Author Topic: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?  (Read 28978 times)

SnackDog

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #100 on: January 09, 2018, 04:45:41 AM »
We finally broke down and got a 6-series Roomba for $350.  We have a new dog and she is a shedding machine, despite daily brushings. Luckily our place is single story, no steps and all marble floor. We have minimal clutter so I just set it to run every night at 2am in front half of the house. We never hear it. It sometimes gets stuck under a chair or ingests a dog toy and we find it stranded in the morning.  Most days it is back in the dock charging away.   Emptying the hair collected takes 60 seconds.  Nothing seems to clog the gears or wheels so it is like no effort at all.  It's useless on rugs, however, so we still need the real vacuum once a week.

SaucyAussie

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #101 on: January 09, 2018, 06:18:59 AM »
I just got a Deebot N79.  It's one of the current top 'budget' robot vacuum options.
I'm trying this out to see if we find it useful, and will report back at some point (and if I forget and you want the info, bounce this thread back up).

I bought the same one last week ($199 on Amazon).

I am a single dad, super lazy, and I do a terrible job at keeping my house clean.  So far, so good on the Deebot, the floors have never looked so good.  It does force me to keep the house somewhat straight to allow the Deebot to do it's thing - a little bit like how when I had a cleaning service I had to clean the house before they arrived.

The first time I ran it, it did get pretty clogged up but that was because I hadn't vacuumed in a very long time.  It does manage to get itself stuck in a couple of areas, I need to come up with a simple, long term way to create barriers.

It's not perfect but for now I love it.  Let's see how I do once the novelty wears off.

Acastus

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #102 on: January 09, 2018, 11:05:57 AM »
My experience is Roombas and pets to not mix. The roomba cannot handle that much hair, and the hair gums up the mechanism. I have a dog. Maybe the cat puts a smaller burden on it.

Roombas are not quick, but you don't have to do it. Sort of like telling your kid to clean the garage. It will take him all day, and it won't be perfect, but you do not have to do it. If you consider this saved time, I will agree.

dilinger

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #103 on: January 11, 2018, 02:59:39 AM »
I've had Roombas basically forever - a 532 pet series since around 2009, and more recently an 870 from 2015. And before that, I had an ex-girlfriend with one of the original 2005 roombas.  My two roombas have gotten various battery and part replacements/upgrades, and they've been fine.  However, it's still somewhat a chore to roomba; they're loud and scare the baby, and give my wife a headache, so I need to get everything off the floor and then get everyone out of the house for at least a few hours.

I recently snagged a used Neato D75 off of ebay for $180 (with a new battery and better filter), and holy cow; it's night and day.  It's so much quieter that it doesn't make the baby cry (nor does it wake her up from her nap by loudly bumping into everything), and it also takes a fraction of the time to clean a room.  Where I used to stick two roombas in a room, close the door, and check back every 15 minutes until the floor looked good enough, I can now stick the neat and actually have it be *done* in 15 minutes.  I'm so happy with this thing!

Rcc

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #104 on: February 09, 2018, 11:31:59 AM »
Tossing my vote in for the Deebot as well. Back when wife and I first discussed a robot, prices were too darn high. But after the wire cutters recommendation and the price we said let’s give it a go.

Agreed with all observations from Case and Saucyaussie. We’re on day 3.

Will add that once the bot has caught up on all the areas it travels, we suspect we’ll run it daily to stay ahead. It picks up quite a bit that you just don’t notice. Especially when it gets under couches that aren’t cleaned under more than 1-2 times a year.

The small amount of time spent clearing obstacles, cables, clutter (my sons rats nest of instrument cables) before you run it is time very well spent.

So.. if one were considering a robot vacuum, go read the wirecutters reviews.

I’ll set a calendar reminder to return to this thread this summer, for a longer term check in.

If it cuts the time wife has to clean... money well spent.

Case

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #105 on: March 10, 2018, 03:11:02 PM »
My wife and I work full time, we DIY most things, have not hired out much yet.
We have a cat; the hair gets everywhere; it drives my wife absolutely insane.  In addition, I have some allergies, and without fully nailing it down, this may contribute to them.

We vacuum / clean every 1-2 weeks... seems we spend a large chunk of our limited free time there.  By the next day after cleaning, the cat's 'tumbleweeds' have returned.  I'm thinking maybe one of these devices would make my wife feel less like she has to be constantly cleaning.

We are well on our way to FIRE and have some cash to spare.  I'm wondering if a roomba-like-thing is a good idea.  We could set it to clean every couple of days, and presumably the cat hairs would be kept under control.  Additional bonus is maybe it can help reach places that are hard to get with a conventional vacuum such as under beds, sofas... where large balls of fir/hair accumulate.

