Littermaid - best so far, lots of room for improvement
Written: Jul 11 '02 (Updated Oct 11 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: keeps odors down, works well if not overfilled with litter
Cons: messy (spills litter all over)
The Bottom Line: Overall, this unit works better than others, and is much better than manual cleaning. However, it could be improved. I'd give it a B- grade.
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| dgsinclair's Full Review: Black & Decker LM500 Littermaid Self Cleaning Litt... |
UPDATE 10/10/02 - HAD TO USE WARRANTEE
So one last month, after about 4 months of operation, I came home and the rake no longer moved. I called the manufacturer, and they said to turn it off and unplug it for two hours so it could reset. I tried that, but no workie. I called back and they told me to clean the sensors. I was not clear on the instructions, but it seemed like the phone rep told me to take some screws out and clean both the inside and outside of the lens. Needless to say, I sure wasn't going to do that. Maybe I heard wrong. I cleaned the outside. Still nothing moving.
I called back again and they said, "well, it's dead." The process for getting a new one was a bit unusual. I had to pull out the 12 inch electric cord that attaches to the moving rake (I had to take the thing apart to get at it since the rake wouldn't move) and cut it out. I then had to mail it in to a third-party warrantee address, w/ $5 for handling, a copy of my receipt, my name and adress, and the unit's serial number (inside the battery compartment).
I sent it in about 6 weeks ago. No new unit yet. I will be following up soon. I hadn't realized how much work the Littermaid was doing until I had to start scooping again myself!
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I first purchased a Litterfree catbox (see my review at www.geocities.com/dgsinclair - epinions doens't carry this model yet), but my cats didn't take to it, so I went for the less expensive littermaid. My cats use it, and it is fairly low maintenance.
MAINTENANCE
- With two cats, I have to replace the crap catcher (the disposable plastic containers that are fairly expensive - about $15 for 18, I think) every three days.
- You have to top off the cat litter every three days (easy)
- About every 6 weeks, you need to empty it out completely and scrape any residue (i.e. urine-soaked clay) from the bottom. The bottom piece comes off for easy cleaning, and this task is not so bad.
NOISE
Some reviews say it is noisy, but I find the noise to be minimal, and short (only about 20 seconds long). No problem at all.
WHAT I LIKE
- I have yet to find a better alternative, and I really like not having to clean it every day.
- It keeps the litter clean and evenly distributed - so if the cat piles up the litter in one corner, the cleaning rake levels it out again
- it keeps odors down b/c the cleaned-out waste is covered
WHAT I DON'T LIKE
- it is messy! Each time the arm moves to clean, it takes with it some loose kitty litter, and at the far end when dumping it's load, it spills excess kitty litter out onto the floor - on the sides, and also UNDERNEATH the crap catcher container.
- it is a little small (for the cats), and the cats tend to crap near the edge and back corner, so the crap piles up on one side of the crap catcher, which can make it prematurely "full" (the top is then propped open and the smell gets out
- also, b/c of the small size, when the cat often poops near the back (which has a high wall), he gets confused when covering his poop, and does a lot of scratching along the top of the plastic, then giving up, leaving the smelly poop uncovered
- the power cord is a bit short (c. 5 ft.), so you'll need an outlet nearby
- the little "litter-catching" ramp on the plus model doesn't do much in getting the litter off of cats' feet - they still track it everywhere
- the mechanical part of the catbox (the top half) is a bit big and clunky, and makes the unit a little wide - not good in a small bathroom or laundry room. This could be miniaturized
- poop does seem to stick to the rake somewhat, even with the recommended cat litter. I tried using Swheat Scoop (wheat litter), which I prefer, but this litter is too sticky when wet, and does not work well with the littermaid. However, the sticking problem does not make the unit unworkable, or overly smelly - you just have to clean it once in a while - not fun, but doable.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
dgsinclair
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Location: tracy, ca
Reviews written: 5
Trusted by: 1 member
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