a Roomba in the house

[maytagmike]

Trying to downsize, i started when I retired cleaning out closets. While at work when we sold GE appliances we would collect points. This was years ago. So while cleaning out my bedroom closet, I forgot I got a Roomba 4100. So I charged it up over night and ran it this morning in the living room how COOL. I think I will have to get another battery for it though. Does anybody else in the club own one of these. Videos on youtube with the Roomba and pets are hilarious.

 

[yogitunes]

I have one.....yeah they are neat to have and use.....

not sure of my exact model, but it has two invisible walls, a remote, and is capable of linking to the computer for special instructions for cleaning odd areas...although it is programmed to come on in the middle of the night and clean....

sometimes he will get stuck under the dining room table/chairs, finally stops and grunts/chimes until you pull him out....

mine needs new batteries as it doesn't hold a charge like it used to, and runs out of power before it can reach the charging base.....

also, its hidden under the couch......I pull him out to empty his container, and hit 'home' and watch him run back to his charger...

if I had a cat, I think I would chase him with it....lol

thinking I want the one for scrubbing the floors next.....

 

[DADoES]

 
Have a 4296 ... oh, my, for 8 years per the box label. Factory refurb gift received.  Included docking station, remote/scheduler, two virtual walls.  It works great on tile, which is all of my house except the three bedrooms.  Gets bogged-down on the thick carpet, stuck a couple times under a bed so I use the virtual walls to block at the hallways.  Set it in the bathrooms with the doors closed.

They require maintenance to keep the sweeper-brush clean/detangled of strings & hair and filter clean.  Mine came with an extra set of brushes and filter but I've been careful with the originals so haven't yet changed them.

 

[petek]

I gave up on mine.  The dog hairs just kept getting all wound up in the drive wheels and that little spinning caster wheel on the front so it couldn't turn and would just stop and beep after about 10 minutes.  Way too much trouble. 

 

[whirlcool]

I don't know why people keep referring to these as vacuum cleaners, they are carpet sweepers. There is no vacuum to them. We got one as a gift when they first came out. As others here have said, they do fine on tile, hard flooring types. But on carpet(if it will tolerate the nap) it just picks up debris that is on the surface. The battery in ours died after about 6 months. The replacement lasted about the same amount of time. And those batteries aren't cheap.

My sister got one of these and then got rid of her Kirby. She said the Roomba replaces the function of the Kirby perfectly. She claims the Roomba will clean a carpet just as well as the Kirby does! She's going on 10 years of this. I can just imagine the dirt in her carpet today.

Now we do have a IRobot device we like. It's the Looj. It's a gutter cleaner. Just drop the unit in the gutter, get off the later and press the start button on the remote control. Watch the dirt, leave fly! It does a good job.

http://www.irobot.com/For-the-Home/Outdoor-Maintenance/Looj.aspx

 

[iheartmaytag]

I would love one

If for nothing more than the chase the cat factor.  Problem would be the cat likes the vacuum and would either ride it, or lay down and block it.  

 

I am, however, too OCD about the carpet.  I vacuum every night, sometimes twice.  Can't stand the idea of dirt lingering about.  

 

[askolover]

I have two Kirby's in a house full of tile and hardwoods

But with 4 cats I would love to try a Roomba

 

[alr2903]

Yes, Petek's reply about the dog hair made wonder about cat hair one of ours is a Maine Coon. So we might have problems as well. What about things like lamp cords and the wire for the electric blanket under the bed?

 

[yogitunes]

cords along the baseboard it doesn't really bother with.....

as for the electric blanket, just found it best to tuck the cord between the mattresses/platform....

 

[bobbi]

We have a Roomba and Scooba. I did not realize the Roomba didn't actually suck stuff up! Thank you to Whirlcool for mentioning that. We have a dog who is part black lab, and his shedding is just ATROCIOUS! I adore him to no end, but cannot stand his shedding! So the Roomba does at least pick up his hair between vacuuming with the Kirby, so that does help.

The Scooba does not work so well. We got it used, not working. My husband repaired it, much to my delight. HOWEVER, it does not suck the dirty water back up! I have checked reviews, and this problem is being reported over and over, even on much newer models than ours is. It's too bad.

 

[yogitunes]

put the power of an upright in the palm of your hand.....or so that's the claim of a Dirt Devil......

but it is true, I have a Siberian, between the fur and the undercoat, I am just as furry....lol......this handheld is great for running over the dog herself, pulls out fur and grooms her better than any plain ole brush....the vibrations alone is a massing effect for her....

 

[DADoES]

 
<blockquote>I did not realize the Roomba didn't actually suck stuff up!</blockquote> The primary action is sweeping.  My model (can't say about the rest) has a small suction fan integrated into the dust bin and a filter through which it pulls air (which blows out a small grill on back of the dust bin).  It's not a lot but there is some suction.  Cleaning the filter is part of the ongoing maintenance.

 

[bobbi]

Dadoes - yes, there has to be some suction, or there would be no need for the HEPA filter. So it's not accurate to say there is no suction in the Roomba.

 

[bobbi]

Adding to my prior post, that point was made quickly to me while telling my husband that someone said the Roomba doesn't have suction. He quickly stated, "then why is there a HEPA filter?" It was a real "duh" moment for me...LOL!!

 

[Practigal]

Love mine

I turn it on and take the dogs for a walk. By the time we return, it has finished the kitchen. The dogs like to hang out in the kitchen (oh surprise!) and I don't like dog fur floating around on the floor. Wonderful invention. The scooba is not bad either....

 

[whirlcool]

I would hardly call that little screen inside the Roomba a HEPA filter. And just how much suction can one of these generate? Hmm... maybe it's time we dump our Miele and just use a Roomba.

 

[tolivac]

Meile makes a Roomba like sweeper.See it at a Meile dealer.

 

[vacerator]

Miele robot vac

It looks like a Roomba to me. I bet the same Chinese outfit makes it, as Meile C1
canisters are from China also.

 

[tolivac]

Only the lower cost Meiles are built in China-don't know about their robot cleaner.The higher end machines are still built in Germany.The Chinese Meiles are still built to a higher end of quality over other Chinese built machines.There is a customer at the Vac place here-he is a Meile dealer-she buys the lower end machines and uses them for contract cleaning of homes and business.They are holding up pretty well!She does use "bojack" off brand bags and the dealer points out the warrantee is voided.But the woman customer insists the bojack bags are as good as the orig Meile ones.They aren't- the dust is getting into the motors.Orig bags leave the bag compartment clean.