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IRobot Looj Gutter Cleaning Robot Review
Posted by
timothy
on Sat Jun 28, 2008 03:55 PM
from the need-one-of-these-right-now-in-fact dept.
from the need-one-of-these-right-now-in-fact dept.
justechn writes "Many of us have seen robots in the movies and wondered how long it would take for them to become a reality. Some of my favorites when I was a kid were Short Circut and Runaway. iRobot is a company that is striving to bring some of that technology home today. Their most popular and well known product is the Roomba vacuuming robot. The Roomba is great, after I finished my review of it and sent it back I went out and bought one. It does its best work picking up pet hair. They just came out with another robot called the Looj. The Looj is used to clean the rain gutters that go around your roof. If you have ever had to do this by hand you know how much of a pain it is. This robot uses a 3 stage auger to break up clogs and sweep all the debris out of your gutter. It is also water proof so you don't have to worry if you have water in your gutter, just don't stand below it when it is cleaning or you will get sprayed." Read on for the rest of justechn's review.
"The Looj does not move on it own like the Roomba does, instead there is a remote control that controls the direction that the auger spins and the direction that the Looj moves (forward and backward). Because it requires constant human interaction I am not even sure I would classify it as a robot, rather it is more like a remote controlled car.
I recently got my hands on one and put it through my gutters. It did a fairly good job. I did have to go over some spots more than once to get all the leaves and dirt out, but in the end my gutters were a lot cleaner after it was done.
The price is also very good. At $99 for the base model it is cheap enough that you can pick one up just to play around with. The more expensive models only give you extra batteries and augers, so you are not missing anything if you go with the base model.
I only found two things about the Looj that I did not like. First, it will not turn corners, it is way too long and not flexible. Second, if you want it to move you have to constantly hold down the forward or backward button. As soon as you let go, it stops. If you could lock in the movement then you could do other things like move your ladder to the next corner while it was cleaning."
I recently got my hands on one and put it through my gutters. It did a fairly good job. I did have to go over some spots more than once to get all the leaves and dirt out, but in the end my gutters were a lot cleaner after it was done.
The price is also very good. At $99 for the base model it is cheap enough that you can pick one up just to play around with. The more expensive models only give you extra batteries and augers, so you are not missing anything if you go with the base model.
I only found two things about the Looj that I did not like. First, it will not turn corners, it is way too long and not flexible. Second, if you want it to move you have to constantly hold down the forward or backward button. As soon as you let go, it stops. If you could lock in the movement then you could do other things like move your ladder to the next corner while it was cleaning."
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Link (Score:5, Informative)
http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=354 [irobot.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Oh sure. NOW this comes out after I just finished that ugly job. Next year.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Link (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Link (Score:4, Interesting)
A better idea would be to create a new kind of gutter. Maybe one that could be manually (or automatically) tilted over to dump out all of the debris, instead of trying to clean it in the upright position.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I recall a home improvement show (This Old House?) testing the Looj. They placed a section of gutter on the ground and filled it with various debris, then ran the Looj through it. The Looj didn't deal with the heavy caked gunk very well, losing one of its tracks at one point. It did not come across as very impressive. I recall the host didn't recommend it. Can't find a video unfortunately
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
A better idea would be to create a new kind of gutter. Maybe one that could be manually (or automatically) tilted over to dump out all of the debris, instead of trying to clean it in the upright position.
Or perhaps a perforated gutter cover that lets the water in but keeps the debris out. Like this [gutterworks.com]. Or some other method of preventing clogged gutters, like a curved cover that water will follow, but leaves will not like this [gutterworks.com].
Need reliable and cheap robots (Score:3, Interesting)
The USA needs reliable and cheap robots. Reliable because they are complicated, expensive, and difficult to fix because there aren't many people who are expert with robotics technology.
