So far, this thing works like a DOG!, January 29, 2008
Granted, I've had this thing for less than a week, but I can't quit raving about it.
I got the Dirt Dog for my enclosed patio, which is home to 12 messy caged parakeets and is also, of course, where my 4 cats like to hang out. I chose the Dirt Dog over the Roomba because I thought the sweeper would work better on the unfinished...read full review
Granted, I've had this thing for less than a week, but I can't quit raving about it.
I got the Dirt Dog for my enclosed patio, which is home to 12 messy caged parakeets and is also, of course, where my 4 cats like to hang out. I chose the Dirt Dog over the Roomba because I thought the sweeper would work better on the unfinished concrete than a vacuum unit, and it was cheaper. I liked the idea of the larger crud-holder than the vacuum, and I thought maybe it would be less tempramental, too.
The first time I turned it on, it wandered around exploring---I quickly learned that the fringed cotton rugs would have to go (no biggie, they just trap dirt anyway). I didn't move a lot of furniture---wanted to see how it would get along without much prep work on my part.
It quickly became my "Little Buddy" as it got stuck, or wrapped a string around its brushes and gently whimpered "Uh-Oh". I responded like the silly thing was one of my kids: "What's up, Little Buddy? Did you get caught on something?" Pathetic.
Anyway, he soon seemed to "learn" how to handle the edge of the platform my desk chair sits on and scoot under the shelves where the birds drop seeds & feathers. I learned to put barriers up so he couldn't get into trouble on the indoor-outdoor carpet that trends to unravel. We trained each other.
He's noisy...but I got used to it. The floor was looking better!
The cats seemed fascinated, but not afraid---they didn't freak out, just watched and stayed out of the way. At one point one of them actually sat on the floor and watched while he worked all around her.
By the time he finished, I was thrilled with my utterly brilliant purchase. I pulled out the hepa DustBuster http://www.amazon.com/review/R3DJL18LOJDRWI/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm and sucked up what little was missed or out of his range. Walking on the floor in my bare feet, I could feel how clean it really was---as clean as it gets when I spend half a day working on it with the big Shop Vac!
Next test: The bachelor son's house, equipped with three shedding dogs. Buddy whipped back and forth under two couches and a chair, scooping up fuzzballs like a champ. He cleaned the tile, the wood, and the (unfringed) area rug. He wanted to do the bedroom carpet, but I was afraid that might be just TOO much, even for him.
Buddy's next challenge was our garage---smooth concrete, but VERY UNclean. This is what he's built for, right? We set a timer and checked up on him about every 10 minutes to make sure he hadn't gotten stuck somewhere or pulled something into his brushes that made him stop. It took him a while, and I could tell by his yellow light that he was getting really tired, but he got it CLEAN. I emptied out his "dustpan" about 5 times. Yesterday I did some spray-painting in the garage, and the whole newly-clean floor was soon covered with overspray. So I put Buddy back to work. He swept up all the fine paint dust off the floor---no whining, no dust mask, no beer break. And now all that dust isn't getting tracked into the house. I can hardly wait to turn him loose the next time there are tiny metal shavings all over the floor from some drill-press project...
TBD is how well he'll last, but can you tell I'm pretty pleased with our newest family member?
Update June 23 2007:
It's now been six months, and we're on our second "Little Buddy". After a few weeks, Buddy I began just wandering around in a circle; it turned out he had an incurable wheel issue. It IS annoying that IRobot won't cover postage on a warranty return, but it was worth the hassle to get a new Little Buddy. The house just wasn't the same without him.....
Buddy II seems to be an even better and more energetic unit than his late, lamented sibling. He has earned the weekly task of sweeping our outdoor concrete courtyard. He gets a little rambunctious launching himself at some of the potted plants from time to time, but he does a wonderful job of cleaning up dirt, dust and leaves. It still amazes me how much stuff he picks up from what appears to be a pretty clean surface.
Buddy II has also been called into service for the above-mentioned drill press project. The scene begins as I step barefoot into the garage. I return hissing, swearing and bleeding on the floor. As I head for the tweezer drawer, I snarl to my husband, "Get Buddy! You've been drilling metal again and haven't cleaned up!" So Buddy has now succesfully taken on the role of marriage counselor.
He's also been on a couple of sleepovers at friends' houses, where he delighted his hostesses by cleaning their patios, decks and garages. One friend was so impressed she asked for her own Buddy as a birthday gift. He was apparently VERY well-behaved, even without parental supervision.
