roomba vacuum cleaner.......talk me down or not?

[mwulff]

We have had Roombas for the better part of 9 years and we really like it.

Our first model the 560 had some problems with getting back to its dock and it wore out two batteries along the way.

Last year we got a good deal on a new 800-series roomba and went for it. What a difference... It now finds its way back reliably more than 90% of the time. It picks up more dust, debris and stuff than the old one and the HEPA filter makes a huge difference.

We have however "roomba-proofed" the house and secured all loose cables. We also chose our furniture so that there is enough clearance for the roomba.

It also helps that we have a 700 sqft house without stairs so a single roomba can cover it all in one go. Also when we owned a cat it was a life-saver, I swear that it collected maybe 1 metric ton of cat hair per year.

We have set ours to run daily at 11 am so nobody is home.

All in all we highly recommend the roomba if you can make the changes that make it practical.

[sstants]

I have one and love it!

Time is money, and it really helps keep the pet dander/fur under control (I have a mild allergy). I don't like to clean more than once a week and this lets me focus on other things. I love that I can do a full house clean in an hour on a Saturday morning by simply de-cluttering and starting the roomba. Then the kitchen and the bathroom get cleaned while the roomba does the floors. Then I'm done and I go enjoy my weekend!

[warmastoast]

I have to say that I love this roomba..an unexpected benefit is that my kids also love it and are picking up the things they normally just dump on the floor.  A 2for1!!  Now I don't even have to ask them to pick up their things. It's given me an extra 20 minutes a day and with it's hepa filter might even help with allergies.

[sol]

I have to say that I love this roomba..an unexpected benefit is that my kids also love it and are picking up the things they normally just dump on the floor.  A 2for1!!  Now I don't even have to ask them to pick up their things. It's given me an extra 20 minutes a day and with it's hepa filter might even help with allergies.

Does anyone actually vacuum for twenty minutes every day? 

[MayDay]

I sweep the kitchen, dining room, and bathroom once a day, sometimes twice or 3 times (weekend days in summer when we are in and out of the house a lot).

Sure it is 10 minutes each time, and I don't mind the work, but at even just once a day, that is quite a bit over a week.  I don't mind vacuuming tyhe carpet once a week, but the daily sweeping does get really old. 

Someday when i am done moving house and no for sure that the house layout will work for the robot vacuum, I think we will get one.  No different from a dishwasher or washing machine- sure I could do those things by hand, too.  But I'd rather not. 

Part of my motivation is that our 11 year old Dyson is losing some oomph, and we will be looking at replacing a vacuum one way or the other- I'd rather get a Roomba and keep the old Dyson for the occasional clean-up, doing corners, stairs, etc.  Then replace the Dyson, still spend money on a vacuum, and still have to sweep every day. 

I am on team Scrubby that crumbs underfoot drives me absolutely bonkers. 

[sol]

I am on team Scrubby that crumbs underfoot drives me absolutely bonkers.

Team scrubby should consider wearing shoes.

[honeybbq]

I have to say that I love this roomba..an unexpected benefit is that my kids also love it and are picking up the things they normally just dump on the floor.  A 2for1!!  Now I don't even have to ask them to pick up their things. It's given me an extra 20 minutes a day and with it's hepa filter might even help with allergies.

I forgot about this benefit! My toddler knows whatever she leaves on the floor will get eaten by the roomba, so -- yep! Just like you she cleans up!

[warmastoast]

I have to say that I love this roomba..an unexpected benefit is that my kids also love it and are picking up the things they normally just dump on the floor.  A 2for1!!  Now I don't even have to ask them to pick up their things. It's given me an extra 20 minutes a day and with it's hepa filter might even help with allergies.

Does anyone actually vacuum for twenty minutes every day?

sure, 15 mins vacuuming, 5 minutes picking up and putting away.  Better,  the roomba has cleaned under just about every item of furniture we have, something that I did once a month or so.
I get asthma occasionally - and until I can afford to replace the very nice,new carpet upstairs (put in to "sell" the house by the previous owners) then daily vacuuming is necessary to keep the asthma in check.

