Customer Reviews

iRobot 560 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, Black and Silver

5 star:		(319)
4 star:		(170)
3 star:		(53)
2 star:		(71)
1 star:		(110)

 

 

My wife and I decided to get one of these because our 8 month old son is about to start crawling. While we try and keep our floors clean, our beagle has other thoughts as she sheds all over the place. We went with the latest 560 model as it has just about everything we would want with a product like this. It works as advertised and we will definitley keep it but there are some areas that need improvement. Here is a quick breakdown of the pros and cons

Pros

1. Quieter than a standard vaccuum

2. Seems to learn the room dimensions quickly. The virtual walls and lighthouse feature are very nice.
3. Is "smart" enough to avoid getting tangled in our area rugs

4. Obviously easy to use as it is just a push of a button (or even better when you program it)

5. Can use everyday to keep the floors spotless

6. Have successfully used it on hard wood, vinyl, carpet and (accidently) concrete

7. Cleans under furniture which is otherwise a pain to do

8. Entertainment value - keeps the dog and baby interested for a while!

Cons (or areas for improvement)

1. Fills up fast - Upon intital cleaning cycles, we had to empty it after about 10 minutes. Further usage proved better as the dust/dog hair was a lot less than before. I suppose this is a good thing as it is picking up dirt that I missed with the regualr vaccum.

2. No warning that it is full. This is the one area that would be a huge improvement. I feel like I need to interrupt it all the time to check if it is full. It would be great if it had some way to gauge how full it is.

3. Battery life - Not sure if I am getting the full specified battery life out of this as it seems to need a recharge after about an hour to an hour and a half (isn't it supposed to last longer?)

4. Automatic docking is iffy. Several times after it was done cleaning, it wandered around aimlessly looking for the docking station. The "lighthouse" feature didn't seem to help much. I ended up moving the dock to a more open area and hopefully that will work better.

So for my first few days playing with this thing, it seems to do its job rather well with just a few annoyances that really do not affect its ability to clean. We plan on running it once a day to keep the dog hair and dust down to a minimum which will hopefully help our allegies.

*****UPDATE: 10/2/2007*******

Well, I've been using the Roomba now for a couple of weeks. I have it run every other day and here is what I think of it now

1. After letting it clean several times, I find I don't have to empty it every 10 minutes. I can now clean three rooms (about 900 square feet) without having to empty it.

2. My wife and I both agree that we seem to breathe better in the house now. Maybe it is due to less dust in the house (especially under the couches) or maybe its in our heads. Either way, we are breathing easier.

3. The self docking is now working great. I think my problems in the past were due to the brushes getting too dirty and requiring frequent cleaning (2 or 3 per run). Now, since the floors are cleaner, this has not been a problem and the Roomba finds its way home with no issues. I use the lighthouse settings to clean each room separately and then I guess they help Roomba find its home. Very nice!

4. Battery life doesn't seem to be a problem. I am getting the stated cleaning times per the manual and it seems to be enough to clean the 3 rooms.

5. The Roomba does require maintenance after each cleaning cycle. This requires emptying the dust bin, removing the brushes and filter to clean and, sometimes, cleaing the sensors that may have dust buildup. The entire process takes no more than 2 minutes and, even though it sounds like a pain, will hopefully keep Roomba problem free for a long time.

I can find no fault with the Roomba right now. I might even consider purchasing a second and third one for the other parts of the house. I suppose I can move Roomba to the back rooms on the first floor or the upstairs but that would require too much effort on my part!

I am also considering the Scooba for my kitchen and bathrooms but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I might wait for the next generation to see if the bugs have been worked out of the current models. Also, if Irobot ever invented one, I would jump at the chance to get a robot that will shampoo carpets! Maybe we will see one soon..

***Update 11/19/2007***

Ran into my first problem with Roomba this past week. The side brush snapped off and I was unable to put it back on. Knowing that these brushes need to be replaced from time to time I decided to order some replacements. Finding them on the Roomba site and ordering them was easy. Problem is that I was informed that they are on backorder for 4 to 6 weeks!! I e-mailed support and they responsed asking me for my mailing address, Roomba number and where I purchased it from. They stated they needed this so they could send me a replacement brush (a free replacement brush). I sent them the information with the hopes that they have some spare brushes ready to ship out but was then informed that it will take 4 to 6 weeks to get it out to me.

So in the end, I am stuck waiting for about $75 worth of brushes that I ordered as well as the free side brush they are sending me for at least 4 weeks. The good news is that Roomba still does her thing but the corners and edges of walls are somewhat neglected without the side brush.

I would still recommend Roomba to those who are thinking about it. Just be forwarned that "due to extremely high demand" replacement parts, including brushes, are currently on backorder for the 500 series.

******Final Update 1/25/2008*******

Thought I'd give one final update now that I have been using Roomba for several months. I am still a believer that Roomba can keep your floors clean but it does take a bit more effort than some people will think. I will try my best to break down the cons for Roomba as the pros are pretty straight forward. You get very clean floors without having to pick up a vaccum. My floors have never looked or felt cleaner and this goes for both the hard wood floors and the area rugs.

