previous one, the robot tended to dig into the grass when trying to gain traction.

Comparison

Both robots are roughly the same size. The first model looks a bit more basic in terms of finish, but we’ll have to see if the new model can handle bad weather just as well. The main difference between these two is that the RobotUp Raccoon 2 SE is front-wheel driven. The large wheels are at the front, and the steering wheel is at the back, whereas it was the opposite on the previous model. I think this is a good choice because the earlier model tended to dig into the grass when it encountered resistance.

Overview

This new RobotUp Raccoon 2 SE reminds me of a Chinese electric car, with its sporty curves and more modern design compared to the older model. Aesthetics shouldn’t really be a priority for a lawn mower, but I imagine it matters to some people. This new robot looks more stylish, but given how much white it has, we’ll have to see if it stays that way after a season or two outdoors.

The main innovation here is the use of a camera powered by artificial intelligence. The purpose of this change is to provide visual guidance for the robot without relying on a boundary wire or GPS antenna. This makes it a true plug-and-play product.

Another change is under the hood — the wheel system has been inverted. The robot is now pulled by the front wheels, whereas the previous model was pushed from the rear. I think this will prevent it from slipping when it faces obstacles. It’s a bit like the difference between front-wheel and rear-wheel drive in cars.

The screen has also changed — it’s now backlit, which is great because readability wasn’t ideal on the previous model.

Assembly is extremely simple — just screw the plastic pegs into the ground. They go in easily and keep the base stable. It was the same with the previous model, and in two years I never had to move or adjust the base.

App

I had already used the app to control the previous model, and it hasn’t changed — it just now supports this additional robot. The app is fairly easy to use, provided you know where to look for the information. The mower’s configuration isn’t located at the top level of the interface.

The app is mandatory to operate the mower. You can start the mower for an automatic lawn discovery or a manual route where you control it directly through the app. I tested the automatic detection — it works, but it’s too imprecise to serve as a reliable reference for future mowing sessions. Even along clearly defined edges, such as my terrace, the robot tends to zigzag near the border between the terrace and the grass.

The manual mode, however, lets you drive the robot exactly where you want it to go, even creating several separate zones. Once you’ve completed the path, you can start the first mowing session, and it will stay within the perimeter you defined. I haven’t noticed any cases where the robot wandered off.

After this initial setup, you can define the robot’s behavior, such as its schedule and mowing height. If the robot encounters an issue, it will send a notification to the app. For example, if it can’t return to its base or gets stuck somewhere, you should receive an alert. After a few mowing sessions, I haven’t had any issues yet. With the previous model, after more than a year of use, I occasionally received notifications when it got stuck. For example, I had an apple tree with low branches, and one of them reached the emergency stop button. When the robot passed under it, it pushed forward because it didn’t detect any obstacle, and the branch ended up pressing the stop button.

While the robot is mowing, you can track its movements on a map and see which areas it has already covered. If the session is interrupted, it can resume mowing where it left off.

Mowing Test

The RobotUp Raccoon 2 SE uses its camera for positioning, whereas the previous model relied on a GPS antenna. Personally, I find that GPS provides greater precision, but this robot clearly targets a different price range. The Raccoon manages to find its way with the camera, but on the same surface, it’s slower than the GPS-based model. If it doesn’t detect a specific pattern in your lawn, it will move somewhat randomly instead of using the systematic zigzag pattern of the earlier model. This seems to be a design choice by RobotUp, and I think community feedback could help improve this in the future. The advantage of a random mowing pattern is that it leaves fewer marks on the grass, but the downside is that it takes roughly twice as long.

Mowing height can be adjusted, and cutting performance is very effective. Even though the blades look identical to those on the previous model, I get a more efficient cut overall. My lawn isn’t perfectly flat, but the mowing was quite uniform everywhere. Regular use of a robot mower like this also brings other benefits: weeds will have fewer opportunities to spread, and grass clippings help fertilize the freshly cut lawn. It won’t eliminate weeds entirely, but it will limit their propagation. With a gas mower, you don’t mow as often, which gives weeds more time to grow.

Conclusion/Opinion

I received this robot mower in September 2025, so I don’t yet have enough history to write a full, long-term review. However, the previous model gave me complete satisfaction, which means RobotUp is capable of producing quality products. I haven’t encountered any problems so far with this new model — the only thing that bothers me slightly is the less organized mowing pattern compared to the earlier version.

With a launch price under €300, you won’t find many equivalent products on the market. So take advantage of the Kickstarter launch offer to get this robot at a very attractive price.

LAURENT WILLEN
Head of myself on this blog

I share my passions on my blog in my free time since 2006, I prefer that to watching nonsense on TV or on social networks. I work alone, I am undoubtedly one of the last survivors of the world of blogs and personal sites.

My speciality? Digital in all its forms. I have spent the last 25 years working for multinationals where I managed digital teams and generated revenues of over €500 million per year. I have expertise in telecoms, media, aviation, travel and tourism.