Effective Cleaning Robot that the Cat Loves to Watch
Written: Apr 19 '07 (Updated Jul 12 '09)
Product Rating:
Ease of Use:
Durability:
Ease of Cleaning:
Style:
Pros: Not Fast but Thorough; Given Time, It Cleans Well; Battery Life; Vinegar is Dirt Cheap
Cons: Noisier than Roomba, Some Operational Idiosyncrasies,
The Bottom Line: Understanding it's few quirks is the key to living with it day to day. Very effective overall and recommended to all but lifetime technophobes.
memfaxman's Full Review: iRobot 5900 Scooba Robotic Wet/Dry Vacuum
Battery Update 7/10/2009 - If you want to maximize your battery life, consider removing the battery(s) from your robot(s) in between uses and after recharging them. I realize this is a bit more trouble, particularly with the 4150, but the Irobot chargers aren't designed to shut off once the battery has a full charge and I am convinced this trait caused several of my batteries (in both my Roombas and Scoobas) to prematurely fail before I caught on. I have been following my 'removal' protocol for appx 18 mos with my Scoobas and I just began with a new set of replacement Chinese APS battery packs for the 2 Roombas. Even after I performed the "osmo" update on my Scoobas, their charger continued to overcharge my batteries if left beyond ~12 hours, although the update did appear to reduce the overcharging propensity (on the Scooba 5900's).
This started out as an email to a friend who asked for details on my experience with both Roomba and Scooba, so I've combined them in a single report. I've used Roomba for 6 mos and Scooba for 4 months.
To date, I've had (3) 4150 Roombas and (2) 5900 Scoobas. Roomba is a robotic floor vacuum cleaner, whereas Scooba is a robotic floor washer (a fully automated version of those monsters you've seen employees navigating the aisles of larger grocery and dept. stores). I bought one Roomba to try out the remote control and docking station, but decided they weren't worth a $100 premium (to me) and returned a second following it's "attempted suicide" (see below). I have not tested a Discovery model (Roomba), which allows you to program cleaning in advance (for example, while you're at work or asleep). You would want to be certain the area(s) to be cleaned were fully "Roomba Proofed" lest the poor robot become ensnared in an obstruction with no human available to answer it's plaintive calls ("beeps") for help. The fanciest model even tells you when the dirt bin is full .... ahhh .... are we really THAT lazy ?? :-). Roomba and Scooba both have handy integral carrying handles, which makes it easy pickup and carry them to/from the target cleaning area. Both typically come (new) with one or two "virtual walls", a battery and charger and sometimes an extra air filter or brush set (Roomba) or rubber mat (Scooba).
If you don't mind reaching down to plug it back into the charger (Roomba), you can probably save some money on the more basic Roomba 4150 (mine was just over $100 including shipping). If you have a lot of (sealed) hardwood, vinyl and/or tile you might prefer (or also want) a Scooba, since it does a more thorough cleaning of those floor types than Roomba, but it's NOT for carpet/rugs and it's slower (moves about 1/2 the speed of Roomba). The larger Scooba (5900) can clean about 500 SF on a full charge (2 cleaning cycles of appx 45 mins each-you must empty/refill the dirty/clean tanks between cycles). According to Irobot, the 5800 (smaller floor washing robot) does NOT need a cleaning agent added to the water but, as I related to them, if I'm going to "clean" the floor, wouldn't it make sense that I'd WANT to include a cleaning agent (in my case, the white vinegar) in the water? Irobot apparently used a series of ultra high capacity NiMH AA size batteries (4100mah rating) which are about 1/3 again longer than a standard AA battery, which means it's not easy or cheap to make a replacement yourself, even if you're a big DIY person!)
You'll quickly learn how best to "break up" your floors to make the best use of the beast(s). Roomba can clean about 3 average rooms on a full charge and you can always get another battery but for most folks, that's probably unnecessary. Both Scooba and Roomba 4150 run 1.5-2 hrs on a full charge, which is a lot of cleaning time. I'm continually amazed at how much debris they pick up .. ESPECIALLY PET HAIR in the Roomba! I've used both of them at a condo I'm renovating (and which is far dirtier than my house), and overall, I've been very pleased with their performance and perseverance. You must perform some simple routine maintenance when using them, which I've summarized below.
Procedure Summaries:
Scooba - Add white vinegar/water or Clorox/warm water at start and empty and rinse DIRTY water tank when finished then clean the pickup screen, rubber vacuum tube & brush assembly when it's finished for the day - this takes abt 2 mins at "start" and about 3 mins at the "end". Wipe off the rubber squeegee blades on Scooba's underside.
Roomba - Following use, you simply empty Roomba's "bin" every 1-3 uses (more often when you 1st get it, til it "cleans" most of the hidden areas your old vac couldn't reach) and remove and clean it's brushes (VERY easy) every several uses (1-2 mins to empty "bin"; 3-5 mins to clean the brushes, using the convenient simple brush cleaning tool which comes with it. Rinse the reusable air filter (it easily slides out of the bin) under a faucet every 1-2 times you empty the bin. This will provide cleaner air, improve airflow/vacuum power and decrease load on the vacuum motor.
