Vacuums?

[Sean Malone]

nrc's posting of today's Woot reminded me that my wife has been telling me she is buying a Kirby vacuum. Here's why; 1) her mother has one and swears by it. 2) it uses a bag.

We have been using a combination of our central vacuum system, which is convenient for a quick once over, but lacks serious 'sucking power', and a regular rotation of inexpensive light weight bagless uprights. She likes these because they are easy to handle. But they typically never last over a year. I feel like I'm buying a new one all the time. The downside is that these units use paper filters that get unbelievably clogged after just one use (German Shepherd's shed year round) and I have the unfortunate task of cleaning them, and that's no fun.

So her mom reminded my wife of her beloved Kirby that she has owned since forever and how it uses the old fashioned paper bag. Pop it out and throw it in the trash plus it has enough power to pull a carpet from it's tack strip.

Not being much of a vacuum connoisseur, I googled the Kirby and found that they are known for their aggressive door to door sales tactics and that the bags have to be purchased directly from them. Oh, and they ain't cheap.

So I've been trying to edge her toward the popular Dysan line. They have a 'pet' model, but the thing with 'pet' models is typically just a hepa filterthat becomes more of a pain than its worth.

Any recommendations? My wife's sister has a 'Royal', another old school vacuum and loves it.

[dando]

We have a Dyson and love it (also not cheap - I found a refurb through Amazon ~7 years ago). The only issue I have with it is doing the stairs. It came with an attachment for stairs, but it didn't last long before it became hopelessly clogged due to our pets. :irked: So now I just use the hose and standard attachments and it works reasonably well.

-Kevin

[KLang]

Maybe upgrade the central vac?

I was sceptical when we had one built in our new house but I really like all the exhaust going outside. Really cuts down on the dust.

[dando]

I really like all the exhaust going outside. Really cuts down on the dust.

Yeah, but your neighbors are pissed. :D

-Kevin

[Indy]

We have had one of these for years. Best sucking I have ever experienced. :gomer:

http://www.riccar.com/

[datachicane]

Refurb Dyson here, too. Picked it up @ Fry's for under $200. I was surprised- it's one of the bigger models, but it's considerably lighter than the umpteen year old Kenmore upright it replaced. We've got a bunch of stairs in our house, and it's light enough that my 10-yr-old daughter lugs it up and down without drama. Fantastic on wood floors, too, since you can turn the beater bar off, and it doesn't push a bunch of air around near the floor to scatter whatever you're trying to vacuum. The hose-in-handle is an exceedingly slick bit of engineering, too.

I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

Hey, if your wife likes Kirbys, I've got a couple of old Rainbows in the garage that would be right up her alley :gomer:

[Sean Malone]

When I had the bedrooms re-carpeted 3 years ago I remember the sales guy talking about how some carpet warranties are not honored if you use super strong vacuums, but maybe it was shampooers. Can't remember.
I had no idea there were so many vacuum manufactures out there!

[indyfan31]

We have had one of these for years. Best sucking I have ever experienced. :gomer:

http://www.riccar.com/

An American made vacuum cleaner for $200? Pretty amazing.
We have another US made vacuum, it's from Schoettler Research (http://www.homedefensesystem.com/) in Huntington Beach, CA. Very powerful but very expensive.

That said, I think Klang's suggestion to upgrade the existing central vac is a good idea.

[TrueBrit]

Dyson.

My wife has broken every other vacuum cleaner purchased...this one is bullet-proof and still works after 3 years of use..

[Don Quixote]

We have an 8 year old Lindhaus that still works like new. If and when this one finally bites the dust I will buy another one. Prior to this we would buy a new vacuum every 18 months at Costco. :gomer:

[Gangrel]

Count me in on the Dyson bandwagon. Two dogs, two cats, two kids, and still works like a dream after 3 years.

[G.]

Dyson.

I've had uprights that had a bit better initial suction, for about a month. :( The Dyson stays the same. I think we've had it for about 4 yrs. Still sucks!

[Michaelhatesfans]

We went with an Oreck. When you first look at it, it's just a little motor attached to an aluminum stick and you think, "What a piece of crap." Then you realize, "Oh, that's all I need!"

It's light as a feather and does the job just fine. Our others followed the Detroit philosopy of adding on so many gadgets and styling features that it ends up weighing a ton more than it needs to.

