Cleaning robots - http://ironbound.snradventure.com

Editor's picks

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  iRobot Roomba Pet Series 532 Vacuum Cleaning Robot

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (184 reviews):

  (4.1/5)

  

  Good product but proper care required!

  I received my Pet Roomba before Christmas and have been using it since. My house is a real test with 3 very long haired dogs inside most of the day. I run the Roomba every day to keep the hair down to a minimum and we've noticed the floors are much cleaner (even though I used to vacuum alot). However, if you buy this you should know that it requires frequent cleaning of the brushes, particularly the axle area where hair gets easily wrapped (pull off the end cap over the axle). By frequent I mean once or twice during the cleaning cycle. Otherwise, the brushes just stop moving leaving you with a cute robot that just drives around chasing the dogs! So this means you really should only run it when you are at home to keep it clean. I also have already cleaned the front wheel (just pops off - was really full of hair) and the side brush (unscrew the screw). Bottom line, the unit works great so long as it is kept really clean. I've got the cleaning down to a minute so it isn't too big of a... 4/5 bsantang (Colorado) - See all my reviews This review is from: iRobot Roomba Pet Series 532 Vacuum Cleaning Robot (Kitchen) I received my Pet Roomba before Christmas and have been using it since. My house is a real test with 3 very long haired dogs inside most of the day. I run the Roomba every day to keep the hair down to a minimum and we've noticed the floors are much cleaner (even though I used to vacuum alot). However, if you buy this you should know that it requires frequent cleaning of the brushes, particularly the axle area where hair gets easily wrapped (pull off the end cap over the axle). By frequent I mean once or twice during the cleaning cycle. Otherwise, the brushes just stop moving leaving you with a cute robot that just drives around chasing the dogs! So this means you really should only run it when you are at home to keep it clean. I also have already cleaned the front wheel (just pops off - was really full of hair) and the side brush (unscrew the screw). Bottom line, the unit works great so long as it is kept really clean. I've got the cleaning down to a minute so it isn't too big of a... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 29, 2008

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  Updated review - Still loving my Roomba!!

  I received my Robot on December 15,2008, an early Christmas Present. Rather than wrapping it, I gave it to the Missus so we could use it so the house would be nice and clean for Christmas day entertaining.It cleaned beautifully, the carpets looked great! This thing would fill up with crud even after running the old vacuum. How wonderful, one less chore to do.Until Christmas Day! So much for showing off the new gizmo! The brushes stopped turning that morning, and repeatedly gave a "clean Brushes" error message. After many attempts, and hours on the IRobot tech site, we established that the rollers indeed were not turning.After the Holiday rush, I found time to do a little more research. After consulting several robot discussion forums, it appears the cleaning head modules have a high failure rate. Apparently IRobot has made a new design of the module about 2 months ago. After getting frustrated with email support, I called IRobot and they say they... 5/5 Cornstalks (WNC, USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: iRobot Roomba Pet Series 532 Vacuum Cleaning Robot (Kitchen) I received my Robot on December 15,2008, an early Christmas Present. Rather than wrapping it, I gave it to the Missus so we could use it so the house would be nice and clean for Christmas day entertaining.It cleaned beautifully, the carpets looked great! This thing would fill up with crud even after running the old vacuum. How wonderful, one less chore to do.Until Christmas Day! So much for showing off the new gizmo! The brushes stopped turning that morning, and repeatedly gave a "clean Brushes" error message. After many attempts, and hours on the IRobot tech site, we established that the rollers indeed were not turning.After the Holiday rush, I found time to do a little more research. After consulting several robot discussion forums, it appears the cleaning head modules have a high failure rate. Apparently IRobot has made a new design of the module about 2 months ago. After getting frustrated with email support, I called IRobot and they say they... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 29, 2008

