iRobot Scooba experience

[bakasa2002]

Huat ah, all iRobot bros! Happy 2013! More bots in every home in 2013!

 

[ralfale]

After looking around, i realised im more of a sucker for technology, hence im more inclined towards smarter navigation bots like neato or roboking. Any users of this 2 bots around can provide some feedback on performance and long term durability?

 

[wongkc]

After looking around, i realised im more of a sucker for technology, hence im more inclined towards smarter navigation bots like neato or roboking. Any users of this 2 bots around can provide some feedback on performance and long term durability?

U may check out the LG Roboking thread for its review... this is more of a Scooba thread... totally different machine and purpose...

Personally i think LG is the best bot around now... got a few modes of navigation... scheduling... turbo function for carpet... wet wipe function... managed to clean the edge pretty well... home-dock rate is pretty good oso, despite sometimes it runs for 45-60mins all around the house with many obstacles it still manage to find its dock with abt 99.9% accuracy for me...

 

[ralfale]

U may check out the LG Roboking thread for its review... this is more of a Scooba thread... totally different machine and purpose...

Personally i think LG is the best bot around now... got a few modes of navigation... scheduling... turbo function for carpet... wet wipe function... managed to clean the edge pretty well... home-dock rate is pretty good oso, despite sometimes it runs for 45-60mins all around the house with many obstacles it still manage to find its dock with abt 99.9% accuracy for me...

Thanks mate !
Ops my bad, I completely did not realise this is a roomba thread as i seen all sorts of brands / models appearing in this ultimate long thread !

 

[uno_bliss]

I own a Neato & LG Roboking (bought from Gain City).

HWZ post written by me on Neato: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/57852200-post8328.html
HWZ post written by me on Roboking: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/69661538-post9448.html

Neato is more systematic than Roboking & can "see" (using laser) in total darkness.
Neato gets stuck between furniture very often: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/58015997-post8380.html
Neato has poor wall/furniture edge cleaning: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/57921142-post8361.html and Roomba vs Neato edge cleaning - YouTube
Neato can't pick up larger debris like Roomba: Neato XV 11 VS Roomba 563 Pet - YouTube
Neato treats curtains as walls: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/57874674-post8331.html and http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/57880933-post8333.html
Neato confusion or laser fault (RPS): http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/58154508-post8416.html
Neato rattling noise (when using rubber beater brush): http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/58010208-post8375.html

Roboking takes much longer time to clean when in total darkness, or very low lighting, cos the upward camera to analyze ceiling won't be helpful.
Roboking sweeping & suction would rank lowest, I believe those newer models with Turbo should be better.

Til now, I believe all would agree Roomba picks up most debris, small & large.
As in ridiculous stuff like what I've seen, eg. a whole packet of Pizza Hut chilli flakes, kids magnetic alphabet toy, recently found in my customer's bin a packet tissue wrapper & small balloons (probably from party mess).

Comparing Roomba with the rest, it's a tough machine & very lasting, eg. a few HWZ old-birds like "wiseone", "bakasa", "tekster", "dankoo", "mosmos" have all been using their Roomba for many many yrs.
iRobot has sold >6 million home robots worldwide, so parts are well-supported & available. It's like iPhone accessories, vs other brands.

"wiseone" had a Neato but died on him after ~10 mths due to a over-heated melted charging plate. There's also a few Neato owners who had laser module problems, to replace the laser is "cut-throat".
There's a tiny fraction of Roboking users, and all are newbies, so have yet to post about problems. But if Roboking camera fails, or even a wheel failure, there's no replacement parts. http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/72258487-post9762.html

I've been selling iRobot products full-time on eBay since Aug 2008. And I know Roomba & Scooba inside-out.
It's easy to sell, it's not easy to support customer long-term even after warranty period, that's why my competitors old customers come to me for tech support, I wonder why.

For local ready for delivery items & local round the clock tech support from me, pls visit my eBay iRobot store: uno bliss | eBay
Queries pls PM or email me unobliss@yahoo.com

 

[ralfale]

Thanks Uno, great professional respond from you as always. (Hope you guys dont mind me posting other bots here)I did some readings this few days, and somehow came to this impression

Roomba - most reliable. longest brand around. easy(and cheaper)to get replacement parts. Random cleaning takes up most time. Also cleanest result (because the same spot gets clean multiple times)
Neato - systematic path. edge/corner cleaning worst of the 3. Loudest of the 3, but cheaper than LG roboking. Lack side brush which makes side/corner cleaning poorest. Strongest suction. Do not knock into things like roomba. No need to use additional device to segment the house (eg.lighthouse like roomba). Replacement parts can be more costly than roomba. Seems to have most reported failures with RPS.
Roboking - systematic path. Most sensors and eyes around. Do not knock into things like roomba. No need to use additional device to segment the house (eg.lighthouse like roomba). Quietest but does a better job in cleaning than Neato. Best filter around - HEPA. Replacement parts can be more costly than roomba. Also the most expensive of the lot. Reliability unknown.