Funny how when you can pick up your vacuum with your little finger, suddenly it doesn't need it's own propulsion system anymore.:\

[Boatdesigner]

We have had a Filter Queen for the last 20 years. It is like a shop vac, but it has filters instead of a bag. It has survived three cats and we now have two dogs, a German Shepherd and a Golden Lab, both of whom shed pretty heavily. We don't buy the factory filters as you can buy aftermarket ones pretty cheap over the internet.

http://www.filterqueen.com/

Edit: Forgot to mention, they aren't cheap!

[Gnam]

Tear the carpet out. Chicks dig scratched floors. :p

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/3649/102909livingroom.jpg

[Methanolandbrats]

HEPA shop vac rules.:thumbup:

[Sean Malone]

Tear the carpet out. Chicks dig scratched floors. :p

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/3649/102909livingroom.jpg

Been toying with that idea. Only our bedrooms are carpeted, everywhere else is Travertine tile. Skeered to actually go full tile...and my wife takes forever to pick out rugs. :)

[pchall]

The Kirby is hopelessly over priced, IMO.

I've been running a Hoover Elite for two years now. I expect it to last three or four times that long. Upright bagless cannister with a HEPA filter for the exiting air. The lint and dirt and dust stays in the canister, dumps easily, and the plastic filter in the swirling chamber cleans with a brush or in water depending on what's been in the chamber. You could wear out half a dozen or more of these things before you've hit the price of a Kirby.

Next place I fix up better have original wooden floors, though. I am just tired of full house carpeting and long for the wood and tile I put into my place in the in the woods in the early 90s. Screw area rugs and just get some 6' x 3' tatami mats and some runners.

[cameraman]

I'd spend the money upgrading the central system. Have you ever had the piping cleaned?

[JLMannin]

Heck, Sean, I am your guy. We own both a Kirby and a Dyson.

First, the Kirby. We have had this longer than we had had children. (My oldest turned 16 this week). No, you do not have to buy the bags directly from Kirby, but you cannot buy them at Target/Walmart, etc. Everywhere we have lived, (even the podunk places), had a vacuum cleaner store that sold Kirby's within a 30 minute drive. We have a Genesis 3, I think they are up to five now. Wife purchased it and it cost $1200, about 10x what we were paying for a vacuum cleaners that would last a year, then we would toss them out. I was pissed as hell, spending that much on a vacuum, and I stated my piece, then shut up (Part of the deal at the end of the argument). If the Kirby shot craps in less than 10 years, I got to say "I told you so", and if it lasted 10 years, I got to say "You were right honey". 10 years later, I held up my end of the bargain. OK, back to performance. I really like the autodrive, makes the vacuum nearly effortless to operate. Suction is good, and it does a nice job of fluffing up the carpet nap. The standard head comes off and a hose attachment can be put on. The hose attachment has two rounded clips that hold it in place, and one broke off after about seven years or so. The other is still OK, and the hose is seculely attached. We have replaced the rubber drive belt about three or four times. Once, we sucked up something heavy and metal, and it struck the impeller and bent it. The vacuum was very load and it got very hot. Took it in to be repaired, and a new impeller (part in labor) was $125, and it ran like new. My only complaint - thread/hair/string/anything really long gets wrapped around the beater bar, and we have to use a seam ripper to remove the threads/hair/what-not about twice a year. We vacuum about twice a week, and have done so since we got it.

We have a Dyson as well (keep it upstairs), but I am out of time right now. I'll post about it later this evening.

[High Sided]

I'd spend the money upgrading the central system. Have you ever had the piping cleaned?
have beam come give you a bid. http://www.beamvac.com/usa/

[dando]

My only complaint - thread/hair/string/anything really long gets wrapped around the beater bar, and we have to use a seam ripper to remove the threads/hair/what-not about twice a year. We vacuum about twice a week, and have done so since we got it.


That happens with all vacuums, and I go through the same thing @ least once a year with our Dyson (hair thingies, pet hair, pom-pom leftovers, etc.) Darn girls. ;)

-Kevin

[Don Quixote]

American Open Wheel Racing has been reduced to this. A bunch of formerly rabid race fans who used to get together at the races to drink huge quantities of alcohol as they cheered on their favorite teams and drivers are now discussing removing hairballs from their fancy dancy vacuums. I am disgusted. :gomer: :D

[extramundane]

American Open Wheel Racing has been reduced to this. A bunch of formerly rabid race fans who used to get together at the races to drink huge quantities of alcohol as they cheered on their favorite teams and drivers are now discussing removing hairballs from their fancy dancy vacuums. I am disgusted. :gomer: :D

So you're saying this thread sucks?