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  Robots really do work

  The iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner is my Christmas present. I wanted it as I've always been fascinated with robots. We've owned several Roombas including the very first one. The first Roomba was an admirable effort but it didn't clean much. It was fun to watch run around the floor though.The second Roomba was the Discovery model. This one worked a bit better but had a ways to go before successfully cleaning my house.Finally, we received Gort. Gort is the iRoomba 532 model specifically designed to help clean homes with pets. We have three cats so this seemed like the perfect vac robot for us.It was. The vacuum really does clean. Gort happily cleaned my low pile carpet. He then moved onto happily cleaning my laminate flooring. While cleaning Gort managed to not eat up the curtains (a problem with the previous models) and he managed to not chew up the power cords (another problem with previous older models).It looks like Gort is going to... 5/5 Penmouse - See all my reviews, December 11, 2008

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  List Price: $349.99
  Price: $329.99
  You Save: $20.00 (6%)

  2 Virtual Walls tell Roomba where to clean by restricting off-limit areas

  Cleans up to three standard-sized rooms on a single charge

  Vacuuming robot designed especially for pet owners; comes with extra set of easy-to-clean brushes

  High capacity sweeper bin for trapping even more pet hair, kitty litter or dander

  Measures 19-1/2 by 21-1/2 by 5 inches; 1-year limited warranty

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  Irobot Roomba 562 Pet Series Vacuum Cleaning Robot

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (127 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  Still Happy and Content

  We've had our Roomba since January 2010 and approx. 6 months later, I still love it and am really glad we made the purchase. It took a little convincing for me to get my husband to agree with the purchase, but now he calls it "his vacuum", and likes to show it off to our friends and family when they come over. For us, it really has reduced my weekly in-house workload. With two cats in the house, birds, bunny, and a dog, pet hair gets tracked throughout the house. With two young children, our kitchen (hardwood floors) gets nibblets of food all over the floor. Setting the vacuum up to focus on one room (by using the virtual walls) makes a big difference. Frequently ours is venturing throughout the entire house.The only problem we occasionally have is when it gets stuck under our china cabinet, or stuck while trying to suck up a toy that was left behind, or shoelaces hanging off a shoe left out. All very minor issues. I will say, it's a bit odd, when in the middle of... 5/5 S. Long - See all my reviews, July 15, 2010

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  Note that bins are interchangeable, not used concurrently

  I've had quite a few Roomba cleaning robots, and was interested in the 562 because it's advertised as being new and different for homes with pets. Experienced "Roomba" users should note (as I failed to) that the new bin advertised for the pet model is simply a different bin that's used place of the normal one (as opposed to a secondary bin that's used concurrently, as I'd incorrectly assumed). The sweeper bin can be used in place of the normal bin, and seems to disables the vacuum functionality, making the Roomba a sweeping robot.The Achilles Heel of this robot (as with all Roomba floor-cleaning robots) is the constant need to clean the machine's brushes. We're not talking once every few days here--we're talking 1-2 times per cleaning cycle. You don't set the Roomba to clean while you're at work and expect it to be done when you get home. You learn to expect to find it in the middle of the floor, requiring a brush cleaning before it can continue. And ultimately--after a... 4/5 Jonathan K. Perkins (Harbor City, CA, USA) - See all my reviews, September 19, 2010

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  Doggie Roomba

  Our Roomba is really part of the family. We call him Paco (don't know why, it just seems to fit). We have four (4) dogs, two long hair and two short hair. Without Paco, it is impossible to keep up with the hair and dirt they bring in. By running Paco every other day, we manage to keep the hair to a minimum, even under the beds where cleaning is nearly impossible. Cleaning Paco up is easy if you have the right tools. My problems with the Roomba (my third one) is that it is impossible to get a person on the phone or on line. Emails to iRobot are generally answered within 30-45 days which is also a problem. They send extra brushes, sweeps, etc., with the robot which helps but I keep an old comb, a small screwdriver, a hemostat, and an old toothbrush to clean Paco. I'm hoping that this one lasts longer than the other two. 5/5 Dennis A. Cox (Jacksonville, FL, US) - See all my reviews, May 20, 2010

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  List Price: $0.00
  

  Reaches deep into your carpet to remove dirt dust and pet hair

  Cleans up to four rooms on a single battery charge

  Includes a set of replaceable brushes, two extra filters and two brush cleaning tools

  Features the latest irobot roomba innovations with unprecedented efficiency coverage and cleaning performance

  Two interchangeable cleaning bins provide the option for everyday vacuuming or heavy duty cleaning in hairier and dirtier areas.

