DirtDog rock jams brushes

emdeex · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

Hi, this is my first day using the Dirt Dog, and it's got a lot of dirt to clean!

A couple of times already, its picked up a little rock, and the brushes have jammed. You can hear that they are not rotating.

But the Dirt Dog continues to roam around.

I thought if the brushes jammed, the unit would stop and ask for attention.

Any ideas on this?

vic7767 · Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 3313 Location: Louisiana

The Dirt Dog is a cost reduction robot and the brush motor current sensor feature was probably not continued.

emdeex · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

vic7767 wrote: The Dirt Dog is a cost reduction robot and the brush motor current sensor feature was probably not continued.

The manual indicates it has this feature under Trouble Shooting.

"Number of beeps after "uh-oh" = 1 > The main brushes cannot turn.

So assuming it does have this feature, I wonder why it doesn't work. There are two counter-rotating brushes, one smaller than the other, maybe its just if the larger main brush gets stuck?

vic7767 · Joined: 14 Jan 2006 Posts: 3313 Location: Louisiana

They are both driven by the same motor through a gearing arrangement. It is difficult to place the DD into the factory test mode without a SCI cable and PC so you really can't determine what might be wrong. It's going to be a pain to keep on the lookout for pebbles that can cause that condition.

emdeex · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 6

vic7767 wrote: They are both driven by the same motor through a gearing arrangement. It is difficult to place the DD into the factory test mode without a SCI cable and PC so you really can't determine what might be wrong. It's going to be a pain to keep on the lookout for pebbles that can cause that condition.

OK thanks, I'll keep an eye on it and see if it happens every time.

Jeff Carver · Joined: 19 Jan 2008 Posts: 114 Location: Massachusetts

Is there anything about the Dirt Dog that makes it sturdier for use on a basement or garage floor? I know it has no vacuum and a bigger bin. But would a Disco do the same job without choking or battering itself to pieces? (I'm thinking a rescue bot here, something that's already beat up.)

eqwalker · Joined: 19 Sep 2006 Posts: 277 Location: Arkansas

Using a regular Roomba instead of the DD on concrete, I believe, will quickly wear the rubber squeegee's out on the vacuum section of the Roomba. Granted, if that is ok with you, since the sweeping part is what you really want, then I don't see any reason why you couldn't go ahead and use one.