Now for the cons (none of which would make me rethink my purchase but I thought it would be informative to those who are still waiting on buying one)

1. Although Roomba does her thing once I hit the clean button, there is still some maintenance that is required. Emptying the dirt bin after each cleaning cycle and keeping the brushes clean have actually been a bit more work that originally described. I have a dog who sheds and the hair gets wrapped around some of the brushes. The tool that is provided in the box to clean the brushes does little to help with this. I find it eaiser to get a pair of scissors and carefully cut the wrapped dog hair off the brushes. For those of you who don't want to get your hands dirty, please keep this in mind!

2. The side brushes break fairly easy. One of the comments I saw in my review is that Irobot now ships some rubber bumpber that helps with this. I haven't looked into getting this yet but I suggest that if you don't have one on yours (like me), be prepared to replace the side brush often. I was able to get a free replacement on my first one but haven't gone back for a second yet.

3. The scheduling aspect of Roomba is useless for me. Because I have a 1 year old who has every toy in the history of toys, I find I need to do a complete sweep of the rooms before Roomba does her thing. If Roomba hits one of these toys, the sensor doesn't always pick up on it and it will try and go over the toy. This usually results in Roomba shutting down until you restart it. Leaving it on schedule means I need to clean up before it goes off. Its just easier for me to set it off manually when I want it to clean.

4. Noise - While quiter than a vaccum, Roomba can still be rather loud. Unless your house is very large, expect the noise to create a bothersome sound if you are watching TV on the same floor or if you are trying to sleep. You will hear it.

5. Auto Docking - Can't seem to figure this one out. Half the time Roomba docks itself with no problem. The other half it wanders around aimlessly with the docking light blinking just a few feet from the station yet it completely ignores it. I've cleaned the sensors and it still does it. I guess it just has a mind of its own sometimes.

6. One minor cleaning issue - Roomba will sometimes leave a big dust ball on the edge of an area rug when it is transitioning from a hard wood floor to the rug. It appears that the dust ball is wrapped around the brushes at one point but gets pulled off by the edge of the rug when it takes that tiny little step up from the floor. If Roomba goes back over that area, great! dust ball gone. If not, your stuck with a dust ball that you have to pick up (again, for me not a big deal but for those that don't want to get their hands dirty....)

None of these complaints or even the sum of them all give me enough reason to question my purchase. Since 95% of the dirt is removed including under furniture (which frankly, I never cleaned prior to Roomba!) these minor issues really don't amount to much in my opinion. Yes, it can be rather disgusting to clean the brushes when they get clogged and I need to make sure all toys are off the floor but that all translates into a very clean house! Keeps the wife happy!!

I'll check comments from time to time so if anyone has any additional questions, just drop them in and I will try and help.

********One More Update - May 20, 2008**************

Had to post this as it has been somewhat of a minor/major issue with my Roomba. The side brush that spins around has not been the best design I've ever seen. I've mentioned that it has broken off before and Irobot sent me some free replacements. Well, this continues to be a problem.

It seems that the side brush likes to get caught on things like corners or furniture which then causes it to break off or snap off an arm. I contacted Irobot about it again asking if they could send me some of those rubber bumbers one person mentioned in the comments section. The response was that they found the rubber bumber to have little to no impact on the side brush so they are no longer using them.

They did send me 3 additional brushes at no charge (thank you very much) but this won't fix the design problem of the brush itself. So I caution people here that are looking to purchase this robot that do not want to fork over additional money for new brushes every coupole of months. I'm Ok with it because I just consider the brushes to be the cost of vacuum bags (and the free ones don't hurt either!) but in this economy, some people might not have the money to pick these up when they need replacing.

I sitll love my Roomba because of the great job it does and the fact it covers areas I could never reach. In fact, I now have a Scooba to wash my floors and love the job that does as well (although that has an entire other set of issues!!)

*****Update November 8, 2009*****

Oh boy! Changed my rating down to 3 stars. For the last few months, I noticed that Roomba was not picking up as much stuff as before. I changed brushes. cleaned it, took it apart and cleaned it but it still wasn't picking up anything. All I was getting was balls of dust being left behind.

Went online to find some ideas and followed a few tricks and found that my brushes were not moving. Upon trying everything under the sun to get this working, the end result is the the cleaning head module (CHD) has died. Great news, however, is that Irobot sells these for $49.99!!! Yay, I get to spend even more money to keep Roomba running. I am beginning to believe that the 560 model I bought was the beta version since the side brush and now the entire CHD have been redesigned. Yes, you heard that right, the CHD I decided to order is a redesign that apparently fixes the issues that the original one had.

Since I am in this for so much money already, what's another $49.99? The original cost was about $380 plus another $100 or so on replacement brushes plus this $50 brings my total to the cost of a high end Dyson vaccuum. Well, at least it does a great job when it is running.

