Aldi Robot Vacuum Cleaner €179.99

SeanyMc22 · 18-03-2014 9:14pm #1

https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/sunday-23rd-march/products-detail-page/ps/p/robot-vacuum-cleaner/

Been interested in one of these for a while, haven't been convinced to buy a Roomba because of their price, may be tempted at this price.

Anyone buy one in the past? Are they worth it for the lazy man?

Banjo String · 18-03-2014 9:51pm

SeanyMc22 wrote: »

https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/sunday-23rd-march/products-detail-page/ps/p/robot-vacuum-cleaner/

Been interested in one of these for a while, haven't been convinced to buy a Roomba because of their price, may be tempted at this price.

Anyone buy one in the past? Are they worth it for the lazy man?

Was tempted but my interactive r2d2 would Prob try to have sexy time with this.

dsaf · 18-03-2014 10:13pm

Nothing lasts outta lidl/aldi..

Hold on to your receipt.

Been thinking about getting one myself.

chasm · 18-03-2014 11:26pm

dsaf wrote: »

Nothing lasts outta lidl/aldi..

Hold on to your receipt.

Been thinking about getting one myself.

I wouldn't agree that nothing lasts out of lidl/aldi tbh. I have bought loads of stuff from them over the years and other than a vcr/dvd recorder that had to be returned to germany a couple of times due to a fault (which eventually got replaced with a new one) i have never had any problems - and i have bought everything from tvs, garden vacs, kettles and sat boxes. My parents have one of the early targa laptops and it is still going, albeit the grandkids use it now as the parents have upgraded, but it has outlasted 2 of mine (asus and samsung).

Would love one of those robot vacs myself but have a holiday to pay for

_Whimsical_ · 18-03-2014 11:37pm

I would have to say that anything I've bought from aldi has stood the test of time too and most often been of on par or superior quality to branded electronics and gadgets. They usually have a 3year warranty too which is 2 years more than most brands offer.

chinacup · 18-03-2014 11:42pm

dsaf wrote: »

Nothing lasts outta lidl/aldi..

Hold on to your receipt.

Been thinking about getting one myself.

Have to disagree although the only thing I'm going on is an electric razor that lasted a weirdly long time! Rest of my family have had good runs out of their stuff too, although we might just have been lucky!

Jaybor · 18-03-2014 11:47pm

I have a roomba and its terrible. Just a gimmick. We dont even use it anymore.
So if the roomba is supposed to be the best I would hate to see anything else.

Del2005 · 18-03-2014 11:50pm

dsaf wrote: »

Nothing lasts outta lidl/aldi..

Hold on to your receipt.

Been thinking about getting one myself.

Aldi and Lidl sell products which met the TüV standard, this is much more stringent than the CE marked products you buy in most other shops.

You should always keep receipts for purchases, because no matter how good the QC is there is no 100% guarantee that every item produced works correctly.

DERICKOO · 19-03-2014 1:33am

I wonder what my Jacks would make of this running around the place suck'en up there hairs.I feel myself getting lazy.

Muahahaha · 19-03-2014 1:57am

Jaybor wrote: »

I have a roomba and its terrible. Just a gimmick. We dont even use it anymore.
So if the roomba is supposed to be the best I would hate to see anything else.

What's the downside of them ? Is the suction poor ? I always wondered how they could build a unit so small with a decent suction

Wizzy2011 · 19-03-2014 7:59am

Seems quite expensive. Groupon were doing a similar model for 60, claiming it's original value to be 300. ps don't leave it on upstairs, it's sensors are afraid of heights

bennyc · 19-03-2014 9:51am

3 year warranty, just make sure to keep the receipt, in fairness Lidl and Aldi are great for returns and a lot less hassle than some of the big chains.

The only problem i would have with this is kicker boards or whatever they are called under the doors, it would mean you have to set this in the room you need done that day as I couldn't see this going over them.

positron · 19-03-2014 10:38am

Big thread here from Australia, I presume it's the same make/model (although the colours look different).

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2190290

syklops · 19-03-2014 10:45am

Wizzy2011 wrote: »

Seems quite expensive. Groupon were doing a similar model for 60, claiming it's original value to be 300. ps don't leave it on upstairs, it's sensors are afraid of heights

My roomba has stairs detection. I'd be surprised if this one didnt as well.

Suction is not terrific, but it crosses over a room several times in one run which kind of makes up for it. I wouldn't say it will replace a hoover, but aids in the hoovering process. Set it up to run everyday and it will keep the place fresh looking.

imitation · 19-03-2014 10:50am

I had a samsung one for a while, the fall sensors went though and it started suiciding off steps so back to amazon it went. Up until that point I was pretty happy with it, as I have no carpet in my place, its all tiles or timber flooring. The biggest issues are that it doesn't do corners and it had a tendency to get filthy, so every so often you had to go vacuum the corners and the unit its self. IF your an OCD vacuumer it probably will just piss you off seeing all the bits it missed. As a lazy single dude, it was a godsend.

