/diy/ - Do It Yourself

[Anonymous No.1564903]

Are robot vacuums still worth it? The junky brandless Chinese one I've been using for 4 years is dying. I'm wondering if I should get another robot or those fancy new handheld vacuums.

What bugged me about this old one was the accessory replacement ponzi scheme. The side brushes and unwashable filter are all of proprietary design of a brandless brand so it was difficult and ridiculously expensive to get replacements. The side brushes were even designed to self-destruct by overlapping the suction so much such that the bristles tend to be sucked in and eventually broken off.

[Anonymous No.1564910]

>>1564903
>Are robot vacuums still worth it?
I never was aware they were ever worth it.

I picked up a used Sensor S12, it does good, every single part is replaceable, they have been around for a good amount of time so parts are not going to be unobtainable any time in the near future, the filters wash out just fine and it can lay flat to get under a good amount of furniture.

[Anonymous No.1564930]

>>1564903
>still worth it

They never were.

[Anonymous No.1564935]

>>1564903
Everyone knows that we don't have the technology to do a small robotic floor cleaning vacuum bot. The only explanation is that an alien must created one to clean up after the building of ancient temples to be enigmatic.
I know, I know. I was skeptical too, but now it makes so much sense, that I am amazed that I ever doubted in the first place.

[Anonymous No.1565088]

>>1564903
>not building your own robot vacuum cleaner

[Anonymous No.1565097]

>>1564910

Can confirm, used to repair them all the time

[Anonymous No.1565228]

>>1564903
>Are robot vacuums still worth it?
That depends on how much you hate vacuuming.

[Anonymous No.1565230]

>>1564910
>>1564930

They are if you have a fucking dog that sheds.

Bonus points for hidibg it under the couch and scarring the shit out of people with it.

[Anonymous No.1565233]

>>1565230
I would never have a dog and a robot vacuum in the same house.

[Anonymous No.1565235]

>>1565088
That what i'm doing, essentially i'm copying the roomba design, but using 2 of the side sweeper instead of 1.

[Anonymous No.1565241]

>>1564903
Getting a robot vacuum is my all time best purchase. I don't understand how anyone can go back to the dead boring, brainless choir that is vacuuming after owning one.

Get a Chinese one though, but maybe not the cheapest there is, Roombas and shit can't compete with china now.

[Anonymous No.1565246]

>>1565235
Why not three?

[Anonymous No.1565718]

>>1565235
oh you mean like the eufy robovac or the deebot n79?

we have the deebot n79 and a roomba 650, the roomba has better suction but having 2 side brushes gets more dog hair in the end.

[Anonymous No.1565726]

>>1564903
>worth it
be honest, if the robot isn't doing it automatically, is the house ever getting vacuumed at all?

[Anonymous No.1565733]

>>1565241
This
I bought a cheap one, and it deals fine with tons of aluminum and steel chips on the floor. Barely even touch my shopvac now, I just sweep everything off the tables and onto the floor because I know the robot will get it.

[Anonymous No.1565734]

Who else here only vacuum once a month or so?

I never have people over and no pets and im very clean

[Anonymous No.1565748]

>>1565734
bought a walmart version of tornado vacuum, used it on my 10x20 TV room, filled cylinder twice with dust...I need to vacuum more often.

[Anonymous No.1566079]

>>1565241
What do you suggest getting?

[Anonymous No.1566080]

>>1564903
The LIDAR ones work great anon. Mine has never gotten stuck.

[Anonymous No.1566211]

>>1566079
I got this. Its really amazing at navigating complicated areas. I know it got an upgrade recently, with some improvements, but its more expensive too.

I've had less problems with it(None) than my friend's Roomba, and for under 1/3rd the prise. But don't get it if you need it to clean thicker carpets, its not any good at driving on them from what saw on YouTube. The more expensive 2nd gen might have fixed this though.

[Anonymous No.1566220]

>>1564903
>I have a robot vacuum for 4 years
>Do I like it?
Damn dude

[Anonymous No.1566222]

>>1565233
Seems satanic.

