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(More customer reviews)The Looj Gutter-Cleaning Robot from iRobot - like most things, it doesn't quite live up to its hype, but its still a worthy aid in your gutter cleaning chores. First thing to mention is that calling this thing a "robot" is very misleading. A robot can minimally sense its surroundings and make some decisions based on the sensors - like the Roomba robotic vacuum. This can do nothing of the sort and is simply a remote-controlled gutter cleaner.
As with other iRobot products, the Looj requires a lengthy battery chargeup of 15 hours before use, so the first thing I bumped into was the very rudimentary battery setup. To begin with, the battery compartment has 2 screws requiring a phillips head screwdriver to get into. While this is not a big problem, it just seems like you shouldn't have to use tools to access a battery that you will have to charge frequently.
The battery pack itself is connected to the Looj with an automotive style plastic connector. You have to squeeze a little lever on it to release it from the unit and connect it to the charger.
The charger is really just a small power brick with a low current delivery so it essentially trickle-charges the battery, which is why it takes 15 hours to charge. There are also stickers all over the place warning not to charge it for more than 15 hours or you could damage the battery. So this "charger" does not sense the battery state, and will not turn off when it reaches full capacity.
This makes charging an exercise in planning. Before you plug it in, you need to be sure that 15 hours from now you are not asleep or at work or shopping. Also, what do you do if you've used it for 20 minutes and want to charge it back up all the way? How long should you leave it in the charger? Who knows?
This is the kind of charging system that hobbyists use on radio controlled cars or planes. While serviceable, it only appeals to the tinkerer, not the home owner. I haven't seen this kind of system on a normal consumer device in years.
In the best case, the Looj itself should rest in a cradle that charges it automatically and shuts off when full - no battery removal required. Barring that, the battery should be easily removed (without tools!) and put into an auto-charging cradle. To the iRobot company I say "shame on you" for claiming to be a high tech "robot" company while delivering such a low tech battery system.
So lets get to the Looj itself. The first thing you deal with is the handle/remote-control. The idea is to use the handle to put the Looj into the gutter, release it, and then click the handle back on to extract it when done. This feature goes on the list of "doesn't quite work as advertised".
If your gutters are large and wide open, you can probably put it in using the handle. Mine were kind of tight and I had to put the Looj in sideways to get it past the overhanging shingles, and then straighten it out once inside. The handle was in the way and had to be removed first.
But, more importantly, getting the handle back on afterwards varies from tricky to impossible. In the best case, lining the handle up and getting it locked in securely is hit or miss. Several times I picked it up and the handle popped off. But, if you've encountered any amount of debris when cleaning the gutter, it clogs up the slots where the handle attaches and it becomes impossible to reattach without first cleaning the unit.
My personal opinion is that the handle should just be a small pocket sized remote control. The Looj can be easily inserted into the gutter and retrieved without the use of the handle.
The next thing to consider is how the Looj travels down the gutter. If the gutters are large and clear of obstructions, no problem. I had a bent nail I had to fix to allow it to pass - certainly not the Looj's fault. But there were some other locations where the gutter brackets were a little unusual and it got stuck under a couple of them. A bit of back-and-forth with the remote freed it up.
Probably the biggest impediment to its travel is the antenna. Its not quite as flexible as it ought to be, and can sometimes bend into a loop that binds in the gutter and stops the Looj. In spite of the rubber treads, the Looj does not have a lot of traction and can be stopped fairly easily.
This happened frequently when I first used it. I noticed that, when free, the antenna leaned to one side and was bent into a bit of a curve - perhaps from the way it was shipped. I spent some time straightening it out so that it stood straight up, and had significantly fewer problems. There were still a couple of times when I had to work it free, but was always able to.
So in the end, how good a job did it do on the gutters? Pretty good actually. The place where it didn't work so well is when it encountered what I call wet gutter sludge. This is the heavy stuff composed mostly of gravel from the roof shingles, mixed with a little dirt and water. It moved this stuff off to the side of the gutter, and flung some of it out, but quite a bit remained. I think this might be more easily removed in the dry summer months when its more dusty/gravely instead of sludgy. Plus, there is usually only a small layer of this heavy sludge in the bottom of the gutter and it doesn't interfere much with the gutter's water flow.
The stuff that does interfere with the flow is leaves, twigs, pine needles, and the lighter weight wet glop made of decomposing leaves and organic matter. Here's where the Looj did its job with aplomb. The only thing you might need to be concerned about is what's below the gutter. The Looj flings wet gloppy stuff all over everything below the gutter and for about 6 feet away from it. This is just the Looj doing its job correctly, but you should move anything that you don't want pasted with this stuff.
When you're done, the gutter is much cleaner that before, but not completely clean. Since the auger rotates in front, the cleaning patter is circular, but the gutter is not. So a certain amount of stuff gets left in the lower corners of the gutter. On heavily clogged areas, I had to drive the Looj back and forth several times to get most of the stuff out.
The battery life seems good. I did my entire house (2000 sq ft, 2 story) and part of a barn before I ran out of daylight, but the battery did not seem to be slowing down at all.
Oh, one last thing. If your gutters are damp, be prepared to take a shower when you're done. You'll get stuff flung at you when the Looj is near the ladder. Also, hanging the wet, glop-covered Looj on your belt loop will soak your leg and cover your jeans with dirt.
So bottom line: would I buy one again? Yes I would! If I compare it to the expectations I had from the advertising hype, I'd rate it a 5 out of 10. But if I just rate it against the job it needs to do, I'd probably give it about an 8. It cut my job time to half what it would normally take me (maybe less), made it a lot easier, and most importantly made it MUCH safer.
If you have a house with lots of short gutter runs, this is probably not for you. If you're expecting this to almost do the job for you you'll be disappointed. You still have to get up on the ladder, move the ladder around, get the Looj in and out, clean it off regularly, etc. But it DEFINITELY cuts the job down to size. And for that, I think its worth the price.
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iRobot 12101 Looj Electric Gutter Cleaning RobotThe Looj 12101 Electric Gutter Cleaning Robot is remote-control operated so you can clean your gutters from a fixed position with minimal back strain and ladder-moving. Simply position the Looj in your gutter and drive it through twigs and leaves, allowing the propeller to throw the debris clear. The Looj operates off a high-powered rechargeable battery and the remote has a 75-foot range, allowing you to sweep whole lengths of your house from one position.
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