iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White
by iRobot
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White
Customer Review: Updated version is studier, better than before
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been following roombas for years. The 500 generation roomba is definitely better than the generations before it, and will be a worthy replacement once your old one finally fails. Don't have a roomba? If you have little time, it can be a big help. If you've never used a roomba before, it's basically fire-and-forget cleaning, with a few caveats.
Roombas are designed for regular cleaning, but require a little prep work. First, pick up anything long and stringy that might get caught, like loose socks or power cables. Next, the roomba will by design bump into everything, so if there is anything light or carefully perched in the room you have to move them. I've had groups of folding chairs leaning on the edge of a desk, only to return to the roomba sheepishly pinned underneath their mass. It also has unique ideas about where to put the bag of paper bags.
You may also have to put up virtual walls or close various doors to keep the roomba from wandering or getting stuck. The 500 series is much better about getting over the bumps that divide rooms, but it still gets stuck if the bump is too big. It will sometimes take a step down that is just a little too big for it to step back up. It will also find new and unique places to get stuck, like underneath La-Z-Boy chairs or on the edges of rolled up newspapers. The virtual walls themselves are nice to keep it out of problem ares, but in a pinch a weighted cardboard box will do.
And again, these are for regular cleaning. You ought to run them two or three times as often as you would regularly clean the floors. They don't get everything every time. After the third time or so, regular runs should be enough to keep the room clean. While other people have said these work great on hardwood and linoleum, I personally think they are the most helpful on carpet.
Roombas require a little upkeep themselves. This generation of roomba is much easier to disassemble, but I recommend after every few vaccuums to spend five minutes removing the brushes and picking off all the hair. The 500 line shut off the brushes when they get caught on something. This helps save the motor (and de-tangle from stuff), but if you don't clean the brush it will eventually stop spinning. Similarly, the dustbin is really only large enough for two or three dirty rooms before really needing dumping. And somehow it seems to leave dirt right wherever it happens to be when it shuts off.
Also, expect to replace the battery every two or three years. These are about 100 dollars, so it isn't a cheap expense.
The main difference within the 500 series of robots is compatible accessories. 1. Does it have a home base? 2. Can it be scheduled? 3. Does it work with virtual lighthouses? 4. How many walls / lighthouses does it come with? To go through that list: 1. A home base is nice as it saves you the trouble of plugging it in (you can tell it to plug itself in). 2. If it can reach all of the important areas of your house from the home base, it can be nice to schedule it to start cleaning while you're away at work. That's not essential, of course. 3. Virtual lighthouses stop the roomba from going into the next room until it has finished cleaning the current one. If you have enough money to buy a lot of these, they can be a nice way to control the flow of the Roomba. However, I find them to be a bit gimmocky, and would rather just wall off areas to avoid. 4. Virtual walls are a nice convienience, as they can be setup and just work for long periods of time. However, they effectively just close doors. So if there are areas your pets must access, two or three virtual walls can be very helpful. But you can always just put down some heavy books. Basically, the entry-level 500 models are fine for lazy cleaning, and as your budget goes up so too does the convienience level.
Overall, it's hard not to love something that cleans for you. It's about the same volume and price as a nice vaccuum cleaner, but it frees up your time to do what you want. Highly recommended.
Customer Review: Roomba works tirelessly, and works well.
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit, when I read some of the reviews, I hesitated to buy Roomba. Then, after reading more reviews I realized that some people are expecting perfection in such a complex device.
But, keep in mind that it is impossible for manufacturer to create something that anticipates all the variable that are presented to Roomba. Literally - every room is different in some way. Also, it does require cleaning every time you use it. It is not like a regular vacuum where you can wait a month for the bag to fill.
Another important factor - people and their expectations. Clearly, in any group there are some that want everything to work according to their rules and expectations. We all know that is not the way life works. There are kinks and turns we face daily. And, frustrations. And, nothing is perfect. If Roomba is going to work for you, you have to conform to some of its rules none of which are unreasonable.
Even our magical computers make us want to pull our hair out when we face some glitch with some application or Windows glitches.
I purchased the model 550 Roomba at Costco because with the immediate $[...] off it came in at $[...]. In the back of my mind, I did not expect Roomba to work as well as it does and so far, have been pleasantly surprised. So much so, that the original box and packing has moved from the back of my car to my attic. Also purchased on my Amex so that the warranty is automatically extended another year.
My house has a 80/20 tile to carpet ratio downstairs. There are bar stools and chairs and tables. There are cords, tassels and throw rugs. Sonia's [her new name] bed is under a corner table out of sight.