While I love Roomba when it is working, I am finding the the cost and effort required to keep it running (the constant cleaning and taking it apart)might be too much for most people. I've read all the forums out there and the problems I have had are very common. And since Irobot keeps redesigning this piece by piece, I assume they are aware of all the issues as well. Hopefully, by the time I am done putting all the new pieces together, I will have a Roomba that will last for a long time before breaking down.

I understand that technology requires maintenance and repair but 2 years should not be considered the life cycle of a vaccuum. I guess gadgets of today are not made as well as they were "back in the day" as my parents woudl say. I will update once I get my new CHD and let everyone know how it works.

****Another Update 11/23/2009******

I got my new cleaning head module and it looks like Irobot has fixed the issues where dirt and paet hair could get stuck in the motor. Only time will tell if this will last but it is doing a great job for me again.

HOWEVER....my battery would not hold a charge for longer than 30 minutes and all attempts to "fix" it per the forums and tech support failed. The end result was a new battery purchase..yes, more money spent. rather than buy directly from Irobot, I decided to pick up a generic one sold here on amazon. I believe I paid about $65 for a generic battery that is equal to the $99 battery on the Irobot store. It is supposed to last longer than the stock battery but I haven't noticed much of a difference in the 2 Roomba runs since I got it.

So my Roomba is happily working again, just in time for the holidays, and I am hoping that I am done replacing faulty designed parts. I must be right???

******Maybe my Final Update?? 1/7/2011*******

Its been a while since my last update to this review. I guess that is because I haven't had any issues since I replaced the cleaning head module and battery in late 2009. The newer white side brushes seem to stay in place, the newer style brushes don't get as clogged as the old ones and my battery (an aftermarket brand) gives me a good hour and forty five minutes (or more) before it needs a charge.

I now have a 1 year old boy to go along with my 4 year boy so my house is in pretty rough shape after the two of them are done destroying it. So I am routinely running Roomba around those play areas so I can avoid bringing out the big vacuum. It has worked well...knock on wood!

I think I have nothing more to say! (unless of course something else breaks!)

******Update 12/14/2012*******

With the holidays approaching fast, I figured I'd drop in and give a quick update. It's been almost a year since my last update and I am proud to say the Roomba has not given me any issues since the new cleaning module was installed back in 2009. I have swapped out various brushes from time to time but that is part of the regular maintenance that everyone has to do (part of the ongoing cost to keep Roomba happy).

I don't get to run Roomba as often as I would like as my almost 2 year old is petrified whenever Roomba turns on. I basically have to wait until my wife takes him out for a bit so I can let Roomba clean. My almsot 5 year old could care less when Roomba is running but does complian about the noise if he is trying to watcgh TV. It makes it a bit harder as the cleaning cycles are farther apart from one another so human intervention is needed to clean out the dust bin at least once during the cycle.

Hopefully my writing this update doesn't jinx me in some way and Roomba will decide to quit on me this week! Overall, I'm still very happy that I have this machine to help with the never ending cleaning of my house (amazing how much 2 boys can ruin in such a short amount of time!!)

We have two Roombas plus a Scooba in our house. When one of the batteries on one of our Roombas finally reached the end of its life cycle, we decided to donate that Roomba to a friend and to get ourselves the new top of the line - the Roomba 560. We got this right when it first came out, but we waited several months before posting a review. It's pretty much impossible to review one of these Roombas after only a few days! It takes weeks if not months to start to see how well they last over time, and what breaks down. Believe me - been there, done that.

So now it's many months later, and I have to say, we are quite pleased with the improvements of this Roomba over the previous generations of Roombas. So first, for those who don't even have ANY Roomba yet (hard to believe!). Roombas are awesome. We have cats, and we work from home so we're home all day. It is AMAZING how much dirt and dust and junk collects in the carpet every single day. Who really has time to vacuum their carpets twice a day any more? With the Roomba, you set the scheduler to do it while you are asleep. You wake up in the morning, the carpets are clean, the air is fresh, and you empty out the dust bin. It is just wonderful.

Even those without pets might be amazed how much lint and such the Roomba will find every morning for you.

I have a noise meter and have done several tests with the noise meter. The Roomba is much quieter than other regular vacuums. It is NOT silent - it can't be! How could it vacuum up dirt and be silent? But it is quieter than the alternatives, and heck, you're sleeping anyway. I can easily sleep through a Roomba running.

Now, on to the improvements of this new Roomba over previous models. First, it has a cool feature where the speed drops when it senses it is approaching a solid object. The old Roomba would just run full tilt into an object - wall, couch etc. - and then turn around. This one slows down so that it hits the object gently. Sure the old Roomba wouldn't dent the walls with its powerful force, but still, it's nice to have it be gentle on furniture and your building.

