I'm not a cat person. I am however a cat owner and was using this machine. I have to say this review is invaluable. I had no idea the lid held a carbon filter until now. I also didn't even think to use bags for the scoop that the waste falls into. I purchased the litter you recommended just because your video helped me a ton. Keep doing great work!
This is the best freaking product review video I've ever seen. Your objectivity was exactly what I needed to hear. We just got our first car and I can tell that we are not a cat box cleaning family no matter how I try to coax everyone to help. So it was time to go automatic. But the reviews were all so hot and cold for every kind on the market. Thanks so much clearing up the great mystery with these things!
This was a great video. Thank you. I have reached the conclusion I need to design a new type altogether, So I did. Right now I am in the prototype stage and so far my cats are loving it and so am I.I'm reading as many reviews and watching as many videos I can to see what other people dislike, would like, or have questions about, so I really appreciate your efforts here. It convinced me of what I had concluded - robotic systems are just not the answer. There are better answers.
Very informative. I have used this type of litter box for my cat exclusively for the last eight years. I did a lot of research before choosing the smart scoop. I did not know about the litter maid problems being so frequent. I highly recommend this box, there are , or were three types. The gray one shown in this video is the largest. And one that is a bright green is supposed to be the regular size. For years I used the gray one because I have a large cat who recently passed away. My new cat has the smaller one and I found out they are the exact same size. I put one right next to the other and they look exactly the same except for the color. Then they took the large gray one and upgraded it with sensors and an app for your smart phone. Unfortunately the company was constantly under legal attack by litter made for copyright infringement on the design of the litter box even though as this video points out they are essentially quite different. As of this moment it is very difficult to find this litter box. But last week I scored one on Amazon. The smaller green version was being sold by two sellers. One for $99 which is about average, and one for $199! The exact same box. This litter box Got better each year. The motor would break after many months of use because the gear would give out so they change the plastic gears to metal gears and that problem stopped happening. The motor also get quieter over the years sometimes I don’t even notice this box is cleaning. It’s such a great product I highly recommend it if you can find it.
Honestly have had nothing but an amazing experience with the litter robot open air 3. Clean once every three months, and you'll have no problem with smell. Never jams. Clumps are never too large to fall in the hopper. My 3 cats bury everything they excrete like most cats, so no issue with poop sticking to the roof. Maintenance is to empty hopper, add litter every 3 days. That's it. Haven't scooped in a year. No smell, and nothing but complements and observations about how much they need one from guests. No such thing as a maintenance free litter solution, but there's definitely one that you never have to scoop at least. Knock on wood that it doesn't leech into the plastic to cause a smell over time. That said, you definitely have the video that gives the most info on this subject, and was the one that steered me in the direction of the litter robot when weighing the pros and cons of all the automatics. Otherwise, it's big boxes and Arm & Hammer brand like you said.
Thank you for your comment. Which Litter Robot do you have? The original one I had was the LR1, and my current one is the LR3. I am happy enough with it, and I'm considering buying another one so I can get rid of my 2nd normal litter box. The LR3's litter hopper is too small compared to the original Litter Robot...the shrinking of the hopper is how they were able to increase the size of the globe. With my 2 remaining cats, and a second litter box in service, I have to empty the waste hopper every 2.5 days. If I don't catch it soon enough, I get the flashing blue warning light, or worse the red/orange shutdown light. As I've mentioned in several comments recently, I had to change from the A&H low/no dust litter, to a dustier Tidy Cat litter which I hadn't used in years. I hate dust! The dustier litter is helping with my current issue of urine clumps sticking to the inside of the globe; sadly the A&H litter was not working out for me. But with that said, the larger globe, allows the stuck urine clumps to be high enough to not interfere (touch) the cats as they enter the LR3. Hopefully the Litter Robot 4 will have a larger waste hopper :)
@@BM22TechReview No problem. I have the LR3 as well. Looking up the older models, I see what you're talking about with the globe. One of my cats would be questionable to even fit in the LR1. And as far as clumps, yeah, I immediately switched to the cheapest, dustiest (store brand or tidy cat) that I could, just to see how the smell worked out. May be why it's been a minimal issue. But yeah, the dust is quite annoying. Was considering trying A&H again until you said that. One thing I don't like is definitely the hopper. It could be bigger, and admittedly I have to pull it out early sometimes to even the load and reset because it's stacked to one side and tripped the sensor. That can happen as early as the first couple uses after a change. It doesn't happen much at all, but when it does it so early, it can be annoying.
Thank you for this review. You saved us a lot of time and money most likely in determining which automatic litter box is better by comparison. You also mentioned things that I would not have known without purchasing the product already. Much appreciated!
Thanks for watching. I do like this unit best for this style of litter box, but since making this video I returned to using the newest model of the Litter Robot. But of course, the Litter Robot is considerably more expensive than this item.
I have been looking for a video on how to assemble a smartscoop,with this video plus the comment it helped me build it correctly as the company has no video and i am happy to have bought it!
I have two Litter Maid Elites. One of them works and the other is currently a very expensive standard litter box because the motor went out after about a year or year and a half. I have five cats, with two of them that are particular about their requirement that I must scoop their box after every single use. Since I have a job outside of watching their bathroom habits, I need a reliable automatic scooping box. I'm so glad I have it! I'm disappointed that one broke so quickly, but the other one is 4 years old and still working. I never checked out why it wasn't working. It might be an easy fix. Maybe I just need to clean the belts or something. I don't know. My MAIN PROBLEM with the Litter Maid Elite is that the litter will dump ALL OVER THE FLOOR under and around the box. I have found a way to work around that, by pushing the plastic tray under the plastic frame that holds it, using tension to hold it in place. However, this doesn't fix it perfectly and keeps the top from coming down all the way. Thank you for this review. Did you notice this problem with the Smart Scoop? I want to replace my automatic, but I don't want LME again.
I bought one of these for our two cats. It has saved my back from hauling litter around the house. It does work. I am trying to figure out why the status lights are always blinking red. I use clumping litter that is ‘lightweight’ so I can put in more litter that the motor can handle. I think Arm and Hammer makes it.
I have no idea why those lights are wonky. My last one had light issues. The green light gave out all together, it would not come on steady or blink like it is supposed to. But the box sensor worked so it clean itself properly, I just didn’t know the status.
We purchased a CatGenie flushing cat litter machine... It is expensive but we love it... Every 30 days change a cartridge and add some granules... Flushes waist down the pipe where the washing machine emptys...
I never knew about these kitty poop robot variations. I wonder how Dyson would do a cat poop control machine. I bet NASA could make an awesome cat poop robot. Cats are weird how they poop / pee, sounds like one of your cats has a method to the madness. Bean please cover your poop
Thank you for your informative video on automatic litter boxes. Have a Scoop Free litter box, and have learned that, as you said, there is no set it and forget it litter box. I do have an odor problem, so I will try the Armand Hammer odor litter. My cat and I thank you.
Like you i hate the litter maid and don't get me started on nature miracle (Litter maids new name) but i do love and use only the arm and hammer clump and seal.. Thank you for this video you made my mind up will be ordering this litter box tonight. Keep up the great work
Really great video. Thanks for making it. I have only used the litter maid litterboxes. I use the classic lm980. I first purchased it from walmart.com, and it broke in less than 30 days. It is also the only litterbox for 3 cats, I know that your supposed to have more but you know how it is. So I returned it to walmart, got my money back, purchased the same model again. It broke within a month. The return policy is 90 days, so when it brakes I keep returning it, and I buy another one. It works great, but they simply don't last. Ive been thru 9 of them. Luckily i just keep returning them. Not one of them have lasted more than 90 days!!! I just don't know why they can't create a letterbox that is great, and lasts. It can't be that hard!!!!!!. I may try the smartscoop, but they're more expensive, and I have a good little system going for the time being. ;))))
do you HAVE to use clumping litter - could I not use crystals?? noticed there is one that does use crystals but it uses disposable pans and you have to buy them "in addition to"
Yes, the litter has to be a high quality clumping litter. The cheap stuff won't work, and as for the crystals, if they don't clump, they can't be cleared away by the rake.