[golden1]

I am on team anti-roomba.  I got one of the early models as a gift, and I hated it.  I spent as much time rescuing it, cleaning the bristles, and emptying it as I did if I just vacuumed.  It doesn't do crevices, it doesn't do stairs, and it is stupid and gets stuck.

One inconvenience about it to keep in mind is that you really need to prep your house to run it - clearing the floor, potential obstacles, cables, etc.

This was the biggest pain in the ass about it.  If you have kids, you have to constantly make sure everything is picked up or it ended up vacuuming toys and legos or whatever.  I spent more work dealing with it than a normal vacuum.

What I liked even better than the roomba was my little cordless elite bagless vacuum from Hoover.  I had this for about 3-4 years when the kids were little and it was perfect for the day to day messes.  It was reasonably inexpensive, light, perfect for stairs without having to deal with hoses and little parts, had good suction power, had enough battery capacity to clean my entire 1800 sqft house, and was virtually maintenance free.  I eventually got rid of it when the battery stopped holding charge, not realizing at the time I could have just replaced the battery.  (D'oh)

http://www.amazon.com/Hoover-Cordless-Vacuum-Cleaner-BH50010/dp/B001PB8EJ2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461684364&sr=8-1&keywords=hoover+linx+cordless+vacuum

It still won't replace your main vacuum, but it works for about 90% of your usage. 

P.S.  We need more exercise, not less.  A Roomba is about as anti-mustachian as it gets. 

[iris lily]

This discussi N removed nds me of those automatic cat litter box devices.

I babysat a cat, and it took as much time to fuss with the aparatus as it dis to just clean the gox manually.

[scrubbyfish]

I am on team Scrubby that crumbs underfoot drives me absolutely bonkers.

Team scrubby should consider wearing shoes.

Team Scrubby considers all things in advance, and decided Roomba was awesome.

(Team Scrubby also bought itself a washing machine this year, first in 27 years. Also awesome.)

(Team Scrubby does not own a vacuum, broom, dustpan, dryer, dishwasher, indoor shoes, or slippers, because Team Scrubby only gets what enhances its life.)

[Digital Dogma]

This discussi N removed nds me of those automatic cat litter box devices.

I babysat a cat, and it took as much time to fuss with the aparatus as it dis to just clean the gox manually.

I noticed a significant improvement in my cats anxiety after changing to the auto-scoop box with absorbent crystals, she licks the hair off her behind when she gets stressed out, and ever since we got the auto-cleaning cat tray shes almost completely grown it all back. We still have to remove the poop and do regular changes, but the immediate removal of the cat poo is something we just can't do on two full time jobs, so this seems to fix my specific issue.

I'm still anti-roomba, nobody in my house seems to give a shit if the floor is a little dirty for a few days :)

[scrubbyfish]

I noticed a significant improvement in my cats anxiety after changing to the auto-scoop box with absorbent crystals...

I LOVE cleaning out litter boxes manually (I don't have pets, so I offer to do this at other people's houses), but I am genuinely happy that you put your love of kitty above nonmachineness. That's a great situation for Machineness.

[patrat]

I think mine is useless with a kid. Maybe if the toys got pickup up every single day. When I get the toys cleaned up, I want the immediate gratification of a clean floor.

[Digital Dogma]

I noticed a significant improvement in my cats anxiety after changing to the auto-scoop box with absorbent crystals...

I LOVE cleaning out litter boxes manually (I don't have pets, so I offer to do this at other people's houses), but I am genuinely happy that you put your love of kitty above nonmachineness. That's a great situation for Machineness.

Thank you! She had the nastiest looking behind when we adopted her from the animal shelter (after she spent 6-9 months there) due to constant licking as a result of a previous flea infestation, we assumed it might stay like that forever till we watched her behavior. That constant licking turned into an anxiety disorder after the fleas were dealt with at the animal shelter, she was licking herself raw for no good reason. Since we've had her for almost a year her hair has grown back almost all the way, and we only catch her licking occasionally.

The automation made all the difference and was exactly what we needed, it makes me happy to see a healthy cat at home, so the extra financial burden was worth it to me. I can't say I see the same value when it comes to a roomba-like device, it just doesn't hit any of my buttons.

