Ecovacs GOAT O RTK (O600 RTK / O800 RTK)

The biggest change is how they find their way. The Ecovacs GOAT G1 combined cameras with two UWB radio beacons that you position and power around the garden. The Ecovacs GOAT O RTK (O600 RTK / O800 RTK) models use satellite positioning corrected by a single RTK station, backed by a camera. That swaps two beacons for one station, but it also means the newer mowers need a clear view of the sky.

Other differences from Ecovacs' spec pages:

• Cutting height: the G1 tops out at 60 mm; the O RTK models reach 80 mm.
• Weight: Ecovacs lists 23.2 kg for the G1, though that may include the station, against 10.4 kg–11 kg for the O RTK pair.
• Connectivity: the G1 had an optional cellular module; the O RTK models are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth only.

Both carry the same length of UK warranty when bought new.

Rain is fine; a full UK winter outdoors is best avoided. Ecovacs gives the Ecovacs GOAT O RTK (O600 RTK / O800 RTK) an IPX6 rating, meaning it is protected against strong jets of water, and fits a rain sensor to detect when it starts raining. A garage isn't included, but Ecovacs sells one separately to keep leaves and direct sun off the mower.

Winter is a different matter. Grass barely grows once temperatures drop, and lithium batteries don't like being charged in freezing conditions. The usual advice is to clean the mower, charge the battery part-way, and store it somewhere dry and frost-free, such as a shed or garage, until spring. Ecovacs doesn't publish specific winter guidance for these models on the pages we checked, so follow the manual if it differs. Our winter storage guide covers what to do with the RTK station and charging base, and whether a garage is worth buying.

Only where it can drive over the border. Where the lawn meets a flush patio, path or mowing strip, the Ecovacs GOAT O RTK (O600 RTK / O800 RTK) can run its wheels onto the hard surface and cut to the very edge. Against a fence, wall or raised bed it can't do that, and Ecovacs' own comparison table shows roughly 9 cm of grass left uncut.

Neither the O600 nor the O800 has a string trimmer, so plan on a quick pass with a strimmer or edging shears along those boundaries. A common fix is to lay a strip of flush paving or edging along fences so a robot can cut right to them; that's a one-off job that saves repeated strimming.

If tidy edges without extra work are a priority, Ecovacs' Ecovacs GOAT O1200 LiDAR PRO adds a built-in trimmer, though it costs more and has no RTK.

As far as Ecovacs' published material goes, no to both. None of Ecovacs' UK pages mention a subscription for the Ecovacs GOAT O RTK (O600 RTK / O800 RTK), and there is nothing that would obviously need one: the mowers have no cellular hardware, and the RTK station in the box talks directly to the mower, so there's no network RTK service to pay for. Ecovacs hasn't stated outright that no fee will ever apply, so treat this as a reasonable inference.

Wi-Fi is needed for the ECOVACS HOME app to reach the mower when you're away from it; setup and mapping also use Bluetooth. Ecovacs' UK FAQ says basic mowing can run without Wi-Fi using the on-board controls, which helps if your router doesn't reach the garden. You'd still want a signal for schedule changes, map edits and software updates.

For most lawns over about 450 m², or any garden with toys and furniture on the grass, the O800 is the safer choice. The O600 makes sense only for smaller, tidy lawns where the lower price matters most. Both sit in the Ecovacs GOAT O RTK (O600 RTK / O800 RTK) family, share the same body and RTK station, and differ in four ways.

• Rated area: 600 m² for the O600 against 800 m² for the O800, according to Ecovacs.
• Cut width: 190 mm on the O600 and 220 mm on the O800, so the larger model covers more ground per pass.
• Battery: 45 Wh against 72 Wh. The O600 charges faster (Ecovacs quotes about 55 minutes, while its O800 figures conflict), but it stores far less energy.
• Obstacle detection: the O600 relies on an AI camera alone. The O800 adds a 3D ToF sensor, which measures distance and should help with low or awkwardly shaped obstacles.

The rest is identical on paper: a 45% slope rating, heights from 30 mm to 80 mm, a 70 cm minimum passage and the same warranty.

Current prices are £449 for the O600 and £699 for the O800, and the O800 has been listed well below its RRP, which narrows the gap. One more point: Ecovacs UK names only the O800 as compatible with its RTK extension cable, power supply and wall mount, so check before you plan a tricky station position for an O600.

Put it somewhere with the widest possible view of open sky and within reach of mains power. The Ecovacs GOAT O RTK (O600 RTK / O800 RTK) mowers work out their position from satellite signals, and the RTK station supplied in the box sends them corrections that tighten that position to within a few centimetres. If the station itself has a poor view of the sky, the whole system suffers.

In practice that means:

• away from tall trees, high hedges and the walls of the house, which block or reflect satellite signals;
• high enough to clear nearby fences, which is why RTK stations are often fixed to a wall, shed roof or post rather than left at ground level;
• somewhere it won't be knocked, mown into or moved, because shifting the station can throw out the mapped boundary.

The station needs its own power, separate from the charging station. Ecovacs UK sells a 10 m RTK cable, a power supply and a wall mount, but lists them for the O800 RTK and other models, not the O600, so O600 owners should confirm compatibility with Ecovacs before relying on them.

Where the mower itself runs matters too. Ecovacs pairs RTK with a camera (plus a 3D ToF sensor on the O800), but it doesn't say the mower keeps working without an RTK fix. Narrow side returns and lawns under dense canopy are the places most likely to cause trouble. Our installation guide walks through choosing a spot, and the RTK stations page covers mounts and cables.