My experience with pool robots and a new robot purchase

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oodaddy

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Apr 23, 2012
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I just completed my research into buying a new robot cleaner for my 15k gallon 36 x 15 fiberglass pool with SWG. My pool has 2 seat areas, steps, and a ledge that runs the perimeter of the deep end. A challenge for robots certainly. I also have many leaves, acorns and a good bit of silt. So i put a lot of time into searching for the best robot for my needs. I wanted to buy from a local store for ease of service(although i have bought 2 previous robots online). I really wanted a robot that could hold a large amount of debris as well as filter fine particles and not get stuck on the steps/seats. I did not consider the 4 wheeled robots (like the Polaris P955 or the Aquabot Rapids 4WD) as I do not think that design is good for complicated pools from what I can tell.

I really appreciate all the great info & experience on this site so figured i would share what I learned through the process. It can be difficult to find info on pool robots (especially the newer models) and since I have now owned 3 different brands, I thought I would share my experiences.

I ended up buying the Maytronics Active 30i (aka S300i) from a local store in the Greenville, SC area, Upward Pool Supply. I decided on this model because of the large topload basket that incorporates a set of fine particle filters around the basket(you dont have to change out filters or cartridges), latest/newest design, 60 ft cord, ease of cleaning the debris basket, local service center, lightweight/smaller size(hoping this allows it to get seats/steps better), and a bluetooth app for remote control/programming. Also, several dealers I talked with both locally and over the phone have had very positive experiences so far. Apparently Maytronics is selling a lot of these S series/Active Series robots. The cons for this particular model IMHO are : shorter warranty ( 2 year bumper to bumper warranty), no 3rd brush on the bottom of the robot, unknown long term reliability and no anti swivel cord device included. Regarding reliability; one dealer said last year they encountered frequent issues with the power supply, but the issue seems to be fixed. Otherwise, dealers have sold many of these S series/Active series models and are not seeing returns or frequent mechanical issues currently.
I havent had the Active 30i long enough to review it but will keep you posted. First impression is good though. Also, a small point, but I really like the caddy. Its sturdy and well balanced with the power supply mounted at the top. Other caddies I have had were flimsy and poorly designed.

I demo'd 2 other robots before I purchased this one. Here are my impressions:
1. Polaris P825 (exclusive to Leslie Pool Supply): Decent robot with few bells & whistles. Top loading large debris basket very easy to clean & remove. A very good design and feature. Only has a 50 ft cord and no anti swivel device. Cleaned my pool well, similar to my Blue Diamond, except the basket does not catch any fine particles and there is no fine particle option to purchase. So after a few hours all the silt just settled back on the bottom of the pool effectively meaning the P825 just stirred things up. If there was a 2 micron basket or fine filter insert I probably would have kept it. Not sure who actually manufactures this machine so reliability & parts would be unknown as well.

2. Maytronics Dolphin M400: Excellent machine and I probably could have been happy with this one. Has all the great features (except does not have an included remote) including top loading cartridge filters that are very easy to remove and clean. It comes with 2 sets of cartridges - one set for fine particles and one for large debris. I was worried they may not be big enough for leaves, etc but I think they are plenty big and hold a lot of leaves as well as did a good job on the fine silt with the proper cartridges in place. It also has a 3rd brush on the bottom for extra scrubbing and has a 3 yr bumper to bumper warranty. Every dealer locally said they have had very few issues with this robot and recommend it highly. Actually was slightly cheaper than the Active 30i and the only reason I didnt buy the M400 is it did not even touch my steps, seat or deep end ledge. However, I usually have to brush them off anyway. So if for some reason my new Active 30i is a bust I will buy the M400 with no regrets.

