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: Roomba 530 is OK, but fails the "Maine Coon" test
Summary: 4 Stars
After having used the 530, I can say that it is a time-saver. But the Roomba "pet series" models all seem to offer only one thing and take away one thing: they add a large-capacity bin, which is fine for lumps and clods. But the large-capacity bin is just that because it does away with the vacuum motor that does the sucking of fine dust and other matter.
And all Roombas -- pet or "non-pet" -- have yet to pass the ultimate test: the Maine Coon cat hair test. With three different furs in their coats, Maine Coon cats leave everything from normal pet hair to a fine gossamer hair that floats in dry air like a feather, clings to everything and occurs in little clumps under and around everywhere. Consumer Reports used Maine Coon hair as the ultimate test of a vacuum cleaner.
In the Roomba, its long, silky fiber wraps around the brush and wheel bearings and can only be thoroughly removed with scissors or pliers...making the Roomba a cleaning nightmare that must be repeated after each use. So a set of interchangeable brushes is almost a must.
And running the Roomba with the large-capacity bin only makes it worse since there is no vacuum action to draw this stuff into the bin. I find the normal vacuum-action bin adequate for most debris anyway, provided it's emptied after each use -- a minor inconvenience.
Adequate, that is, for everything except Maine Coon hair!
2/24/11 Postscript: After a couple of months living with the 530 and now finally over the tendency to follow it around while it works. Let's be honest: this is NOT a vacuum cleaner. It's an automated carpet sweeper. I have done a couple of things to make using it easier:
- Bought an "AeroVac" dust bin that plugs right in. It has larger capacity, more filter area and is easier to clean.
- Bought an extra set of main and spinner brushes to alternate/replace.
- Bought a $2 long-bristle paintbrush to clean things with.
Cleaning after use is a pain. I've learned to rinse the dust filters carefully, and that hair is the biggest enemy of brushes and bearings. I've learned to GENTLY snap the filter holder out of/back into the dustbin to make cleaning easier, but the AeroVac bin is a much better design.
Customer Review: I'm glad we finally have the technology for this.
Summary: 5 Stars
I despise vacuuming, so getting a Roomba was a non-brainer for me. I'm very satisfied with its performance, and feel it does an excellent job. A few points about it:
-The picture may show a model with a carrying handle, but you likely won't get one with yours. I did not. It's not a big deal.
-Two virtual walls and a docking station are included, and all you really need. I typically limit Roomba to one room at a time by closing doors, and use the virtual walls to keep it away from pulling on wires (this model doesn't get caught on wires, though, so if both ends of the wire are stable you have nothing to fear.) I'm not sure if it has sufficient guidance technology or battery life to do multiple large rooms in the same trip (though it always manages to find its way back to its dock, so maybe it has better guidance tech than I think).
-It's (currently) significantly cheaper on Amazon than the retail price!
-The first several times you run it, it will probably pull up a lot of fiber from your carpet. Don't worry-- that stops pretty much entirely once it has gotten all the loose fibers. This model also works with hard surfaces, though honestly I don't think vacuuming in general is the best method for cleaning those.
-It comes with two filters, with more available for purchase, but I have not changed mine yet after months of use, though I do occasionally wash it. So far as I can tell, it's not effecting the performance.
As for cons, I should note that
1. Roomba may not do quite as a good a job as vacuuming by hand.
2. you will probably have to move a bit of furniture around before running Roomba so that it will fit everywhere.
3. Emptying out Roomba's bin and cleaning its brushes (though you don't really have to clean them after every use) takes a couple of minutes.
Nevertheless, to me, none of those cons matter. I hate vacuuming so much that I simply do not do it, and thus my place would be filthy if not for Roomba. Since I DO have Roomba, I run it once a week and my apartment is quite clean! I'd much rather spend five minutes moving furniture a bit than spend twenty minutes vacuuming, that's for sure.
Customer Review: Better than expected, but consider the 560
Summary: 5 Stars
We recently received this as a wedding shower gift and have really enjoyed it.
Vacuum Performance - It seems to vacuum really well. We recently had carpet installed in part of the house, and this did a great job of getting all of the loose fibers out of the carpet. Also, I accidentally left a screw on the floor and this had no problem picking it up. The only con - which I knew going in - is that I do not believe it is hypoalergenic like some upright vacuums.
Maintenance - The unit is really easy to clean, and the bin is a cinch to empty.
Coverage - Ultimately, I think most people are sceptical that it will cover an entire room, but it really does. You can tell by the vacuum lines. Not only does it cover what you would usually vacuum but it gets under dressers, beds, etc. better than I would with an upright. The only Con is that it takes longer than a person would. A room I could vacuum in 5 minutes takes the Roomba 30. This isn't a problem for me because I start it up on my way out in the morning and come home to a clean house.
