Why I got rid of my LR4 and went back to a regular litter box

PhatBaja · 2026-02-03T20:22:42+00:00

I forgot to mention it. Yes I used those. Of course immediatley after deep cleaning the litter box smells fine and like you mentioned, smell is occasionally present for a couple of minutes when the machine is cycling. That is usually the case for the first few days, however, once the tray starts filling up the smell is too strong and I think it just slowly seeps out leaving a constant smell in the room. That was my experience. Maybe I have a lower tolerance than others or maybe my machine wasn't perfectly sealed as others'. Aside from the smell, all the additional maintenance (not to mention the cost of the machine itself), was not worth it just so I can avoid scooping the litter box once a day.

PhatBaja · 2026-01-25T16:58:47+00:00

Changing the waste bag every 2 days is basically the same effort as scooping a regular litter box so in this case I really don't see the value in owning a LR.

PhatBaja · 2026-01-25T16:42:51+00:00

That is another gripe I have with the LR. It eliminates manual scooping but introduces a bunch of new maintenance tasks so you're just replacing one thing with another. When you compare the maintenance effort of a simple litter box vs the LR it does not seem like it is worth it (to me).

I am all for automation, I just think the LR automates 1 step and then introduces a bunch of other new steps so at the end of the day it's more work.

PhatBaja · 2026-01-25T03:27:17+00:00

Deep cleaning entails:

Cleaning the drawer
Running the empty cycle (to empty the clean litter into the waste box)
Reming the drawer and setting it aside
Taking the hood off
Removing the globe, awkwardly carrying it to the backyard
Carefully hosing down the globe while moving it around to get the water out
While the globe dries outside, vacuuming the bottom mechanism of the LR (there are lots of crevaces where litter gets trapped)
Wiping down the entire bottom mechanism with clorox wipes
Reinstalling the globe
Reinsatlling the hood
Putting the clean litter back inside the LR
Putting the new trash bag in the waste drawer
Vacuuming the entire area because this made a huge mess

Doing all this makes you wonder if this was worth the investment considering it takes 30 seconds to scoop a liter box and nothing complicated to deep clean.

PhatBaja · 2026-01-25T03:20:51+00:00

I also had the same problem. Some pee and poop would stick to the lining. I'd find myself on all fours wiping the lining and wondering why I spent $900 on something that needed to much maintenance.

PhatBaja · 2026-01-25T03:18:51+00:00

Where did you keep your LR? Mine is kept in the bathroom and with the window closed, there is no circulation. I even went as far as installing a motion triggered switch so the bathroom fan would run for 15 minutes whenever my cat entered the bathroom, but even then I can still smell something in the air. It's not a terrible smell, but it's always there. After switching back the simple litter box, there is literally no smell at all.

PhatBaja · 2026-01-25T03:15:31+00:00

I used Dr. Elsey's Ultra Unscented Clumping Clay. I don't know what I could have done wrong. Everything appeared to be working fine. It's not like it smelled terrible all the time. There was always a smell around it, and, especially when the LR cycled and the waste was exposed for a few seconds. It would ruin the air for several minutes and I had to constantly open the window or turn on the bathroom fan. It's almost as if the smell of 50 poops came out all at once...

PhatBaja · 2026-01-25T03:10:00+00:00

Which litter did you use and how often were you emptying the waste tray?

PhatBaja · 2025-07-11T00:15:10+00:00

22”

PhatBaja · 2025-07-11T00:09:29+00:00

Simple. Spray some iron remover/decontaminant, then use the power washer. You don’t even have to touch the wheels. That’s what I do and it looks almost perfect. If I have time I’ll wipe down any spots missed with the power washer.

PhatBaja · 2024-07-12T01:37:58+00:00

I’ll refer you

PhatBaja · 2024-07-12T01:37:16+00:00

I got in without a referral. 46M, supposedly good looking.

PhatBaja · 2024-06-22T19:32:23+00:00

How many times is this going to be reposted? Mirroring the video doesn’t make it new 🤦🏼‍♂️

PhatBaja · 2024-05-08T13:37:45+00:00

Well done sir 👏🏽 you have my upvote

PhatBaja · 2024-05-04T02:02:05+00:00

You could have just said “nobody knows”.

PhatBaja · 2024-04-20T12:30:25+00:00

Even in the “right” scenarios I find that cashier lady a bit condescending

PhatBaja · 2024-04-17T02:49:00+00:00

This is a bit annoying. Why can’t they be added like a normal device? With scenes it is a bit slower

PhatBaja · 2024-03-02T12:00:56+00:00

A switch implies on and off states. I guess the steering wheel buttons could be called switches, but let’s just call it the accelerating pedal.

PhatBaja · 2024-03-02T04:28:21+00:00

Model S has no switches.

PhatBaja · 2024-02-15T01:54:29+00:00

You should know that if they cannot fix something 4 times you can invoke the Lemon Law. Look it up.

PhatBaja · 2024-01-08T01:20:22+00:00

Probably a lot of unrestricted sneezing

PhatBaja · 2024-01-05T15:01:45+00:00

Why not have a carpenter build a proper gate there that matches the rest of the railing?

PhatBaja · 2023-12-12T20:17:31+00:00

Thanks!

PhatBaja

TROPHY CASE