GOAT Robot Lawn Mowers
GOAT robot mowers cut the lawn on a schedule without a perimeter wire. The two models here differ in how they find their way around the yard and how much lawn they're rated for.
How to choose by series
A series: GOAT A3000 LiDAR for larger lawns
The GOAT A3000 LiDAR is rated for lawns up to 3/4 acre. It navigates with a 360° LiDAR and front ToF sensors, so there's no RTK antenna to place, which ECOVACS says keeps it accurate under trees and close to buildings. Two blades cut a 13-inch path, the 5Ah battery recharges in 45 minutes, and it mows to within about 5 cm of walls and fences. It weighs 36.2 lb.
O series: GOAT O1000 RTK for smaller yards
The GOAT O1000 RTK is rated for lawns up to 1/4 acre. It pairs RTK satellite positioning with a camera and a 3D ToF sensor, with positioning ECOVACS puts at about 2 cm, and it needs an RTK antenna in the yard. The cutting width is 8.66 inches, height adjusts from 1.2 to 3.2 inches, and it fits passages as narrow as 2.3 ft and climbs slopes up to 45%. At 23.6 lb it's the lighter of the two.
A quick way to decide
- Lawn bigger than 1/4 acre: A3000 LiDAR.
- Heavy tree cover or a house that blocks much of the sky: A3000 LiDAR, which doesn't rely on satellites.
- Small or mid-size yard with narrow side paths: O1000 RTK.
- Moving the mower between front and back yards by hand: the lighter O1000 RTK.
What changes between LiDAR and RTK
RTK positioning works from satellite signals, corrected by a reference station that you mount in the yard and power with its own cable. Open sky is where it is strongest. The O1000 RTK adds a camera and a 3D ToF sensor so it holds its position in shade under trees. LiDAR works from the mower's own sensors and needs nothing in the yard except the charging station. That is why the A3000 suits lawns ringed by trees, fences or a tall house, while the O1000 RTK suits open lawns where the reference station has a clear view of the sky.
Before the first run
- Mow tall grass down first. The A3000 cuts no higher than 3.54 in and the O1000 RTK no higher than 3.2 in.
- Pick a level, open spot for the charging station at the lawn edge.
- For the O1000 RTK, plan where the reference station and its cable will go.
- Clear hoses and loose toys for the mapping run, even though both mowers avoid 200+ obstacle types afterwards.
Both use AIVI 3D obstacle recognition and are set up and scheduled from the ECOVACS app. For the DEEBOT side of the range, see the ECOVACS review.
Compare the robot lawn mowers
The A-series models are rated for larger lawns and the O-series for smaller ones. The table compares the lawn size and features named for each model; the GOAT A3000 LiDAR page has the full specifications.
| Model | Named features |
|---|---|
| GOAT A3000 LiDAR | Dual LiDAR navigation; Lawns up to 3/4 acre; 13-inch cutting width |
| GOAT O1000 RTK | RTK navigation; Lawns up to 1/4 acre; 8.66-inch cutting width |