[Warlord1986]

Once, after a very long day of cleaning (the cat had fleas and I swore with God as my witness that those fleas were goners) I joked on facebook asking if anyone had a roomba they wanted to get rid of. A friend had like, six, and was trying to downsize. She gave me one. It doesn't work, but that's not the point. I could probably get it fixed if I wanted to. The point is, there are roombas out there for the asking.

Prior to the free roomba, I got an old vacuum cleaner from my landlord. He bought a new one while the old one still worked. Free vacuum for me! I also got a pet carrier from a neighbor. :)

[MayDay]

I am on team Scrubby that crumbs underfoot drives me absolutely bonkers.

Team scrubby should consider wearing shoes.

Do you wear shoes in the house? My feet would be so sad. My carpet would be destroyed. I'd have to mop and sweep even more often! Shoes in the house is sacrilege.

[MandyM]

I am on team Scrubby that crumbs underfoot drives me absolutely bonkers.

Team scrubby should consider wearing shoes.

Do you wear shoes in the house? My feet would be so sad. My carpet would be destroyed. I'd have to mop and sweep even more often! Shoes in the house is sacrilege.

pets + non-carpet = house shoes. I wear slippers in cold weather and flip flops in warm. I love to be barefoot, but I that just isn't going to happen in my current set up.

[Cassie]

I got mine a year ago and really love it.  One of my dogs is a big shedding machine.

[Curbside Prophet]

It's good for maintenance cleaning but you'll still have to clean manually every once in a while as it can't get to every nook and cranny.

[Cranky]

Also - is somebody paying you for that time? If so, it's probably a good enough splurge.

But I have a very light work life, and I feel like I'd have to have a much, much bigger investment in vacuuming to make a roomba worth while. It may be a splurge that people are willing to make, like a dishwasher, but it's not something that makes economic sense.

[scrubbyfish]

The automation made all the difference and was exactly what we needed, it makes me happy to see a healthy cat at home, so the extra financial burden was worth it to me. I can't say I see the same value when it comes to a roomba-like device, it just doesn't hit any of my buttons.

Very well said!

That's 100% on target: For one person, a device that saves a cat emotionally and physically is the right device, an entirely worthwhile purchase. For the one with sensitive feet, and already overtasked caring for others, a Roomba might be. At one point in my life caregiving in a situation where a wide range of foods regularly needed to be made from scratch, yet the caree needed ongoing attention, a portable dishwasher became critical, yet at no other point in my life has it been.

This is the key person for each person to decide in their lives, with (ideally) no one trying to dictate another's Mustachianism, values, etc. We get to figure out those top critical pieces and Mustache them.

[aspiringnomad]

Bumping this thread because my upright vacuum just gave out and I've been considering a robot vacuum for that eventuality. Have done a bit of research and it seems like Neatos might be better value for the money than Roombas, but I'm open to either option. Anyone own a Neato Botvac? Also, do I need to keep every cat toy off the ground when it runs? Was hoping to run it while we're at work, which is also when the cats would most enjoy having a toy or two out. Thanks!

[scrubbyfish]

...do I need to keep every cat toy off the ground when it runs? Was hoping to run it while we're at work, which is also when the cats would most enjoy having a toy or two out. Thanks!

I have Roomba vs Neato, so I'm speaking from that. I would leave out a larger cat toy, preferably bulky or round like a ball, that has no string coming out from it. Robot will push that around (fun for cat???) and otherwise let it be. I will leave books leaning against my fridge, etc, and Roomba gently works around them.

[MillenialMustache]

I adore my Roomba. It is an older white one. I got it for $10 at a garage sale. It just needed a new battery and I got a generic one on Ebay for like $20. I never, ever vacuum now, so I did completely eliminate the chore (no kids or pets). It ran for about two years once a week, and then we had to replace a small gear, about $10. Around that time we got another battery for like $20. So, I have had the Roomba about three years now and have spent a total of $60. I wash the filer every couple of months, but that was the same with my dyson. It doesn't take me long to empty - my $10 roomba came with a handy roomba tool that rips the hair out. Maybe 5 minutes a week on that. It doesn't get stuck very much. I will agree it is a little noisy, but so is our dyson. So, I love it. Maybe check around for a used one. Even in working condition I think they can be had for less than $100.   

