Has anyone tried a Roomba?

I own a Shark version of the Roomba. Much less expensive and the best invention ever. It picks up tiny microns of dust that I didn't realize existed. Definitely worth the investment!

My DS2 and partner have one of these - I don't know what brand, but its meanderings seem to me pretty random and it sometimes misses the area around the island where there are likely to be the most crumbs. You will need a wide open space to make such a gadget worthwhile. It wouldn't work in my small house but in open plan arrangements it might be worthwhile. Keep cats away from it. They may be terrified; alternatively, they might attack it!

I have a mixture of tiles and new carpets in hall and lounge, the roomba copes with them all no problem. I love the way it vacuums under the bed and other furniture, no more hands and knees vacuuming. (not that I did, I have rods and screws in my lower back and wrist)

I've got a Eufy and its fabulous. I got it during an Amazon black Friday sale. It does everywhere, carpet wood and tile . It gets a lot of dust up but not necessarily bigger bits. He does the corners and un der lower stuff.I'm a housework avoider so let him do his stuff about every 2 days with a big corner , move furniture clean etc once a month with my Dyson stick. For the hay etc I'd invest in large , washable door mats and a stick to threaten the culprits with!

In your place I would definitely get one or preferably two - one on each storey.

If it leaves the straw and hay, some other member of the household will have to deal with it,. Someone else should be doing all the hoovering, sweeping and washing of floors.

Put your foot down and tell them so. You surely are not all alone on a farm, are you?

They work if your room is so tidy that normal vacuuming would be very easy! But in my house, where the first job is to FIND the floor...

I love your reply grandetante but you obviously don't know farmers, thank you for your concern all the same.
However I'm not going to start asking anyone who finishes work at 7pm hot, tired and needing a shower, to pick up a few strands of hay. I really think my DH works more than hard enough to be excused basic housework. At this time of year he's often working until 11 or 12pm.
And its 7 days a week including Christmas day. Oh sorry, he'll take a break on Christmas day from 1pm till 4.00 and then finish by 7pm - unless we have a sick animal or other emergency.
People may say I'm a wimp, but this arrangement has worked for us for 62 years. (yes DH is still working in his 80s).

I have one too. It works really well, but slightly heavy to lift to where you want it to start.

I bought one when I moved from a rural house in France to a retirement flat in the UK ....ha ha ....it's never been out of its box....I stayed with friends in Germany who run their own computer business from home ....they have one (in fact the whole house is technically operated ....from the window blinds, doors, lighting, coffee machine etc ! BUT it ate all the computer wiring .....since they are clever they re programme it as to avoid these areas ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but sadly mine will have to stay in its box as I have so many obstacles for it to manouvre
round ! I bought a Shark stick ....much better for me !

I bought one last year and am delighted with it. My floors have never been so clean. I can honestly say I feel genuine affection for it. I used to have a dyson which I hated as it was so heavy and didn’t even do a good job. The Roomba is far more effective. I highly recommend you treat yourself!

The money it would cost, could you possibly put towards a cleaner instead ?

I have a Roomba that I picked up on ebay. I have a physical disability and find hoovering with an upright very difficult. I love my Roomba and have connected it to WiFi so that it cleans on a schedule. It does a really good job too. The dust bin needs emptying quite often as it’s small, and the dust filter is a bit fiddly but apart from that I love it.

I recently bought a Roborock, recommended by a colleague. It mops as well as vacuums. We have a cat and a dog and I was fed up of mopping the kitchen floor of paw prints after the rain, not to mention fur. You can map rooms- so I can tell it to clean all of downstairs or just the kitchen and it can connect to Alexa as well (although I haven’t tried that yet - I just use the app). I’d give it a strong 8/10 - it can’t lift dried on marks as well as fresh ones but it has significantly reduced the cleaning I do. I set it to work while I went to walk the dog a few days ago and was happy to return to clean floors. If only it could tidy too! Mine can avoid obstacles (and isn’t fazed by moving from hardwood or tiling to a thick (of thin) rug but if you have a lot of things lying around, that would limit what the machine can do.

G tech light weight and clean well carpet or hard floors.

ExD

Sweeping with a brush is almost as painful for me as hoovering. It's the forwards and back movement with no resistance that catches you out.
I thought the hay and straw would be a problem. The Dyson doesn't like it either
I would prefer one made in the UK and not China (?) too.

The best Hoover and so so light and easy to carry upstairs, etc, and with so little resistance, is the GTec one- absolutely love mine- effortless.

Ooops Hymnbook- just seen your post. GTec is absolutely brilliant- hard floors and carpets.

A Roomba won't do the stairs!

Farmer's wife here don't get a robot it won't cope Get someone else to hoover

I love my Eufy. Good on edges but not corners. Picks up cat litter that cat has flicked out of tray but not sure how it would cope with hay.

I never heard of an Eufy until I read this thread , I knew about Roomba but found them very pricey. I’ve just looked on Amazon and have ordered an Eufy, greatly reduced.Can’t wait for it to arrive, hope it lives up to its great reviews.

I have a Shark IQ. Not sure what you have available in the UK.

It is cheaper then the Roomba. Plus it has the trap where it empties itself. This is a MUST IMO. If you dont have it, you may as well be sweeping yourself.

We have 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 kids, plus chickens, though they aren't allowed inside I do find feathers at times. My little Shark IQ keeps up.

We have to empty the trap every two weeks or so and once a month will go through and give it a good vacuum and mop it.

I was resistant to a smart home, but I find (with teens and a husband) the Shark Vacuum and Alexa are the only ones who listen to me and do any work around here. I cant wait until the day that a robot can do my laundry.

Where did I read about the poor dog who was very messily ill in the night. The robot didn't know, and carried on, busily spreading it everywhere...

I heard the other day of one that didn’t recognise a dog poo on the floor and spread it all around the house ???. I don’t know if it’s true but ……..

We've got one. Unless you have uncluttered hard floors, they are hopeless. Ours gets stuck under the dog's bed, under cupboards, etc, etc.

I had one years ago when they first came out. Unless you are a minimalist, I'd say save your money. It took ages to clean roughly a patch five feet across. As a person with 36 years of general 'stuff' and hobby 'stuff', the damned thing could only go in a small area without getting stuck.