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  iRobot 564 Pet Series

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (33 reviews):

  (4.3/5)

  

  LOVE MY ROOMBA!!!

  I cannot say enough good things about my ROOMBA. I had an older one that crapped out so I had to replace it, not real happy about that, but this thing is AMAZING. I have it set to go off every day due to the two dogs that we have. It does an amazing job picking up the hair and debris on the floor as well as the carpet. I highly recommend this product. 5/5 Zamboni411 - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: iRobot 564 Pet Series (Kitchen) I cannot say enough good things about my ROOMBA. I had an older one that crapped out so I had to replace it, not real happy about that, but this thing is AMAZING. I have it set to go off every day due to the two dogs that we have. It does an amazing job picking up the hair and debris on the floor as well as the carpet. I highly recommend this product. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , December 9, 2011

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  Does a good job in a challenging situation

  We have two large long-haired dogs (and I mean long - one has 13+ inch body hair!), and this iRobot does a good job picking up after them. For some reason they are both shedding right now (middle of winter, go figure). Most days the iRobot does stop and ask to be cleaned while cleaning the family room and dining rom, but it's usually nearly done before it asks. I've been running it every other day. Having it run automatically doesn't really work for us because I have to pick all the soft dog toys up before it runs since some do interfere with it, and I need to monitor it around the dogs. But it is amazingly good at handling chair legs, chew toys, and cords. It did grab one of the dog's tails once but released it immediately, so I am teaching them to move out of its way.At first I was concerned about needing to clean it every day, but the tools they provide are excellent, and with a bit of practice, I've gotten very very quick at cleaning it. And cleaning it is way... 4/5 Seattle mom - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: iRobot 564 Pet Series (Kitchen) We have two large long-haired dogs (and I mean long - one has 13+ inch body hair!), and this iRobot does a good job picking up after them. For some reason they are both shedding right now (middle of winter, go figure). Most days the iRobot does stop and ask to be cleaned while cleaning the family room and dining rom, but it's usually nearly done before it asks. I've been running it every other day. Having it run automatically doesn't really work for us because I have to pick all the soft dog toys up before it runs since some do interfere with it, and I need to monitor it around the dogs. But it is amazingly good at handling chair legs, chew toys, and cords. It did grab one of the dog's tails once but released it immediately, so I am teaching them to move out of its way.At first I was concerned about needing to clean it every day, but the tools they provide are excellent, and with a bit of practice, I've gotten very very quick at cleaning it. And cleaning it is way... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 7, 2012

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  Cool solution to pet hair problems and no time to vacuum

  My yellow lab seems to shed enough hair to make her a hairless dog - but it never happens. Constant shedding = constant vacuuming!! I hesitated to get a Roomba because of reported problems with ease of cleaning the actual unit - etc. I decided to go for it anyway. Couldn't be happier! The Roomba 564 easily pops apart to clean areas where pet hair can build up around the wheel and on the brush. I love this little guy. I usually run it when I'm home to be sure it covers the areas I need covered. Not labor intense at all - I'm really liking this thing! I'm going to name it soon! haha 4/5 dot - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: iRobot 564 Pet Series (Kitchen) My yellow lab seems to shed enough hair to make her a hairless dog - but it never happens. Constant shedding = constant vacuuming!! I hesitated to get a Roomba because of reported problems with ease of cleaning the actual unit - etc. I decided to go for it anyway. Couldn't be happier! The Roomba 564 easily pops apart to clean areas where pet hair can build up around the wheel and on the brush. I love this little guy. I usually run it when I'm home to be sure it covers the areas I need covered. Not labor intense at all - I'm really liking this thing! I'm going to name it soon! haha Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , January 6, 2012

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  List Price: $379.99
  Price: $379.95
  You Save: $0.04 (%)

  Preset up to seven cleaning times per week for Roomba to automatically vacuum wherever and whenever you want

  Cleaning head automatically adjusts to vacuum carpets and hard floors

  Includes a set of replaceable brushes, two extra filters and two brush cleaning tools

