If you're happy with a vacuum job that's a little below par then go for it. If you've got allergies, pets or asthma in the household, then they're probably not the best idea.
Anyone got one ? If so, what is it and are you happy with it ?
I have been looking at the iRobot Roomba and the Yujin robots here
Roomba are fairly well know and almost all feedback I have read is good. The Yujin appears to have a lot more sucking power though.
TIA
Sanity
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If you're happy with a vacuum job that's a little below par then go for it. If you've got allergies, pets or asthma in the household, then they're probably not the best idea.
I heard those robot vacuums really suck
Reality is an invention of my imagination.
ಠ_ಠ
bigfella08 (22-01-11),Godzilla (01-09-10)
I've actually worked on roomba, not bad, would love the idea myself being a bit of gadget junkie, but also HATE vacuuming. The whole concept has a real problem though, to give alot of power to the suction then you've got to have the battery power to match and it gets heavy quickly (designing wise), so you'd want the thing to have as little rolling resistance as possible, well the wheels not driven weren't that good, could have been bigger while the driving wheels were ok, but the height was a problem, it would have to be used pretty much on hard floors to give it best results.
pet fur on hard floors would not be an issue, as a matter of fact it would be very good at fur!
When I explained to the guy what avatar I wanted, that wasn't what I meant!
Due to a back injury I cannot vacuum. My wife works fulltime night shift so I dont expect her to do it and getting kids to do something to help these days is a waste of time. Last time I vacuumed I spent 3 days in agony so I am not trying it again.
They are more popular than people here seem to think and for a tech site I am a bit surprised no one owns one. There are a few threads on whirlpool and they even had a bulk buy from the states on Roomba units. All consumer review sites show that almost everyone is happy with them. There is also an active hacking community for them where you can connect them to a PC.
A mates wife was borrowing her mums and was happy with the job so they bought their own. I don't know what brand. They have hardwood floors with mats and it gets up onto the mats ok as well.
Leroy
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More than likely a Roomba as they are the most well known in Australia.
After a couple of days of research and studying.........
iRobot Roomba are probably the most popular robotic vacuum on the market. There are some similar looking chinese clone machines on the market known as M-788. An Australian site sells them as Robomaid, but from what I have read from various sources they are not as good or reliable as Roomba or Yujin's iClebo. You will also find them on ebay and you will also find grey import Roomba's with questions over power converters from US to Oz. This is a must to look in to if you are buying cheaper via Ebay.
I have narrowed it down to either an iRobot Roomba or a Yujin iClebo and am going to go with Yujin for a few reasons :
* The iClebo is Korean made and not Chinese. Most Korean gear is far superior to Chinese stuff, particularly in electronics.
* The iClebo Smart uses camera technology using a camera on the top of the unit to map your house so it knows exactly what your rooms look like and their size so it can make sure it does not miss any bits.
* The iClebo has far superior power with a 30 ( standard mode )/60 ( turbo mode ) watt motor compared to iRobot Roomba's 5.5 watt.
* The iClebo has lithium ion battery, iRobot Roomba doesnt.
* The iClebo has a better filtering system ( 4 x with hepa compared to iRobot Roomba's one mesh filter )
* Only a $15 difference in price between top of the line iRobot Roomba 577 and Yujin iClebo Smart.....the 577 does not have camera mapping technology.
Both have 12 months warranty from Australian dealers, the Yujin iClebo Home which is the base model has a 15 month warranty.
While $800 odd dollars sounds like a lot of money for a vacuum cleaner ( it is ) you are paying a similar amount for a Dyson. 99% of customer reviews about Roomba are positive and it only has a 5.5 watt motor, so I would expect the iClebo to be substantially better with a 30w/60w.
Normally, I would take the cheaper option and buy one from ebay. But I think this is an item I would prefer to have a warranty on.
Hopefully my studying helps others, I wouldnt be surprised to see a few people turning up to this thread from Google looking for answers as well.
I didnt know about these and after nearly having my head bitten off by the Mrs the other day due to my lack of help around the house because we both work it may be time to get one.
So its down to a robot or hiring a young maid......let me think about it.
As Sanity mentioned, $800 is chicken feed when a Dyson costs that money.
I dont know about the pulling power of a 60 watt motor, but i recon a real maid would be pretty good at it.
crazy (26-02-11)
Drift (01-09-10)
Linux on a vacuum... now I've heard everything.
Cheers for the mid arvo belly laugh
Great that they are hackable - Good stuff
.... So if I was looking for a pressie for Mothers Day, Birthday or Xmas I also get a toy to play with?
I like
Reality is an invention of my imagination.
ಠ_ಠ
Need to mod them to have a hose on the end of them
I have decided on the iClebo Smart. Unfortunately they are out of stock until next week so I am waiting until then.
Alpha Robot have been very positive to deal with and its making me think that buying from an Australian dealer with decent warranty is the right way to go.
I dont know about this hacking stuff? Why would you want the bloody thing to sing?
I suppose it would be handy if it comes when you whistle as its the perfect shape to hold a Pizza, just needs a stubby holder glued to the side
Hang on did you say that it has pleanty of suck?
Think I might get one, no need for the missus to come home at all
i just saw those grey import roombas on ebay for $500. plenty of batteries for them available too. maybe you can add a larger battery pack to one?
the ebay ad says they put in the modified power supply for you. so its new , but opened up just to change supplies. shows an AU plug in the photo. unsure about the warranty.
You are very unlikely to get a warranty, apart from a DOA or 30 day type unless you buy it from the official Australian dealer ( )
ralph123 (27-09-10)
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