I have a new Pet Zone smart scoop that the rake always jams and doesn't put the waste into the receptacle. There is a seam on the bottom of the box where it would jam before putting in the litter. After putting in the litter the rake continues to jam. How can I get it to stop jamming?
Would it hurt the operation to stick a couple little brushes, or maybe a cut-up kitchen sponge, to the front edge of the pusher unit to sweep off the rails with every pass?
That might be worth trying, but with all of these style litter boxes (including the LitterMaid), you don't want to risk anything that could strain or slow down the motor, which will cause it to shut down (for safety reasons) because it thinks there is a cat in the way.
I don't have any experience with other automatic litter devices I have had a Litter Robot Open Air for 3 years now and it has presented very few problems. By the way I have 9 cats most are feral with the exception of 3 from a shelter. Around the house I have 3 covered litter boxes and even though the cats use the Litter Robot they still use the litter boxes. I love my little guys and gals and theres not to much I won't do for them. When I go for a couple of days I leave out plenty of water and dry food out and top up the litter boxes. All I've got to do now is find a lady who loves cats as much as I do!
At about 27:00 you claim when the power comes back on the litter box will not run again. Anytime the Litter Robot has power applied it will cycle. I have 2 Litter Robots and have owned 1for years (8+ or so). Totally reliable. My original still works great. I added the LR2 with the extension at the back because my 2nd cat is very big. I intend to buy a third litter robot only because I have a "psycho" cat that has issues and I need more litter boxes. Would I buy a third at the prices they are if I didn't like them? You get what you pay for. I have never had cat pee or poop hanging from the "ceiling" as you claim. Like any litter box you have to clean it from time to time. I have no affiliation with Liter Robot, but my 10+ (?) years of experience with litter robots (without failure) has made me a true believer. They now offer a new model called the Litter Robot Open Air. Sorry not buying your recommendation fro the Smartscoop. They reply to emails promptly. How about litter being kicked all over with open concept litter boxes. You clearly have a gripe against litter robot, why? Sorry, my experience of many years will not move me away from Litter Robot.
+tkbisme When the power goes out, neither my Litter Maid boxes, nor my Litter Robot, turned back on. You are correct that they will cycle when turned on, but during a power outage, when the power comes back on, the units defaulted to the off position. Even my new SmartScoops do that; it's some sort of safety feature. As for you not experiencing any of the commonly stated complaints about the Litter Robot, I'm going to have to call you out on that one. I also heard those claims before I bought my Litter Robot, but I chose to ignore them. It was not long before I saw them for myself. I so much wanted Litter Robot to work, that I ignored the warning videos I had seen. I have no gripe against Litter Robot, but it sounds like you either work for them or are paid to defend them online. If in fact you are a real person, rather than a plant for that company, I suggest that you look closely inside your Litter Robot, and see how clean it really is. There is no way that cat poop can slide along the inside of that ball, and not leave traces on it.
We're talking about the motor side, right? Is that little white plastic piece that slides over the metal rake arm still there? Does it look like the slot it slides into is worn or too big? Or is the metal arm of the rake too short or bent, so it won't properly fit in there? Have you tried putting a small piece of tape over that slot and piece that holds the rake arm in?
I had a Littermaid many years ago but stopped using it because the rake was not removable for cleaning and it got caked with wet and litter. I recently got a Smart Scoop because I was impressed with the design. However, the sensor was missing or didn't work correctly. The company sent a new "compatible" motor (sensor is integrated). I believe it is the green motor used in the Pet Zone (cheaper) version of the product and is not as powerful. It also kept getting stuck for no reason (no clumps or other resistance). They are going to send another motor and I hope it works.
Thank you so, so much for this video. I am currently laughing my ass off and I'm very informed for my litter box purchase. Also, Peanut is a fantastic cat name too. I got a good chuckle and a lot of info, thanks again :)
Does the smart scoop work if the animal doesnt dig and cover the poop? looking for something for my skunk im gonna get. I had a skunk before and done it manually and really dont wanna have to do that again. Waste a ton of litter and much more. ALSO is there a ramp? gonna need to make one if not.
Yes, mine came with a ramp, but it was not very big. And yes it worked when the cats don't cover their poop, one of my cats no longer covers her poop...using automatic litter boxes too long, she got lazy :)
I'm glad I watched the other review. I was going to get the litter maid. I do have this litter box. He is right in every thing he says. One thing I would like to add is this litter box is hard to clean. Litter gets everywhere. Cats kick litter all over. watch this video before you think of buying the smart scoop.
I've never had to replace it. But I do know there was a part number for it in the manual that came with the litter box, so I would have just called customer service and ordered one. I used these litter boxes for a few years, and I'm now back to using Litter Robots; the newest Litter Robot, the original one was horrible.
ur review was very helpful. i use the PetSafe Simply Clean Continuous-Clean Litter Box.. i bought 3 of em over time. it actually works pretty well leaving for a week at a time. problems i had is the motor something would happen and itd die. also the size is huge. looking at this review is the reason im trying the smart scoop instead of buying my 4th simply clean.
I Just recently bought this And Set It up together, But I have a question. Has your Cat ever been In the box when the cycle started? If they have, Did the cycle stop Immediately? I have more to test with the sensor on the litterbox, But when I clicked the button to start the cycle after putting my Cat In the litterbox, It didn’t stop. If you explained It In the video, That Is my fault, I haven’t watched the whole thing
So yes, this will start with a cat in the box (unlike the Litter Robot), but when the rake comes into contact with a lazy non-moving cat, the rake will stop, and retry a couple of times before giving up. It is this same safety feature, that can be frustrating when it comes into contact with a big clump of waste, and also shuts down. It's designed to stop if it feels too much resistance, such as a cat attacking the rake, or not moving out of the way.
When I get a chance I'll measure it, to give you actual area. But yes, it is good for large cats. I have a 23 pound cat, that was too big for the Litter Robot, but uses this one fine.
I've tried several different brands of litter over the years, but the one that seems to work the best in all automatic litter boxes is the Arm and Hammer Slide clumping litter (purple or green box).
If we all had the money we spend of these new fangled poop boxes we'd be able to hire someone to scoop the poop. When I got the Litter Robot, the original, my one cat never got it that her head was to stick outside the bot not her rear end, yep pee and poop all over the step. My other just plain wouldn't go into the dark black hole. Both eventually pee'd on the floor. Have you tried the conveyor belt type one yet? PetSafe and Simply Clean both have these out. I love your video because you tell it like it is - no truly set it and forget it. I always go back to my Rubbermaid tote boxes, fill, scoop and ta-da I'm done.
I tell you the fix for that problem. The motor is only on one side. Put a second motor on the other side and the rack won't twist from the uneven force from a 1 sided motor. Plus the second motor will double the toque and give it the power it needs. I don't think the extra power will be much of a safety issue. I'm sure most cats will jump out as soon as it starts moving and secondly, don't believe it will eb enough torque to hurt the cats.
That might work, but there will always be the problem of low litter depth unless you use a deeper tray. And even if the extra power was enough to run over a cat, there are sensors that stop the unit if a cat is in the way.
Its on amazon for 100. The prices I've seen range. I've used littermaid, and it does have its issues, the ramps break easily, and after a while the motor starts to act up
As much as I've complained about the original Litter Robot, about a year ago I switched back to using the newest model of Litter Robot, which is considerably bigger than the original. It still has its fair share of issues, but I currently think it's the best on the market. And it better be, the new Litter Robot costs $500; I now have two of them.
Good video. Thanks! You'd think they make the motor very strong and just let the automatic sensor stop the cleaning process if a cat just happens to enter the box again.
Thanks. As for using a better motor and better sensors: Maybe, but you can't trust sensors. It would have to be a pressure sensor, rather than an "eye" or "beam" but then how mush pressure would stop it? It would have to be very sophisticated to accurately determine what is a cat, what is a wall of litter and waste, and what is simply a cat playing with the moving rake. Now of course, I'd gladly buy one if it really worked. Heck, I paid a fortune for one of those Litter Robots, and they are half useless.
