Tell me about Robot Vacuums

[TwiceHorn 31540]

We've been toying with the idea for years but with new house ready to pull the trigger.  We have mostly tile, carpet in the bedrooms.  Not sure we care if it does the bedrooms except the master (rest are unoccupied).

Wife wants it to mop, I'm skeptical and think maybe separate mop and vacuum may be a better idea.

Not sure I'm convinced of the need for room mapping, voice control and advanced guidance.  Self emptying seems kind of absurd because seems like you still have to empty the dock every other run or so.

Tips, thoughts?

[luke duke 6414]

Self emptying is legit.

[Deej 76943]

They are great until you get a Husky. Ask me how I know. 

 

Edited May 28, 2023 by Deej

[Mother mopar 3324]

We have a roomba i9something or another and it's been awesome. You have to replace the filter and rollers every 4-6 months and we replaced a battery 4ish year's in. It's easy after it maps your house.

No self-emptying or mopping features (not surly 1%) but we have it set to start when we go out for work and it runs every other day as we have a husky/pit cross.

[tx 3 putt 77479]

Costco runs them on sale, like $150 off. Upgraded version and you can always take them back

 

[TwiceHorn 31540]

3 hours ago, luke duke said:

Self emptying is legit.

Most of what I see seems to have about the same size dust container on both the vacuum and the dock.  But I guess you can let the dock get fuller before the vacuum suffers.

[Celery Man 21002]

I'm skeptical about how well robot mopping works but I'm curious.

We have a roborock something something - looks like an "S4 Max" which I think was probably their mid range model 3 years ago. Not self emptying, but yes room mapping. If it does voice control I don't know about it. It runs every other day and I forget about it which would make self-emptying nice because sometimes I forget about it for too long and it is pretty full. It's not as good as doing a full manual vacuum but it helps keep things manageable. I have been pleased with availability of cheap parts from amazon when stuff needs replaced.

I'm not a robot vacuum expert but I think the room mapping thing is actually a fairly important feature. I think vacuums that don't do that (or at least some that don't do that) are just kinda bouncing around randomly, they can't resume a clean if it needs to be interrupted for some reason, etc. 

[morehornsepower 887]

10 hours ago, Mother mopar said:

We have a roomba i9something or another and it's been awesome. You have to replace the filter and rollers every 4-6 months and we replaced a battery 4ish year's in. It's easy after it maps your house.

No self-emptying or mopping features (not surly 1%) but we have it set to start when we go out for work and it runs every other day as we have a husky/pit cross.

We have the i9something-or-other as well, but with the self-emptying.  Got it on an Amazon Prime Day deal for several hundred off.  Self-emptying is legit, and the base bag doesn't fill up until after many vacuuming runs.  We don't have a mopping version, but the vacuum part has been fantastic for keeping our dog hair (2 border collies) well controlled.  Would recommend.

[Mother mopar 3324]

We have the i9something-or-other as well, but with the self-emptying.  Got it on an Amazon Prime Day deal for several hundred off.  Self-emptying is legit, and the base bag doesn't fill up until after many vacuuming runs.  We don't have a mopping version, but the vacuum part has been fantastic for keeping our dog hair (2 border collies) well controlled.  Would recommend.

Good to know as we may upgrade later on.

[totallynotabuttpirate 5405]

Roomba J7+ is really good. Routinely goes on sale for <$500.  

[MonkeyDoughnut 10357]

I've got the S9+ vacuum and a separate Braava jet M6 and both work great. We've got mainly hardwoods but two dogs that shed like crazy year round. The new mapping guidance now is far, far superior to early versions that just randomly wandered. Love ability to tell it to just vacuum living room daily, etc. Mop works very well but must be refilled after each use. No big deal but love that the vacuum can go months without having to change the canister.

If you have cords and kid toys laying all over, not sure how great they are without picking up first. They aren't perfect but if set to run on a schedule do a great job.

[fattyflattie 4638]

Mapping a must.  What I’ve learned from having several is get either the best, or next to best tier.  The high end models and features are well worth it IMO. I made the midrange mistake 2x.   

