In theory, robot vacuum cleaners and robot lawn mowers are extremely similar. Therefore, it should not be surprising that Ecovacs, a well-known robot vacuum manufacturer, would attempt to do so.
However, the naming scheme Ecovacs used for this series is something I can’t get past: The term “greatest of all time,” or “GOAT,” is frequently used to refer to generational icons, such as Richard Petty in NASCAR, Willie Mays in baseball, and Tom Brady in football. For its debut in a completely untapped market, Ecovacs has set a very high standard, which it fails to meet.
Specifications
The Ecovacs Goat series comes in three variants, with the top model, the A3000, being reviewed here. It has a dual-LiDAR navigation system with a 360-degree LiDAR sensor on top of the mower and a second forward-facing LiDAR with an AI camera for more seamless operation in challenging situations. It can mow lawns up to 3/4 acre (32,000 square feet or 2,973 square meters). A GPS antenna is no longer required as a result.
With a combined cutting width of 12.9 inches, the A3000 boasts two cutting blades and an electronically adjustable cutting height that can be adjusted between 1.2 and 3.6 inches. The mower’s 32-volt engine, which solely powers the back wheels, can be fully charged in 45 minutes using a 5Ah lithium-ion battery.
Set up and installation
When the Goat A3000 arrived, it was largely constructed, which made the first setup quite simple. The app guided me through the entire procedure. The two-prong connection at the opposite end of the line may be put into any outlet, and the mower’s charging interface clamps onto its charging base. I let the mower map out the level areas of my yard on its own, and it completed the task significantly faster than any other equipment I’ve tested. Although it was overly sensitive to “passable” obstacles like overgrowth, the map was still reasonably accurate.
Ecovacs advises mapping the sloping areas of a yard using the manual navigation feature. Even though I heeded that advice, I still encountered serious issues. During the roughly thirty minutes it took to map the yard, the mower’s Bluetooth connection to my smartphone was erratic, disconnecting dozens of times.
Luckily, this was the only significant issue I encountered with the mower. The controls are simple to use when Bluetooth is enabled. Additionally, compared to robot mowers with motors that run on 18V or less, the Goat’s 32V motor will give you a lot more get-up-and-go.
The Goat A3000 isn’t equipped with any kind of lights, but that doesn’t mean you can just mow in the daytime. It was incredible to see how well this mower handled my strangely curved yard in poor light. When mowing at night, you may be concerned that it would scare pets or other animals, but the sound of the approaching mower should frighten them away.
Making use of the Ecovacs Goat A3000
During my tests, the Ecovacs Goat A3000 operated flawlessly, displaying just the usual issues that rear-wheel-drive versions face in my yard. The A3000 is a little louder than most robot mowers, by a few decibels, which is one thing I did notice. The Goat A3000’s cutting power—its dual disc blades run at 3,000 rpm—is probably to blame for this.
Similar to a conventional mower, the Goat will leave behind trails of clipped grass while mowing relatively tall grass. It will also shoot some grass clippings out of its rear deck, something that other robot mowers don’t do. When the mower mulches those old clippings, those trails will vanish in a day or two (you can also avoid this by reducing the size of your yard to less than 3 inches before your first mow).
The Goat A3000 operates at a default speed that is considerably closer to that of a human, similar to the Segway Navimow X350 robot mower I tested in July (although a quicker speed option is available). Our 0.28-acre yard was mowed in about 40 minutes, with plenty of battery power left, so protracted mowing sessions are over.
Additionally, if the mower has issues, the additional power from the Goat A3000 will be useful. Many of the ones I’ve tested just lack the torque necessary to free themselves from a jam. But just so you know, if things go wrong, that torque may also tear up your yard.
The Goat A3000 had trouble maneuvering around my yard’s narrow spaces, which are only slightly wider than the mower itself. And it would sit for a few seconds, considering how to handle my grass median strips before deciding that running parallel to the longest edge was the best—and only—way to do it. However, every AI-powered lawnmower I’ve tested has encountered issues because of those medians. There are median strips everywhere, too. The only robot mower that has been able to consistently mow my lawn without any problems is the Sunseeker Orion X7.
Similar to Anker’s Eufy E18 robot mower, Ecovacs operates its mower and robot vacuum cleaners using the same app. Assuming you also use an Ecovacs robot vacuum, that eliminates the need for you to download yet another app to your phone. Although I could do without the adorable animations, the app functions effectively.
Because only the most crucial functionalities are displayed on the Ecovacs app’s user interface, buttons and switches have been thoughtfully and carefully placed. The best use of screen real estate is to prominently display the mower’s camera button in the app because you will rarely need to change the cutting height of the mower, for example, but you will want to check its location frequently.
Conclusion
As previously said, the term “goat” in the name of this mower raises expectations for superior performance. Although the Goat A3000 is an excellent robot lawnmower, it is by no means the “greatest of all time.” That’s not to say it never will be, though; its cutting performance is at the top end of my experience, and it has fantastic navigation capabilities. It could go overboard with the correct firmware updates.
Consistent Bluetooth connectivity is vital for initial mapping and setup. Ecovacs must address that right away. Although it may appear to be a small hiccup, it will probably be the first thing you experience with this mower.
The second area where Ecovacs needs to make improvements is AI. The only robot lawnmower company to successfully use AI to date is Sunseeker. Even though it required the robot to sit and “think” about it, the Orion X7 was able to figure out the most effective mowing technique in advance, saving it from having to make several blunders. While not the worst I’ve seen, Ecovac’s AI isn’t the finest either.
Though it has room to improve, the Ecovacs Goat A3000 is a pretty good robot lawnmower. Ecovacs is responsible for determining how near it can get to being great.
ECOVACS Goat A3000 LiDAR Robot Lawn Mower, Dual-LiDAR Navigation, Suitable for 3/4 Acre, 13” Cutting Width, 45min Fast Charging
