ECOVACS Deebot T8 AIVI Robot Vacuum And Mop

I normally don't take the time to leave detailed reviews, but this product is worth it. To begin, I've owned a Neato Botvac Connected for about 4 years and before that a BOBSweep for about 5 minutes. Hands down "Dee", our new Ecovacs Deebot T8 AIVI botvac is the best I've owned. We've had her about (why we assign gender to a robot is beyond me) 3 weeks and it has been relatively effortless to have her. We also purchased the Ecovacs auto-empty station, which I'll include in my analysis. Conditions Dee works in: we have a 4000 sq ft ranch-style house on an acreage with 2 dogs. Our has has a variance of hardwood floors and throw rugs as well as linoleum floors in our mudroom. The one main home mess insurgent is Zeus, our 125-lb, 2 yr old Great Pyrenees pup who is a shedding machine of spun cotton-like hair, especially in the Spring. He is also a bull in a China closet. Positives of the Deebot: AI- the Deebot has an exceptional AI that allows it to navigate effortlessly in the above described environment. Dee has only gotten stuck once on a shag throw rug that looks like a reject from the 70s. Otherwise, she has not gotten stuck in the 3 weeks we've owned her. Floor Plan mapping/ Navigation- like many have commented, this took us several times to get straight. My recommendation is to follow the instructions and leave all the doors open to the rooms you want Deebot to map and let it do it's thing. We did this and now close off rooms I don't want cleaned every time due to lack of use. However, they are in the AI's map in case we need to add them in. I have not experienced Dee getting lost under couches, etc due to the lack of a flashlight on it, as some other reviewers have indicated. She navigates just fine under our couches and other impediments. Speaking of getting under things, I really like the lower profile of Dee as compared to our Neato Botvac Connected. Dee also goes over high points with no issues whatsoever. App Use- the ecovacs app is exceptional. It immediately connected to our Deebot and it's functionality is very good. I've included a pic of it to give you a sense of it. You can track in real time where your Deebot is at when working, use as it as a spy with it camera and have it go to a pre-designated room to be used in area clean mode. Scheduling your Deebot is easy and has been pain-free. I have Dee clean our upper floor every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday due to the hair insurgent I mentioned earlier. dee responds to return to base command and auto empty without hesitation. Suction- our Deebot has very impressive suction and one of big reasons I bought this model with the extensive dog hair I am up against. Dee varies her suction based on cleaning surface, which at first I thought she was malfunctioning, but I assume this conserves battery life. We're virtually hair free after each cleaning. Noise- One of the pleasant surprises, although not a key consideration in buying the Deebot was how quiet the Deebot is. I can take phone calls with Dee working in the background, or if you want no noise, it is easy to pause cleaning until you tell it to resume. Maintenance- as with any botvac you will buy, the Deebot will require maintenance. I generally clean the beating brush, vacuum out the dust bin area and wipe Dee down weekly. This is largely due to my hair insurgent dog and long haired wife, all of which their hair gets caught up in the beating brush. Your experiences may vary. I also have to physically clean out the dust bin every few days, because my dog's poofy hair gets caught up in the it and the auto empty station cannot suck it all out effectively. I believe my hair situation is an extreme one,it may work just fine if you don't have a big hairy oaf loping through your house, shedding. Battery Life- outstanding. As with many other botvacs, will head to the recharge station, which it has no problem finding, when it needs to take on juice. Just follow the instructions on placement of the recharge or auto empty station. I would highly recommend (at additional cost) the auto emptying station, despite the additional cost. It's worth it and saves maintenance, in my experience. Instructions- we very good. I am a relatively tech savvy middle aged man with previous experience with botvacs and could understand all of the instructions quite well. I cannot comment on tech support as I have not had to use it (hopefully not at all). Cost- I paid $699.00 for my Deebot and an additional $249.00 for the auto empty station in Mar 2021. Great value, based on my experience so far. My experience has been, you get what you pay for (see the BOBSweep I bought for $200.00 previously). Build/ Long Term Reliability- the design of this botvac is very good. I don't see any glaring design flaws that could impact on long term reliability. Again, the key is performing good maintenance on your system. Mopping- cannot comment on this; haven't used yet. In summary, I can give my seal of approval on this product. It actually has improved my quality of life, unlike some other products or gadgets we often shell $$ out for. If it fits into your budget, well worth your money.