iRobot 12601 Looj 135 Remote Controlled Cordless Electric Gutter Cleaning Robot With Belt Clip And Case | 
| Brand: iRobot
Category: Home Improvement
List Price: $149.99
Buy New: $149.21
as of 11/22/2009 12:11 CST details
You Save: $0.78 (1%)
Rating:  4 reviews
Media: Tools & Hardware
Shipping Weight (lbs): 6.1
Dimensions (in): 18.7 x 13.5 x 4.5
Model: 12501
UPC: 853816126019
EAN: 0853816126019
Release Date: April 1, 2009
Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Includes rugged case for convenient storage and an extra flexible auger | | • | Works with standard K-style, aluminum, copper, metal or vinyl gutters | | • | Internal antenna provides great range and reliability up to 40-feet away | | • | Smart speed moves slower going forward to clean thoroughly and faster going backwards to finish its mission quicker | | • | Flexible auger delivers the power needed to blast through clogs |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Now there’s an easier way to remove wet leaves, pine needles, and more from your gutters. While you stand safely on the ground, the iRobot (R); Looj ™ Automatic Gutter Cleaner propels itself through your gutter and uses a three-stage auger to break up clogs, lift out debris, and brush gutters clean. Regular gutter maintenance will help you avoid water damage to roofs, eaves, and siding as well as remove potential breeding grounds for ants, mosquitoes, and other pestsSimply climb a ladder, position the gutter cleaner, and climb back down while the robot does the workHigh-velocity, 500rpm auger works quickly, clearing a 60' section of gutter in only 10 minutesDesigned for use in dry or wet gutters, this gutter cleaner is waterproof in up to 1' of waterDetachable handle/wireless remote control has 75' range and will move robot forwards and backwards as well as adjust bi-directional augerWorks with standard K-style gutters in aluminum, copper, metal, or vinylGutter straps or ties must be 2-1/4" above the bottom of the gutter in order for the cleaner to pass underneathEasy to clean: simply hose the robot off after use
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| Customer Reviews:
 Use the Template and the Fwd/Rev Button November 5, 2009
CraigP (Michigan, USA)
Let me start with the con: I wish the remote had more range. Seemed to work best, and the instructions tell you this too, when the remote was held in my aluminum gutters. I read somewhere that someone tied a string to the device. That might be a good practice as long as it does not get stuck in the tracks.
Anyhow, owning a home that is on a slope and in the woods, I get TONS of leaves in my gutter and I am not climbing up a ladder to get to them. This product does a great job. I followed the instructions on the iRobot web site to test your gutters to see if the device will fit before I bought the device. I also made sure that when I used the device, that I did not try to just drive it through the leaves when things got heavy. I went forward, backed up and then went forward again. I really could only do a 2-3 foot section and then have to back up when things got thick. This sounds like alot of work but to just stand atop a ladder at 10 ft using a remote beats going on a slope at 20-35 feet. I wish it could turn corners.
Finally, the job that it does, i.e. how it cleaned the gutters was quite impressive. I am not sure I could have done better by hand. Definitely paid for itself in the first year.
 Cool Tool September 16, 2009
Robert W. Smith (Ferndale Wa)
I have not cleaned my second story gutters in years and thy really needed it but they where where just to hard and dangerous to try and clean, With this tool it took me just 1/2 hour and the job is done and I stayed safe!.
 Rescue Me! September 14, 2009
W. J. Callahan (Franklin, MA United States)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I bought the Looj because I had a Roomba which worked great, so I thought I'd try another product. Well, it didn't work out so well.
First of all, this is not a robot. It's a remote-control tool. There are no sensors and no smarts. That's no bad by itself, but it also has a design problem, which I'll explain shortly. The device is basically a tractor with an auger up front. You move the tractor through your gutter and the auger spins, removing debris in the process. Thus, you can climb the ladder once per gutter, use the tool, bring it back, and then move on to your next gutter.
That's the theory. What happened with me is that when the Looj got to one of the ties across the top of the gutter, which are about every eight feet or so, the auger would stand stationary and the tractor would spin, usually getting it stuck on its side or upside down. The device doesn't have a way to sense that this is happening, nor does it have a way to right itself, so the only thing I could do was move my ladder out to wherever it got stuck and rescue it. Well, that's OK, except that it defeats the purpose of using the device.
I tried being smarter and turning off the auger when I get to one of those ties, but that didn't work. The debris tends to get pushed ahead of the machine, and the tractor can't get up enough speed or traction to punch through the debris with the auger off. But if the auger is on, the tractor flips. So I could come up with no solution.
