So, anyone got an iRobot Roomba or other robot vacuum cleaner?

Psycho Sonny said:
i'd always go for the newest version personally just because it will have better stuff in it regardless of mop, etc.
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Possibly, probably, but not certainly :)

Could be the new stuff they're trying to make it do (mop) is counter productive?

Anyway, hopefully the app improvements for regions will come through to V1 :)
 
The V2 only has the following useful improvements in my opinion:
  • Pressure sensor on top of the LDS turret - seen my V1 get jammed under furniture before, although it does usually wriggle itself out
  • Better clearance, believe it's now up to 2cm?
  • Better suction - always welcome, but not like the 1st was lacking anyway
  • Improved location awareness - this allows the better features in the software such as fencing areas off etc. This is a good feature, but again, the V1 navigation is better than anything Neato or Roomba were doing
I agree that the mop function is an absolute gimmick. I would have much rather Xiaomi/Rockrobo moved the brush to the front of the robot (like the LG CordZero R9) so that the brush can get right to the edge of rooms.
 
Mekrel said:
The V2 only has the following useful improvements in my opinion:
  • Pressure sensor on top of the LDS turret - seen my V1 get jammed under furniture before, although it does usually wriggle itself out
  • Better clearance, believe it's now up to 2cm?
  • Better suction - always welcome, but not like the 1st was lacking anyway
  • Improved location awareness - this allows the better features in the software such as fencing areas off etc. This is a good feature, but again, the V1 navigation is better than anything Neato or Roomba were doing
I agree that the mop function is an absolute gimmick. I would have much rather Xiaomi/Rockrobo moved the brush to the front of the robot (like the LG CordZero R9) so that the brush can get right to the edge of rooms.
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Oh, so the new region/fencing functionality show in the app isn't coming to the V1? :(
 
NeilFawcett said:
Oh, so the new region/fencing functionality show in the app isn't coming to the V1? :(
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It's hard to say, a lot of the product improvements are in broken English due to the direct Chinese translation. For example:
Enhanced sensors

Mi robot cleaner 2 increased soft buffer crash to protect the furniture. With the wall sensor, this sensor makes the cleaner robot always keep a distance of about 10mm from the wall when it is working. With 4 cliff sensors to avoid falling. The double electronic compass identifies the virtual walls more accurate. Besides, Mi robot leaner 2 using a new infrared chargeback technology which makes the recharge more efficient.
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Is the "double electronic compass" the sensor that detects the virtual walls that are basically magnetic strips or are they referring to the virtual walls made in the app?
 
Ahh by the way guys I forgot to mention something I bought as an accompaniment to my MiRo...

The iRobot Braava Jet 240 https://store.irobot.com/default/floor-mopping-braava-robot-mop-irobot-braava-jet/B240020.html

What is it?

A floor mopping robot, non-programmable with no scheduling function.

How does it work?

You slide on one of the disposable pads with cleaning solution (need to be bought separately and can have dry, damp and wet versions depending on the floor type), fill the robot with hot water from the tap, and then place it in the room of your choosing to let it do its stuff on a modest-sized hard floor. You can also use re-usable mop pads but I don't see much point considering how cheap (if not eco-friendly) the disposables are at around 70p per clean.

The little fella has a very "active" way of mopping which seems to cause enough friction to get up most stains etc. it's a good idea to close the doors to the room you want it to clean, but it also has an in-built "virtual wall" function to separate parts of large rooms in a linear fashion.

It also has an app you can use by bluetooth, but I see this as completely pointless and only use it manually.

Does it actually work?

Yeah, it does. As long as your floors are reasonably maintained to start with it will do a surprisingly good job of cleaning them wherever it is placed. You can see form the state of the pad afterwards that it actively picks up grime.

Battery lasts for two full cleaning cycles, so quite convenient. You can always get a spare though.

Do I need it?

Need? Probably not, but then if you are anything like me and hate the thought of manually using a mop and bucket then this is a great little time-saver for modestly sized rooms with floors that are not caked in grime.

Verdict?

I like it and find it useful for ad-hoc cleaning of my tiled, hard and wood floors.

8/10.