  Virtual Halo sets up an invisible field, gently guiding Roomba around your pet's food and water bowls to keep the contents intact

  Virtual Wall keeps Roomba cleaning where you need it most and block off-limit areas

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  iRobot 560 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, Black and Silver

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (748 reviews):

  (3.7/5)

  

  Great but not perfect ***Downgraded Star Rating***

  My wife and I decided to get one of these because our 8 month old son is about to start crawling. While we try and keep our floors clean, our beagle has other thoughts as she sheds all over the place. We went with the latest 560 model as it has just about everything we would want with a product like this. It works as advertised and we will definitley keep it but there are some areas that need improvement. Here is a quick breakdown of the pros and consPros1. Quieter than a standard vaccuum2. Seems to learn the room dimensions quickly. The virtual walls and lighthouse feature are very nice.3. Is "smart" enough to avoid getting tangled in our area rugs4. Obviously easy to use as it is just a push of a button (or even better when you program it)5. Can use everyday to keep the floors spotless6. Have successfully used it on hard wood, vinyl, carpet and (accidently) concrete7. Cleans under... 4/5 M. Kelley "mpkelley20" (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews, September 16, 2007

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  A Worthy Successor to the Roomba Line

  We have two Roombas plus a Scooba in our house. When one of the batteries on one of our Roombas finally reached the end of its life cycle, we decided to donate that Roomba to a friend and to get ourselves the new top of the line - the Roomba 560. We got this right when it first came out, but we waited several months before posting a review. It's pretty much impossible to review one of these Roombas after only a few days! It takes weeks if not months to start to see how well they last over time, and what breaks down. Believe me - been there, done that.So now it's many months later, and I have to say, we are quite pleased with the improvements of this Roomba over the previous generations of Roombas. So first, for those who don't even have ANY Roomba yet (hard to believe!). Roombas are awesome. We have cats, and we work from home so we're home all day. It is AMAZING how much dirt and dust and junk collects in the carpet every single day. Who really has time to vacuum their... 5/5 Lisa Shea "medieval swordfighting enthusiast" - See all my reviews, December 12, 2007

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  Beware of the "new" Roomba 560 now only for single room (updated review)

  UPDATE 12/19/2011My review in late 2007 describing the red side brush "amputee" problem and poor customer support is still the highest rated critical response on Amazon. Because of that experience, the recounting of which is in the original review appended below after this update, I had not bought an iRobot product in over four years. Now I have bought two "new" 560s, which arrived today (more about "new" below). This update is primarily for (i) previous owners of a 560 that are contemplating buying a "new" 560 or (ii) those that have information on the original 560 and mistakenly believe that this is what they will get if they order a "new" 560.If it were not for the problems discussed in this update, I would raise my rating to 3.5 stars. Once again, I think iRobot may be shooting itself in the foot. And what upsets me is that I really want to see this company succeed.By way of disclosure I have owned several of every generation of Roomba. I... 2/5 Matrixunloaded (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: iRobot 560 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, Black and Silver (Kitchen) UPDATE 12/19/2011My review in late 2007 describing the red side brush "amputee" problem and poor customer support is still the highest rated critical response on Amazon. Because of that experience, the recounting of which is in the original review appended below after this update, I had not bought an iRobot product in over four years. Now I have bought two "new" 560s, which arrived today (more about "new" below). This update is primarily for (i) previous owners of a 560 that are contemplating buying a "new" 560 or (ii) those that have information on the original 560 and mistakenly believe that this is what they will get if they order a "new" 560.If it were not for the problems discussed in this update, I would raise my rating to 3.5 stars. Once again, I think iRobot may be shooting itself in the foot. And what upsets me is that I really want to see this company succeed.By way of disclosure I have owned several of every generation of Roomba. I... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , November 20, 2007

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  List Price: $449.99
  

  Anti-tangle technology; gentle-touch bumper system; built-in cliff sensors

  Measures 16-3/4 by 21 by 5 inches; 1-year limited warranty

  Vacuuming robot picks up dirt and debris with the touch of a button

  Easy-to-empty bagless dustbin; fine-filtration system traps allergens

  Self-charging Home Base, 2 Auto Virtual Walls, an extra filter, and more included

