Roomba - godsend of all vacuum-cleaners or just a toy?

[hinzpem]

Hello everyone!

This is my first post, and a probably very controversial as such.

While I was cleaning my apartment a couple of days ago, I wondered whether there was no smarter way to do the cleaning job. After all, I am a computer geek and I have always been one of the early adopters, so a robotic vacuum cleaner would be a nice addition to my gadget collection.

Searching the net, I finally stumbled upon the Roomba, which was love at first sight. So far, so good. Gadgetwise, I would have bought this robot right away. But even with the earlier gadgets that I bought that were at the beginning of the "early adopter's" curve, I always tried to buy something that actually worked.

Let's take a look at what a vacuum cleaner should do:
1. clean the floor
2. collect the dust
3. do not contaminate the air with smaller dust particles that it just picked up

A robo-vacuum cleaner should fulfill the following things in addition:
4. make one's life easier
5. be hassle free


Floor cleaning - OK
When I researched the Roomba, I found that most people reported that it picked up dust alright and collected it in the dust bin. Number 1 and 2 - check. Looking at the design of the Roomba, I noticed that the particle filter sitting behind the dust bin did not adhere to any filtration standard, but was a rather simple filter design. Tips that you can read in this forum to replace the fine-particle filter even suggest to use the lining of CD sleeves as a cheap replacement. Did I check the "collect the dust" item on my list prematurely?

Exhaust Air filtration - VERY BAD
I started asking myself what a state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner uses as a filtration system for its exhaust air and how large the particles are that are contained IN this exhaust air.
Now dust can contain a particles of a wide range of sizes. The effect of these particles when ingested into the body depends on the size, shape and chemical nature of the particles. Larger particles are easily filtered by our nose and do not cause much problems, while smaller particles may even pass through nose and throat and reach into our lungs. This so called "thoracic dust" is approximately 10 microns in diameter or less.

Modern HEPA (high efficiency particulate arrestor) filtration systems in vacuum cleaners are able to remove 99.97% of particles 0.3 micrometers or larger in size. How large is 0.3 microns? Here are some comparisons:

- Human hair 60 - 80 microns
- Dust mite waste particles 10 - 24 microns
- Mold 4+ microns
- Pollen 10 - 40 microns
- Bacteria 0.3 - 50 microns
- Asbestos (fibers) 3 - 20 microns

A conventional vacuum cleaner like the Roomba that uses a simple filtration system removes particles down to 35 microns in size. From the comparison chart above, you can see that dust mite feces, mold, pollen, bacteria and asbestos fibers would be "recycled" into the air by the exhaust of the ROomba. The problem with this type of particles is that because of their light weight, they float around in the air for hours before settling down. Even hours after a completed vacuum job, you will still be breathing in e.g. the dust mite feces that was released into the air by your Roomba.

Then again, I read that the housing of the Roomba is not even properly sealed, e.g. when looking at the pictures of the mechanical gearbox where dust was coming in. I started having my doubts whether the Roomba would even pass the 35 micron-standards of a conventional vacuum cleaner.

That alone is a knock out criterion which clearly speaks against the Roomba. Then again, I looked at my current vacuum cleaner, which also only uses a simple, non-HEPA filter system, so I reasoned that I wouldn't be much worse off with a Roomba.

Still, the Roomba is not cheap at 399 Euro here in Germany, which is a whopping 590 US-Dollars at the current exchange rate. I would expect my new vacuum cleaner to have advantages over my old one at this steep price.


MAINTENANCE - BAD
When watching the advertising videos on the manufacturer's site, one clear advantage seemed to be the time that I would be saving by using a Roomba, i.e. not having to use my vacuum cleaner much anymore.
I must admit, I am not in a relationship with my current vacuum cleaner. I haven't given it a name (which some people do with their Roomba), although it has been working for me now for 12 years without any defects. In all these years, I think I cleaned the inner workings of the vacuum ONCE, when I forgot to put in a new dust-bag and started vacuum-cleaning nevertheless. I never took it apart or looked whether hairs had become entangled around one of the wheels. I have never seen an explosion schematic of my current vacuum cleaner.

Moving on to Roomba, I see that people now really have much more time left - to take apart and clean their Roombas, e.g. the "minimum that should be done after each cleaning job": cleaning the particle bin, clean up the filter, take apart the thingy where the brushes are located, clean the hair build up at each end of both brushes - as otherwise I would "kill the DC motors that turn them AND burn out the pastic gear box!", rake out any wound up hair in the brush, and finally assemble everything again. Geeez.