The other thing with this is that they wear pretty fast between the moving parts and the battery running down. I'd be skecthy about this one, you can spend from 50 quid to a 1k on one, and there is a difference (I think 200-300 is what you should be spending), I'd be afraid this guy is just a rebranded 50 euro knock off jobbie.

syklops · 19-03-2014 12:22pm

imitation wrote: »

I had a samsung one for a while, the fall sensors went though and it started suiciding off steps so back to amazon it went. Up until that point I was pretty happy with it, as I have no carpet in my place, its all tiles or timber flooring. The biggest issues are that it doesn't do corners and it had a tendency to get filthy, so every so often you had to go vacuum the corners and the unit its self. IF your an OCD vacuumer it probably will just piss you off seeing all the bits it missed. As a lazy single dude, it was a godsend.

The other thing with this is that they wear pretty fast between the moving parts and the battery running down. I'd be skecthy about this one, you can spend from 50 quid to a 1k on one, and there is a difference (I think 200-300 is what you should be spending), I'd be afraid this guy is just a rebranded 50 euro knock off jobbie.

Well Aldi are great for warantees. As stated this one has a three year waranty, so if the battery goes in that three years you can get another one.

I agree they do wear out quite quickly, especially if not proprely maintained, and the maintenance takes almost as long as pushing the hoover around. If you are OCD about cleanliness this is not for you. If you want to keep the place "decent", as a single guy, then it works quite well. Great conversation piece as well.

witnessmenow · 19-03-2014 2:03pm

syklops wrote: »

Well Aldi are great for warantees. As stated this one has a three year waranty, so if the battery goes in that three years you can get another one.

I agree they do wear out quite quickly, especially if not proprely maintained, and the maintenance takes almost as long as pushing the hoover around. If you are OCD about cleanliness this is not for you. If you want to keep the place "decent", as a single guy, then it works quite well. Great conversation piece as well.

I bet the battery is considered a consumable though, and not covered by the warranty

Phantom99 · 19-03-2014 2:05pm

There is a video of it working on the Aldi website. 'Cleaning' an already clean floor!

https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/sunday-23rd-march/products-detail-page/ps/p/robot-vacuum-cleaner/

They should show what it can do and give it something to pick up. Would it get over door saddles

Muahahaha · 19-03-2014 2:22pm

Phantom99 wrote: »

There is a video of it working on the Aldi website. 'Cleaning' an already clean floor!

https://www.aldi.ie/en/specialbuys/sunday-23rd-march/products-detail-page/ps/p/robot-vacuum-cleaner/

They should show what it can do and give it something to pick up. Would it get over door saddles

That's what I'd like to know too. It'd be great if I could just leave all the doors in the apartment open and then just set it to work when I'm on the way to work.

19-03-2014 2:29pm

positron wrote: »

Big thread here from Australia, I presume it's the same make/model (although the colours look different).

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2190290

The Oz one looks to be a Stirling, while this one (according to the video) looks to say "Easy Home" on the top of it. If it was the same one I'd go for it based on people's experiences, but I'm a bit reluctant to shell out as I can't find anything much on this brand at all.

nkay1985 · 19-03-2014 4:55pm

I see people on the Oz thread talking about a 60-day money back guarantee. Do Aldi operate a similar policy in Ireland, does anyone know? I'd be very tempted to give this a go if they did. If not, it would be a big risk to spend €180 on something to find it doesn't meet your expectations.

Jaybor · 19-03-2014 7:52pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

What's the downside of them ? Is the suction poor ? I always wondered how they could build a unit so small with a decent suction

There is a lazer thingy that you can make an invisible wall with and a stair sensor.

They wont pick up anything heavier than a hair or a piece of paper though.
Leave a cable or flex on the floor and it gets stuck on it.
Basically if you want to hoover up hair and paper they will be ok, but they are certainly not a replacement for a hoover.

Total gimmick

soc · 19-03-2014 10:06pm

nkay1985 wrote: »

I see people on the Oz thread talking about a 60-day money back guarantee. Do Aldi operate a similar policy in Ireland, does anyone know?

Yes https://customerservice.aldi.co.uk/warranties/?tab=return-policy

Agent Smith · 20-03-2014 10:36am

Finally!

kn · 20-03-2014 10:55am

soc wrote: »

Yes https://customerservice.aldi.co.uk/warranties/?tab=return-policy

They do. They have the 60 day money back guarantee plastered all over the checkout points of my local Aldi.

syklops · 20-03-2014 11:02am

Jaybor wrote: »

There is a lazer thingy that you can make an invisible wall with and a stair sensor.

