re: Roomba thoughts: Spinoff from the Nest thread

quote:

---

Walmart has the Neato XV-21 for dog and allergy listed at $299 online only. Regularly $429. I wonder if it's any good.

---

Yes. I've owned both Roombas and Neatos and prefer the Neatos. I currently have the XV-21.

The Roombas I had just ran around in a random pattern and bumped into things and changed direction until they ran out of battery power and went to charge. The Neato actually has a laser scanner that it uses to map the room and the objects in it and plot the most efficient path and minimizing contact with objects. It picks out the doorways and after it finishes the first room, it drives into the next room and does it again. It repeats this until it sees it has mapped out the whole house or it runs low on batteries and then it drives back to the base to charge. If it has not mapped out the entire house, after it charges it returns to the exact spot it was at when it had to charge and continues cleaning where it left off, so it covers the entire house every time it runs. The vacuum is also much stronger than the Roomba. Each has a method to keep the robot out of certain areas. The Roomba uses battery operated beacons that need periodic battery changes, but the Neato uses a magnetic strip that the Neato senses, so there's no other devices to maintain. Also, the Neato can sense things like you or your dog or your kids as they move around while it's running. It'll change its path and clean elsewhere to avoid hitting kid/dog/you, but remember that it hasn't cleaned where that kid/dog/you are and will return to that spot later to clean there.

The only thing the Roomba has over the Neato is the spinning brush on the side to clean up against the baseboard. The Neato runs 1/4" away from the baseboard and objects in the room, so there's a strip around the walls and furniture that still periodically needs a dustmop. If the Neato had that, it'd be perfect.

You and that video have sold me on a neato. I also have a $100 gift card to amazon and I couldn't ever decide what to use it on.

So what's the absolute newest model? Or which one you rolling with?

quote:

---

I wish you wouldn't have told me this. I was sold on the Neato. I don't think I can clean 1/4" around the baseboards. 1/4" is really just to much for me

---

I know. It's a tragedy.

quote:

---

You and that video have sold me on a neato.

---

Although I do like the CAN DO attitude of the Roomba.

The way I look at it: The Neato is a safe bet cleaner. It looks consistent. The Rommba cleans on Meth, it may not be consistent but the highs will be high and the lows will be low. It'll be more fun

Woot has the XV-21 on sale right now for $289.

quote:

---

The roomba is like "GET THE frick OUT OF MY WAY. I NEED TO CLEAN THE frick OUT OF THIS WHOLE AREA RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!WALLS? frick YOU WALLS!"

---

roomba = rambo ?
neato = ninja ?

Just talked to Best Buy and they will not price match unless it's a major online retailer like Amazon. And they will only price match if that retailer ships from its own warehouse, no third party retailers. Oh well I wanted one today but I'll wait a few days instead for the better deal.

Best Buy has it for $399 and will not price match. Amazon might be our best bet.

Anyone run the Neato with an alarm system with motion detectors?

I would think most would have rechargeable battery packs. It would be ridiculous if they didn't.