Comments?  Personal experiences?
Which device is the the most mustachian? (not counting the human roomba - e.g. me).

1 year update (well, maybe 11 months).

I wanted to give an update on my experience with a cheap robot vacuum (Deebot N79) at the 1 year mark.

Overall I give this thing a 4 out of 5.  It is not perfect, but it's a damn good value.  Sol, I generally really like your comments on posts, but I totally disagree with you so far on this topic. 

I would say that the Deebot seems to outperform my existing upright vacuum ( a hoover animal control something or other).  It is certainly not as powerful by any means, but in practice me switching to the Deebot has resulted in a cleaner house and me spending less time cleaning.  How is this possible?  The answer lies in human laziness.  In truth, I am too damn lazy.  Deebot greatly reduces the barrier towards vacuum.  I send Dee (as we call him) to do his job a few times per week, and his random pattern of cleaning at low power outperforms our upright vacuuming that tended to occur every 1.5- 2 weeks on average.  I would even consider getting a second Dee for different sections of the house.  Dee not only picks up a ton of dirt/dust/etc... it also reaches places I wouldn't normally reach, like under beds.  Over all our dust levels have gone down a lot.

Dee is not perfect.  The biggest limitation is that Dee is not spectacular with human hair (although he is great with our cats fur).  My wifes hair gets tangled around the main brush and eventually clogs it.  Every 5 or so sessions it is necessary to unclog all of the hair, which takes 5-10 min.  Beyond this, the only time invest I put into Dee is pressing the 'on' button on occasion, as well as empty the dust bin, and helping Dee when he gets stuck.  The only other real problem with Dee is that he works better in some places than others.  In our kitchen/living room area he requires not help whatsoever.  However, in our bedroom area he gets stuck under built-in cabinets which just happen to be the right height to do this.  I suspect a more modern house would not have this issue at all.

If there is a robotic vacuum out there that does not get clogged by long (human) hair very easily, it would be a near perfect machine.  If this thing exists, please tell me!

Thus, I emphatically recommend one of these to all the mustachians out there.

The only contingency I have on that recommendation is that I will come back again in a year and a few years down the road to see how the robot holds up.  It does wobble on occasion when operating... I'm also curious how long the battery/components will last.  So far we have not replaced anything and the performance has been good.  If the robot suddenly ate-it prior to the 2 year mark, I might lower the enthusiasm of my recommendation.

joonifloofeefloo

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #106 on: March 10, 2018, 03:28:27 PM »
If there is a robotic vacuum out there that does not get clogged by long (human) hair very easily, it would be a near perfect machine.  If this thing exists, please tell me!

Mine (RoombaPetSeries595).

I have long hair. The hair wraps around the brush, but doesn't interfere at all. Every few months I use the tool to remove the hair and anything else. I think it's four years in?

sol

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #107 on: March 10, 2018, 06:57:27 PM »
Sol, I generally really like your comments on posts, but I totally disagree with you so far on this topic. 

People keep saying things like this to me, and it's freaking me out.  This is not my house.  Your opinion gets just as much screen time here as mine does.  You are all free to disagree with me in any and every way.  Do you like robot vacuums and overpriced blenders?  Do you think I've grossly misunderstood adoption, or climate change, or market timing?  That's cool.  You do you. 

Sol is not the authority on anything.  Sol is just a dude who spends too much time on the internet, and sometimes talks about himself with third person pronouns.  Sol's not even his real name.

better late

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #108 on: March 10, 2018, 09:11:16 PM »
I received a roomba for Xmas a few months ago and I love it beyond reason. I hate to vacuum. Hate it. But I can take the roomba into a room and shut the door and it vacuums UNDER THE BED repeatedly. I hate to vacuum but my heart leaps at a clean room. So roomba vacuums and I run around and start the laundry and empty dishes and tidy up. When we had a housekeeper I would also work while she was there; this is the same idea but with less chatty help. I also am sometimes lazy and don't want to do my chores. I find using the roomba somehow gets the ball rolling and  gets me focused that it's cleaning time. my home is MUCH cleaner with it. I do have a perverse fascination with emptying the canister and cleaning the rollers Nd seeing how much dust and dirt and hair yuck! :)

Case

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #109 on: March 11, 2018, 10:23:32 AM »
Sol, I generally really like your comments on posts, but I totally disagree with you so far on this topic. 

