Aldi Robot Vacuum Cleaner €179.99

Metroid diorteM · 26-03-2014 7:49pm

Just wanted to say that the video posted earlier doesnt show some of the smarter things the robot does automatically.

In my place when it comes near a wooden table chair leg it kinda gets in really tight and then circles the edge around the leg as it goes (for some of the bigger chairs it just goes right under and hoovers underneath).

It also can dip its "nose" right in tight even if the full circle of the shell doesn't fit into a crevice.

The three year warranty and phone support line is good enough for me. Also comes with spare brushes.

It's obviously one of the better robots so 179 is a really good deal in my humble opinion. Thanks OP!

loopymum · 26-03-2014 8:25pm

username123 wrote: »

Thanks, I must read the booklet! Maybe there's some button I need to press on it. All I ever do is switch it on and it stops when it's done.

Do you know the model no? Some of the earlier Roomba's didn't dock themselves.

Roomba don't give you extras like some of the cheaper robot vacs, like remote and virtual walls etc.

I have a Samsung that I picked up cheap but not as cheap as the Aldi one, I did see the Aldi one on Ozzie site but I wasn't sure if they were getting them here.

I think the returning to base to recharge is one of the best features.
I rarely bother with the virtual walls.

Clare20 · 26-03-2014 8:29pm

There's just one thing. The robot is a bit high for my couch and armchair and beds to get underneath. But that's not a deal breaker for me. He cleans very well around them. I'm overall a happy camper. And also many thanks to the OP.

26-03-2014 9:43pm

Three videos for anyone curious.

If the above aren't working for whatever reason as they aren't for me right now, the direct links are below:

http://youtu.be/oJL7xN1o840

http://youtu.be/DqJN8iqvmDY

http://youtu.be/KqxNvWDGcew

Yes I know, I need to hoover the stairs properly.

username123 · 26-03-2014 9:57pm

loopymum wrote: »

Do you know the model no? Some of the earlier Roomba's didn't dock themselves.

Roomba don't give you extras like some of the cheaper robot vacs, like remote and virtual walls etc.

I have a Samsung that I picked up cheap but not as cheap as the Aldi one, I did see the Aldi one on Ozzie site but I wasn't sure if they were getting them here.

I think the returning to base to recharge is one of the best features.
I rarely bother with the virtual walls.

It's a 650, there is a virtual wall device with it alright.

pippip · 26-03-2014 10:14pm

username123 wrote: »

It's a 650, there is a virtual wall device with it alright.

According to the spec on the link it should be returning to base for charging

http://store.irobot.com/product/index.jsp?productId=13081980#specifications

Is the base in the same room and plugged in (with plug turned on)?

WeleaseWoger · 26-03-2014 10:34pm

More stock appeared in Aldi, Bray today if anyone was looking for one. Spent the last hour and a half watching fascinated as it trundled round the downstairs!

SeanyMc22 · 26-03-2014 10:40pm

Is everyone's remote display working? All the commands work on the remote but I still can't set a plan as the time display does not come on at all no matter what I try.

bogman · 26-03-2014 10:53pm

Complex L shaped downstairs hall, kitchen connected, left door open and vacuum running, returned later to see it docked and charging, both areas completely clean, cant complain with that

mrcheez · 26-03-2014 11:37pm

Dónal wrote: »

http://youtu.be/KqxNvWDGcew

Love the robot dog at the end, so lifelike!

How does this work on rugs? Does it get caught on the loose fringes at the end?

take everything · 27-03-2014 12:05am

WeleaseWoger wrote: »

More stock appeared in Aldi, Bray today if anyone was looking for one. Spent the last hour and a half watching fascinated as it trundled round the downstairs!

It's weird how even the slightest bit of intelligence (for want of a better word) changes how you tend to refer to it. And even feel towards it.
Like after it's done a job, you could nearly see yourself saying "good man yourself" to it.

thesandeman · 27-03-2014 3:01am

Don't have one. Not planning on getting one. But I am really enjoying this thread.

vienne86 · 27-03-2014 10:02am

mrcheez wrote: »

Love the robot dog at the end, so lifelike!