Seems to me that my robot has not become something that makes me work less, but makes me work more - just a different kind of work. It has magically become some sort of Tamagotchi toy that needs constant maintenance, otherwise it will die on me (aka as gear box burnout).

I read that "it only takes 5 minutes" to clean Roomba this way. Hmm... Roomba would be running every day in my apartment, cleaning my living room/kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. In one week, this would be 7 x 5 = 35 minutes. Add 10 minutes and you are at what I spend on cleaning my apartment each week with my current vacuum. Granted, I don't cover each area on my floor 7 or 8 times like the Roomba does, but my vacuum cleaner has 1200 watts power compared to the 30 or so of the Roomba.

Number 4 on my list - "make one's life easier" - not really fulfilled when I read those maintenance tips.


MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION - good basic concept, but too cheaply produced
Last on my list - "be hassle free". A vacuum for 590 USD with the known problem of a "burned out gear box"? I saw the video on youtube. Dear iRobot company: I have studied business administration as well, so I know that you want to produce a profitable product. After all, that's why it's made in China, right?
But using at least an aluminum gear box and sealing it properly against dust would cost maybe 5 USD$ more per unit, but save dozens of calls to your call-center and replacements of burned-out-gearbox-Roombas!

Things like a brush that is known to break off easily, a front wheel that should be taped with electrical tape in order to avoid scratches on hardwood floor and protect it from wearing off within just 1 - 3 months of use or foam strips that should be taped around the front shield of the Roomba to protect valuable pieces of furniture from scratches do not really speak in favor for the Roomba.

Although I am interested in mechanics, I don't want to spend my time taking the Roomba apart every month or so to check on his inner workings.



VERDICT
It's a pity, and I really mean that. I still think that the general concept of Roomba is great.

From my point of view, cost reductions in the final production model have lead to problems that could be avoided easily. From a marketing standpoint, iRobot could even market a more sturdy (e.g. metal gearbox with gaskets) version which would use an exchangeable HEPA filter of the Roomba (e.g. by naming it "Roomba 570 Extreme") and sell it for 150 USD more. It would well be worth the price.

I wanted to wait, but then again, after what I learned about dust in the process of research, I might even upgrade my current vacuum cleaner to one with a high efficiency HEPA filter and a higher suction power, which was tested with the best mark in a well known consumer magazine. At 430 USD, it's quite cheap compared to the Roomba, but of course it also doesn't come with a voice-demo and doesn't make any beeping sound. Quite honestly, I couldn't care less.


Let me know what you think. Agree, disagree, or send flames my way, but please step back from viewing Roomba as a lovable robot and start looking at it as a vacuum cleaner that should save your time. Does it hold up to your expectations?

I am still torn between whether Roomba is the godsend of all vacuum-cleaners or just a toy for gadget-lovers with no real use.

Cheers,
Marc

[ED209]

Wie Gehts?

(sorry, that's my only German...)


1st time posting here myself.

While I think your points are valid and point the way for Roomba engineers to make further improvements, I think your post puts a fine point on many of the complaints that I've seen on numerous roomba forums.

Ultimately, I think folks expect too much from the little robot.

If you disregard any AI or programming that the robot has, essentially you're looking at a motorized hand-vac on wheels.

Imagine being on your hands and knees with a Dirt Devil, pushing the thing around the room for an hour or so. Every day. Not a chore I want to assume.

Is this enough to clean a room? I think ultimately it's up to the homeowner to decide. For myself, once upon a time I "enlisted" in the Clean Carpet Club by buying a Dyson. It works, of course, but it only works when I decide to take it out and use it! And I really can't stand using it, so I didn't. (this isn't limited to the Dyson, I just can't stand vacuuming in general).

I want a relatively clean house, but I don't want to spend the time and effort... so what to do?

Roomba eliminates the issue. Except for cleaning out its dustbin and brushes, it is relatively self-sufficient in terms of maintaining the cleanliness of my abode. It does its job, I do other things.

Could it be more efficient? Sure it could! I can imagine a Cyclonic Roomba (a la Dyson) that would probably look like the top-end of a medium-sized outboard motor rolling around the house. Then again, you're looking for the balance between efficiency, size, mobility and ease of use, yes?

Cleanliness vs. convenience... there is the fulcrum!

Please excuse my manifesto.... I'm not an engineer, yet I agree with all your points, to an extent. For example, if you're actually concerned about asbestos fibers floating in the air, you don't need a vacuum, you need to get the heck out of the house!

