With the advent of automatic vacuum cleaners with mapping system (one of them is the Ozmo 920 by Ecovacs, whose review dates back to a few weeks ago) the reasons why we can recommend you to buy an older generation automatic vacuum cleaner have been significantly reduced.
One of these, at the moment difficult to beat, is clearly the price: if there is no camera to map the floor plan then automatically it is certain that you will save at least half the amount you would spend on a latest generation automatic vacuum cleaner.
Ecovacs Deebot 605, which we have tried in recent days, is one of these: it costs around 230 euros but if we compare it with others of its kind it is much more intelligent in its movements. In addition, thanks to the WiFi module it is also much easier to use and program: this, combined with a couple of other reasons, makes it interesting and easy to install even in the home of an elderly person. Here because.
How it is made
For size and construction it does not differ much from most automatic vacuum cleaners that are positioned in the same price range. All parts are made of sturdy polycarbonate and also the position of the components is the one we find in devices of this category, with all the disadvantages of the case.
For example, the On / Off switch is located on the side instead of on the bottom or under the top cover that the upper models with mapping have instead: to keep in mind if a curious child wanders around the house who could turn it off without your knowledge, blocking him during the cleaning or worse by stopping its automatic start in case of programming.
Worse still, the Reset button is right next to it. With an unwanted long press you risk canceling any programming.
Another disadvantage, if we compare it with the higher-end models, the dirt collection tank is located on the back, making it less easy to insert and remove it for emptying: in fact, a slight inclination is enough to ensure that the tank do not go back to the office. Patience and precision are the necessary ingredients for the success of this operation.
Even the charging module is the old generation one, that is, it has neither a power supply built into the base nor a system for the orderly collection of the excess cable, so when purchasing, keep in mind that you will have a power supply (however compact enough) to slip into a power socket and its dangling cable to be folded and mixed manually with a strap.
On the other hand, the number of accessories supplied is good, with various spare parts to be able to refurbish it without further disbursements. In addition to the two rotating brushes there are in fact two other replacements, as well as in the box you will also find a second filter with relative anti-dust sponge to be replaced when those already pre-installed in the dirt collection tank have worn out (and it takes ” years”). There is also a second wet cleaning cloth to replace the one already attached to the water tank, the usual maintenance tool with built-in cutter and the remote control.
In the latest models, even in the higher-end ones, companies have begun to eliminate it for the benefit of the environment (fewer components to produce and then dispose of) also because all the controls are moved to the smartphone app. However, this also offers the disadvantage of not having an alternative control system to the telephone, making its use less easy even for those who are not very used to technology.
Therefore, the presence of a remote control is welcome which, among other things, incorporates a few simple buttons that facilitate both the understanding of the associated functions and the relative remote management of the vacuum cleaner.
How does it work
Precisely because there is a remote control, it is possible to start using Ecovacs Deebot 605 right away. After taking it out of the box, just turn it on using the side switch and press the Play / Pause button or alternatively the button located on the upper surface of the robot to start the automatic cleaning.
Alternatively, just press it twice or press the button on the remote control symbolized by a sinusoidal arrow to start the intelligent automatic cleaning mode (we'll talk about it in a moment).
Pressing the button marked with a sort of viewfinder activates the limited cleaning mode while holding the button on the robot for more than three seconds or alternatively pressing the remote control button symbolized by a stylized house sends the robot back to the charging base.
Precisely for this reason, if you are in a hurry to try the vacuum cleaner, after starting one of these cleaning modes, remember to position the charging base by connecting it to an electrical outlet and leaving enough room for maneuver to allow the robot to safely connect to it. (usually it is enough to approach it with the back to the wall and leave 20-30 centimeters on the sides of the base and at least 50 centimeters in front.
You can temporarily stop cleaning at any time by pressing the Play / Pause button on the remote control or by pressing the button above the robot once. Pressing them again will restart the vacuum cleaner in automatic mode.
How is it going
We have tried it for several days and the advantage of Ecovacs Deebot 605 over others of its kind lies in the presence of the intelligent cleaning mode we mentioned earlier.
