Dolphin Nautilus/Nautilus Plus vs Hayward Tiger Shark. Pros/Cons??

[CrockerDave]

Howdy!

I currently have a Polaris 380 w/ booster pump, and while it does a good job of picking up the leaves & big stuff, I'm starting to look into robotic cleaners for a few reasons (added wall-scrubbing & water filtering capability of a robot, save $$ on electric bill, & 1 less pump to worry about). From my research, I've pretty much narrowed it down to a Dolphin Nautilus (or Nautilus Plus if the price is right) or a Hayward Tiger Shark 9950 (I don't care about the "QC" function). BUT, I'm open to suggestions on other Brands & Models. Here's my criteria:

• Price must not exceed $800 (I'd really like to stay under $700 if possible)
• Must scrub walls well (I have a gunite pool)
• Durable
• Speed is not a concern (I'll probably be putting it in the pool before I go to bed)
• Cartridge Filter (seems better than a bag system, but I could be wrong)
• I can purchase replacement parts & fix it myself

Please let me know your thoughts/gripes/likes/dislikes on these models (and any other good robots I haven't listed). There are so many robots out there now, it's a bit confusing trying to pick one...I appreciate your feedback!!

 

[JVTrain]

I have a TigerShark. It's an older model from probably early 2000s but have no idea on it's age. Haven't bothered to try to figure out its age based on serial numbers. It still works well. It climbs the walls well, sometimes too well and climbs itself right out of the water, losing suction because it starts drawing in air then drops to the bottom of the pool and keeps going. I have the high velocity inlet installed, no suction restrictor plate. Both are optional items on some models. I have a single main drain with a domed vent/screen that the robot occasionally gets hung up on during its cleaning cycle. Kind of annoying when it wastes part of a cycle while I'm not watching it.

I have had to repair it myself twice due to a battle between my robot and a thermometer that I neglected to take out of the pool before starting the robot. Replaced 2 wheel bearings once and a single wheel bearing another time. Easy self repair. I have debated replacing the drive track and scrubbing brushes as they are a bit worn but have not done that yet.

It does a great job at picking up fine debris like dirt and small bugs as well as sucking up the few leaves I get in the pool on occasion. I wish the filter were a top loading style like some robots as flipping the robot over every time to remove the filters is kind of a pain, but not too bad. Power cable sometimes gets a little twisted after a bunch of uses, but remembering to swap the handle position before each time I put it in the pool helps that. Occasionally I stretch the cord out and remove any twists.

 

[CrockerDave]

I have a TigerShark. It's an older model from probably early 2000s but have no idea on it's age. Haven't bothered to try to figure out its age based on serial numbers. It still works well. It climbs the walls well, sometimes too well and climbs itself right out of the water, losing suction because it starts drawing in air then drops to the bottom of the pool and keeps going. I have the high velocity inlet installed, no suction restrictor plate. Both are optional items on some models. I have a single main drain with a domed vent/screen that the robot occasionally gets hung up on during its cleaning cycle. Kind of annoying when it wastes part of a cycle while I'm not watching it.

I have had to repair it myself twice due to a battle between my robot and a thermometer that I neglected to take out of the pool before starting the robot. Replaced 2 wheel bearings once and a single wheel bearing another time. Easy self repair. I have debated replacing the drive track and scrubbing brushes as they are a bit worn but have not done that yet.

It does a great job at picking up fine debris like dirt and small bugs as well as sucking up the few leaves I get in the pool on occasion. I wish the filter were a top loading style like some robots as flipping the robot over every time to remove the filters is kind of a pain, but not too bad. Power cable sometimes gets a little twisted after a bunch of uses, but remembering to swap the handle position before each time I put it in the pool helps that. Occasionally I stretch the cord out and remove any twists.

Thanks for the feedback!
I'm still doing research...probably won't buy anything for a while.

 

[botanica37]

I think you should look at parts price and availability. Pump and drive motors are the things that may need replacement and are the most expensive...I recall reading about a circuit board going bad on the Dolphin, but not sure if I am recalling the correct model, and Maytronics wouldn't sell the board by itself. Just something to consider. I am looking at getting a second cleaner, for when my Aquabot is out of commission (usually about 3 weeks in the summer every year for the last 5 years). So maybe get the schematics, I did that when I got another Aquabot last year, only because I had all these parts left from my old one In retrospect wish I had gotten something else.

 

[CrockerDave]

I think you should look at parts price and availability. Pump and drive motors are the things that may need replacement and are the most expensive...I recall reading about a circuit board going bad on the Dolphin, but not sure if I am recalling the correct model, and Maytronics wouldn't sell the board by itself. Just something to consider. I am looking at getting a second cleaner, for when my Aquabot is out of commission (usually about 3 weeks in the summer every year for the last 5 years). So maybe get the schematics, I did that when I got another Aquabot last year, only because I had all these parts left from my old one In retrospect wish I had gotten something else.

Thanks for that insight! I hadn't even thought about pricing the replacement parts. I've actually started looking at a different model Dolphin robot, the DX4 (which is the basically the same as a Dolphin Neptune Plus & Dolphin Apollo Plus, just different colors & prices).

 

[red.32]

Don't know about the Tiger Shark, but the Nautilus Plus has a 2-yr warranty - this is also another thing to consider.