People keep saying things like this to me, and it's freaking me out.  This is not my house.  Your opinion gets just as much screen time here as mine does.  You are all free to disagree with me in any and every way.  Do you like robot vacuums and overpriced blenders?  Do you think I've grossly misunderstood adoption, or climate change, or market timing?  That's cool.  You do you. 

Sol is not the authority on anything.  Sol is just a dude who spends too much time on the internet, and sometimes talks about himself with third person pronouns.  Sol's not even his real name.

Im mostly just responding to a semi impassioned monolgue against robot vacuums... had me convinced at first.  Now, on blenders, i think i agree.  I am pro cheapo ninja and anti vitamix.  Overall, i am striving for the best combination of value and time efficiency.

Case is not my real name either... or maybe it is...

Cassie

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #110 on: March 11, 2018, 05:09:56 PM »
I love my Roomba for vacuuming. WE have 3 dogs and one is huge and a shedding machine.  I also have a small mopping machine. It used to be called the Mint but the company was bought out by Irobot.  Once per month I sweep and mop all the floors and the rest of the time I use my 2 "robot maids."  My house is much cleaner.

leeeroy

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #111 on: April 26, 2018, 06:35:12 AM »
My wife and I work full time, we DIY most things, have not hired out much yet.
We have a cat; the hair gets everywhere; it drives my wife absolutely insane.  In addition, I have some allergies, and without fully nailing it down, this may contribute to them.

We vacuum / clean every 1-2 weeks... seems we spend a large chunk of our limited free time there.  By the next day after cleaning, the cat's 'tumbleweeds' have returned.  I'm thinking maybe one of these devices would make my wife feel less like she has to be constantly cleaning.

We are well on our way to FIRE and have some cash to spare.  I'm wondering if a roomba-like-thing is a good idea.  We could set it to clean every couple of days, and presumably the cat hairs would be kept under control.  Additional bonus is maybe it can help reach places that are hard to get with a conventional vacuum such as under beds, sofas... where large balls of fir/hair accumulate.

Comments?  Personal experiences?
Which device is the the most mustachian? (not counting the human roomba - e.g. me).
I also have a pet and there was a big problem with dog fur. Then we decided to buy a new vacuum cleaner. Considering from what I’ve read in the reviews it shouldn’t be very noisy and at the same time it's easy to remove and change the bag. Initially, we wanted to buy Dyson  but there was too expansive. In fact, there are many more vacuum cleaners. You can compare them here . We bought Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaner. Maybe you’ll go for some other. There is so many models with good charecteristics.

ChpBstrd

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #112 on: April 26, 2018, 02:25:30 PM »
Thought about a Roomba, but the $30-something solution for my all hardwood and tile house was a commercial dust mop. My entire oversized house can be done in 10 min. Just hit the pile with your regular vacuum or a dustpan.

https://www.ebay.com/p/Kendal-Commercial-Maxi-Dust-MOP-Kit-36-Inch-Dmh90-S4/1662728414?iid=222643324265

Case

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #113 on: September 17, 2018, 01:41:13 PM »
My wife and I work full time, we DIY most things, have not hired out much yet.
We have a cat; the hair gets everywhere; it drives my wife absolutely insane.  In addition, I have some allergies, and without fully nailing it down, this may contribute to them.

We vacuum / clean every 1-2 weeks... seems we spend a large chunk of our limited free time there.  By the next day after cleaning, the cat's 'tumbleweeds' have returned.  I'm thinking maybe one of these devices would make my wife feel less like she has to be constantly cleaning.

We are well on our way to FIRE and have some cash to spare.  I'm wondering if a roomba-like-thing is a good idea.  We could set it to clean every couple of days, and presumably the cat hairs would be kept under control.  Additional bonus is maybe it can help reach places that are hard to get with a conventional vacuum such as under beds, sofas... where large balls of fir/hair accumulate.

Comments?  Personal experiences?
Which device is the the most mustachian? (not counting the human roomba - e.g. me).

Update Sept 2018 (one year mark).

So far my opinion is positive on the Deebot N79, though it is not perfect.  I have lived in two seperate places for 6months each with it.  The success of the Deebot really depends on what your living space is like.  Large open rooms without much crap on the floor are ideal.  Smaller rooms with lots of furniture require more navigation.  Certain piece of furniture may result in the deebot getting stuck and requiring an intervention, which is a pain in the ass.  I have a certain chair whose legs trap the deebot, and i have to fortify it with pillows prior to cleaning.  Therefore, you have to prep the room for it to work well.  This can be a pain in the ass.  For a robot vacuum to be worthwhile, it really needs to mess up very infrequently, otherwise I’d say just go for a cordless manual vacuum.  Deebot also cannot handle long/plush rugs, which is inconvenient.  As a result, i have to close the bathroom doors when it is running (plush bath mats) or make it avoid them somehow.