Things I learned along the way:
1. Aquabot Elite/ Aquabot Rapids 1500/ Aquabot Rapids 2000: These robots look well designed and have every feature I want. 3 yr warranty, very large top loading fine 2 micron filters, 3rd underneath vibrating brush, anti swivel 60 ft cord,etc. Was going to purchase an Elite at poolexpress.com but after I talked with a large Aquabot Service center/dealer i was hesitant. Although Aquabot branded, they are made by Aquatron in Israel and parts are going to be very problematic unless a lot of units get sold. Most dealers wont even sell them yet because they are unsure of how these units are going to perform. There are NO reviews that I could find (there is 1 YouTube video but is more descriptive than review worthy)and I have not been very inspired by my Blue Diamond robot (made by Aquatron). Also, I have no local options for Aquabot service so I was reluctant to take the chance on such a new product. They may prove to be awesome though, time will tell.

2. It seems like the bottom loading robot pool cleaners are being edged out in nearly every brand. I have used bottom loaders with filter bags for several years and can say these top cartridge/top basket features really are better and much more convenient. For Maytronics the M200/M400/M500 all have top loading cartridges and essentially all that I saw at local stores. I wonder if we will see the prices drop on the bottom loaders over time which would possibly make robot pool cleaners more popular. The best bottom loaders IMHO are Dolphin DX5+S, Dolphin Triton Plus, Dolphin Premier, Aquabot Turbo Series, and possibly Blue Diamond. The Dolphins have the advantage of being able to use bag filters or bottom load filter panels while the others are filter bag only. These bottom loaders are essentially the same price as the newer models so I dont see a reason why I would buy one over the top load models.

3. Aquabot Turbo T (now discontinued) : owned this for several years(bought online at probotics.com) and it cleaned my pool amazingly, even the steps, seats, and ledge. I think the secret is the water jets on the bottom of the robot that continually jet flush water underneath the robot to stir up debris. I never minded cleaning the filter bags & even bought some disposable ones. But now seeing the newer topload alternatives I have been converted. After 4 years my Turbo T had so many repairs that I gave up. I. I was able to do a lot of the repairs myself, even replaced a pump. But that got too pricey. So, while I am partial to the Aquabot brand I heard too many mixed reviews on the reliability of the Aquabot Turbo T2 & T4 to pull the trigger and they remain in the $1200-$1500 range even after all these years. With no local Aquabot resources I decided to try a new brand this time.

4. Watertech Blue Diamond (Manufactured by Aquatron): Bought this 3 years ago from Poolsupplyworld.com due to a reputation for reliability, long 4 year warranty, fast cleaning (covers my whole pool in less than 2 hours), similar design to Aquabot except for the water jets, good reviews, and excellent price $800. It does a good job cleaning but not nearly as good as my old Aquabot Turbo T. If my pool were simpler I think it would be great. But...after its 2nd season it stopped working. Simple parts like tracks, brushes & propellers are more difficult to find and not interchangeable with Aquabot parts usually. Im fairly handy but was unable to diagnose anything simple so had to send it off for repair. Likely it will be out of service for a month or more and shipping was $40. I will say that Watertech Customer Service has been very helpful but hard to contact. Usually have to wait a day or so for them to call me back.

5. I love pool robots and I think they are incredibly convenient and effective. I dont have the time to manually vacuum my pool nor the money to pay a maintenance company. When they are working they are great, when they break they are a pain to fix. It seems that most robots will need some service & maintenance no matter what the brand. Replacing simple parts like brushes, tracks, propellers is easy and there are many youtube videos to assist you. Dont let that scare you off.

6. So what's the best robot??? Im not sure there is one honestly. If you have a rectangular pool with a couple of steps you will probably be happy with many of them. After all my research Imho the best of the best would be: Dolphin M400 & M500, Maytronics S-Series /Active Series, Aquabot Turbo T2& T4, Dolphin Triton Plus/DX5S/DX6/Premier(there are many in this Dolphin line up with each having a few subtle differences and many different names- read the Truth About Pool Cleaners article at sunplay.com). And Im excited to see how the new Aquabots (Elite, Rapids 1500/2000) shape up because they actually have more features than the ones listed, but just too new to know anything yet. One caveat, I did not look into or research the 4wheel drive robots like the Polaris P955/P9550 or the Aquabot Rapids 4WD which are both quite popular.

