Vacuuming sucks. My idea of giving our adult sons robot vacuums for Christmas one year was intended to rid them of that odious chore.

What a disappointment. Both robots got thrown out after only a few months because they were ridiculously noisy, needed constant supervision and were more trouble than they were worth. They just couldn't do their job.

But that was then, and this is now. There's a new robot vacuum in town, and it is the Eufy RoboVac 11 (www.everydaycheapskate.com/robovac), brought to you by the same folks who make my beloved Eufy Stick Vac. This robot has renewed my faith in robotic vacuuming — it's possible and amazing.

Not only is the RoboVac 11 extremely quiet; it works on hardwood floors and low-pile carpet (although it's not suitable for very dark hardwood). It's programmable, and it has multiple functions and a killer battery that offers at least an hour of runtime on maximum cleaning which I use it on carpet.

I've run it every day since I got it. The amount of dirt, dust and hair it picks up every day freaks me out a little. RoboVac 11 easily navigates over area rugs and isn't even fazed by tassels or electrical cords.

And this little thing is so smart it knows when it needs to be recharged and most of the time takes itself home to the charging dock for a refill. He is only 3.1 inches tall, which means he can go under furniture and beds. We call him Guffy.

One of my staff members got a Eufy RoboVac 11 about the same time that I did. You can be sure that we've been comparing notes. Before you read his review, let me tell you that Max is not easily impressed. He has high standards and is intolerant of products that promise but cannot deliver.

He said: "As a homeowner with four cats, my vacuum and myself have a very intimate relationship. I used to spend 30-40 minutes every day vacuuming up stray kitty litter, cat hair, and who knows what else.

"I've always wanted a Roomba to help me with this process, but with them costing up to $900 for the higher end models it was just out of my price range. I'm also an avid tech-nerd so when I saw that Eufy (an offshoot of Anker, which is known for high-end mobile charging accessories) was releasing its own robot vacuum (just over $200), I bit the bullet.

"All I can say is WOW. I wish I had this little guy years ago. Honestly, it has completely changed my life. I value my time immensely. I also have back issues so vacuuming wasn't the most pleasant experience. Instead of three and a half hours a week of vacuuming upstairs, I spend maybe 10-15 minutes emptying out the RoboVac 11 storage bin, cleaning the filters, and puling any stuck hairs on the brushes. Billy (yes I named it) also gets to places where I can't, but cats can, like under the bed and sofas. I don't really understand the method to his madness and navigation but he cleans my entire upstairs (four bedrooms) and gets EVERYTHING including edges of walls and around baseboards - areas I tend to frequently miss.

"When Billy's done making my house look magical, he wanders his way back to the base station and gets himself juiced up to clean the next day at his scheduled time. I just may get another RoboVac 11 for downstairs — or maybe a whole army of Billy's!"

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.