Cheap because the USA is shares a border with a country that millions of people who are ready, willing, and able to come here and work for about $40-$50 a 8-10 hour day. Any robot that we buy has to be able to do productive work for eight hours a day and cost less than $50 a day for energy, maintainence, and
Re:Need reliable and cheap robots (Score:4, Funny)
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=10153 [freshplaza.com]
Robots may have future in apple orchards
Parent
Re:baby boomer SSI bailout club (Score:3, Insightful)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I am missing something here? Wouldn't a much cheaper solution to your "problem" of too many mexicans be to stop subsidising agri-business and make US farmers compete at international prices? The guiding hand and all that..
BTW if you want cheap and reliable iRobot is *not* who you're looking for.
$99 just to play around with (Score:5, Interesting)
For most of the world, $100 is not something you can just spend on a whim. Then again, it might be for the people who buy iRobot products in the first place.
Re:$99 just to play around with (Score:5, Interesting)
To be fair, I suspect the target market for this is "people who own their own house". For this demographic, $100 is probably reasonable.
Then again, there's a product advertised in New Zealand called "Gutter Witch/Gutter Wand" - the idea is you use the "wand" to reach the gutters (it's basically a long stick, nozzle and hose), and the "witch" to open up the drain pipe without making a mess to pull out the leaves flushed away by the wand. This seems much more sensible, but I still want a Looj ;-)
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Lots of people who own their own homes would take a lifetime to earn $100. However they don't have gutters on their homes :)
Re: (Score:2)
Touche! I suspect a large part of the target demographic includes people like me - people who live in a downstairs apartment yet still really, *really* want one of these robots ;-)
Re: (Score:2)
I tried something like that once. It was a log rod with a hook on the end, so you can stand on the ground (for lower gutters) or on a ladder and just run it along the gutter.
Unfortunately, it must have been a cheapo one because the hook on the end and started spinning everywhere, getting me real soaked in the process. Not fun when it's nearly freezing outside!
In the end, none of these gadgets work as well as a standard garden hose with a normal trigger-style nozzle while standing on a ladder.
If cleaning
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
It's the same - though with a slight lag - in the UK and New Zealand. I'm not completely sure I agree with the AC's point about investment, but if you're buying a house to live in it has to be better than renting over the long term. Even with the sub-prime crisis and property prices falling, buying a house and living in it has to be better than giving money to a landlord, money that you won't see any part of and is only useful while you continue to live in the landlord's house. Falling house prices should
Re:$99 just to play around with (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:$99 just to play around with (Score:4, Interesting)
My wife and I purchased a Roomba two years ago. While on the surface it may seem like an extreme and silly purchase, the reality is that we were sick of buying cheap vacuums that tended to break down a lot and/or where a pain to use*. The Roomba was the second cheapest option we considered, and from the first time we started it we knew it was exactly the right decision.
*This specificlly refers to a Dirt Devil vacuum that had a fancy swivel feature with little casters that turned out to be worthless. After running about three times they didn't properly swivel anymore.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
For most of the world, $100 is not something you can just spend on a whim. Then again, it might be for the people who buy iRobot products in the first place.
But if you own a house with gutters that need cleaning, you likely have more disposable income as well. Or you've gotten yourself into bigger trouble than needing your gutters cleaned.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
What's the advantage? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What's the advantage? (Score:4, Funny)
Imagine you have a 300' long roof. With the Looj, you climb up the ladder at one end of the roof, hold down "forward", and carry your ladder to the other end of the roof, climb up, and collect the Looj. According to their website it cleans 60' in 10 seconds, so that seems like a lot faster & less work, if you have a large roof. So it may be best for businesses/condos/etc.
Parent
Re:What's the advantage? (Score:5, Funny)
carry your ladder to the other end of the roof, climb up, and collect the Looj.
You go right ahead and move your ladder.
I'll stay where I am and just hit the reverse button :-)
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
300' long roof? Uhm ... then we're definately past homeowners, and I suspect businesses have little problems paying someone to do the cleaning for them. Hell, they might even have proper equipment for staying on the roof.
Re:What's the advantage? (Score:5, Insightful)
Well, it seems like you'd need to go up the ladder a lot less - once or twice at each corner instead of down-move-ladder-2-metres-up.