With both units, you place the robot on the floor, press ON then CLEAN for Scooba or SPOT, CLEAN or MAX for Roomba (SPOT-concentrated cleaning in a small area, CLEAN-normal choice to clean a room/area, MAX-runs til battery is fully depleted)
Scooba vacuums before spraying/scrubbing, so unless the floor's REALLY dirty, you don't need to "pre" vacuum it. Roomba, on the other hand, is simply a robotic vacuum cleaner that uses both agitation from the 2 counterrotating brushes and suction/air flow through a simple (non HEPA/ULPA) air filter to remove debris.
I've read some comments from folks wondering about the long term durability of the beasts and I think it's a valid consideration but if you average the cost of ownership over even one year vs the cost of "professional" cleaning service or your time in performing the same tasks (and allowing for robot "maintenance"), I believe most folks would opt for the robot(s), particularly if you're able to buy it/them at a discount. With the possible exception of a battery replacement, I'd guess that properly cared for unit(s) might give several years use before a maintenance overhaul or replacement looms. I understand the model(s) use plastic gears, so I suspect the more "obstructions" facing the unit(s), the quicker those parts are likely to wear. It's always a good idea to "RoombaProof" or "ScoobaProof" to the extent reasonably possible, in order to maximize cleaning effectiveness and minimize wear on the units. (for example, if I don't remove the fringed runner rugs, Roomba will sometime "catch" on the corner/fringe and though it will usually free itself, eventually, it's accelerating wear on the drive mechanism to do so). You can also "tape" the fringe but be careful to use a type which won't leave a residue upon removal. Obviously, you want to avoid leaving power cords, etc, in it's path, though it's not likely to damage them, due to it's relatively low power, if it should meet one. As mentioned by another reviewer, Roomba's charging plug receptacle's long term durability may be an issue. After the previous 4150 fell down the stairs, I usually had to "jiggle" the plug in order to make good contact when beginning a recharge cycle. The 4150 also has metal contacts on the bottom, so that you can "upgrade" to a docking station and/or remote control in the future.
To date, Irobot has been pretty good about sending me the couple of odd parts I've needed (Scooba drive wheels-easy to change). One Scooba needed a battery, and I thought it was very nice of them to send me a new battery ($60 list) without the hassle of returning the old one. New Scooba and Roomba units both come with a 1 year warranty for "residential" use. The Scooba I use regularly broke a little plastic piece on the top of it's proximity sensor (the highest point on the robotic beastie) while going under the kitchen cabinet "lip", but it doesn't appear to affect it's operation. When I advised Irobot (given the unit was only a few weeks old) they offered to send me a new? 5800 model to replace it since they weren't making the 5900 now (contrary to my understanding that the 5900 was the newer model and could clean twice as much area on a full tank/charge than the smaller 5800). One difference which might be important to some folks is that the 5900 MUST have white vinegar or the special (and not inexpensive) Clorox solution in the Cleaning tank or it WILL NOT spray properly. The 5900 (larger Scooba) has an internal sensor which detects the presence (or lack of same) of the cleaning agent. Personally, I love the white vinegar since what little smell occurs, quickly disappears upon drying but some say they like the smell of the Clorox stuff. Possibly the weakest point on a Scooba is the two (main) drive wheels which have a thin layer of compressible "foam" laminated/glued to the underlying plastic wheel. Out of (4) drive wheels on (2) Scoobas, I've had two fail (the foam separates from the plastic) causing Scooba to lose traction (when foam comes off on one wheel, it'll cause Scooba to turn on a wet floor, even though it really wants to go straight, due to one wheel having traction and the defective one lacking it).
Scooba Quirks
Scooba 5900 does have a few idiosyncrasies. Apparently, if you don't do a thorough job rinsing and removing ALL trace of debris from the DIRTY tank each cleaning, it can cause Scooba to fail or give you an error message when you again attempt to start it. Sometimes the error code bears little connection to the ultimate problem, as I've learned after 30-40 uses. You also MUST use either white vinegar or the special (not inexpensive) Clorox solution in the CLEANING tank or, again, it won't operate properly. Once, I got so frustated, I picked it up using two hands, shook it similar to how you might a can of paint, put it back down, and, lo and behold it WORKED again .. lol ! I'm not sure if that's factory recommended, but I felt better having done it !! Maybe this is why they've apparently discontinued this model in favor of the 5800 ? The manual states you may use WARM water and given the conservative setting of my tank (abt 125F), I simply use that temp water when setting it up to clean. Another issue you may have is the need to reprime the spray system. One night, I had to use one of my air compressors to "blow out" the passage, which seemed to do the trick. Unlike Roomba, I recommend allowing Scooba to FINISH a complete cycle before interrupting it or if you're cleaning such a small area (bathrooom) that doesn't need 45 mins, simply pick it up, relocate it and press CLEAN again. According to Irobot, when the blue light is flashing (as opposed to the green), Scooba is drying it's insides and reducing the chance of long term moisture damage, so you probably want to let it finish, even if you relocate it during a cleaning cycle.
Overall, I am quite pleased with both of them. They save me time, aid my back while keeping the house a bit cleaner than my less frequent manual efforts. Excepting the previously mentioned caveats, I would recommend them both.
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
The Roomba Scooba is a household, robotic floor cleaner designed for hard floors made of materials such as tile and linoleum. It vacuums up loose part...More at Amazon Marketplace
An innovative and easy-to-use product that will change the way you clean hard floors. With Scooba, you will never have to touch a dirty mop and bucke...More at eCOST.com
iRobot Scooba Floor Washing Robot is the world's first floor washing robot for the home that preps, washes, scrubs and dries your floor - all by itsel...More at Allergy Be Gone
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.