iRobot Roomba 4210 Robotic Cleaner

I bought my Roomba Discovery in March 2007, after spending nearly a year researching the company, and the product, and sampling the conversations held in the very active Roomba chat rooms. Though hoping to be impressed, I had a healthy amount of cynicism when I finally made my purchase.

I highly recommend you read the manual cover-to-cover before you do anything with the vacuum. From my experience, some of the issues related to premature battery problems stem from the fact that eager users don't take time to do the 16-hour initial battery charge; and many people don't realize that the Roomba must be left on its charging base while the battery is installed.

It's quite simple to understand when you realize that the Roomba is always monitoring the airwaves for a command from its remote control. And since the Discovery can also be scheduled, there is a program constantly running and trying to determine whether it's time to do the vacuuming.

I have a few pets that shed lots of hair. For this, iRobot recommends you buy the "Pet Upgrade" kit, which consists of a stiffer main brush, and convenient brush cleaning device (among other items). To keep the Roomba working at peak performance, you should get into the habit of cleaning the brushes after every (or every second) vacuuming cycle.

Even though a thorough cleaning of the Roomba might take as much time as it would to push your vacuum around the house, being able to perform this cleaning from the sitting position makes it more acceptable.

With built in sensors and a pretty decent "escape" logic that allows Roomba to mostly avoid trouble spots, and then get itself out of the spots it occasionally finds itself in, Roomba runs mostly trouble-free. However, the user manual warns people not to leave things around that a normal vacuum would have trouble with... things like tangles of speaker wire, laces on shoes, and fringes on carpets. I find that if I remove small toys and light (i.e. not heavy) throw rugs from the floor, Roomba can handle most everything else.

Roomba is particularly good at getting under furniture, and it is fun to watch Roomba get under a dining room table and manoeuvre through the maze of chair legs.

I am always amazed at the amount of dirt Roomba picks up - considering I run it every second day. For those who won't mind giving the Roomba freequent clean-outs, you won't be disappointed with its performance.

I've already recommended it to friends and have purchased a second one for my mother-in-law, who is a partially disabled senior.

The iRobot Roomba 4210 Robotic Vacuum is one of the first and older versions of IRobot's many Robotic Vacuums.

To those that are starting out with a Robotic Vacuum, consider a good used IRobot Roomba 4210. In many cases these can be found with full accessory's here on eBay for $100.00 US or less including shipping. The 4210 is very rugged and the Robotic logic boards are programmed so the Vacuum device can utilize a wide variety of patterns and the manual buttons on the unit permit the user to chose various options such as deep cleaning and spot modes.

Although the Virtual Walls and Self-Docking Charger accessory are nice to have and often included, all you really need is the battery charger with the 4210 unit. If there is a weakness in this and all similar Robotic Vacuum's, it is in improper battery charging and usage. To avoid this, try to fully discharge your 4210 robotic vacuum by letting it run as long as possible before re-charging. After the 4210 robotic vacuum is fully charged, REMOVE IT FROM THE CHARGER. Don't simply leave the 4210 nor any robotic vacuum endlessly on a active battery charger after it has reached full charge. I suspect this greatly decreases the lifespan on the large APS type NiMH battery which are fairly expensive to replace.

Cleaning the 4210 unit is fairly easy, and emptying the dirt and hair that has been swept into the basket is a breeze to snap off and click back on. The 4210 is durable, enjoyable to watch and makes a fine entry level robotic vacuum to the beginner in this new home service technology.

I highly recommend the IRobot Roomba 4210 Robotic Vacuum to anyone that is interested or just curious about adding a robotic vacuum to their home. It does well in its automated modes in discovering hidden dirt and some overlooked cookie crumbs etc.

Its operating mode is quiet enough that it does not frighten my cats who normally run for the hills when I break out the upright vacuums. My cats are already getting used to the 4210 wheeling around by itself and attempt to ambush it on its way from time to time. I might attach a catnip mouse to the back of the 4210 for added entertainment.

If you do not own a robotic vacuum, treat yourself and pickup a IRobot 4210.