I had a Litter Maid elite a few years ago! That thing was a complete waste of money! I've even gone as far as toilet training my cats! Good luck with that as well! My issue is, I have an elderly female kitty that pees buckets, because of diabetes. so, I'm not sure the Smart Scoop will work. I think it needs an eye to tell the system that there's still a cat in the box, and then they can put a stronger motor in it!
The motor on the Smart Scoop was pretty strong; direct gear driven rather than those crummy belts the Litter Maid has. As far as I can tell, they don't make the Smart Scoop anymore; it appears to be old inventory, or knockoffs currently being sold. I have since moved back to the Litter Robot 3, it's a whole lot better than the original Litter Robot I had. But it is pretty expensive at $1000 for two of them.
Question, I see two different "Smartscoop" litter boxes. One is green and is the "Pet Zone Smartscoop" the other is the "Our Pets Smartscoop" and is the one you showed in the video. Is there a difference in quality and performance between these two or are they the same litter box? There is a drastic price difference in the two products as the Pet Zone one is on sale for $85. I almost bought it after watching this video until I realized it was not the exact litter box you showed here.
My cats all pee as much as that amount that the machine will have nothing to do with. They also do not pee or poop dead center any more often than they do towards the side. In the demo, all the samples were placed in the middle. The scoop will miss half of it if the cat doesn't manage to do that. We used the Litter Maid Elite and it was way too short for my then 9 month old ( he's huge, but he wasn't even full grown then). He would get in, stand where he was supposed to, and pee or poop right into the mechanism. The one thing that looked better about this was that the rake is going to be much easier to clean. When we had the Litter Maid, I cleaned the machine more often than I do the standard box and it was a messier longer cleaning job. ( so why have it?) There are fundamental issues with this type of box that are simply not being addressed by any product.
Yes, I agree with your conclusion. And maybe a prerequisite to owning ANY automatic cat box, would be to send our cats to a class on how to use it :) With the current big standard boxes I now use, my big 23 pound cat Peanut, always likes to pee in the same place, which as you stated above, is nowhere near the center of the litter box.
For the last couple of years, I went back to using a normal litter box and scooping it every day...actually two over-sized litter boxes (those Rubbermaid under the bed storage bins). I have used the Arm and Hammer litter for many years now, but that changed a couple of weeks ago. I blew my knee out at work, and had to have knee surgery in February, and I was not sure if I'd be able to scoop the litter boxes (my two cats poop a lot). So I broke down and bought the newest Litter Robot 3; I had a very bad experience with the original Litter Robot, but I knew the other automatic litter boxes on the market had their shortfalls and would not meet my needs. So I bought that $500 LR3, and it is a lot better than the original, and for the most part it runs 2.5 days with no actions on my part, and it got me through my knee recovery time. But...even though the dome is a lot bigger than the original one, the waste hopper is VERY small compared to the original...which is how they expanded the dome, they reduced the waste hopper size. Anyways, the Arm and Hammer litter that we loved so much, was resulting in urine clumps sticking to the inside of the dome...that litter is soooooo dust-free, that the urine clumps were still too wet, and got stuck. A couple of weeks ago I switched back to the dustier Tidycat3 litter, and for the most part it fixed 75% of the sticking problem. I miss the low-dust litter, but the LR3 likes the dustier litter...oh well...no such thing as a set and forget litter box...no matter how much money you spend :)
@@BM22TechReview well i hope your on the mend. Being a cancer patient and having two cats that had a very tough start in life they had Calisi I like to use the dust free glitter by Armand Hammer take care stay safe I hope you feel better soon
The only set and forget cat litter system is to train the cat to use the toilet! I had one of the first self-washing boxes, Litter Free about 20 years ago, and it worked great for almost a year....until it clogged. I had to drag out the old box in a hurry until I could clean the other one. But the washing one never worked again!
It sounds like a sensor is blocked or dirty. Verify the sensors are clean, that there is not too much litter in the box, and that there is nothing physically blocking or impeding the rake or motor.
One thing I like better about littermaid. .I built a box to set the littermaid in top of , I cut a hole in that box the size of the waste tray. I slide a plastic bin order the box I built and now I don't have to worry about the waste bin overflowing because now it has a big bin under it. The tall the box you build the bigger the bin you can use. This machine here in video,you can't do that. .the waste receptacle travels with it. If you have 1 cat and home every day that's fine. But if you have more cats and travel. Too bad .
No prob, I get what you are saying, and it's a pretty good idea along the lines of the Litter Robot waste hopper. But it has been my experience, that this traveling hopper works a lot better than the stationary hopper of the LitterMaid unit. And here are the two main reasons: The biggest reason is that clumps occasionally wedged between the hopper and the hopper lid; regardless of how full (or empty) the hopper was, resulting in odor, mess, and blocked access to the primary entry route of this box. Secondly, the LitterMaid is belt driven, and this in itself has it's own set of issues; whereas this Smart Scoop has a direct gear drive system, which adds more power to the rake compared to the LitterMaid. Now with all that said, I've reverted back to normal (but over-sized) litter boxes. None of these automatic litter boxes (including the Litter Robot) allow you to have a deep enough litter level to ensure guaranteed clumping. I currently have 2 cats (Kiki died of brain cancer several months ago), of these two remaining cats, Beans is 9 pounds and Peanut is 22 pounds. Automatic litter boxes might be sufficient for the average smaller sized cat (without the persistent diarrhea my smaller cat Beans has), but a big cat like Peanut, leaves big "pee-clumps" that tend to be oddly shaped as the urine spreads out before it clumps. So after years of trial and error, well over $1000, and a lot of frustration, I'm right back where I started from...a basic litter box with daily (or sometimes, every other day) scooping.
I think maybe they've addressed the issues with poop sticking to the sides and top with the litter robot open air? Just don't want to spend $450 to find out.
They are the same thing with slightly different packaging. They are also no longer being made. They sold the Our Pets company. You can still find some our pet products but they phased out these great litter boxes
I don't think an automatic litter box is the answer for our convenience. And when you have a pet, not everything is going to be convenient. Please know this before you get any pet. If you think about it from a cat's point of view, automation makes a little more sense. I don't want to poop over yesterday's poop. We flush our toilets, but we still need to clean them. People are often gone during the day,, and can't scoop immediately. You're going to still have to maintain the box daily, or every other day. But I think your cat will be a little more comfortable. I think it's a tad more sanitary as far as a cat walking on its poop and then tracking it through the apartment. I think it more as a litter assistant.
In a way, it's our convenience, that makes it better for our cats. Human nature results in: if it's difficult to keep clean, it won't be cleaned as often...no matter how good our intensions are, this is a fact that we can't ignore. Cats instinctively know how to use a litter box, that we all know. But not all cats are comfortable using automatic litter boxes...at least not at first. I've tried several different styles, and for an open litter box I like this model the best, but ultimately a couple of years ago, I settled on the newer Litter Robot3. They're a bit expensive at $539 (especial when buying 2 of them), but it was well worth it. Much more dependable than the Litter Maid and Smart Scoop boxes. And yes, cats would prefer a clean litter box for each use, and since we cannot always be at home to clean it after each use, a good automatic litter box is a very good alternative.
But the problem is, that is not deep enough to collect the urine. By design, these are too shallow when it comes to litter depth. Deeper litter, takes a more powerful motor to scoop through. Therefore they recommend that shallow amount of litter to benefit them, and their design...rather than for practical operation.
Your recommended litter arm & hammer is taking cats to hospital in the UK. it is too fine and stick the the paws, cats will lick their paws and it makes a concrete in their intestine. Its dangerous for cats and life threatening.