How does this work on rugs? Does it get caught on the loose fringes at the end?

In my experience it does thin rugs particularly well, but I have a fairly deep pile one too, and am surprised at what a good job it does on this too. There is a danger it will get stuck 'climbing' on to a a deep pile rug, but I have had not problems.

vienne86 · 27-03-2014 10:04am

take everything wrote: »

It's weird how even the slightest bit of intelligence (for want of a better word) changes how you tend to refer to it. And even feel towards it.
Like after it's done a job, you could nearly see yourself saying "good man yourself" to it.

When it is first taken out of the box, we refer to it as 'it', but once we have used it, it seems to become 'he' or 'she'!

Pythia · 27-03-2014 10:29am

Picked one up in Aldi Nutgrove last night. Dog is not impressed!

Thanks OP!

coffee to go · 27-03-2014 10:38am

Ours woke me at 12.30 last night as it decided spontaneously to vacuum around the hall. We hadn't programmed it or set up a plan, so I can only assume it has already attained sentient thinking and will now move to trying to eradicate the family followed by humanity as a whole.

frash · 27-03-2014 10:44am

coffee to go wrote: »

Ours woke me at 12.30 last night as it decided spontaneously to vacuum around the hall. We hadn't programmed it or set up a plan, so I can only assume it has already attained sentient thinking and will now move to trying to eradicate the family followed by humanity as a whole.

Think the plan was set to 00:00 by default so probably came on at midnight.

murphyebass · 27-03-2014 10:45am

coffee to go wrote: »

Ours woke me at 12.30 last night as it decided spontaneously to vacuum around the hall. We hadn't programmed it or set up a plan, so I can only assume it has already attained sentient thinking and will now move to trying to eradicate the family followed by humanity as a whole.

Nearly spat my tea out there. Witty.

SeanyMc22 · 27-03-2014 11:08am

So who has been able to set a plan on him/her? I am considering returning to Aldi if I can't get the remote working to set a plan?

mrcheez · 27-03-2014 1:30pm

so tempting... I really don't need it... but damn so tempting

murphyebass · 27-03-2014 1:50pm

mrcheez wrote: »

so tempting... I really don't need it... but damn so tempting

Nobody really "needs" this, well unless you have some form of disability or frail maybe.

...but most of us don't need them. However i for one am lazy, well i hate housework so if there's a way round it I'll take it.

mrcheez · 27-03-2014 1:53pm

How "high" is it off the ground while moving around (i.e. top of it's lid to the floor), and how high is the docking station?

Thinking it would be cool to store the docking station under a bookshelf so that robo wouldn't be visible until I told him to start cleaning... then out he pops

frash · 27-03-2014 2:23pm

mrcheez wrote: »

Thinking it would be cool to store the docking station under a bookshelf so that robo wouldn't be visible until I told him to start cleaning... then out he pops

We do that. Then shout out "here's Johnny" as he appears.

username123 · 27-03-2014 3:03pm

mrcheez wrote: »

so tempting... I really don't need it... but damn so tempting

Housework is a horrible waste of my valuable time when I could be doing something more productive.

Akrasia · 27-03-2014 4:36pm

If I had a robot vacuum cleaner, my kids would use it as a way to avoid having to walk anywhere

Phantom99 · 27-03-2014 5:07pm

I haven't got one of these and would be tempted but I think the following:

It would
- Do a half job ie pick up light dirt/hair and miss corners
- Be annoying whizzing around the place for hours at a time
- Have to be emptied daily
- Require parts perhaps once or twice a year
- May be expensive to run ie going for 1.5 hours per day

On wood/tiled floors would it not be easier to give them a quick sweep?

For these reasons I'm Out

username123 · 27-03-2014 5:28pm

Phantom99 wrote: »

I haven't got one of these and would be tempted but I think the following:

It would
- Do a half job ie pick up light dirt/hair and miss corners
Mine doesnt do a half job, it does a great job.
- Be annoying whizzing around the place for hours at a time
I set if off when Im out and come home to a spotless apartment
- Have to be emptied daily
Emptying takes all of 10 seconds.
- Require parts perhaps once or twice a year
Cant comment - havent had it a year
- May be expensive to run ie going for 1.5 hours per day
I use it once a week in the front of the apartment and once every second week in the back of the apartment. Havent noticed the ESB any worse from charging it. Sure the hoover would have been plugged in using electricity.