If $$ and reliablity is no issue, i would have taken the LG immediately. It seems the most balanced of the 3, and i like the way it navigate around the house. Poor lighting is not a big concern, since my house is bright and i would use this in the day time. I quite like neato too, if not for its lack of side brush and reported failure rates. I felt it has good potential, maybe wait for next version

So what's stopping me so far? Back to the fundamentals - Reliability

 

[ahbao]

upcoming samsung robot

Samsung Smart Tango Corner Clean robotic vacuum hits Flickr ahead of CES launch

 

[uno_bliss]

Thanks Uno, great professional respond from you as always. (Hope you guys dont mind me posting other bots here)I did some readings this few days, and somehow came to this impression... ... ...So what's stopping me so far? Back to the fundamentals - Reliability

Ur conclusion is generally accurate.

Just wanna add that Roomba is cleanest not just becos of multiple-pass, but more importantly is the dual counter-rotating brush system which by virtue of gravity allows the hinged Cleaning Head module (aka main brush housing) to sweep the floor at zero range.
No other brands (not even China Roomba imitation) has this self-adjusting Cleaning Head module. Other brands just have 1 brush at a fixed height.

Neato does have the best Room-to-room navigation, cos the laser "sees" the whole layout after Neato scans the room perimeter.
Roboking looks at ceiling, interpretation of corresponding floor layout would be limited.
Try this: raise ur head & look at ceiling, then walk around ur room, see if u'll kick into something, or ram ur balls into ur chair (don't blame me).

HEPA comes at the price of compromised suction power. Some Neato have HEPA & I agree Neato crazy-ass vacuum motor can handle the HEPA air resistance.
So if HEPA reduces suction power, then more dust is left on the floor. Which the wind will probably blow it up anyway.

The biggest trade-off of Neato not knocking things is the proximity it approaches objects, NOT very close: Roomba vs Neato edge cleaning - YouTube
For Roboking, the front ultra-sound sensors makes it go close without hard-knocks, very good design (although my older model Roboking still knock alot cos less ultra-sound sensors). But we're talking "ultra-sound sensors", who knows where to buy these if spoilt?
For Roomba, the array of Infrared sensors makes it slow down upon impact, but due to the spacing, narrow objects aren't detected or worse when object is Jet Black, and IR sensor is absorbed.

Reliability depends on whether users read manual & adhere to maintenance/DO & DONT'S.

I repair a lotta iRobot Roomba & Scooba.
- Roomba might have motherboard electronic issues after many years, eg. unable to control brushes or wheels. These are rare, but I've repaired before (not simply by replacing motherboard & ask customer to bear the cost).
- Other problems can be from wheel/sidebrush/brush modules which I can repair or replace modules if want chop chop resolution.
- A few incidents of people pouring water or letting Roomba go into rain, motherboard short-circuited, replaced & Roomba alive again.
Common sense says if u drop ur phone in toilet bowl, it goes from iPhone to iPooh. Or u spill ur Starbucks Tall Latte on laptop, u're no different from this guy: The kong show: Monkey vs. notebook. - YouTube

So I guess, to use a machine autonomously almost daily to handle ur mess, which could include moist food dropped by kids, some wear & tear is expected.
How many robots are tested to survive long-term?

 

[ralfale]

Nice factual and technical reply. I appreciate this, and im sure many blur heads like me will feel the same.

Many thanks.

 

[Jubooo]

................Random cleaning takes up most time. Also cleanest result (because the same spot gets clean multiple times)
............................

Roomba cleaning speed is the fastest among the 3 robovac you've mentioned. Roboking takes slightly more than an hour to clean in my place and roomba took approx 1.5 hrs which does not differ much from roboking.

Like what Uno had mentioned, the counter rotating brushes is the most aggressive among all robovac though the self adjusting CHM does not really plays an important role in most SG home environment.

 

[bakasa2002]

Ur conclusion is generally accurate.

Just wanna add that Roomba is cleanest not just becos of multiple-pass, but more importantly is the dual counter-rotating brush system which by virtue of gravity allows the hinged Cleaning Head module (aka main brush housing) to sweep the floor at zero range.
No other brands (not even China Roomba imitation) has this self-adjusting Cleaning Head module. Other brands just have 1 brush at a fixed height.