But yes, I can think of easier ways to clean your guttering. I mentioned a long hose and an opening on your down-pipe in an earlier post; another alternative I've seen is simply to insert a long plastic bristle affair along the length of your guttering; the bristles let water pass into the gutter but leaves get stuck on top and break down before they can clog the down-pipe.
But, and this is a big but, I still want a Looj. If only so I can lean against the fence with a beer and proudly inform the neighbours that I'm supervising the gutter-cleaning robot...
Parent
Re: (Score:2)
This is what I want though, although it seems like it wouldn't be too hard to make one at home: http://www.irobot.com/sp.cfm?pageid=338 [irobot.com]
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Agreed... If I were on the design team, I would have pushed for a method of lifting it up to the gutter... A simple hooked pole and a loop on the robot's body would be fine. Of course, you would need some method of triggering it once it was up there... Maybe a two-way remote that would alert the operator when it reaches the end of a run?
Re: (Score:2)
What they should do is put a bit eye-loop on top and make a hook stick. Then you could just put it up in the gutter without even getting out a ladder.
Sounds like an obvious accessory to me.
Just get gutter covers (Score:2)
Or you can just get gutter covers. When I moved into my house 3 years ago, I cleaned the gutters out once, decided it sucked and got gutter covers. Each cover was less than a buck and we got enough for the whole house for less than the price of a Looj. Sure, it was a bit of extra work to put on the covers, but it's just a one-time investment and I've never had to clean gutters since.
Re:What's the advantage? (Score:5, Informative)
Exactly. Arms are only so long. With this, you can stand at one end and clean out the entire stretch of gutters. Think of it this way:
Assume a 40ft stretch of gutters. You might precariously have a 5.5-foot reach per trip up the ladder. Safely, and to make the math easier, figure 5 feet of gutters per trip. That means 8 trips up the ladder per side of the house. 16 trips at two stories per climb is 32 stories -- the equivalent of a moderately-sized skyscraper.
Besides, with less reaching and climbing, it's a hell of a lot safer.
Parent
Re:What's the advantage? (Score:4, Insightful)
You might precariously have a 5.5-foot reach per trip up the ladder. Safely, and to make the math easier, figure 5 feet of gutters per trip. That means 8 trips up the ladder per side of the house. 16 trips at two stories per climb is 32 stories -- the equivalent of a moderately-sized skyscraper.
What?
Unless you have a 60 degree New England style roof, there's no reason you can't walk around on your roof with a hose and an old broom handle to clean out the gutters.
Then again, I like having a reason to walk around on roof tops.
Parent
Re:What's the advantage? (Score:5, Insightful)
You shouldn't ever walk around on a roof, it causes a lot of wear and tear and damage to the roofing material.
And even if you do, most houses have pitched roofs, even a relatively minor pitch is enough to make it extremely dangerous to do. OSHA requirements dictate that a fall of 6" is sufficient to require serious fall protection. I can't recall the last time I saw a house that wasn't that tall.
Granted you don't have to follow guidelines if you're doing your own house, but it's still a really bad idea.
Parent
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
so is crossing the street in NYC ..
get over it, it's called life
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I agree completely that it's relatively safe (or at least, enough fun that I don't care how safe it is), but those shingles aren't meant to be walked on. A new roof is pretty damn expensive, let alone if you don't notice the damage right away and water gets inside (and causes other destruction) before you have the roof replaced.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Heh - I live in a colonial-style house in New Jersey, and the roof is pitched sufficiently that it's pretty scary to walk on. It's not bad when it's dry, but combine that with water, and it's a slip-n-slide-o-fun 30 feet off the ground.
I enjoy a good walk on the wild side as much as anyone else, but that whole falling to my death part, it's just not me. So far I've managed to avoid dying, but I'm at the point in my life where I'll leave the tempting of fate to the youngsters.
Re:What's the advantage? (Score:4, Insightful)
2) Repeat on SE corner
Parent
Why even get out the ladder? (Score:2)
http://www.smarthome.com/31262.html [smarthome.com]
We also sell them in my hardware store but I don't want to link to my own site and crash the server. :)
They work great, just wear rain gear when standing underneath while using it.