Next, for better or for worse, the new Roomba is much more aware of when its bin and brushes are getting grungy. I admit I didn't clean my other Roombas as often as I should have. And it led to problems. This new Roomba will actually stop and warn you when it's getting full and when the brushes should be cleaned. If you're a procrastinator like I am, this is a good thing. If you're a clean freak that empties the bin every time, and cleans the brushes every time, then you probably won't even notice this feature.

The anti tangle technology is nice. The previous Roomba would start to eat a cord and just keep going until it was really stuck. This Roomba at least tries to get itself untangled. Still, I don't recommend leaving cords and strings and things lying around. You're just asking for trouble if you do.

The new system uses a "lighthouse" instead of just a wall. With a lighthouse, you mark out a room so the Roomba finishes with that room completely before going on to the next room. They are like section markers. We tend to just use walls, but if you have two large rooms the lighthouse feature might be really helpful for you.

After several months of running we have had NO problems at all with our Roomba. No broken brushes, no falling off pieces, nothing. It is still going strong and we are very pleased with it.

Highly, highly recommended! I am happy to give personal advice and I even have videos of Roombas on my website. I love Roombas, they have saved me countless hours of work, and they make my home a much cleaner and easier-breathing place to be.

UPDATE 12/19/2011

My review in late 2007 describing the red side brush "amputee" problem and poor customer support is still the highest rated critical response on Amazon. Because of that experience, the recounting of which is in the original review appended below after this update, I had not bought an iRobot product in over four years. Now I have bought two "new" 560s, which arrived today (more about "new" below). This update is primarily for (i) previous owners of a 560 that are contemplating buying a "new" 560 or (ii) those that have information on the original 560 and mistakenly believe that this is what they will get if they order a "new" 560.

If it were not for the problems discussed in this update, I would raise my rating to 3.5 stars. Once again, I think iRobot may be shooting itself in the foot. And what upsets me is that I really want to see this company succeed.

By way of disclosure I have owned several of every generation of Roomba. I presently own seven 560's (five old and two "new") and two Discoverys (400 series that still work). In the original review, I promised to update it (see the original review at end), so here goes :

PROs:

1. After all the stone-walling back in 2007, iRobot finally fixed the problems of the side brushes by replacing them with a yellow three-armed brush rather than the previous six-armed brush that quickly became a no-armed brush. (If you have a red six-arm side brush -- probably no-arm by now, call iRobot for a free replacement).

2. Today Tech Support is MUCH BETTER. Before, some idiot CIO had apparently decided to move everything to an e-mail system, which was MISERABLE. Now you get a human being that speaks English and is courteous and helpful (at least that was my experience with Dan H. today).

3. The virtual walls are slimmer than the two previous generations.

CONs:

1. The "new" 560 is a stripped down version of what iRobot has been selling in the original 560.

2. The "new" 560 is designed to clean a SINGLE ROOM rather than the previous THREE-ROOM system that worked with two lighthouses.

3. iRobot ripped out RF communication of the original 560 without disclosure.

4. The "new" 560 package comes with NO LIGHT HOUSES. iRobot replaced the two light houses with two virtual walls (reminiscent of the previous 400 and 200 series, complete with an on-off switch).

5 The "new" 560s are NOT compatible with the existing lighthouses of the original 560s.

6 The IR remote previously included with the 560 is not included in the "new" 560.

7. Most egregiously. iRobot did not even assign a modified model number to the "new" 560, which, in all probability, may be a deceptive trade practice since the new product is inferior to the original one and there is no disclouse of the strip-down of the original product.

8 The "new" virtual walls do not shut off automatically, but instead have an on-off button (which is useless if you are using the scheduling feature, which I hope is still there). I was told that despite leaving the "new" virtual towers on continually (they no longer turn themselves of because of the removal of RF), they "should" last six months on one set of batteries. Let's pray. Both sets of virtual walls (Gen 1 and Gen 2) sucked power like no one's business.

9. The "new" 560 still lack a soft bumper for furniture.

10. The 560 still has a problem climbing above 1/2". We have a fireplace with a front marble front-piece, which each 560 tries to climb. It is between .5" and .75". The result" The Roomba gets "stuck. There is no realistic solution other than iRobot fixing the problem so that if a 560 cannot successfully "mount" the obstacle that it backs off. I know its robots in Afghanistan did better than this.

10. Finally, be aware of iRobot's habit of discontinuing models, particularly those that will work with the existing lighthouses:

a. The "new" 560 no longer works with them
b. The 610 looks like it's gone
c. The 572 looks like it's gone

Only the new 780 ($$$) seems to support the existing lighthouses.

SUMMARY:

In summary, if you are an old enthusiast of Roombas or a previous owner of a 560 using the lighthouse function, this "new" 560 looks like a stripped-down version designed to lower manufacturing costs without adequate disclosure. If you are a newbie, buy one of these if you plan to stick one in EACH ROOM you wish to clean (or haul it in to other rooms -- which defeats the scheduling function). iRobot needs to lower its MSRP accordingly for lowering the quality of this "new" product.

----

PRIOR REVIEW.