Sonia is set to work daily at 3:00AM so we don't hear her as she toils. I clean her daily which takes me about 4 minutes. The brush cleaning device works well and I move it back and forth, rather than one direction as the arrow indicates. I use a pair of needle nose pliers to extract hair on the sides of the small brush which does not have removable hair guards. This will not quite relate to those of you that don't have Roomba. I also occasionally blow out dust [outside the house, of course] from the collection bin and clean the bottom of the Roomba with a damp paper towel. Once a week, a bit of WD40 on the two small brush bearings and the front wheel bearing. [They easily pull out] Like anything else, you give it good care and it will return the favor.
Amazingly, every day there is stuff in the bin that causes me to ask - Where the heck did this come from? She works so well, I am thinking of changing to a reduced work schedule and giving her a couple of days off a week.
I have not had side brush problems and if I do, I will update. I think they were re-desiged on the 550 to a three brush arrangement. I did purchase the brush/filter replacement kit at Amazon Prime for $39.95 just so I have them if I need them. I am sure that all brushes will have to be replaced in a year or so.
I do agree instruction book could be better, but, found that it is rather intuitive once you use Roomba a week or so. The Virtual Wall device was a bit of a mystery, but once placed, it literally draws a line that the Roomba won't cross over. This is if you want to keep it cleaning one area only. If you just play with it a couple of times, you will understand that fully.
I am seriously thinking of buying a second one for the upstairs of the house which is 20/80 carpet to tile ratio. I tried it a couple of times and it worked very well on the upstairs.
Customer Review: Roomba 535
Summary: 5 Stars
Hey:
Here's a link to the Roomba telling you how to get the discount price at HSN (if you're a first time customer). It is the best price on the net--I've looked everywhere.
http://www.roombareview.com/buy/roomba535/
Ours is working great so far. You have to empty the bin and clean the brushes after each use but it's a whole lot quicker than vacuuming the entire house. I checked behind it yesterday after it did the bedroom and you can see an inch thick layer of dust under the bed where it couldn't get to because of junk we had under there (and I could never get the big vacuum under the bed and was too lazy to move the bed around to vacuum).
I let it run while working out and it did two bedrooms, the hall and the bathroom before needing a charge. If confined to the room with the charger base, it will return to the base by itself and start charging. If you're doing rooms beyond the base, though, you have to take Roomba back to the charger room. The little lighthouse thing will confine the vacuum to one room or area and won't let it go beyond that area until it is cleaned.
It has not had any trouble going over AC vents (even one of those wooden ones that stick up) and it fits under kitchen counter toe kicks perfectly. We haven't had but one or two instances of it getting stuck (once on a floor fan base, it's plastic and slick so I guess it lost traction).
It does not like black rugs because of the stair/step sensor that keeps it from falling down stairs.
It can get over bathroom rugs sometimes but they do give it some trouble (not as much as trying to use a full-size vac, though).
It likes to bump doors until they open and then Roomba keeps pushing until the door is closed and it can't get out of the room; so, if using the lighthouse to confine it to the room before going on to the hall or next room, you need to secure the door somehow.
You need to make sure you don't have a lot of junk just laying around so Roomba can get every nook and cranny.
It is great for pet and human hair (which is why you need to clean the brushes after every use).
Filters come in a three pack that cost $15 at Amazon.com with free shipping (they say change every 2-3 months).
Since we have berber carpet, it is hard to tell if every square inch is covered; but, the floor definitely looks completely clean when done. Before using Roomba the first time, I went over one room entirely with the full-size vacuum and then let Roomba go over it. Roomba still got hair and dirt off the floor.
It is a lot quieter than a full-size vacuum.
Doolittle (the cat) just stares at it when it's running--and runs when it's coming! Since it is summer, Doo pulls out more hair and you can see it drifting around on the hardwood floor. Since getting Roomba, though, the hair gets picked up regularly and thoroughly.
People have asked me about corners and edges of walls. Roomba gets them, too, with its little whirl-a-gig side brush.
Overall, the user reviews online (hundreds) are positive and so is our opinion of the Roomba.
I used to never find time to vacuum. Now I vacuum almost daily. I just wish I could get one for every room, get the optional scheduler, and just go room to room every couple of days and dump the bins and clean the brushes.
I think Roomba has a 12 month warranty. If your credit card is like ours, it will double the warranty for you.
Try it, you'll like it.
Customer Review: Great, BUT
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this about 3 days ago and have cleaned my home about twice to get all the dirt. I've got hardwood floors and rugs, as well as 2 longhairs that shed - a cat and a wife. ;) I found cleaning hardwood floors very tiring because there are no brush marks to show you where you've been. I got tired of finding the dust bunnies after the fact.
The Roomba is not meant to replace your main vacuum. It can't - it doesn't have the dirt capacity or the battery power. But once you clean your home, it will keep it just as clean if you run it once a week, or more.
Let's start with the
CON: You are a slave to the Roomba.
