Littermaid LM580 Classic – Full Review

The LitterMaid LM580 Classic Series Litter Box helps you to maintain the cat litter box by scooping the waste 10 minutes after your pet has used the box. After your cat has done its business, special sensors activate to clean the waste, and also it can be activated manually for extra scooping.

The Littermaid Classic LM580 features a detachable rake mechanism for easy cleaning, a removable litter tray, high side-walls to avoid litter dispersion, and a safety bar that stops and reverses the rake in case of blockage, for example, if the cat jumps in the box during the cleaning cycle.

This automatic litter box allows cat owners to work until late or when going out for a couple of days. The Littermaid LM580 with 14” x 14” pan size, is suitable for single-cat households.

The unit works with an AC adapter and uses 8 AA batteries as backup in case of a power outage.

FEATURES

• Designed to be used with one cat under 10 pounds
• Higher side-walls to keep waste and litter inside the box
• Detachable automatic rake for easy cleaning
• Dual motion sensors activate the cleaning cycle 10 minutes after the pet uses the box.
• Safety bar to stop rake in case of blockage
• Dual Power Option that runs on AC adapter or 8 AA batteries
• Dimensions new (L x W x H): 24.3 x 17.2 x 9.3 inches
• Pan Size (LxW): 14 x 14 inches
• Weight: 12.5 lbs
• Plastic Rake
• Adjustable to automatic or manual activation
• Requirements to install: Away from humidity and direct sunlight. Electric outlet.
• Guarantee: 30-day money-back
• Warranty: One year

Littermaid LM580 Classic Automatic Cat Litter Box includes:

• 4 Waste Receptacles
• 4 Carbon Filters
• Back-up battery compartment
• One scoop

If you want more waste receptacles and carbon filters, the Littermaid LM680C is basically the same version but includes 8 waste containers and 8 carbon filters, plus the ramp.

CAT SUITABILITY

The Littermaid Classic works better for cats weighing between 5 lbs and 10 lbs. Kittens over 6 months old can start using this litter box. Littermaid is recommended to use with a single cat.

HOW LITTERMAID CLASSIC WORKS

After the cat uses the Littermaid Classic special dual-motion and timed sensors to activate a 10-minute delay. After this period of time, the rake starts sweeping the waste into a replaceable plastic compartment which has a carbon filter attached to neutralize odors. The manufacturer recommends using LitterMaid with Premium Clumping Cat Litter. See a video of how the Littermaid works here.

You need to buy plastic waste receptacles to use the Littermaid. Also, a carbon filter keeps odor under control. As optional accessories, you can use the PermaLid to secure the plastic waste receptacles, Littermaid natural Zeolite to control odors even more, and the Litermaid mat.

SAFETY MECHANISM

If the cat re-enters the litter box during the 10 minutes countdown, the timer will reset and it will start a new countdown for another 10 minutes.

FREQUENCY OF DISPOSING

Change or empty the waste compartment every 4-7 days. The difference will vary depending on the cat’s age, size, and diet.

CLEANING THE UNIT

It’s recommended to clean the litter box sensors and rake when needed due to the expose of the sensors to cat litter dust and the rake with litter clumps.  Wipe sensors with a dry cloth and the walls with a damp cloth. For deeper cleaning wash tray & rake.

What are the Pros and Cons of the Littermaid LM580 Classic Series?

PROS

• Easy to assemble
• It reduces the frequency and time of scooping.
• Carbon filter reduces odors.
• Higher side-walls to contain litter
• Removable rake for easy cleaning.
• A plastic rake adheres less to waste than a metal rake.
• It uses less litter than a regular litter box.
• Easy to be adopted by cats since it looks like a normal litter box
• Easy disposal of the tray.
• It includes a scooper for removing waste not caught by the rake.
• It runs in AC adapter mode and in 8 AA batteries as a backup.
• Noise level is OK when it cleans, it is not silent, but it is not too loud either.
• Good price.

