Customer Reviews

iRobot Advanced Power System Ni-MH Battery, 3000 mAh, 80501

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

Very disappointed in this product. They describe this as an iRobot battery, and even put a picture of the iRobot battery in the product listing, however, and this should have been obvious from the price, this is NOT an iRobot battery! Now, I'm not an iRobot snob, and I would be perfectly happy with a generic replacement battery, IF IT WORKED! It holds juice, and it will power the Roomba, but upon docking with the home base, I get a one red blink error light (battery problem) and a fast red blink on the charge indicator light (never turns green after charging). I thought this could have been due to the Roomba forcing a deep recharge (16 hour cycle), but I left the Roomba on the home base for 24 hours, took it off, and the Roomba was still indicating it had no charge. I did a reset of the Roomba software (hold down the "spot" and "dock" buttons at the same time for 10 seconds), and only then did the indicator light turn green. As soon as I placed it back on the homebase however, the flashing red lights came back. It's not a problem with the Roomba either, I put the old iRobot battery back in, and the charge indicator light worked like it was supposed to. Until I get a REAL replacement, I'm stuck using my old, dying, iRobot battery... which is still better than the defective, generic battery that was sent by Battery Superstore.

Keep an eye out for an updated review. I have a message into Battery Superstore asking for a replacement of the defective battery they sent me. I will update this review with a review of their support, as well as any replacement they send out.


******UPDATE******

I sent a message to the seller, via the Amazon interface, telling them of the problem with the battery. They were quick to respond, and upon answering a few of their follow up questions, they were quick to process a replacement for the defective battery. I will update this review once I receive the new battery.

******UPDATE******

The battery they sent out to replace the defective battery, is defective as well. Same problems as the first one they sent out. I will be contacting the seller again to see if possibly there was a problem with the entire lot, or if I am just extremely unlucky in the batteries they have been sending me.

****** FINAL UPDATE******

Rather than keep sending me defective batteries, the seller has agreed to refund my money. They even sent a prepaid mailing label for me to return the defective batteries.

Overall, I'm disappointed that the product did not work, but I couldn't have been happier with the customer service. I ordered an authentic iRobot battery finally, and it works perfectly.

There seems to be a variety of experiences with this battery, and I wanted to relate my experience with purchasing it.

I was shipped a generic Roomba 500 battery by "Allergy Be Gone". I think unless you buy directly from Amazon (for about 2x the price), this is what you will get. When I installed the battery, I found that it was keyed so you could only install it in one direction - it wasn't possible to install the battery backwards. It was really easy to install, requiring only a Philips head screwdriver. My Roomba then charged up in a very short period of time, and it now runs for 2+ hours. The battery charges fine using either the charging station or when plugged in directly.

I think "Allergy Be Gone" sells a higher quality battery than "Battery Superstore" sells. Reviews that mention Battery Superstore seem to be lower than other sellers, so I would recommend being careful about who you buy this from.

Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase since it saved me some $$$, but I wish ALL the sellers were clearer as to whether they are selling a generic battery or a iRobot branded battery.

FYI: iRobot has a video showing you how to install a battery on a 500-Series Roomba on their website.

I was a little skeptical when I saw that Battery Warehouse was selling this battery for $41, when even Amazon.com is selling it for $63.47, and some vendors sell it for as much $90, but I went ahead and took a chance with Battery Warehouse on the battery.

What a mistake that was. When I received my battery and opened it up, I immediately noticed that the sticker indicating that the battery was indeed iRobot genuine was missing. I called Battery Warehouse to inquire if this was a real iRobot battery, and they assured me that it was, but I still had second thoughts about it.

After a call to iRobot, we determined that this was in fact a generic battery that was NOT made by iRobot. I was also told that using this battery in my Roomba would void my warranty!

Battery Warehouse refused to allow me to return this, so I had to get Amazon to give me an A2Z refund on it. Make sure that you buy this from someone other then Battery Warehouse if you really want to get the item that's pictured.

I Will tell EVERYONE I know to STAY AWAY FROM BATTERY WAREHOUSE!

7/9/11 Update:
I wrote this review about a different battery (a 3300 mAh version) made by a different manufacturer and sold by a different vender. Hey! Amazon! HOW does this happen? HOW can ANYBODY trust these reviews?

8/12/10 Update:
Four months after the purchase, both of these NiMh batteries show a maximum run time of 118 minutes. That is (as is normal and expected) an 11% decrease from the original run time. But, that is still 51% higher than the run time on the original NiCd batteries when they were brand new. If these batteries continue to lose 14 minutes of run time every 4 months, these batteries will still run for 90 minutes when they are 1 year old. That will still be 15% longer than the NiCd batteries ran when brand new. And, after 1 year, the NiCd batteries drained before completing a single small bedroom.

Before testing the maximum run time on a used battery, you must reboot the Roomba (see the Roomba battery maintenance internet page), recharge it, confine it in a test area with no charging station present, turn it on and press the dock button.

Use the same test area for each test.