/groan

[Steve99]

fancy dancy vacuums.

Much more interesting than the IRL Dallara.

[Methanolandbrats]

American Open Wheel Racing has been reduced to this. A bunch of formerly rabid race fans who used to get together at the races to drink huge quantities of alcohol as they cheered on their favorite teams and drivers are now discussing removing hairballs from their fancy dancy vacuums. I am disgusted. :gomer: :D
:laugh:

[datachicane]

Household appliances > Crapwagons or Jarts.

[Gnam]

Household appliances > Crapwagons or Jarts.

I think the Delta Wing could be improved with the use of a Dyson ball in place of the front axel. :tony:

[dando]

American Open Wheel Racing has been reduced to this. A bunch of formerly rabid race fans who used to get together at the races to drink huge quantities of alcohol as they cheered on their favorite teams and drivers are now discussing removing hairballs from their fancy dancy vacuums. I am disgusted. :gomer: :D

But as long as I can throw in a Brett Favre reference every other thread, all is well.... :gomer:

-Kevin

[datachicane]

I think the Delta Wing could be improved with the use of a Dyson ball in place of the front axel. :tony:

My god, don't say such things out loud.
If that monstrosity sprouts a giant plastic ball next week, we'll all know who to blame. :tony:

[Sean Malone]

American Open Wheel Racing has been reduced to this. A bunch of formerly rabid race fans who used to get together at the races to drink huge quantities of alcohol as they cheered on their favorite teams and drivers are now discussing removing hairballs from their fancy dancy vacuums. I am disgusted. :gomer: :D

:rofl:

[TKGAngel]

American Open Wheel Racing has been reduced to this. A bunch of formerly rabid race fans who used to get together at the races to drink huge quantities of alcohol as they cheered on their favorite teams and drivers are now discussing removing hairballs from their fancy dancy vacuums. I am disgusted. :gomer: :D

And bacon. Don't forget the bacon.

[Michaelhatesfans]

I think the Delta Wing could be improved with the use of a Dyson ball in place of the front axel. :tony:

Anyone have a vacuum in the shape of a dick?

[Michaelhatesfans]

And bacon. Don't forget the bacon.

Needs more Airbus

[datachicane]

Anyone have a vacuum in the shape of a dick?

There's plenty out there, and I've been told your insurance may cover it.
:gomer:

[Michaelhatesfans]

There's plenty out there, and I've been told your insurance may cover it.
:gomer:

True. My ER/nursing friends assure me that there isn't any shortage of , "I was just vacuuming naked and I slipped..."

[nrc]

Not to derail the thread, but we have a Roomba that we use for light sweeping on both the wood floors and carpet. For the heavy duty cleanup we have a Dyson.

A while back I came across some information on central vacuum systems. I was actually kind of surprised that they were still being used. With all of cost of complexity of vacuum plumbing and then you have to haul around a vacuum hose long enough to reach all around a room.

I suppose the point that the exhaust gets pumped outside is a good one. But besides that where's the attraction?

[STD]

American Open Wheel Racing has been reduced to this. A bunch of formerly rabid race fans who used to get together at the races to drink huge quantities of alcohol as they cheered on their favorite teams and drivers are now discussing removing hairballs from their fancy dancy vacuums. I am disgusted. :gomer: :D

No bags, no filters, no sissies

http://www.motorsportcollector.com/CHAPARRALPHOTOS2/2Jp2.jpeg

http://www.mulsannescorner.com/Chaparral-GC2.jpg

:laugh:

[Gnam]

:D:thumbup:
Now that's a vacuum.

[JLMannin]

OK, now for my Dyson review. The particular model I have is the DC14 (I think) It's the one with the big, yellow ball.

What I like about it: The ball makes maneuvering the vacuum quite easy. The clear dust collecter, with all the dog hair and lint going round and round is cool looking (Yes. I'm a dork). That makes it easy to tell when the vacuum needs to me emptied. Suction is good, and converting from floor vac to gose vac is quick and easy. The attachments have molded slots on the vacuum body to hold them, so I always know where they are.

What I don't like: I have to hold the very end of the handle, as far away from the body of the vacuum as possible, becuase if I hold the handle in a natural position, I get static shocks about every five to ten seconds. Nylon carpet + ASB plastic vacuum rubbed all over the carpet = lots of static. When I empty the dust collector, I frequently need to grab the lint-balls and shake the cannister to get them out. "Full" is not "full", but about 2/3 full. If you get it too full, then I have to use a coat-hanger to get the lint out from the very top of the cannister. Even if I do not let it get too full, I have to clean the upper part of the cannister about every couple of months or so.