Catherine Ostrom which form of worlds best? I have the littermaid automatic and haven’t found a single clumping litter that actually clumps. It just smears really bad, sinks to the bottom, and leaves my house smelling awful
As I research these litter boxes I see Sooo many that have low sides and every cat I’ve ever had pees high at times like spraying!! I NEED A HIGH SIDED OR CLOSED BOX! I am impressed by the roll ones. I Always used pine pellets for years until finding the CORN clump litter, which I And my baby Love!! I get the cheapest I’ve found LITTER MAID. It really does last too! I clean Emily’s box AT LEAST.. once a day and Dump -CLOROX-REFILL ONCE WEEKLY! She will NOT use If ANY Poo has Not been removed! Lol WHY CANT I FIND HUGE BOXES W/ HIGH SIDES??? Do these box makers EVEN HAVE CATS???
Have you considered the Litter Robot? I tried it years ago, and was so unimpressed that I gave it away. I recently tried the newest version of the Litter Robot 3, and though it is not perfect, it's a lot better than the original one. Of course it is also very expensive ($500), but I've been using the new one for over a month now, and am happy enough with it to consider buying a second one. I uploaded a review video of the new one a week or so ago, and will upload a second review in a week or so showing some of its shortcomings. It's not perfect, but since it's fully enclosed, it has completely high sides :)
It seems like the motor COULD be a lot stronger because the sensor is what keeps the thing from hurting the cat, huh? So, whether it's a strong or weak motor, as long as the sensor works to stop or reverse when touched, that's thing that keeps the cat safe. Maybe add a couple more sensors, if needed, but the motors in these boxes SEEM to be purposely weak to keep them flimsy and cheap... it's been years since I tried one and I'm not seeing that they're any better yet. I have ONE cat who pees more than 4-5 normal cats and an inch of litter isn't going to work for him! Needs a Hemi!!! LOL
good video, very informative, only thing is I would have like to see you explaining the set up in more detail, and more step by step. I need the smart scoop for idiots version!!
I suppose there is no sensor adjustment. No doubt they err on the side of caution to avoid any lawsuits from angry cat widows, so if you could make it a little more forceful it might get past some of the problems.
Also i was looking at the robot indesperation for my cats i have a few and i rescue others and train them for adaptability so saved me some wasted money/thought.
+rev9fan1 Nope; I tried that and it did not work. Because it is so light-weight, it just got shoved by the rake, and the rake never really sifted through it. With all the talk about the dust from clay-based litters, that is a thing of the past and only an issue with low-cost no-name brands, the modern clumping litters are virtually dust free, and much more sanitary than the so-called more eco-friendly litters on the market.
I received my new litter tray for my kitties and my little Missy (Miss Indiana-Lee) as soon as it was ready to go, she was in - it's clean fresh and new and she did her business even with my naughty dog at the back door getting over-excited thinking he could play with her, so I told him off and she graciously continued completing her business and she was fine with it.. even though I had to look on TH-cam because the manual is unclear regarding the rake installation and slot end pointing upwards and the cover.. I will know if it's sensoring/raking/scooping properly later.. Thank you. Shalom.
I hope your new litter box continues to work well for you. One thing I did learn, after trying various automatic litter boxes, is that when I returned to a normal litter box, my cats no longer cover-up their waste. Also, recently I went back to trying out a Litter Robot; the newest Litter Robot is better than the original, but it's still not perfect. I guess there really is no such thing as a perfect automatic litter box.
the petsafe simply clean litter box is far superior it's jam free design and simple operation makes it super reliable. On top of that it's serviceable. The bowl motor and conveyor motor are both replaceable as well as the power cord. The motors last about 2 years. store.petsafe.net/simply-clean-litter-box-system . There are people that owned the petsafe litter box for 10 years. mine has been running 5 years strong. They are only $72. I have had this same model and they lasted only 1 year before the plastic gear that actuates the scoop the teeth break off. Smart scoop are not servicable thus gotta replace the whole unit. On top of that the smartscoop is prone to jamming. and that what causes them to break. Both the smartscoop and littermaid are jam prone devices
Note it seems that once littermaid was bought by that chinese company quality went down and if you look on the net it seems that the company is being phased out even on Amazon thank the fates!
Well, I don't know how it could BE any worse than they were to start with! We went through several of the LitterMaids about 10 years ago and they were horrible! They always prefaced everything they said with the disclaimer about NOT using too much litter, BUT.... if you don't use more than the tiny bit the motor would deal with, it didn't take long before most to all of the litter was used and scooped, leaving a nasty litterbox with no litter! SOMEbody needs to make one that sifts like the old littermaid, but has a strong enough motor to make it through more than an inch of litter!
Plus the gears are made from plastic and will break off teeth. I wish they would make brass or steel gears. If you are going to buy a litter box that is flat best to buy also a garden hoe. Saves from bending over and doing this by hand. fyi
Yes, automatic litter boxes require some work by their owner, but the goal is to minimize the amount of work, and extend the time between doing this work. If you have to get in there and mess with it, once or twice a day, then what is the difference between an automatic litter box and a normal one? Really, none at all. I recently switched back to the Litter Robot; the LR3 is a lot better than the original one I had. It runs fairly flawless for 2.5 days, and then since the hopper is now a lot smaller than the old Litter Robot, the waste hopper has to be emptied a lot sooner than the original. But even this new LR3 has some of the problems of the original LR (and they fixed a few of the original's problems too). As for your cat Genie, that was a nightmare...and never worked as advertised (there are countless YT videos showing this), and even if it had worked properly, it was way too small for bigger cats.
@@BM22TechReview No way. Every cat i had took to it. The cat genie may take patience with some cats. But here is what i now have to do.... Every Saturday i sweep the floor of granules they kicked out and i throw them back in one of the genies. It's the best invention since McDonald's discovered that when you compress bread too 100psi it turns into chicken
I work where we have a big robot, and one of the guys used to call it a "robit" which I liked, so consider yourself lucky I didn't refer to it as a robit each time.
I'm not a cat person. I am however a cat owner and was using this machine. I have to say this review is invaluable. I had no idea the lid held a carbon filter until now. I also didn't even think to use bags for the scoop that the waste falls into. I purchased the litter you recommended just because your video helped me a ton. Keep doing great work!
Thanks for your kind words and support.
This is the best freaking product review video I've ever seen. Your objectivity was exactly what I needed to hear. We just got our first car and I can tell that we are not a cat box cleaning family no matter how I try to coax everyone to help. So it was time to go automatic. But the reviews were all so hot and cold for every kind on the market. Thanks so much clearing up the great mystery with these things!
Thanks; it took me years to learn that there is no Holy Grail of litter boxes; there is no such thing as a set-and-forget litter box.
This was a great video. Thank you. I have reached the conclusion I need to design a new type altogether, So I did. Right now I am in the prototype stage and so far my cats are loving it and so am I.I'm reading as many reviews and watching as many videos I can to see what other people dislike, would like, or have questions about, so I really appreciate your efforts here. It convinced me of what I had concluded - robotic systems are just not the answer. There are better answers.
Thanks
Very informative. I have used this type of litter box for my cat exclusively for the last eight years. I did a lot of research before choosing the smart scoop. I did not know about the litter maid problems being so frequent. I highly recommend this box, there are , or were three types. The gray one shown in this video is the largest. And one that is a bright green is supposed to be the regular size. For years I used the gray one because I have a large cat who recently passed away. My new cat has the smaller one and I found out they are the exact same size. I put one right next to the other and they look exactly the same except for the color.
Then they took the large gray one and upgraded it with sensors and an app for your smart phone. Unfortunately the company was constantly under legal attack by litter made for copyright infringement on the design of the litter box even though as this video points out they are essentially quite different. As of this moment it is very difficult to find this litter box. But last week I scored one on Amazon. The smaller green version was being sold by two sellers. One for $99 which is about average, and one for $199! The exact same box. This litter box Got better each year. The motor would break after many months of use because the gear would give out so they change the plastic gears to metal gears and that problem stopped happening. The motor also get quieter over the years sometimes I don’t even notice this box is cleaning. It’s such a great product I highly recommend it if you can find it.
Thanks for this info and for your insights.