In my previous house, i hands down loved the deebot... it just worked better on the layout.  In my current apartment i dont like it all that much.  We are about to move again. And in 6 months or so i can update this again.

Soon after i got it, the deebot started to develop a knocking sound while running, kind of like an old car with unleaded gasoline.  My detective work indicates it has something to do with the balance being off on its design, and it must have rubbing gears/belts somewhere (i partially took it apart but held off on a full deconstruct in case it might void the warranty).  It still functioned well, but made annoying sounds that were increasinky loud over the months.  I contacted customer service just beyond the 1 year warranty period, and they are going to replace my deebot for me.  Because of this generous customer service, i still recommend the deebot.  It is an inexpensive experiment to test out your life with a robotic vacuum.

Robotic vacuums still have a ways to go.  They are not smart enough yet, as another poster just indicated.  However, they are sometimes smart enough with the right house/furniture layout to be worth it. I maintain that having a robot do the work for you is going to lead most people to cleanmore often. When the barrier to use is pressing a bin, gettign out of the way, and emptying a bin, it's just too easy not to.  When the barrier to use also include significantly prepping the area and getting ready to rescue the robot when it messes up, i found myself using it far less.  However, all of these problems are very solvable with modern technology (i think at least!  Some simple guards and/or sensors i would think could prevent most of the hiccups that deebot encounters in my living space).  Once the programming of the robots improves further, and/or the price goes down onthe fancier models with improved intelligence, my guess is that robotic vacuums will mostly replace conventional vacuums.  I would guess this wont be too far out in the future; 5 years. 

hops

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #114 on: September 17, 2018, 02:28:47 PM »
We bought a Deebot N79 a few months ago, following a period of over a year during which my health, and my wife's work schedule, kept us from vacuuming as much as normal. This thread helped inform our decision. I still use our corded Shark at least once a week, but the Deebot does a great job of keeping our hardwood floors clean of pet fur, litter, and whatever the dog tracks in (we have two moderate shedders, and one heavy shedder). That our house is quite small and spartanly furnished probably helps.

The only hitch for us is my wife and I both have long hair that gets wrapped around everything, so I spend five minutes a week clearing out the main brush.
« Last Edit: September 17, 2018, 02:31:28 PM by hops »

OliverBlack

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #115 on: November 09, 2018, 01:59:46 AM »
I have Roomba 980. its fantastic

WinningIt

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #116 on: December 09, 2018, 08:42:12 AM »
It cannot entirely replace our upright vacs, but it can somehow help keeping our floors clean. We have a Roomba too and it runs good even on carpets. It will sometimes eat up wires, but that's tolerable. What I find not so tolerable is the vacuum noise, you gotta leave the house when it starts cleaning.

MrSal

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #117 on: December 09, 2018, 05:27:30 PM »
Robots are now smart! Especially Neato... Even the low end of its product line now has virtual no-go lines - essentially the robot creates a floor plan of your house and then you can put lines where you dont want him to go.

It's crazy how accurate it is...  I have a one of those big furry rugs and it's the only place he struggles a bit - especially underneath the couch where he can get in but with the rug creating resistance he sometimes gives up and gets stuck. Solution? I created a no-go line on the sides of the rug and he doesn;t go there... we only take the big vacuum once every 2 weeks to clean that big rug.

it goes everywhere with amazing accuracy. We have it running Mon, Wed and Fri ... these days all we do is making sure there are no socks on the floor or some of the cats toys around that he could suck and get stuck. That's all:



Here is the map after a cleaning:



You can tell on this one it didn't clean in one of the rooms because we had forgotten the dog bed was in the way so he could reach the other side of the bed (the T in that bedroom is the bed iron beam).

You can get a D3 for sometimes around 180$ or so...



MayDay

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Re: robotic vacuums - worth it? which is most mustachian?
« Reply #118 on: December 09, 2018, 07:17:21 PM »
We got the Deebot on black Friday for 140 (or 160. H bought it and o can't remember).

It is random movement so it's not perfect. I don't care- if it goes under the bed every third week it'll still be 1000x more often than before.

We run it daily. We have a good layout- rambler with all wood floors. The only issue is the threshold to the bathroom is too high so it doesn't go into the bathroom. Most/all of our furniture it tall enough that it cleans under everything. We don't have any area rugs. So we have a good setup.

I'm seriously thinking about getting another one for the basement.

My 11 year old is not capable of vacuuming or sweeping but he cleans the Deebot weekly and empties the dust bin daily.

For us it is perfect.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!