I have been a long time customer of iRobot. I have had multiple early generation Roombas (and still have four fourth generation Roombas in my house). I bought two 560's in September and the side brushes became "amputees" within the first few weeks, with the brushes breaking off.

When I called for Technical Support (not listed on their website: 877.855.8593) I was told it was a "known problem", and they would ship out the new redesigned side brush replacements as soon as received. Weeks later, still no date and even today "maybe three weeks".

Now they are hedging on whether it was a design defect. What IS clear is that none of the units on sale have a "redesigned" part, so you may have the same problem I have had. So forget about getting one before Christmas unless you want to go through this same debacle I am.

I have always had the highest respect for iRobot (despite the Scooba), but my faith has been shaken by this product.

*** UPDATE 12-03-2007 (and another part also on "back order")

BTW, I still have received no replacement side brushes after almost two months.

There is another problem with some of the 560's (and I assume all of the early 500 series). The original two 560's I bought in September did not have a "bumper extension" included.

So if you are buying from a retailer MAKE SURE THAT THE ONE YOU BUY HAS A BUMPER EXTENSION INCLUDED. I saw a 560 at a store this weekend with this new piece, which is just a piece of rubber that you stick on the lower part of the bumper and a "slip sheet" to the manual that tells how to place it, but does not say what it is for.

When I called iRobot and told them that I did not receive these with my original 560's, they first claimed "all of them" shipped with it, but they would order me two -- Guess what else is now back-ordered?

I suggested that the bumper extension might be a new "fix" for the side-brush problem, but the customer service representative said it was to keep the "IR sensors from being scratched" by furniture. To defend that this had nothing to do with the side-brush problem, he said that they had had side brushes "falling off without contact with anything" and that definitely the side brushes had been redesigned but no one in technical support was told how.

Here is what I think the new bumper is for:

We have five fireplaces in our house. All but one have a hearth extension height of 1/2" or less above the floor. The fifth one has 7/8" above the floor, where I have seen the 560's stalled, with the 560 eventually disentangling itself (but with brushes soon thereafter falling off!).

I think the main purpose of the bumper extension is to sense a transition in this critical area (7/8") and be repelled by contact with the bumper extension. IRobot says that this is not its purpose. However, the instruction slip sheet specifically states to place part the extension below the existing vertical height of the bumper.

I will try to update this if and when I get:

1. My replacement side brushes and
2. My missing bumper extensions.

A few more observations ....

Customer service.

Hold times seem to be going up dramatically. I was on hold for 17 minutes and then disconnected. I then called sales (which answers immediately) and was eventually reconnected to customer service.

Docking station/lighthouses.

It appears that the lighthouses with the 500-series are coded to work only with the docking station or Roomba with which they were shipped. Having two of these systems, I tried the two lighthouses associated with the other one -- no recognition. This may actually be an advantage if you have a house with more than one. I just have not seen any documentation on this issue.

As I have said before, I think the Roomba in general is a great product. I just thing they rushed to market with the 500-series before it was ready for prime-time.

Did you ever just fall in love . . . with a piece of well-designed technology? I sure fell for this one. How lovely to have something else take care of one of my least favorite chores!

Why I love this gizmo:

(1) Goes about cleaning the floors quietly (forget the noise of a conventional vacuum cleaner);

(2) Does a better job than I ever could because it can get under the beds fully to get out all the nasty little dust bunnies, and it crawls along the baseboard to pick up the bits that hide on the edges of the room;

(3) Cleans for a predetermined amount of time, and then puts itself to bed (while it recharges itself);

(4) Can be scheduled to run whenever you choose; and,

(5) Does a great job of picking up cat hair (my old vacuum did not).

Problems?

Yes, but mostly they were just getting used to its operation. I had to learn to pick up throw rugs and clear the area of cords. I had to learn the robot's eccentricities and plan for them.

I also discovered that a cat landing on the Roomba in the middle of the night would start it going - so we woke up to clean floors.

Worth it?

You bet!

Five stars, and a big thanks!

UPDATE: October 4, 2007

My Roomba produced an error message that I was unable to clear. So I called (not emailed, but called) the support center. The Roomba needed to be reset, and, with the help of the support person, I accomplished this and we're back in action.

The support was superior, so if you have a problem, just give them a call. If your call is like mine, you'll find them highly responsive and eager to help solve your problem.

UPDATE: November 30, 2007

About four weeks after my initial review, the side brush fell off. The part that holds the brush screw was broken.

I called the company who said they'd send out another part in five days or so. That was followed by an email that said a month. Now it is six weeks later . . . still no replacement part.

While the vacuum still works, the baseboard cleaning is absent without the side brush. And I am in the dark as to when I will receive a replacement. This would cause me to reduce the number of stars I give the Roomba 560, if Amazon would allow me to do so.

I still think this is a good product. It still does an adequate job of cleaning up cat hair and other debris. But, I think the price is too high given the quality of that brush.

In my book, iRobot has some 'splaining, and apologizing, to do.