It is what it is. It keeps the carpet clean. And I'm sure that any mods you can design would be welcomed with open arms.. please post them up and let us know!

Prost!

[marymac]

The filter replacement that was discussed was on older models (I think the 400 series). The 500 series filters really can't be modified or replaced with other materials. They're smaller. Just shake them out or run them under water to clean. The 500 series filters are effective in capturing dust. Mine always has a heavy coating on it at the end of a run.

The first time I used my Roomba 550, I thought I'd made a mistake buying it because the air seemed dirty from the vacuum. I have a 9 year old Hoover Wind Tunnel with a Hepa filter that I loved when I bought it because of the Hepa filter - I could vacuum and not suffer respiratory problems! However - I really hate vacuuming and I'd go many weeks (I'm too embarrassed to say how many!) without doing it - so what good was the Hepa filter?

After the Roomba ran a few times and eliminated a lot of accumulated cat fur, hair, and general dust, I noticed the air quality never bothered me again. My carpets and floors have never been this clean. And my entire house in general is cleaner because clutter has to be controlled when you run a Roomba daily. I've become quite the little housekeeper since I bought a Roomba and Scooba. I've never really enjoyed cleaning before - but I love having spotless carpets and floors. And I initially thought the maintenance of the Roomba - and especially the Scooba - was annoying - I now find it enjoyable. It's a kind of Zen experience. It really doesn't take that much time - and it's more enjoyable than pushing a vacuum or a mop. Dare I say it's fun to clean these machines? It takes less than 5 minutes.

Other people on this forum have other vacuum robots. One is a Karcher http://www.probotics.com/showproducts.asp?num=22 With a run time of up to one hour per charge, the robot automatically returns to the base station to charge and empty itself into the base station. After a 20 minute charge, it automatically resumes vacuuming. It's low profile, stair detection feature, and low impact bumpers, allow it to safely and thoroughly clean even hard to reach areas. If you want a robotic vacuum - go for the Karcher - but it's $1495 U.S. dollars. I think the iRobot is great for the price - in the USA - not the European price!

In summary, I honestly feel the Roomba and Scooba have made me a better housekeeper and have given me the incentive to be much more organized at home. I also just love gazing at my very shiny tile floors! And I always walk around barefoot and it's still a thrill to feel a squeaky-clean floor under my feet. And to look at my circular Roomba tracks in the carpet and admire the cleanliness and lack of dust. My highly allergic daughter-in-law didn't have to leave the house at all over the holidays. She likes to sit on the carpet and then she has breathing problems (due to the dust and cat fur in the past). With the Roomba at work all the time - there's no dust - or cat fur!

I don't view the iRobots as gadgets but as cleaning tools - and yes I named them but I only call the Roomba by his name. The Scooba is used only once/week so that relationship hasn't been fully developed! I've had my 550 almost 4 months and I still smile when I hear the happy little song that signifies he's starting to work or has successfully docked. My first trash compactor made me pretty happy - and I still love compacting my trash to this day - 27 years later - but these robots are even better - and I'd rather clean them than the trash compactor (I still remember the grape jelly jar compaction that went bad!).

[hinzpem]

@ED209:

And I'm sure that any mods you can design would be welcomed with open arms.. please post them up and let us know!

Thanks for your reply. Well... I won't buy a Roomba, but IF I bought one, I probably would hand it over to my dad first. He is an electrical engineer, has completed an apprenticeship of mechanical engineering and likes "improving" things in his workshop.
He looked at the various pictures that I found of Roomba and his first reaction was: "You can't buy this thing, as it won't last very long. But if you do, we first have to replace most of the plastic parts by durable metal ones and properly seal the places where dust should NOT go to, e.g. gearbox."

As I wrote, cheap production is one of the issues that causes the Roomba to collect dust in all areas of the robot so easily and finally cease working. Instead of a plastic gearbox that starts melting, iRobot should have used light metal (which is more expensive) or a special type of plastic which does withstand high stress/strains and heat. These types of plastic do exist, but are - again - more expensive.

Second, a proper sealing of the non-dusty areas needs to be done, e.g. using rubber seals.

Third, the rotating brush, which is a very clever idea, could be using the same design that is used by the street cleaning machines. That way, you have longer bristles and no arms, which then cannot break, see picture here: http://www.panzerbaer.de/helper/pix/bw_ ... ne-001.jpg

Fourth, the engine that drives the brushes should have an overload detector, which would help to avoid any burn-outs of the engine or premature disintegration of the gears.