:)
 
The Braava caught my eye a while ago, but it can only do about 200ft2 at a time can’t it? If you have wood and tile floors throughout it would take an age to do. I guess there’s only so much water it can lug around thought

On the vacuum side of things can you buy one vacuum and multiple docks, or can they only work with one? Just wondering as having one machine and then a dock on each floor seems like a good option, depending on how often they need to recharge?
 
Anyone here had a look at the bObi Classic Robotic? A bit of a risk though as it is a US brand and I think parts will need to come from there.

Another one more local, from Austria is the myVacBot ranges.
 
Richdog said:
It's getting a wee bit boring repeating this, but at that budget just buy a Xiaomi Mi Robot.
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I should have mentioned that I don't have a budget:) The price tag £250 was just an observation. Xiaomi Mi Robot is around £400 these days, cheapest I could find was £370.
myVacBot SN500 apparently uses Robart Navigation, same as the Hoover Hoover Rogue 970 (which is not available in UK):
Robart® Technology with Memory Navigation – I use a high-tech laser to navigate your home and remember your floorplan which optimizes my cleaning path.

Looking even at the more expensive iRobot models, most don't have clever pathing, they just randomly go all over the place. Miele RX1 Scout seems to have nice pathing but it is a 2014 model.

Neato Robotics Botvac 2015 seems to be great, uses the same tech as google self driving cars, but many reviews keep saying that it gets stuck constantly.
Ecovacs Deebot DR98 2017 has great navigation and also empties itself so it can carry on doing its job. Also comes with a handheld companion so you can do your sofas and what not.
iRobot ROOMBA980 2015 pretty damn expensive even though a few times during sales periods (like a few days ago) it dropped to under £400, as low as £300.
 
Brad Pitt said:
Of course Yes, I owned brand new iRobot Roomba 980. And I think it is one of the best robotic vacuum cleaners I have owned.

I recommend this to all if you can afford the money. You can control your Roomba 980 vacuum with Google Assistance and Amazon Alexa with wi-fi connected functionality.
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The Roomba 980 is a waste of money. The Xiaomi Mi Robot does pretty much everything the same or better for half price or less.
 
I've just ordered a Xiaomi v1 from gearbest. Good price and after reading on here and watching the reviews it's the one for Me! Probably just after Christmas now I aspect due to crimbo delays.

I did think about the v2 but the price doubled and the mop bit won't be needed.
 
Had an Aircraft Pilot Max for almost a year now which comes on every morning before I get up and does the job well enough - not the smartest robot but manages to avoid getting stuck and returns to base 9/10. Just need to remember to "robot proof" any problem areas around the room.
 
Carl_Bennetts said:
I've just ordered a Xiaomi v1 from gearbest. Good price and after reading on here and watching the reviews it's the one for Me! Probably just after Christmas now I aspect due to crimbo delays.

I did think about the v2 but the price doubled and the mop bit won't be needed.
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The v1 is the smart choice, you are going to love it. :)

Hiijinx said:
Had an Aircraft Pilot Max for almost a year now which comes on every morning before I get up and does the job well enough - not the smartest robot but manages to avoid getting stuck and returns to base 9/10. Just need to remember to "robot proof" any problem areas around the room.
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Before you get up? Does it not wake you? :eek:
 
Richdog said:
I can see you have put a great amount of effort in to your searching... https://www.aliexpress.com/item/201...-d4a4-4147-b9ae-552f88435796&rmStoreLevelAB=2
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And I would love to get one as long as I don't have to pay import charges, I get a UK plug and not mess around with US transformers and can return it without problems.

So in short... the last time I purchased something from the states and it went **** up I lost my money, this was an EVGA Video-card with lifetime warranty. Became faulty and the EU team wouldn't touch it unless I paid them to do so, as an out of warranty service, because the card was purchased in the US where the warranty would apply, not international. This was a $600 card. Lessons learned.

Since in the UK the Xiaomi prices are £400+ I might as well stick another £200 and get the Roomba. Like I said, it is about the navigation not the price and the customer service of course in case it does break down. I don't want an idiot robot randomly going all over the place or mess around shipping stuff to US or China. Also UK, you get 2 years warranty not 1 like in the US.

P.S. Would be great if the robot would have 2 brushes:) don't get why they keep putting just the 1. Takes longer to clean.
 
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