A functional toy - will not replace "serious" vacuuming
Written: Jan 28 '06 (Updated Jan 01 '07)
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Pros: Good for light cleaning. Picks up cat hair.
Cons: Not for hardwood floors. Carpets still need regular vac frequently. Bad with long human hair.
The Bottom Line: I'm glad I have mine, but it doesn't replace the regular vacuum.
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| twosheep's Full Review: iRobot Roomba 4210 Bagless Robotic Vacuum |
Update (1/2007)
I am now on my 3rd Roomba in less than 2 years. The battery charging portion of the 2nd vacuum failed after about 10 months of weekly use, and no amount of resetting the vacuum or draining the battery fixed the problem. The battery no longer held a charge. We bought a replacement battery, and that would not charge, either, so I am certain the vacuum was the problem.
I had purchased the Sharper Image replacement warranty (1 free unit exchange within 3 years of purchase, no questions asked), and I went back for a new one. I did purchase a new 3-yr warranty with the exchange because I am fairly certain that these Roombas are not built to last. It charges wonderfully (and the replacement battery is charging just fine, too). I am a happy camper again.
That said, it is too bad that iRobot doesn't focus more on durability. I am still so hooked to my Roomba because of the convenience factor that I keep going back for more, but if I had paid full price, this would have been a deeply unsatisfying consumer experience.
Original review:
I've eagerly read consumer reviews of Roomba robots ever since they hit the market in 2002. Because of the many complaints about reliability, widely varying experiences with customer service, finicky maintenance, etc, I decided to hold off purchasing one until a few iterations had emerged. While it's cool to have a functioning house-robot and entertaining to watch it go around, I really just wanted something to help me clean the house.
In March 2005, we bought a new home with hardwood floors in the kitchen and dining room and low-pile carpet nearly everywhere else. I used my Discovercard Cashback Bonus dollars to get 4 or 5 $80 gift cards from Sharper Image. I bought the Roomba Discovery and the SI 3-yr replacement warranty at no (new) cost to our budget - props to those epinion reviewers who gave me the idea. (Note: SI doubles your Cashback award, so a $40 Cashback bonus turns into an $80 gift card. However, SI will now accept only 1 gift card per transaction. That policy was not in effect when I purchased my Roomba.)
The SI/iRobot return policy as I understand it is as follows: within the first year, SI will instantly exchange your robot for a new one if there are any defects w/no questions asked (I believe this is the SI/iRobot policy). I don't think you even need the receipt because they log you into their account software at the point of purchase. If you buy the extended replacement warranty, SI will do ONE instant exchange in the 2 subsequent years after the 1-year iRobot warranty expires (the replacement period is 3 yrs total, but the first years overlap). I don't know what happens if you need to replace it more than once after the iRobot warranty ends.
I've now had my Roomba for 8 months. I've enthusiastically recommended it to others. I rushed out to get a replacement within days of my first one choking to death on a rug corner. I use mine every week and will never clean under the bed again with the cannister vac.
That said - I still vac frequently with the cannister vac, esp. for kicked cat litter and any hard surfaces. I still go over the carpets (though far less often) to get the deeper stuff out. And the main vac will always be useful for sucking up bugs!
Here's what I've learned about the Roomba (in no particular order):
1) Roomba is round and won't get into corners. The little brush attempts to get into corners, but it really doesn't make it in quite that far.
2) Speaking of the little corner-sweeping brush, in my experience, it kicks crumbs and bugs *away* from the vacuum on a hard floor. I use only the cannister vacuum for the noncarpeted surfaces now.
3) Roomba takes a long time (close to an hour) to clean 1 room. (I can vacuum most of the house in the time it needs to do the living room.) It needs several hours to recharge fully.
4) Unlike every other vacuum I've ever owned, Roomba does not have an automatic emergency stop on the roller brush. That is to say, if something gets caught on the brush, Roomba will spin (or try to) until it burns itself out. My first one got caught on the corner of a foot-wiping rug in front of the garage entrance and died a burnt-plasticky-smell death. (We did the instant exchange at SI - you should have seen the speed at which the manager trotted out to help us, "Letmehelpyou! Isthatareturn? Letmetakethatfromyou!" and practically ran the box to the back room before any other customers realized we were bringing back a defective product.)
5) It does get stuck on things, has escaped the virtual wall, and sometimes cannot find the recharging base. I would recommend using it with supervision.
6) My dining room floor is dark cherry with a light maple inlay around the perimeter, about 12 inches from the wall. At certain approach angles, Roomba is afraid of crossing the inlay - something about the color contrast makes it think it's at the edge of a stair or something.
7) Roomba does a superb job picking up cat hair (2 shorthair cats, champion shedders).
8) Roomba picks up my long hair (past shoulder length, thick strands), but it only gets them caught in the axles and brushes. This is a serious problem. Most vacs will just suck my hair into the dirt chamber and maybe wind a couple around a roller brush, but Roomba only winds hair around the brushes and axles. I've never once emptied any of my hair from the dustbin. I pull out hair 2x per cleaning cycle, otherwise it gives off a funky burning smell.
9) The remote didn't talk to my first Roomba. I never tried the second Roomba remote.
10) The virtual walls make a V-shaped pattern, not a straight line. I set it up (angled outward) to be at least 2 ft away from the farthest edge that I want cleaned. (My house is set up with a pseudo-"great room," where the carpeted living room goes right into the hardwood kitchen, no walls.) However, Roomba has snuck out of the carpeted area by exiting right next to the VW. Now I angle the VW outward and lay down a wastebasket or backpack in the intervening space.
11) As the batteries of the VW weaken, the green light will flash. The VW still works pretty well for a long time with a flashing light.
12) Emptying the dustbin is messiest, most allergy-attack provoking action I have ever performed in my life. (Why do people love bagless vacs? This makes no sense to me.) Cat hair gets into the shallow space above the dust chamber, and I periodically must clean it out with ANOTHER vacuum.
13) When Roomba tries to hump your foot (really!), it can be rather disturbing.
14) Roomba will find its home base 90% of the time and recharge without any help. In a larger room, it may get lost and "cry" for assistance.
15) It's pretty quiet.
16) Roomba does eventually get almost everywhere.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
twosheep
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Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 0 members
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