[ooeei]

I've heard horror stories of an animal having an "accident" in the house which the Roomba then smears everywhere.  Depending on your dogs' shedding habits it may not help you all that much due to the small capacity.

[Cassie]

I only run my roomba when I am home. Because I have an 80lb shedding machine I dog  set the timer for 15 min's and then empty the pan. Then I let it go until it is done.  I really love it. One day we come home and can hear a racket in our bedroom but no one other then our 4 dogs were home. REcently our 7 lb dog has decided that she likes to sleep on top of the roomba. Well it was running and I am guessing it went on when she climbed on so I would have loved to have seen her face when that happened. The other day I go in our room and she is standing there just staring at the machine.

[JJ-]

We have one. We fire it up when we leave the house. It does a good job of gathering up the dog and cat hair and occasionally leaves the hair in giant tuffs behind as they get too clumpy for the brushes. We still need to vacuum once a week.

Yes, quoting myself, but for future people considering a roomba, I am a huge "meh" as a two pet owner on the benefit of a roomba.

[coffeelover]

I want one of these things so bad..!!

I have a dog, and a cat and 2 kids here full time, 2 part time and an adult daughter that visits with her dog and best-friends kid. So my house gets dirty and I hate it. I love love a clean house. I'm constantly cleaning cuz I stand seeing hair on the floor or crumbs etc.

However, the one I want is the 860 or 880 due to not having bristles. These suckers are 500 bucks. Thats with bed bath and beyond coupon after sale price.

My hubs would kill me if I went out and bought it and besides we don't have the discretionary income at the moment anyways due to replacing furnace and air a few days ago.

I wish I could get it as a gift for mothers day, but I know that won't happen.

[warmastoast]

I've had mine for 2 weeks now and I love it.

The first few times I used it,  I was in the house and I just sat down with a cup a coffee whilst it vacuumed for me!

The kids have learned to be a LOT tidier too...

my dog just gets up and walks away from it.  The rabbit, in her cage, just watches it go back and forth with suspicion.  The entertainment value alone has been good!

My dog is shedding at the moment and it seems to be coping with the hair, it's working well on hard floors and rugs downstairs and on the carpet upstairs.

When I went to buy mine at Bestbuy , they were all cheaper because roomba have just launched a new model so a model that was selling for $600 3 months ago is now $450.

[doublethinkmoney]

I've been pretty good lately at "right-sizing" my lifestyle due to an impending divorce.  I've sold the new 4runner and got a 2 year old prius v.  My electric and water bills are now under very tight control.  My food budget is , well, within budget now.  I'm budgeting using YNAB and all seems good, I'm managing to save. I'm feeling pretty smug about it all until yesterday.

My soon to be ex-husband has bought himself a robot vacuum cleaner for his small apartment.  I am the one with the 3 kids, a dog and a rabbit and a much bigger house.  I can feel myself wanting to cry because just offloading one chore would make a big difference to me and I am feeling very resentful that he has "wasted" our money on this...

I have the cash to buy one but.... should I?

Does anyone have one?  2 of my friends have them and swear by them...

I LOVE my roomba! But I would not get one simply because your ex did. I would wait until it's something you decide you can afford and it's the right choice for you.

A few notes about a roomba:

1) it won't clean up everything in one run. It's something you have to run several times a week as it will certain spots randomly. It doesn't see the dust bunny it just passed...

2) you have to clean the brushes every few runs and take apart some of the wheels to keep it running well. Otherwise it will break easier. (My hubby has no concept of this so I have to do it)

3) Costco sells them for $399 ($349 on sale). Don't but the stupid $899 Bluetooth one.

4) it's too loud to run when you are at home, run it before you leave.

5) depending on the style of furniture it will go under tables, coffee tables and even sofas (you have to look if your furniture is open undernearth with 3-4" space for it to go) so it's nice it under places I would forget to clean

I think it would really help with dog hair and dirt the dog brings in and to help keep it contained and not get too crazy. Honestly I haven't had to vacuum unless I want to hit a specific spot to mop and don't have time for it to make its way around. When I have been expecting company I will run it and can go to the kitchen and do other prep work.

