Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Great Price iRobot 530 for $190.99

iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White Review



We love our Roomba. It's smart about stairs, smart about going from hard flooring to even very thick rugs, it vacuums much better than our standard vacuum (which was top of the line just 5 years ago), and we love that it can get itself out of corners and untangle itself from most wires. As long as you make a bit of effort to clean up after yourself before setting it into motion, you'll find it a huge time-saver and it does a terrific job!


However there are a few things we don't like, all of which are minor to us despite the length of the list:
* Took it to my mom's house; she had a "ponytail plant" on the ground. Hard to describe the plant, but the important part is that the thin leaves got wound around its rotating dusting arm and nearly pulled the plant over. Fortunately, I was watching and caught it before that happened.
* Sometimes the cords from blinds get wrapped around that rotating arm too. Best to get your cords up off the ground.
* Though it's smart about standard AC extension cords and audio/video cord that are sufficiently thick, it sometimes tries to inhale very thin low-voltage DC wiring, such as you might use with the charger for a cordless phone or a baby monitor. Sometimes it actually pulls the plug out of the wall. ...but that didn't stop it, it apparently figured it out and continued on, pushing the wire aside for me to deal with later.
* Pet hair and my daughter's long hair gets wrapped around the ends of the brushes and is hard to clean. First time it managed to pop up the ending of one of the brushes, couldn't make it fit back in the unit and didn't understand why. Forced it in and the brush became bowed until they worked themselves loose. I didn't even realize the little yellow knobs at the end of the removable brush and sweeper units were removable until I checked the manual. Once removed, I saw a thick ring of hair neatly wrapped under the yellow spoke caps that I cleaned.
* Terribly inefficient. The same battery could last 5 rooms easily (instead of 3) if its "pong"-like or billiard ball like motion of bouncing off the walls took into account places in the room where it has already been and avoided repeating work. ...but like I say, it seems to be sucking up a lot that our other vacuum never touched, so maybe passing over the same spot 10-12 times is really necessary. Time-wise that's okay; it eventually hits every part of the room at least once and it's still a time-saver not to have to operate an upright vacuum cleaner.

Again, still a great product that we love, a huge time saver, and amusing for the kids to watch. Just have to make sure to check the room a bit before we let it loose.



iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White Feature


  • Vacuuming robot picks up dirt and debris with the touch of a button
  • Easy-to-empty bagless dustbin; fine-filtration system traps allergens
  • Anti-tangle technology; gentle-touch bumper system; built-in cliff sensors
  • Self-charging Home Base, 2 Virtual Walls, an extra filter, and more included
  • Measures 16-3/4 by 21 by 5 inches; 1-year limited warranty



iRobot 530 Roomba Vacuuming Robot, White Overview


With dramatically improved navigation, cleaning coverage, vacuum pickup, and particle filtration, the Roomba 530 vacuuming robot picks up amazing amounts of dirt and debris with the simple touch of a button. The powerful unit features innovative spinning side brushes that grab dirt and dust from corners and along wall edges, as well as two high-speed, counter-rotating brushes that pick up pet hair, cat litter, food crumbs, and other debris from floors. The vacuum sucks up the debris and deposits it into a large, easy-to-empty bagless dustbin, and its improved fine-filtration system traps dust, pollen, and other allergens inside the unit, reducing infiltration into the living environment. For added convenience, the vacuum's cleaning head automatically adjusts to transition from wood, tile, and linoleum to carpets and rugs, while improved anti-tangle technology ensures it won't get stuck on cords and rug fringe. If the unit begins to pick up a cord or carpet tassel, it will automatically reverse the direction of its brushes to extract the item. A gentle-touch bumper system senses obstacles so the vacuum automatically slows its approach, gently touches the obstacle, then redirects to continue cleaning under or around the object. Because it cleans under beds, couches, and other hard-to-reach areas, it actually vacuums more of the floor than a standard upright can. The vacuum also senses dirtier areas and spends more time cleaning them, and it uses built-in cliff sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs. In addition, invisible barriers can be set using the unit's Virtual Wall system. To mark off-limit areas, simply place a Virtual Wall at a doorway or other opening and adjust the infrared beam setting to the distance of the opening. The unit automatically detects the beam and will not cross it. The vacuuming robot returns to its self-charging Home Base to dock and recharge between cleaning cycles or when the battery starts to run low. Its advanced power system c


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Customer Reviews





Cute gadget thats great on rugs. - Gadget lady - Albany, California USA
It did a thorough job on my rug surfaces but wouldn't stop going over textured kitchen flooring. I must stop and dock the robot manually.



Mixed Feelings - Lots of maintenance - D. Sacco -
So my husband got this for me 2 Christmas's ago because I REALLY wanted one to clean mainly my bedroom which has hardwood floors. We have 2 dogs - one sheds the other doesn't. Worked great at first - I close the door and it would run. Soon though I would spend 1/2 MY TIME unclogging it (without even a lot of hair in it) or finding it stuck on something. Keeping the side brush attached is just a waste of time - it doesn't happen. It was one of the reasons my husband GOT this model for me - and it's the most annoying part of it. No bumps, obstacles or anything in it's way and the brush is found on the floor somewhere and who KNOWS where the screw is for it. For the last 5 months it has been sitting dormant because it was too much hassle and the battery died. I decided to give it another chance and ordered a new battery and new brushes. I swept my room before I started it and just this morning - the side brush is gone (less than 10 minutes) and it got tangled in a flat cord on the floor, stuck somehow under a table and now beeped again. So I find myself going and fixing it when I was trying to do other things while it did that one chore for me. This mom of 4 is not really thrilled with it - and all I wanted was a clean bedroom floor. I won't get another one - it's quicker for me to vacuum the room myself instead of fixing this thing all the time.



It Works! - J. Olson - PA
We use the Roomba for a finished basement and bottom line: IT WORKS! It's a little loud - my only complaint -- but it is a vacuum. It's very easy to use and you can use some wireless sensors to confine the vacuum to the area you want cleaned. It's pertty amazing that it senses when the charge is winding up so it goes back to the docking station to re-charge. It was well worth the money.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Feb 23, 2010 11:00:15
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