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I've had a Roomba for a few years and bought a Neato XV-21 a couple months ago - SUPER impressed by it. Just happened to notice this deal on NewEgg and jumped on it: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 0YA0A92557

Now I will have dedicated downstairs and upstairs Neatos. Considering I was thinking about buying a 2nd charging base for $130 I'm thrilled to get a complete new set for about double that.

Highly recommended.

drfish, do you have any pets? I'd consider the Neato as a gift for my mom but I'm concerned about her dogs. One is a yorkie that tips the scales at just over 2lbs, the poor dog is also blind in one eye. If the dog was hit by one of these it probably wouldn't be good.

We've got 2 dogs and 2 cats - one of the reasons I love robot vacuums so much, its like the only way to stay on top of all the hair they shed daily.

The Neato and Roombas have fairly sensitive bummers on them so I don't think they would be able to hurt even the smallest of dogs or cats. Even with limited vision I think her dog would hear it coming. Pets are typically pretty attentive to these things until they get used to it - now mine just ignore it (except to get out of the way).

I think the Neato would make a better gift for parents than a Roomba BTW, specifically because it seems to require much less maintenance. On my Roomba I need to clean the brushes after every run and use a modded cleaning head module to keep the hair out of the gears. The stock Neato doesn't have problem with hair the same way and I only clean the brush once a week or so. It also just plain "sucks" more - and cleans better as a result, the Roomba really only worked as a really good broom - it is all about the brushes but the Neato is a legitimate vacuum too.

Thanks a ton for the info, drfish. Your first line is precisely why I'm considering it.

Sold out now, hope you snagged one!

This one is almost as good a deal (the extra filters and brush blades are nice, but I always clean the filters instead of replacing them):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 0YA0935372

It doesn't have the hepa filter or the bristle brush though of the 21 model though.

BTW, you just gotta love vacuums with USB ports and firmware updates...

drfish wrote:

BTW, you just gotta love vacuums with USB ports and firmware updates...

I want one with BT or Wifi, so that I can query where it is (after it has built a model of the room from bumping into obstacles), stop and start it remotely, drive it around chasing the cat, etc. With live video! POV = Point of Vacuum

Not a problem.

Hello to everyone. Who knows how Neato works with hardwood? I'm in search of robovac for hardwood floors.

It should be just fine on hardwood. I have read some horror stories about scratches though, so you may want to test it on a small out of the way area first. I've run mine on both cheap and high-quality laminate flooring without issue, but never on actual hardwood. I assume it will come down to the quality of the finish on your floor.

I run my Roomba on our "hardwood" (plywood planks) floors with no issues. They have them on $199 for black friday in many places too...

drfish wrote:

It should be just fine on hardwood. I have read some horror stories about scratches though, so you may want to test it on a small out of the way area first. I've run mine on both cheap and high-quality laminate flooring without issue, but never on actual hardwood. I assume it will come down to the quality of the finish on your floor.

Thank you for your answer. Maybe I should try. Which Roomba model do you run?

Usacomp2k3 wrote:

I run my Roomba on our "hardwood" (plywood planks) floors with no issues. They have them on $199 for black friday in many places too...

Thank you. The same question. Which Roomba model do you use?

In fact, i'm on my way to buying one, but still can not choose which is the best.

My Roomba experience was totally negative, especially on the hardwood floor. The very expensive surface of oak massive was scratched all over. That was the one and the last time I ran Roomba.

I actually run a Neato Botvac D80. I haven't bought a Roomba for a long time, since the 500 series.

You can check out my "review" of robo vacs right here on TR.

Pair of sock puppets debating each other here (not you, Fish). Locked to limit the collateral damage.