You do have to prepare the floor area. Tidy up etc but you would have to do this anyway to run one yourself.

We just moved into a 2300sq ft house with my in-laws and we may get a second one for their side of the house since I'm certain they don't vacuum at all.




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[MsPeacock]

You got the roomba, so opinions on the rooomba at Moot at this point.

 Well I am going to say is the divorce sucks. And if a clean house helps keep you sane as you learn to single parent and manage three kids on your own then go for it. If the way you get that done is with the roomba go for it.  There will likely be bigger challenges ahead than dealing with cat hair and dust on the floor, save your energy for those challenges.

[LeRainDrop]

You got the roomba, so opinions on the rooomba at Moot at this point.

Yup, OP actually bought the roomba more than a year ago.  Doublethinkmoney necroposted this thread, which had been dormant since May 8, 2016.

[prognastat]

You got the roomba, so opinions on the rooomba at Moot at this point.

Yup, OP actually bought the roomba more than a year ago.  Doublethinkmoney necroposted this thread, which had been dormant since May 8, 2016.

He didn't, it was necroed by some kind of spam with broken english in favor of roomba by a 1 post account. It looks like the spam post was removed by moderators.

[LeRainDrop]

You got the roomba, so opinions on the rooomba at Moot at this point.

Yup, OP actually bought the roomba more than a year ago.  Doublethinkmoney necroposted this thread, which had been dormant since May 8, 2016.

He didn't, it was necroed by some kind of spam with broken english in favor of roomba by a 1 post account. It looks like the spam post was removed by moderators.

Ahhh, that makes more sense.  Sorry, doublethink!

[Pigeon]

I'm glad to see this thread rise from the dead as I've been thinking about one.  I have some questions for the knowledgeable. 

I have a large dog that is a shedding machine and a cat.  My house also seems to generate a ton of dirt, even though my kids are older and we take our shoes off at the door.  I think it's the forced hot air heating, but whatever, it's gross.  I hate vacuuming and don't have time to do it during the week.  On the weekends, I will have to empty the good-sized cup on my bagless model at least three times to do the family room alone. 

On the lower level of the house I have the kitchen and hall (laminate), dining room and living room (hardwood with area rugs) all laid out in a circle.  There is one step down to the family room with laminate floor and an area rug.  I imagine I would have to alternate days between the kitchen/dining/living rooms and the family room due to the step.

There is also a small, raised transitional piece of laminate between the kitchen and the hallway, but all these rooms are laid out in a circle.  Would the transition make the roomba quit for the day or would it know enough to turn around and head the other way to finish the circle? 

Also do area rugs make it a non-starter or can the roomba climb up them to vacuum? 

[doublethinkmoney]

You got the roomba, so opinions on the rooomba at Moot at this point.

Yup, OP actually bought the roomba more than a year ago.  Doublethinkmoney necroposted this thread, which had been dormant since May 8, 2016.

He didn't, it was necroed by some kind of spam with broken english in favor of roomba by a 1 post account. It looks like the spam post was removed by moderators.

Ahhh, that makes more sense.  Sorry, doublethink!

No problem! It just ran across my feed and I didn't even look at the date.


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[doublethinkmoney]

I'm glad to see this thread rise from the dead as I've been thinking about one.  I have some questions for the knowledgeable. 

I have a large dog that is a shedding machine and a cat.  My house also seems to generate a ton of dirt, even though my kids are older and we take our shoes off at the door.  I think it's the forced hot air heating, but whatever, it's gross.  I hate vacuuming and don't have time to do it during the week.  On the weekends, I will have to empty the good-sized cup on my bagless model at least three times to do the family room alone. 

On the lower level of the house I have the kitchen and hall (laminate), dining room and living room (hardwood with area rugs) all laid out in a circle.  There is one step down to the family room with laminate floor and an area rug.  I imagine I would have to alternate days between the kitchen/dining/living rooms and the family room due to the step.

There is also a small, raised transitional piece of laminate between the kitchen and the hallway, but all these rooms are laid out in a circle.  Would the transition make the roomba quit for the day or would it know enough to turn around and head the other way to finish the circle? 

