Please recommend a robot vacuum for my Mum

Forums › Gadgets, robotics, home automation, electronics (including wearables) › Please recommend a robot vacuum for my Mum

timmmay

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#280389 11-Dec-2020 19:32

Easy to use is key, and can cope with pet hair (one cat). I'd like one as well, no cat, one toddler, Android phone. Price is a factor in the choice of course, but value is more important. For example, $250 that does a pretty may be preferred over a machine that costs $500 and does a great job, and around $1000 would be the maximum. Mopping isn't required.

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#2620311 11-Dec-2020 19:53

If price is a significant factor, then if you want appropriate recommendations I suggest you provide a solid idea of budget!

timmmay

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#2620316 11-Dec-2020 20:10

jonathan18:

If price is a significant factor, then if you want appropriate recommendations I suggest you provide a solid idea of budget!

Fair call, post edited. No solid budget, but value is more important that price. I think $250 would be cheap and $1200 expensive, $500 is probably good and $1000 may be a stretch.

jonathan18

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#2620318 11-Dec-2020 20:30

All good!

I have little experience with recent models, but would never not have a robot cleaner now. We have a Roborock S5, which seems to have been replaced with the S6.Things like room mapping are essential features for me, including the ability to select which rooms get cleaned on a specific schedule, whereas mopping is of no interest to me anyway. These are features you’ll not get on the cheaper models that don’t have lidar etc

The $2k models like the top Roombas may have a base unit that sucks the dirt out of the machine, which means you’ll not need to empty it frequently (I do ours after most cleans, as I think they work better; I’d be tempted to get one of these units!)

I would also suggest reading some of the earlier threads here, as there’s some useful stuff.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=164&topicid=273092
The cleaner discussed in that thread is at $550 when I clicked that link, which seems to be good value and it has the key features I’d not be without.

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=73&topicid=272498

https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=73&topicid=223773&page_no=1
Long and older, but IIRC there’s discussion there of alternative brands/models, so perhaps read through the more recent pages.

timmmay

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#2620322 11-Dec-2020 21:07

Thanks @jonathan18 :) Looks like the Roborock S6 is about $1000 now. The Mi 1C is about $400. The Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO900 is about $550. Any advice as to practical difference between the two? I don't have enough background on the subject to understand the difference.

SATTV

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#2620328 11-Dec-2020 21:45

We have just got a i7 Roomba with docking station.

Bloody fantastic is all I can say.

When it is full it will go back to the docking station and unload, then go back vacuuming.

Does a better job than me and very easy to use, fist few uses take some time as it is mapping the house, very easy to use, you can set up schedules and if you want to do the lounge, just pull out the phone and tell Roomba to do the lounge.

It was $1899 from HN

I dont know how hit handles cat hair but a friend has a cat and two Roomba's one upstairs and one downstairs, they no longer use their built in vacuum system.

John

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#2620329 11-Dec-2020 21:47

Sorry I forgot to say I would not get one without the docking station, if not and Roomba gets full it goes home and beeps until you empty it.

At least with the dock it will dump and carry on.

John

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timmmay

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#2620337 11-Dec-2020 22:26

I suspect $1800 is too high. Emptying a full vacuum doesn't seem like too much of a problem.

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timmmay

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#2620385 12-Dec-2020 08:45

I asked my Mum about budget, she doesn't really know, but I suspect $1000 would be the high end of what she'd want to spend, ideally less unless there's a good reason spend that. She's not worried about mopping at all, just something that help keep the floor fairly clean between proper vacuums and mopping. Emptying a dust bin occasionally is fine. A device that goes back to the cradle to charge itself would be useful.

robjg63

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#2620407 12-Dec-2020 09:52

The wife and I got one of these https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HOMMIX25012/Xiaomi-Mi-Smart-Robot-1C-Vacuum-Cleaner-2-in-1-Swe

(Xiaomi Mi Smart Robot 1C ) several weeks ago. The Mi store https://www.mi-store.co.nz/product/SKV4093GL/Mi-Vacuum-Cleaner-Smart-Robot-1C has them for $399 at the moment.

We haven't used the mop part, but we have it on the lower floor of our house with a mix of wooden floor and carpet and the thing is bloody brilliant. Makes a much better job of cleaning than we would normally do. I really gets into the corners and edges and happily goes under furniture very effectively. The first time we used it I left all the chairs at the dining table and thought it might get stuck (it was a test), but no problems at all. (you would probably move chairs out of the way anyway). You have to make sure you keep cables/wires etc out of the way if possible though - cables aren't something that any robot vac likes apparently.

We empty the dust compartment after each use - The first couple of times it was quite full (newish carpet installed recently and dust from the areas we hadn't done a good job with manually). The lower floor area is around 65 sq metres (so the app says), which takes around 65 minutes to complete.

We have a sideboard unit in the lounge with a power point behind it and it 'lives' under there. Its a good out of the way spot.

There is a useful review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIsBVW6X3cY

Really recommend this device.

(Seriously thinking about buying another for upstairs)

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

timmmay

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#2620488 12-Dec-2020 13:38

Nice review, thanks @robjg63 . I'll look at the youtube link later on. Sounds like at $400 it'll be a good option for Mum :)

Clima

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#2620574 12-Dec-2020 16:58

We bought a Xiaomi 3 years ago ($399) from Dick Smith and it is performing well. Don't recollect the model but after 3 years it will have been superseded anyhow. There was a thread on here back then with several others who had bought the same and they seemed very happy. We had a cat back then and the first few cleans showed what our bigger vac had left!

linw

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#2620705 12-Dec-2020 21:22

We are very happy with the earlier xiaomi as well. Great value for $400. I like to tell people he (Henry) is cleverer than some people I know! He lives under a sideboard and can be started from Alexa.

timmmay

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#2620713 12-Dec-2020 21:39

A lot of people are happy with the Xiaomi, reviews a good. Sold! We'll get one as well I think, our 4 year old is a prolific generator of random stuff all over the carpet.

linw

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#2620800 13-Dec-2020 09:03

Have to admit we haven't had a 4 yr old test ours!! YMMV!!

jonathan18

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#2620814 13-Dec-2020 09:45

timmmay:

A lot of people are happy with the Xiaomi, reviews a good. Sold! We'll get one as well I think, our 4 year old is a prolific generator of random stuff all over the carpet.

Does the 1C have mapping enabled again, and does this allow the creation of 'rooms' and the programming of specific rooms on set days/times? I see it had it added as an experimental feature at one point but unsure if it became permanent.

This is what the mapping looks like on mine (Roborock S5):

If it doesn't, for an extra $50-100, personally I'd go with the DEEBOT OZMO900 for $550 at JB Hifi, which I believe has these features.

Right at this moment, our lounge and dining room are being cleaned by our S5 after having people over last night; it only takes selecting the appropriate rooms and pressing go, vs some other options which will require drawing a box for the area(s) one wants cleaned. Similarly, we have ours programmed to do the living rooms after dinner, and the rest of the house while we're away at work; and some parts of the house (bedrooms) are vacuumed fewer times of the week compared to the living spaces...

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