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  iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (365 reviews):

  (4.0/5)

  

  New Roomba vs. Old

  If you are new to Roomba, you will wonder if it is worthwhile. The answer is clearly YES, since anything it cleans is that much less for you to clean. However, which is better, the old (and cheaper) Roomba, or the new models like the 530?First, the 530 comes with the charging/base station, and this is very useful. I have placed this in the entranceway which leads into the livingroom, the kitchen or the bedroom. Using the virtual walls (included), I block off rooms so that it can only do the entranceway + 1 other room. I simply press the "Clean" button, and it backs itself off the charging stand and then spends the next 2 hours cleaning, finally returning to the charging stand. Nice!Should you upgrade from an older model Roomba (I now use my old Roomba upstairs)? It depends on your situation. By-the-way, the old virtual walls do NOT work with the new Roomba.New Roomba:Fall down stairs? NeverClimb onto thick throw rugs... 4/5 D. C. Eaton (Avon, IN United States) - See all my reviews, December 1, 2007

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  It's Like a Beloved Pet Who MAKES EVERYTHING BETTER

  Awesome. This new generation fixes all the problems of the previous. Much smarter, much bigger dust bin, much better in every way. Great that it self-docks when tired. Maintanence is a snap...really could not be easier/faster. There are some negatives - how could there not be? - but this thing has such a contagious personality that it starts feeling like your pet, and you're inclined to forgive, and even find the faults charming.You have to prep the room (cords up and out of the way, no papers or clutter on the floor, move small items out of the room and learn which objects present problems and get them out of the way). Performance varies on throw rugs (it's great on rug/carpet surfaces themselves, but Roomba can get caught up as it travels over edges of throw rugs that don't have much weight or cling). It's good at slowing down and banging objects gently, but less so on narrow vertical objects (e.g. piano legs), which it really clunks (not enough to damage, but it will... 5/5 New Yawkuh "New Yawkuh" (Queens, NY United States) - See all my reviews This review is from: iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White (Kitchen) Awesome. This new generation fixes all the problems of the previous. Much smarter, much bigger dust bin, much better in every way. Great that it self-docks when tired. Maintanence is a snap...really could not be easier/faster. There are some negatives - how could there not be? - but this thing has such a contagious personality that it starts feeling like your pet, and you're inclined to forgive, and even find the faults charming.You have to prep the room (cords up and out of the way, no papers or clutter on the floor, move small items out of the room and learn which objects present problems and get them out of the way). Performance varies on throw rugs (it's great on rug/carpet surfaces themselves, but Roomba can get caught up as it travels over edges of throw rugs that don't have much weight or cling). It's good at slowing down and banging objects gently, but less so on narrow vertical objects (e.g. piano legs), which it really clunks (not enough to damage, but it will... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , October 11, 2007

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  A Great Product Made Even Better

  With two dogs in the house we could not live without our Roomba. The 530 is a vast improvement from earlier models. It seems to pick up more dirt, the battery life is longer, the fast-charge is about 33% more rapid than its Discovery predecessors and it is generally more quiet.The new sensors that prevent the robot from "speed-bumping" into furniture are a very nice touch, but beware if the robot is in a tight area, it may appear sluggish -- the sensors are working to continually slow it down. It's a feature I like, but need to get used to.My only concern with this robot is the high cost of parts. The bot itself is cheaper than earlier models but the components most prone to breakage or wear-out are twice the cost so the lifetime operation costs may be higher. Replacement batteries are nearly $100. Earlier models were $50.ONE MONTH LATER ....This is a slight amend to my review above. Having used it for a month a couple points of... 5/5 damg1 "damg" (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews This review is from: iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White (Kitchen) With two dogs in the house we could not live without our Roomba. The 530 is a vast improvement from earlier models. It seems to pick up more dirt, the battery life is longer, the fast-charge is about 33% more rapid than its Discovery predecessors and it is generally more quiet.The new sensors that prevent the robot from "speed-bumping" into furniture are a very nice touch, but beware if the robot is in a tight area, it may appear sluggish -- the sensors are working to continually slow it down. It's a feature I like, but need to get used to.My only concern with this robot is the high cost of parts. The bot itself is cheaper than earlier models but the components most prone to breakage or wear-out are twice the cost so the lifetime operation costs may be higher. Replacement batteries are nearly $100. Earlier models were $50.ONE MONTH LATER ....This is a slight amend to my review above. Having used it for a month a couple points of... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , September 12, 2007