They wont pick up anything heavier than a hair or a piece of paper though.
Leave a cable or flex on the floor and it gets stuck on it.
Basically if you want to hoover up hair and paper they will be ok, but they are certainly not a replacement for a hoover.

Total gimmick

I think its a little unfair to call it a total gimmick. If you have a cat or dog that sheds hair at an almighty rate, having something that will go around and pick some of it up everyday is quite useful.

Yes it gets stuck on flexes, so I simply picked them up before sending the robot round.

A gimmick is something that serves little to no purpose. This does work, just not quite as well as we would all like.

mrcheez · 20-03-2014 2:54pm

I imagine if you have motion sensors in your house, this thing will set them off?

The_B_Man · 20-03-2014 4:24pm

The best use i've seen for these is in the castle grounds in Prague. They have these running on he grass in an enclosed garden, going around picking up leaves and cut grass. Seemed like a great idea.

Moomat · 21-03-2014 3:12pm

Your cat will be eternally grateful!

vienne86 · 21-03-2014 4:03pm

I got a Robot when I had carpets replaced by wooden floors. I love it. Sure, suction is not great, but if you use it regularly, it doesn't need to be, and you must empty it pretty well after every use.....but it is quick and easy to do that. It actually does do rugs as well, provided they are not too thick. One thing I like is that it gets into the corners and around the skirting boards way better than I ever could with a regular vacuum cleaner. You need to get cables out of the way, but otherwise it works its way around obstacles, and it can fit under a lot of things too - like beds! And of course, it works away while you are out of the house.....particularly good for anyone having health problems with dust.

This looks like a good price, and certainly I have had good experiences with both Aldi and Lidl. Mine was damned expensive, but I love it.

My tuppence worth - good luck to anyone who purchases.

Dolbert · 21-03-2014 5:03pm

Been eyeing up a robot vacuum for a while now, with 2 cats and shedding season upon us it'll be worth it to keep the hairs at bay! Thanks OP

nkay1985 · 21-03-2014 5:54pm

I wonder what the demand will be like for this. The Oz thread made it seem like they were like golddust but it's a pretty high-priced item. Wondering if it's something that will sell out quickly or what.

username123 · 21-03-2014 5:58pm

Jaybor wrote: »

I have a roomba and its terrible. Just a gimmick. We dont even use it anymore.
So if the roomba is supposed to be the best I would hate to see anything else.

Are you serious??? Wow - its totally transformed my world!! I LOVE it!!

Its the most worthwhile item Ive bought in years. Set it off, go shopping, come back the place is spotless!

I use a sweeping brush to brush down the skirting boards, sweep out tight spots etc and just leave the dirt in the middle for Roomba to get.

Highly recommend!! I hated hoovering, my time is far more productive letting Roomba do it!

positron · 21-03-2014 6:09pm

Jaybor wrote: »

...
Total gimmick

Are you considering selling it for throw away price?

deadl0ck · 21-03-2014 6:15pm

Going by it's look and the internal dust box in the aldi video (and the few pictures they give you) it seems to be the same as the Ariete Briciola Robotic Vacuum Cleaner on Amazon.co.uk

Ideal World (TV Shopping channel) also seem to sell it : Clicky

Here it is on the ariete website and here's the user manual which only seems to be in Italian...

Actually - looking at the bottom of the manual it says "De’ Longhi Appliances Srl" so not a bad name behind it so....

Edit : It's got good reviews on Amazon.it

kmurph · 21-03-2014 6:34pm

Dolbert wrote: »

Been eyeing up a robot vacuum for a while now, with 2 cats and shedding season upon us it'll be worth it to keep the hairs at bay! Thanks OP

http://catswithroombas.tumblr.com/

SeanyMc22 · 22-03-2014 6:53pm

Anybody going to pull the trigger on this tomorrow?

deadl0ck · 22-03-2014 7:11pm

SeanyMc22 wrote: »

Anybody going to pull the trigger on this tomorrow?

I'm seriously thinking about it. I have wooden (or tiled) floors all over the house bar the upstairs landing - so it should work well for me.
I also have 2 small kids, so lots of crumbs on the floor etc. I'm hoping that it will help keep the place in pretty good nick, but I'm not expecting miracles either.

nkay1985 · 22-03-2014 8:43pm

I'm seriously considering it but I have carpet in most of the house so I'm not sure how good it will be for me.

But I have two cats so hair ends up all over the place. They also kick out dry litter onto the ground so you're always running over it with the hoover. Think I might give it a go and avail of the 60 day return policy if it doesn't work out.

I first saw one of these in Epcot in Florida 14 years ago and I've always wanted one since so at least it will scratch that itch if I do get it.

deadl0ck · 22-03-2014 9:29pm

Yep - was thinking the same about the 60 day return policy. If it turns out to be sh1te just bring it back - otherwise happy days.