[Anonymous No.1566414]

>>1565733
>robot vacuum in the workshop
Why the fuck didn't I think of that? Genius.

[Anonymous No.1566650]

>>1564903
This is /diy/ so you shoud "do it yourself" and just get a normal vacuum and clean you filthy house yourself.

[Anonymous No.1566885]

>>1564903
I've used iRobot, Neat-O, and now Deebot brand ones.
The Deebot vastly outperformed the other two brands. The iRobot gives up really really easily when it gets stranded, and puts too much effort into mapping the room. The Neat-O fared better, but was a nag about every little problem. It did better at navigating though and picked up more debris. Then downside is that the dust bin isn't convenient to remove and if there are any obstructions in the compartment getting it back in is a pain.
The Deebot however is dumb as shit and seems to only be working on basic maze-solving function where if it runs into something it traces the right side of everything. And it's far more stubborn and will try to free itself for a much longer timeframe before giving up and asking for help. And it's not trying to "learn" the room, as all it does is clean and clean and clean until the battery is too low to clean anymore before it attempts to make it back to the charge base. The dust bin is much larger than the others, easier to empty, and it seems to rely almost entirely on sweeping/brushing to pick up stuff so it's quieter than the other two.

[Anonymous No.1566915]

>>1564903
Hell yeah they are worth it. I have a dog and a cat and run my Roomba twice a week. The amount of hair it picks up is insane. Not to be a shill but the Roomba 980 is worth every penny. I got mine on eBay brand new for $150 less than everywhere else. Other Roomba models just drive around until their battery is almost dead and then they dock and it's done. They don't actually clean your whole house, you only get as much cleaning as the battery will last on one charge. The Roomba 980 will actually clean your entire house with one press of a button. It drives around until the battery is low, docks, recharges, and then picks up where it left off. You don't have to take it from room to room or anything. Also their pattern has been modified so it now goes in nice straight lines rather than zigzaging all over the place. You can do a double clean so it does the house in one direction, and then does a second pass in the other direction. Kind of like plaid lines. You can also set it to do a final edge clean where it runs the edges last to get any residual dust bunnies that got pushed aside, and you can control everything from your phone. Plus Roomba is a huge brand so aftermarket accessories will be available for a long time to come. I have hardwood floors, a large rug in the living room, and tile downstairs so my Roomba keeps me from having to vacuum or sweep. I don't hand wash my laundry, I have a washing machine that does it for me. I don't hand wash my dishes, I have a dish washing machine that does it for me. Why should sweeping or vacuuming be any different? Buy yourself the gift of time in life and let a machine handle your sweeping and vacuuming for you.

[Anonymous No.1566979]

>>1566915
Don't get a Roomba, get this >>1566211
Its much cheaper, and does a better job navigating, has better battery, better sensors, easier to remove dustbin and a better docking station.

Don't pay 3x for a worse product.

[Anonymous No.1567006]

>>1564903
maintenance costs are super cheap in chinese brands. Also my V5 picks a lot of shit under the bed.

[Anonymous No.1567039]

>>1566885
I've got a Roomba since 2012 and it just fits the Deebot description. I only had to replace its battery when its running time went below 20 minutes.
Seems like newer Roomba models - and just like any other similar product - just started rocketsciencing. Wifi, intelligent mapping, on-board cameras, cellphone apps, etc, the latest Roomba emptying its tank in its base tower.

The only two things they didn't research: reducing maintenance and battery wear.

>>1566915
The real winning point of the Roomba 7xx/8xx/9xx was the couple of fine dust filters.

[Anonymous No.1567063]

>>1566211
Does it actually map the room?

[Anonymous No.1567068]

>>1567063
Perfectly, you can view its routes on the app after its done. And I belive the newest version of the vacuum even lets you create boundaries for the vacuum on the app.