Support - I have not had any problems with the roomba yet, but most of the parts are easy to change (I mean really easy) and parts seem easy to get on Amazon or the iRobot website, so I don't anticipate having problems getting parts when needed. I really view this as a big plus because with a traditional vacuum when something breaks you have to get a new unit or take it to a costly repair shop.
Multi-room coverage - I had hoped I could leave in the morning and have the roomba vacuum the entire upstairs of my townhouse. This is not the case with this model. Unfortunately, the 530 does not distinguish between rooms so it cannot efficiently vacuum multiple rooms at once. If you get the 560 or any other model higher than the 530, they come with "lighthouses". These "lighthouses" tell the roomba where rooms are so that it doesn't leave a room until it's finished, then it goes to the next one, etc. This is a great feature (for me anyway) and I really wish I had received the 560, but I'm making do by just starting the roomba in a different room in the morning.
Customer Review: Love the Roomba but can only give it 3 Stars now.
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had this about a month now. It is great! It is easy to take apart for cleaning. The virtual walls are easy to use and work well. The cliff sensor is quite impressive, hasn't fallen down the stairs yet. My floors are cleaner than they have ever been. I use the product several times a week (pet free home). It works on tile, hard wood and carpeting. If it gets stuck it sounds a tone to tell you. If you aren't there it will power down. The Roomba has made my life easier. I can go outside, play with the kids, etc. without feeling guilty that I should vacuum the house. I really, really love the Roomba. At times I wish I'd spent the extra money and gotten the model that allows you to program its cleaning times. Overall, we are very happy with our Roomba.
UPDATE!!!!
This is an update to my original review. As can be seen from the above, I LOVED my Roomba, we named it Rosie. Rosie was perfect. She cleaned exactly where I needed and did a fine job. I didn't have to worry about lugging around a hefty upright and do the work myself. She gave me freedom and was wonderful. I loved how it can be taken apart to clean hair, etc. caught in its parts out, really smart and easy. Then, last month, I took Rosie out and put her to work. All Rosie did was go around and around in a circle. I went through the troubleshooting guide and learned that this was a fatal problem. In other words, my Roomba could not be fixed. We called iRobot and got absolutely nowhere with them. This Roomba was purchased in April 2008 and passed away in August 2009. iRobot also indicated it could not be fixed but they could sell us a new one for $299. Here's the problem, I have this old upright that we've had for 20 years. We've had belts changed, etc. but that thing still works - 20 years - and works great. My Roomba lasted 16 months. We decided not to replace Rosie at this time. That is much too high a price to pay for an appliance that cost so much and didn't last very long. If they could guarantee a new Roomba would last almost as long as my old upright I'd spend the money but they can't so neither can I.
Customer Review: Clean Floor Fanatic - Not a gadget - a great vaccum
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this roomba 530 after returning a brand new Dirt Devil cannister vacuum which was awful. I was very sceptical about the Roomba and was preparing myself to be returning it the next day having discovered it wasnt up to the job!
VERY PLEASED to report that this little "gadget" works brilliantly. I have had it a week now, so may revise this review later. But thus far, its working a dream. I was amazed at how much dust and fluff it picks up - its quite staggering really considering I was vacuuming my carpets and mopping my floors weekly - this product is not a "gadget" but an efficient, timesaving aid to my weekly clean and battle against the kids mess.
To address issues raised by other consumers:
PREPARATION WORK: Yes you do have to clear the floor area of cables, cords, pencils, toys, fabric throws/curtains dangling on the floor and other stuff that (and lets face it in order to do the job thoroughly) you should probably clear up anyway even for conventional vacuums). Once thats done - you set it off and, depending upon the size of the room, 40 minutes or so later, you are done! So go off and get a coffee, clean the bathroom, iron some shirts!
MAINTENANCE: I empty it after every use because the dirt catcher is small and it is so efficient that it gets full quickly. You need to remove fluff and hair etc that gets on the roller and brush - no big deal, it takes 2 minutes to do - if I had done this with my upright vacuum, perhaps it would not have broken just outside of the 12m warranty.
CHARGING: As per the instructions, mine sits on the docking station charging all the time its not actually being used - not run out of battery life yet and I have used it every day so far.
PARTS: So, I may have to replace the brushes and filters - so what? They are not extortionately expensive.
So, all in all, for a vacuum that I can basically prep for, set off and leave to get on with the job that I hate whilst I do something infinately more interesting. A+++