Great video, putting the thing together at the same time as giving all this information. Was a breeze to get mine working. Thank you!
Thanks for watching.
Honestly have had nothing but an amazing experience with the litter robot open air 3. Clean once every three months, and you'll have no problem with smell. Never jams. Clumps are never too large to fall in the hopper. My 3 cats bury everything they excrete like most cats, so no issue with poop sticking to the roof. Maintenance is to empty hopper, add litter every 3 days. That's it. Haven't scooped in a year. No smell, and nothing but complements and observations about how much they need one from guests.
No such thing as a maintenance free litter solution, but there's definitely one that you never have to scoop at least. Knock on wood that it doesn't leech into the plastic to cause a smell over time.
That said, you definitely have the video that gives the most info on this subject, and was the one that steered me in the direction of the litter robot when weighing the pros and cons of all the automatics. Otherwise, it's big boxes and Arm & Hammer brand like you said.
Thank you for your comment. Which Litter Robot do you have? The original one I had was the LR1, and my current one is the LR3. I am happy enough with it, and I'm considering buying another one so I can get rid of my 2nd normal litter box. The LR3's litter hopper is too small compared to the original Litter Robot...the shrinking of the hopper is how they were able to increase the size of the globe. With my 2 remaining cats, and a second litter box in service, I have to empty the waste hopper every 2.5 days. If I don't catch it soon enough, I get the flashing blue warning light, or worse the red/orange shutdown light. As I've mentioned in several comments recently, I had to change from the A&H low/no dust litter, to a dustier Tidy Cat litter which I hadn't used in years. I hate dust! The dustier litter is helping with my current issue of urine clumps sticking to the inside of the globe; sadly the A&H litter was not working out for me. But with that said, the larger globe, allows the stuck urine clumps to be high enough to not interfere (touch) the cats as they enter the LR3. Hopefully the Litter Robot 4 will have a larger waste hopper :)
@@BM22TechReview No problem. I have the LR3 as well. Looking up the older models, I see what you're talking about with the globe. One of my cats would be questionable to even fit in the LR1.
And as far as clumps, yeah, I immediately switched to the cheapest, dustiest (store brand or tidy cat) that I could, just to see how the smell worked out. May be why it's been a minimal issue. But yeah, the dust is quite annoying. Was considering trying A&H again until you said that.
One thing I don't like is definitely the hopper. It could be bigger, and admittedly I have to pull it out early sometimes to even the load and reset because it's stacked to one side and tripped the sensor. That can happen as early as the first couple uses after a change. It doesn't happen much at all, but when it does it so early, it can be annoying.
Thank you for this review. You saved us a lot of time and money most likely in determining which automatic litter box is better by comparison. You also mentioned things that I would not have known without purchasing the product already. Much appreciated!
Really great and thorough review! Thank you for the detail!
Thanks for watching. I do like this unit best for this style of litter box, but since making this video I returned to using the newest model of the Litter Robot. But of course, the Litter Robot is considerably more expensive than this item.
I have been looking for a video on how to assemble a smartscoop,with this video plus the comment it helped me build it correctly as the company has no video and i am happy to have bought it!
I have two Litter Maid Elites. One of them works and the other is currently a very expensive standard litter box because the motor went out after about a year or year and a half. I have five cats, with two of them that are particular about their requirement that I must scoop their box after every single use. Since I have a job outside of watching their bathroom habits, I need a reliable automatic scooping box. I'm so glad I have it! I'm disappointed that one broke so quickly, but the other one is 4 years old and still working. I never checked out why it wasn't working. It might be an easy fix. Maybe I just need to clean the belts or something. I don't know.
My MAIN PROBLEM with the Litter Maid Elite is that the litter will dump ALL OVER THE FLOOR under and around the box. I have found a way to work around that, by pushing the plastic tray under the plastic frame that holds it, using tension to hold it in place. However, this doesn't fix it perfectly and keeps the top from coming down all the way. Thank you for this review. Did you notice this problem with the Smart Scoop? I want to replace my automatic, but I don't want LME again.
I bought one of these for our two cats. It has saved my back from hauling litter around the house. It does work. I am trying to figure out why the status lights are always blinking red. I use clumping litter that is ‘lightweight’ so I can put in more litter that the motor can handle. I think Arm and Hammer makes it.
I have no idea why those lights are wonky. My last one had light issues. The green light gave out all together, it would not come on steady or blink like it is supposed to. But the box sensor worked so it clean itself properly, I just didn’t know the status.
We purchased a CatGenie flushing cat litter machine... It is expensive but we love it... Every 30 days change a cartridge and add some granules... Flushes waist down the pipe where the washing machine emptys...
I never knew about these kitty poop robot variations. I wonder how Dyson would do a cat poop control machine. I bet NASA could make an awesome cat poop robot. Cats are weird how they poop / pee, sounds like one of your cats has a method to the madness. Bean please cover your poop
***** Isn't it easier to train the cats to use the standard home toilet? I know there are cats who do it like that ;)
NASA would make a wearable suit that suctioned the pee away as soon as the cat thought it had to go
Thank you for your informative video on automatic litter boxes. Have a Scoop Free litter box, and have learned that, as you said, there is no set it and forget it litter box. I do have an odor problem, so I will try the Armand Hammer odor litter.
My cat and I thank you.
Like you i hate the litter maid and don't get me started on nature miracle (Litter maids new name) but i do love and use only the arm and hammer clump and seal..
Thank you for this video you made my mind up will be ordering this litter box tonight. Keep up the great work
Great review!
Thanks!
Really great video. Thanks for making it. I have only used the litter maid litterboxes. I use the classic lm980. I first purchased it from walmart.com, and it broke in less than 30 days. It is also the only litterbox for 3 cats, I know that your supposed to have more but you know how it is. So I returned it to walmart, got my money back, purchased the same model again. It broke within a month. The return policy is 90 days, so when it brakes I keep returning it, and I buy another one. It works great, but they simply don't last. Ive been thru 9 of them. Luckily i just keep returning them. Not one of them have lasted more than 90 days!!! I just don't know why they can't create a letterbox that is great, and lasts. It can't be that hard!!!!!!. I may try the smartscoop, but they're more expensive, and I have a good little system going for the time being. ;))))
do you HAVE to use clumping litter - could I not use crystals?? noticed there is one that does use crystals but it uses disposable pans and you have to buy them "in addition to"
Yes, the litter has to be a high quality clumping litter. The cheap stuff won't work, and as for the crystals, if they don't clump, they can't be cleared away by the rake.
Idk why but I lmao at "it's gonna push, squish, or scoop the cat up!" 😂🤣😂🤣
I have a new Pet Zone smart scoop that the rake always jams and doesn't put the waste into the receptacle. There is a seam on the bottom of the box where it would jam before putting in the litter. After putting in the litter the rake continues to jam. How can I get it to stop jamming?
Is the seam too high? A manufacturing defect possibly? Can it be sanded down and smoothed out with some sandpaper?
Would it hurt the operation to stick a couple little brushes, or maybe a cut-up kitchen sponge, to the front edge of the pusher unit to sweep off the rails with every pass?
That might be worth trying, but with all of these style litter boxes (including the LitterMaid), you don't want to risk anything that could strain or slow down the motor, which will cause it to shut down (for safety reasons) because it thinks there is a cat in the way.
Thanks for the video, really helped with my research
I don't have any experience with other automatic litter devices I have had a Litter Robot Open Air for 3 years now and it has presented very few problems. By the way I have 9 cats most are feral with the exception of 3 from a shelter. Around the house I have 3 covered litter boxes and even though the cats use the Litter Robot they still use the litter boxes. I love my little guys and gals and theres not to much I won't do for them. When I go for a couple of days I leave out plenty of water and dry food out and top up the litter boxes. All I've got to do now is find a lady who loves cats as much as I do!
