Can I get opinions on Roomba out there? Does it work? I can afford to buy one if it works okay, but if it is just a nother piece of electronic junk, than I will wait until it is improved.
I might get one for my sister has well. Her house has wood floors and flat carpet. She has a small dog. Does it pick up dog hair?
To enter a coupon code in your post please enter the following info:
Coupon Code:
Coupon Offer:
Merchant:
Expires (optional):
Restrictions (optional):
saving...
Quick Summary is created and edited by users like you... Add FAQ's, Links and other Relevant Information by clicking the edit button in the lower right hand corner of this message.
I also have wood floors and a small dog. Always wanted a Roomba but it ended up more effort than use after the novelty wore off. It kept getting stuck in corners and would not go in between legs of side table. A rug I have on the floor was a problem too, although it is flat and not bushy at all. If you have an even shape room with no furniture legs in the way it will be great, otherwise get a cordless light vacuum, guicker, cheaper and all together more efficient. Just my 2 cents worth.
I found it to be more trouble than it was worth. Its AI sucks. It missed certain areas all the time so I had to go over it myself -- it kind of defeats the purpose. And then it does not clean very well. Of course, I did not expect much, but I was expecting more. Maybe it does better on carpets than it does on hardwood floors?
I ended up buying a Kenmore canister vac for around the same price ($225), which does the job just great. Of course, I have to do the vacumming, but its better than picking up the roomba every 20 minutes just to make sure it is vacumming where it should be vacumming.
Get the Discovery. You don't need the SE, it just includes a wall charger that is kinda not needed if you keep it on the home base on the floor (more convenient).
I use it everyday. It's amazing. I think the reason why it works so well, is that it goes over the same spot many many many many times. The amount of daily dust bunnies it picks up is crazy.
Only downside is that it can take up to a few hours to clean a room or you can run it till the battery runs out (then it just goes back to home base to self charge).
If you have carpets with tassles then forget it...
Works ok if you don't have a lot of stuff on the floor. I have wall to wall carpets. Great for vacumming under beds. Brushes do tend to get clogged with hair if you have pets or a girlfriend that sheds.
I bought one back in May. Works great, and picks up a lot of stuff. Sometimes it hangs up for a second or so on the small throw rugs, but it's only gotten stuck once or twice. I've got 2 cats, 3 small kids, and carpet in most of the house. I forget what model it is, but I love it and wouldn't get rid of it. The noise isn't too bad, especially when compared to a regular vacuum. I've run this plenty of times when the kids were asleep, and they've never woken up.
We got one and we like it very much for cat hair and light work. Just remember two things: 1. Prepare your room before you use it, like you would if vacuuming normally. Not many people try to vacuum over rugs with tassles 2. Clean it out after every use, and clean the brushes every few times. If it acts "funny", it's probably just dirt messing with the sensors.
gludlow said:We got one and we like it very much for cat hair and light work. Just remember two things: 1. Prepare your room before you use it, like you would if vacuuming normally. Not many people try to vacuum over rugs with tassles 2. Clean it out after every use, and clean the brushes every few times. If it acts "funny", it's probably just dirt messing with the sensors.
Ditto!
And if I may add - I think these things were never meant to take place of vacuuming your entire house. We use this primarily for the main traffic areas and block everything else off. Hardwood/tile etc works like a charm, carpet - not so much. I think it's a pretty good item to have IF you have perhaps a pet who's locked down to a main hardwood/tile area that needs frequent cleanup.
diacritic said:... I ended up buying a Kenmore canister vac for around the same price ($225), which does the job just great.
So a $120 robotic vacuum does not work as well as a vacuum that is double the cost. Imagine that.
My $.02 - If you vacuum on a frequent basis and musthave a clean house, it isn't for you.
If you have a open floorplan and need something to get most of the stuff so you can do something else, go for it. Its fun, it works (by that I mean, its dustbin gets filled). We set ours loose in the family room and basement between cleanings.
juser said:diacritic said:... I ended up buying a Kenmore canister vac for around the same price ($225), which does the job just great.
So a $120 robotic vacuum does not work as well as a vacuum that is double the cost. Imagine that.
My $.02 - If you vacuum on a frequent basis and musthave a clean house, it isn't for you.
If you have a open floorplan and need something to get most of the stuff so you can do something else, go for it. Its fun, it works (by that I mean, its dustbin gets filled). We set ours loose in the family room and basement between cleanings.
------------------------------------
Thanks to every one for the feedback.
Yes, I have to admit, there might be a certain entertainment value to the Roomba.
It seems like better sweeping, motion control sensors and battery life would improve the product over time.
I've found that limiting its coverage area to one or two rooms at a time and letting it go till it dies seems to work the best for me. I have carpet for 75% of my floors, and the only places it gets stuck are under some low-clearance chairs I have. So for me, it works well. Three times, every other week to keep it tidy and it's pretty good. It does need regular maintenance--clearing the bin, cleaning the rollers--more frequently than an upright vac does. Sometimes with crunchy things like chips it can miss spots where they are. Basically, set it to run when you leave in the morning for work, recharge at night, repeat as/where needed.
Disclaimer: By providing links to other sites, FatWallet.com does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to FatWallet.com.
