iRobot Scooba experience

[Vachel Chan]

Of cos iRobot Roomba.....model wise, up to individual budget but all model are good, have been using mine for 1year+ and still a workhorse. Everytime i am back home, am so glad that the floor is free from dust...

Yup. The iRobot Roomba would be a fair model for budget constraints. Glad it is working well for you!!
Understand there is some interest on the New Square-shaped LG Roboking 6260 (black) /6261 (maroon) and 6270 (Red) with scheduling, detailed and systematic cleaning pattern and better coverage with extended side brushes.
Indeed if price is not a real concern, can definitely consider the latest LG Roboking.
The new LG Roboking 6260/6261 ($858) and 6270 ($988, with turbo suction), is available with local warranty. All parts and accessories are available and repairs done locally. Do PM or email if interested.

For videos and specifications on a range of Robotic Cleaners, Do checkout Autovacstore.com

 

[thewiseone]

Turbo suction as in stronger vacuum or simply more speed options? Thats the only difference between 626X and 6270?

Yup. The iRobot Roomba would be a fair model for budget constraints. Glad it is working well for you!!
Understand there is some interest on the New Square-shaped LG Roboking 6260 (black) /6261 (maroon) and 6270 (Red) with scheduling, detailed and systematic cleaning pattern and better coverage with extended side brushes.
Indeed if price is not a real concern, can definitely consider the latest LG Roboking.
The new LG Roboking 6260/6261 ($858) and 6270 ($988, with turbo suction), is available with local warranty. All parts and accessories are available and repairs done locally. Do PM or email if interested.

For videos and specifications on a range of Robotic Cleaners, Do checkout Autovacstore.com

 

[Jubooo]

Turbo mode means stronger suction. However the user does not have the option to select. The robot will kick in turbo mode when it moves over carpet with at least 10mm in length at all sides which means it is sort of useless for most home environment with only hard floor in Singaopore.




____________________________
Checkout Robovac iRobot Store for your robotic needs: www.RobovacShop.com

 

[Vachel Chan]

Turbo suction as in stronger vacuum or simply more speed options? Thats the only difference between 626X and 6270?

The LG Roboking 6270 ($988) basically comes with an additional feature called "floor Master", whereby the Roboking would turn up the cleaning power to a turbo mode when its over carpet or rugs to pick up more dust. Other than that no difference in terms of speed to the 626X model, Bright Red Design looks cool though. The 626X ($858) would suffice for normal tiles and hard flooring.

For videos and specifications on a range of Robotic Cleaners, Do checkout Autovacstore.com

 

[uno_bliss]

I have LG Hom Bot VR5902LVM bought from Gain City Expo on 18 May 2012. Super Kiasu extend until 5 yr warranty, pray hard Gain City won't fold (like Carrefour).
LG Hom Bot VR5902LVM

It is lightweight due to Lithium battery, but no handle, so need two hands to grasp.
I can safely say, the amount of stuff it picks up is pathetic vs Roomba or Neato XV11 (which I bought 17 July 2011).

Both LG & Neato have single sweeping brush, immediately followed by vacuum inlet that's supposed to suck in what the brush sweeps up.
Neato vacuum inlet is only ~1.5" by 2cm, so larger items will jam at this bottle neck.
LG vacuum inlet is ~10 cm by 1.5 cm, so wider objects can go thru.
Roomba bin opening (be it normal or Aerovac bin) is huge, which is why big things can get tossed in by the dual sweeping brush.

Whenever I clean the LG bin, there's so little stuff inside. Roomba & Neato confirm picks up a lot more.
Actually, I like Neato, just don't like the fact that there's no sidebrush. Hopefully, one day in my sleep, I'll come up with a mod to tackle that.

I can understand LG's position in design, they put quietness as selling point, hence, all spinning things (ie. sidebrush, bottom brush & vacuum motor) spin at low speed.
A handheld vacuum blows out much stronger exhaust wind as compared to LG. So where does the LG exhaust wind go when there's hardly any coming from the rear exhaust?

