I was looking into getting one of these cleaning bots.
Has anyone had any experience with either of these models?
Roomba.
Cleanmate.
Is one better than the other?
More powerful?
Cleans better?
One is quite a bit cheaper than the other.
Any input would be appreciated.
.
Count me in as another interested party. I’d particularly like to know how both models work with regards to pet hair, and whether either has problems with hardwood/ carpet combinations.
My Mom isn’t too impressed with her Roomba. It cleans a small area and then says it is done (she told me it reminded her of me when I was young…)
The part that it does clean is very clean she says.
I can’t speak to the Cleanmate, but we’ve done the Roomba to death. I have one and love it. Here’s a few past threads (and we specifically hit pet hair in a few of them IIRC):
Advice Please… ** specifically hits pet hair **
Like I said - I love mine and I wouldn’t trade it in for the world. It does both hardwood and carpet - and yes, it’s a bit pricey - but it’s worth it. My “regular” vacuuming time has gone from some to NONE.
After you hit those threads (which answer almost every single question I can think of re: Roomba) - if any inquiry remains, just post and I’ll try to answer it.
Khadaji, does your mom hit the “clean” or “spot” button? I have Discovery SE, and it will clean either the living room. or the whole 700 sq. ft. apartment, depending on how many times it runs into a pet. It sucks up copious amounts of pet hair.
Thanks, Doc.
Does anybody know what happens if it hits a rug with fringe at the hems?
Thanks all!
Anyone try the Cleanmate one?
I’ll have to ask. I haven’t been up to her place since I gave it to her at XMas, so I haven’t seen it work. I’ll be up at Easter - at that time I’ll make her GPS work too.
My friends have a huge throw rug with fringe - their Roomba handles it fine. My Roomba hangs up sometimes (e.g. it ran itself up onto my snowboard and got stuck there), but it’s generally pretty good at getting over/around things. In fact, I don’t even pick up shoes and pet toys and things before I let Roomba go - Roomba can play with them… I mean, push them around if it wants.
And if it ever gets stuck, it just squeaks and lets me know to come save it.
Perhaps the battery needs to be replaced?
I’ve never timed mine, but it can run long enough to clean up a small room pretty thoroughly.
I dunno. It says that it is finished. Would a bad battery cause that?
Roombas run till the battery is discharged, so yes.
wow, what a poor design. I would expect different messages for each of those events.
I know as a programmer I would have put in a message that said: *Finished *when the room was done.
and one that said: Low Battery if the battery was low but the room wasn’t complete.
That by itself will keep me from buying their equipment in the future.
This is not entirely correct - so no need to degrade the programming team just yet, Khadaji. :rolleyes:
If you hit the MAX button, a Roomba will clean its area until the battery is discharged - it’s an overkill clean. Something you will not really do that often.
If you hit the CLEAN button, it will clean the area it’s confined to and then redock itself on its charging station. It’s actually pretty nifty.
There are also spot mode settings (to clean up a small area) - in fact, I’ll bet that’s the button your mom hits most of the time when she should be hitting clean. AND if you buy the Scheduler - you can program it to clean at different times.
I mean, here’s the deal: I don’t know if the Cleanmate is worth a damn. I really don’t. But the Roomba is great. It’s well-programmed, it’s well-designed, and it’s well-built.
I’ll have a look at then at Easter. Maybe Mom just doesn’t know how to use it.
i’ve just gotten the roomba and scooba. love them both.
the roomba does very well, and the cats and “roo” get on well. i don’t hoover at all, just swiffer. so it is wonderful to hit the button and go to work. when i get home “roo” is back at his home charged up and ready to go upstairs.
the scooba i’m usually at home when he cleans, since he doesn’t have a home port. he is a wonderful cleaner, and i only have to swiffer a 6" strip under the basement door.
roomba does okay with short fringe. he can get tangled if a long thread gets tangled in his wheels.
No, but I can tell you that when it hits our dog it makes him jump as if he’d been jabbed with a cattle prod. Now he usually jumps on the couch when Roomba starts to prowl–just to be safe.
Well, I don’t think everyone has the homing base. Besides, mine gets a little OCD sometimes, and cleans the bedroom till he’s too pooped to party.