Robot Vacuum- Anyone else have one?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I just purchased the iRobot Roomba 550 as our new house is all laminate or tile floors and with two big dogs, it gets dirty fast.  To make things worse, there's little separation between inside and outside- other than the door and a small step, there's no porch, mud room or other kind of entryway- you come from the driveway right into the living room.

As a result, I have to vacuum every day or the house looks like crap... I mean it looks like crap anyway as we still haven't sorted everything out from the move and there are still holes in the ceiling and walls from the recent Wrectrician visits, but the vacuuming just adds to my frustration.  Enter the Roomba:



I have been threatening to get one for a while, but I finally bit the bullet and picked it up this afternoon at Costco.  I haven't started it up yet, as I'm reading some online info about it (researching it after I bought it- I know, I'm an idiot!) in hopes of finding ways to keep it happy so it doesn't turn on me in my sleep.  All Hail Roomba!

Does anyone else have one of these, and have any advice or experience they can share?

Def

[Magnus]

I want one, but my cat hats the vacuum enough already, if it started moving by itself I would probably come home to find it upside down with its circuits ripped out. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I just started it up and to be honest, it's worth the entertainment value alone as it chases my puppy around!

Plus it seems to be doing a decent job of cleaning too.  I can tell where it's been and where it hasn't after only a few minutes.

Def

[Nikos]

A friend of mine was given a robot vacuum made by Karcher. That thing was simply amazing! Oh the fun we had trying to invent obstacles and watching the little bugger working around them...

[Bowman1911]

We've got the 550 too. Had to order 2 extra walls for it & I'd suggest you go get some sticky felt ASAP & make a little felt bumper to go completely around it, just make the cuts where the front bumper edges are. It'll bang around on your furniture & mark the table & chair legs pretty bad over time if you don't. Once a month, take it apart & clean out the hair & dust bunnies that get wrapped around the wheels & moving parts, & it'll last forever.

[NutSAK]

huh....  My new house has all tile and laminate too, and I had completely forgotten about Roombas.

We do have a few rugs around.  Are these this able to climb on top of a rug, or will it just go around it?

[american lockpicker]

My mother had one and a power surge killed it.

[Bowman1911]

huh....  My new house has all tile and laminate too, and I had completely forgotten about Roombas.

We do have a few rugs around.  Are these this able to climb on top of a rug, or will it just go around it?

Climb on & push around the rug, depending on weight of the rug.

[nuphoria]

I have been threatening to get one for a while, but I finally bit the bullet and picked it up this afternoon at Costco.  I haven't started it up yet, as I'm reading some online info about it (researching it after I bought it- I know, I'm an idiot!) in hopes of finding ways to keep it happy so it doesn't turn on me in my sleep.  All Hail Roomba!

Does anyone else have one of these, and have any advice or experience they can share?

Def

I, being the stupid dyslexic I am, read that as "turn me on in my sleep", which is obviously all kinds of wrong and a sure path to the emergency room. Assuming that's not what you'll be doing with it, I think they are a splendid idea and would like one too

[Bowman1911]

You can set it for specific times everyday, or certain days of your choice.

[Pacu]

ever see Runaway?

[american lockpicker]

Didn't the company that made the robot also make a terminater for the US gov?

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I have been threatening to get one for a while, but I finally bit the bullet and picked it up this afternoon at Costco.  I haven't started it up yet, as I'm reading some online info about it (researching it after I bought it- I know, I'm an idiot!) in hopes of finding ways to keep it happy so it doesn't turn on me in my sleep.  All Hail Roomba!

Does anyone else have one of these, and have any advice or experience they can share?

Def

I, being the stupid dyslexic I am, read that as "turn me on in my sleep", which is obviously all kinds of wrong and a sure path to the emergency room. Assuming that's not what you'll be doing with it, I think they are a splendid idea and would like one too

I feel a little dirty after reading that.....three times

[Bowman1911]

(Image removed from quote.)


ever see Runaway?

HA! Gene Simmons!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I love the idea of mounting a camera to it...





Def

[american lockpicker]

Heres the kind of robot I want...



 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I was looking for the Ceremonial Kill-a-ma-jig attachment for my Roomba and this was as close as it comes:



Def

[NutSAK]

I love the idea of mounting a camera to it...




Def

I can't believe I just lost 3:11 of my life watching that.

[Whoey]

I was looking for the Ceremonial Kill-a-ma-jig attachment for my Roomba and this was as close as it comes:



Def

Looks like something one of our cats would do... but I prefer this one:

I love how it moves around dropping kittens... lol

[Pacu]

We actually sold the hell out of those when i worked as a sales sup at Best Buy. We would let one run all over the store during the day garnering interest from customers.

[Bowman1911]

We actually sold the hell out of those when i worked as a sales sup at Best Buy. We would let one run all over the store during the day garnering interest from customers.

I always turned the virtual walls around in BB so it'd get lost somewhere in the store!

[Magnus]

hmm, am I the only one that can't see any of the videos in this thread?

[sardauker]

Does anyone remember of Robojox?

[DaveK]

hmm, am I the only one that can't see any of the videos in this thread?

I can see them mate.

[Whoey]

hmm, am I the only one that can't see any of the videos in this thread?

they are youtube embedded videos... can you see them on other sites?

[Woz]

A vaccuum robot... Seems to be the girliest toy for boys ever

[Bowman1911]

"ours" belongs to my wife. I'm lazy & don't sweep much, I don't really expect her to either.

[Magnus]

hmm, am I the only one that can't see any of the videos in this thread?

they are youtube embedded videos... can you see them on other sites?

they seem to be working for me now, odd. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well I have to say it's been almost a week and I love this thing.  I am still frustrated by the floors since they still need to be mopped every day, but at least I don't have to mop and vacuum, and the mopping thing isn't as obvious, so overall the annoyance is greatly reduced.

It does a good job of picking things up, and I thought there might be issues with the size of the collection bin or battery life, but so far both seem quite adequate.  My boss has two older versions in the Discovery series and he thinks they are great too, and they work well together, although he says they alternate docking stations, which is kinda neat.  Mind you, my boss' house is much larger than mine, but I'm sure when we get a bigger place I'll be adding more Roombas bioth to keep the place clean and to amuse myself!

Def

[Magnus]

Well I have to say it's been almost a week and I love this thing.  I am still frustrated by the floors since they still need to be mopped every day, but at least I don't have to mop and vacuum, and the mopping thing isn't as obvious, so overall the annoyance is greatly reduced.

It does a good job of picking things up, and I thought there might be issues with the size of the collection bin or battery life, but so far both seem quite adequate.  My boss has two older versions in the Discovery series and he thinks they are great too, and they work well together, although he says they alternate docking stations, which is kinda neat.  Mind you, my boss' house is much larger than mine, but I'm sure when we get a bigger place I'll be adding more Roombas bioth to keep the place clean and to amuse myself!

Def

you need a scooba too!