I feel that all robotic cleaners should have user adjustable vacuum suction power, just like Dyson handheld with 2-mode suction power switch.
And LG/Neato should incorporate "1-pass", "2-pass", "multiple pass until flat" mode selector. Since I find 1-pass is not clean enough.

 

[Vachel Chan]

Not sure about the 2008 Lg Hombot Vr5902LVM model, but the latest model 2012 models seems a huge improvement to the predecessors. It picks up more dust than Neato and dust collected is fine and fluffs up at the filter.
Believe Roomba made improvements from older models too, to correct some of its shortcomings.
For a better comparison do recommend to read a range of reviews online.

 

[mac_oasis]

what is the difference between the 560 and the 564 pet series?

 

[uno_bliss]

what is the difference between the 560 and the 564 pet series?

Roomba 560 bin: http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee451/uno_bliss/BinMod5.jpg
Roomba 564 Aerovac bin: http://i1228.photobucket.com/albums/ee451/uno_bliss/AeroBk2.jpg
The rest are same.

For those with non-pet version Roomba, should u have pet later on, just plug & play Aerovac bin & viola, it becomes Pet series.

I've been selling iRobot products full-time on eBay since Aug 2008.
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 email me unobliss@yahoo.com

 

[bakasa2002]

That is the first device I use before roomba but mine is not the softbase one. With the amount of dog fur I have, this fellow makes a mess instead of helping me.

If $50 is what you want, I have the Robo Sweeper for sale which use 4 AA batteries.

Nah, I still have my trusty Mint that I use in the evening when I need a silent worker while I watch some TV.

 

[bakasa2002]

The LG Roboking 6270 ($988) basically comes with an additional feature called "floor Master", whereby the Roboking would turn up the cleaning power to a turbo mode when its over carpet or rugs to pick up more dust. Other than that no difference in terms of speed to the 626X model, Bright Red Design looks cool though. The 626X ($858) would suffice for normal tiles and hard flooring.

For videos and specifications on a range of Robotic Cleaners, Do checkout Autovacstore.com

Vachel, you don't have the squarish Roboking yet? Btw, how come your Roboking not red ah? Just curious lah ...

 

[uno_bliss]

Nah, I still have my trusty Mint that I use in the evening when I need a silent worker while I watch some TV.

Now that's called "After dinner Mint"!

 

[bakasa2002]

I have LG Hom Bot VR5902LVM bought from Gain City Expo on 18 May 2012. Super Kiasu extend until 5 yr warranty, pray hard Gain City won't fold (like Carrefour).
LG Hom Bot VR5902LVM

It is lightweight due to Lithium battery, but no handle, so need two hands to grasp.
I can safely say, the amount of stuff it picks up is pathetic vs Roomba or Neato XV11 (which I bought 17 July 2011).

Both LG & Neato have single sweeping brush, immediately followed by vacuum inlet that's supposed to suck in what the brush sweeps up.
Neato vacuum inlet is only ~1.5" by 2cm, so larger items will jam at this bottle neck.
LG vacuum inlet is ~10 cm by 1.5 cm, so wider objects can go thru.
Roomba bin opening (be it normal or Aerovac bin) is huge, which is why big things can get tossed in by the dual sweeping brush.

Whenever I clean the LG bin, there's so little stuff inside. Roomba & Neato confirm picks up a lot more.
Actually, I like Neato, just don't like the fact that there's no sidebrush. Hopefully, one day in my sleep, I'll come up with a mod to tackle that.

I can understand LG's position in design, they put quietness as selling point, hence, all spinning things (ie. sidebrush, bottom brush & vacuum motor) spin at low speed.
A handheld vacuum blows out much stronger exhaust wind as compared to LG. So where does the LG exhaust wind go when there's hardly any coming from the rear exhaust?

I feel that all robotic cleaners should have user adjustable vacuum suction power, just like Dyson handheld with 2-mode suction power switch.
And LG/Neato should incorporate "1-pass", "2-pass", "multiple pass until flat" mode selector. Since I find 1-pass is not clean enough.