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  List Price: $299.99
  

  Self-charging Home Base, 2 Virtual Walls, an extra filter, and more included

  Easy-to-empty bagless dustbin; fine-filtration system traps allergens

  Vacuuming robot picks up dirt and debris with the touch of a button

  Measures 16-3/4 by 21 by 5 inches; 1-year limited warranty

  Anti-tangle technology; gentle-touch bumper system; built-in cliff sensors

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  iRobot Roomba 545 Vacuum Cleaning Robot Pet Series with AeroVac

  Single Detail Page Misc
  

  Rating (2 reviews):

  (5.0/5)

  

  Roomba 545

  I cannot begin to say how much I love my Roomba vacuum. I have severe back problems and for that reason alone this is a miracle. I am amazed every time I use my Roomba to see how much dust and dirt it picks up. I love it and would recommend it to everyone! 5/5 Sunshine (SUN CITY WEST, AZ USA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: iRobot Roomba 545 Vacuum Cleaning Robot Pet Series with AeroVac I cannot begin to say how much I love my Roomba vacuum. I have severe back problems and for that reason alone this is a miracle. I am amazed every time I use my Roomba to see how much dust and dirt it picks up. I love it and would recommend it to everyone! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , April 30, 2012

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  4 stars for sure, maybe 5, we'll see

  OK, so I'm not very tech saavy, so something like this really knocks my socks off! Watching the Roomba 545 take itself back to the charging station and self-dock just kills me!! I only set this thing up the other day, so I honestly can't say it super cleans, or that it's made to last... those reviews are "time will tell". But at the get go, I'm impressed. I built a new house, so the landscape has years to go before I'm no longer dealing with silty, clay soil dirt. I felt I might as well give up even trying to have a clean house until I saw and bought the Roomba Pet 545. I'm thinking I CAN handle having to vacuum the edges, and the places Roomba doesn't get, but that by running Roomba when I'm at work each day, my house can stay reasonably clean, leaving my weekly cleaning time tolerable! That and some sod this summer and I'll be one happy camper! 5/5 Beth - See all my reviews This review is from: iRobot Roomba 545 Vacuum Cleaning Robot Pet Series with AeroVac OK, so I'm not very tech saavy, so something like this really knocks my socks off! Watching the Roomba 545 take itself back to the charging station and self-dock just kills me!! I only set this thing up the other day, so I honestly can't say it super cleans, or that it's made to last... those reviews are "time will tell". But at the get go, I'm impressed. I built a new house, so the landscape has years to go before I'm no longer dealing with silty, clay soil dirt. I felt I might as well give up even trying to have a clean house until I saw and bought the Roomba Pet 545. I'm thinking I CAN handle having to vacuum the edges, and the places Roomba doesn't get, but that by running Roomba when I'm at work each day, my house can stay reasonably clean, leaving my weekly cleaning time tolerable! That and some sod this summer and I'll be one happy camper! Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , March 19, 2012

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  iRobot 500 Series Roomba Vacuum-Cleaning Robot with On-Board Scheduling

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (133 reviews):

  (4.2/5)

  

  Generally competent, but it has its foibles

  First let me say that I agree with people who say that the robot does a competent job of cleaning. You should SEE the dust bin after vacuuming! I am also in awe etc etc, but I'm going to try to focus on things that others have not mentioned.My 550 (560 actually, I think...it came with a few more odds and ends in the box) is actually my second Roomba. The first was the Discovery SE, one of the 400 series. The 400 was pretty good with two exceptions: 1) It would not work on rug fringe. It gets hopelessly tangled in less time that it takes to say "Wait!" The second problem with the older 400 series is that the battery dies fairly quickly if you do not use it VERY frequently. I use it once/week and by second battery is showing its age.In any case, the 500 series is advertised to be able to deal with rug fringe, and indeed it does so reasonably well. It is also supposed to be able to do 4 rooms using these "lighthouses" that have been previously mentioned... 3/5 W. Fisher "Burns" - See all my reviews, November 24, 2008

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  I am amazed by the 550 Roomba!

