ECOVACS Goat O1000 RTK Robot Lawn Mower, Perimeter Wire Free Vision Robotic Lawnmower for 1/4 Acres Lawn, Automated Mapping, APP Control, 3D Obstacle Avoidance, Zero-Edge Cutting

This Ecovacs Goat robotic lawnmower has made such a difference for me health wise, and it works so much better than I ever dreamed it would!The decision to buy:I found myself needing to take care of my parents’ huge lawn. I decided that I could mow it with my small push mower, if I mowed a section every day or two. Then, the grass started growing faster, and it got hot. Soon, I found myself needing to mow every single day to stay on top of it. I have some health issues that really limit my energy levels, especially in the heat. After mowing each day, I was left with almost no energy left to accomplish other things that day, and the mowing was also triggering asthma. I was about to call a lawn service, which would cost $100 per mow. We had used them before, and the very large machines would yank out the grass and create big ruts, so I really didn’t want to do that.Then, I found the Ecovacs Goat on Amazon! I was really hesitant to spend the money, but after watching a lot of You Tube videos and studying the reviews, I took a chance and got it. This is honestly one of the best purchases I have ever made on Amazon.Set-up and use:Right out of the box, it was fairly easy to do the initial set-up and the auto mapping. In just a couple of areas, I needed to steer it myself, using the app, and once I got the hang of it that was pretty easy, too (and fun.) I did find the instructions included were somewhat confusing, especially because they showed a diagram of a different model, referencing buttons that mine did not have. Thankfully, I had watched enough YouTube videos and read enough reviews that I was able to figure it out. (So I highly recommend that you watch some videos and read the reviews while you are waiting for your robot to arrive, as that did really help ease the set up process for me. Despite the instructions being a little lacking, the set-up is actually not difficult at all, and the robot does a very good job of auto mapping. I have also read other reviews stating that Ecovacs customer service is very helpful, so there is always that option if you need help. I did not need to do that though.Once you have the lawn mapped and zones created, the app is very straightforward to use, and the mowing is really fun to watch!The robot does a beautiful job of mowing perfectly straight lines. The only thing to note, is that if you have a very tall weed, like a 6-8 inch tall dandelion, it will think something is there and avoid it. (I find that you can just stomp on the dandelion, so that it is tilted over, and that seems to enable the robot to mow it. Yes, I know that spreads the seeds, but I’ll be doing some spraying too, lol.)After mowing an area, the robot will go back to any spots where it thinks there was an obstacle, and mow around it if it is still there. So if you accidentally leave something in the yard, like a bucket, dog toy, etc., you can go move it and the robot will come back and mow that area at the end of mowing that section.This robot navigates hills and uneven terrain quite well. Our ground is pretty uneven (remember those ruts I mentioned earlier created by the lawnmowing service?) There are also several hills which I expected I would surely still need to do myself with the push mower. The robot, however, handles those with no problem! I was so shocked and extremely pleased!Conclusion:This little robot mower is very well designed, functions extremely well, and is very easy to use. I cannot recommend it highly enough!This will be especially helpful to seniors and anyone with health issues who finds it a challenge to physically mow. I am very impressed with the amount of lawn this little robot can mow. I didn’t initially believe my robot friend would be able to do the entire lawn, because it is slightly larger than the size listed, so initially I had planned on still mowing the front lawn myself….but, what a delightful surprise, he easily does the whole thing, front and back, slightly over 1/4th acre!Final thoughts:If you aren’t physically able to mow, or you have limited time for mowing, this is another wonderful option instead of using an expensive lawn service. This robot cost much less, over the long run, and it really does a perfectly beautiful job. It is quieter and much better for the lawn too! I am so happy with this purchase, and I highly recommend it!

From the outside it may seem like a larger robotic vacuum with a blade underneath, but this lawn mower is so much more. The mower is well built to withstand the elements and comes packed with features such as being perimeter wire free, being able to designate different areas with different mowing schedules, a fun POV camera to see the mower’s perspective and also a manual mowing mode.Unboxing:Everything was nicely packaged inside the box to ensure nothing got damaged during transport. What was especially helpful was the mower and dock were sitting on an inner platform with handles that can be lifted directly out of the box. This made unboxing simple. The mower measures approximately 15.5” X 24” and the base measures approximately 16.5” X 28”. The power cord from plug to dock measures almost 20 feet which eliminated my need for an extension cord.Physical Setup:I am one of those that likes to read the product manual and so I did front to back. The manual was very clear and well written, but I discovered after loading the app on my phone, it took me through the same step but this time with videos which was even better!I did spend some time deciding where to place the dock and the RTX (the circular disk on a pole looking item) in my lawn. I didn’t want to place it in a location where the kids could bump into it, yet still close enough that it can be plugged into the outlet without an extension cord. In addition, the area you choose does need to have decent wifi coverage. I settled on a location next to my shed which hardly anyone ever goes to.App Setup:This mower requires you to use the Ecovacs Home App and so I did. After creating my account, it asked to scan the QR code on the mower. After looking around the dock and the mower, it took me a few moments to realize the QR code is on the rear panel between the rear wheels. The firmware update that followed took about 30 min.With no wires for perimeter setup, the machine relies on its cameras and GPS. I have two areas of lawn, each measuring about 150 squarefoot. Area one has no border and no defined edge between the grass and dirt. Area two has plastic edging around the entire area.For area one, I had to setup boundaries manually since the mower was getting confused where the grass ended and the dirt began. The process was simple. On the app there was a virtual analog stick that I could drive the mower around with just like a RC car. One lap around the border and the boundaries was successfully mapped.Since area two had the plastic edging around, the mower was able to detect it and setup the boundary automatically.Mowing Experience:I was very surprised. The blades had a slight hum while spinning and the entire machine was very quiet while mowing my two areas. It took about 20 min to mow each area. On the app is an option to view the POV camera which is quite fun to see everything from the mower’s perspective while it’s going about.What was even more surprising was “Manual Mode” which I didn’t see advertised. In manual mode you can turn on/off the blades while driving the mower like a RC car. I was able to drive the mower to a third area, that is usually gated off, and mow the grass there manually. My inner child was excited at this feature. Do note that the mower requires you to be close behind it while using manual mode which I agree is for safety reasons.Summary:This is an awesome machine that far exceeded my expectations. It is well built, has tons of features and does a great job mowing my lawn.