None of these are very easy to fix if you have standard tools at home. Basically you could also just use the robot as a blueprint for building your own one based on better materials and reusing the electronic. Then again, none of the Roombas is really that smart - I like the Trilobite's design much more.

From a programmer's perspective (that's were I am good at, having studied computer science), I think making the Roomba move around the room in a more intelligent way might even be possible. I have a media PC running at all times anyway, so leaving the "intelligence" to a device that has much more memory and a faster processor would be my approach. Let the robotic vacuum cleaner specialize on having good sensors and a good dust pickup and let a powerful computer do the logic via WLAN.
On the other hand, I don't know whether the Roomba is able to deliver exact positioning data, e.g. whether his movements can be done in miniscule steps, so one could plot his way with actual measurements of the surrounding (just like the Fischertechnik Turtle that one could position via step-motors in an enhanced version; original design can be viewed here: http://www.ulrich-mueller.de/turtle.htm).

In a nutshell: From my point of view, Roomba needs too many improvements to make it a good maintenance-free robot. If I buy something, I either buy it with the intent to improve it (in that case it would be ok), or to use it right-away (which is what I want to do). That's why Roomba is out of question for me.


@Mary:

Other people on this forum have other vacuum robots. One is a Karcher http://www.probotics.com/showproducts.asp?num=22 With a run time of up to one hour per charge, the robot automatically returns to the base station to charge and empty itself into the base station. After a 20 minute charge, it automatically resumes vacuuming. It's low profile, stair detection feature, and low impact bumpers, allow it to safely and thoroughly clean even hard to reach areas. If you want a robotic vacuum - go for the Karcher - but it's $1495 U.S. dollars. I think the iRobot is great for the price - in the USA - not the European price!

Thanks for pointing this out. The Karcher seems to be *very* well made, as is the Trilobite 2.0, which I also found. I didn't know that these existed, so I am now looking into buying one of those two. I am still torn between getting the Karcher with its automatic dust disposal and the Trilobite, which has a broader pickup and also seems to have a better suction.

I'll keep you posted

Cheers,
Marc

[sgroomba]

Floor Cleaning

Stepping past all the logical analysis, I don't think you'll find anyone who will claim their floors are dirtier since using a Roomba. You will find many, if not the vast majority, who say their floors are cleaner.

The Roomba also cleans lots of places under furniture etc. that I very much doubt anyone normally does more than once every 5 years.

Exhaust Air Filtration

In other topics, I've discussed both dust that settles on surfaces other than the floors, and putting a piece of tape on the Roomba's exhaust to have a look at what's coming out of it. As for the latter, very little came out of it. And while a couple of people have responded that they don't think the Roomba reduces airborne dust, most think it does. No one has claimed it increases household dust, regardless of their normal vacuum or cleaning habits.

Our cannister vacuum has a hepa filter, but again, what good is that if it doesn't get used?

Maintenance

Definitely the Roomba is not for the sort of person who never changes their car's oil or wiper blades. Most people agree that tinkering with the Roomba is not an onerous chore, and they don't mind doing it. While many household/gadget chores are unpleasant or even stressful, I find cleaning the Roomba is a bit calming and theraputic, sort of like gardening.

MECHANICAL CONSTRUCTION - good basic concept, but too cheaply produced

No, it isn't built like a Maybach. But people get perfectly good service from much cheaper cars. If the gearbox were made of metal parts, you'd just burn out the motor. I too have my issues with the quality of some of the parts, but overall I think it's built well enough. I have not had any of the problems you listed.

It's important to note that you can't tell from discussion forums what the rate of problems with the Roombas is. I'd guess that people who have problems are more likely to search the Internet for places to gather information or discuss the problems. So anyone observing this forum probably would think the Roombas are more troublesome than they really are.

Does it make sense to construct the Roomba to last 20 years? What is the resource cost to make them out of metal, if they are going to be obsolete long before they're worn out? It could be this is exactly the sort of product that should be made out of plastic.

Given that I can't see any sign of wear on the gears of our Roomba after several month's use, I have to conclude that if it's in proper working order, it is durable. Another issue is that if metal were used more extensively in the Roombas, they'd weigh so much that a more costly impact-avoidance system would have to be used. You can't have a 10kg object bumping into things. The screws may go into plastic, but so far none of mine have stripped out, and a failure is easily fixed.