Also do area rugs make it a non-starter or can the roomba climb up them to vacuum?

If it's a typical transition from wood to tile or something similar it will go right over it.

It will also go right over the area rug no problem.

It will not roll off the step down. It will sense the drop and stop to another direction so you will have to alternate due to the step.

It's very good on different types of floors. I had a shaggy rug before and no problems.

Actually ran mine in the kitchen this morning when I left.


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[Jenny1974]

I got another Roomba about 4 months ago.  It's one of the newer ones but doesn't have the scheduling (I don't think so anyway).  Love, love, love it!  With 3 dogs, it is a GOD SEND!  If you are a neatnik about your floors like I am, totally worth it!

[jscott2135]

I would give up one of my kids before my Roomba lol! Joking, but seriously I love that little vacuum beyond all reason, it never complains it just does its job and frees me up to do other things.  I'm a neat freak so not vacuuming as often just doesn't work for me and I love seeing it buzz around the house cleaning for me.  I used to think people who had them were so lazy...now I know they are just brilliant :D

[nancy33]

We had a roomba 20 years ago and it broke, Sears replaced it for free, , next one broke, Sears warned us they wouldn't replace it a third time and yep it broke. So that was a bad experience. However at that time we had small children and I'm sure they weren't engineered as well as they are now. Fast forward to today and I'm so excited my mom got us one for Christmas! My youngest is 12 so no small children and I'm hoping this one will last. Moral of the story if u have small children I don't know if it will be a great idea because how are you going to keep all of their small stuff off of the floor all of the time? I hope the newer ones don't suck up nerf bullets because I just realized we still have  those

[Sibley]

OP, there's a way you can offload a few chores. They're called children. You have 3 of them.

They can do dishes, laundry, vacuum, dusting, picking up, all sorts of things! If they're still pretty short you might need to wait until they're taller though. Dogs and rabbits might be good for cleaning up spilled food too.

[SC93]

The problem isn't the vacuum cleaner, the problem is far deeper. You may need some counseling to get your feelings under control. You said, you are feeling resentful that he is wasting OUR money. You have not yet come to the realization that it is not OUR money..... if you just said yes you have, no you haven't!! It is His money and his household. He may resent that you don't buy his brand of tomato sauce now that you 2 are not together any longer. You run YOUR household with YOUR money as you see fit and he will run HIS household with HIS money as he see's fit. Stop worrying about what he does and what he spends his money on. Don't be asking the kids what is happening at his house and tell them to not tell you what is happening at his house. And likewise, tell them to not tell daddy what is happening at your house.

[big_slacker]

We got a samsung one for free to review for amazon Vine. AWESOME. It does not have to be cleaned or emptied every time. It is in no way more or the same work as a regular vacuum nor do we have to use a normal vacuum. We're a family of 4 with the kiddos both under 10, we also have a dog. But we leave shoes off at the door and aren't filthy beasts that leave food or other junk all over the floor. :D

I think whether it's worth the spend depends on how much time you do or don't have. Chores are good for you, physically and mentally. So if you have more time in your life why spend a bunch of $$ on something like this.

OTOH if you're working 12-15 hour days all the time not vacuuming is a serious help.

[Neo]

Another vote for neato. I have a German shepherd and he sheds tons of dark hair on our light colored wood floors. We were sweeping daily. The neato runs every day while we are at work and we come home to a clean house. Some of the best money I have ever spent.

[dacalo]

I will be a contrarian. We have a Xiaomi Mi. At first, I scoffed at getting a robot vacuum, but my wife, who is not materialistic at all, suggested using one. We run it 5-6 times a week and it keeps our house almost dust free. We have a toddler and a non-shedding fur-son but it always surprises us how much dust it picks up.

We got it for around $270 and has paid itself many times over for us relative to time saved. Is it a necessity? No, but for the price, it works  great for us.

[Cassie]

I love mine with 3 dogs and one is a shedding machine

[Lan Mandragoran]

I will definitely NOT talk you down from a roomba. MMM is about having time to do what you want in the end, and my roomba keeps us from spending probably 1-2 hours a week sweeping (dark bamboo floors, kids, dog) not to mention it almost always looks good and when I did it almost always looked bad :P.