Basically, if with the automatic cleaning the robot moves in a completely random way like the others, with the intelligent one it will adopt a serpentine movement that will ensure a more complete cleaning of the floor.
Based on our experience, based on a couple of weeks of daily cleaning, the use of one does not exclude the other. Or rather, in some cases it is better to use the automatic one and in others the intelligent one, especially if it is used in a medium-sized apartment.
In our case we used it on an apartment of about 100 square meters consisting of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large living room, a kitchen and a hallway area.
In similar situations, automatic cleaning works best if you activate the robot and leave it to clean the house without thinking about anything else, even better if we plan to leave and return after a few hours. This makes it easier for him to move around all the rooms even if he is not sure if he reaches all corners.
If, on the other hand, we are at home and we intend to dedicate ourselves to cleaning, then it is good to evaluate the use of the intelligent cleaning mode. The serpentine movement in fact ensures the achievement of all corners of the individual rooms but at the same time it is not certain that it will be able to move throughout the house. This is because, since there is no mapping system, it is unable to “see” all the available walkable ground and if it is allowed to roam unsupervised it could concentrate only on a series of rooms without ever moving to the others.
In cases like this, it is sufficient to close it in a room and activate the intelligent mode, remembering to “free it” and move it to another room after 15-20 minutes. In this way we ensure the complete cleaning of the entire surface: in the meantime we can dedicate ourselves to manual cleaning of the furniture, sanitary ware or other parts of the house.
The circumscribed mode is designed to make the robot pick up the crumbs of the tablecloth just shaken on a point on the floor, but our experience leads us to advise you to favor manual control of the vacuum cleaner by means of the directional arrows integrated in the remote control: it's done first and it gets better.
Wet cleaning As mentioned, Ecovacs Deebot 605 includes a water tank in the package. It cannot be combined with the dirt collection one, therefore if you use one you cannot use the other, so either you collect the dust with the traditional vacuum module or pick up what remains of it with the cloth moistened by the system.
In fact, the operation is similar to that of other robots with wet cleaning mode and the tank only serves to keep the cloth sufficiently wet. Again, our experience leads us to advise against using this mode for more than one reason.
First of all, the fact that a house mapping system is not employed means that wet cleaning will make it worse. In fact, if the wheels are not perfectly clean, it is enough for the robot to pass even once in a still damp spot to find itself with black streaks on the floor and pass in a few hours from a slightly dusty floor to one with dirt to be scrapped by hand. .
In addition, as mentioned, you can either vacuum or wash it, so you should first start the traditional cleaning with the dust extraction, then wait for the battery to recharge (about 4 hours if completely discharged) without wandering around the house to avoid getting it dirty immediately, install the water tank with the relative cloth and at that point start the wet cleaning, leave the house to avoid treads and come back only at the end. All this just to pick up with the cloth that little bit of extra dust that the vacuum cleaner couldn't remove before: it's really not worth it.
Conclusions
As you have been able to read, the negative points are many but the final judgment is overall positive. Because first of all, if it is true that with Ecovacs Deebot 605 you must automatically accept an old generation construction, at the same price as other automatic robots, here is the intelligent mode that makes all the difference in the world because, without a mapping of the house, it ensures in any case, a complete cleaning of the flooring that the only random method cannot promise.
In addition, you can program the automatic daily start from the application on your smartphone, so if you are away from home or even just particularly forgetful you can still decide on predefined days and times (even different times for different days of the week, without limits in the number of programs) for make the robot start, clean and return to the base to recharge without ever having to lift a finger.
And then there is the remote control, which makes everything easier and more understandable even for a child. And so if we say child in a certain sense (we don't want the over 65s) we also say elderly. Confirmation from our grandfather: a small piece of paper written strictly in pen was enough, explaining the few steps to be performed to start the automatic cleaning – and, in case of hitches, send it back to the base manually – to let him use it daily and in complete autonomy despite is a person who is preparing to stamp the 93.
Price to the public
Do you want to give it away or give it to you for Christmas? Then know that Ecovacs Deebot 605 can be found for sale on Amazon at a price of about 230 euros.
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