If you want it to work properly, you can't leave stuff on the floor. Think of it as your cleaning lady. You have to pick up all the toys and make sure the Roomba has a clear path to every place you want it to go. The idea is not to challenge it, so you need to turn the dining room chairs over onto the table, so it can clean properly and not play pinball with the legs.
Keep it clean. Regardless what the instructions say, you have to clean the entire robot after every time you use it. That means emptying the dirt bins, cleaning the filter, and, especially, removing all the hair and dirt that gets stuck and wound up around the brushes, bearings, and idler wheel.
Use it often. Because it can't hold a lot of dirt you will have to use more often than a regular vacuum cleaner and have to clean it more often. Of course, some people are so in love with it that this is a pro and not a con.
You will still have to clean corners and crevices, especially around thresholds. Dust bunnies can be a problem if they get blown around, but as long as the Roomba approaches them from the front, they get sucked up.
It does bump into furniture legs, door edges, and ledges that don't rest on the floor. I haven't seen a paint scuff marks, though.
My dirt cup filled up and dirt spilled out a few times. I don't know if there is supposed to be some kind of signal. The only sign I had that something was wrong was that I heard some kind of laboring sound which probably came from the brushes.
PRO: It works as advertised.
Although the movements are screwy, it does seem to get almost all the dirt. As long as you get rid of the clutter and hide the cords, the Roomba will clean very well. It's not too noisy and, surprise, it doesn't scare my cat, like my vacuum cleaner does.
Cleaning it is straightforward. Pulling the idler wheel housing out is a little tough. Just make sure to pull everything apart to clean it and you will be alright. I think that some of the brush problems that people have reported might be due to the bearings not being cleaned. These are the little yellow boxy things at end of each brush. They will accumulate dirt and hair behind them that you can't see. These must be pulled off and cleaned.
The wall works well. The Roomba will stumble its way from room to room, even without a lighthouse. I can't say how well the dust sensor works, although I noticed that the Roomba would move in circles occasionally, indicating it found more dirt.
Best of all, you press the CLEAN button to start cleaning and it will go back to the charging base when it is done.
Customer Review: Close, but Jams on Area Rugs. Sidebrush Flawed!
Summary: 1 Stars
OK, I really give this 2-3 stars, but am only listing 1 star in hopes of more people getting to and finding this review. Just spent over 8 hours on the irobot.com and roombareview.com forums and i am exhausted from weighing all the pros/cons of whether to keep this. But here's the verdict: it's too new and you need to wait a year given the various bugs/design flaws that are all over the discussion boards, especially with the defective side brush issue that either (1) loses arms due to material flaws and/or (2) gets stripped and comes completely off due to poor plastic being mated with metal screw design. And don't waste time on these Amazon forums where most just seem so excited by the concept of having this little thing running around and give it 4-5 stars without pointing out any offsetting costs (yes, we were all real excited at first too). The forums I mention above are where the hardcore multi-unit owners participate. Read them. Read about these new 5th gen. issues. Anyway, we have had ours for about only 24 hours and although we WANT to keep it, we realize we can't and it will have to go back. Yes, it does many wonders like all these 4-5 star posts state, and yes it is cute, and yes it does 95% of what it is supposed to . . . but it is that last 5% that is so critical. We have already experienced both of the problems with the side brush that I mention above (trust me, will happoen to you too like it is for eveyone else), but the big hassle is that it does NOT go up small area rugs without that sidebrush getting caught under the rug and torquing at the rug and causing the unit to not climb it as a result) . Our whole house is hardwoods (where it works fine), but the front foyer rug and two simple kitchen rugs (all of which are high traffic areas needing daily cleaning) all experience the same problem with this problem side brush. We contemplated keeping the unit and simply unattaching the side brush (which keeps fallign off anyway due to the plastic screw hole), but I am not going to pay this much money and would rather wait for a fix to the materials and screw design of this all-important brush (i.e., the side brush gets all the crumbs that accummulate along the baseboards). Other than that, I would probably keep the unit . . . provided you don't have antique furniture (despite reviews, it DOES hit table/furniture legs and anything skinny VERY HARD becaused the sensor that is supposed to slow it down can't see these things . . . actually left white plastic residue on all the furniture). But, still, I would have tolerated this (we have kids and don't have high end furniture) if the other design flaws weren't there. Again, read the forums if you don't think I am being accurate or honest. Clearly I am not a paid poster and am just frustrated from the ordeal. The concept is so great and it really did do well on the bare hardwoods, but I am not ready to get rid of or remove all my rugs, and I got tired of the brush problem/breaking, so at this point I will wait and buy a year from now. Again, they are 95% of the way there with this. But not for this much $$ and aggravation. Good luck to all! P.S. They alos need a better manual as it contains very little on how to set everything up and you instead spend hours on the forums with other users to get the real ins and outs.