UPDATE: Augst 1, 2008

Now my roomba has developed horrible screaming noises that might be coming from the wheels, but who knows. And I now have the replacement gizmo for the side brush (after 9 months).

I am sorry that I cannot adjust the stars on this review. If I could I would now rate this product one star (can't give zero). I strongly recommend not buying a Roomba!

As you can tell if you read these reviews, the Roomba works great until the day it doesn't. On that day you are completely out of luck with any servicing. Ours quit operating properly shortly after the one year warranty expired. I would expect to pay for shipping and even pay to have my unit serviced. But all Roomba would do is offer to sell me another one. Why would I buy another unit of something that already broke once and that no one on God's green earth can service? It is a complex machine. So about a hundred different things can go wrong. If you are beyond waranty period forget IRobot company helping you. Their phone support is pitiful, and their service department does not exist. Any company that wilfully turns happy customers into unhappy customers everyday will soon be out of business.

Unreliable, bad product support


If I could go back in time, I would not have bought the Roomba. I used the I-robot to do light maintenance vacuuming during the week in my house. We have no pets or kids, and we take our shoes off at the door when we come into the house from outside. I read the manual, and treated the I-robot with considerable care. I cleaned and emptied the vacuum after each use, I made sure it would not get tangled or caught on cords, I checked the Brush to make sure that hair (etc..) was not wrapped around it, and so on. A month after the Warrantee period, the Roomba stopped working. I would turn it on, it would go a few feet, appear to catch on something, and stop. Then it would give the "uh oh" beep. I called customer support, they had me bounce and spin the wheels, blow compressed air into the wheels and wheel wells, and do several other useless exercises before telling me I should buy a new I-robot as none of the parts on the Roomba can be replaced, and no service is offered (even if you are willing to pay for service, they do not service these machines...period).
Paying 200-300+ dollars for a vacuum that works for only 13 months is a bad deal. It is also suprising that there are no replacement parts and no service available for the Roomba. If anything goes wrong, replacement is the only option (so they told me).. Here is a list of reasons why I would not recommend this product - some are facts, some are opinions:

1. Roomba is a light duty vacuum and does not clean well enough to replace your regular vacuum
2. Roomba cannot really be left unattended -it needs tobe supervised
3. The company is not going to do you any favors if the product goes wrong - they are "by the book" - my warrantee was 1 month past expiration and I-robot offered NOTHING. I was very polite, and spoke to several people. Both my wife and I called - both with the same result. When we were first speaking with them, and could not remember exactly when we purchased our Roomba, The representative from I-robot pushed for a date. When we told them about a year, they were quick to suggest dates that would have placed us outside the warrantee period. we eventually found the receipt.
4. No service is available - if something goes wrong, you have to replace the whole system (except brushes and filters - those can be replaced).
5. Questionable reliability - dust and hair can work into moving parts through very small spaces. For a self propelled vacuum that is designed to turn off when it hits an obstacle or gets stuck, this is not so good...
6. no way to clean the wheels or other internal parts. In fact, if you take the Roomba apart you void the warrantee...
7. Many of the positive reviews you read on this product are probably from people who purchased recently - when I first bought it, I liked a lot it as well - I told everyone about it. That is because it is a cool idea. However, I am not so happy with my purchase now... I feel like I was ripped-off.

I had the same problem that everyone else did, the spider brush that sticks out on the side broke immediately. It is "covered" under warranty - and although the guy I spoke to said he would send me replacements, 2 weeks ago, I've received nothing. After 2 weeks I called again and after traveling around in their phone system for an hour, someone else came on and said there was no order for the replacements for me in the system at all. Further the brushes are backordered at least 6 more weeks. Even worse, she said she could not place an order to get me "in line" without the serial number (which is not with me at work) - even though I am registered in their system. So now I get to go home, locate the serial number that I already registered, call again and spend another 1 hr trying to get through the phone system to a person who may or may not actually place an order for me......and for a technical company their web site is unbelievably poorly done and it is impossible to submit a question successfully on it to customer service.

I won't duplicate what others have said. On our hardwood floors Roomba does a better job than the top-rated cannister which we've been using. We have a good whole-house furnace filter and we don't get an enormous amount of dust, so I don't find that the Roomba dust tray fills up quickly. It's true that the Roomba needs minor regular maintenance (such as cleaning the brushes), but all vacuums need this, and they rarely get it. It is easier to perform that maintenance on a Roomba. Two things prevent me from giving it five stars. The first is that the product is still not very "smart." As the technology progresses it will surely not take 30 minutes to vacuum one room. The second is that iRobot has dismal customer service. The reps aren't familiar with the functions, haven't read the product manuals, and don't even know what is in the box. In short, it acts like the military contractor that it is.