And lastly, I really wish the pool robot manufacturers would take a lesson from computer companies. Computers are priced low enough so that when it breaks, most people dont fix em, they replace them. If there were really good $500 Dolphins or Aquabots that lasted several years, then we wouldnt have to purchase a $500 replacement pump using mail in service, but could simply replace it with the newest model.

So that's my 2 cents worth. I talked to many a professional and several techs at Maytronics & Aquaproducts to form my opinions. But you know what they say about opinions....
Sorry for the long post, but I think this will now bring a close to my latest obsession.
 
Oh my goodness- this is *exactly* what I've been looking for!! Skippy and I too have a fiberglass pool with the ledge and steps and I've wondered if one of the newer robots could do the brushing on the walls and climb the ledge and steps?

Please keep us informed on your robot's performance.

THANK YOU!

Yippee :flower:
 
Thanks for taking the time to post this. You've completed the process I am just starting. My drawback is that there are no companies very close to me where I could demo a unit (closest is 30 miles). From a brand perspective, I landed on Dolphin fairly early as many people seem happy with them.

I originally thought I would get an Oasis Z5/Triton Plus but I keep seeing reviews about the Triton getting stuck on the bottom drain. I like that the Z5 has a 36 month warranty and includes the caddy.

I also am looking at the Supreme M400/M500. With the size of our pool I'm sure the 2.5+ hour cycles will be the default. Still has the warranty and even has the third brush. I have a swim out and wedding cake steps. I'm not sure how big a deal it is to just scrub them up a bit if the cleaner doesn't take care of those. The Ms have a higher gal/hr rating. This is the model that is 30 miles away. Next closest is 50 miles and they carry both the Active and M series.

Then there's the S300i/Active 30i. Lower warranty but "new and improved." Many people seem really happy with this too. I've seen more than one report of this being smart enough to work its way off the drain if it gets stuck.

I do get a lot of fine sediment at my pool bottom. Not a lot of huge leaves around me (lots of tiny leaves from bushes but so far they don't seem to get into the pool in large quantities).

No matter what I want to be sure I'm getting a caddy.

So here I am trying to get to where you are: making a decision and just using the robot instead of researching it a lot.

I'm curious if you felt the M400 was easier to clean than the the Active 30i or the other way around? I think the 30i basket might be the better way to go since it has more capacity. Even if I don't have a lot of junk in the pool I might be better served just because of the gallons it's covering even though the Ms have the higher gal/hr rating.

I'd still rather order without going anywhere even if it is over the phone and paying for shipping.

Again, thanks for such a quality post.
 
So after a whole 2 days as an owner of an Active 30i (currently dubbed Flipper at my house) here are my thoughts:
1. I really like it overall. I think it cleans the pool a little better than the M400 that I demo'd but not as good as my old Aquabot Turbo T. It cleans nearly everything except my top step and a few spots at the corners of my ledge that runs in the deep end. I did a little spot cleaning with my Pool Blaster handheld vacuum and that is all that was required. I think when I put the Active 30i in the pool next time I will just quickly brush off the steps & seat and that will be it. The combo of the Active 30i with the Watertech Pool Blaster vacuum I think is about as convenient as pool cleaning gets
2. VERY easy to clean. The M400 is easier to clean than a bottom loading filter bag but you have to take the filter panels off, which is certainly not a big deal. However, the Active 30i is incredibly simple. I pull the basket out, rinse with a hose, & put the basket back in. Easy peasy. To me, this is not a huge difference between the M400 & the Active 30i but without a doubt the top load basket design is a better design. Also looks like it will be easy to pop out the fine filter panels when needed but I dont think that I will have to do this routinely.
3. It gets the fine silt stuff really well. Very happy with that
4. It doesnt spill dirty water back into pool when taking it out of the pool. Every other robot I have used does this including the M400. The pool store guy said that shouldnt happen with the M400 if you tilt it the right way when removing it. Not really sure what this means.
5. Love the caddy
6. Surprisingly found the Bluetooth App helpful & easy to use. I didnt really care about a remote when I was shopping but I can see how it might be helpful now. This morning the pool was very clean from yesterdays robot cleaning except for some dirt in the deep end. I was able to use my iphone to quickly direct Flipper to the spot instead of doing a complete cycle. Was able to direct it to the seats & steps without much difficulty. A bit of lag with the app but it was easy to anticipate.
7. Has not gotten stuck yet. One time saw it standing straight up and wasnt moving. It righted itself without assistance
8. The app lets you schedule days of the week and times to clean. Very nice. It also has an Ultra clean mode on the app which slows it down & increases suction.

