Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Really, really not loving it. A little background: I am a seasoned auto litter machine user. I have owned the LitterMaid, Litter Genie, Litter Robot I, II and now III. I used the LR I, II to death, they each lasted about 3 years. Is that good? I'm not sure, but it worked out to about $150/yr when you think about it that way. When the LRIII came out, I was very excited because the first two versions served me so well. After about 3 months of using it (after the return period passed, of course), the globe stopped half way in the cycle and there was a blinking light. Not knowing what happened, I reset it and all was good. A few days later....same thing. Except this time the cats went poo all around the machine, which was not cool....not cool. After some more tinkering, more experiments and lots of stinky poo on the floor, I called Automated Pet Care Products (the company). Let me cut to the chase: no one answers there....almost ever. I tried over 2 weeks to reach them and got a machine every time. When I finally did get through, the lady was very nice and they sent me a new base promptly and at no charge. +1 to customer service (when they answer). But the new base did the same thing as the first base. I ultimately narrowed the problem down to the weight sensor which stops the cycle if it thinks your cat is stepping into it while it's running (a safety mechanism). Well, that sensor is so sensitive, that the slightest change in weight (which happens when the globe turns) can set it off and then it never resets. I made some changes to deal with that and then realized the overly sensitive "pinch sensor" (another safety feature) was also telling the machine someone or some cat was stuck in it, thereby turning itself off. By the way, make no mistake, I learned all these lessons after lots and lots of smelly poo cleanup jobs around the globe. I have tried to contact the company, but you already know how that is going. Assume for a minute it worked reliably, there is a senor there that tells the machine when the receptacle is full so the globe doesn't spin around when it is, indeed full. That is a big upgrade from the LR II but, again, they got this way wrong. It is so sensitive that if your bag is not pressed into the drawer just right or if there are clumps anywhere near this sensor, it stops working. So it does work, but I end up having to empty a half-empty drawer almost daily with two cats. That is lame. Lastly, this thing does not contain smells well at all because the drawer full of clumped litter is not sealed in any way. And each time the globe rotates, it 'exhausts' those fumes all over the house and also creates litter dust which you will see on your dark hardwood floors in a radius of 10 ft around the box. I will say the night light is nice and the machine is relatively quiet. But after paying over $400 (which is crazy for what this is) and then still not having a working unit (after a replacement) is unacceptable. I was MUCH happier with the LR II, but alas, I can't go back now. I will have to update this as more time goes by and maybe I will figure something out. For now, I cannot leave the house for more than 24 hours without putting out a conventional litter box or risk another poo catastrophe. By the way, the LRII was already big and the LRIII is even bigger. This thing is huge and you cannot fit it in a regular bathroom unless you own one of those McMansions or something. Just an FYI. ------------ UPDATE 1-24-17 So this is a final update for this device. I really did try everything I could think of doing (and that Automated Pet Products suggested) to make this machine run again. It simply is a giant piece of junk. Look at recent reviews from folks who have had this machine for more than a month or two and you will see I am not the only one. The "safety and convenience" devices built into this machine simply make it horrible. It is so unreliable that it became unusable for me. I finally had no choice but to throw this extremely over-priced hunk out to the curb and the picture I took shows the sad moment. Do yourself a favor and if you must have an automatic litter box, consider getting a much cheaper one. Because if it doesn't work out, at least you are not out $500.