Hmm, your comments lead me to wonder how many robovac users actually run their bots when they are at home? The noise not-withstanding, I guess it's quite tiring to try to make way for the bot when it is cleaning? Hahaha ... I for one don't use anything except Mint when I am at home.

 

[Vachel Chan]

Vachel, you don't have the squarish Roboking yet? Btw, how come your Roboking not red ah? Just curious lah ...

Yup. have the full range of the latest Squarish LG Roboking. Only the VR6270LVM ($988) is red in colour. The other models are VR6261LVM (Maroon, $858) and VR6260LVM (Black, $858)
Can checkout its irresistibly cute video here.
http://www.tagstory.com/100441296

"This is a beautiful, but sad story of the last dust in the dark corner..."
http://www.robotbg.com/news/2012/09/03/video_lg_hom_bot_square

For users of the older 2008 VR5902LVM, it makes a cameo appearance in the video too for comparison sake. Unique and interesting perceptive.

 

[mygixs]

hi all i bought a roomba 780 and a scooba 380 recently i have a few questions to ask

1) I notice the roomba moving around in a room for a very long time and the lighthouse does not seem to let it out until the dock light is flashing, is this normal? (I realize the other option i have is to separate the living and bedrooms as 2 sections rather than 3 sections living, bedroom 1 and bedroom 2) Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. I live in a 3 bedroom flat, 67meter square or approximately 750square feet)

2)Also as my rooms are facing each other is it okie to put the lighthouse close together? (approximately a door's width)

3) One more question about the roomba, if for example it cleans the living roon at 7pm as schedule, after it is done cleaning its battery is low.. will it return to dock first and continue cleaning when it is fully charge or will in just forget its previous cleaning area?

4) my current battery life is approximately 2hours is this okie?

4) for the scooba is it okie to use them on homogenieus tiles, It seems to be squeaking alot is this normal?

5) also after it is done i see some water collected in the vacuum prep section is this okie?

thanks for your kind advice

cheers

 

[bakasa2002]

hi all i bought a roomba 780 and a scooba 380 recently i have a few questions to ask

1) I notice the roomba moving around in a room for a very long time and the lighthouse does not seem to let it out until the dock light is flashing, is this normal? (I realize the other option i have is to separate the living and bedrooms as 2 sections rather than 3 sections living, bedroom 1 and bedroom 2) Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. I live in a 3 bedroom flat, 67meter square or approximately 750square feet)

2)Also as my rooms are facing each other is it okie to put the lighthouse close together? (approximately a door's width)

3) One more question about the roomba, if for example it cleans the living roon at 7pm as schedule, after it is done cleaning its battery is low.. will it return to dock first and continue cleaning when it is fully charge or will in just forget its previous cleaning area?

4) my current battery life is approximately 2hours is this okie?

4) for the scooba is it okie to use them on homogenieus tiles, It seems to be squeaking alot is this normal?

5) also after it is done i see some water collected in the vacuum prep section is this okie?

thanks for your kind advice

cheers

Wah, that's a lot of question but let me try ... Before I start, wanna congratulate you for being the first owner that is using a 780 in this thread.

Q1&2) I will skip cos' I don't use LH, only Virtual Wall. Leave the experts to answer these.

Q3) It will not resume the cleaning, it will head back after it's schedule run on low batt, charge and stay there.

Q4) The 6xx series roomba typically last 1.5hrs, so I would say 2hrs on 7xx is very good. Of cos' it is ain't cheap to own a 7 series.

Q5) Squeaking is normal for Scooba on homo tiles. I think I do have some water at the vacuum prep area too, so shd be norm.

 

[Jubooo]

hi all i bought a roomba 780 and a scooba 380 recently i have a few questions to ask

1) I notice the roomba moving around in a room for a very long time and the lighthouse does not seem to let it out until the dock light is flashing, is this normal? (I realize the other option i have is to separate the living and bedrooms as 2 sections rather than 3 sections living, bedroom 1 and bedroom 2) Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. I live in a 3 bedroom flat, 67meter square or approximately 750square feet)

2)Also as my rooms are facing each other is it okie to put the lighthouse close together? (approximately a door's width)

3) One more question about the roomba, if for example it cleans the living roon at 7pm as schedule, after it is done cleaning its battery is low.. will it return to dock first and continue cleaning when it is fully charge or will in just forget its previous cleaning area?