Verdict

They're not for everyone, but the vast majority of people who choose to buy them, really like them. I was going to say that total sales of 2.5 million is proof of the concept, but then look at how much Coke and Pepsi are sold.

[roddenshaw]

Exhaust Air filtration - VERY BAD
I started asking myself what a state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner uses as a filtration system for its exhaust air and how large the particles are that are contained IN this exhaust air.
Now dust can contain a particles of a wide range of sizes. The effect of these particles when ingested into the body depends on the size, shape and chemical nature of the particles. Larger particles are easily filtered by our nose and do not cause much problems, while smaller particles may even pass through nose and throat and reach into our lungs. This so called "thoracic dust" is approximately 10 microns in diameter or less.

Modern HEPA (high efficiency particulate arrestor) filtration systems in vacuum cleaners are able to remove 99.97% of particles 0.3 micrometers or larger in size. How large is 0.3 microns? Here are some comparisons:

- Human hair 60 - 80 microns
- Dust mite waste particles 10 - 24 microns
- Mold 4+ microns
- Pollen 10 - 40 microns
- Bacteria 0.3 - 50 microns
- Asbestos (fibers) 3 - 20 microns

A conventional vacuum cleaner like the Roomba that uses a simple filtration system removes particles down to 35 microns in size. From the comparison chart above, you can see that dust mite feces, mold, pollen, bacteria and asbestos fibers would be "recycled" into the air by the exhaust of the ROomba. The problem with this type of particles is that because of their light weight, they float around in the air for hours before settling down. Even hours after a completed vacuum job, you will still be breathing in e.g. the dust mite feces that was released into the air by your Roomba.

Then again, I read that the housing of the Roomba is not even properly sealed, e.g. when looking at the pictures of the mechanical gearbox where dust was coming in. I started having my doubts whether the Roomba would even pass the 35 micron-standards of a conventional vacuum cleaner.

That alone is a knock out criterion which clearly speaks against the Roomba. Then again, I looked at my current vacuum cleaner, which also only uses a simple, non-HEPA filter system, so I reasoned that I wouldn't be much worse off with a Roomba.

Still, the Roomba is not cheap at 399 Euro here in Germany, which is a whopping 590 US-Dollars at the current exchange rate. I would expect my new vacuum cleaner to have advantages over my old one at this steep price.

I replaced Roomba's filter with a HEPA filter today, and it seems to work rather well! The vacuum chamber is rather well sealed, so I'm fairly confident that most of the exhaust is directed through the filter. The new one is about 400% thicker than Roomba's original filter. When Roomba had finished its first run with the new filter the underside was covered in dust (more than I had ever seen before) yet the top side was pristine white, so it would seem that the new filter is pretty effective.

[debugger]

I replaced Roomba's filter with a HEPA filter today

Roddenshaw , this is very interesting where did you get your HEPA filter material from?

[roddenshaw]

I replaced Roomba's filter with a HEPA filter today

Roddenshaw , this is very interesting where did you get your HEPA filter material from?

I went to my local market, where there is a chap who sells vacuums and accessories. He sold it in sheets that can be cut up and used in a variety of cleaners. It's rated down to 0.3 microns.

R

[debugger]

I went to my local market, where there is a chap who sells vacuums and accessories. He sold it in sheets that can be cut up and used in a variety of cleaners. It's rated down to 0.3 microns.

Hi there, have you got any more information on this stuff?

I am intrigued, I thought it you can get it in your local market then it must be available on the Internet but none of my searches have brought up anything that can be bought in sheets and cut to size.

[ED209]

Hi Debugger

A quick search found this:

http://www.rpsproducts.com/product-detail.asp?sku=39

It doesn't say that they're HEPA class, but they appear to be sheets of filter material.

[sweary]

I've been toying with the idea of buying an iRobot vacuum cleaner for some time. I'm pregnant and I can see that the choice when I finally pop will be a to employ a cleaner, buy a roomba or have a very dusty house.

Roomba wins... until I come here and see reviews like this and also the number of posts which can be paraphrased as follows...

"My iRobot cleaner broke, their customer service sucked. It's been X months and I'm still waiting for a new one."

It's clear that the products are brilliant, unless you get a lemon... knowing my luck that's what I'll get.

I live in the UK so it's going to be a godawful phaff sending it back and worse if I'm not going to be in much of a state to keep pestering them across an 8 hour time difference for results with a newborn in tow.

