 iRobot a loser of a company |
| Review Date: August 28, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Allen J. Ebens Jr., SF, CA, USA |
| Ordered from iRobot website, the order failed, I had to call to complete. Scooba arrived, worked once then failed. The customer service person was an idiot. Replacement part did not fix problem. iRobot never called as promised by email. After I called them and dealt with another moron in customer service, they are sending another scooba. Any bets if this one works? |
Does a good job, not perfect
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| Review Date: August 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: PDH, |
We've been using one of these beasts for about a year now and I have few complaints. It's not perfect but it does a good job. It and a regular Roomba 420 clean our floors well and manage to keep a large kitchen, den, breakfast room area clean even with two kids and a dog running in and out of them all day.
To address some of the specific points in other reviews:
1) if it's leaving a large amount of water behind something is set up wrong. Try pulling the squeegee tight so that it is completely straight, or perhaps replacing the cleaning unit;
2) we use vinegar on our hardwood floors with no problem. We use the cleaning solution only on the marble floors;
3) if the battery is running out before cleaning is complete the battery needs to be replaced. Ours always empties the tank completely;
4) yes, the multi pin plug is a pain to connect, it takes at least 3 seconds to orient properly...
My only complaint, and the reason it does not get 5 stars, is that the thing is stupid compared to the regular Roomba. It gets stuck where a regular Roomba would not have problems. Better status indicators would also be a help, in particular, it would be nice to have the same charging / charged indicators so that you can tell when it is fully charged if you want to run it twice in one day (without buying another battery and the standalone charger). |
Cleans well, but not much more convenient than a mop
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| Review Date: March 4, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Fletch, East Coast |
I purchased this Scooba to go with the 2 Roomba 500's I already own (which I love). Unlike the Roomba's, which are almost maintenance-free, the Scooba must be cleaned after each use. iRobot claims the scooba "covers 850 sq. feet (3-4 average size rooms) per battery charge". I find that I'm lucky if I get half that.
The unit is heavy and feels quite well made. The "Virtual Eye" units, however, are cheap and can break easily if you drop them (the Roomba series virtual walls/eyes are more durable).
One thing I do really like is the ability to use white vinegar instead of harsh cleaning chemicals, and I must admit that the Scooba does a pretty good job cleaning (soaping, mopping, and drying -- all in one pass) my sealed bamboo flooring in the kitchen. However, it's a small'ish kitchen and I have to remove as many obstructions as possible in order to get through a full cleaning without the battery dying (put the chairs on the table, move the garbage can, etc.).
After the Scooba finishes cleaning, you have to empty and wash the tank, clean the filter, remove and wash the brush, and clean the rubber squeegie on the bottom. All in all, I do like the Scooba, and recommend it if you have a small'ish area you want to mop. I just wish iRobot could get the battery to last longer, and the cleanup easier. |
A poor value
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| Review Date: January 17, 2009 |
| Reviewer: anonymous, FL USA |
I'm disappointed with the Scooba 380. It will not start cleaning until I manually prime it's water pump which is something I had to figure out via a support forum. The procedure is easy but messy, and significantly reduces the 380's "ease of use". The water tank is also hard to remove, the latch does not work and I have to pry it off with my fingernails.
It does clean floors, but leaves a lot of cleaning solution on my vinyl kitchen floor. It's squeegee and vacuum system are not effective enough to pick up most of the cleaning solution it sprays on the floor. I estimate it picks up about 25%-35% of the cleaning solution it puts down. My floor tiles have a slight texture to them, but nothing anyone would consider rough or uneven. The 380 would probably work better on a floor that was mirror-flat. I don't recommend the 380 on wood floors for this reason.
I'd rate the 380's cleaning effectiveness as ok on my vinyl tile floor - it does actually clean the floor. The cleaning brush does not get down into cracks, crevices or surface irregularities very well, you can see where the cleaning brush has only passed over "peaks" of the floor surface. The recommended Clorox cleaning fluid it leaves behind leaves a dull haze, I haven't tried the vinegar & water solution yet. The 380 does not get into corners or around furniture legs. The unit is about 3.5" high - it can get stuck if it works it's way under a cabinet close to this height off the floor.
After the 380 is done cleaning, I have to spend about 10 minutes disassembling and cleaning it, then lay out it's various parts to dry. After drying, I have to reassemble it, plug it in to recharge, and store it. There's quite a bit of clutter associated with using the Scooba.
I bought the 380 to make my cleaning easier, faster, and less of a hassle. My kitchen is small (8' x 10') and the 380 is more hassle than it's worth at half it's price. It may be more useful for a larger, very flat surface. My swiffer wet mop is quicker, more effective, and easier then the Scooba 380. |
Mixed Feelings
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| Review Date: December 11, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Chris S., Scranton, PA USA |
I bought this last year as a gift. I did all the research and read all the reveiws and they're pretty much right on. The unit does a decent job of cleaning but it requires supervision. It is rather loud, battery life lasts only one cleaning, and then takes several hours to re-charge. If you have a large, complicated floor plan in your kitchen (we have an "L" shaped counter) you'll need to get the extra virtual walls and do it in 2 sections. The battery wil last, but the tank of solution will not. It does not get corners or near the baseboard at all.
Probably the most annoying part for me is the set-up required to run it. I have to move all the kitchen chairs into another room, or place them on top of the table as the unit will get stuck under them if I let them be. It's for that reason that we probably don't use it as much as I would have thought before purchasing.
Even with all of this, it probably still beats sweeping and mopping myself, which really never got done anyway!
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