[Anonymous No.1567085]

>>1567068
when the invasion comes there will be nowhere to hide

[Anonymous No.1567129]

I was always reluctant to buy one because they seem like gimmicks. Bought one around Christmas and I'm never going back. We have a dog and a cat so it is always full of hair and we run it daily. Plus do a vacuum with an upright once a week. I am actually looking at getting one of the smart ones that maps the floor for the main floor and using the old one upstairs where it is smaller.

[Anonymous No.1567280]

>>1564903
Yes. They make great platforms for diy robots.

[Anonymous No.1567283]

What if you have small floor space

[Anonymous No.1567285]

>>1567085
Just stand on top of a chair, they will never find you.

[Anonymous No.1567290]

>>1566979
That cheap China shit might compare with a Roomba 600 models, but NOTHING can beat the Roomba 980. They are built like a tank and have way too many features to list. They do an incredible job and will do your WHOLE house with one press of a button, not just run around until the battery dies. It also has a carpet boost mode where the motor amps up on carpet for a deeper clean, and then backs off a little when it gets back to the wood floors because not as much suction is needed and it saves battery. You just tried to compare a Hyundai to a Ferrari and no one is buying it. Poor fags gonna poor

[OP No.1567403]

>>1567068
>>1567039
These new features do sound attractive.

The current old ass one mentioned in the OP seem to have the most basic bump 'n' turn algorithm and can't seem to ever self-dock using its IR signal. I don't trust it to travel the whole house so I use the robovac on a per-room basis. I also have to do 5 minutes of prep work before using it, e.g. setting up barricades, remove floor mats, upturn the chairs.

I was thinking of replacing this routine manually with a stick vacuum, but if the features on newer robovacs are as good as what's mentioned, then I may have a lot to catch up on.

[Anonymous No.1567804]

>>1567290
>no one is buying it
The rest of this thread doesn't agree with you, Roomba shill.

[Anonymous No.1567932]

>buy

Make one. WTF, /diy/?

[Anonymous No.1569264]

>>1565733
>>1565733
holyshit what did you buy. I find this hard to believe, and now I want it

[Anonymous No.1570001]

>>1567932
>suckmaster

[Anonymous No.1570015]

What's a good robot mop?
I had a shitty one that held a reservoir of fluid that diffuses onto the mop pad.
Fucking reservoir broke from bumping into shit, and the wheels track dirt everywhere.

[Anonymous No.1570488]

>>1564903
>Are robot vacuums still worth it?
Yes. Very much. Just let it roam around and look what it catches. My parents were certain their home was very tidy. Both were shocked to see the haul after 10 minutes ambling around the living room.

I had one Roomba. It lasted me about 10 years and I got a new model (900 series) when it broke. I can recommend it.

There are two things that give it value: it cleans well and it does so alone. If you value your time it saves you a lot of it. Just program it and it cleans the house when you are out. I just wish the docking station also could also empty the dust.

[Anonymous No.1570783]

>>1570488
>I just wish the docking station also could also empty the dust.

The new one does.

[Anonymous No.1570826]

>>1564910
I don't get rumba vacuums. You have to own a second normal vacuum anyway in most cases.
What if you need to vacuum something beside the floor like broken glass off a sofa for example or spider webs from ceiling corners (which is another reason against bulky one piece vacuums you cannot lift)

[Anonymous No.1570883]

>>1566211
I have that one as well, doing a great job on both levels of my flat. A set of new filters/ brushes etc is around 20 bucks on amazon so not what I consider crazy expensive

[Anonymous No.1570884]

>>1570826
hmmmm.....having to vacuum up broken glass off of a sofa, happens to me every single once every thirty years. actually that's not true, i am 30 and this has never happened.
but lets pretend it has, lets pretend you are clumsy and drop a glass while standing on your concrete sofa and you need to vac it up.

lets see:
vacuuming a whole house say twice a week if you can be bothered
vs
having a robot vacuum up every day while you are at work and don't have to listen to it.

oh, yeah, completely useless.

even if you want to vac up once a week or so (unnecessary) on top of the poor little guy there is way less to pick up it takes less time and you don't use as many vacuum bags (inb4 brainlet bag-less anons.)

you need to understand economics better, you don't have to buy a robot vacuum every time yo uclean up, you buy it once and that's it until it breaks, every time it cleans it pays for itself.

