Remanufactured iRobot Roomba 4199 Vacuuming Robot

• Robotic floorvac with dirt detection and infra-red cliff sensors; approx. dimensions 13 by 4 inches
• Remanufactured to like-new condition; 90 day parts, 90 day labor warranty
• Auto adjusts to any floor surface; 2-hour continuous cleaning; easy-to-empty debris bin
• Rechargeable APS battery, 7-hour charger, 1 virtual wall, and air filter included
• Color may vary and may contain minor cosmetic blemishes

broke after 4 months:
After four months of use the motor broke. After following the irobot agent's instructions the unit was returned to me with no battery. Not only did I have to pay for shipping the broken unit back to the company they now expect me to pay $45 for a new battery. It is a waste of money and will continue to be a waste of money. Buyer beware

battery died after 10 usages:
battery died after 10 usages and the warranty already expired. won't buy such remanufactured roomba any more. the battery is a complete trash.

Works great, and cheap, too! But you'll need to clean it often.:
After seeing two Roombas in action while visiting my cousin's family during Thanksgiving (they have one for each floor of their home), I purchased the basic model for Christmas, re-manufactured, for around $60. It was hard to keep it under wraps for almost a month! It does its job admirably, vacuuming everywhere and not missing a spot, and it does much better than we used to under beds and other furniture. It's a bit noisy, but much less so than conventional vacuums. I think we notice it only because we now go on with the rest of our lives while the Roomba works, whereas everything else used to grind to a halt whenever it was time to VACUUM. The only thing to be aware of is that it will need frequent cleaning: the amount of stuff that clogs it up is a testimony to how much it picks up off our floor. Not that an upright vacuum gets any less dirty, but the more powerful motor of an upright can keep working even if it's knotted with hair, fur, etc. Although our Roomba has never complained or quit, my sense is that the motor would be prone to overheating and the brush bearings (some metal, but mostly plastic) would wear out prematurely if I didn't clean out the Roomba frequently and thoroughly. I prefer to clean it completely after every use, but it has not yet shown any visible ill effects even when my wife has sometimes run it three or four times before I have gotten around to cleaning it. Simply emptying the bin takes only seconds, but disassembling and reassembling it for thorough cleaning (it's designed to be easily accessible without tools) takes me 10-15 minutes. The time I spend cleaning the Roomba is less that I would have spent pushing an upright. Also on the plus side, we're still on our first set of brushes and filters after almost daily use for seven months, and they're showing no sign of giving up yet. According to iRobot's recommended maintenance schedule, we should have already gone through multiple sets of both. If you don't have long-haired daughters or pets, though, you might not need to clean it out as often as we do. Our model transitions from smooth floor to carpet without much of a hitch, and it can cross low thresholds. Once activated, it rarely needs any attention until it's ready to recharge (and clean) after having finished a room or three. Rarely, it has tried to swallow hanging apron-strings in the kitchen, but then it stops, beeps, and is easily disentagled without unneccesary drama. When my brother- and sister-in-law saw our Roomba, they bought the top-end model for $400. I didn't see it in action, but my wife said it's quieter, more agile, and more powerful, easily climbing over obstacles like shoes and books on the floor. That sounded hard to believe, but she assured me it was true. The higher-end models also return to "home base" to recharge on their own; ours beeps, asking to be plugged in when it gets tired. I'm not sure, but I think the expensive ones can also be programmed to run on a schedule, so your floor is clean when you get home from work. I'd bet you'd still have to spend just as much time cleaning them, though. And then there is the entertainment value (no joke, at least the first few weeks after you get it). It's tempting to anthropomorphize the Roomba, even though we have plenty of warm-blooded pets and children of our own. My cousin's one-year-old gleefully plays with his Roombas, and they're easier for him to catch than the cats! Final testimony: Our floor is much cleaner than it used to be, and even thought we still have our bulky, loud, and more expensive upright vacuum, we have not switched it on even once since getting the Roomba almost a year ago. And, no, iRobot didn't pay me to write this. Enjoy.

Pony up and buy a different model...:
Knowing what I know now, I would hesitate to purchase THIS version of the roomba. It does a decent job cleaning the floors (both hardwood & carpet) and it picks up a fair amount of dog hair (2 large dogs in the home), but if the brushes stop turning, which they will if you do not thoroughly clean it after almost every use under normal operating conditions and after every use if you have pets with long hair, you will have to replace the whole unit. Yes, you will have to replace the WHOLE unit. This version does not have a removable/replaceable head, so if those brushes stop turning (ours lasted about ~3 months) then you have to purchase a new vacuum. We also had to deal with a battery that wouldn't keep its charge, but the CS reps at iRobot are very friendly and very helpful and sent us a replacement quickly and without any hassle. That being said, pony up and get one of the newer models that allow for replacement parts -- I mean, who can support buying a disposable vaccum?!

A risk I'm glad I took!:
Even though buying remanufactured items is always a risk, this roomba has been superb! For 5 months, it has been used in the house twice a week, and it is still going strong! The filter is very efficient, and everytime the roomba is done, the filter is full of captured particles! I highly recommend this cool little gadget!