Buddy continues to work tirelessly, asking for nothing but a charged battery, a clean brush and an occasional (chaperoned) date with the air-compressor. minimize
Surpassed my expectations, June 29, 2007
I honestly thought this would not be effective at all. I have (had actually) a very dirty smooth garage floor with all kinds of shelves etc. under which I was almost afraid to look. Unleashing the DOG, it filled up with crud quickly, and I emptied several loads per cycle. The DOG kicked up very little dust, and after a few runs the floor looked ...read full review
I honestly thought this would not be effective at all. I have (had actually) a very dirty smooth garage floor with all kinds of shelves etc. under which I was almost afraid to look. Unleashing the DOG, it filled up with crud quickly, and I emptied several loads per cycle. The DOG kicked up very little dust, and after a few runs the floor looked almost new. There's no vacuum, it's just brooms guiding the stuff into the collection tray. To get this level of clean without moving cars etc out of the way is impressive. Given my low expectations, I was compelled to give a good review to my new friend. minimize
Does a great job, when it works..., February 10, 2008
This did a better job of cleaning than a regular Roomba - did very good on uneven surfaces, excelled on sand and dog hair (much better than the Roomba on sand), and has a big enough bin to hold a decent load.
Where I had a problem with it was the 10 beeps - "too long without bumping anything" fault. My shop area is big (60x40) and...read full review
This did a better job of cleaning than a regular Roomba - did very good on uneven surfaces, excelled on sand and dog hair (much better than the Roomba on sand), and has a big enough bin to hold a decent load.
Where I had a problem with it was the 10 beeps - "too long without bumping anything" fault. My shop area is big (60x40) and doesn't have junk laying around for it to run into. Most of the time, the Dirt Dog runs for a few minutes, doesn't bump into anything, then just stops and sits there in the middle of the room beeping, waiting for someone to push the start button again. Pretty frustrating.
I would only recommend this if you've got small areas/rooms to clean - probably won't fit the definition of most "shops". minimize
Not Just For Workshops, January 3, 2008
I bought this Dirt Dog for my husband to use in his carpentry shop, but I couldn't resist trying it out in the house, too. I love it! It navigates easily over carpet edges, it picks up crumbs from the kitchen, it slides beneath the bed to clean there and then finds its way back out again, and it gets cat hair out of the carpets as well as or...read full review
I bought this Dirt Dog for my husband to use in his carpentry shop, but I couldn't resist trying it out in the house, too. I love it! It navigates easily over carpet edges, it picks up crumbs from the kitchen, it slides beneath the bed to clean there and then finds its way back out again, and it gets cat hair out of the carpets as well as or better than my Electrolux vacuum.
When we put it in the workshop, my husband was skeptical of its ability to sweep up fine sawdust, but the Dirt Dog handled the sawdust like a champ. It has a powerful little motor, too: when it got stuck under a heavy wheeled trunk, it actually started pulling the trunk along with it.
On the negative side of using it for the house, it can get tangled in carpet fringe. Also it's bagless, which some people may not like. (Personally, I consider baglessness an advantage because it means I can glance into the bin to make sure it didn't sweep up an earring or something.) It won't eliminate the need for an occasional vacuuming to get the deep-down dirt out of your carpets. And although it's fairly thorough, it's slow. If the floor is dirty and you just remembered that company is arriving in ten minutes, you'll need to reach for the broom instead of the Dirt Dog. The Dirt Dog cleans well, but it takes a LOT longer to sweep a room than you would. But for day-to-day maintenance, it's great to know that the floors are being taken care of while I'm doing something else. This is one of the best purchases I've made in a long time. minimize
Works well, but you need compressed air to clean it, February 7, 2008
It eventually won the 'battle against dirt' in my basement shop -- but it got clogged up frequently from all the dust (I have concrete floors, but they haven't been cleaned thoroughly in the 15 years I've had the house).
There are six spots that have to be blown out, 4 'cliff sensors' and two 'bumper sensors' which are accessible to...read full review
It eventually won the 'battle against dirt' in my basement shop -- but it got clogged up frequently from all the dust (I have concrete floors, but they haven't been cleaned thoroughly in the 15 years I've had the house).
There are six spots that have to be blown out, 4 'cliff sensors' and two 'bumper sensors' which are accessible to air through holes behind the battery ears, but are not called out in the manual.
If your basement is cleaner (and I would think most are) you shouldn't have these problems. I recommend the dirt dog even though it does require more care and feeding than a roomba or a scooba (both of which I'd rate 5 stars) also, it often gets stuck when it tries to eat small (quarter sized) chunks of brick, stone or plaster. minimize
Description: iRobot Dirt Dog picks up what you throw down. Command it to clean and it gets to work sweeping under workbenches, cars and other hard-to-reach places. It picks up the nuts, bolts, dirt, and other debris from your shop floor. You've done enough; leave the cleaning to a robot. iRobot Dirt Dog's oversized dust bin and high-speed, counter-rotating brushes keep your workspace...read full description
