4th or 5th generation?

[zardoz]

Located in Switzerland, I ordered a Neatorobotics XV-11 from the US a year ago. I have been very satisfied with it, especially after exchanging the brush with the one from the VR100 and adding a static side brush.

Unfortunately, the famous RPS error appeared after a year of usage. Since a replacement offered by Neatorobotics is quite complicated due to shipping costs, customs, etc. and the expensive VR100 is not available in Switzerland, I am going now for a Navibot.

As a newbie to Navibots, I find the product range extremely huge, complicated and confusing.

It would be great if someone could answer me the following questions:

1)
Are both the 4th and 5th generation of Navibots able to start cleaning the apartment, driving back to the station in any room when batteries are low and finish the job after recharching?

2)
Is it correct that the charging time of the latest generation has expanded from 2 hours to 3 hours?

3)
What are the advantages of the 5th generations' Mapping "PLUS" compared to the previous version?

4)
As you see, I am unsure if I should buy a Navibot from the 4th or the 5th generation.
As noise and a self cleaning docking station is not important to me, are there other main differences between the 4th and the 5th generation?

5)
Is there a well known quality problem to Navibots similar to the feared "RPS Error" for Neatos?

Thank you for your help.

[piokrza]

zardoz - in response to your questions:

1) Yes. They have Visionarry Mapping (Plus) Technology (build-in camera), so they're are able to save the location and after recharging return to the place where there was "break". Also, mapping technology enables them to return straight to the charging dock, moving across the shortest way - just like Neato.

2) Yes, that's true. The latest generation is equipped with Li-Ion battery (unlike Ni-Mh used in prev gen), which gives a total time of 100 min (unlike 90 min in prev gen), but it take up to 3 hr to recharge (2 hr in prev gen). Btw, Samsung states that this 'type' of battery should last longer (more charging/recharging cycles) than 'standard' Ni-Mh type.

3) I have really no idea I was only in possesion of SR8855 and now I own SR8895.

4) Worth to add that in 4th gen there are 'silent' models. There is 'only' 2dB gap between them and new "S" line (62 dB vs 60 dB). I find SR8895 (62dB) a LOT quieter than SR8855 (73dB). Not sure if these 2dB makes such a BIG difference.

Moreover, 5th gen is equipped with dust sensor (auto turbo-mode activation), sound mute, and "ultra" low design. It has smaller dust bin (0.3L vs 0.6L), but wider main brush (20cm vs 16cm).

In my own opinion the new pleated HEPA filter can be harder to clean (all those hard to reach pleats...) - if you have ever tried to thoroughly clean such filter under tap, you will know what I talk about Oh and I don't even want to talk how it's important to clean these things (we all know that they're most important things to trap all the dust...what lives and is borned behind its fibres? grrr...). I wash mine with hot water and bleach/liquid detergent - it always looks and smells like new!

5) There was reported that some models from 4th gen (SR8845/SR8855) manufacutered in 2010/2011, had some problems with correct navigation, losting it's map, working in bad light conditions, and had broken wires in drive wheels circuitry.

[zardoz]

piokrza, thank you very much for your help.