I should also add that the spinning auger isn't the same as gloved hand or a spade which can scoop out the debris and place it wherever you like. Instead, the auger spins and throws the debris over a 90 degree angle, ranging from near vertical to horizontal, plus quite a bit forward and back. This means that anything near it or below, including you, gets splattered with debris. Now cleaning out a gutter is a dirty job, but I never got any in my hair! But since the thing starts out close to you, that's what happens.
I got through about twelve feet of gutter before giving up and repacking the thing to send back. Oh, by the way, I tried to call Customer Support, but since it was closed on Sunday, I couldn't get through. I knew I should have been wary when the first thing I saw when I opened the package was a big STOP sign telling me to call customer support before returning the item. Well, I tried, I tried.
Does a good job if it fits in your gutters; wear safety goggles! July 16, 2009
Stephen Lerch (Elkton, MD United States)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Before you decide whether you want to invest the money in a gutter cleaning "robot" do yourself a favor and measure your gutters to see if the Looj will fit. iRobot has a really convenient print out that shows the dimensions and will allow you to cut out the template to easily measure your gutter's width/depth and whether the Looj will make it under your gutter straps, nails or however they are hung. You can find it here on iRobot's website in the Looj 125/135/155 product description. I had a link to the PDF but Amazon wouldn't let me include it in my review. Sorry.
Once you know the device will fit in your gutter and won't get stuck, then read the reviews and decide if it's worth the money.
For me, the Looj has done a great job on my gutters. It will, however, NOT save you ANY time and could potentially take longer than it would if you repositioned the ladder. The difference is that the Looj makes the process of gutter cleaning an order of magnitude safer than what most people are accustomed to. The Looj is also technically not a robot; it's more of a remote controlled car that works for you. You can't set it and forget it like you can iRobot's Roomba.
The way the device works is you first must charge the battery. This requires you to plug it into the outlet with just the bare battery; you cannot plug the Looj into the wall as you would with iRobot's other 'bots such as the Roomba. The reason being is that the Looj is waterproof up to 1 foot (12 inches, or roughly 31 cm). In order to accomplish this, iRobot couldn't design this as affordably as it is given the need to waterproof the electrical plug as well.
The battery requires a charge of at least 15 hours. I'm unsure as to the reasoning behind this, but it could be because of battery "memory." The Looj is a device that you won't be using every week of the year. You will be using it during certain seasons, with the Looj being retired after the last leaves fall from the trees and started back up in spring (potentially). If the battery had what is known as "memory," you would potentially need to buy a new battery every year. This battery will deplete itself gradually, so when bringing the Looj out of a winter's retirement you will need to recharge it and NOT buy a new battery.
One complaint from the first generation of Looj was you were expected to ONLY charge it 15 hours. No more, no less. I'm not sure how anyone could really keep track of this. The new Looj needs 15 hours to charge but now it's OK to leave it plugged in "for no more than a few days." Hopefully during a 3 day period you're home to unplug it. I have no idea what will happen if you leave it plugged in longer; probably a shorter battery life over all.
You will also need 2 AAA batteries (NOT included) for the remote control device. Install these into the handle/remote.
Once you've charged the battery, you place it into the Looj's battery compartment (follow the directions to ensure proper water proof-ness of the Looj). Attach the belt clip to your belt or pants, attach the Looj's auger to the Looj (the auger is that funny brush/rubber contraption and does all the work), attach the remote control to the Looj (it's a convenient handle) and hang the Looj from the belt clip. The clip for the Looj to hang from is on the opposite end of the auger. Do NOT attempt to hang the Looj from the remote control handle.
One complaint I have with regards to the clip is that it is very easy to pull not only the Looj off of the clip, but it's easy to take the clip with it, which makes it potentially dangerous as you fumble around on the ladder. I cannot recommend enough that if you go with the Looj, prior to climbing the ladder ensure you are acquainted with easily removing it from the clip so as to avoid any danger.
Another complaint with the belt clip is that you are expected to place the Looj, after running it through your dirty, mucky gutters, on the clip. This WILL bring the dirty, wet Looj into contact with your pants leg and possibly your shirt as well. Be sure to wear clothes you don't mind having to wash when doing this job. iRobot has a holster for the previous model that should protect you from dirty clothes and won't detach the belt clip with it but I'm unsure whether this will snuggly hold the second generation Looj.