On wood/tiled floors would it not be easier to give them a quick sweep?

For these reasons I'm Out

Replied inline above.

mrcheez · 27-03-2014 6:00pm

I'm more worried about it going loopy (old battery/revenge or whatever) and deciding to do a bit of extra cleaning while I'm out and the motion sensors are on.

Phantom99 · 27-03-2014 6:08pm

username123 wrote: »

Replied inline above.

Just some thoughts I had.....

If I wasn't strapped for cash I think I'd roll the dice and take my chances

Mezcita · 27-03-2014 6:52pm

Dammit I think I need to take "Mary" back to Aldi. Try as she might she can't dock properly.

Sad times.

take everything · 27-03-2014 7:21pm

Can anyone tell me if it maps the room in any way.
Or is it random movement (random in the sense of passive in response to its environment i mean).
If so how does it know when its finished a room. Does it just keep going until it needs to dock and charge again.

Pinkycharm · 27-03-2014 7:25pm

I am so bloody tempted. i need someone to tell me to get this. My only excuse is that this would be extremely handy to have around a crawling toddler as floor would always be clean for them.

mrcheez · 27-03-2014 7:27pm

take everything wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if it maps the room in any way.
Or is it random movement (random in the sense of passive in response to its environment i mean).
If so how does it know when its finished a room. Does it just keep going until it needs to dock and charge again.

http://brandmediaweek.typepad.com/.a/6a00d834519bc269e201156f8be4a7970c-600wi

They seem to keep track of where they went and eventually cover the whole area. I wonder if they "learn" though *shudder*

nkay1985 · 27-03-2014 8:54pm

SeanyMc22 wrote: »

So who has been able to set a plan on him/her? I am considering returning to Aldi if I can't get the remote working to set a plan?

Plan worked fine for me. The vacuum needs to be awake when you set the plan. You'll hear it beeping. I just followed the instructions in the manual but didn't have it awake the first time I tried it.

SeanyMc22 · 27-03-2014 10:03pm

nkay1985 wrote: »

Plan worked fine for me. The vacuum needs to be awake when you set the plan. You'll hear it beeping. I just followed the instructions in the manual but didn't have it awake the first time I tried it.

Thanks. I hear the beep but there's nothing displayed on the remote to set a plan. Pretty strange, not sure to bring it back or just leave it. Plan would be handy though for when at work. One thing I noticed today, when I had him doing the landing, when it got to the stairs, it detected it was the stairs and turned around but because of the angle it approached the stairs, when he turned the wheel went off the stairs and it ended up falling down one step. Lucky our stairs has a right turn otherwise it would be bye bye bot!

Clare20 · 27-03-2014 11:50pm

What is really clever is that the robot can see in the dark.

But on the other hand cannot see black and bangs (not to the extent that it damages) into my dark bookcase

ozmo · 28-03-2014 2:43am

take everything wrote: »

Can anyone tell me if it maps the room in any way.
Or is it random movement (random in the sense of passive in response to its environment i mean).
If so how does it know when its finished a room. Does it just keep going until it needs to dock and charge again.

Clare20 wrote: »

What is really clever is that the robot can see in the dark.

But on the other hand cannot see black and bangs (not to the extent that it damages) into my dark bookcase

I only watched one of the videos here - but it appears to work differently to the Roomba.
The Aldi one looks totally random from the video - the Roomba is kind of random - but the exact paths it takes are a secret IRobot dont tell anyone - but from observation of my 550 it goes until it finds a wall, then it hugs along the wall for a while then goes off at a random angle - if it detects it picking up a lot of dirt it concentrates on that area doing circles until its clean.
The docking is done with an InfraRed receiver in the glass bubble on the front top of both Aldi and Roomba vacs - there is an InfraRed light on the charger it knows what to aim for when hes hungry again.

