Vacuuming Up Nostalgia: Restoring a TOMY DustBot from the 1980s

[@peterstephens6168]

Every time I watch one of your videos, I come away a little bit smarter. Thank you!

[@RandiRain]

Very nice to hear. Thank you.

[@orionfl79]

Neat! Its Roomba's great grandad! :)

[@RandiRain]

It sure is!

[@DysoniaMultiverseNews]

@@RandiRain Tomy's main U.S. HQ (as they had a Japanese main HQ for the corporation as a Japanese based company with a U.S. presence much like Nintendo) was only about a couple miles or so from where I lived back in the 1980s. I have a Verbot and a couple Omnibot 5402.

[@DysoniaMultiverseNews]

Also a Radio Shack Armatron thing... like that one you have on the shelf.

[@ikeyschultz4969]

Randi, you continue to amaze. Do you have your own repair shop where a person could send their bot for repair? Or have any suggestions on any repair shops that specialize in the Tomy bots of the 80’s?

[@RandiRain]

Thanks. I wish I did have a place I could start a repair business, because I sure get asked enough to fix things for people, but I don't. I barely have enough room for my own stuff, and I don't have the time.

[@ikeyschultz4969]

Lol. You’re very talented. If you ever do open a repair shop you can count on at least one customer. 😊

[@ollyk22]

I find singer oil and similar to be the best for cintered bearings. Ideally heat it in for a couple of hours. REally transforms motors!

[@RandiRain]

Thanks for sharing

[@AndreSjoberg]

loving these tomy-bot videos, I still remember seeing the tape playing programmable one in an RC Car brochure back when it came out, sooooooo wanted one, convinced it would be actually useful ;) Thanks for making these videos, love them all :)

[@RandiRain]

Thank you very much. Always nice to hear.

[@canonsonico3752]

Looking fine girl! Keep up the good work💪

[@RandiRain]

Thank you! Will do!

[@SalZam150]

The first generation Roombas lol

[@generic53]

We don't need no stinkin' ROOMBA!

[@adamkalb1412]

❤winning again 🏁

[@electronicengineer]

Hi Randi, Happy Saturday! I love that the DustBot actually vacuums your workbench for you. Those two Tomy robots are really neat! Thanks for the thorough repair video. Fred

[@RandiRain]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@MrJDNJ]

They need to be upgraded for CatHairBot status.

[@crushedcan5378]

I wonder how many children begged their parents to buy them dustbot because "it would help them clean their room"

[@RandiRain]

They would have been highly disappointed.

[@michaelthomas3646]

looks like the radioshack robot done more cleaning with it's wheels than with the brush, and that is because the brush bristles were too short to reach the table. but yeah toy robots, cars, etc always made good vaccume cleaners, as you would always find dust, dirt, and other debrit build up around the wheels. the number of toy cars we had, and for some reason they would find carpet strands that would stop the wheels from turning after so long. so nearly spent as much time untangling strands of carpet more than playing with the toys.

[@RandiRain]

I think the brush is more just for show.

[@DysoniaMultiverseNews]

Nonetheless, good job fixing those robots Randi.

[@stevendunn264]

A vacuumeing robot is great. Find me one that scrubs the tub and toilet for me.

[@RandiRain]

That would be nice.

[@outsider238]

I recently bought three of these little guys. Two of them are practically brand new. That gear for the sideways wheel that turns Dustbot is difficult to find. I have to replace it in one of my robots. I just ordered a standard 10 tooth with a 2.5 mm hole. It might be 3 mm. I guess I'll see when I get them. I know you sell the treads for the other Tomy robots. Will you be selling the tires for the Dustbot? The O rings I used as replacements are okay but they're not quite tall enough.

[@RandiRain]

I've thought about selling them. the problem is that it's one of those things where shipping would cost more than the product. You can contact me, and I can make you some though if I don't put them on my site.

[@outsider238]

​@@RandiRainThank you. I'll keep an eye out for them.😁

[@DysoniaMultiverseNews]

@@outsider238 Might be able to deliver in small mail but would almost need to be like a pack of them. Almost more than a person may need for replacing the tire on one wheel.

[@outsider238]

​@DysoniaMultiverseNews I ended up gluing the remnants of one of the tires and it's actually working out. The other ones were still in practically brand new condition thankfully.

[@milkyway6080]

Hi Randi, I subscribed to your channel because I recently started to discover these little robots from Tomy that are just a bit older than me. I was trying to buy your Dingbot repair kit from your shop, but before the checkout I get this message : "There are no shipping options available. Please ensure that your address has been entered correctly, or contact us if you need any help." May you help me with this issue? Is it not possible to sent that kit over to Italy? I'd gladly let you repair my Dingbot but I read that you get a lot of repair inquiries, it also would be very expensive to send it back and forth from here, I guess. But I would like to buy the kit at least! Thanks in advance for your time 🙏

[@RandiRain]

I don't have it set up on that site. You can message me, but I'm way behind answering.

[@milkyway6080]

@@RandiRain I think I have already sent a message. I hope you will read it when you have time. Thanks

[@gshingles]

They're noisy burgers,. I'm not sure I'd want one running around my workbench all day. :)

[@RandiRain]

Not all day, plus you have to remove everything for it to clean.

[@jjandthemonkey4747]

I am gona buld a robot

[@RandiRain]

I have, it's fun.

[@PixSmith01]

The Roomba folks didn't add that much to the mix, and they aren't nearly as cute.