Direct comparison: I keep the Dyson upstairs and the Kirby down staris. On emply cannisters/bags, I vacuumed the respective parts of the house, then changed the bag/emptied the cannister and swapped locations and vacuumed again. I did this becuase one of the Kirby salesman tricks is to have you vacuum with your current cleaner, then vacuum with their product. The claim is "Wow, look at how much this super-duper vacuum picked up that your left". The result - both vacuum picked up plenty more stuff when they were swapped.

I like them both, and I think they are quite capable vacuums. I know for a fact that Kirby's can be repaired, as I had mine repaired when the impeller got whacked (see my prior post in this thread). I'm not sure if vacuum repair shops service Dysons or not. The kirby costs more, but the main part of the vacuum it metal; and the Dyson is mostly plastic. Kirby is heavier, not fun to lug up and down stairs. The Kirby is more maneuverable in hose mode than the Dyson, as the hose attachment is on the head of the vac, and you wan move the vacuum by pulling the hose and the Kirby will roll. Thje hose attachemnt for the Dyson is at the top of the mast, making it a little more difficult to move around in hose mode. Both vacuums can be configured to blow mode for inflating things (I think - I know the Kirby can). If you are going to use the vacuum to clean your cars, the Kirby is much more convenient for this, in my opinion.

Well, there you go.

[Sean Malone]

OK, now for my Dyson review. The particular model I have is the DC14 (I think) It's the one with the big, yellow ball.

What I like about it: The ball makes maneuvering the vacuum quite easy. The clear dust collecter, with all the dog hair and lint going round and round is cool looking (Yes. I'm a dork). That makes it easy to tell when the vacuum needs to me emptied. Suction is good, and converting from floor vac to gose vac is quick and easy. The attachments have molded slots on the vacuum body to hold them, so I always know where they are.

What I don't like: I have to hold the very end of the handle, as far away from the body of the vacuum as possible, becuase if I hold the handle in a natural position, I get static shocks about every five to ten seconds. Nylon carpet + ASB plastic vacuum rubbed all over the carpet = lots of static. When I empty the dust collector, I frequently need to grab the lint-balls and shake the cannister to get them out. "Full" is not "full", but about 2/3 full. If you get it too full, then I have to use a coat-hanger to get the lint out from the very top of the cannister. Even if I do not let it get too full, I have to clean the upper part of the cannister about every couple of months or so.

Direct comparison: I keep the Dyson upstairs and the Kirby down staris. On emply cannisters/bags, I vacuumed the respective parts of the house, then changed the bag/emptied the cannister and swapped locations and vacuumed again. I did this becuase one of the Kirby salesman tricks is to have you vacuum with your current cleaner, then vacuum with their product. The claim is "Wow, look at how much this super-duper vacuum picked up that your left". The result - both vacuum picked up plenty more stuff when they were swapped.

I like them both, and I think they are quite capable vacuums. I know for a fact that Kirby's can be repaired, as I had mine repaired when the impeller got whacked (see my prior post in this thread). I'm not sure if vacuum repair shops service Dysons or not. The kirby costs more, but the main part of the vacuum it metal; and the Dyson is mostly plastic. Kirby is heavier, not fun to lug up and down stairs. The Kirby is more maneuverable in hose mode than the Dyson, as the hose attachment is on the head of the vac, and you wan move the vacuum by pulling the hose and the Kirby will roll. Thje hose attachemnt for the Dyson is at the top of the mast, making it a little more difficult to move around in hose mode. Both vacuums can be configured to blow mode for inflating things (I think - I know the Kirby can). If you are going to use the vacuum to clean your cars, the Kirby is much more convenient for this, in my opinion.

Well, there you go.

Fantastic info! Much appreciated!

nrc, we too thought of our central vac system as kinda old school and obsolete. We actually never even tried it until recently! My wife really likes how light weight the hose is. She has had neck problems in the past and the lightweight hose is very easy for her to maneuver. The other bonus is that since it exhausts outside and the motor is in the garage, it is essentially silent vacuuming. She can listen to the TV or easily tell me to get off the couch and do something. :)
I bought her 2 Roomba's and within a month she gave them both to her mother. She's a control freak and doesn't trust them. :D

I had a Matchbox car as a young kid that was exactly like the car in the pic that STD posted. I had no idea that was a real car. Can Am?