4) my current battery life is approximately 2hours is this okie?

4) for the scooba is it okie to use them on homogenieus tiles, It seems to be squeaking alot is this normal?

5) also after it is done i see some water collected in the vacuum prep section is this okie?

thanks for your kind advice

cheers

1) As your floor area is not that big, sectioning into 2 area is viable too. The lighthouse will only open after 25 mins but it is not always true that roomba will exit at that time as it will need to hit the doorway before seeing and exit the lighthouse. If the room is very small, roomba will instruct the LH to open and let it out automatically even before the 25 mins timeframe.

2) Do not face the LH to each other as the signal will interfere and cause confusion to each other and that may be the reason why roomba is hesitating to come out. 1 lighthouse may be open to say exit but the other is still close and blocking the exit.

I will not elaborate on 3-5 as Bakasa had covered it. Scooba will visit an area which is cleaned before and thus the prep vacuum section will pickup some water which is very normal.

iRobot's APS battery is rated as 120 mins but I've got customer reported 2hs 45mins and roomba is still not returning to base which they stop it eventually. It all depends on individual environment. The more clustered your home is, the more power it will consume. Floor type is also a factor.

 

[Jubooo]

what is the difference between the 560 and the 564 pet series?

All the 500 series are similar and is only different in terms of accessories bundled and features like Lighthouse.

The major difference between 560 & 564 is the Aerovac bin which Uno mentioned.

If you get the 564 locally, it's basically a 560 with Aerovac bin and some extra accessories.

If you get the 564 from www.RobovacShop.com it has an additional Pet Halo which creates a circular shield preventing your pet's food and water bowl from roomba's path. We do not want roomba to spill the water and drink it later It's hell lot of mess considering roomba's ability of picking up that tremendous amount of dust.

 

[uno_bliss]

The Virtual Wall Halo is the lamest invention by iRobot, it's basically an improvisation which can be devised by anyone with their existing Virtual Wall.

Just use opaque adhesive tape to cover the Infrared hole. Most of the time, don't even need to cover, just face it to the wall will do, eg. protecting Subwoofer.

The Halo coverage is ~1 ft radius, so if pet area is 2 ft diameter, then is fine, but the Virtual Wall will be right in the middle & maybe might shift/topple when pet moves around.

Which could explain why the Virtual Wall Halo skirt is wider, probably for stability.

 

[thisisthis48]

hi all i bought a roomba 780 and a scooba 380 recently i have a few questions to ask

1) I notice the rice moving around in a room for a very long time and the lighthouse does not seem to let it out until the dock light is flashing, is this normal? (I realize the other option i have is to separate the living and bedrooms as 2 sections rather than 3 sections living, bedroom 1 and bedroom 2) Any suggestion is greatly appreciated. I live in a 3 bedroom flat, 67meter square or approximately 750square feet)

2)Also as my rooms are facing each other is it okie to put the lighthouse close together? (approximately a door's width)

3) One more question about the roomba, if for example it cleans the living roon at 7pm as schedule, after it is done cleaning its battery is low.. will it return to dock first and continue cleaning when it is fully charge or will in just forget its previous cleaning area?

4) my current battery life is approximately 2hours is this okie?

4) for the scooba is it okie to use them on homogenieus tiles, It seems to be squeaking alot is this normal?

5) also after it is done i see some water collected in the vacuum prep section is this okie?

thanks for your kind advice

cheers

Great advice thanksss

 

[mygixs]

thanks all for the answer....now i guess i have a better understanding about the machines. Anybody tried using the remote control for the roomba? i tend to have some problems with it's sensitivity. It comes and goes.or am i using it wrongly also what does the button with the 3 dots stands for??