It's a question of whether I want to spend a few hundred quid on something that may be a godsend whizzing round my house gathering dust or conversely may prove to be a white elephant. Sitting in a cupboard gathering dust in a very different sense...

Any British roomba owners on here?

Alternatively I was thinking of buying the workshops sweeper, most of my home is floorboards and it's waaaay cheaper!

Cheers

Sweary

[debugger]

Any British roomba owners on here?

Yes, a few.

I would strongly recommend a Roomba vs the Dirt Dog - the dirt dog is just a sweeper with no vacuum.

I have experience of the 4xxx Roombas and to me they're great.

There have been adverse comments on the initial release of the 5xx series, although some have had no issues at all.

If you don't fancy the international hassle then buy in the UK (from an authorised seller), it costs more but you get warranty from Domotec.

any questions just let us know.

[Bente R]

I totally agree with hinzpem. It seems to me that people are soo excited that you can now get a little thing that moves around all by itself, that they forget what this is supposed to do.

I purchased the Roomba 530 with a 30-day take-back guarantee, and after having used it for about a week, I can safely say that I will take it back to the store.

It does actually clean up crumbs and visible dust, but when it's done, it's front and buttom is covered in dust. From looking at it's filter and how it's built, I feel confident that most of the fine particles of dust are blown right back out of this machine to settle on the floor again or to get inhaled be the residents.

At first, I must admit, I was a bit impressed with this machine, that cleaned up all by itself, but after getting to know it better, I realize that this is nothing more than an advanced toy.

It is not able to clean my entire house. I will have to put out numerous virtual lighthouses for that to work, and it would take the little fella most of a day to complete this task.

I think the problem with the Roomba robot is that (apart from being poorly built) it doesn't have a clue where it is. It doesn't know where it's base is either. It runs around in complete randomness and only cleans every spot because it knows that it statistically would have after spending so much time in each room. This also means that some areas are covered for 10-20 times, while others are covered just once.

I think that if you really want a robot vacuum cleaner at this price range, you might as well get a *really* cheap one from your local hardware store. It would cost only one third of this, and would probably do as poor a job as this does.

However, this was not what I was looking for, when trying to save some time on the house hold cleaning. I wanted something that could keep the floors clean during the weekdays, so that I didn't have to use the ordinary vacuum cleaner so often.

Now I'm looking into the Electrolux Trilobite 2.0, hoping it will clean better, coming from a vacuum cleaning company.

[richnorto]

On the contrary, my roombas have made a huge difference in the air quality in our home!!! I run them daily and rarely have to dust now!!! The nap of the carpet - 10 years old and (I thought) nearing replacement - is looking like new and fluffy! The hardwoods and tile stay cleaner longer and don't need scooba as often (although I do to keep them in top athletic shape). I used a built in system before which vented outside, so, really, the filters do work! The key is running them regularly, not like a weekly vacuum. You will like the results!

[roddenshaw]

This is hardly scientific proof, but since I modified my filter to use a much thicker filter material my 535 has been retaining a lot more dirt in the vacuum chamber (so much so that it tends to be full each day that I run it, which is every day and this is only in a 400ft/sq apartment). I doubt that the filter material that iRobot use is really up to the job of collecting the smallest particles of dust...

[marymac]

How did you modify your filter? I've seen the post about modifying the 400 series filters but thought the 500 series filter seemed non-modifiable.

[roddenshaw]

There is a very good step by step guide that someone else posted in the 'hacking' section of the forums.

[marymac]

Here it is! http://www.robotreviews.com/chat/viewtopic.php?t=8432

Great information. Thanks!

[shawn3434]

Hello,

Could anyone of you please suggest me some affordable vacuume cleaners??/

[leonicholson]

We're seniors with two 595 Pet Series Roombas that we run daily. Two dogs and dust require almost constant vacuuming of a large area.

At first, the bins were full. After a few times, I only needed to empty and rinse the filters every three days. Five minutes max. Every few weeks I clean the brushes.

Of course they do not have hepa filters, but as we can run daily, the dust does not accumulate We do have efficient hepa filtered air cleaners that I trust more than anything attached to the exhaust of a vacuum cleaner.

As far as maintenance, ours are several years old and I replaced the batteries and brushes after three years (Ebay aftermarket). Filters last many months, as I have two sets and always have a clean one to insert while the other one dries. Parts and used Roombas are readily available on Ebay.

Are they as powerful as our Dyson - no, but we don't have to push the things about and daily use seems to have about the same results. They do run random, but at least using two betters the cleaning odds.