[Elmo T]

...we too thought of our central vac system .....

since it exhausts outside and the motor is in the garage

OT - Fire Safety Tip of the Day

Do NOT use your central vac system to clean ash and debris out of your fireplace. Even when you insist they are cold. I've seen two fires, one taking out the whole house, where they did just that. :saywhat:

[datachicane]

I had a Matchbox car as a young kid that was exactly like the car in the pic that STD posted. I had no idea that was a real car. Can Am?

Good grief, that's the legendary Chapparal 2J. Auto trans, and a snowmobile engine to suck the car down to the road (and shower your competitors with rocks). Unlike wing-generated downforce, it stuck to the road at low speeds, too. :thumbup:

[Indy]

An American made vacuum cleaner for $200? Pretty amazing.

Yeah, but we bought one of the commercial models. More like $500, but mostly metal with more vacuum power than almost anything else.

[Gnam]

What I don't like: I have to hold the very end of the handle, as far away from the body of the vacuum as possible, becuase if I hold the handle in a natural position, I get static shocks about every five to ten seconds. Nylon carpet + ASB plastic vacuum rubbed all over the carpet = lots of static.

When I empty the dust collector, I frequently need to grab the lint-balls and shake the cannister to get them out. "Full" is not "full", but about 2/3 full. If you get it too full, then I have to use a coat-hanger to get the lint out from the very top of the cannister. Even if I do not let it get too full, I have to clean the upper part of the cannister about every couple of months or so.

Would a rubber glove allow you to hold the vacuum in a natural position without getting shocked?

Could you use the Kirby's hose attachment to clean out the Dyson's dust collector?

[Sean Malone]

Good grief, that's the legendary Chapparal 2J. Auto trans, and a snowmobile engine to suck the car down to the road (and shower your competitors with rocks). Unlike wing-generated downforce, it stuck to the road at low speeds, too. :thumbup:

As a kid I only knew that Indy Cars used Offy's and F1 cars had Cosworths, but I loved that Matchbox car!:)

[JLMannin]

Would a rubber glove allow you to hold the vacuum in a natural position without getting shocked?

Could you use the Kirby's hose attachment to clean out the Dyson's dust collector?

Wow. I never thought about that. (using one the Kirby to clean the Dyson dust collector). If I do that, and my daughter sees it, she will know that I am not only a geek, but a geek^2

[oddlycalm]

We've been using a Big Vac for the last 13yrs. Around 13lbs, 8 amp motor, two stage filtration w/ HEPA filter. Worked well with three long haired dogs and a couple parrots. Hasn't broken down ever and using it hasn't broken us. When we moved we bought another one for the downstairs. It rolls well, has a low center of gravity and corners just fine, but it's no Chapparal 2J.

The rest of their products are recommended as well. Designed by people that use them. These guys are the Oxo of cleaning products and the inventors of speed cleaning.

Big Vac (http://www.thecleanteam.com/productdetail.cfm?id=3003)

oc

[jcollins28]

This is the one you need.

http://www.rainbowsystem.com/rainbowsystem/main/?gclid=CPG2zLu2_58CFRcdawodrB35lw

Price is on par with the over rated Kirby and this does a lot more.

[Methanolandbrats]

If you have wood floors you can just sweep all the crap under the couch. Then once a year you move the couch and shop vac the stuff up. It's a great time saver.

[Michaelhatesfans]

No bags, no filters, no sissies


I'll play!:laugh:

http://www.blogcdn.com/es.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/bt46bsdfasdf123123123.jpg

[Don Quixote]

If you have wood floors you can just sweep all the crap under the couch. Then once a year you move the couch and shop vac the stuff up. It's a great time saver. I like the way you think. :thumbup:

[datachicane]

I'll play!:laugh:

http://www.blogcdn.com/es.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/bt46bsdfasdf123123123.jpg

100% win record!

[STD]

I'll play!:laugh:

http://www.blogcdn.com/es.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/bt46bsdfasdf123123123.jpg


To follow either one most likely wasn't a very good idea. :rofl:

[oddlycalm]

I'll play!:laugh:

http://www.blogcdn.com/es.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/bt46bsdfasdf123123123.jpg
Would have been nice to hear the ting, ting, ting sound as gravel went through the impeller at speed. :thumbup:

oc

[Sean Malone]

Would have been nice to hear the ting, ting, ting sound as gravel went through the impeller at speed. :thumbup:

oc

Like a Kirby?:)

[rosawendel]

we got the hoover anniversary windtunnel. top of the consumer reports list and around 200 bucks. works fine sofar, but we've only had it a couple of months.

oh, and it's blue.