CONS

• Replaceable plastic waste compartments are expensive (you can use bags in the tray instead)
• The motor does make some noise when operating (less noise than other models though)
• The rake sometimes only drags the waste getting stuck on the rake, so it does not fall into the compartment (with a good premium clumping litter you can avoid this).
• The waste receptacle lid doesn’t attach strongly to the plastic lid so if not placed carefully it could fall off and cat feces end up on top of the lid.
• On occasions, the waste sticks on the bottom of the unit, not getting pushed by the rake. This has to be cleaned manually.
• The litter bed is small for an average cat
• The full line for litter is too shallow, not good for diggers.
• The motor is not very powerful (important not to overfill the litter box)
• When rake scoops into the waste compartment some litter spills out onto the floor (placing a mat fixes this)
• Sensors don’t work when dusty.
• If too much litter gets on the edge of the machine or with big clumps, it will get blocked and stop.

TIPS

• The ramp has to be ordered separately.
• Choosing the most suitable cat litter is crucial for the Littermaid to work properly and the best according to customers reviews is “World’s Best Cat Litter” followed by  “Ultra Precious Cat Premium” and “Everclean”
• To save money on waste trays you can place a plastic bag instead of buying a replacement or you can get the Litter Works which allows you to be almost a week without emptying the litter box and it’s simple to dispose of the collected waste. Check the Litter Works full review and see how it works.
• If you overfill the box it will be harder for the motor to make the rake push the waste so make sure to pour litter under the fill line.
• Make sure you don’t put it too close to the wall or the cat will defecate or urinate on only one side, spilling out litter from the receptacle.
• Customers recommend buying the “Permanent Lid” attachment for the Littermaid, or the “Perma-lid Guard Combo” to stop the problem of the receptacle falling off the litter box cover.
• Buy rechargeable batteries to back up the system.
• Spray the rake and the bottom with silicone to keep clumps from sticking.

Notes about the Littermaid Classic LM580

The unit uses 8 AA batteries and not 8 D batteries as stated in the description. These 8 AA batteries are consumed fast and are only for backup in case of a power outage and are not meant to be used as the main power source. This means the Littermaid has to be plugged in.

A great advantage of the Classic version over the more recent Littermaid versions is the rake is made from heavy molded plastic and not metal. This creates much less adherence to the waste on the rake.

In case you need to reset the Littermaid

The unit has two reset buttons, one on each end of the right-sided track when facing it from the waste receptacle side. Push them to reset the machine.

CONCLUSION

The Littermaid Classic Series LM580 works as described, but it is not a set-and-forget solution.  This unit works better collecting firm stools, with soft stools it doesn’t do a good job. You may need to do some adjustments to make this unit work for your cat. These adjustments are:

• You may need to change the cat litter: The effectiveness of the Littermaid Classic LM580 depends on the quality of the litter. Using cheap clumping litter will create problems when the machine rakes. According to customers the best litter brand for the Littermaid is “World’s Best Cat Litter”

• Don’t overfill the litter pan. If you put more litter than indicated the unit will malfunction and also will damage the motor. Also, too much litter will make the unit spill litter when cleaning.

• Spray silicone on the rake. This will help to reduce waste from getting stuck on the rake.

• Buy the “Permanent Lid” or tape the receptacle to the lid of the box. This will prevent the receptacle from falling onto the floor with waste.

• Manual scooping. Sometimes you may have to scoop if the rake does not get all the clumps into the waste compartment.

Doing these adjustments, the Littermaid LM580 will work well for you and your cat. One thing to mention is that some customers state that though this unit works well, it does not have the same quality of materials as the very first Classic version of the Littermaid but it’s still a better unit than the more modern Littermaid versions.

For these reasons:

√ The Littermaid LM580 may work:

• For one small-sized cat that defecates firm stool
• For cat owners willing to buy good quality clumping litter.
• If you want help in scooping and not a maintenance-free unit.
• if you are working and your cat is home alone for some hours and he loves its litter box to be clean.

x I don’t recommend this unit:

• To be used with more than one cat
• For cats weighing over 10 lbs
• For cats that tend to use only the corners
• For diggers that pile too much litter over their feces or urine.
• For cats with urinary, digestive problems or with soft feces
• If you don’t want to spend money on good quality clumping cat litter.
• If you want a maintenance-free unit
• To be used for several days without supervision