Update: After a few weeks of use, several of the spinning arms that whisk out dust from wall edges have broken off. The only source of replacement is the manufacturer, and it is out of stock with about a month estimated shipping time. (iRobot's estimated shipping times are a joke.) If the arms break off at this pace they will represent a noteworthy maintenance expense. It's obviously for good reason that the replacement part is sold in a three-pack. One of the large wheels has now become very noisy but shows no sign of contamination interference. It is apparently broken. I'll get a replacement unit. iRobot's tech support wait times, like other customer services, is unacceptable. Management clearly doesn't know how to provide service to back a good product.

Update 2: I've replaced the first defective unit. In two weeks the replacement has done fine, but I now have the gnawing concern that the product won't have a life span that justifies the price. The corner brushes already look worn. The Roomba does a good job of sensing and slowing down for object it sees head-on, but it hits corners and smaller legs pretty hard. I don't like the way it bumps into my floor speakers, so I'll have to protect them from it. The Lighthouses have no off switch, so the batteries are consumed even when they are not needed but the Roomba is working.

Update 3: The main brush on my replacement Roomba has slices in the rubber after three weeks and the side brush arms are quickly getting worn, so I have contacted iRobot: it wasn't easy. The phone menu claims to lead to tech support, but it never gives you the option of a live person. Grrrr. I called the corporate number and after I pitched a glitch they put me through to a more senior person who acknowledged that they have made phone support difficult so as to drive customers to the web site. Grrrr. He also said that there was a defect in the side brush which caused it to break easily, and sent me a new bottom and side brush at no charge. What about all the people who have bought and are still buying units with defective brushes? Will they have to call impossible-to-reach tech support, slink back to the web site, and beg for a replacement? What about those who don't realize it is a defect and simply pay for replacement brushes?

iRobot's corporate number is 781-345-0200.

Feb 08 update: The battery has now lost what I estimate to be about 40 percent of its capacity. The manufacturer says this is not uncommon. They recommend a reset and a 72-hour charge. Service rep says that after that charge "if you get 5 or 10 more minutes that's a good sign." Not good enough, I think. Stars aside, I now think this product is not worth buying.

Just a brief review, because these problems are well known. For the first two months, this thing was the love of our lives. Truly marvelous. (And I would have written a five-star review.)

Then the side brushes started snapping off. And then the replacement brush wouldn't stay attached to the brush module. And now for the past four weeks, I've been waiting to receive a new brush module, which is on backorder, and iRobot has no idea when it will be available ("we do not have an estimated date"). (But when they do get some, they promise to send me one -- hopefully I'm not too far down their list.) This sounds like they made a serious design mistake that they failed to catch before starting manufacturing of this line of vacuums.

The product I own is a Roomba 535; available only through a television retailer. However all the 500 series cleaning components are the same, only the battery life, lighthouse/virtual wall compatibility, and scheduling features differ. Note: This review is for the 500 series only. Its performance is greatly improved over earlier models. When the Roomba first appeared on the market several years ago I purchased one which wasn't worth the paper the owner's manual was printed on and it was returned within a week. Even with the problems I've experienced with the 500 series, it has been improved enough that I'll keep it.

My first Roomba 500-series died within days with so many malfunctions that was returned to where it was purchased. The second Roomba not only performed better, it lasted long enough that I actually received my accessory order before it too died after 2 weeks; in this case the left wheel quit turning. The problem was diagnosed over the phone with iRobot who is sending a replacment part. There must be a lot of defective Roomba 500 series units, the wait time I experienced while on hold for 500 series customer support ranged from 8 to 25 minutes. iRobot says repair parts will be received in 7 to 10 days. What they don't immediately tell you is that if the part is in stock it can be 7 to 10 days before the part ships; receipt is 7 to 10 days after that.

When used in the daytime, my dogs would swear on a stack of kibble that it is there only to torment them. No matter where they go to get out of the way, the Roomba will soon chase them away so it can clean where they were sitting. The cat hides under my bed but eventually when Roomba reaches the bedroom, the cat flees and usually stays outside until cleaning is finished.

To say that the Roomba 500 series cleans well is an surprising understatement. Because I am physically disabled, it has been years since places like under the bed have been vacuumed and it is difficult for me to just vacuum normally. Initially the Roomba's brushes became so full of pet hair and fibers that it couldn't finish a room before needed to be cleaned and have the dirt chamber emptied. After a week of use and as the carpets became cleaner, this problem diminished.

To do a comparison after the Roomba had been used for a week, I thoroughly cleaned and wiped the brushes and dirt container of the Roomba 535 and my Dyson DC-14 Animal. The following day I ran the Roomba in the living room then followed that with a thorough vacuuming with my Dyson. The Dyson picked up no additional pet hair (3 dogs and 1 long-haired cat) and maybe a teaspoon of fine dirt/dust. The following day I ran the Dyson first which picked up a nominal amount of dirt and pet hair. I followed with the Roomba which picked up more pet hair and about the same amount of dirt as the Dyson. To say the least I was shocked that this little battery operated robotic unit could clean better than the highly-rated and expensive Dyson. To be fair to the Dyson, it would probably have picked up more dirt if I'd run it for 45 minutes, the same amount of time the Roomba runs, but I considered the carpet satisfactorily cleaned after 15 minutes. However, the Roomba is much better at picking up pet hair.