The negatives:
1. It should have an anti swivel device. Not sure why they didnt include that on their top model. Maybe this will improve as the cord stretches out, but for now it looks prone to cord twists/tangles
2. After you remove the basket there is some dirt & silt inside the bottom of the robot. Doesnt affect anything but I can see that I might have to rinse out the inside of the robot at times
3. Only a 2 year warranty but obviously I knew that ahead of time
4. When removing the filter basket its easy to hit the bottom latch & open the basket inadvertently. If not careful you might spill the basket contents onto the pool deck

Overall, Im really happy with it. Also, its so light & easy to clean that my "poolboy" (my 12 year old daughter) can handle it much better than other robots I have had.
 
One more thought : If a remote control is an important feature to you, I think the M400 and M500 have a significant advantage over the Active/S series. The M400/M500 have the split brush dual drive configuration. They can make 90 degree turns because of this which I would think would make a big difference with a remote. My Active 30i makes turns by backing up & then re-directing its path
 
I think this is enough information to push me to the Active/S series. While I will miss the extra year warranty, my credit card will bring it to 3 years anyway. The easier basket cleaning and the lack of dirty water spills are a plus. I also didn't put any weight on remote control so whatever I get will probably be fine. Dolphin seems adamant that their new logic doesn't require a swivel anymore.

Now I just have to decide if I'm driving 50 miles to get one or find a friendly store that will accept a phone order. Someone in a different thread mentioned a store in Atlanta that shipped the S300i after an over-the-phone order that wasn't supposed to void the warranty.

(Thanks, Kim, for thinking about me.)
 

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I have just purchased the Triton Plus with Power stream. I got this for $900 including Shipping. Its almost identical to the S300i but with the following exceptions:-
1)2 Year Warranty not 3
2)Doesn't have 2.5 hour program. (really not an issue for me)
3)It is a brighter color (Orange) . Really like this
4)No Caddy. not a big deal for be as i have an old caddy

It is a great cleaner for my 26500 gallon pool. Even does steps and is controllable with my phone.
Basically very pleased so far. Amazing how much sand it sweeps up. does excellent job of walls and waterline.
Emptying and cleaning is a breeze.
Came with 2 sets of filters
 
smallwoodst said:
I have just purchased the Triton Plus with Power stream. I got this for $900 including Shipping. Its almost identical to the S300i but with the following exceptions:-
1)2 Year Warranty not 3
2)Doesn't have 2.5 hour program. (really not an issue for me)
3)It is a brighter color (Orange) . Really like this
4)No Caddy. not a big deal for be as i have an old caddy

It is a great cleaner for my 26500 gallon pool. Even does steps and is controllable with my phone.
Basically very pleased so far. Amazing how much sand it sweeps up. does excellent job of walls and waterline.
Emptying and cleaning is a breeze.
Came with 2 sets of filters
Click to expand...

Where did you purchase the Triton Plus with power stream for that price?
 
I bought the S300i about a month ago and Maytronics was giving an extra 6 months bringing it to 2 1/2 years warranty. Plus the extra year with you amex. Anyone shopping for it now should check for that promotion.

Another difference (that I heard) between the Active and S series was their respective supply chains and manufacturing was different, the Active having a cheaper manufacturer. Not sure about it though.
 