At about 27:00 you claim when the power comes back on the litter box will not run again. Anytime the Litter Robot has power applied it will cycle. I have 2 Litter Robots and have owned 1for years (8+ or so). Totally reliable. My original still works great. I added the LR2 with the extension at the back because my 2nd cat is very big. I intend to buy a third litter robot only because I have a "psycho" cat that has issues and I need more litter boxes. Would I buy a third at the prices they are if I didn't like them? You get what you pay for. I have never had cat pee or poop hanging from the "ceiling" as you claim. Like any litter box you have to clean it from time to time. I have no affiliation with Liter Robot, but my 10+ (?) years of experience with litter robots (without failure) has made me a true believer. They now offer a new model called the Litter Robot Open Air. Sorry not buying your recommendation fro the Smartscoop. They reply to emails promptly. How about litter being kicked all over with open concept litter boxes. You clearly have a gripe against litter robot, why? Sorry, my experience of many years will not move me away from Litter Robot.
+tkbisme When the power goes out, neither my Litter Maid boxes, nor my Litter Robot, turned back on. You are correct that they will cycle when turned on, but during a power outage, when the power comes back on, the units defaulted to the off position. Even my new SmartScoops do that; it's some sort of safety feature. As for you not experiencing any of the commonly stated complaints about the Litter Robot, I'm going to have to call you out on that one. I also heard those claims before I bought my Litter Robot, but I chose to ignore them. It was not long before I saw them for myself. I so much wanted Litter Robot to work, that I ignored the warning videos I had seen. I have no gripe against Litter Robot, but it sounds like you either work for them or are paid to defend them online. If in fact you are a real person, rather than a plant for that company, I suggest that you look closely inside your Litter Robot, and see how clean it really is. There is no way that cat poop can slide along the inside of that ball, and not leave traces on it.
the litter rake keeps coming out of the side hole on the right. any solutions?
We're talking about the motor side, right? Is that little white plastic piece that slides over the metal rake arm still there? Does it look like the slot it slides into is worn or too big? Or is the metal arm of the rake too short or bent, so it won't properly fit in there? Have you tried putting a small piece of tape over that slot and piece that holds the rake arm in?
I had a Littermaid many years ago but stopped using it because the rake was not removable for cleaning and it got caked with wet and litter. I recently got a Smart Scoop because I was impressed with the design. However, the sensor was missing or didn't work correctly. The company sent a new "compatible" motor (sensor is integrated). I believe it is the green motor used in the Pet Zone (cheaper) version of the product and is not as powerful. It also kept getting stuck for no reason (no clumps or other resistance). They are going to send another motor and I hope it works.
Thank you so, so much for this video. I am currently laughing my ass off and I'm very informed for my litter box purchase. Also, Peanut is a fantastic cat name too. I got a good chuckle and a lot of info, thanks again :)
Does the smart scoop work if the animal doesnt dig and cover the poop? looking for something for my skunk im gonna get. I had a skunk before and done it manually and really dont wanna have to do that again. Waste a ton of litter and much more. ALSO is there a ramp? gonna need to make one if not.
Yes, mine came with a ramp, but it was not very big. And yes it worked when the cats don't cover their poop, one of my cats no longer covers her poop...using automatic litter boxes too long, she got lazy :)
Apparently there is also a Smart Scoop ice cream maker.
Could they be one and the same?
+R Leslie ...for soft serve ice cream :)
+BM22TechReview Are these still going strong for you? I'm looking at getting one, but am hoping to not run into any significant maintenance issues.
i think i might solder a small wire/bar or 4 behind the rake and spray it with nonstick spray when i get this. Thanks for your review.
+Mikhail Tagallie How did it end up working. And did you end up adding the wire. This is one thing i see that would also help
the engine randomly died before i had a chance, also the tracks went all wonky. i ended up buying the petsafe simply clean litterbox again.
I'm glad I watched the other review. I was going to get the litter maid. I do have this litter box. He is right in every thing he says. One thing I would like to add is this litter box is hard to clean. Litter gets everywhere. Cats kick litter all over.
watch this video before you think of buying the smart scoop.
How do you replace the motors of it ends up breaking?
I've never had to replace it. But I do know there was a part number for it in the manual that came with the litter box, so I would have just called customer service and ordered one. I used these litter boxes for a few years, and I'm now back to using Litter Robots; the newest Litter Robot, the original one was horrible.
ur review was very helpful. i use the PetSafe Simply Clean Continuous-Clean Litter Box.. i bought 3 of em over time. it actually works pretty well leaving for a week at a time. problems i had is the motor something would happen and itd die. also the size is huge. looking at this review is the reason im trying the smart scoop instead of buying my 4th simply clean.
I Just recently bought this And Set It up together, But I have a question. Has your Cat ever been In the box when the cycle started? If they have, Did the cycle stop Immediately? I have more to test with the sensor on the litterbox, But when I clicked the button to start the cycle after putting my Cat In the litterbox, It didn’t stop. If you explained It In the video, That Is my fault, I haven’t watched the whole thing
So yes, this will start with a cat in the box (unlike the Litter Robot), but when the rake comes into contact with a lazy non-moving cat, the rake will stop, and retry a couple of times before giving up. It is this same safety feature, that can be frustrating when it comes into contact with a big clump of waste, and also shuts down. It's designed to stop if it feels too much resistance, such as a cat attacking the rake, or not moving out of the way.
@@BM22TechReview Ahh, I seee! That Is really helpful Information, Thank you for the responsee! 😃😃
No problem; good luck.
thank you very much i appreciate your information. Have a great day stay safe in this covid19 time.
Thanks
Maybe I missed it, how big is the usable area? It does not look big enough for large breed cats.
When I get a chance I'll measure it, to give you actual area. But yes, it is good for large cats. I have a 23 pound cat, that was too big for the Litter Robot, but uses this one fine.
will this work for wood pellets?
I tried it with pellets, it really didn't work due to lack of good clumping.
What brand of litter do people recommend for this?
I've tried several different brands of litter over the years, but the one that seems to work the best in all automatic litter boxes is the Arm and Hammer Slide clumping litter (purple or green box).
If we all had the money we spend of these new fangled poop boxes we'd be able to hire someone to scoop the poop. When I got the Litter Robot, the original, my one cat never got it that her head was to stick outside the bot not her rear end, yep pee and poop all over the step. My other just plain wouldn't go into the dark black hole. Both eventually pee'd on the floor. Have you tried the conveyor belt type one yet? PetSafe and Simply Clean both have these out. I love your video because you tell it like it is - no truly set it and forget it. I always go back to my Rubbermaid tote boxes, fill, scoop and ta-da I'm done.
Any chance you tried the recent ChillX?
I tell you the fix for that problem. The motor is only on one side. Put a second motor on the other side and the rack won't twist from the uneven force from a 1 sided motor. Plus the second motor will double the toque and give it the power it needs. I don't think the extra power will be much of a safety issue. I'm sure most cats will jump out as soon as it starts moving and secondly, don't believe it will eb enough torque to hurt the cats.
That might work, but there will always be the problem of low litter depth unless you use a deeper tray. And even if the extra power was enough to run over a cat, there are sensors that stop the unit if a cat is in the way.
Its on amazon for 100. The prices I've seen range. I've used littermaid, and it does have its issues, the ramps break easily, and after a while the motor starts to act up
As much as I've complained about the original Litter Robot, about a year ago I switched back to using the newest model of Litter Robot, which is considerably bigger than the original. It still has its fair share of issues, but I currently think it's the best on the market. And it better be, the new Litter Robot costs $500; I now have two of them.
Good video. Thanks! You'd think they make the motor very strong and just let the automatic sensor stop the cleaning process if a cat just happens to enter the box again.
Thanks. As for using a better motor and better sensors: Maybe, but you can't trust sensors. It would have to be a pressure sensor, rather than an "eye" or "beam" but then how mush pressure would stop it? It would have to be very sophisticated to accurately determine what is a cat, what is a wall of litter and waste, and what is simply a cat playing with the moving rake. Now of course, I'd gladly buy one if it really worked. Heck, I paid a fortune for one of those Litter Robots, and they are half useless.
