2 Robot Wars: Battle of Vacuuming Bots

I'm proud to introduce the first post from our newest contributor at Jamie Dixon Cider, Big Al.  For those unfamiliar with Big Al,  he is an expert in all gadgets and gizmos and is the ruler of a vast empire of car washes.  So without further ado, Big Al's first tech review...

Roomba 650

vs.

Neato XV-21

Over the past two months, I have had the chance to test out two of the most popular robot vacuums on the market:  The Roomba 650 and Neato XV-21.  Both have their differences/pros/cons and I would like to take some time to go over them.

First the Roomba 650.  I had two months of testing time with this model.  It is exciting to do your first run with a robot vacuum; I wondered if it would really work, what methods it would use to clean, and if it would return to its charging base as advertised.  I am pleased to say that the Roomba 650 exceeded my expectations.

Cosmetically, it is straight black with a few LED lights to accent it.  Its design is circular and it moves around with two wheels on the bottom.  The biggest difference between Roomba and Neato is the way the robot navigates around the room.  Roomba has a bumper and drives until it hits an object, at which point it turns and continues to vacuum the room.  Its seemingly random pattern, from what I can tell, cleans the entire room.  It typically takes several passes to do so, but that gives it a more thorough cleaning in my mind. It takes a little bit longer to clean because of this randomness, but you have the ability to schedule cleaning while you are away.  You WILL be surprised by how much this thing picks up on its first run. 

Maintenance is rather easy and straight forward.  Empty the dust bin, blow off the filter, and put it back into the robot.  You may also need to clean some hair from the brushes (which are easily removable). 

While it is cleaning, the Roomba is rather quiet.  Quiet enough to be able to watch TV while it moves around the room. 

The Roomba 650 is priced at $400.  There are other models with prices upwards of $700, but the Roomba 650 seems to be the best bang for your buck.

Next is the Neato XV-21.  I had less time with this model than the Roomba, but enough to get a good understanding of how it works.  This model promises similar features to the Roomba, and maybe even some more technology to get it done better.

It looks more retro than the Roomba (most compare is to an SNES system and that’s very accurate) and has a slightly different shape.  It is flat on the front and rounded on the back.  I was curious if this would make for a better cleaning in the corners and edges of the room, or if it would cause the robot to get stuck more. The Neato uses a laser guided system to navigate the room which is what drew me to it in the first place.  Instead of bumping around aimlessly, it is supposed to map the room and clean in a back and forth motion.

My first couple of runs were stymied by errors.  First, it said to clear its stuck brushes, which weren’t stuck at all.  My first few runs last about 10 minutes before it had to return to base to charge.  I called customer support and they said this behavior is normal until several charges, and they were right.  After those initial hiccups, I haven’t had any problems.  It is fun to watch the Neato do a perimeter sweep, and then fill in the room with back and forth motions like it actually sees where it is going.  It is also smart enough to clean one room at a time which impressed me.  It returns to its base on a straight path whereas the Roomba needed some time to find where to go.

Maintenance is exactly the same as the Roomba.  Simple and quick. All parts are removable and replaceable like the Roomba.

The Neato is louder. A lot louder.  You couldn’t watch TV while this is running because it is simply too loud.  Supposedly, a more powerful vacuum suction is the tradeoff.  I am not too sure this is the case, but it would make sense.

This model is $430.  I got it on sale for considerably less however.

In conclusion, both vacuums get the job done, just in different ways.  Roomba is rock solid with no errors and rarely ever getting stuck, while the Neato gets the job done a lot faster by following a set pattern guided by a mapping system.  If I had to pick one over the other I would pick the Neato for its efficient cleaning process, but if it continues to have errors I would gladly replace it with the Roomba for a trouble free experience.