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When I reviewed the original Goat A3000 last year, it was one of the most futuristic ways I’d ever mowed my lawn. Now there’s a Pro version, and oddly enough, it’s cheaper. The A3000 LiDAR Goat PRO currently sits around $2,500, while the non-Pro A3000 LiDAR is closer to $3,000. That may be introductory pricing, but as it stands, the Pro is both better and more affordable. If you’re shopping, that makes the decision easy. (EcoVacs also offers the more budget-friendly A2000 and O1000 lines, though I haven’t tested those models.)
Best Robot Mower for Edges
Photo: Amazon
What We Like
- Excellent edge trimming performance
- Handles slopes better than the original
- Extremely quiet operation
- Fast, seamless app setup
What We Don’t Like
- Mapping edges takes patience
- Premium upfront cost
Product Specs
- Coverage: Up to 0.75 acres
- Navigation: LiDAR (no boundary wires)
- Recharge time: ~70 minutes
- Edge trimming: Integrated TrueEdge side trimmer
I tested the A3000 PRO for a month on the same 1,300-square-foot St. Augustine lawn I used for the original, cutting once a week as the Florida heat ramped up, spurring new spring growth. My yard isn’t perfectly flat either: I have sloped drainage strips between houses, a tree in one corner, and raised garden beds in another.
New Feature: Side Trimmer
The biggest upgrade is the TrueEdge side trimmer. It extends beyond the body of the mower with a small string trimmer and brushes that let it cut nearly flush to walls and pavers. If you carefully map your yard in the app (which is trickier than it sounds), it gets impressively close to that “0mm edge” claim. I still do occasional quick touch-ups, but far fewer than before.
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila 
Photo: Paul Rankin for Bob Vila
Performance Results
Performance-wise, it handles slopes better than my original Goat did, even though the wheels look nearly identical. Whether that’s a motor tweak or just seasonal grass differences, it hasn’t gotten stuck once. Cut quality on thick St. Augustine is excellent, slightly better than last year’s model, with no missed strips so far. Setup was dramatically smoother this time, too. The original had some Wi-Fi hiccups; the PRO connected flawlessly and was mowing within 5 minutes of unboxing. Obstacle avoidance remains excellent: it navigates around my tree, raised beds, dog toys, and even me when I step in front of it. And it’s whisper quiet—I can run it early morning without bothering neighbors.
Long-Lasting Battery
Battery life hasn’t been an issue. Even with the edge trimmer running, it finishes my entire lawn without draining and recharges in about 70 minutes. For context, several of my neighbors pay about $150 a month for lawn service, and more than one has wandered over to ask about this mower.
If you already own the original Goat, upgrade only if you want automated edging or improved connectivity. But if you’re buying new, the PRO is the obvious pick.
Where to Buy
Photo: AmazonOur Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Setup 4.5/5; Performance 5/5; Maintenance 5/5; Value 4/5
The EcoVacs A3000 LiDAR Goat PRO is a wire-free robotic mower designed to handle both mowing and edging, something most robot mowers still leave to you. Rated for lawns up to about 0.75 acres, it uses LiDAR navigation instead of boundary wires and recharges in roughly 70 minutes. I tested it for a month on my 1,300-square-foot St. Augustine lawn in Florida, mowing once a week as spring growth kicked in. Setup was fast—under 5 minutes to connect and update—and the upgraded connectivity was noticeably smoother than the previous model we tested.
The standout feature is the integrated TrueEdge side trimmer, which extends past the mower body to cut close to walls, pavers, and garden beds. If you carefully map your yard in the app, it gets impressively close to edges and significantly reduces manual touch-ups. Cut quality on thick grass was consistent with no missed strips, and it handled mild slopes and tight zones around raised beds and trees without getting stuck. It’s also quiet enough to run early without bothering neighbors.
The main drawbacks are the premium upfront cost and the patience required during mapping to achieve perfectly straight edges. Still, for homeowners who want to automate both mowing and edging with minimal noise and maintenance, the Goat PRO is a smart, high-tech solution.
Get the EcoVacs A3000 Pro at Amazon or Ecovacs.