  I purchased one of these from Costco. Two days later I bought a second for the upstairs since I was so impressed with it. I couldn't believe how well it picked things up, especially cat hair. I love the fact I can schedule it to clean our downstairs everyday at 3am and it's quiet enough now to disturb our sleep. I can come down in the morning to find crumbs from the kids gone, cat litter that spilled out of the litter box gone, etc. It only takes a minute to dump the bin and clean the rollers. The first view runs it was packed with cat hair, etc, but since it's been running daily it has less in it and it's obvious to see why when you look around the house and see how clean everything is.Another plus is the unit returns to it's charging base when it's done, or if it needs to recharge during it's cleaning cycle. I was blown away by how well it gets around my place. I was prepared to return it when I bought it thinking it would have trouble getting from room to room as we are... 5/5 Wade Fulp (Perkasie, PA USA) - See all my reviews, October 21, 2007

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  5th gen Cylon, they have a plan

  This is our second Roomba, we had a Disco series (biglots $149, we got it on sale for $109) before this for two years. After over 600+ uses our R2 unit decided to join the angels :(We love the roombas and they have been very useful in our house.The 500 series irobots are about 50% as loud(not very loud) as the 400 series (discovery)and have a few cool new features. Examples are: better suction, better main brush, digital display, onboard scheduling... and a talking lady that actually tells you what the error might be, such as "please clean the main brushes". FYI, the older robots worked off "beeps" (e.g. - 1 beep after the uh-oh beep meant to clean the brushes). It should be noted that the Disco we had got stuck from time to time and could not dock with the charging station 99% of the time, however the 500 series (550 - from Costco $269) seems to always find its home and amazingly has never gotten stuck! The future is now.(har d har)For those people... 5/5 C. V. Woods (Draper, Utah United States) - See all my reviews, November 28, 2007

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  List Price: $399.00
  

  Measures approximately 13 by 13 by 4 inches; 1-year limited warranty

  Includes bumper extension, cleaning tool, power adapter, rechargeable battery, 3 extra filters, 2 Virtual Walls, and batteries

  2 high-speed, counter-rotating brushes; anti-tangle technology; side brushes

  Vacuum-cleaning robot with on-board scheduling for all floor surfaces

  Gentle-touch bumper; dirt sensor; built-in cliff sensors; self-charging Home Base

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  iRobot Roomba 5th Generation Vacuum Cleaning Robot

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (15 reviews):

  (4.5/5)

  

  Excellent Product

  I am delighted with my Roomba 540 for what I expected it to do-- it's actually a bit better than expected so far, though I have not yet owned it long enough to rate longevity/reliability. I have two small boys (7 and 5) and two cats (one long-haired) and I decided to use the Roomba upstairs rather than downstairs-- it is easier to control the clutter upstairs in our house, and therefore more practical for our use to use it up there on a routine basis.Roomba vacuumed under a challenging queen bed, navigating over some cords, between two underbed boxes and six box-spring support pillars, and still getting out to the edge of the baseboard under the head of the bed-- great since I don't exactly move an oak bed around very often. Roomba covered the floorplan of a fairly complicated floor layout completely in the MBR, found the MBath, and cleaned up the tile floor very well, navigated back out (not using the included lighthouse yet) and discovered the hallway and one of the... 5/5 J. Driscoll - See all my reviews, September 10, 2008

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  It Sucks! (sorry, vacuum humor)

  I did a lot of research on the Roomba 500 series here on Amazon, and was finally convinced this could be the solution to our huge pet fur problem. I ended up buying the Roomba 540 at Sam's club instead of here on Amazon, but since it is the same model, I thought I'd offer my review. I've been using it daily for about a month now and here are my observations:Pros:Seems to do a really good job vacuuming our living room (carpet) and kitchen (hardwood) in one shot.It almost always finds it's charging station at the end, and even sings a little happy song when it does.Has not once gotten tangled or hung up on anythingIt's low enough that it fits under all our furniture, including couches, which is nice.The little spinning side brush really pulls in debris from the cornersIt slows down before it bumps into stuff. Like when it approached the flap on the couch, it slows down and then tries to gently push through. If it encounters a leg or... 5/5 J. DeSilva (Minnesota) - See all my reviews, December 1, 2009

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  Love it!