Muahahaha · 22-03-2014 10:02pm

I was thinking of getting this tmw but €180 is just a bit too much for my liking. Also I've got 50/50 carpet to tiled floors so I wanna hear feedback on how well it does on carpets.
Either way I reckon robot vacumns are at a cliff edge price wise and in the next 6 months we will see prices tumble as they become more mainstream. Roomba might always charge premium prices but I've no doubt in my mind that all the main vacumn manufactures have products in the pipeline that could bring a decent one from a good brand like Vax for less than €150.

They're definitely the way forward but I'm not going to get one yet till I can be sure it will pick up well from carpets. No point having one if it doesn't do the job right IMO, otherwise it's nothing more than a toy or gimmick

deadl0ck · 22-03-2014 10:31pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

No point having one if it doesn't do the job right IMO, otherwise it's nothing more than a toy or gimmick

I agree, but that's the point with the 60 day thing at Aldi. If you don't like it, find it crap or whatever within 60 days you just bring it back and get your money back.
Surely you'll know if it's any good or not within 60 days.

murphyebass · 23-03-2014 9:43am

Lets be fair it'll never replace a proper Hoover but if it picks up the crumbs from the kids etc i think that's all you can realistically expect.

I'll be picking one up today to do just that and then I'll still do the weekly proper Hoover.

Price imo isn't off putting at all. Quite a bit of technology to it in fairness and with a three year warranty I really don't think you could stray too far wrong.

vienne86 · 23-03-2014 10:05am

nkay1985 wrote: »

I'm seriously considering it but I have carpet in most of the house so I'm not sure how good it will be for me.

But I have two cats so hair ends up all over the place. They also kick out dry litter onto the ground so you're always running over it with the hoover. Think I might give it a go and avail of the 60 day return policy if it doesn't work out.

I first saw one of these in Epcot in Florida 14 years ago and I've always wanted one since so at least it will scratch that itch if I do get it.

Hmm. I've had one for a couple of years, but only got it when I had carpets taken up. I still have carpets in my bedrooms, but don't use it in there.....mind you, maybe I should try...it would be great for under beds! But my understanding was that it is not really made for carpeted rooms - the suction isn't very strong.

Woodpecker1 · 23-03-2014 12:10pm

for 20 quid you can get a cleaner to come to your home for 2 hours a week and clean all the floors from top to bottom.

9 weeks of cleaning.

Probably longer than that yoke would last before it broke or you lost interest in it.

syklops · 23-03-2014 12:34pm

I lost interest in hoovering long ago.

deadl0ck · 23-03-2014 12:41pm

Well I got one. I'll keep y'all posted.
It's model number is "2711" so it's definately the Ariete Briciola as it's model number 2711 also (and it looks identical)

nkay1985 · 23-03-2014 1:36pm

Yeah I just got mine about an hour ago. I'll give it a shot and bring it back if it doesn't work out.

deadl0ck · 23-03-2014 1:38pm

FYI : It also comes with a spare set of brushes and a spare HEPA filter

nkay1985 · 23-03-2014 1:55pm

deadl0ck wrote: »

FYI : It also comes with a spare set of brushes and a spare HEPA filter

Excellent, I saw one review of this complaining that they couldn't find a replacement filter easily when it's recommended to replace it after six months so that's definitely a positive.

Muahahaha · 23-03-2014 2:53pm

nkay1985 wrote: »

Excellent, I saw one review of this complaining that they couldn't find a replacement filter easily when it's recommended to replace it after six months so that's definitely a positive.

I think spares might turn out to be a problem with this. If you look on ebay there are loads of Roomba spares for sale and lots of people buying them. Robot vacumns cover the floor multiple times so they cover lots more ground than you would with a traditional vacumn and with lots of moving parts they tend to need spares from time to time. Hopefully spares show up somewhere for this Aldi version, otherwise Aldi could have a headache with the 3 year warranty. The website of the manufacturer doesn't cover Ireland under their assistance page so I'm wondering how Aldi will play this when motors, chargers and gear boxes become faulty.

Though in fairness to Aldi/Lidl their product selection process is one of the most stringent in the industry, I read before that it takes over six months of meetings and product testing to get a product stocked with the German discounters. The buyers literally run a fine tooth comb over it for many months before they even get down to negotiating a price with the supplier.

But nonetheless I doubt they've ever sold a unit like this before that has got so many moving parts and technology on board. If people use them almost daily and get three years without any problems then I'd be amazed whilst also saying fair play to Aldi for delivering such a robust product.

Still though when you think about it they are less than half the price of a Roomba and you get a 3 year warranty rather than a 12 month one, and as has been said you've 60 days to return it, you can't lose really.

Aldi Robot Vacuum Cleaner €179.99

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