Place your ladder. It is recommended that for larger sections of ladder you try and place the ladder in the middle of the gutter run so you can have the Looj travel the full length of the gutter from a central location. One of iRobot's design goals with this 'bot is to set the ladder ONCE and not have to reposition every time.
One thing I would like to stress is that if you are using this device, BUY AND WEAR SAFETY GLASSES. The Looj will be throwing debris out of the gutter at potentially high speeds and if you have wind you have the potential for blow back. If you get dirt and debris in your eyes, climbing down the ladder becomes infinitely more dangerous.
Once your ladder is placed, ascend it and clean a 2 foot space in the gutter and place the Looj in the center of the gutter. Ensure it rests in the bottom groove as securely as possible. If you don't do this, the Looj could possibly climb out of the gutter and damage itself, nearby plants or even a nearby bystander.
Remove the remote control. Turn the remote control on. Turn the robot on (there's a yellow switch). When you look at the remote, you will see a forward and reverse button. You will also see 2 options for the auger control. One goes clockwise the other counter clockwise. Before moving the Looj forward, decide which direction you want it to toss debris. The recommended method is to have it toss the debris off the roof instead of onto it. You can reverse the auger while using the Looj, making it so once you've complete 1/2 your gutter you place the Looj in the other 1/2 and toss the debris in the opposite direction (still away from the house).
If the Looj gets stuck in muck, put the Looj in reverse. If you still can't free it from the muck, put the Looj in reverse and the auger flipping in the direction opposite of the way you had it running when it got stuck. I have saved the Looj from a few close calls and have never had to get on the roof or reposition the ladder to retrieve it. Have patience.
The remote has a 75 foot (roughly 23 meters) range. This can be "extended" on aluminum gutters by placing and holding the remote to the gutter. I have not needed this as 75 feet is plenty of range on my rancher.
Move the Looj forward with the auger spinning (tossing away from the house). Take areas with lots of debris SLOWLY. iRobot claims that this model is smart enough to slow itself down in areas but I've found that it doesn't always slow itself enough, sometimes beginning to ride up some of the debris and potentially OUT of the gutter. That wouldn't be good.
Stay on the ladder while doing this job, otherwise you won't see when Looj is approaching a potentially dangerous fall. You may only need to set the ladder once, but you do need to stay on it while it works to avoid accidents.
Once you've moved the Looj to the end of the gutter, use the remote to put it into reverse and bring it back to you. Place the Looj on the other side of the gutter you're cleaning, change the direction the auger is spinning to ensure it's throwing muck away from the house, and move it forward just as you did the first side.
Be aware that you WILL make everything in throwing range of the Looj dirty with muck. This will require cleaning the front porch, back deck or anything you may park in your driveway within "spitting" range. Move anything far enough away from the gutters to avoid messy clean up.
I have also found that using the Looj in wet gutters is better than in dry gutters. This is because in my gutters I've found the really dry areas have cakes of debris in the gutter which the Looj can take some time to clean. The caveat is that it's obviously easier to clean dry debris off of a back deck than it is wet, but be aware that you lessen the cleaning potential of the Looj using it in dry gutters (assuming you get debris cakes like I do baked onto your gutter; if all you have is leaves and pine needles, you should be fine dry Loojing).
Beware of pine cones. If you have pine cones in your gutter and they are situated in just the wrong way, the Looj won't clear them from the gutter and will also potentially ride up onto the pine cone, again giving you the potentially of the Looj escaping from the gutter and diving to its death.
The differences between the models is what is included in the box:
125 - Looj, auger, remote control, 1 rechargeable battery, belt clip
135 - all of the above with 2 augers (instead of 1) and a nice rugged case (looks like a tool box)
155 - all of the 135 features AND 2 batteries instead of 1
The robot itself, in all three models, is EXACTLY the same as the other models. The only difference is the above included items.
In the end, if I had to decide to get the Looj or not, I would definitely buy again. I just hope the 3rd gen includes some way for the Looj to sense when it's preparing itself for a suicide leap from the gutter and a faster charging battery.
Pros:
Robot does all the work
Set the ladder ONCE (well, once per area of gutter)
Easy to use
Does a much better job than most humans at cleaning a gutter
Gutter cleaning is a much safer job
Cons:
Long battery charge
Can't leave battery plugged in over long periods of time
Looj can have problems with pine cones and twigs in gutters
Can jump itself out of the gutter if you don't keep your eye on it
Belt clip can leave you dirty
Doesn't really save time
Everything beneath or near the gutter will be dirty; extra clean up time needed
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