Pet Zone Smart Scoop Automatic Litter Box (Self Cleaning Litter Box, Cat Litter Box with No Expensive Refills) [Hands-Free, East to Clean Waste Disposal Litter Box, Works with Clumping Cat Litter]

I, like many others who write reviews, have had firsthand experience with the benefits and drawbacks of automatic litter boxes. Like many others, I began with Litter Maid, and over the years, I went through three different models, each of which lasted less time with each generation. Under the one-year warranty, I had to replace it five times. There are several design flaws in the Litter Maid that ensure failure. As a result, the hunt for a better solution began. br>Let me be honest: we have two male cats, each weighing 20 pounds. Any litter box will be subjected to a thorough examination. I looked at every brand and quickly decided that no litter box would be worth $500. I was trying to find something. Every single review was read by me. I was watching videos on YouTube. There were clearly more reviews for the Pet Safe than for the Pet Zone, with many of them being positive. In the end, the thought of spending an extra $40 on a reusable plastic litter pan for the Scoop Free was too much for me. I thought the price of disposable litter pans or having to pay $40 for something that should have been included in the base unit was a little too predatory. I decided to give this one a try after seeing a well-made YouTube video on the Pet Zone. It's been about a month since I got it. The Benefits: br> br>The design corrects the Litter Maid's flaws. br>1. The rake and the motor work together to move the rake. There are no electronic components that have come into contact with kitty pee. Male cats have a proclivity for spraying or peeing back. The stop switch contacts on the Litter Maid's rake are located on the back of the rake. On the six units I had, this was a major source of problems.
2. Outside of the litter box is the rake gear and track mechanism. They'll stay dry and clean as a result of this. The Litter Maid's equipment and track are located within the litter box. Urine and litter caking in the gear and gear track is a possibility. The rake mechanism eventually jumps off track on one side or the other and jams as a result of this.
3. There are no wire harnesses or ribbon cables to track with the movement of the rake because the drive motor and litter basket move as a single unit. Both are documented sources of failure for the Litter Maid. The ribbon cable, in particular, is worth mentioning. Go to YouTube and look for videos. This is a very common issue.
4. After use, there is a long period of time. This machine takes 15 minutes to complete the task. 12 Minutes with the Litter Maid This may not seem like much, but the litter clumps breaking up during raking has been much less of a problem for me. I'd love to see a 30-minute delay option added.
5. Quite a bit quieter than the Litter Maid6. Bag liners made of plastic. Instead of using the provided bags, we use plastic grocery bags. They are more comfortable and cost nothing.
7. I haven't double-checked, but one of the YouTube reviews said the drive motor could be replaced. If the price is reasonable, this could be extremely beneficial. br>br>The Negatives:
1. The L-shaped rake must lift up and over to deposit behind itself because of the way the rake scoops the waste to empty into the bin. Occasionally, two wastes are left in the litter box's front.
2. Instead of an IR sensor, it appears that this box employs a motion sensor. Even if you're just adding new litter to the box, this causes the system to clean itself.
3. If another cat uses the box while the countdown is running, the cleaning cycle does not reset the timer. We've had the clean trigger when one of our cats was in the box with two cats. It's fortunate for us that our cats aren't afraid of anything: 0
4. As previously stated, it would be fantastic if the delay could be adjusted to accommodate longer or shorter periods of time. Different clumping litters behave differently after the box has been opened, and their behavior changes over time. Yes, there is a timer on the Scoop Free. br>br>We'll see how long this unit lasts, but overall, we're happy with the design and functionality. We use the least amount of manual intervention possible. We clean the rake about every other day when we empty the waste bin and put a new plastic bag in, which is much less than the Litter Maid. We usually have to lift the rake and scoop the kitty litter behind it with our hands. That's something you can't change. I appreciate being able to pull out the bag and tie it shut to keep the waste and odor contained. This time around, the house smells a lot better.

Alonso Murray

| Apr 29, 2021

So, please pay attention to what I'm saying. I've bought three of these Automatic Cat Litter Boxes in the last few years. I purchased this product for full price ($120) the first time, and it was fantastic; It is something I would strongly recommend to anyone. However, the motor stopped working after a year or so, so I had to buy a new one-- My belief is that you can't expect a product like this to work perfectly for the rest of your life, especially if your pet uses it on a daily basis. This product was on sale for $80 the second time I bought it. It performed similarly to the previous unit at first. However, the motor soon began to fail (4 months later); This surprised me because it appeared to be the exact same item I had purchased previously. When it stopped working, I contacted customer service, and the motor was replaced under the 1-year warranty. a one-year warranty It continued to function normally for another two months before abruptly ceasing. To cut a long story short, I had to contact customer service three times in the space of six months to have the motor on my second unit replaced under warranty (which was NOT as simple as the first time). Furthermore, the motor had undergone significant modifications and was no longer identical to the original. Despite the fact that they sent me a new motor(s), I noticed that the motor(s)' lifespan/functionality was decreasing with each call to replace it. I believe the firm has re-evaluated its position. Overall, this product is a good litter box to introduce you to an automatic cleaning system in general, but I would strongly advise people not to buy it because it now stops working shortly after purchase. br>br>I'm on my third unit now, and I've only had it for TWO DAYS. It has already stopped working, and while I can restore its functionality, I don't think it's worth repeating every week. I've also found that calling in the warranty hasn't helped because it hasn't solved the problem. To give you some context, I have one cat and used to only have to empty/clean the waste box once a week when I first bought this product. I now have to check for malfunctions and reset it on a daily basis. Based on my personal experience, I would advise anyone considering this product to look elsewhere. I would not recommend this product at this time if you want to reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning your cat's litter box-- You'll have to either (1) reset the motor or (2) contact customer service for the warranty, which will only add to your headache.

Bonnie SYKES

| Oct 27, 2021

I've made it my mission to experiment with every type of litter, litter box, and litter system available. I do go through a lot of automatic litter boxes, lolbr>br>I do go through a lot of automatic litter boxes, lolbr>br>I do go through a lot of automatic litter boxes By far the best brand used to be this one. When I last needed replacements, I saw some negative reviews on here, but assumed that those people had either received defective items or were simply the type of people who complain about everything. I went ahead and bought a couple more of these anyway, because I've had good luck with them in the past. br>br>Not any longer. br>Unfortunately, this litter box isn't worth much. I'm not sure why they would ruin a good product by redesigning it into a shambles. The rake isn't long enough to reach the box's bottom. The clumps and logs are not scooped out. In fact, it just smears and breaks them up to the point where I can't even scoop them out with a regular manual scooper. I can't express my dissatisfaction. br>My Litter Robots were a bit pricey, but they work fantastically and have more than paid for themselves in litter savings! I guess I'll just have to put up with them until they come up with a better product.

Van Santana

| Oct 12, 2021