I had a Litter Maid elite a few years ago! That thing was a complete waste of money! I've even gone as far as toilet training my cats! Good luck with that as well! My issue is, I have an elderly female kitty that pees buckets, because of diabetes. so, I'm not sure the Smart Scoop will work. I think it needs an eye to tell the system that there's still a cat in the box, and then they can put a stronger motor in it!
The motor on the Smart Scoop was pretty strong; direct gear driven rather than those crummy belts the Litter Maid has. As far as I can tell, they don't make the Smart Scoop anymore; it appears to be old inventory, or knockoffs currently being sold. I have since moved back to the Litter Robot 3, it's a whole lot better than the original Litter Robot I had. But it is pretty expensive at $1000 for two of them.
Question, I see two different "Smartscoop" litter boxes. One is green and is the "Pet Zone Smartscoop" the other is the "Our Pets Smartscoop" and is the one you showed in the video. Is there a difference in quality and performance between these two or are they the same litter box? There is a drastic price difference in the two products as the Pet Zone one is on sale for $85. I almost bought it after watching this video until I realized it was not the exact litter box you showed here.
I saw this, too. Did you ever figure out an answer?
They are both made by the same company and are identical products but branded differently for different markets.
My cats all pee as much as that amount that the machine will have nothing to do with. They also do not pee or poop dead center any more often than they do towards the side. In the demo, all the samples were placed in the middle. The scoop will miss half of it if the cat doesn't manage to do that. We used the Litter Maid Elite and it was way too short for my then 9 month old ( he's huge, but he wasn't even full grown then). He would get in, stand where he was supposed to, and pee or poop right into the mechanism. The one thing that looked better about this was that the rake is going to be much easier to clean. When we had the Litter Maid, I cleaned the machine more often than I do the standard box and it was a messier longer cleaning job. ( so why have it?) There are fundamental issues with this type of box that are simply not being addressed by any product.
Yes, I agree with your conclusion. And maybe a prerequisite to owning ANY automatic cat box, would be to send our cats to a class on how to use it :) With the current big standard boxes I now use, my big 23 pound cat Peanut, always likes to pee in the same place, which as you stated above, is nowhere near the center of the litter box.
sounds like im better off scooping the box myself. I love that litter arm and hammer 7 day is amazing.
For the last couple of years, I went back to using a normal litter box and scooping it every day...actually two over-sized litter boxes (those Rubbermaid under the bed storage bins). I have used the Arm and Hammer litter for many years now, but that changed a couple of weeks ago. I blew my knee out at work, and had to have knee surgery in February, and I was not sure if I'd be able to scoop the litter boxes (my two cats poop a lot). So I broke down and bought the newest Litter Robot 3; I had a very bad experience with the original Litter Robot, but I knew the other automatic litter boxes on the market had their shortfalls and would not meet my needs. So I bought that $500 LR3, and it is a lot better than the original, and for the most part it runs 2.5 days with no actions on my part, and it got me through my knee recovery time. But...even though the dome is a lot bigger than the original one, the waste hopper is VERY small compared to the original...which is how they expanded the dome, they reduced the waste hopper size. Anyways, the Arm and Hammer litter that we loved so much, was resulting in urine clumps sticking to the inside of the dome...that litter is soooooo dust-free, that the urine clumps were still too wet, and got stuck. A couple of weeks ago I switched back to the dustier Tidycat3 litter, and for the most part it fixed 75% of the sticking problem. I miss the low-dust litter, but the LR3 likes the dustier litter...oh well...no such thing as a set and forget litter box...no matter how much money you spend :)
@@BM22TechReview well i hope your on the mend. Being a cancer patient and having two cats that had a very tough start in life they had Calisi I like to use the dust free glitter by Armand Hammer take care stay safe I hope you feel better soon
I just got my smart scoop. 1 week in Motor clicks but no light and will not run
Is the motor bound up? BTW does it look like the ones I show in my videos?
Is he saying rowbutt?
The only set and forget cat litter system is to train the cat to use the toilet! I had one of the first self-washing boxes, Litter Free about 20 years ago, and it worked great for almost a year....until it clogged. I had to drag out the old box in a hurry until I could clean the other one. But the washing one never worked again!
I bought it but after one month start flashing red what that mean ?
It sounds like a sensor is blocked or dirty. Verify the sensors are clean, that there is not too much litter in the box, and that there is nothing physically blocking or impeding the rake or motor.
Please do a review on the automatic cat box " litter loo", that is the best one I seen yet out of all the others,but it is hard to find
One thing I like better about littermaid. .I built a box to set the littermaid in top of , I cut a hole in that box the size of the waste tray. I slide a plastic bin order the box I built and now I don't have to worry about the waste bin overflowing because now it has a big bin under it. The tall the box you build the bigger the bin you can use. This machine here in video,you can't do that. .the waste receptacle travels with it. If you have 1 cat and home every day that's fine. But if you have more cats and travel. Too bad .
Sorry didn't spell check. I slid bin under litter box .
No prob, I get what you are saying, and it's a pretty good idea along the lines of the Litter Robot waste hopper. But it has been my experience, that this traveling hopper works a lot better than the stationary hopper of the LitterMaid unit. And here are the two main reasons: The biggest reason is that clumps occasionally wedged between the hopper and the hopper lid; regardless of how full (or empty) the hopper was, resulting in odor, mess, and blocked access to the primary entry route of this box. Secondly, the LitterMaid is belt driven, and this in itself has it's own set of issues; whereas this Smart Scoop has a direct gear drive system, which adds more power to the rake compared to the LitterMaid. Now with all that said, I've reverted back to normal (but over-sized) litter boxes. None of these automatic litter boxes (including the Litter Robot) allow you to have a deep enough litter level to ensure guaranteed clumping. I currently have 2 cats (Kiki died of brain cancer several months ago), of these two remaining cats, Beans is 9 pounds and Peanut is 22 pounds. Automatic litter boxes might be sufficient for the average smaller sized cat (without the persistent diarrhea my smaller cat Beans has), but a big cat like Peanut, leaves big "pee-clumps" that tend to be oddly shaped as the urine spreads out before it clumps. So after years of trial and error, well over $1000, and a lot of frustration, I'm right back where I started from...a basic litter box with daily (or sometimes, every other day) scooping.
I think maybe they've addressed the issues with poop sticking to the sides and top with the litter robot open air? Just don't want to spend $450 to find out.
They did fix that with the new model.
what's the difference between "pet zone" smart scoop and Our Pets "smart scoop ???
They are the same thing with slightly different packaging. They are also no longer being made. They sold the Our Pets company. You can still find some our pet products but they phased out these great litter boxes
Wow that is so weird whenever there is a product that actually works they always find some kind of way to get rid of it so weird
I don't think an automatic litter box is the answer for our convenience. And when you have a pet, not everything is going to be convenient. Please know this before you get any pet.
If you think about it from a cat's point of view, automation makes a little more sense. I don't want to poop over yesterday's poop. We flush our toilets, but we still need to clean them. People are often gone during the day,, and can't scoop immediately.
You're going to still have to maintain the box daily, or every other day. But I think your cat will be a little more comfortable.
I think it's a tad more sanitary as far as a cat walking on its poop and then tracking it through the apartment.
I think it more as a litter assistant.
In a way, it's our convenience, that makes it better for our cats. Human nature results in: if it's difficult to keep clean, it won't be cleaned as often...no matter how good our intensions are, this is a fact that we can't ignore. Cats instinctively know how to use a litter box, that we all know. But not all cats are comfortable using automatic litter boxes...at least not at first. I've tried several different styles, and for an open litter box I like this model the best, but ultimately a couple of years ago, I settled on the newer Litter Robot3. They're a bit expensive at $539 (especial when buying 2 of them), but it was well worth it. Much more dependable than the Litter Maid and Smart Scoop boxes. And yes, cats would prefer a clean litter box for each use, and since we cannot always be at home to clean it after each use, a good automatic litter box is a very good alternative.