[Bevo 13601]

I have a robot lawnmower. It's okay. The mapping is shitty and it doesn't return to homebase (or at least it hasn't yet). It has been great in other ways though. Our yard is terraced and carrying a lawnmower over travertine stairs weekly sucked. So, overall I am happy with the purchase because the alternative was so bad.

[Gene Parmesan 4016]

We got a mid range model several years back.  It wasn't a very good vacuum, so it can't really be your sole vacuum.  Our furniture was also not ideal for it.  Our couch set too low for it to go under, but it was also too high for it to just bump it and turn so it would often end up wedged under.  It also couldn't really do well around the kitchen table and chairs.  Maybe the technology has got a lot better, but unless you have an ideal furniture setup it's going to just be mediocre.

[wackawacka 183]

roomba or bust! we tried Eufy but honestly roomba is just better.

[dcbc 14511]

On the cheap end, we have a Comedy. First one died after a year. Customer service was great. Replaced with new. Keeps on going and deals with our retriever's shedding.  It also has a $35 mop attachment that works well.

Edited June 8, 2023 by dcbc

[TwiceHorn 31540]

I'm not expecting elimination of all conventional vacuuming.  But it is good to hear that they seem to keep pet hair under control.

 

[dcbc 14511]

40 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I'm not expecting elimination of all conventional vacuuming.  But it is good to hear that they seem to keep pet hair under control.

 

It helps.  Does not eliminate.

[Prepuce of Doom 21105]

They really suck! 

[tx 3 putt 77479]

On 5/27/2023 at 4:40 PM, TwiceHorn said:

We've been toying with the idea for years but with new house ready to pull the trigger.  We have mostly tile, carpet in the bedrooms.  Not sure we care if it does the bedrooms except the master (rest are unoccupied).

Wife wants it to mop, I'm skeptical and think maybe separate mop and vacuum may be a better idea.

Not sure I'm convinced of the need for room mapping, voice control and advanced guidance.  Self emptying seems kind of absurd because seems like you still have to empty the dock every other run or so.

Tips, thoughts?

$140 off at Costco. Act fast 

[Fudge Nuggets 19227]

A guy I work with has one and said he came home to a very unwelcome surprise when his dog took a massive shit in the floor while he was away and the robot vac went ahead and did its thing.

[deft 6881]

We got a roborock q5 recently to replace the eufy vac.  It's been a far superior product so far. 

[Orale 1088]

I got one in an after Christmas sale for sweeping up dog hair. It did a good job but you have to spend time removing cords and other obstructions it can get stuck on plus the time to empty it and ensure it's charging properly. I ended up not using it much because I could sweep up the room faster than it took to prep it for the robo. 

[thunderlounge 7943]

I picked up a shark 2 years ago on a ridiculous prime day deal of 60% off. Wasn’t the highest model, but second highest. Biggest standout feature was self-empty with an XL dock bin. 
 

Has mapping, scheduling, all of that. 
 

Definitely the way to go. Floors are a mix of carpet and wood. It’s worth it, especially for the dog hair. Not perfect, but that’s ok. 
 

I clean the onboard bin once a week (re: dog hair) and takes maybe a minute. Easy. I empty the dock bin about once a month. At which time I also rinse the filters. Takes less than 10 minutes for all that.

 

Edited June 24, 2023 by thunderlounge
ou sucks

[MonkeyDoughnut 10357]

I have the iRobot S9+ / M6 mop combo and liked it, but in last couple months is started struggling. Main thing was struggling to get over thresholds between flooring types - tile to hardwood, etc that it had minimal issue with previously.  It was never great on longer rugs but I only had one so not a big deal.  Anyway it got worse to the point where I spent much of a week trying to reset/remap etc things but no luck.  Working from home it was driving me nuts.

I ended up researching new ones and got a Roborock S8 Pro Ultra.  Thing is vacuum/mop all in one with unit that has dirty water, clean water and vacuum bag bins.  

All I can say is wow... I had no idea the progress other companies had made over iRobot... this things is far, far superior in every way possible.  Better app, better cleaning, quieter, FAR superior mapping ability - can map my entire downstairs in less than 10 minutes. My old S9+ took hours.

 

TLDR;  My robot vacuums are worth more than my car and my new vacuum drives better too.