[oddlycalm]

Like a Kirby?:)

Yup, just like that x 1000. :cool:

oc

[Michaelhatesfans]

Like a Kirby?:)

Only if you can get Niki Lauda to come over and run your Kirby.

:cool:

[nrc]

Only if you can get Niki Lauda to come over and run your Kirby.

:cool:

What? And frighten the children?

[racermike]

I love the Oreck I bought 10 years ago. Still a champ.

[Michaelhatesfans]

I love the Oreck I bought 10 years ago. Still a champ.

Agreed. I can pick it up with my pinky, but my kids fear it's ability to devour lego bricks and Polly Pocket accessories. They see me pull out the vacuum and things start getting put away REALLY fast.

[dando]

Polly Pocket accessories.

:flame: :saywhat: :irked:

-Kevin

[WickerBill]

I looked at the Orecks a while back and was surprised by the below average to poor reviews of them online. Do they break a lot for you two?

[Michaelhatesfans]

I looked at the Orecks a while back and was surprised by the below average to poor reviews of them online. Do they break a lot for you two?

We're at five years and it's been pretty bullet proof. Of course, now that I've typed this, it will probably explode the next time I turn it on...:)

[Michaelhatesfans]

:flame: :saywhat: :irked:

-Kevin

Yeah, no ****. Those damned things are everywhere.

[SteveH]

rising from the dead....

I gave my wife a Roomba 890 for Christmas. Kind of risky choice to give what is basically an appliance as a gift. But it has turned out to be the best gift ever. My wife loves it. It handles carpet, rugs and tiled floors with ease. We've Roomba-proofed the main floor but it still gets stuck on a cliff or stuck from time to time. But we get an app notification when that occurs. Yesterday as it was running we just stood and watched. I said that we were like two adoring parents watching their child perform at a recital. Best.Gift.Ever.

[nrc]

I'm a big Roomba fan. The recent models have really worked a lot of the bugs out. They clean well enough that we rarely have to get the Dyson out and they're much less likely to get hung up or tangled than the old ones.

They also acquired the company that did the Brava hard floor swiffer/damp mop thing and that works pretty well for keeping the dust cleaned up on the hardwood.

[nissan gtp]

rising from the dead....

I gave my wife a Roomba 890 for Christmas. Kind of risky choice to give what is basically an appliance as a gift. But it has turned out to be the best gift ever. My wife loves it. It handles carpet, rugs and tiled floors with ease. We've Roomba-proofed the main floor but it still gets stuck on a cliff or stuck from time to time. But we get an app notification when that occurs. Yesterday as it was running we just stood and watched. I said that we were like two adoring parents watching their child perform at a recital. Best.Gift.Ever.

you romantic devil

[SteveH]

Whatever works ;). :D

[gjc2]

The 2018 Formula 1 thread netted a total of 77 posts.

This is the 71st post in a thread about vacuum cleaners.

[WickerBill]

The 2018 Formula 1 thread netted a total of 77 posts.

This is the 71st post in a thread about vacuum cleaners.



To be fair, this thread is eight years old. :)

[gjc2]

To be fair, this thread is eight years old. :)

I didn’t notice that! Sorry.

Ps: I like my Oreck.

[SteveH]

Roomba’s creator made an autonomous lawnmower robot (https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/1/30/18202813/irobot-terra-lawn-mower-autonomous-launch)

The future is now. :D

[dirtyboy]

Roomba’s creator made an autonomous lawnmower robot (https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/1/30/18202813/irobot-terra-lawn-mower-autonomous-launch)

The future is now. :D

It must be a different brand, but they've had these in Germany for a while. My tax advisor over there had one and it worked very well. Sure her lawn was not massive, but for people with very limited area to store a "real" lawnmower it was nice. Also, I noticed most people there had electric lawnmowers that were used with a plugged in cord. Seemed dangerous as hell with the 240v system.

[nrc]

I looked at some of the earlier versions in the past but the boundary wire was impractical. With this system the problem may be getting over things like tree roots while not getting over stuff like the border around pool.

[SteveH]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7BYCtchC-9/?igshid=1cf64giv21cl

[nrc]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7BYCtchC-9/?igshid=1cf64giv21cl

It's all fun and games until they turn on you.

BTW, robot vacuums seem to have come of age. I've seen a lot of non-Roomba options out there that are getting pretty good reviews. I'm not sure it's necessary to pay the premium for the better iRobot models anymore. Ours keeps chugging along so I haven't had to compare.