[Anonymous No.1570893]

>>1570884
Are newer robovacs really that hassle free? I spend about 5~10 minutes prepping each room before I'd unleash a robovac in it.
>removing the floor mats
>furniture too low for the robovac
>removing chairs too narrow
>setting up virtual walls or barricades
I could probably spend the same time going it over with a handstick vac.

I suppose it helps if the house is designed to accommodate robovacs, but few homes come this way.

[Anonymous No.1571127]

>>1565241
Roomba 675 is almost as cheap as a Eufy and is way better.

[Anonymous No.1571152]

>>1570015
I got the braava jet. works pretty decent

[Anonymous No.1571313]

I'm going to buy one, would love more input on what to get. Thinking of the xiaomi one.

[Anonymous No.1571349]

>>1570893
Only things I do is keep clutter off the floor, and keep cords tucked away, things I should be doing anyway. My vacuum does avoid certain rugs, I just do those with a manual vacuum. They don't need to be vacuumed much anyway.

[Anonymous No.1571564]

>>1564903
Your chinese part was probably cheap. Four years is a long time. Repair it or buy a cheap new one

[Anonymous No.1573235]

Most of them suck.

[Anonymous No.1573308]

>>1573235
/thread

[Anonymous No.1575525]

>>1573235

my sides are literally in orbit you mad dog you!!!

[Anonymous No.1575716]

>>1567290
>trying this hard
I feel like I should upvote you’re shilling technique.

[Anonymous No.1575975]

>>1566211

I have the second gen S50 and it is amazing. Got it for 430 US on newegg, was a great investment. Sucks like OP'S mother after a few bumps of cocaine.

[Anonymous No.1576509]

How are these things at going over flooring transitions? There's a 3/4" difference between the kitchen and the rest of the first floor. I'm doubtful these things could manage that.

[Anonymous No.1576520]

>>1576509
Yeah they can't go over that, and 3/4" sounds like it may be within the deadzone of most front sensors, meaning the bot will keep running at the edge it can't detect. You'd need to setup barricades or virtual walls.

[Anonymous No.1576540]

>>1576520

Sort of what I figured. Thanks man

[Anonymous No.1576553]

>>1564903

The first few models weren't great but the tech is mature now, they really do the job.

[Anonymous No.1577070]

would insta cop if I didnt own a dog. one day

[Anonymous No.1577076]

>>1575975
any other recommendations? looking to commit to one of these little fuckers. I can't handle the dog hair that accumulates every goddamn day in the hallway

[Anonymous No.1577173]

Xiaomi vacuum v1 is $270 from aliexpress and has all the room mapping features most expensive roomba has. If you dont have very high carpets, it is the best thing you can buy. My apartment is all hardwood floors and i havent used a normal vacuum in 6 months now.
Never looking back. V2 even has floor mopping for 370

[Anonymous No.1578662]

Hey OP here. There's a lot of good info on Robovacs here, so thanks. However, I went and replaced it with a manual handstick vac instead, considering the small floor space and the amount of clutter I have to shift.

Maybe I'll consider a robovac when I ever move to a larger house, and maybe get some robo-safe furniture. It helps to know what my shitty vac gets stuck on, newer models will definitely perform better.

[Anonymous No.1579022]

>>1565233
imagine not training your dog to fucking shit outside

[Anonymous No.1580508]

>>1577173
>Xiaomi vacuum v1 is $270 from aliexpress and has all the room mapping features most expensive roomba has.
Is it connected to Internet? Roomba has considered selling pictures of the interiors of their customer's homes, pretty outrageous. The Chinese would definitely hand everything over to their spy masters.

>>1579022
I take it you have never had a dog. Some times they get ill and you have just seconds to get the dog out of the house for a massive unload. Last time I nearly shredded the newspaper I was reading in the urgency to get up and get the dog out.