Re: (Score:2)
I look at that picture and that is sooo unrealistic. Clean gutter, user standing directly below, with dry clothes and groomed hair.
That's just NOT going to happen. For most gutters that need cleaning, you can use that, but you'd better go out there with a cap and raincoat.
I go after mine with a hose, but I have several problems. First, I have a mesh over the top of my gutter to keep the umpteen leaves from my large bertch out of it, and it still collects an amazing amount of seeds and grit from my shingl
No Brainer. (Score:4, Informative)
If you have a house, you have likely spent $99 on far worse things.
If all I have to do to clean the gutters is put the ladder at each corner once - I want this.
I suspect many of the "why bother"s have never actually cleaned gutters by hand. You basically go around the house trying to find a stable spot for the ladder every so often. Every so often is defined as your own wingspan plus how brave you are either side of an extension ladder. Scoop, fling, repeat. Chase leavings with hose or bucket. For even a smallish 24'x36' house, this is tedium with the added risk of a broken arm.
OK - the wand looks interesting but you're standing under the slop.
iRobot is in Somerville, MA. And here in New England the fall leaves aren't as bad as the muck made of spring tree flowers and seeds (maple and oak).
Re: (Score:2)
I suspect many of the "why bother"s have never actually cleaned gutters by hand.
Actually, I live in New England too (NH) and I clean my gutters by hand. A hose, with a good nozzle can spray pretty much all the crap out for a lot less than $100. And with a Federal house, that's 4 gutters on the house, 3 more on the el, and 3 on the little stick-y out bit with the door.
The Looj would be more work than I want to bother with, thanks.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
That's "Bed-fid" for those of you who don't talk right.
Just $1.4 million for the house (Score:2)
Now all I need is $1.4 million for a house. Maybe iRobot would provide a free house to do a Looj Cutter review with.
Considering most of the money on this product is made in Asia, they should think of an easier name.
Re: (Score:2)
"Considering most of the money on this product is made in Asia"
Yet it's an American company, so I doubt that if they outsource to Asia, that they are doing it because its more expensive to make them in Asia.
I'll agree that the name, is well frankly retarded. Although when searching "looj" [google.com] it's not exactly a common name, so that could be a benefit.
However, the name of a product doesn't make the money it makes isn't worth as much.
Obliq. (Score:2, Funny)
Does not play well with branches and (Score:5, Informative)
I bought one of these when they first came out last fall and liked playing with it, but unless you regularly use it to clean your gutters, you will find that it gets bogged down in heavy mucked up areas.
These tend to be right in the middle of the run and I have to get on the roof or move the ladder to free it up.
and if you have a valley that feeds into a gutter that gets clogged with small twigs and branches, fugedaboutit.
That being said, it is fun to use and works pretty much as advertised you just have to approach heavy obstacles slowly and go back and forth like you are drilling through it.
My gutters a really a pain to clean and just knowing I can go play with the Looj makes me more likely to drag out the ladder and clean them more often.
Gutter (Score:5, Funny)
battery issues? (Score:3, Informative)
Before the batteries did die I was very happy with the performance of these "robots." But ultimately would not recommend either until either the batteries last longer or the price drops for replacements ($80 for the Scooba battery & $70 for the Roomba). I just checked, and the Looj battery is available for $30 so it may be a non-issue for some.
Obviously YMMV but thought I'd give you a heads up!
Robot? (Score:3, Insightful)
In what sense is this a robot? As I understand it, it moves back and forth along your gutter when you push the corresponding buttons. If this is a robot, then so is an RC car.
A gutter cleaning robot would emerge from a pod at the top of your roof, and walk around with spider-like legs. It would first map out your roof and send a 3D map to your computer. You would then indicate on the map where it should dump the gutter contents over the edge, and it would go to work. It might take all day to clear out the gutters, but you would be free to leave it alone (after you got bored of watching it.)