The Aldi looks like it avoids things with a distance sensor - but my 550 Roomba does not have collision avoidance, it has bumpers to detect when it hits things- so it tends to crash around a lot while cleaning.

There are ones out there available that map the room and learn - but neither of these 2 (Roomba and Aldi one) actually remember the layout of the room at all afaik.

The reviews of the ones that do map the room are poor because they only cover each bit of the carpet once - whereas these will go over it several times.

Dont know about the Aldi - but the Roomba is kind of hard to clean - the rotary bar brushes bearings are not protected and tend to get a lot of thread and string etc wrapped around them - the wheel cannot be disassembled (rivited together) and was a major problem for me when party balloon string got wrapped tight around inside the wheels - you need clean every while all the sensors (fall sensor and the ultrasonic dust detector sensor) and all the brushes- probably the same with the Aldi one.

But its a great device and really works well.

majoliroja · 28-03-2014 8:25am

Heres a link to aldis video of this super cleaner and it does show briefly the underneath of the robot and it doesn't have rotary brushes

http://youtu.be/mt5n_ELGoUQ

Pause the video at 0.42 to see the underneath of the cleaner and the on and off switch there

jimogr · 28-03-2014 3:23pm

Is this likely to be still in stock? I'm in Dublin if anyone has seen stock levels?

beardybrewer · 28-03-2014 4:13pm

I just checked Galway Westside today and thank god it was out of stock else I might have bought it! I haven't checked the main Aldi on the Headford Rd yet.

Evolution1 · 28-03-2014 4:39pm

newkie wrote: »

I just checked Galway Westside today and thank god it was out of stock else I might have bought it! I haven't checked the main Aldi on the Headford Rd yet.

Why don't you try eBay ?? You'd get the same robot for cheaper.
You'd probably get one that'll clean carpets for €180 too.

deadl0ck · 28-03-2014 6:04pm

Evolution1 wrote: »

Why don't you try eBay ?? You'd get the same robot for cheaper.
You'd probably get one that'll clean carpets for €180 too.

You can buy the exact same (branded) one from Amazon.it : Linky

Casher · 28-03-2014 6:29pm

newkie wrote: »

I just checked Galway Westside today and thank god it was out of stock else I might have bought it! I haven't checked the main Aldi on the Headford Rd yet.

I wasn't so lucky, went to Aldi Arklow and they had some out back, he is now running around the floor getting everything nice and clean. He was unused and not a return.

Pythia · 28-03-2014 8:08pm

jimogr wrote: »

Is this likely to be still in stock? I'm in Dublin if anyone has seen stock levels?

I got mine in Nutgrove yesterday evening...

blueturnip · 28-03-2014 8:11pm

I succumbed!

Got mine in Palmerstown this afternoon, he is charging away now.

ncur · 28-03-2014 8:14pm

IT review here

Overall positive, obviously not entirely a replacement for a person and a good vacuum, but definitely tempted by this, have only wooden floors/tiles.

ImARebel · 30-03-2014 9:31am

Have mine 2 days and I think it's the business. It does a great job on the floors/tiles downstairs and a pretty OK job on my low pile carpet upstairs. I have one section of carpet that is high pile and you can see it definitely leaves a few bits behind. But given even my trusty Dyson has trouble with this carpet I can't complain too much.

over all I have to say it's a thumbs up from me. I'll use it away for the 60 days and see then whether it's worth keeping, but so far so good

If you're tempted at all I'd buy it see how it works for you and if you're not happy just bring it back

mrcheez · 30-03-2014 12:24pm

I asked before but didn't really get an answer: how does it work with rug fringes/tassles?

e.g. http://www.daburns.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/machine-fringe-after-c.jpg

Since their fairly loose I imagine it would drag them around the place a bit

Gulliver · 30-03-2014 5:27pm

There were 2 of these left in Aldi Sligo yesterday evening if anyone's interested. I have a cheap FreeTime Whiskers and it's not great. The missus would kill me if I bought another one!

JONJO THE MISER · 30-03-2014 10:11pm

Look how far vacuum cleaners have come, in 50 years time they will be power washing our house, cleaning the fireplace and painting the walls.

Aldi Robot Vacuum Cleaner €179.99

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