Quick Answer: Kress robot mowers stand out for RTKⁿ — network RTK navigation with no boundary wire and no antenna to install on your property. Kress runs its own network of professional base stations and streams the correction signal to the mower, holding roughly 2–3 cm accuracy, per Kress. The best Kress for most yards in 2026 is the KR174 (recommended 1.2 acres, max 1.7, OAS obstacle avoidance, $2,699.99 on sale from $3,499.99). For a half-acre lawn the KR172 at $1,699.99 is the value pick, and the mid-size KR173 (~3,000 m² with OAS) often sells near $1,999.99, per Kress. Estates can step up to the dealer-installed Mission Mega line (4.5–9 acres, roughly $6,000–$13,800). One check before you buy: confirm your address is inside Kress’s RTKⁿ coverage area.
Kress is the premium sibling of a brand most robot-mower shoppers already know: parent company Positec also owns Worx, maker of the wired Worx Landroid, and has raised $250 million to develop autonomous mowers, per The Robot Report. Where the Landroid is Positec’s budget, boundary-wire play, Kress is its wire-free flagship — and its RTKⁿ approach is genuinely different from every other satellite mower on this site. Below we compare the full 2026 Mission lineup — KR172, KR173, KR174 and the Mission Mega estate models — and pick the right Kress for your yard.
Why RTKⁿ is different: no antenna, ever
Every other RTK mower we cover — Segway Navimow, Mammotion Luba, Husqvarna’s EPOS models — needs a reference antenna mounted on your roof, wall or lawn with a clear view of the sky. Kress skips that entirely: RTKⁿ uses Kress’s own network of professional local base stations, so the correction signal arrives over the air and the only hardware in your yard is the mower and its charging dock. Setup is genuinely simpler, and there’s no antenna placement to troubleshoot. When trees or buildings block the satellites, the mower switches to inertial navigation and odometry to keep its line, then corrects itself when signal returns, per Kress. The flip side is a real dependency: RTKⁿ must be available in your area, so confirm coverage with a dealer first. For how the navigation families compare, see our GPS robot lawn mower and robot lawn mower without perimeter wire guides.
Kress robot mower lineup at a glance
| Model | Best for | Coverage (rec / max) | OAS | Max slope | Noise | Price (per Kress) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kress KR174 | Best overall / big suburban yards | 1.2 / 1.7 acres | Yes | 40% | 61 dB | $2,699.99 (reg $3,499.99) |
| Kress KR173 | Best mid-size with OAS | ~¾ acre (3,000 m²) | Yes | 40% | ~60 dB | ~$1,999.99 (reg $2,999.99) |
| Kress KR172 | Best value / half-acre lawns | 0.5 / 0.7 acres | No | 40% | 59 dB | $1,699.99 (reg $2,499.99) |
| Mission Mega KR233 | Estates to 4.5 acres | 4.5 acres | Yes | 40% | — | ~$5,999.99 (reg $8,499.99) |
| Mission Mega KR236 / KR237 | Commercial turf, 6–9 acres | 6–9 acres | Yes | 40% | — | up to ~$13,799.99 |
1. Kress KR174 — Best Overall Kress Mower
Kress KR174 (Mission RTKⁿ 1¼-acre with OAS)
- Covers a recommended 1.2 acres on a 48-hour cycle — up to 1.7 acres mowing every 72 hours, per Kress.
- OAS (Obstacle Avoidance System) steers around toys, furniture and beds instead of bump-and-turn.
- Widest deck in the residential line: 8 21/32-inch cut with an auto-leveling dual-layer blade disc, height 1.57–3.54 in adjusted electronically.
- Quiet 61 dB operation, 20V 6 Ah battery, IPX5 hose-washable chassis, 28.46 lbs, per Kress.
- 4G connectivity with OTA updates and anti-theft GPS tracking built in.
The KR174 is the Kress most buyers should shortlist: it pairs the full RTKⁿ package with obstacle avoidance and enough coverage for a genuinely large suburban lot. At its 2026 sale price of $2,699.99 (down from $3,499.99, per Kress) it undercuts most antenna-based rivals with similar acreage ratings, and the striped, straight-line finish is a visible upgrade over random-pattern mowers. If your lawn pushes past an acre, cross-shop it in our best robot lawn mower for large yards roundup.
2. Kress KR172 — Best Value Kress for Half-Acre Lawns
Kress KR172 (Mission RTKⁿ ½-acre)
- Recommended 0.5 acre cutting every 48 hours, up to 0.7 acre on a 72-hour cycle, per Kress.
- The cheapest way into RTKⁿ: $1,699.99, down from $2,499.99, per Kress.