Neato does have the best Room-to-room navigation, cos the laser "sees" the whole layout after Neato scans the room perimeter.
Roboking looks at ceiling, interpretation of corresponding floor layout would be limited.
Try this: raise ur head & look at ceiling, then walk around ur room, see if u'll kick into something, or ram ur balls into ur chair (don't blame me).

HEPA comes at the price of compromised suction power. Some Neato have HEPA & I agree Neato crazy-ass vacuum motor can handle the HEPA air resistance.
So if HEPA reduces suction power, then more dust is left on the floor. Which the wind will probably blow it up anyway.

The biggest trade-off of Neato not knocking things is the proximity it approaches objects, NOT very close: Roomba vs Neato edge cleaning - YouTube
For Roboking, the front ultra-sound sensors makes it go close without hard-knocks, very good design (although my older model Roboking still knock alot cos less ultra-sound sensors). But we're talking "ultra-sound sensors", who knows where to buy these if spoilt?
For Roomba, the array of Infrared sensors makes it slow down upon impact, but due to the spacing, narrow objects aren't detected or worse when object is Jet Black, and IR sensor is absorbed.

Reliability depends on whether users read manual & adhere to maintenance/DO & DONT'S.

I repair a lotta iRobot Roomba & Scooba.
- Roomba might have motherboard electronic issues after many years, eg. unable to control brushes or wheels. These are rare, but I've repaired before (not simply by replacing motherboard & ask customer to bear the cost).
- Other problems can be from wheel/sidebrush/brush modules which I can repair or replace modules if want chop chop resolution.
- A few incidents of people pouring water or letting Roomba go into rain, motherboard short-circuited, replaced & Roomba alive again.
Common sense says if u drop ur phone in toilet bowl, it goes from iPhone to iPooh. Or u spill ur Starbucks Tall Latte on laptop, u're no different from this guy: The kong show: Monkey vs. notebook. - YouTube

So I guess, to use a machine autonomously almost daily to handle ur mess, which could include moist food dropped by kids, some wear & tear is expected.
How many robots are tested to survive long-term?

I think 2013 is a year you should start writing a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner book and get it published. Maybe iRobot/LG/Neato/Samsung will come knocking on your door with a offer to be their consultant?

 

[Jubooo]

...................Try this: raise ur head & look at ceiling, then walk around ur room, see if u'll kick into something, or ram ur balls into ur chair (don't blame me)..........................

This is why the samsung tested by straits times is always lost and clean the same space and received a bad review. Our false ceiling does not have much fixtures and the robot is like travelling in a dessert.

The latest roboking actually does have a camera on top and another below to solve this problem and that is why it's called "Dual eye"

 

[bakasa2002]

upcoming samsung robot

Samsung Smart Tango Corner Clean robotic vacuum hits Flickr ahead of CES launch

Hopefully it does not flop like it's previous siblings. Even LG is doing a better job than Samsung when it comes to bots ...

 

[uno_bliss]

I think 2013 is a year you should start writing a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner book and get it published. Maybe iRobot/LG/Neato/Samsung will come knocking on your door with a offer to be their consultant?

Hmmm... since "Hacking Roomba" has already been published long ago, I shall write "Heck Care Roomba".

The latest roboking actually does have a camera on top and another below to solve this problem and that is why it's called "Dual eye"

Actually my Roboking VR5902LVM from Gain City is already Dual Eye. I assume the Red Spot light below is considered an eye.

Hopefully it does not flop like it's previous siblings. Even LG is doing a better job than Samsung when it comes to bots ...

The new Samsung has a wonderful idea for cleaning sharp corners without having to be a square robot. But it also seems that the 2 protruding arms will get caught against furniture when turning.

 

[ralfale]

I am more confused on my decision the more i read hahaha. But in just a few days on this thread and pm communications with the sellers here, i can safely say we are in good hands (probably better than official support) from the swift response n knowledge coming from uno n jubooo.

Thumbs up for the service n support! You guys have my respect than just being profit driven but also giving your best back to the community.

 

[Jubooo]

The new Samsung looks like a huge dustmite itself to me

 

[bakasa2002]

The new Samsung looks like a huge dustmite itself to me

That is a really funny take but the design certainly looks stylish to fit a modern home.

 

[homedriver]

The irobot-roomba-650 with price tag $599 looks tempting.

 

[Jubooo]

The irobot-roomba-650 with price tag $599 looks tempting.

So mai-tu-liao. Ready stock available!

http://www.RobovacShop.com

 

[Okenba]

Hi, I'm thinking of getting a robot cleaner to help with some housework.
Problem is, i have laminate flooring. I think I read somewhere that the scooba is not meant for laminate? Are there any other robot cleaners that might do a better job with laminate flooring?