[SimonBolivar 10960]

Am I the only one who prefers that my robot doesn't self-empty? I, sadly, enjoy opening it up after it runs and seeing how well it did.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10357]

Just now, SimonBolivar said:

Am I the only one who prefers that my robot doesn't self-empty? I, sadly, enjoy opening it up after it runs and seeing how well it did.

With dogs that shed it can empty once or twice a vacuum so I'm ok with it doing it so it can finish on its own. I mean, there is also something about a robot that announces.. "cleaning the mop" when it returns to base too.  

Adding to my above post... ~1050 sqft of cleaning area, old S9+/M6 combo took around 6-7 hours to complete as required S9+ to charge once during cleaning which takes a couple hours and Mopping only occurring after vacuuming is complete.

New Roborock S8 takes 1hr 40 mins for same area and still has 32% battery left.

[SimonBolivar 10960]

2 minutes ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

With dogs that shed it can empty once or twice a vacuum so I'm ok with it doing it so it can finish on its own.

Ah yeah we have a tiny long hair that doesn't shed much so we can run it all over the kitchen, dining, and living room and it won't fill up in a day.

[bigcigar 1165]

On 12/1/2023 at 9:27 AM, MonkeyDoughnut said:

Better app, better cleaning, quieter, FAR superior mapping ability - can map my entire downstairs in less than 10 minutes. My old S9+ took hours.

Similar transition experience with roborock. It’s just a better product than a roomba.

[NoName 16407]

Vacuum Wars just put out their best of 2023 videos recently. The Dreame L20 Ultra just unseated the top of the line Roborocks/Roombas

+

 

[UT_OB1 2225]

What happens when the map changes daily because *someone* puts their purse / shoes / coat / whatever the fuck is in their hands down where ever they are because the the extra 30 seconds to put something where it belongs is a bridge too far?  What about when the 8 yo tries to ride it?  Amazon packages of stuff we clearly can’t survive w/o build up in uneven piles?  Someone decides they can only sit in a hammock and gets an indoor hammock that moves all over the gotdamn living room?  Does it still work in all those scenarios?

[MonkeyDoughnut 10357]

9 hours ago, UT_OB1 said:

What happens when the map changes daily because *someone* puts their purse / shoes / coat / whatever the fuck is in their hands down where ever they are because the the extra 30 seconds to put something where it belongs is a bridge too far?  What about when the 8 yo tries to ride it?  Amazon packages of stuff we clearly can’t survive w/o build up in uneven piles?  Someone decides they can only sit in a hammock and gets an indoor hammock that moves all over the gotdamn living room?  Does it still work in all those scenarios?

Other than the 8yr old riding, my new Roborock would be ok. Has great object detection/avoidance because of it's cameras. Seems to be key. Obviously not going to move things out of the way to fully clean like a housekeeper would, but for daily/weekly get all you can it is great.

 

[NoName 16407]

On 12/5/2023 at 9:09 PM, UT_OB1 said:

What happens when the map changes daily because *someone* puts their purse / shoes / coat / whatever the fuck is in their hands down where ever they are because the the extra 30 seconds to put something where it belongs is a bridge too far?  What about when the 8 yo tries to ride it?  Amazon packages of stuff we clearly can’t survive w/o build up in uneven piles?  Someone decides they can only sit in a hammock and gets an indoor hammock that moves all over the gotdamn living room?  Does it still work in all those scenarios?

object avoidance is different than re-mapping. mapping is more like "you moved your couch, what does the room look like now" - and i believe mapping wise it's always looking. now you have an app where you can identify rooms, create go/no go areas, etc pretty easily.

object avoidance is a chair got moved from the dining table, or the purse on the floor or a kids toy is in the middle of the room - it just goes around it and cleans around it. no big deal on those issues. new ones are awesome on that front.

[morehornsepower 887]

I hate all of you.  Been pretty happy with our roomba, but I do wish it had mopping functionality.  Roborock looks legit, for sure...but man that's a lot of $$ for an upgrade...

[Snake Diggity 4627]

Wife recently bought a Shark (their 2nd most expensive model).  It maps the house, has a self emptying docking station, and can be easily programmed to spot clean a room when needed.  It doesn’t mop and it only has the top camera and bumper, not the radar/laser shit that I think the very top of the line models have.

