SAMSUNG POWERbot R9000 Robot Vacuum

I got this as a Christmas gift for my wife since she has been wanting some kind of robot vacuum. Initially, I just looked at the Roomba models, but when I found out Samsung made these too, I took an interest because we have a lot of Samsung products. I did a lot of research and it seemed like the Samsung models seemed to have better reviews when compared to the Roomba in it's class, so I pulled the trigger and went with the Samsung. After only using it for a few days, we have been pretty impressed with it. We have four dogs, so naturally there is dog hair on the floor and this robot vacuum has been great at removing that dog hair (as well as dirt). There are some pros and cons to consider though. Pros: - Comes with a remote so you can kick off a cleaning at any time - Automatically docks when the battery gets low - Has great suction power - Has a turbo mode (more suction) option if you want to use it (drains battery faster) - Pretty easy to clean - Can go from hardwood to carpeted areas with no problem as long as there isn't a big height difference between them - Seems to be able to map out your floor plan pretty well; doesn't just vacuum by bumping into things blindly like other models do Cons: - No wifi; this might be a deal breaker for some because lack of wifi means you can NOT schedule a cleaning routine. You need the Samsung app to do that and it can't connect to this model since it does not have wifi - Since you can't schedule cleanings, you will always have to kick them off manually, so you can either do the Auto mode (it will clean everywhere it can until the battery gets too low and it must return to the charging dock), or you can do the Manual mode (you kick off the cleaning for a particular area and then tell it to return to the dock when finished) - It doesn't do well with cleaning in corners, but then again, most of these robot vacuums are rounded, so I don't know how they would clean corners anyway All in all, we're pretty happy with it. It would have been nice if this model had wifi and you could schedule cleanings, but it's not really a big deal. We can just kick off the Auto clean function in the morning before we leave for work or in the evening when we get home.

I am a little disappointed in this product so far. We've been using it a few months now, and if I had rated it in the first week it would've been 5 stars. However, after two months of using it between twice a week and once every two weeks, it seems to not be navigating well. The first floor of my house is laminate flooring, with a few rugs and runners throughout. We also have, in the foyer and in the kitchen, a flooring transition. Initially, the POWERbot had no problem getting up onto the rugs, or over the transitions. Now, it will try to get onto the rug or transition, give up, and turn around. Frustrating, to say the least, that I have to babysit the vacuum to place it onto a rug, or give it a little nudge to clear the transition. Additionally, my house has some non-standard angles and halls, and to date the POWERbot has not once decided to enter the hallway leading to the master bedroom. I was under the impression that over the course of a few uses, the robot would have effectively mapped out the layout of my house and would know the most efficient route to maximize it's battery life. That does not appear to be the case, as it will almost always leave the dock, hook a right, and drive 3 feet straight into my dining room table, spending 5 minutes awkwardly trying to get in between the legs of the chairs and table. And speaking of battery life and time in use, while in the first couple weeks it would seem to last between 90 minutes and 2 hours depending on being set on HIGH or LOW, now, only 3 months later, it seems to last only 45 minutes to an hour. This device has only been used about 4-5 times a month and should not be wearing out so quickly. I debated giving this a 2 star review, but what it does, it does well. With the exception of corners and areas it cannot reach, the POWERbot does an excellent job of picking up pet hair, dirt, and dust. While the collection bin doesn't seem that large (I generally find myself emptying the canister after about 30 minutes of use, then emptying again when it returns to the base), it does hold quite a bit and packs it in quite well. It also does an excellent job of navigating around obstacles (as long as they're not black! I don't think this robot can see black). It doesn't exactly navigate around objects in the most intuitive manner, however, and can sometimes get stuck in my kitchen while trying to get around my refrigerator.

Started off liking this thing it worked pretty well for a month or so. The first problem came when it would no longer charge. I figured out it was the dock that was not working properly. Called Samsung and they sent a new dock out, and we are in business again for about one week. Next the unit completely quits. It will not take a charge, it will not turn on, it is totally dead. I get Samsung on the phone and the first rep tells me to purchase a new battery, they are only $1.82. Not true, they are $177 or so. I get Samsung on the phone again and explain that I am not paying that. They send out a return ticket for the product, and listen closely, no return shipping or prepaid shipping label. I am already unhappy at this point I am ready to go out and shoot the thing and post it on You tube. So the shipping costs me $38 bucks and I am at the point of Samsung if you will just give me my money back I will let it be. That doesn't seem to be an option, I mentioned it several times during the phone calls and they always directed me to another possibility. Seems like this would be a neat product to have especially if you are handicapped or lack the time to vacuum often. Don't count on it lasting very long! And if it does last long enough to replace the battery enjoy that cost!