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kleinbl00  ·  3390 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: December Photo Challenge, Day 16: "Technology"

Here's the secret to Roombas:

1) Watch the warranty. If they crap out, they crap out in the first year. At this point you exchange them. This started life as a $200 Woot 530. It is now a 531, the model you get for $99 when your $200 Woot 530 craps out after 11 months.

2) eBay batteries. iRobot wants like $129 for a battery available on eBay for $19. This Roomba is on its 4th eBay battery.

3) Keep them mercilessly clean. Every time it runs I dump it. Every other time it runs I pick its teeth, which involves an x-acto knife to all the hair the brushes build up. I check the brush bearings and the front wheel every time and generally clean the wound-up hair every 2nd or 3rd run.

Sucka's been running multiple times a week for 7 years now.