Robotic vacuums anyone??

FADEC

FADEC

Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
854
Location
Hill Country TX
My MIL said the other day that she wanted to get both of us one really nice Christmas gift. Since I'm a sucker for new techno stuff, I said "How about a robotic vac".

She said fine. So I'm looking for a Black Friday deal. Maybe Costco or Amazon.

So what vac's do you all use? And what do you like/dislike about them. Will probably be looking at a higher end machine.

BTW I have a one level, all tile floor home.
 
I have the iRobot i7 and have been using it for a couple of years.It's a really nice machine, but NOT maintenance free. There are some things you will need to change and clean every so often, like maybe once a month or so. It has the automatic dust bin as well which is a $300.00 accessory.
I got the whole works from shopmyexchange.com for about $700, free shipping. This site is for military veterans.
The iRobot does a very good job of cleaning, even under beds and low furniture which is great.
The phone app is excellent as well. All schedules and rooms are programmed from a single phone.
 
I have had a couple and now have a Eufi and I like it. It was in the $200 range. Check Wirecutter and Consumer Reports. New models are sure to be here for Christmas. I think it does a good job on bare floors and OK on carpet. But a vacuum with a beater bar will still be needed for the main carpet cleaning.
 
T
JohnnyG said:
I have the iRobot i7 and have been using it for a couple of years.It's a really nice machine, but NOT maintenance free. There are some things you will need to change and clean every so often, like maybe once a month or so. It has the automatic dust bin as well which is a $300.00 accessory.
I got the whole works from shopmyexchange.com for about $700, free shipping. This site is for military veterans.
The iRobot does a very good job of cleaning, even under beds and low furniture which is great.
The phone app is excellent as well. All schedules and rooms are programmed from a single phone.
Click to expand...
Thanks for for all the info! I also shop my exchange, but often forget about it, and use Costco or Amazon instead.
 
Got the better half one last Christmas, a Eufy in the $200 range. She gave it to my daughter after 2 months. With 2-50 lb dogs it would get full of dog shed quickly but keep going and it would get stuck frequently. It's one that does a random pattern not a grid or whatever. Daughter gave it back after a short time. Maybe more expensive ones work better.
 
I bought a Samsung a few years ago.It would always clean up the house good even after being vacuumed using the standard style.

I do plan on getting another one as ours eventually stopped being charged.
 
I have a Samsung Powerbot as well that is about to push 3 years and it's almost done, bought it based on high Consumer Reports rating so if that is any indication I hate to see how lower rated robot vacs hold up. Now it will have 1/2 battery and will just die in the middle of nowhere after vacuuming for 15-20 mins, gets lost constantly, brush roll bearings are starting to get noisy and the dust cup does not seat completely so it causes more than typical clogging issues due to the dirt intake not lining up 100%.

The vac was almost $500 new so for 3 years of service I honestly can't recommend it as total false economy. Samsung appears to be either abandoning the market or is about to release all new as the product line has been pared down and they are selling the same exact robot vacs they were selling 3+ years ago. They are a bit long in the tooth at this point.
 
We've had a the standard low/mid level Roomba for almost 2 years. It works pretty well, certainly not a substitute to a proper vacuum but it does get under and around things nicely and it's nice to leave it to do it's thing and spend your time doing something else.

I do not think there's much value in the high end models - like with most appliances the basic guts are likely to be the same as the lesser models with the extra cost going to features of potentially dubious value, and they almost certainly aren't going to be more reliable.

Also as noted there's a surprising amount of maintenance and parts these things need. Filters, brush rolls, the corner sweepers, etc all need to be replaced regularly.

So my advice would be to go with a relatively basic model from a reputable brand. Maybe whatever Costco is selling as the holidays approach.

jeff
 
My concern with these is that if you have pets, one could make a mess and the robot vacuum goes over it and smears it everywhere.

I’ve seen photos. 😶
 
FADEC said:
My MIL said the other day that she wanted to get both of us one really nice Christmas gift. Since I'm a sucker for new techno stuff, I said "How about a robotic vac".

She said fine. So I'm looking for a Black Friday deal. Maybe Costco or Amazon.

So what vac's do you all use? And what do you like/dislike about them. Will probably be looking at a higher end machine.

BTW I have a one level, all tile floor home.
Click to expand...
iLife v3s downstairs on the hardwood, iLife V4s up stairs on the short carpet. I've had them both for over 2 years and they are fire and forget, have never had an issue, and I love 'em! They keep my floors nearly perfectly grit and per hair free! Cost is about $150-180ea on Amazon.
 
My son got us one several years ago. First generation I guess. I’ve found that it’s great for the bedroom. Under the bed on hardwood floors it works well. You’ve got to use several “virtual walls” to keep it confined. And make sure all lamp cords, blind cords etc. are out of its way or it’ll wrap around them and pull everything down. Come to think of it, it’s a bit of a PITA.
 
Roomba 870 has been a workhorse in our home for 4 years now.
Flawless performance and reliable, wife’s best friend in our 3000 square foot home.
At the time it was close to one of their upper tier models now been replace by many other models.
If it ever dies we will be loyal to the brand simply because of its reliability. Hopefully that is still true.
Oops, see you selected already 🙃
 
I have the iRobot Roomba 960 and use it weekly. I clean out the bin and use a shop vac on the filter every time and boy does this thing do the trick! We only have area rugs, LVP and tile floors so we can really see when the floors get dirty (cat hair, lint, dust bunnies, etc.).

All I can so is it works VERY well. I would check out Costco for the best deals as they normally have more features for a great price than the standard products off of Amazon, etc. I would suggest the Roomba 985 from Costco which is a special version of the Roomba 980 for Costco members. It you have the cash the i8+ is the newest/best of the breed (again, a special up-featured version of the i7+ just for Costco folks).
 
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