- 59 dB — one of the quieter satellite mowers we track, fine for evening mowing.
- 7⅞-inch cut, electronic height adjustment 1.57–3.54 in, three-blade auto-leveling disc, regenerative braking on descents.
- No OAS — it relies on RTKⁿ mapping and bump sensors, so keep the lawn reasonably clear of loose objects.
For a typical half-acre suburban lawn, the KR172 delivers the same navigation story as the flagship — centimeter-level RTKⁿ, no antenna, no wire, straight striped lines — at the line’s lowest price. At 59 dB it also sits near the top of our quietest robot lawn mower rankings’ noise bracket. What you give up versus the KR174 is coverage headroom and camera-style obstacle avoidance; what you keep is everything that makes Kress distinctive.
3. Kress KR173 — Best Mid-Size Kress with OAS
Kress KR173 (Mission RTKⁿ ¾-acre with OAS)
- Rated for roughly 3,000 m² (~¾ acre) — the gap-filler between the KR172 and KR174, per Kress.
- Adds OAS obstacle avoidance at a price that frequently drops near $1,999.99 (regularly $2,999.99), per Kress dealers.
- Fast 72-minute charge keeps downtime between mowing runs short, per Kress.
- 7.87-inch cutting width, auto-leveling disc, ~28 lbs — same core platform as its siblings.
The KR173 is the smart middle order: if your lawn is bigger than a half acre but nowhere near the KR174’s 1.7-acre ceiling, it gets you OAS obstacle avoidance for hundreds less than the flagship whenever sale pricing is live. Watch both prices before deciding — when the KR174 dips, the extra coverage headroom is usually worth the difference.
4. Kress Mission Mega (KR233 / KR236 / KR237) — Estates & Commercial Turf
Kress Mission Mega line
- KR233 manicures up to 4.5 acres with a striped finish — around $5,999.99 on sale (regularly $8,499.99), per Kress dealers.
- KR236 / KR237 scale RTKⁿ to 6–9 acres, topping out near $13,799.99 — squarely commercial-grade.
- Sold and set up through Kress's dealer network; professional installation is the norm at this tier.
- Overkill for a normal yard — for residential acreage, the KR174 or a multi-mower setup is far cheaper.
The Mega line is where Kress’s professional positioning shows: multi-acre coverage, obstacle avoidance and the same no-antenna RTKⁿ, aimed at estates, sports turf and landscaping fleets. Most readers of our commercial robot lawn mower guide will land here; most homeowners shouldn’t.
How to choose the right Kress mower
- Half-acre lawn, tightest budget: the KR172 — full RTKⁿ at $1,699.99, just keep the lawn picked up (no OAS).
- Up to ~¾ acre, want obstacle avoidance: the KR173 — OAS near $1,999.99 on sale.
- Big suburban lot up to ~1.7 acres: the KR174 — best overall blend of coverage, OAS and price.
- Estate or commercial turf (4.5–9 acres): the Mission Mega line via a Kress dealer.
- Steep hills (over 40% grade): look elsewhere — see our robot lawn mower for hills guide for AWD climbers.
Not sure Kress is the right brand at all? Start with our best robot lawn mower pillar, and if you’re weighing Positec’s cheaper wired option, read our Worx Landroid review — same parent company, very different machines.
Kress robot mower by the numbers
- 2–3 cm: RTKⁿ positioning accuracy, per Kress — centimeter-level satellite navigation with zero antennas or base stations on your property, unique among the major RTK brands.
- 59 dB: the KR172’s sound level, per Kress — quiet enough for evening cycles and near the quietest satellite mowers we track (the KR174 runs 61 dB).
- 40% (~22°): maximum rated slope across the residential Mission line, per Kress — fine for suburban grades, well short of 80%-rated AWD hill specialists.
- 0.5 to 9 acres / $1,699.99 to ~$13,799.99: the full Kress ladder, per Kress and its dealers — from the half-acre KR172 to the commercial 9-acre Mission Mega flagship.
- $250 million: what parent Positec (also owner of Worx) raised to develop autonomous mowers, per The Robot Report — Kress is that program’s premium brand.
The bottom line
Kress’s edge is the simplest wire-free setup in the business: RTKⁿ delivers centimeter-accurate, striped, straight-line mowing with no boundary wire and no antenna to mount — the only install-day question is whether your address has coverage. Buy the Kress KR174 for large suburban lots, the Kress KR172 for a half-acre lawn on a budget, or the KR173 when its sale pricing makes OAS cheap. For the full field beyond one brand, see our best robot lawn mower pillar and best robotic mower shortlist.