# Robot vacuums?--Do they work?



## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

I was just wondering if anyone here uses a Roomba or other robot vacuum. If so, what model is it, do you like it, and do you have two or more GSDs? 

I am interested in the Roomba 960, but it looks so small, and I am worried that it will not be able to cope with the shedding of two GSDs. We have hardwood floors with an area rug in the living room. I sweep and/or vacuum all the time and it seems like two hours later it needs done again. The roomba would be worth the money if it works, but I am doubtful. Any thoughts or experiences? 

Thanks in advance!


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## Malibu (Jul 27, 2017)

Yes they work-ish they can get stuck here and there.

We have rugs and that is not the problem.

I bought my wife one on eBay....works pretty good as an additional sweeper not apple of replacing my wife yet.


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## JewelLaverne (Aug 2, 2018)

I have a roomba. I can’t find a model number on it, but it is an older model—bought about 3 years ago. It helps, but, as the previous poster said, it does get stuck sometimes, so has to be monitered occasionally. It also has s very tiny compartment to hold the dust/hair it picks up, so has to be changed every time I run it. I can only run it when my dog is outside or in his crate, because he chases, bites, and barks at it. Siggy is only 5 months old, though, and feels he must kill all forms of vacuums and brooms, so you may not have that problem. I think it was worth the money, as I use it between vacuumings, and it does do a good job of picking up hair when it doesn’t spend hours circling under the piano, unable to escape. I named mine “Hazel.”


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

We had one of the early models. The batteries kept dying (not holding a charge), and were very expensive to replace. Hopefully they've worked that out!


The one thing I would warn you about running them while you're at work: if you have a very young dog, a very old dog, or a foster dog who might possibly drop a secret pile of poop...I would avoid these machines. 



A good friend who owns an elderly Basenji who sometimes doesn't want to be bothered with going outside when the weather's bad. He will poop in a hidden spot once in a while. Her DH was in a hurry to leave the house for work, crated the dogs, and didn't notice the that there was some dog poop in a corner. Then the Roomba turned itself on and did its thing. 



She came home to circular patterns of poop smeared all over the floor, throughout the entire downstairs of their house -- everywhere the robot traveled, so did the poop. It was absolutely awful. Needless to say, she had to throw out the Roomba and spent hours cleaning the mess.


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## car2ner (Apr 9, 2014)

My son has the Neato and likes it. He has two dogs and a cat. 
Compare brands and models. https://www.consumerreports.org/robotic-vacuums/best-robotic-vacuums-of-the-year/
https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2498130,00.asp
I've decided that with the way my house is set up, not open concept, it would be a waste of money since I'd have to sweep other rooms anyhow.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

I had a Roomba Discovery a decade ago but from what I’ve heard - although lots of features and updates have been made on the newer versions, the basic function remains the same. That said... I loved my Roomba for “finishing work”. Meaning... I’d still sweep and mop as usual, but after sweeping I’d run the Roomba to get under furniture or corners that I missed. At the time I was in a 600sq ft apartment with hardwood floors two GSD and a cat.

If I relied solely on the Roomba, the canisters would fill up before the cycle was complete. LHGSD hair was especially annoying as it tangled and wrapped around some of the parts which made emptying/cleaning time consuming.

A co worker of mine just purchased a current model... he has a lab a pug and a cat, and also reports that he gets an alert to his phone that the vacuum has stopped mid cycle due to a full canister.

Moral of the story, it’s a nice assistant


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Magwart said:


> We had one of the early models. The batteries kept dying (not holding a charge), and were very expensive to replace. Hopefully they've worked that out!
> 
> 
> The one thing I would warn you about running them while you're at work: if you have a very young dog, a very old dog, or a foster dog who might possibly drop a secret pile of poop...I would avoid these machines.
> ...


I was just going to warn about this, but you beat me to it! >


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## Ozymandiasmv (Oct 3, 2018)

We had a Neato Robotics vacuum that was made specifically for pets. Although we only just got our puppy yesterday we have three Maine **** cats.

The biggest problem with the robotic vacuum was the fact that we have really shaggy flokati area rugs all over our house. It's cost-prohibitive to buy enough magnetic boundary marking strips to prevent the vacuum from going on the rugs altogether, and when it did, they were so thick that it would just get stuck or run down its batteries trying to muscle its way through.

The areas where it did clean, it did great. The receptacle was large enough to handle a full job but it did need to be emptied frequently. I'm guessing that battery technology has improved enough that the newer roombas and other brands will work better but I'm not sure about the area rug issue depending on how your house is organized.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Thanks for the insight everyone. I think I'll hold off on getting one for now. I'm pretty sure with the amount of shedding we have around here, I'd spend as much time emptying filled receptacles as simply sweeping and/or vacuuming in the first place. It does sound nice for finishing work though...maybe in a year or two, I'll rethink it.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Magwart said:


> We had one of the early models. The batteries kept dying (not holding a charge), and were very expensive to replace. Hopefully they've worked that out!
> 
> The one thing I would warn you about running them while you're at work: if you have a very young dog, a very old dog, or a foster dog who might possibly drop a secret pile of poop...I would avoid these machines.
> 
> ...


I shudder to think of this. Thanks for the warning!


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Just thought I would update my somewhat old thread. Our trusty vacuum hasn't been working as well as it used to, so I rewarded myself with a new one this Christmas. I wasn't brave enough to spend close to a thousand on a robot vacuum if it didn't work for us, so I decided to start out with a moderately priced one, Roborock S4. So far, I LOVE this thing. I vacuumed really well with a conventional vacuum before I ran it for the first time and have ran it once a day since. It's able to handle the entire lower level of our house. The dust pan is full when it is done, but it has always finished cleaning. I have several low-pile area rugs that it handles without a problem. I haven't seen a dog-hair tumbleweed since Christmas, which makes me very very happy.

Of course, it's not completely effort-free. Before I start it, we have to pick up the clutter in the playroom, tie up some curtains that hang down too low on the floor, move some chairs out of the way, and I have to empty out the dust pan when it's done, but overall it saves me a TON of time, and it makes having two GSDs much easier!

I also got a regular vacuum for the upstairs and as back-up that I am happy with, a Shark Rotator. My resolution this year is to have less doghair in my life. 

[Edit: I forgot to add that Asher and Levi ignore the robo vac, which is an unexpected and welcome surprise. They tend to chase everything that moves, and Asher especially hates upright vacuums. Perhaps beacuse it is quieter than a normal vacuum and moves in a boring and predictable pattern, they don't find it as stimulating.]


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

My robot vacuum has a hard life. I usually run it 2 to 3 times a day. I clean my filter after every use, and replace the filter every month. I remember Nitro once trying to 'rescue' it when it got stuck. Nitro once kicked his ball to it, trying to get it to play.


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