  Love it, Love it, Love it!I read mixed reviews about the Roomba from several sites as well as love it/hate it stories from co-workers. Hence, I was skeptical about spending money on something that was either hated or loved by others. I took a leap of faith and bought it!I've had it for 3 months now and use it about 3 X a week. I own 2 dogs, one of them sheds a lot! The roomba has been a blessing for me. Not only does it do the job of cleaning my tiled floors by itself, it actually does it better than I do. My husband and I were amazed at how well it cleaned. I had my mother in law over for Thanksgiving and she was equally amazed at the job it did. I haven't tried it on carpet. It might be a different experience all together and I'm guessing this is were the problem comes for dissatisfied customers. In regard to other reviews, I don't find any of the maintenance on this little vacuum an inconvenience. Yes, we have to empty the dirt from the... 5/5 A. Curlee "Ajaxnmiami" (Ajaxnmiami) - See all my reviews, January 1, 2010

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  Robot intelligence easily cleans hard to reach places, under beds and around furniture.

  Automatically returns to its Home Base to recharge between cleanings.

  Virtual Wall Lighthouse keeps Roomba cleaning in one room, then guides it to the next

  Senses dirtier areas and cleans more thoroughly in those spots. Side brush reaches into corners and along edges to remove dust, dirt and debris.

  Self-adjusting cleaning head automatically adjusts to cleam carpets to hard floors.

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  iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot

  Home (iRobot)
  

  Rating (1 reviews):

  (3.0/5)

  

  It really works, but gets stuck along the way

  I think my Roomba really helps me keep my 525-square-foot apartment clean in a variety of ways, and it actually does clean the carpet well. It's not perfect, but I almost feel like vacuuming is not a chore that I have to deal with anymore, which makes it worth the $100 I spent on it used. Would I buy it again? Under $200, yeah. Over $200 or have a bigger apartment? I'd wait for a better model.The good:It cleans my apartment. Whenever I use my Roomba, I find about two cups full of cat hair and litter that it's pulled out of the carpet and off the linoleum. Even if I vacuum twice in one day, it'll still get that out. Which is pretty good. I have nice clean lines in my carpet (even if they are zig zags instead of parallel lines), and the floor feels "crunchy" when I walk on it afterward, as though the carpet is not as compressed as it was before.It's easy. You only have to press one button, but you'll probably end up sitting to watch it and positioning... 3/5 Jason - See all my reviews This review is from: iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot (Kitchen) I think my Roomba really helps me keep my 525-square-foot apartment clean in a variety of ways, and it actually does clean the carpet well. It's not perfect, but I almost feel like vacuuming is not a chore that I have to deal with anymore, which makes it worth the $100 I spent on it used. Would I buy it again? Under $200, yeah. Over $200 or have a bigger apartment? I'd wait for a better model.The good:It cleans my apartment. Whenever I use my Roomba, I find about two cups full of cat hair and litter that it's pulled out of the carpet and off the linoleum. Even if I vacuum twice in one day, it'll still get that out. Which is pretty good. I have nice clean lines in my carpet (even if they are zig zags instead of parallel lines), and the floor feels "crunchy" when I walk on it afterward, as though the carpet is not as compressed as it was before.It's easy. You only have to press one button, but you'll probably end up sitting to watch it and positioning... Read more Help other customers find the most helpful reviews  Was this review helpful to you? , July 7, 2011

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  2 Virtual Walls

  Covers up to 3 rooms on a single battery charge

  Efficiently vacuums dirt, debris, pet hair, dust, allergens and more from carpets and hard floors

  Self-charging Home Base

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