I have a house in the country with all hardwood floors. I bought a Roomba under the impression that it would sweep my floor while I was away from home or busy in another area of the house. Besides the battery being unchargeable, the unit is not as it is marketed. It is not a vacuum, but a small sweeper; this in itself is not too bad, although I wonder how someone would react who purchased this kind of unit for use on carpet. However, in a dozen tries, this unit never found its recharging base, got hung up under furniture, didn't clean the floor, and generally required enough hands-on attention that it became more troublesome than just using a dust mop. I would buy a new battery and try again, but I don't want to spend any more money on a gadget that doesn't do what it's supposed to. Not impressed. Want my money back.

As an electronics guy who's into robotics, I've often thought about building a robotic vacuum. I was intrigued by the idea of a robot running around the house with a practical purpose. The Roomba, I wrongly thought, was a great idea but too expensive. When I happened across one for parts or repair for $30 shipping included, I couldn't resist. A day after I recieved my Roomba I had it restored to full function.
WOW! am I impressed. The Roomba is a full fledged robot, and the engineering of the folks at IRobot is quite impressive. I watched in amazement as the Roomba went under, around, and behind furniture and many other obstacles, into the tightest corners and never once got stuck.
The path of the Roomba is partly random, but steps through several different algorithms which do a remarkable job of finding every available square inch of floor. Not an easy task for an autonomous robot. The first several times I ran the Roomba I was shocked at the amount of dust, dirt, lint, and hair it captured. Now I just appreciate it.
The only cons I could possibly express about Roomba is that it may sometimes give the impression inefficiency by cleaning in the same area multiple times while repeatably missing an area you want it to hit. A little patience however, and the Roomba will eventually find its way into that elusive area. Remember, Roomba can't see and think as you do.
I never run the Roomba unattended, not that I don't trust it, because I truly do. I just find it far too entertaining to turn it on and leave. Knowing what I know now, the Roomba is a great value even at full retail price. Thank God for eBay, without which I would have never experienced my Roomba.

DabeAltis

I absolutely adore my iRobot-Roomba! So much so, that I named her "Rosie" (after the robotic maid from the Jetsons) My entire family refers to her only as "Rosie". I literally smile every time I start her up! I can't say that I have any major complaints & she's been with us for 3 years. I had to replace the battery once & I didn't have her for a few weeks & I really missed her! She does a fantastic job on all my floors & changes surfaces nicely. She even has a sensor that tells her when she's by the stairs & will not fall down them! Once in a while she gets snagged on my lightweight entry rug or something I forgot to pick up or didn't see under the bed/couch, but as with any vacuum, you must pick up things that will get snagged before you start. I especially love when she finds one of the kids "missing" toys shoes or socks under the couches/beds & just pushes them out into plain sight. You must empty out the bin after each use which is simple enough for a 2 year old to do, it snaps off & on with ease. After several uses you should take her over a trash can (outside) & clean out the brushes & nooks. (it gets messy) That's really the only thing I didn't like about it. The best part is I don't have to move my furniture out to the middle of the room ever again to clean behind the couches & I don't ever have to go into the "military crawl" to get the dust bunnies under my beds. She does it all!!! On carpets though, you still have to break out the heavy duty vacuum for tough jobs & in between every few cleanings with the iRobot-Roomba, but I have most of my house in either tile or wood flooring, with the exception of 2 area rugs. She even leaves the clean vacuum lines on the carpets! (If your rugs are a plush or high pile, she tends to get stuck on the edges, but will free herself eventually. Unfortunately this uses up the charge quicker.) My dog ins't bothered at all by it although we had Rosie first so she doesn't know any better. My kids think she's cool, it even entertains my 9 month old. My friends & family all want one now that they see how pleased I am. I love turning her on in front of unsuspecting friends just to see their reaction.

I DEFINITELY intend to buy the iRobot-scooba mop for my tiled floors (maybe I will ask for it for Christmas... I have 4 kids & a drooling/shedding English Bulldog & I cant imagine asking for a better present this Christmas!