Pros:
-It cleans on its own so you don't have to. Great for people who have mobility or dexterity issues. Try cleaning with a regular vacuum while on crutches or in a wheelchair and you'll know what I mean.
-Cleans very well on hard surfaces and on my low-pile plush carpet.
-When a problem is encountered it stops and periodically beeps for help (brushes are clogged, sensors are dirty, wheel has debris preventing it from turning, etc.) Push the "clean" button and Roomba will tell you what the problem is. No guessing!
-Roomba models 535 and higher can be scheduled to run on their own during the day or the night at a time convenient for you. The 535 requires the optional Wireless Command Center to be scheduled. Models 530 and below cannot be scheduled.
-Models 530 and above utilize "Lighthouse Technology". The Lighthouses permit the Roomba to clean one room before cleaning the next and so on for up to 4 rooms (additional lighthouses need to be purchased).
-When cleaning cycle is complete it returns to its base to automatically recharge.
-Soft Touch bumpers and sensors slow the Roomba before it bumps into furniture or walls to prevent damage.
-Sensors prevent it from falling down stairs, etc.
-Spot mode allows Roomba to clean an circular area (a dry spill, for example) about 4' in diameter.
-Dirt Sensor. When Roomba detects an area with additional dirt, it circles the area giving it extra attention.
-Quieter than most regular vacuums. It doesn't wake me when cleaning at night although I do block it from entering the bedroom by using a lighthouse/virtual wall.

Cons:
-Reliability (in my case 2 Roombas failed in less than 1 month).
-The small dust bin needs to be emptied after nearly every use.
-Daily maintenance which, especially in houses with pets, includes removing and cleaning the brush assemblies, removing pet hair from around the front wheel, cleaning the underside, dusting the sensors, and using "canned air" to blow dust out from the sensors in the bumper.
-The Roomba can become confused and sometimes calls for help when encountering in-floor forced air furnace vents. It usually says the cliff sensors need to be cleaned.
-The owner's manual lacks detail and is in a word, "terrible". I've frequently gone to the iRobot website to find answers for questions or called the 800 number for Customer Support.
-Neither the documentation accompanying the optional Wireless Command Center or the Owner's Manual tell you that to complete the "pairing" process you must press the "day" and "minute" buttons simultaneously for 2 seconds or it won't remember the "pairing" the next time you want to use it. That required another search on iRobot's website and another 15 minutes on hold waiting for customer support.

Neutral points:
-It does take longer to clean a room than using an upright vacuum, but since I am not doing the vacuuming, it really does not matter to me.
-I added self-adhesive felt strips to the Roomba's bumper which both give added protection to wooden or delicate furniture and keep the area in front of the IR sensors in the bumper scratch-free. iRobot should have developed a more protective design for this area.

Is it a toy or a tool? In my case, when it is working, it is a useful tool and can clean under beds or some furniture where it is nearly impossible for me to do so. It does out-perform my Dyson and actually grooms the carpets better as well. Although it does require a great deal of daily maintenance, it is much easier for me to sit in a chair and clean it than it is for me to vacuum each room. My house is now cleaned on a daily basis instead of just once a week. If not for the reliability problems I would have given it 4 stars. Because of the poor owner's manual and documentation I would not give it 5 stars. In the meantime, I have purchased an extended warrenty and have the feeling I will be using it often.

UPDATE and USER TIPS 01-17-2008

After waiting 2 1/2 weeks for the defective wheel module the wrong part arrived. The problem was traced back to the poor owner's manual which mis-identified the left and right wheel modules. The correct module was shipped by 2nd day air but once again, just over a week elapsed before it was actually shipped. All in all, I was without the use of the Roomba for about a month. Unlike the experiences of some others I find iRobot's customer service to be excellent, just trying to get something shipped expediently is a problem.

Two days after installing the new wheel module it too locked up. At that point I nearly threw the whole thing out the door from pure frustration. After removing the bottom plate, the battery, and the wheel module, it was reinstalled and worked. This leads me to believe the issue is a software problem, not a mechanical problem.

Yesterday one arm on the spinning side brush broke off and although I have spares, I decided to try a drop of super glue. It worked well so the original brush was reinstalled without the need for installing a replacement. This may not work all the time but for now solved the problem.

I've learned that if the Roomba seems to spend too much time cleaning one area, moving furniture, even a few inches, can resolve the problem. I actually moved my coffee table closer to the sofa instead of away from it and Roomba seems to clean better and spend less time there. Go figure.

For those of us with pets find that hair balls up around the brush ends causing Roomba to tell us to clean the brushes. Another "non-approved" fix I've tried is to spray the brush ends and the yellow washers with silicone spray lube. Hair still gets trapped there but doesn't ball up as badly allowing the Roomba to continue to clean.