Also, to get the best results from the battery, be sure to follow the battery maintenance tips on the Roomba battery maintenance internet page.

Based upon this interim result, I figure I may get more than one year of service from these NiMh batteries -- time will tell.

Original Review Follows:
Bottom line:
I bought two battery packs from SellBuzz. I am 100% satisfied with both batteries and with SellBuzz. Of course, the real test will be how long the batteries last before they have to be replaced. One year seems to be typical for average use.

The Roomba battery pack is a commodity item which should be purchased at the lowest price available -- so long as the vendor is reputable.

For best results, I recommend charging the new battery for 24 to 72 hours before the first use. It may or may not be necessary or productive. But, it cannot hurt. And, many NiMh battery manufacturers recommend this extended initial trickle charge. After the initial charge, follow the iRobot battery maintenance recommendations:

[...]

When new, my OEM NiCd batteries lasted 78 minutes per charge (on my Berber carpet). Over time, the run time per charge -- as is normal -- diminished. On the first charge, these NiMh batteries lasted 132 minutes in the exact same test (a 69% improvement & 10% above the advertised run time for this battery). Testing the run time per charge is one way to verify you were not sold a used battery -- I was not. Please note that you need a valid reference point. The run time varies according to the surface being cleaned and the room configuration.

This battery is nothing special. It is simply 12 off the shelf 1.2V NiMh batteries connected in series to produce a 14.4V battery with a thermistor added so as to allow the charger to avoid an overheating condition. The only real variable is the mAH rating.

These are the things to check for in a 500 series APS (NiMh) battery:

1) Make sure the battery has 4 contact points.

2) The two smallest contact points are connected to the thermistor.

3) Of the two remaining contact points, the smaller of the two should be the positive terminal. Use a volt meter to compare the polarity of the old battery against the new one. If the polarity matches, the battery should be fine.

4) If you have a valid reference point (such as a test of the OEM battery run time when the Roomba was first purchased), test the run time of the new batteries with the exact same test. This will determine whether you were sold a used battery (highly unlikely).

I purchased this battery to replace the battery in one of my Roomba 560 robots (I have 2). First thing I noticed when I tried to charge the battery was a charging error 2 on the Roomba. I then thought I'd try the new battery in my newer Roomba 560 (who's original battery was still OK). Same Error 2.

Now is when things get really bad. When I put the original iRobot good battery back into the Roomba, I get charging error 3, and the fully charged battery will not work. The Roomba is now toast. Same with the other Roomba.

When I looked a little closer at the batteries, the new battery had the + and - poles reversed from the iRobot original battery. Only thing I can think happened is that the new battery shorted out the entire Roomba charging system, which then shorted out the original good iRobot battery when I put it back in the Roomba.

Clost to $1000 worth of Roomba 560s fried by this battery. Needless to say, I don't recommend this battery.

When my 18 month old Roomba vacuum started to falter and not perform as well as it had originally, I first consulted the manufacturer's Web site for answers. When the company's troubleshooting FAQs didn't bring about improvement, I corresponded directly with one of their customer service representatives. While that person was very helpful, it quickly became evident that I needed a new battery. On the manufacturer's Web site, a new battery sells for more than twice the amount that Amazon sells the same battery for. At first, I was hesitant, thinking there was no way we could be talking about the same product, but, after reading other customers' reviews and comments, I felt confident enough to "risk" saving over $50.00. I'm happy to report that the new battery is identical to the old one, was delivered in brand new condition, and seems to be working perfectly (I'm vacuuming as I'm typing this review right now). If this battery lasts as long as (or longer than) the original battery, I will gladly raise my "star rating" from four to five.

take the battery pack out and use either sandpaper or knife to clean the battery contact points
try this out before you purchase the new battery - this is the lesson I learned

I bought my replacement through amazon. I know this product has bad reviews but that's because some of the sellers are no good. Buy this through amazon and you'll get the OEM battery replacement. It works more than great. My Roomba runs longer than it ever did before even though it's the same battery. The robot cleaned at least 6 rooms before finally calling it a day. Now if only my roomba could run quieter.

Although the battery works, it's not a 3000 mAh battery, neither it's an official iRobot battery (the item name drives to confussion).
I think that amazon.com must block this kind of items/sellers that try to lure the buyer.

As I said, the battery works, but it doesn't lasts as much per clean cycle as the original iRobot battery.

I don't recommend it at all.

Overview
--------
My Roomba 560 original battery would no longer hold a charge and I tried all of the battery reset suggestions on the web. So a new battery was my only option :-( iRobot wanted a lot for a factory battery so i looked around on various sites and found this one. It had more power than the included factory battery and so I took a chance.

The Good
--------
Everything was good. It came fast, it was an exact fit, had the same connectors and tabs and even the same color as the more expensive factory battery. It charged up in a couple of hours and holds a charge longer than the original battery. My Roomba now scoots along for well over an hour before looking for home. I am very pleased and would buy another one again if needed.

The Bad
-------
None!