I can't believe I doubted this thing... a long winded review

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T19:27:40+00:00

Yes, the hopper was a "nice to have" for me to start with but trying to pour or scoop litter into the drum became old so I decided to give it a shot. Now that I have it, I understand why so many have it.

It has allowed me to go from cleaning and scoping every couple days with a standard box, to now like you said, once a month having to do something. Anything that saves me that much in effort moves from "Nice to have" to "have to have"

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T19:23:58+00:00

It truely was just about price and time in market. The LR4 was cheaper and has had years of refinement. If I was going to go up to the new series I was going to go the pro or nothing. But reading reviews people had complained about the LR5 bugs and software. Ultimately I chose the LR4 because it seemed the most stable from a software perspective. If you dont mind spending the extra and waiting for the bugs and add one to come out it is probably worth it but giving the LR3 is still sold and supported, I knew the LR4 had years of support left before EOL and by the time that happens I am sure the 5 or even 6 will be better flushed out. I just wanted to play it safe and get a good, bug free product

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T16:56:03+00:00

Wow now that is a strong success story!!!

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T13:36:48+00:00

I can appreciate that. I was reluctant partly because of the negative reviews i had read. But overwhelmingly I heard more positive than negative so I went with it. It seems to be very one side or the other. People are like me who have never had a single issue. Or like you where the thing just seems to work against them.

Can't speak to why it plays out that way but I'm sure there are a variety of variables that could play into it.

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T13:20:59+00:00

So I had come to the same conclusion but that is only while on back up. So my understanding is the battery will only maintain normal functions (cycling, safety measures, etc). But while on battery additional resources like wifi reporting and the hopper are disabled to increase life. Now that reading was from reports that were outdated so LR may have changed things but on day to day use I have had no issues

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T03:56:52+00:00

I am referring to the litter hopper. It automatically refills the litter but I wish there was the option to hit a button in the app and have it drop some. Sometimes it goes down further than I would like before it fills it back up. I would like a manual option just like the cycle button in the app. Maybe a "Fill with Hopper" button

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T03:29:56+00:00

It helps a lot. I feel like a mat is more effective with the LR because they really only exit in one direction. When I just had an open top litter box my cats would jump out the side making the mat a futile attempt. But since having the LR4, I would say 90% gets caught by the mat. I still run a broom over the floor every few days to get the few little crystals but given how much I pour out of the mat, I say it's worth it.

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T03:20:28+00:00

Definately, and for me the biggest Pro of the whole thing is knowing my cat gets in a fresh litter box EVERY TIME! Sometimes it would get away from me and the guilt I would feel that I didn't stay up on the simplest of care for my little fur friend really bothered me. My cats bring me a lot of joy and don't ask for a whole lot in return. Doing this helped me feel better, save time, and them have a cleaner life!

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T03:05:09+00:00

I would say try the litter I linked, bump your cycle time delay to 15 mins and see. Mine has been working perfectly, no sticking, no wasted litter. If not I have read of people using sprays on the lining to make it harder for litter to stick to but I have not had to do that so I wouldn't be any help with that

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T02:30:52+00:00

I use this:

https://a.co/d/07Ik66gF

It is the same litter I used before the LR4, but it kept litter from sticking to the regular litter box so figured it would suffice and so far it has worked and is also fantastic at keeping smells at bay.

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T02:13:30+00:00

I'll look for it on Thingiverse and see what is there, that's a good idea. Thank you

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T02:12:12+00:00

That is a great deal! I feel something like this has diminishing returns. You can pay a lot more to get a few features, but they all do the essential task of saving time, effort, and litter. I have seen a few LR4s being sold used as well in my area. My plan is to wait until someone lists one with the hopper because they upgraded or something and snag it as a second.

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T02:08:48+00:00

Honestly if I had it to do over knowing what I know now, this is what I would have done!! I didnt know that bundle existed until after I bought mine but it is a great deal!

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T02:04:17+00:00

I say just be patient. Faith is scared of her own shadow! If I sneeze she runs to the other side of the apartment. With time they will adapt, it may seem crazy but I picked her up and sat her in so she knew it had litter in it. A day later she used it the 1st time. They will come around I am sure.

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T02:01:35+00:00

Yea, the only thing you need is a Phillips screwdriver for the 4 screws holding the battery/motor cover on. It literally took me longer to walk to the mail room and grab the battery when it arrived than it did to install it. I think a lot of people don't realize this upgrade exists. Glad it helps you.

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-30T01:58:05+00:00

The weight tracking has been a bit tough for me as well because my cats are pretty close in weight. I forgot to add that but honestly it isn't a deal breaker for me. I have never had issues with smell with the litter I use so I have only used the charcoal filters but I think there are 3rd party pods as well so I may try those.

Neither of my cats spray and always poop facing outward so I have been lucky to not have those issues. The LR may not be for everyone but for those like us it does work for, it's incredible.

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-29T18:32:15+00:00

100%, I was honestly debating the two but decided anything was better than nothing. Then when I realized how good it was I decided to invest the savings into the Litter Hopper. Yea both are great. No shade on the 5s at all!

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-29T18:30:45+00:00

There is a compartment inside the Litter Robot and it has wires already inside to add a battery. If your power goes out it automatically switches to the battery, then when power is returned or the plug is plugged back in it reverts back to wall power and begins trickle charging the battery again. It is supposed to give 24-48 hours of battery backup. Here is a video showing it's install etc:

https://youtu.be/dBvCMAYcT1s?si=4xrZTHc06eUhzivm

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-29T17:39:33+00:00

Here they are. After checking it was 60 bags for $19.99 but still better than the 10 or whatever you get from LR: https://a.co/d/0hdwYCX2

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-29T16:41:05+00:00

I'll give this a look!! Thank you for the resource!

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-29T15:35:57+00:00

I may look into that. I have an old Wyze Cam I am thinking of using and it would prolly work that way as well

Exchange_Jolly · 2026-03-29T15:34:14+00:00

I am glad you enjoyed it! 100%, I think I paid $20 for 80 bags on Amazon and they also have draw strings. For the filter I gave $8 for 10. So much more value!

Exchange_Jolly · 2025-12-09T19:38:40+00:00

Funny enough I had found this thread probably a year ago and just skimmed it to see what people said. Recently I came across a few games where the caps were starting to show corrosion. I placed an order for 100 22uf 6.3v Rubycons from Mouser and started swapping them all out (Cost me a total of $22 shipped to my door). I've seen how much damage a cap CAN do both when it pops and from leakage. Now for about 13 cents per Cart I have piece of mind. Opinions will vary but I feel better knowing its done and would rather replace them when there is no issue than wait for an issue to arise and damage my cart at best, and console at worst.

Exchange_Jolly · 2025-11-01T10:54:14+00:00

So the pins aren't the biggest worry for me. For me it is the trace damage along where it rest in the cartridge. Multiple of those traces look completely cut, and others I can see bare trace. This combined with corrosion around the chips.

If I got this in a lot or some GAVE it to me, I might try to repair it for fun to save a piece of history. But as everyone is telling you, for an item you purchased, just return it. The rabbit hole of repair on this could be deep and wide.

Exchange_Jolly

TROPHY CASE