This might be my first post here but cannot recall. I've spent some extensive time working with robot cleaners since my very first Aquabot Turbo bought in early 2000s. We ended up stepping up to the Turbo T4RC and used it for years. Through all the growing pains, I've mastered this bot. I went through all the struggles with repairs and eventually realized why there were problems in the first place. In most cases, I never needed to buy new bushings, tan bands, and other tune up parts, as often as what the local dealer claimed. And I went through the pump motor going bad, replacing it, and seeing they could actually fail in 3-4 years. My first pump motor lasted 7 years. This is on the T4RC. I got the motor without the impeller and turbo jet attachment direct from aquabot and they told me it's the exact same motor as they use in the non-jet cleaning models with exception to that jet cleaning attachment. So they sent me the motor for $225 and I saved a little. Repair was simple. It lasted 3-4 years. This year when it went bad, I debated a new robot. But, after renting, and trying several different ones, I opted to rebuild that motor instead. The capacitors fail on them and that is all that needs to be fixed on them when they die. Any other reason is quite rare and unlikely. 4 capacitors of much higher quality cost less than $10 and the sealant I used will preserve them for a very long time. I expect better life than what the stock gives. My drive motors have yet to fail but even those have driver boards that you can buy for cheap and they are plug and play. So knowing how to keep those high cost parts running for cheap make the T4RC a good robot worth keeping. You just cannot find parts, for cheap, for Dolphin. Not to mention, my experience with Dolphins really was disappointing.

1. The S300i. Rental. Looks great. Moves about nicely, very lightweight. Cannot clean anywhere close to Aquabot. After being finished with the S300i, the fine filter was not showing any more dirt being picked up. I run the cleaner a couple cycles to be sire of this because I like my pool very clean. Well, running the Aquabot T4RC after the S300i was done, I go so much more dirt in the fine filter bag & it was no question about it. The S300i and the entire active line, is nothing but a cute convenient little cleaner that does not do serious cleaning that matters. Not to me. As for the other Dolphins, I have to say I do not respect what Maytronics has done here. The have essentially, 5 different designs, for all intents and purposes.They have manufactured several different model names for the exact same cleaner, rebadged them and created a huge confusing list of robots that makes consumers go crazy trying to figure out which to buy. Why? Because of the local brick and mortar stores. They do not like it when we go online to find better deals. Once the community figured this out, rebranding models made it harder for local brick and mortar stores to claim they had something unique. So they decided to revoke warranty on alot of cleaners if purchased online, which is something I consider unfair and maybe even unlawful. If a vendor can sell it cheaper online, then a local vendor can match it. And, if Maytronics wants us to pay these high prices to local brick and mortar stores, they should make OEM parts available at reasonable cost for those units out of warranty. But they don't. You have to get lucky and find someone parting out used or broken units. Aquabots high end T4rC and other track driven units, all have parts available new, used, and aftermarket. And they are quite affordable, save for new motors & pumps, which I can rebuild with internal parts, whicvh are readily available, in less than $45 minutes. Dolphins do not have this type of parts availability or repair option. Most people have to dig deep for a part for Dolphins.

Now, I may seem partial to Aquabot, but, I have also tried a couple Dolphins that are awesome. Thing is, I do not know what model to cal them because of all the rebranding. Search the term "truth about pool cleaner" and you will find the website by sunplay which shows a clear picture of this. Even Aquabot has some of this rebranding going on, but, not with their Turbo, Turbo T2, T4RC lines. Those are their signature cleaners that started it all and they are still available, selling for bvetter pricing in 2017. The Turbo T4RC without caddy can be had with newest remote and newest swivel cord for $1049 delivered. Now that is a great price. I tend to agree that the cost being above this in the $1500+ range is a bit ludicrous. But you can find better deals if you hunt. I live in NJ which is actually where Aquabot headquarters is located. They are great support reps, from my experience. If not for Dolphin's incessant rebranding to help local stores justify their higher cost, I'd go for an M500 or M500 Liberty, vbut, I will tell you that even after using one of these, I noticed top loading cartridge/fine filters do not clean my pool as good as the bottom loading bag. I prefer the convenience, and even with the Aquabot X4, which has top loading filters, there is no comparison. These top loaders did not clean my water as well. The Aquabot units, the select ones, will mix well over 5000 gallons of water per hour. That is near the ratio of my pool pump, which is quite amazing. All pool robots mix and filter water. But, the new T4RC claims to do 6800 gallons per hour but I think it may be a misprint. I think they mean 6800 sq ft. But not one Dolphin pool robot, that is for residential, does more than 4200 gallons which tells me it is not creating as much suction. And due to the T4RC being able to pickup more dirt and debris, even after all other robots I tried, I think this means something. I also have to recommend robots with dual drive motors, which is like a 4WD effect. This prevents getting stuck, and flipping over. I can turn my Aquabot upside down, lay it on the bottom of the pool, turn it on, and it will flip back on it's tracks in seconds every time. I believe this is also the case with Dolphin's M500. It has dual motors too. As does the Apollo Plus, also branded under several other model names. (curse you Dolphin).

