<p>It’s almost like losing a pet. My husband and I took it apart to try and find the problem (its warranty is up), and now it’s in pieces. I put all the pieces aside and will give them to my son, who may be able to do something with it. (I’m afraid it will be a robotic device to terrorize the dog, but hey.)</p>
<p>I’ve already bought a new one 
Short mourning period, I guess.</p>
<p>The roomba- this is one of those robotic vacuums, right? Is it like a pool vac that you put in and let go for a reeeeeaaaaallly long time, bouncing around from wall to wall? If so, how long does it take to vacuum a room? Does it make a lot of noise? I can’t imagine having a little machine buzzing around underfoot.<br>
For example, how long would it take to thoroughly clean a 15 X 20 family room?</p>
<p>Oh my god, I glanced at the title and thought someone’s roommate had died! </p>
<p>Needless to say, DMD, I’m glad it’s your vacuum! </p>
<p>Anyway, give the rest of us some details on this baby. How much do they go for? How well do they work? How long do they last? What if you step on it?</p>
<p>Is this your roomba?</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.smarthome.com/9142d.html?src=shopzilla[/url]”>http://www.smarthome.com/9142d.html?src=shopzilla</a></p>
<p>Good Lord I googled it and came up with this…
<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hyzPvTiNDk[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hyzPvTiNDk</a></p>
<p>dmd77, I know the feeling so well. The battery in my first Roomba finally gave up the ghost, and I knew it wasn’t worth just replacing the battery since the treads had all been replaced more than once and other parts were grinding and gee, it was 5-year-old-plus technology anyway. Time for a new Roomba! (And the new one is so much better than the old one.)</p>
<p>Empathy.</p>
<p>I once rescued a wayward Roomba in a mall that was breaking free from its confines in the little store and heading out to seek its fortune in the greater expanses of the mall. I brought it back to the store but I almost felt that I should let it roam free and explore.</p>
<p>I’m not sure I’d like having one of those things around…I’m not sure it’s such a good idea to have a device running about that is smarter and more intuitive than the actual human occupants of the house…</p>
<p>My Roomba was so special I got her a sibling, Scooba. The sounds they make are precious!</p>
<p>Seriously, to those who have these things: Are they effective???</p>
<p>I have a border collie and she sheds like crazy, so I have often thought one of these would be great…plus, the dog would probably enjoy “herding” it!</p>
<p>churchmusicmom,
I have a sheltie! She sheds like the dickens too. I am constantly swiffing/vacuuming but it’s a never ending battle.
What are these things, something like $300? I guess it’s worth it IF it lasts a few years. However, doesn’t that depend on the frequency of use? I’d have to have the thing on 24/7 for my dog.
Roomba people, how much did you use yours and how long did they last?</p>
<p>Okay roomba owners–time to come back and answer some questions. What are they like to have around? How effective are they (esp dog hair!)? How long do they take to clear a room? Tripping issues? Inquiring minds want to know!</p>
<p>Corranged–I read the title that way, too! What a relief (not to devalue your sincere and heartfelt grief, dmd! )</p>
<p>Yes. yes inquiring minds want to know because we’ve been thinking about buying one. how does it do with varying floor types - getting over the bump between tile and carpet or tile and hardwood??</p>
<p>churchmom, thanks for the laugh! i too have a border collie and it would be great fun to watch her herd a roomba. (i too thought it was “roommate died”) & yes, I too want to know, how well does it work? 2 dogs (one that goes from fluffy to very short haired by the fall) and 3 cats, would a roomba help with all the hair?</p>
<p>UC_dad… I’m with you, you should have let the little explorer go!</p>
<p>As for the actual cleaning effectiveness, I’ve discovered that even if I just vacuumed, my roomba (the one that died) still gets up a lot more dirt. And it does it while I’m doing other things I’d rather do. It does a great job on hardwood, tile, stone… and terrible on any carpet that isn’t very dense and very flat (industrial type carpet). I use it in my entry area every day to pick up the bits of stuff the dogs bring in from the yard.</p>
<p>If you go to the Amazon site and search for Roomba, you can read some of the ratings that people have given. All of the Roomba models average about 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon.</p>
<p>They won’t replace your full size regular vacuum cleaner, but it will save you some work.</p>