iRobot Roomba 560 Robotic Cleaner

I am long time customer of iRobot. I have multiple early generation Roombas (and still have 4 4th generation Roombas in my house). I bought two 560's in September and the side brushes became "amputees" within the first few weeks, with the brushes breaking off.

Upon calling Technical Support (not listed on their website: 877.855.8593) I was told it was a "known problem", and they would ship out the new redesigned side brush replacements as soon as received. Weeks later, still no date and even today "maybe three weeks".

Now they are hedging on whether it was a design defect. What IS clear is that none of the units on sale have a "redesigned" part, so you may have the same problem I have had. So forget about getting one before Christmas unless you want to go through this same debacle I am.

I have always had the highest respect for iRobot (despite the Scooba), but my faith has been shaken by this product.

*** UPDATE 12-03-2007 (another part also on "back order")

BTW, I still have received no replacement side brushes after almost two months.

Another problem exists with some of the 560's (I assume all of the early 500 series). The original two 560's I bought in September did not have a "bumper extension" included.

MAKE SURE THAT THE ONE YOU BUY HAS A BUMPER EXTENSION INCLUDED. I saw a 560 at a store this weekend with this new piece, which is just a piece of rubber that you stick on the lower part of the bumper and a "slip sheet" to the manual that tells how to place it, but does not say what it is for.

When I called iRobot and told them that I did not receive these with my original 560's, they first claimed "all of them" shipped with it, but they would order me two -- Guess what else is now back-ordered?

I suggested that the bumper extension might be a new "fix" for the side-brush problem, but the customer service representative said it was to keep the "IR sensors from being scratched" by furniture. To defend that this had nothing to do with the side-brush problem, he said that they had had side brushes "falling off without contact with anything" and that definitely the side brushes had been redesigned but no one in technical support was told how.

Here is what I think the new bumper is for:

We have 5 fireplaces in our house. All but one have a hearth extension height of 1/2" or less above the floor. The fifth one has 7/8" above the floor, where I have seen the 560 stalled, with it eventually disentangling itself (but with brushes soon thereafter falling off!).

I think the main purpose of the bumper extension is to sense a transition in this critical area (7/8") and be repelled by contact with the bumper extension. IRobot says that this is not its purpose. However, the instruction slip sheet specifically states to place part the extension below the existing vertical height of the bumper.

I will try to update this if and when I get:

1. My replacement side brushes and
2. My missing bumper extensions.

A few more observations ....

Customer service.

Hold times seem to be going up dramatically. I was on hold for 17 minutes and then disconnected. I then called sales (which answers immediately) and was eventually reconnected to customer service.

*** UPDATE 02-20-2007 (and another part also on "back order")

I received replacement brushes. Last week, I called to find out the status of the bumpers. Their records showed "closed". After going up 5 levels in customer service, they "found" one bumper extension. Still waiting the rest ..