At a bit of a loss as to best Roomba to fit my needs.

[kjpintn]

I woke up today and found my white tiled bathroom looked like a black shagg carpet. I think it is time I invested in a Roomba! My home is fairly simple - 1100 sq. ft. and all hardwood with a tiled bathroom - all one level. I have three shedding dogs; an english bulldog, a golden retriever, and a shedding machine black lab. Bells and whistles have never done much for me but quality and a long life are things I look for when purchasing any product. I feel the same about this purchase. If the higher model numbers only coorelate with more attachemnts, I don't necessairly have to have all the perks; I simply want clean floors! If the Roomba that notes is better for picking up and dealing with pet hair is better and can better be able to withstand the nightmares of slurping up copious amounts of dog hair I have no problem spending the extra money to get it. I would love all and any insight as to which model your folks would suggest I buy.

Another question - I keep my snowboards and wakeboards stored beneath my bed - will this be a problem for the Roomba? Will stray shoes that are left out in the house cause problems? I read a review that noted that dog toys left on the floor were a problem for this owner.

Thank you for indulging a neewbie. The thought of owning a Roomba just hit me this AM. I have found this site very helpful in getting some background information.

Best,
Katie

[MikeD55]

I’ll let those more knowledgeable on the 4xx series speak to those.

As someone who also deals with large 3 dogs (all shedding machines) and a relatively complex environment (2 teenagers, stuff left on the floor, under tables, etc – which the Roomba works around) I recommend the 560. One of our 560’s is scheduled to run every day in the area where the dogs spend the majority of their time. It runs 40 minutes in one room – I occasionally add the kitchen using one lighthouse. Note: I do think that the scheduling feature and lighthouse features that are in the 560 and up are worth it as it allow you to schedule the system to run when you are not there and to adjust what gets cleaned.

That 560 runs every day it returns to its dock absolutely full – hair and dirt. I don’t have to clean it out mid-mission. The caveats – 1. You have to clean it after every mission. 2. You have to deep clean it every couple of weeks. 3. The Cleaning Head Module (CHM), if left unmodified, will fail and you will have to replace it (plan to modify one – adding sealed bearings). 4. Use/buy pet brushes – it’s not clear that ordering the pet model with the extra bin is worth it – but the brushes are.

Net – the rooms where our Roomba’s run feel cleaner (we have 2 – 560’s and a dirt dog). Using the Roomba’s save us a lot of time that would be spent vacuuming. The cost, while not inconsequential, is not bad for the utility that we receive. The units are reasonably durable with the exception of the CHM’s as mentioned above but that can be handled by someone with a bit of DIY capability (or by having Vic mod one for you).

Good luck with your decision!

[jennis9]

whatever model you choose... make sure you are committed to cleaning it with that many dogs or you will certainly waste your money. Cat/dog and longer human hair gets wrapped around the wheels and need sto be removed each mission. but it's an easy routine

the maintainence is well worth it to keep these bots going.

I am one poster that chooses not to scheduls because my cats leave their toys around and since they fit into the sweeper, they sometimes get caught around the brushes. I know my bots go around shoes and larger obstacles no problem.

good luck

[fredct]

Here's a brief rundown of the 5xx series for you:
510 = basic
530 = 510 + home base compatible & included
560 = 530 + lighthouses and onboard scheduling (wireless scheduling compatible but you'd need the wireless control center)
570 = 560 + wireless control center included

There are a few other models floating around (like the 535 & 550), but those are the main ones iRobot sells in the 500-series. Lighthouses may be nice, but aren't strictly necessary at your house size. It's up to you how much you care about scheduling.

I'll let someone else comment on the pet models, as I don't have any (well, except a goldfish, but he's messy in a non-Roomba-fixable way ).

If you have a fairly simple house with no rug tassles or without many bumps, you can get away with one of the 400-series. But the 500 are much better at navigating those things, so if you have anything that makes your floor less than simple (especially rug tassels!), you'd be much happier with the 500 series.


Anyone else think maybe we should sticky a thread like this? As this question comes up a lot.

[vic7767]

Just remember that the 530 does not support light house functionality. The first model to support the light house is the 535.

[kjpintn]

Thank you all very much for your help thus far! I guess I know I am "old" when I am excited about a vacuum!
I don't have any rugs in the home and the only transisitions are from the hardwood to the bathroom.
On the surface I would like to say that scheduling is not a big deal to me if I can turn it on and leave it to run while I am at work - I don't want to run it while the 2 younger pups are out of their crates because I can only imagine how much fun it would be for them to turn my Roomba into a self moving toy!
In essence, are all Roomba guts the same? Given my circumstances, is one a superior machine for vacuum ability? Are the higher model numbers just for programming abilities?
How well do they do in corners? There seems to be one little corner that has the ability to collect a mass quanity of fur every day - not that I can't just sweep that spot up; just wondering.
As a general opinion, am I better off spending a bit more now and buying from Hammacher as opposed to HSN or another site that just offers the standard 1 year?
Most suggest that I "deep clean" once a week - are these steps spelled out in the instruction book or is there something more I need to know?
Again, thank you all for your help.
Best,
Katie

[MikeD55]

Katie,

There are two "series" currently being sold by iRobot - 4xx and 5xx - check out their web site for details. I prefer the 5xx's because they are modular but acknowledge that there have been problems with them because of the CHM issues. Both series do essentially the same job - the only substantive addition to functionality (that I can think of) is that 535 and above can use lighthouse technology that allow areas to be segmented for cleaning.

The question of Hammacher or HSN comes down to warranty and whether you are comfortable dealing with parts replacement. The modular nature of the 5xx's make part replacement easy and so far iRobot has been good about sending out replacement CHM's. I would rather do that then send back a whole robot. Note: the infamous 5xx CHM can be replaced by removing and replacing 8 screws - 4 for the bottom cover, 4 holding the CHM in place).

Dust bunnies in the corners are still a problem to a degree - the side brush doesn't quite get there. Although I do find that the breeze from the vacuum vent at the rear tends to move some out to where the robot gets them on the next pass.

"Deep cleaning" involves removing the bottom plate, removing the CHM, occassionally removing the wheel units and side brush and vacuuming or using canned air to clean everthing out. 15 minutes max.

Hope that helps!