IRobot From Ebay

I recently purchased a iRobot Roomba vacuum on eBay. It was refurbished, and half the cost of a new one. I am not a fan of paying full price for anything. I was leery of buying something for $180 even though I sell on eBay myself. I knew if it did not work, I was responsible for the return shipping. I read eBay buyer protection plan (which I never did before) and some of my fear went away. As with most products on eBay, this was the best price I could find for the machine.

Three days later my package arrived. I opened it up, and it looked like new. After a brief charge, I pressed one button and away she went. Slowing down to barely bump walls and chairs. My wife laughed at me because I could not help myself, and I followed it everywhere. I was amazed with the strange patterns the Roomba would follow, and how it would detect a dirty spot, and circle around it. I was in love. For the first time, my floor was being cleaned without my involvement. We have a cat & dog. The dog is part husky, so the hair that comes out of this animal is amazing. We can vacuum with our upright, and still find the hairballs that look like tumbleweeds floating across the floor. The iRobot was cleaning under our couch,a place where the conventional vacuumcould not go. The side brush that extends from the machine was cleaning corners that normally require the hose attachment. I continued to watch until the batteries life was ending. The iRobot has a sensorthat guides it back to the docking station to charge. The Roomba slowly made it's way back for a break.

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All the accessories can be purchased from ebay, for discount prices. I have purchased spare filters, and the side brush. I bought each in packs of three, and saved about five dollars each pack. The savings were over ten dollars. I also got free shipping both items. If you purchase direct from iRobot, shipping must be paid, unless you wait for a sale. Every part can be easily replaced, and purchased from ebay or iRobot. Most parts on ebay are aftermarket, however they fit perfectly. The brushes, dust bin, motor, wheels and everything can be replaced. This is one of the few machines that can be fixed by anyone.

A negative review I read had claimed that, the iRobot required daily maintenance. The writer continued that, the reusable vacuum bag had to be cleaned daily, and the brushes cleaned as well. They were 100% right, however this takes two minutes. I do not find it to be a problem to clean the brushes and bag daily. This more than makes up for the time I would normally spend vacuuming myself.

I would not recommend the iRobot vacuum to anyone who has thick carpet. We have a rug that is very thick, and the machine seems to struggle when maneuvering on there. Other than that, I know of no reason why you should not buy one. Because I'm so happy with this vacuum, my next purchase will be the iRobot Scooba. This robot mops the floor, and sucks the liquid back up, all in the same pass. I have mopped our hardwoods, and to do a good job it takes almost two hours. Any device that can save me time is worth while. I, like most people, am very busy. I have much more constructive things to accomplish, and prefer to spend time with my family, rather of working and cleaning. When I leave for work, I push one button and walk out the door. Everyday I come home to a clean floor. I can't think of a better investment.