So far it’s great.  We had a cheap one a few years ago and it sucked; was constantly getting stuck, rarely returned to the docking station, and just generally didn’t vacuum very well.  This Shark vacuums as well as the maids do with our big handheld.  It only gets stuck when somebody leaves a large item between  1.5” and 3” on the ground (like the dog bed/mat).  We only empty the docking station once a month or so.

We’ll see how durable it is but for now I’m very pleasantly surprised.

Edited December 8, 2023 by Snake Diggity

[thunderlounge 7943]

On 12/1/2023 at 9:27 AM, MonkeyDoughnut said:

I have the iRobot S9+ / M6 mop combo and liked it, but in last couple months is started struggling. Main thing was struggling to get over thresholds between flooring types - tile to hardwood, etc that it had minimal issue with previously.  It was never great on longer rugs but I only had one so not a big deal.  Anyway it got worse to the point where I spent much of a week trying to reset/remap etc things but no luck.  Working from home it was driving me nuts.

I ended up researching new ones and got a Roborock S8 Pro Ultra.  Thing is vacuum/mop all in one with unit that has dirty water, clean water and vacuum bag bins.  

All I can say is wow... I had no idea the progress other companies had made over iRobot... this things is far, far superior in every way possible.  Better app, better cleaning, quieter, FAR superior mapping ability - can map my entire downstairs in less than 10 minutes. My old S9+ took hours.

 

TLDR;  My robot vacuums are worth more than my car and my new vacuum drives better too.

 

I killed my old-ass robot (it asked for every bit of the beating it got) and am looking for a new one.

You still liking yours? Thinking about it instead of the S8 MaxV.

[MonkeyDoughnut 10357]

1 hour ago, thunderlounge said:

 

I killed my old-ass robot (it asked for every bit of the beating it got) and am looking for a new one.

You still liking yours? Thinking about it instead of the S8 MaxV.

I do. It's been good. Mapping still great. Battery life much better than iRobot. Typically finishes entire job on one charge even with vacuum on higher setting. Definitely love the dual mop/vacuum vs 2 units.

 

[deft 6881]

Took advantage of the prime sales a few weeks back and got a Roborock revo master. Love it.

[Bevo 13601]

3 hours ago, deft said:

Took advantage of the prime sales a few weeks back and got a Roborock revo master. Love it.

 

$1000?

[tx 3 putt 77479]

buy one when costco has them $140 to $170 off. plus you can always return it

[deft 6881]

 
$1000?

$925 shipped

[thunderlounge 7943]

Looks like the robo season has begun.

Roborock's top end S8 MaxV Ultra ($1800 list) now $1100.

The S8 Pro Ultra ($1600 list) now $900.

I'm sure others are on sale too, but you get the idea.

[TexPx 2325]

Yeah.Amazon has bunches for 40 to 50% off. We ordered a Roborock from Costco to replace a Shark that’s only a month old. APP for the Shark suddenly lost about half of the features. No updating helped and customer service was useless.

[thunderlounge 7943]

1 hour ago, TexPx said:

Yeah.Amazon has bunches for 40 to 50% off. We ordered a Roborock from Costco to replace a Shark that’s only a month old. APP for the Shark suddenly lost about half of the features. No updating helped and customer service was useless.

What did you end up with? Do you like it?

I’m stuck between a qrevo master, s8 maxV ultra, and s8 pro ultra.

There’s a $200 doff between the s8’s, and the master is in the same range. 

[TexPx 2325]

What did you end up with? Do you like it?
I’m stuck between a qrevo master, s8 maxV ultra, and s8 pro ultra.
There’s a $200 doff between the s8’s, and the master is in the same range. 

QX Revo. Under 499 at Costco. Didn’t need anything too fancy. Just came today so haven’t tried it yet.

[TexPx 2325]

What did you end up with? Do you like it?
I’m stuck between a qrevo master, s8 maxV ultra, and s8 pro ultra.
There’s a $200 doff between the s8’s, and the master is in the same range. 

Cleans great so far. Much better mapping. Recognizes and avoids a couple of drop offs I have that the Shark would plunge from in apparent suicide attempts. Quieter too.

[thunderlounge 7943]

Anything is going to be better than the shark I had. That thing was complete shit at the end.