Is it really that hard to put a litter box next to toilet and wrangle a few turds a day ?
You should not flush litter box waste down the toilet. The clumping litter can plug up the sewer line.
@@BM22TechReview I dont flush the litter ,just the turds .I'll grant you its a lot easier with just one cat
How does this handle diarrhea or pudding poop?
Not very well. If it does not clump good, it will fall between the tines of the rake.
I have using this unit a few years now. Looks like you might a little to much litter. I keep level at one inch and it works much better .
But the problem is, that is not deep enough to collect the urine. By design, these are too shallow when it comes to litter depth. Deeper litter, takes a more powerful motor to scoop through. Therefore they recommend that shallow amount of litter to benefit them, and their design...rather than for practical operation.
Very interesting and informative
Your recommended litter arm & hammer is taking cats to hospital in the UK. it is too fine and stick the the paws, cats will lick their paws and it makes a concrete in their intestine. Its dangerous for cats and life threatening.
I haven't used any clay litter for years because of this very thing. World`s Best works well in all my Littermaids.
Catherine Ostrom which form of worlds best? I have the littermaid automatic and haven’t found a single clumping litter that actually clumps. It just smears really bad, sinks to the bottom, and leaves my house smelling awful
Thank you! So informative!
if your voice keeps getting any higher, i think something is going to explode
As I research these litter boxes I see Sooo many that have low sides and every cat I’ve ever had pees high at times like spraying!! I NEED A HIGH SIDED OR CLOSED BOX! I am impressed by the roll ones. I Always used pine pellets for years until finding the CORN clump litter, which I And my baby Love!! I get the cheapest I’ve found LITTER MAID. It really does last too! I clean Emily’s box AT LEAST.. once a day and Dump -CLOROX-REFILL ONCE WEEKLY! She will NOT use If ANY Poo has Not been removed! Lol WHY CANT I FIND HUGE BOXES W/ HIGH SIDES??? Do these box makers EVEN HAVE CATS???
Have you considered the Litter Robot? I tried it years ago, and was so unimpressed that I gave it away. I recently tried the newest version of the Litter Robot 3, and though it is not perfect, it's a lot better than the original one. Of course it is also very expensive ($500), but I've been using the new one for over a month now, and am happy enough with it to consider buying a second one. I uploaded a review video of the new one a week or so ago, and will upload a second review in a week or so showing some of its shortcomings. It's not perfect, but since it's fully enclosed, it has completely high sides :)
It seems like the motor COULD be a lot stronger because the sensor is what keeps the thing from hurting the cat, huh? So, whether it's a strong or weak motor, as long as the sensor works to stop or reverse when touched, that's thing that keeps the cat safe. Maybe add a couple more sensors, if needed, but the motors in these boxes SEEM to be purposely weak to keep them flimsy and cheap... it's been years since I tried one and I'm not seeing that they're any better yet. I have ONE cat who pees more than 4-5 normal cats and an inch of litter isn't going to work for him! Needs a Hemi!!! LOL
good video, very informative, only thing is I would have like to see you explaining the set up in more detail, and more step by step. I need the smart scoop for idiots version!!
I suppose there is no sensor adjustment. No doubt they err on the side of caution to avoid any lawsuits from angry cat widows, so if you could make it a little more forceful it might get past some of the problems.
the motor that it but lts s doubt spur gear, its the 3dd gear from hype drive gear
Also i was looking at the robot indesperation for my cats i have a few and i rescue others and train them for adaptability so saved me some wasted money/thought.
I don't think your suppose to use clay clumping cat litter, they say corn is better
+rev9fan1 Nope; I tried that and it did not work. Because it is so light-weight, it just got shoved by the rake, and the rake never really sifted through it. With all the talk about the dust from clay-based litters, that is a thing of the past and only an issue with low-cost no-name brands, the modern clumping litters are virtually dust free, and much more sanitary than the so-called more eco-friendly litters on the market.
+BM22TechReview ok gotcha
I received my new litter tray for my kitties and my little Missy (Miss Indiana-Lee) as soon as it was ready to go, she was in - it's clean fresh and new and she did her business even with my naughty dog at the back door getting over-excited thinking he could play with her, so I told him off and she graciously continued completing her business and she was fine with it.. even though I had to look on TH-cam because the manual is unclear regarding the rake installation and slot end pointing upwards and the cover.. I will know if it's sensoring/raking/scooping properly later.. Thank you. Shalom.
I hope your new litter box continues to work well for you. One thing I did learn, after trying various automatic litter boxes, is that when I returned to a normal litter box, my cats no longer cover-up their waste. Also, recently I went back to trying out a Litter Robot; the newest Litter Robot is better than the original, but it's still not perfect. I guess there really is no such thing as a perfect automatic litter box.
I have a cat named peanut! Who’s also very weird
Very nice
You really like machines that your cat take a dump on
Filip Arvidsson Yes :)
Lmfao
If you had a cat you would like the machines that it takes a dump on too
Sounds Like a DOG PERSON COMMENT!! AND YES.. YOU SEE... CATS ARE TOO SMART TO EAT THEIR OWN POOP!!!unlike DOGS!
the petsafe simply clean litter box is far superior it's jam free design and simple operation makes it super reliable. On top of that it's serviceable. The bowl motor and conveyor motor are both replaceable as well as the power cord. The motors last about 2 years. store.petsafe.net/simply-clean-litter-box-system . There are people that owned the petsafe litter box for 10 years. mine has been running 5 years strong. They are only $72.
I have had this same model and they lasted only 1 year before the plastic gear that actuates the scoop the teeth break off. Smart scoop are not servicable thus gotta replace the whole unit. On top of that the smartscoop is prone to jamming. and that what causes them to break. Both the smartscoop and littermaid are jam prone devices
this litter box is 178.00 here in Oregon. Yup not going to buy it.
Note it seems that once littermaid was bought by that chinese company quality went down and if you look on the net it seems that the company is being phased out even on Amazon thank the fates!
Well, I don't know how it could BE any worse than they were to start with! We went through several of the LitterMaids about 10 years ago and they were horrible! They always prefaced everything they said with the disclaimer about NOT using too much litter, BUT.... if you don't use more than the tiny bit the motor would deal with, it didn't take long before most to all of the litter was used and scooped, leaving a nasty litterbox with no litter! SOMEbody needs to make one that sifts like the old littermaid, but has a strong enough motor to make it through more than an inch of litter!
Plus the gears are made from plastic and will break off teeth. I wish they would make brass or steel gears. If you are going to buy a litter box that is flat best to buy also a garden hoe. Saves from bending over and doing this by hand. fyi
Replace the scooper head with a shredder head Alf tecgnology problem solved
Really?
This guy is funny
at that price ! pay your kids to do it! LOL
These "automatic" boxes still require you to remove shit. Get a cat genie. It flushes everything down the same place your toilet does. You do NOTHING
Yes, automatic litter boxes require some work by their owner, but the goal is to minimize the amount of work, and extend the time between doing this work. If you have to get in there and mess with it, once or twice a day, then what is the difference between an automatic litter box and a normal one? Really, none at all. I recently switched back to the Litter Robot; the LR3 is a lot better than the original one I had. It runs fairly flawless for 2.5 days, and then since the hopper is now a lot smaller than the old Litter Robot, the waste hopper has to be emptied a lot sooner than the original. But even this new LR3 has some of the problems of the original LR (and they fixed a few of the original's problems too). As for your cat Genie, that was a nightmare...and never worked as advertised (there are countless YT videos showing this), and even if it had worked properly, it was way too small for bigger cats.
@@BM22TechReview
No way. Every cat i had took to it. The cat genie may take patience with some cats. But here is what i now have to do.... Every Saturday i sweep the floor of granules they kicked out and i throw them back in one of the genies. It's the best invention since McDonald's discovered that when you compress bread too 100psi it turns into chicken
stop saying litter "ro-butt"
I work where we have a big robot, and one of the guys used to call it a "robit" which I liked, so consider yourself lucky I didn't refer to it as a robit each time.