All things considered,Dolphin and Aquabot are the only cleaners I feel are worthy. And only the track driven models. It is not all about bells and whistles or I'd go with Polaris and get their sporty 955 aka 9550 or 965 aka 9650. More rebranding. Those cleaners are awesome for the bells and whistles but, a flip trying to do my steps in my concrete pool revealed Polaris units cannot get back on their wheels without help. If I need to go away and have the cleaner set to run, I cannot afford to have it get stuck. Aquabot T4RC never, I mean Never gets stuck and never has. I trust it never will without some unforeseen reason. I'm not going to re-educate myself how to effectively and affordably repair another cleaner so I will stick with my T4RC. It outcleans, outperforms, and outlasts all others and can be had for $1049 right now with 3 year warranty. Unbeatable. Dolphins in this price range are nowhere close to what this Aquabot can do. There is a reason people buy used aquabots classics on ebay for more than 50% of their current value new. These are die hard units that are cheap to maintain and pool cleaning companies drop them all over the place for seasonal rentals and pool cleaning services. I suppose every pool can benefit a bit differently depending what type you have so I'll mention my pool is a concrete, inground, 18 x 36, 30k gallon Sylvan. I have tried all the great ideas and always come back to my trusty T4. Which I also want to mention only works so well since I have changed the tracks from the original blue with extended nubs to the regular Tomcat tracks as this makes the robot perform how I believe it should. At least in my pool. Maybe because I have a wavy bottom that curves into the walls. No 90 degree angles. That's probably why. But hey, it works and I'm sticking to it.

I will be trying the Rapids 2000 soon as it is their newest idea. I know about Israel and parts can actually be bought direct from them locally too but they are likely expensive. I know Israel sells them cheaper though. I'd be willing to order a few spare motor driver circuit boards and pump motor caps to make sure I can keep it running. In fact, if you know how to repair motors and pumps, it helps alot. I do this after seeing how easy it really is so I am sure any repair can be done if you know where to start. Parts really are more readily available for Aquabot cleaners which makes deciding on one alot easier for someone who repairs them. One more thing to mention about all the Dolphin cleaners. Their suction ports are never wide enough to pickup one of the tiles that sometimes fall off in my pool. Maybe it is the suction of the pump. But my T4 sucks it up in one pass. Just another comparison between the suction power of an Aquabot.

Any repairs or questions about them are welcome. I have a few photos of some of my repairs on the pump motor and capacitor replacement. I also rebuild these pump motors for some other people locally and it's worth it.
 
Wall-E the S300i recently got lazy and would not climb up the wall more than a foot or two. Then it just gave up and moved on across the floor.

At first I stuck my finger down the impeller area and pulled out some silky gunk but it didn't help. Then I followed the directions for removing the cover so I could clean out a bit more. Didn't help. Finally I disassembled the entire impeller area as much as I was comfortable with. This included sliding out the blades. After doing this, all cleaning went back to normal. Walls are back to being spotless.

Still very happy with my purchase going on my second season. Especially after the mobile app update. It operates much faster now.
 

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